《Battleforged: Book 1 - THE BILLION CREDIT HEIST - An Earth Apocalypse LitRPG Adventure》


 Chapter 1 - NOTE! Book 1 will be pulled shortly!

    Please Note! Battleforged Book 1 will coming down at the end of July!


    If you''ve been thinking about giving it a read, now''s the perfect time! It will be moving to Kindle Unlimited in August, where KU readers can read it for free! If you''ve enjoyed reading the series and would do me the courtesy of a review, I''d be extremely grateful! - A big thanks to everyone whose left kind words and great feedback in the comments! I hope you all continue to enjoy the story as I continue to write fresh chapters for what I hope will be years to come!


    ________________________________________________________________________________


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually doing this.¡±


    Eric smirked at his own foolishness, daring to hunt down giant-sized rats in a city as dangerous as this one with nothing more significant than a pointy stick in the dead of night. He shivered when a cold gust blew past him, the narrow alleyways of Gilton city positioned just right to act as wind funnels. Eric was definitely feeling the weather tonight, despite the woolen cap and the thick leather jacket he wore. At least his hands were protected from the cold as he prodded a particularly suspicious-looking mound of trash with his spear, thanks to his thick leather gloves.


    His nose wrinkled at the sickly sweet stench of decay as he made his way through a trash-strewn alleyway filled with ruptured bags picked clean by desperate survivors and the prey he was hunting. He took his time and stepped carefully, having nothing to light his way save for the brilliant stars flashing like jewels, all the colors of the rainbow overhead that would have filled an earlier, more innocent version of himself with awe and delight.


    Before the world had ended.


    For just a moment, Eric wondered what it would have been like if the heavens had abruptly changed without every electronic device worldwide abruptly shorting out, and every potential high chemical explosive instantaneously discharging. A gunshot that could be heard throughout the world, temporarily deafening near everyone even as it destroyed good portions of countless cities, instantly devastating every military force and law enforcement branch worldwide.


    If there was one tiny blessing, it was that the world hadn¡¯t erupted in a nuclear holocaust, and that humanity hadn¡¯t been devastated by leaked viruses from bio research labs the world over. At least with cold storage now a thing of the past, those bio samples had all decayed and advanced germ warfare was a thing of the past. Or so Eric fervently hoped.


    The only advanced technology left intact seemed to be AM crystal radios, now dominated by pirate stations and jockeys quickly making names for themselves as they tied humanities¡¯ frayed strings of society together, for all that their accounts of what had happened, both to the world and humanity, grew increasingly dire.


    But what Eric would never forget was the way his mother¡¯s flawless features had frozen to stillness and hard-eyed focus the moment a devastatingly loud crack echoed through the hotel he and his family were staying at. A crack that had been followed seconds later by a growing roar and boom as every battery, oil tank, and boiler room in the city simultaneously exploded.


    Yet it wasn¡¯t fear he had seen in her gaze. It was anger.


    Emerald green eyes crackling with a towering fury that had frozen him where he had stood, utterly oblivious to the phone that had been rapidly heating up in his grip.


    Certainly, the way she had instantly reacted, tearing the phones free of both her children¡¯s hands and tossing them aside before they burst into flame, had been that of a woman able to think on her feet while the upscale hotel¡¯s other guests gazed at their fellows in stunned confusion. Those not crying out when their fingers were burned or their purses caught on fire. It was a miracle that the entire building hadn¡¯t been set ablaze.


    Unlike her dazed children, Aurelia was already sprinting for the staff corridors, her trainer and bodyguards dragging Eric and Elonia in their wake, his sister¡¯s panicked questions remaining unanswered as they all darted ever deeper into the bowels of the hotel, no staff daring to question Aurelia Silver¡¯s no-nonsense glare as she raced for the bottommost flight of stairs before revealing secrets that changed absolutely everything for Eric and his sister both.


    That was when he heard it, jolted free of memory¡¯s grip.


    The unmistakable chittering of rats.


    His heart started to race as he dared the latest alleyway lit only by a few stray shafts of moonlight.


    Knowing he was just feet away from his prey.


    He gasped when the alleyway he was investigating erupted in squeals, suddenly confronted by a trio of massive rodents glaring at him with vicious-looking incisors that practically glowed in the moonlight, as did their beady red eyes.


    Eric quickly jumped back. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled at the hostility he saw in their gazes, and he couldn¡¯t shake the sudden certainty that it was they who had been stalking him, eager to take out the human they clearly considered dinner.


    Eric quickly shifted his grip on the haft of his weapon from an overhand casting throw to a two-handed balanced stance, instantly sensing his peril. He could only pray that all his hours of practice under his mother¡¯s no-nonsense instructor would pay off now.


    Of course, that was the moment that his left heel managed to catch and stumble over a trash bag filled with putrefying garbage now flooding the air with the stench of rotten eggs, Eric suddenly overwhelmed with the heart-pounding terror of imminent death when the trio of giant rats took that as the signal to strike.


    ¡°Leap back, lunge, and get your spear back in Crown guard, boy!¡±


    His trainer Vincent¡¯s words rang through his skull just as loudly as they had while sparring that morning as Eric lunged with his spear, by some miracle actually hitting his target and piercing the back of the closest rat with surprising ease before he leaped back and jerked his weapon free in a spray of blood.


    The squealing rats rushed him then, their need to scurry over mounds of trash all that brought him even a second to raise his spear high overhead as he desperately stumbled back from vicious looking teeth that would cut through his denim jeans like tissue paper.


    ¡°Never forget that your spear is just a quarterstaff with a sharp end. When you¡¯re fighting vermin, nothing beats a club!¡±


    The sound of furious squealing was punctuated with a crack as Eric slammed his polearm against the back the second rat, earning a furious screech as the thing collapsed, which was of course the moment the third and final rat sprang through the air, vicious incisors tearing right through Eric¡¯s leather jacket and the denim shirt underneath as he desperately dodged, yanking his arm free of the giant rat¡¯s grip and choking back a curse at the sudden flare pain.


    Injuries aside, he could still hold his spear, and that was all that mattered. The air whistled as he windmilled the shaft of his weapon in a powerful overhand blow that slammed against the final rodent¡¯s skull with stunning force. Not fatal by any means, but it brought Eric the precious seconds he needed to leap back before lunging his spear between the ribs of his would-be executioner repeatedly until its squeals died off and it was most definitely dead.


    Eric then spun around just in time to meet the hot red gaze of the first rat he had clubbed, upright once more, for all that blood spurted from its back as it chittered and lumbered forward. It''s crimson eyes were lit by a feral madness Eric prayed wasn¡¯t contagious as he rammed his spear point down the vicious creature¡¯s throat. The pit bull-sized rat kicked and spasmed with such force that it actually managed to jerk the spear free of Eric¡¯s hands, before it finally grew still.


    At which point Eric collapsed in a panting heap, gasping for breath while trying not to puke from the awful stench of blood, offal, and rotten garbage.


    It was long seconds before he stumbled to his feet once more, using his spear like a walking stick to help right himself up, before quickly checking the haft of his weapon, relieved to see that the ash wood had held up admirably well under the abuse.


    For just a second, he was filled with a fierce sense of accomplishment.


    He had actually done it! Killed three clearly sentient homicidal monsters in the heart of the city with a weapon so like the ones he had trained his ass off with for over a year, all for the sake of a movie that would never see the light of day.


    The farthest thing from a mechanical crossbow used at a distance, he had blooded himself in combat with a weapon used in his own two still shaking hands.


    And he had most definitely been fighting for his life.


    But he was smart enough to resist the urge to roar any sort of alpha victory cry.


    Because in this city, he was still an ant among literal giants, and massive, homicidal rats were the least of the monsters that now stalked the city streets.


    The only reason why he had dared this bit of madness in the first place.


    ¡°You sure you want to do this, Eric?¡±


    He winced at the memory of Elonia¡¯s worried features of less than an hour ago when their normal practice of hunting far smaller sewer rats with crossbows had transformed into a compelling need to hunt the much larger surface-dwelling creatures above. And Eric was determined to do so while using only a knife and spear.


    The look his twin sister had given him had been priceless, with the exact same exasperated expression she had worn on the big screen in multiple teen heartthrob movies that would never play in any movie theater, ever again.


    Still, she had been supportive, surprisingly so, when Eric explained why he was so desperate for a successful hunt.


    ¡°Alright. Makes sense. Especially if they get bigger and deadlier over time. But while you do that, I¡¯ll keep a lookout by the overflow entrance. If it¡¯s too much for you to handle, just race back as fast as you can and give me a shout.¡± She had patted her double-shot crossbow with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll snipe any oversized rat in time to save your goofy ass, and then we¡¯re out of here.¡±


    ¡°Elonia, you don¡¯t have to wait for me.¡±


    His sister¡¯s eyes twinkled at that. ¡°What, and miss the chance for a quick smoke break with the breeze making sure mother dearest doesn¡¯t pick up on it before I can take a shower?¡± Her bemused gaze hardened. ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m letting you do this alone, without any backup at all, brother.¡± The look she had given him, both entrancing and intimidating as hell, just like their mother¡¯s, had quelled any further words of protest.


    ¡°Alright. Just promise me that if any trouble comes your way, you¡¯ll dart back inside the runoff tunnel and secure the gate behind you. I can always use one of the other entrances in a pitch.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s features had immediately softened into a smile, a few of her golden blond curls sneaking free of the woolen cap she wore. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro. No giant city rat is going to get anywhere near me with the perfume I¡¯m wearing, so I¡¯ll be right as rain.¡±


    Eric laughed at that. ¡°Because my sister¡¯s nostrils are far too upscale for the scents of the sewer, even if it¡¯s more a series of storm drains than anything else.¡±


    ¡°That, and the scent of mother¡¯s own brand means she isn¡¯t endlessly lecturing me about being an idiot with my health after the world fucking ended, even if I¡¯m down to just two cigarettes a day. Besides, it¡¯s better this way. We can snipe the sewer rats at range with crossbows just as well as we used to hunt with our 0.22s. And they shy away from the smell before coming too close, which makes us safer. But as far as the monster rats up here go...¡± Her gaze grew haunted. ¡°I¡¯d just as soon they not come anywhere near me. But we both know I¡¯m a better shot than you, so if you come running with rodents biting your butt, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re home free¡­ even if I¡¯ll be laughing about it till the end of days. Which, let¡¯s be honest, probably isn¡¯t that far off.¡±


    Eric grinned at the memory of his sister¡¯s parting smirk, just knowing she¡¯d be chewing him out for days, once she got a look at his injury and found out how perilously close he had come to losing his own life. His smile then turned to a wince when his painfully throbbing arm made it clear he had immediate concerns to attend to.


    Then he froze, realizing what a fool he was being, just standing in the middle of an alley over fresh kills.


    Chilled by the sudden sense of something watching him, Eric quickly lurched away from the blood-spattered garbage where he had just finished fighting for his life, even if it meant committing the cardinal sin of leaving his kills where they lay. He did his best to ignore the throb in his arm while slinking down another nearby alleyway as fast as he could. Fortunately, his leather padded boots made it easy to slink away quietly along narrow backstreets thankfully free of the garbage mounds that could be hiding any number of hideous secrets, Eric quickly putting distance between himself and the sight of so much noise, and blood.


    Sure enough, in less than a minute he could hear the sounds of angrily chittering rats back the way he had come. And he had no doubt a fresh pack of predatory vermin would soon be wild with the need to hunt whoever was stalking them¡­ just as soon as they had finished devouring the remains of their kin.


    Eric forced himself to stop after quickly scanning the area, seeing no signs of ambushing rats or predators of the two-legged variety, whether they be desperate survivors, or far worse creatures still.


    Only then did he dare to take off his partially shredded jacket and the pair of shirts he had worn underneath. Much to his profound relief, the wounds he had suffered were shallow, teeth merely scraping his flesh, as opposed to digging in with bone crushing force. He shivered with memory of just how big those massive incisors had been before hurriedly opening the fanny pack secured to his waist containing the handful of first aid and survival tools he¡¯d be stupid to go without.


    He used alcohol swabs to clean the wounds as quickly and thoroughly as he could, almost welcoming the abrupt fiery pain that snapped him back into focus and dispelled the shakes he felt before slapping on gauze and tape and dressing himself once more, then cleaning off the blood spatter from rodents and his own injuries as best he could.


    ¡°My first real hunt. Let¡¯s hope it was enough.¡±


    Eric suppressed a shiver, never having felt more exposed and vulnerable than he did right then as he quickly made his way back to where his sister was waiting for him, having no doubt that she was just as eager to get out of here and back to their family¡¯s underground bunker, their sanctuary in a city gone mad, as he was.


    He couldn¡¯t quite hide his relieved grin upon catching sight of the familiar alleyway that would lead to a forgotten storm drain entrance carefully hidden under a wedged rear load dumpster with a partial false bottom that remained undisturbed from anyone, save themselves. Of course, the padlocked entrance just beyond had served as one more deterrent that thankfully remained unbreached.


    All he had to do now was cross a single car-lined street with row homes on both sides, flower beds now overrun with lush vegetation comprised of once carefully tended flowers and hearty weeds. A beautiful sight to see during the day, Eric was sure, but he and his sister had only ever dared the surface at night, with crossbows at the ready, for far shorter lengths of time than he had spent hunting this evening.


    His gut clenched with sudden guilt, knowing his sister had been patiently waiting for him, and that he had been out far longer than he said he would, so desperate to make his first kill with his spear, or any weapon connecting him to his target.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Because if Four Dog and the other AM jockeys were right, it was his best chance of surviving the pods.


    He shuddered, momentarily inundated with memories of the awful alien plant he and his sister had spied in the center of the city park, just a few days ago. A vegetative abomination that could open its trunk like a mouth and flex its arboreal limbs almost as well as any terrestrial mammal. Eric cringed in memory of the kicking and screaming captives that had been forced into the pulsating arboreal abomination by massive humanoid sentinels covered in mail hauberks with bayoneted muskets they used like spears, jabbing their victims as they were forced to enter that quivering vegetative maw.


    A race of alien invaders that actually looked like a cross between a gorilla, a man, and an oversized swine, with all the hate and spite and stupidity one could imagine. And they actually called themselves orcs. Because of course they did. Though they were far more powerful than the cannon fodder so often described in his favorite isekai stories back when he actually read those things for fun. Sadly, nothing showed how far mankind had fallen than the ugly fact that it had taken less than a thousand of those monstrosities to capture and subjugate an entire city.


    Of course there had been a point to those orcs shoving their captives into that hideous vegetative maw. Transformation of hapless humans into actual Classers. Useful tools for the orc faction, according to the AM Jockeys.


    ¡°A 10% Survival rate is bullshit. Not one of them came out as anything but a mutated abomination!¡± Eric muttered under his breath, recalling all too clearly the most horrifying night of his life: he and his sister frozen with fear as they watched the nightmarish slaughter from the remnants of an apartment building that overlooked the block filled with captives, orcs, alien pod monstrosity, and a roasting pit where the porcine invaders would throw the vegetative remains of anyone who didn¡¯t survive the transformation, before devouring them with obvious relish.


    And so far as Eric could determine, that was every last one of them.


    It didn¡¯t matter that the actual numbers reported to multiple pirate-radio stations made it clear that there were survivors, and yes, humans could actually transform, evolve, and grow stronger with the potency of their kills, just like characters in Eric¡¯s favorite role playing games. All that mattered was that there was an absolutely absurd 90% mortality rate, and that everyone who did survive the pods were either ex-cons, hunters, former military, or worked on a farm where they regularly butchered livestock. Because the one thing that all the interviewed survivors had in common was that they had taken sentient life before they had evolved, and they had done it with a low-tech weapon where the force generated had been their own. Just as Eric had done that very night.


    Eric desperately shook away the awful memories that always lingered if he wasn¡¯t constantly seeking distraction.


    That was when he felt it


    An awful twisting sensation in his gut, just knowing that something was wrong.


    He didn¡¯t dare question it, quickly spinning around with his spear at the ready when he heard a distant scream and crash, his paranoia ratcheting up, peering into the dark alleyway behind him for any skulking presence.


    But there was nothing. No one glaring his way in the gloom, when he had done his best to dress in dark colors, the steel head of his spear painted black so no light reflected off its razor-sharp edge. Of course, even if he had been spotted, a man with a seven-foot-long spear was a threat best avoided, at least for fellow zero level scavengers like himself.


    He couldn¡¯t help but flash a relieved smile when he finally made his way back into familiar territory, sanctuary now just a single alleyway away.


    That¡¯s when he froze, eagerness to embrace the warmth and safety of their hidden bunker replaced with a lurching sense of dread in his gut.


    Because the girl who should have been looking his way with a congratulatory smile, crossbow held at the ready to take out any threat that might be chasing his ass, was gone.


    There was no sign of Elonia at all.


    And that wouldn¡¯t have been so bad if she had left one of the three scraps of cloth secured to a nail by the alleyway entrance that would have let him know that she had retreated back to the storm drains and bunker, was watching the area from cover nearby, or was just taking care of basic necessities.


    But no cloths craps had been left behind, nor any hastily scrawled symbols of chalk on the brownstone walls in the code they had both made up as kids, as twins so often do.


    There was nothing at all.


    Which meant that his sister had been taken.


    Or outright killed.


    His heart lurched in his chest, pummeled by waves of fury, terror, and self-recrimination before getting ahold of himself and taking slow, steadying breaths.


    Panic would get him nowhere.


    What he had to do now was look for any clues or evidence as to what might have happened to his twin, and maybe pray to whatever god commanded the alien configuration of stars overhead that his sister had simply forgotten to leave a flag.


    With all his heart, he prayed it was something as mundane as the runs, and how he¡¯d enjoy teasing her about it later. Maybe enough to get her to promise not to tell a sole back in the bunker how close he had come to kicking the bucket, using his forearm to parry teeth meant for his throat.


    But despite his desperate hope, he wasn¡¯t so stupid as to go charging in blind, though it was all he could do to resist the urge to just race across the starlit street. He held off from that growing impulse for long seconds, eyes burning with anxiety, peering into the far alleyway as intently as he could. Looking for something. Anything.


    Yet he saw nothing of note at all. No sign of his sister¡¯s face scrunched up as she dealt with cramps in the back of the alley. He saw no trace of blood by the alleyway entrance or artifact of clothing. No slumped over body or remains that could be¡ªdon¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t!


    A cursory check of the far alleyway showed nothing untoward that he could spot, save for the painful lack of his sister. So, he quickly darted forward to crouch behind one of the many parked cars by the sidewalk of the tree-lined street that would never start again.


    A necessary bit of cover as he gave the far alley a final careful look before sighing and shaking his head, praying that his sister had smartened up and just gone home, rag scraps being an uncertain thing in this gusty wind, and he¡¯d better get his ass back himself if he didn¡¯t want his mother to¡ª


    There!


    Movement!


    Alarm froze him stock still as anxious eyes peered into the gloom, seeing nothing but shadows in darkness until restless movement became the silhouettes of a pair of burly men with baseball bats casually held by their shoulders.


    And no sign of his sister at all.


    His heart lurched in his chest as desperate eyes continued to peer into the darkness.


    Maybe it was just a couple scavengers checking out the alleyway.


    No doubt his sister had spotted them and quickly darted back through the false bottom of the dumpster. For all Eric knew, there had been no time to put up any subtle flag indicating whereabouts and intentions. All that mattered to him at that moment was that she was safe.


    He began whispering fervent prayers that such was the case, even as his hands clenched the haft of his spear painfully tight, silently screaming for the pair of scavengers to leave.


    Yet they stayed right where they were, one even going so far as to stick his head out into the street beyond, showing off gaunt features and a scraggly beard as the man idly swung his bat around, eyeing both ends of the tree lined boulevard before sauntering back to his shadowy partner.


    ¡°Any sign of anyone?¡±


    Eric flinched at the sound of the whiskey-roughened voice further in the alley.


    ¡°Nah, man. There ain¡¯t shit coming or going. I told you she was a one-off. Just a stupid bitch thinking that crossbow of hers made her anything but a stuck-up cunt.¡± Scraggly-beard shook his head. ¡°Now Aaron¡¯s got a gut wound, and we got no fucking doctors, so that fool¡¯s going to have to dare the pods anyway. And Phil and the others are going to get the bounty because you¡¯re a greedy fuck, thinking some other loser will actually show up at this hour.¡±


    Other words were said then, but Eric could hear nothing over the roar of his own pounding heart as his worst fucking nightmare came true.


    His twin sister that he loved as fiercely as his own life had been taken by these lowlife monsters, because he had been so headstrong and greedy as to race off on his stupid foolish quest, and she had refused to let him go without being there to cover his six, just in case he had heat on his tail. Both of them so stupid as to count on perfume that might irritate rats, but would only catch the nose and interest of gutter snipes like these.


    If he had just gotten back a few minutes sooner¡­ if he hadn¡¯t bothered trying to hunt down that final pack of rats¡­ it was all he could do not to scream as he raced across the street, the soft leather padded souls of his boots that had come so damn handy in rat hunting paid off one last time, as Scraggly-beard was so busy bitching with his partner that he didn¡¯t even think to turn around until Eric had finished sprinting across the street.


    But by then, it was far too late.


    Eric¡¯s scream was silent, projected in the fury of his blow as he slammed into the closest slaver with every ounce of force and fury he could generate, his spearhead leading the charge.


    Yet it caught even him off guard, just how easily his weapon plunged through the man¡¯s chest, Eric actually slamming right into his opponent¡¯s back and bowling him over after completely running him through, his fallen foe now spraying hot blood everywhere.


    The second figure lurched in surprise.


    ¡°What the fu¡ª¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t hesitate, horror at his own actions, terror for his sister, and blind fury for the assholes who had laughed at his sister¡¯s kidnapping like it was nothing propelled him forward, Vincent¡¯s lessons the only thing that made sense as the rest of his mind was a whirlwind of grief, fury, and a desperate need to kill.


    ¡°Fencing is all well and good, Eric. But if you¡¯re ever in a real fight, you need to seize the Vor! Claim the initiative, take your enemies by surprise, and hammer into them with everything you¡¯ve got until you¡¯re the last man standing. Because fencing skills don¡¯t mean shit if you can close and kill before your opponents even have a chance to get their bearings, let alone unsheathe their blades!¡±


    He didn¡¯t dare waste a second, forgoing his now jammed spear to shoulder check the flatfooted fool with his bat still held against his shoulder, gazing at the blond-haired youth now slamming into him in wide-eyed disbelief as Eric whaled into the stunned asshole with everything he had.


    Because even if he didn¡¯t know shit about boxing beyond throwing a solid right hook that looked good on camera, he knew that when your foe had a bat at his shoulder, you closed the distance and got right into his face just as fast as you could, giving him no room to swing. Preferably while pounding your opponent¡¯s ribs and face like your life depended upon it. Because it did.


    Even though his opponent¡¯s flatfooted disbelief only lasted a second, the man now fumbling back and roaring that he¡¯d kill Eric as he tried to get distance between them, Eric continued to press right against the man, shoulder slamming him into the brick wall of the alley, channeling his fury into pounding his opponent''s ribs as hard as he damn well could before the man finally dropped his bat. Yet despite being caught completely off guard, the flesh peddler still managed to smack Eric¡¯s face and ears so hard he saw stars.


    But a desperate furious Eric felt nothing but the pounding of his own heart as he continued to pummel his slightly taller opponent whose blows quickly grew weaker before the man finally collapsed with a wheeze when Eric¡¯s throbbing fist connected with the asshole¡¯s chin one final time.


    ¡°Where is she, you motherfucker!? Where is she?¡± A panting, exhausted Eric screamed, glaring down at the battered, groaning man, who was now gazing up at Eric in fear as he curled into a ball and wheezed for air himself.


    ¡°Whatever you want, just take it, man! Just please¡­ don¡¯t¡ª¡± The kidnapper¡¯s eyes widened when he caught Eric¡¯s gaze and noted the fallen bat Eric had just claimed for himself. A bat Eric whipped around with a thoughtful nod.


    ¡°It will do,¡± Eric softly said to himself once he finished catching his breath.


    The battered predator quickly raised his hands. ¡°No, please man, don¡¯t¡­ you don¡¯t have to do this!¡±


    Eric glared down at the man, his own bloodied and bruised hands clenching the comforting hickory shaft of the weapon he had claimed. His voice, when he spoke, was as soft as he could make it, yet for some reason the asshole at his feet still flinched, choking back a whimper.


    ¡°You assholes mentioned a girl with a crossbow.¡± Eric swallowed the awful lump in his throat. It was a struggle just to get the words out, to give life to his own worst fears. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened in sudden alarm. ¡°Hey man, look, seriously dude, we didn¡¯t know she meant anything to you, okay? If we had known, we¡ª¡±


    His scream echoed through the alleyway when Eric¡¯s new bat whistled through the air, obliterating the man¡¯s knee.


    The look of horror the shrieking man sent his way meant nothing, his mentor¡¯s words overlaying the furious curses and desperate pleas of the asshole who had endangered the one person he actually gave a fuck about in this twisted post-apocalyptic hellhole.


    ¡°A grappler fighting from the ground might think he¡¯s being clever against a boxer. But he¡¯s a damned fool if there¡¯s any chance you can bring a weapon to bear. But don¡¯t strike at his torso. You¡¯d be surprised at how quickly a skilled martial artist can sweep-kick you right off your feet and choke you out using skills I never had a chance to teach you. Instead, you aim for the legs. Just like you do the hands and wrists of someone fighting you with saber. Because if you can take out the limbs, the body will follow soon enough.¡±


    ¡°I asked you a question, I expect a fucking answer!¡± Eric snarled, glaring at the man, before flashing a hard smile. ¡°And don¡¯t think I¡¯m so blind to the dark that I didn¡¯t see you reaching for that Bowie sheathed at your hip. Now, how about you pull it out nice and easy in a two-finger grip? That¡¯s right. Now toss it behind you. Good.¡±


    The pleading slaver¡¯s eyes flared with sudden heat. ¡°I could have gutted you like a fish, you stupid prick, but I didn¡¯t!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°True. Not because you were feeling merciful, but because all you could focus on were my fists slamming into your face and ribs when I crowded you too close for you to use your fucking bat. Which is now my fucking bat. How about that?¡±


    Another lesson he had learned from his mentor. Even if his mad charge into his first target, running his foe completely through, had temporarily cost him his weapon.


    That wasn¡¯t a target, that was a person! I just killed someone!


    He desperately pushed the thought away. Focusing on what mattered.


    The only thing that mattered.


    His family.


    He¡¯d bear all the guilt and sleepless nights he knew would be coming his way, if he could just save his sister, he promised himself, glaring down at the bastard who had jeopardized the life of his twin.


    ¡°No more fucking stalling. Where the hell is she!?¡±


    Much to Eric¡¯s horror, the panicked look in the flesh peddler¡¯s eyes told him everything he needed to know.


    ¡°Oh god, jeez, I swear, if we had known she was yours...¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    The man began to cry. A predator who thought nothing of hunting his own kind broke down into desperate sobs by Eric¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Fucking say it!¡±


    ¡°We took her to the pod, man. Please! We had to! If we don¡¯t meet their quota, they¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    CRACK!


    A sobbing Eric sank to his knees as post-battle shakes overtook him, gagging at the coppery stench of blood as he took shallow breaths, eyes squeezed tight against the macabre scene before him, the blood and death he had caused, choking back his despair.


    His sister had been taken, and it was entirely his fault.


    And he sure as hell didn¡¯t have time to lose sobbing over slavers who had sentenced his sister to a horrific death.


    He shook away grief he had no time to feel, choking back the urge to vomit as he yanked his spear free of the now lifeless corpse before him. He forced himself to take basic care of his weapon, wiping it down with a scrap of cloth to make sure the shaft wouldn¡¯t slip in his grip, the practiced movements helping him to focus and gird himself for what came next.


    First, he dragged both corpses out of the alley hiding so many secrets before dropping them to an adjoining one and covering them both with a few scattered heaps of refuse, having no doubt that the feral Pitt-bull sized rats would be taking care of them soon enough.


    Next, he claimed the vile crimson bands the men had tied around their shoulders, instantly understanding what they signified as a desperate plan he knew didn¡¯t have a chance in hell of working percolated through his terror-laden brain. A plan that demanded he check the pockets of both slaver assholes in case there was anything else he needed that he might be overlooking, both chilled and vindicated to find a scrap of vellum telling him far more than he wanted to know about the peculiarities of orc flesh quotas, contractors, and the various bounties to be gained by corralling hapless victims to serve as either slaves or sacrifices. Finally, he found a pair of leather purses containing a small fortune in silver eagle coins between them.


    Blood money in the most literal sense. Both for the slavers, and he who had cut them down.


    Eric then stepped out of the alleyway and took a shuddering breath of far fresher air as the wind rustled his golden locks, his woolen cap lost in the scuffle. He gazed up at the brilliant stars once alien to his world, blinking back the hot sting in his eyes as before making his way to the quarter of the city that had filled his nights with so many nightmares.


    A nightmare he would face for the people he loved. Family he should never have put in peril by coming out here in the first place.


    And if by some miracle he could actually rescue his twin from a camp full of orcs¡­


    Maybe he could live with himself again.


    He¡¯d certainly have plenty of time to go over everything he had done wrong and the tiny handful of things he had done right this night. With two men cut down in hot blood now on his conscience, he wouldn¡¯t be sleeping any time soon.

 Chapter 2 - Forged In Fire

    Eric felt like a man walking to his own execution, but it didn¡¯t stop him from putting one foot in front of the other. His awful sense of nauseating dread threatened to overwhelm him, compelling his walk to a jog then a loping stride. The air was suddenly rich with the odors of fried pork, putrid ash, and char-grilled vegetables coming from the direction of the touristy tree-lined cobblestone boulevard leading to the city park on his left, his ears now ringing with the desperate shouts and cries of the damned.


    Ignoring the cold twist of dread knotting his stomach, he forced himself down that street, ignoring the rustling branches overhead, his eyes helplessly locked by a scene right out of a horror movie.


    In the center of Gilton¡¯s once lush and beautiful tree-lined city park, the children¡¯s rides and flower beds had been replaced with a massive pit filled with red-hot coals from which shrieks could even now be heard, giving a hellish backlight to countless hundreds of men, women, and children huddling together in terrified clusters throughout the cordoned-off square, shivering in the cold night air. Herded and manhandled by massive humanoid abominations that looked like grizzly bears crossbred with pigs and the ugliest bastards Eric had ever had the displeasure of seeing in a mugger line-up, no sighting of an orc would complete without tusks, strangely mobile snouts, and beady red eyes glittering with a feral intelligence as they glared with unmistakable malice at the terrified humans they towered over.


    And it didn¡¯t matter how much they looked like oversized linebackers if you didn¡¯t see their faces, with squat legs kitted up in rawhide pants and boots with massive shirts of chain mail covering their bristly furred torsos and four-fingered arms, most of them holding bayoneted muskets as long as any decent sized spear. Those purple and green-skinned monstrosities were the farthest thing from human, and they showed their desperately pleading victims no more mercy than lions savaging their prey.


    Eric did his best to ignore the surprisingly visceral urge to turn tail and run away just as far and fast as he could. It was everything he could do to just put one foot in front of the other, soon close enough that he could actually make out the panicked voices of the gathered crowd.


    ¡°They¡¯re forcing those people into the pod! And those who don¡¯t¡­ oh god, they¡¯re throwing everyone else into that fire pit!¡±


    He winced as he caught sight of so many pairs of wide, frightened eyes, forced to take in the same horrors he was.


    Only they were already cordoned off and bound by rope, whereas Eric was still free.


    He grit his teeth and kept his focus straight ahead, forced to witness orcs towering a good three feet above everyone else deliberately pruning the huddling ranks of humanity, coldly plucking what Eric could tell were the oldest members of any group, utterly ignoring their desperate pleas for mercy before tossing their frantically struggling victims through the air and into the macabre pit of red hot coals as casually as Eric would toss his dirty laundry into the washer. And the way they rumbled with unmistakable laughter at the piteous shrieks and wails coming from the fire pit made it all too clear that these abominations were enjoying their victims suffering one of the most hideous deaths imaginable.


    It was a scene of living nightmare Eric felt searing itself forevermore in a brain so stunned by the enormity of the horror he approached that his faced was a frozen mask, even as a tiny corner of his psyche shrieked with outrage, finally coming face to face with not just indifference or callousness, but actual unmitigated evil.


    Then he caught sight of true horror, just past the fire pit. A sight he had tried so desperately hard to avoid looking at.


    A massive, giant pod of pulsating vegetative flesh the color of rotting corpses surrounded by dozens of thick leafy appendages. Twisting limbs that whipped through the air like massive skittering spider legs covered in thorns and leaves, twisting and writhing in ways that chilled Eric to the bone. Nothing at all like the calmly glowing cluster of massive roots in the storm tunnels below the park, radiating a soothing aura he and his sister had come so close to embracing, just the day before.


    Eric¡¯s blood ran cold as the central trunk-like portion of the bulbous pod effortlessly absorbed the frantically struggling captives the chortling orcs so casually stuffed within its leafy orifice, the panicked captives kicking and biting and bucking with the desperate vigor of men and women knowing that their lives were coming to a horrific end as they were shoved into the vegetative abomination, their flailing limbs spasming all the more once their heads were jammed inside, before going ramrod stiff as they were slurped the rest of the way in.


    Eric knew right then and there that he would never, ever be tempted to gaze upon those softly glowing half-buried roots calling out to him in the storm drains while he was foolishly dreaming about classes, glory, or real-life leveling-up, ever again.


    Then, after what felt like endless minutes of breathless silence, that was just long enough for Eric to close the gap between himself and the park proper, the pod spat out a fresh batch of cocooned bodies that immediately began writhing and twisting like nothing human ever should.


    Eric already knew what it meant.


    Everyone did.


    Four Dog and Black Cat and every other midnight radio jockey daring the waves on the only form of technologically advanced communication that actually worked, AM frequencies that crystal sets could still pick up, had made it all too clear what it meant when the pods rejected potential candidates.


    Everyone did. Even in cities far, far away from Gilton, where humans weren¡¯t being corralled right into the vegetative horrors by invading orcs, the pods had a minuscule survival rate at best, and of those, only a fraction gained an actual adventuring class that could power up. The rest were just grateful to survive with what would hopefully be a useful Profession or crafting class.


    For everyone else, it was death. Though what happened after that, depended on the pod.


    Some pods seemed to absorb the supplicant completely. Digesting them utterly.


    Others spat out abominations worthy of a science fiction flick about the dangers of clone vats, revealing bags of flesh filled with mismatched organs, way too many disjointed arms whipping about like tentacles, and dozens of oversized eyes. Eyes blinking with hideous sentience before the warped creature that was human no longer finally expired.


    And then there were the abominations left by pods like the ones in Gilton City.


    Cocoons that within moments would burst open to reveal shambling horrors covered in whipping vines, giving off high-pitched moans from faces that now sprouted dozens of tiny tendrils caressing the air, slowly making their way to the nearest pack of screaming humans.


    Wild-eyed men and women who would have run for all they were worth, were not the majority of them roped and collared, before being sprayed with foul smelling vegetative rot Eric caught a whiff of from where he now stood, right behind a pair of slavers with bands on his arm a match for his own, helpless prey corralled between them. Even the pair of blustering fleshpeddlers ahead of Eric flinched when a massive orc closer to nine feet tall than eight effortlessly decapitated not one but two of the shambling horrors with a single swing of his wicked-looking poleaxe.


    Before a smaller orc chortling with laughter bent down and grabbed the pair of now motionless vine-covered horrors and raced away to toss them into the fire pit, the air awash with the sickly sweet stench of human flesh and char-grilled veggies.


    Eric, frozen in a state beyond horror, could no longer deny that the haunches he saw a few orcs ravenously devouring while glaring at huddled pockets of humanity were the remains of those unfortunate souls who had failed to survive the pods, or had just been tossed in, pod issues aside, because the towering pig-faced monstrosities had simply craved some extra freshly charred man-meat.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A true barbecue from hell.


    Of course, that was the moment a surprisingly intelligent-looking orc smaller than its kin caught sight of Eric and the slavers ahead of him and glared.


    Eric immediately smacked the red band on his shoulder, as did the pair of blustering flesh-peddlers holding their emaciated elderly captive with bleary confused eyes pleading that he was out of medication and needed to be taken to a doctor.


    ¡°Why you bring me old and withered? We need young and strong, fresh meat for the pods!¡± The 7-foot tall orc roared, before leathery lips stretched into a vicious smile. A runt for his kind, but still a giant among men. ¡°You wish freedom from the quota? You wish to serve us in other ways and earn pretty silver? Then you must bring fresh meat, not old!¡±


    The closest leather jacketed slaver flinched, before forcing a smile. ¡°Sure, boss. We¡¯ll get you young and fresh, next time. That¡¯s a promise! But this old sack of meat and bones would be pretty tasty on a spit, right? Meat¡¯s had a chance to mature and get some real flavor.¡±


    Much to Eric¡¯s horror, the orc actually bent down to sniff the human with its oddly flexible proboscis, earning a terrified cry from the elder gentleman, mortal terror bringing clarity to beffudled thoughts at last. Unfortunately, all the elder received for his sudden alertness was terror when the orc gave a disgruntled nod. ¡°One silver, no more.¡±


    The slavers quickly nodded. ¡°Sure, boss, one silver it is. And we¡¯ll get you some fresh meat right away!¡±


    Coin was exchanged for the panicked elder sobbing for help who was casually tossed amongst the milling slaves like a sack of meat. Then the orc turned to glare Eric¡¯s way, judging him for long moments.


    Eric¡¯s felt the blood drain out of his face, stomach doing horrified flip-flops as he gazed upon the most pitiless of judges he feared was about to order his execution.


    Begrudgingly, the monster spoke.


    ¡°Why you come without fresh prey?¡±


    Eric blinked, freezing for only a second, when the last several years of drama class and practicing countless scenes that had done wonders for curing him of the envy he had once felt for his sister, thawed out his tongue just enough for him to speak before the orc could roar for his head.


    Only in that moment did he truly appreciate how unlikely his plan was to succeed. How mad it had been for him even to approach. That in all likelihood, he would never see his sister again.


    ¡°Another band of harvesters grabbed my partner,¡± he declared as calmly as he could, slowly pulling out his second band. ¡°I came to get her.¡±


    He forced a smile when the orc before him chuckled. ¡°Your loss, human!¡±


    Eric pulled out the silver-filled pouch he had claimed, pleased at the wide-eyed look this earned from the monster before him. ¡°I promise you this. Me and my partner will bring back six fresh slaves. And if we fail to make good on our promise, these twenty silvers are yours.¡± he didn¡¯t hesitate to place the bag in the massive four fingered hand that snatched it up with surprising alacrity. ¡°I¡¯ll even let you hold on to the silver. Because if that old man was worth one, surely a good hunter who will bring you back plenty of fresh slaves is worthy of twenty?¡±


    The orc snorted, lips curling in a strangely human smile. ¡°Clever human, yes you are. And I bet you¡¯re not even a hunter at all.¡±


    It chortled when Eric froze, before snorting and turning around. ¡°Sure. Grab whatever meat sack you like. But then you both hunt for me!¡±


    Eric nodded and boldly entered what felt like Dante¡¯s inferno, the hairs in the back of his neck prickling as he braced himself for the inevitable blow he feared the orc would deliver to the back of his neck. But he knew the worst thing he could do was flinch, show fear, and mark himself as no different from the hundreds of roped or collard slaves glaring at Eric with looks of such hate, despair, and bitter fury, so many pairs of accusing eyes that stripped him bare, for all that he hadn¡¯t harmed a single one of them, that it was no wonder why the other pair of slavers hadn¡¯t stuck around for a second longer than they had to.


    Fortunately, his bravado paid off. The orc only snorted when he strode forward as if without a care in the world, coolly ignoring the few glaring captives who spat his way, Eric somehow sensing the odd approval his boldness earned from the orc administrator clearly tasked with dealing with would-be sellouts and slavers like he was pretending to be.


    ¡°You sold us out, your own kind! If I wasn¡¯t roped, I¡¯d tear out your throat!¡± Roared one man, his voice a mixture of fury and despair.


    ¡°Why, why are you doing this to us?¡± Sobbed a middle-aged woman, gazing Eric¡¯s way with pleading eyes he couldn¡¯t bear to meet.


    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t have to do this. Together, we could beat them!¡± Pled a young man, desperate hope in his eyes it tore Eric¡¯s heart to see.


    So many doomed souls, bombarding him with an awful mix of accusations and desperate pleas that he almost welcomed the spittle sent his way by bitter captives who knew their lives could be measured in hours, their futures stolen by inhuman monsters and their own kind as well.


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding, feeling an increasing sense of panicked urgency as he gazed through the crowd, desperate to catch sight of one particular pair of fey green eyes in a sea of anxious faces, praying he could find his sister in time.


    Time seemed to freeze the instant he caught sight of her panicked features lifted above countless other broken souls.


    Yet what he felt wasn¡¯t elation, but terror.


    As his desperate plan of rescue, which by some twisted miracle had seemed so close to actually succeeding, instantly crumbled to ash and despair.


    Because his shrieking, sobbing sister was even now in the hands of a giant chortling orc carrying his prize not to the pods, but to the fire pit.


    Against all odds, Eric caught his sister¡¯s panicked gaze, just as she was about to be thrown in.


    ¡°Run, Eric. Run!¡±


    Letting out a desperate cry, he did just that.


    Of course he knew that his efforts would prove utterly futile. That he was just one struggling teenager in a world that had already fallen, overrun by monsters and inhuman tribes of orcs, goblins, ogres, and every twisted abomination ever to flood his favorite bookstores or the cities of humanity. But hell if he wouldn¡¯t finally fight back!


    Because no matter how bad the odds were, he¡¯d be damned before he abandoned his sister to the flames.


    All he needed to do was have the courage, the madness, to seize the Vor. To claim the initiative when others were frozen with disbelief, dismay, or too focused on chortling at the screams of the panicked girl in their arms to sense death racing from behind.


    As for actually making it to his target, the pounding of his feet was easily muffled by the shouts and cries and desperate pleas of a hundred slaves that didn¡¯t dare shuffle in the way of the wild-eyed madman with the bloody spear. And the backside of a massive orc who so enjoyed taunting the screaming, begging girl in his arms was a fuck ton easier target to hit than a foot-long rat sniffing the air, thirty feet away.


    Yet it was a target that, paradoxically all too many people would miss.


    Eric had studied enough psychology with his homeschooling to know that most people, when push came to shove, didn¡¯t have it in them to take another person''s life, no matter how gritty and violent TV specials had tried to paint various cities, populations, and demographics.


    Most people were decent folk just trying to live their lives in peace, and take care of their families.


    It was people like Eric, who had proved his willingness to cut down people in hot blood twice over, that were the violent, worrisome exceptions to the rule.


    Which meant that when he charged for the back of the nine-foot tall piece of porcine filth taking such delight in taunting his sister with her imminent death, Eric didn¡¯t shy away from a lethal blow. His razor sharp spearhead mounted on a sturdy ash wood staff managed to slip just under the lip of the orc¡¯s chain mail shirt as he rammed his killing tool in the base of that monster¡¯s spine with the full force of his charge, filled with a white-hot wrath that had him striking his target with a killing fury he never would have dreamed possible, just a few short weeks ago.


    Despite the jarring jolt of steel meeting bone, his spear cleaved right through his foe¡¯s spine, before bursting through leathery hide an eyeblink later in a spray of ruptured intestines and blood as the creature immediately crumpled with a startled squeal.


    But that didn¡¯t change physics.


    Or the fact that the massive pig was just spiteful enough to toss Eric¡¯s screaming sister right into the giant roasting pit even as it collapsed in an eviscerated heap.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    A shriek of terror echoed through the air and Eric¡¯s soul. For just a heartbeat, his sister¡¯s desperate eyes locked with his own as she fell right into that pit of red hot coals, and there was nothing he could do.


    Not unless he was willing to be forged in fire.

 Chapter 3 - Embrace That Which You Fear

    Eric howled with something beyond terror at his own imminent death, beyond fury at the callous way uncaring fate had made his world the plaything of incomprehensible forces, inhuman abominations, and land-hungry homicidal humanoids.


    His heart pounded with desperation. His sharp sense of direction and internal map not only of this ruined hellhole of a city above, but the sewers below, tormented him with a madman''s desperate hope as he dared to jump in the fire pit, chasing his sister into damnation as the orcs above roared with fury, pain, and delight at yet another human tragedy playing out for their enjoyment.


    Yet no matter how many crazy videos he had seen of people calmly walking upon a bed of white-hot coals, all he felt was pain.


    Pain as he screamed for his sister, her hair already ablaze, desperately trying not to breathe the superheated air as he lurched across the bed of coals with a strength he didn''t even know he had, far beyond what even enhancement drugs and constantly training to exhaustion should have given him. Damn if his mother hadn¡¯t made an action hero out of her talentless hack of a son, no matter all the health risks he would have faced later in life.


    At least he now had the strength to pull off this act of absolute madness.


    Even if for only a few more seconds.


    In that awful endless moment, his flesh screamed, licked by flames. The world became a nightmare heat haze as he charged through the coals, claimed his stunned sister in a fireman¡¯s carry, and scooped up a few red-hot embers in the palm of his glove. He then raced for the orc pitmaster gazing at him in disbelief at the lip of the ramp.


    Eric was a dead man running, covered in flame, so filled with hate it choked back the screams. He glared at the smirking pitmaster about to lance him with the tongs in its hand as Eric desperately raced up the ramp, before the creature squealed like the pig it was, a handful of red-hot coals striking the orc right in its beady little eyes.


    Eric''s palm might have been scorched to a mass of charred flesh, his crossbow glove completely burned through, but it was a small fucking price to pay. He could now use the full weight of his sister to shoulder check the screaming pitmaster, sending it stumbling back as Eric raced up the ramp. He goal wasn¡¯t to force the squealing bastard into its own death trap, just knock it off balance for the precious moments needed to break free.


    Which made the sound of the orc¡¯s agonized shrieks as it did, in fact, fall right into its own bed of hot coals all the sweeter. A nearly blind Eric, still ignoring the torment of his scalding flesh, finally gasped sweet gulps of cool air as he leaped free of the pit ramp. He tore past the one nearby orc gazing at him with stunned disbelief as a lone javelin thrown his way from the far side of the fire pit plunged into the ground where he had just passed.


    What he was doing was impossible, and he didn¡¯t care.


    His skin was charred to ash, and he had only one hope of salvation.


    Darting down the narrow alleyways he had been so carefully traversing less than an hour before, Eric sprinted for all he was worth across the final street separating him and his sister from salvation in the desperate hope that no orc retrieval party, scavengers, or giant rats waited to ambush them.


    Yet the street was perfectly quiet, the final alleyway exactly as he had left it.


    Eric was too exhausted even to sob with relief when he finally dove through the wedged dumpster with a false bottom hiding so many lifesaving secrets.


    The twins plummeted, splashing into the stream of brackish runoff water flowing in the far corner of the otherwise dry and deliberately slanted storm tunnels. Contrary to popular belief and his own references to sewers, this one wasn¡¯t filled with raw sewage at all.


    Only the hissing sounds of charred meat being abruptly cooled, echoing with the shrieks of a young man no longer hiding his agony. Shrieks that turned to sobs as Eric used his one remaining good eye that hadn¡¯t been baked shut to gaze down at the dying form of his sister.


    Blisters covered her face, and her hair was a singed bob. By some miracle, she wasn''t the charred mess of flesh Eric knew he himself was.


    But she wasn¡¯t breathing.


    She wasn¡¯t breathing!


    Eric whimpered, quickly feeling for her heartbeat, ignoring his own growing weakness and dizziness, dragging his sister with arms steadily weakening as he approached the secret those tunnels hid so well. A secret that had terrified him and his sister both when they realized the risks, the peril, having nearly given in to the siren call that seemed to echo through their souls just the night before. The real reason Eric had been so desperate to hunt topside with a spear in the first place. Not just to get some perspective, but to increase his chances of actually surviving temptation if he dared surrender to it. Because for all that he had been chanting the 90 percent mortality odds like a mantra, it was Eric, not Elonia, who had to be dragged back from daring the roots of the pod.


    Eric froze, his one still-intact eye widening in a sudden epiphany of understanding. The girl dying in his arms had risked so much, not for her own sake but to shock Eric to his senses. Her insisting on playing the lookout, knowing she was topside, had forced him to take a more cautious approach, and maybe it had helped him better think through and strategize his hunt. Such that when the giant rats had nearly ambushed him, he had been prepared, his hunt successful. And he would have had Elonia¡¯s back when she was ready to do the same.


    It should have been a triumphant end to their little expedition topside.


    Before some slimy asshole lowlifes had nearly cost them both their lives.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Now his twin was about to die because he had been so desperate for his hunt, and his sister had refused to let him risk himself without any backup at all.


    He hung his head in shame, fighting back a hoarse sob of despair.


    Yet the soft light that had so enticed him when it had first called out to them both just a few nights ago was now their only hope of salvation. Because the key to leveling up and surviving any injury was the glowing vegetative mass of roots, stalk, and alien sentience before him. Black Cat and Four Dog¡¯s interviews had made that much damn clear. With very few exceptions, everyone who entered a pod came out disease- and injury-free no matter how fucked up they had been before entering. And, even if only a select few, like the Advanced Classers, actually came out looking like they had just turned eighteen again, everyone who dared the pods could still gain superhuman vitality and perhaps longevity as well. Some even went so far as to claim that their biological clocks would at least halt, if not reverse, if they managed to level up and boost the right stats.


    And the irony for Eric and his sister was that it no longer mattered that most who dared the pods above came out as walking horrors and a feast for the orc fire pits. It didn¡¯t even matter how hideous the sights above had been.


    And maybe, just maybe, there was some truth to Eric¡¯s desperate hunch that the roots held the key, its light far more soothing and sane than the predatory madness above. Everyone knew you fed nutrients through the root system, after all. Only carnivorous plants took in nutrients by the leaves and stalk, and maybe the gentle roots before him were the secret to a gentle ascension, not a forced evolution into whatever zombie plant hybrids writhed and roasted in the coal pits above.


    Of course, that was probably sheer desperation talking, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    He and his sister were dead no matter what they did, unless they could actually survive the zombie-making horror before them.


    Eric did his best to calm his madly racing heart, consoling himself that at least the gentle susurrations emanating from the pale, fleshy white roots of the massive pod really did seem to sooth the terror in his veins. It basked his dying sister, whose heartbeat grew ever more erratic, in a cool green light.


    And Eric was finding it increasingly difficult to suck in life-giving oxygen.


    His sister had felt like a feather in his arms just a minute ago. Now, she felt like a ton of lead weights he refused to drop no matter how much his heart raced and his muscles screamed.


    As much as his dying body cried out to be wrapped up in the gentle, rustling music of the fleshy pod before him, he didn¡¯t dare touch it.


    Not until his sister was safe.


    And never had he regretted leaving the tunnels more than he did at that moment. They were both likely to die here and had no excuse, having forsaken a wonderful shelter any of the refugees above would no doubt kill for.


    It had been no vault, but with access to clean water, beds, furniture, clothing, and at least a year''s worth of food, Eric had had no complaints. It even had a constant supply of fresh air completely free of the taint of charred wood, burning flesh, or damp stone. And it had power. Power! And there was no power, except for the occasional oddly flickering tunnel light, anywhere else in the city!


    Eric trembled, not even sure why he had never thought too deeply about all those anomalies before this very moment. Not that it mattered. It had served as the closest thing to the survival shelters of his favorite games, and he had been grateful for every day they were able to live peacefully there with what felt like a library¡¯s worth of hardback novels, history books, and encyclopedias to distract themselves with, or they could just train in the tiny gym.


    They even had board games!


    They had been well fed and safe, their mother¡¯s only stricture to never go topside without her.


    Yet they had done just that.


    An act of folly that had nearly killed him and his sister both.


    And their injuries would still kill them, if he quit puttering around and ACT! Before it was too late.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elonia.¡± Eric¡¯s voice was little more than a wheezy whisper as his heart hammered painfully in his chest. Maybe he had taken a gasp or two of superheated air after all, despite his best efforts. He struggled not to be overwhelmed by his growing dizziness and the fiery throb over every inch of his body. Terror and fury were draining him dry, making it clear that he wasn¡¯t long for this world, either.


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of what else I can do,¡± he gasped. ¡°This pod is our only fucking hope!¡±


    His voice cut off with ragged coughs, and he spit out gunk he refused to look at, was terrified to look at. His heart raced as if he had sprinted harder in the last few seconds than the whole time he had stumbled through that pit of hell.


    An awful wave of dizziness and a shivery tingle overcame him. He was about to hurl like mad, tasting the black edge of spasms and death just beyond.


    So, he bit his charred lip until it burst against his teeth, biting back his screams as sudden clarity and a final shot of adrenaline gave him the strength to press his sister against the root system of the massive pod.


    He pretended it didn¡¯t sicken him, how ropy tendrils of vegetative matter caressed his dying sister before slurping her up, like giving birth in reverse.


    He winced and shuddered, and that proved too much for the tingling nausea flooding through him. Eric suddenly retched and spewed bile, meat chunks, and blood, sobbing as his throat burned from the acid almost as badly as every inch of his flesh did. His blackened skin cracked to reveal raw pink flesh that he was terrified even to look at. He sobbed and trembled in an agonized huddle, gasping for air that just wouldn¡¯t come.


    He coughed up a constant stream of fluids while gasping for air, desperately struggling just to breathe as he shivered upon the damp stone floor before the massive pod.


    He prayed it was a good sign that his sister hadn¡¯t been immediately rejected. A sigh of relief eased from his cracked lips as he tasted the edge of oblivion, knowing he was just seconds away from finally passing out. He would be free of the hideous pain that ratcheted up every moment, already worse than he had felt for those brief, awful moments he had dared to race across that hellish fire pit.


    With luck, his sister would survive and emerge from the pod healthy and whole, possessing gifts it awed Eric even to think about, able to level up in ways wondrous and grand, just like in all the progression novels he used to love spending quiet afternoons reading.


    Maybe she really would become the hero of her own life¡¯s tale.


    He smiled at the thought of her becoming a just and noble queen, just like she had portrayed on the silver screen. And truly, he was grateful for the release of oblivion as it wrapped him up in its soothing embrace, finally allowing him to let go of the throbbing agony that his entire body had become. Slipping into darkness at last, his final act was a warm smile for the adventures he and his sister had shared. This was the beginning of what would be a truly magnificent saga lasting a lifetime.


    His only regret was that he wouldn¡¯t be there to join her.

 Chapter 102 (START OF BOOK 2!) - Just How Strong Are You Now?

    ¡°Name¡¯s Captain Teila. Would you by any chance be Eric Silver?¡±


    Eric slowly nodded, doing his best to hide the sudden tension he felt, gazing up at the cavalry woman wearing what he thought must be a pair of golden captain¡¯s lapels at the throat of her silvered mail hauberk, presently leading the well-armed Sylvan escort intent upon accompanying the half dozen refugee-filled wagons making their way across the windswept plains all the way to Freetown after leaving the city of Gilton, former orc holding, now the property of the Sylvan faction.


    Eric spared a quick look at the finely made spears, sabers, and bows all the silver-mailed cavalrymen had at the ready, held in experienced hands as the elves maneuvered themselves on the cantilevered saddles of their snow-white mounts with an ease that hinted at long years of dedicated practice.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there were already orders to secure his capture, even beyond Sylvan Territory, the agreement he had struck with Lord Drevyn be damned.


    But all Captain Tiela did was nod her approval, when he nodded his head in the affirmative.


    ¡°Good fighting back there. We¡¯d be happy to have you join us all the way to Freetown, if you¡¯re heading that way.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, trying not to show how relieved he was with her words. ¡°That¡¯s the plan, assuming nothing unexpected pops up,¡± he quickly qualified.


    ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± She tilted her head thoughtfully. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have anything like a healer¡¯s knack?¡±


    Eric slowly shook his head. ¡°Sorry, just natural regeneration. I take it one of your men was hurt?¡±


    Captain Tiela¡¯s lips thinned, concern clearly written across her features. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he was. Which is a damned shame. He¡¯s a newly forged Classer, but I doubt he¡¯ll live to see either Freetown or Gilton, even were we to turn around this very minute.¡±


    Eric frowned thoughtfully. Because if it had to do with adventurers, where just being able to stabilize a patient for a handful of hours might see them through any injury¡­ maybe he wasn¡¯t entirely helpless after all.


    ¡°Um¡­ is it okay if I take a look?¡±


    He winced at the look the captain gave him, the phrase ¡®I thought you said you weren¡¯t a healer?¡¯ clearly on her lips. But all she did was flash a tight smile and nod. ¡°Be my guest. Let me take you to him.¡±


    Eric soon found himself staring into desperate green eyes of the young man gazing up at him, the pallor of his features as much due to near terminal bloodloss as the standard Sylvan skin tone. Certainly he was paler complected than the dark haired girl sobbing over his form, both of them wearing form-fitting chain mail shirts that looked as elegant and comfortable as the most exquisite dress and uniform. Unfortunately, however, grace didn¡¯t always translate to strength, and the savage wound that would have killed an unarmored man had still been deep enough that the young soldier before him would likely perish in the hour.


    Unless the wild idea now racing through his mind¡¯s eye actually worked.


    He took a deep breath, gazing into the stricken countenance of the young man whimpering with unfathomable pain. ¡°I¡­ I think I might be able to help. But, well, it¡¯s unorthodox.¡± Eric swallowed, saying what he knew he must. ¡°It¡¯s blood magic. Alright?¡±


    The girl gasped, her look one of horrified disbelief as Eric abruptly claimed a stack of cotton bandages an aid was carrying and proceeded to nick his own wrist, the snow-white cloth almost instantly turning a brilliant shade of crimson.


    Eric took a deep breath, heart racing with what he was about to dare, but first, he needed to hear the words.


    ¡°Do I have your permission to bind my blood to your own?¡±


    The wounded elf blanched.


    ¡°Lewellyn, please, you¡¯ll die!¡± The girl sobbed, gazing into her obvious beau¡¯s stricken face.


    At last, after endless seconds they couldn¡¯t afford to waste, he gave the tiniest of nods. ¡°Please¡­ the pain.¡±


    And no sooner had he said the words then Eric was pressing the bandage against the young adventurer¡¯s wound before closing his eyes. Feeling himself in some odd way become one with his patient.


    Because Eric already knew that stabilizing this youth would require more than Blood Mastery and the Essence of Dominion instantly sealing the wound, denying the loss of a single extra drop of blood. Yet blood loss wasn¡¯t the only thing that would doom this youth, with all perforated organs and internal injuries Eric immediately sensed within his unexpected patient. And it was only thanks to the odd magics of permissions granted and bargains made, paths of Blood, Necromancy, and Faerie Binding, that even allowed him to use his Find Weakness and Infravision skills along with his other arts in ways he never could have imagined before.


    All of which allowed Eric to dare that which should have been totally beyond him, after long moments just trying to get his blood to cooperate and commune with its new host, daring a tight smile past panting lips as perforated bowels were patched, blood vessels sealed, and a sliced kidney crudely glued together, and Eric feeling so exhausted he could hardly move for long moments as even the young elf¡¯s body was forced to adhere to the bargain struck, immune system now unable reject Eric¡¯s gift.


    Were it otherwise, the boy¡¯s weakened body would have quickly succumbed to shock and death.


    At the very least, Eric thought his patchwork healing should last at least a good eight hours, until the young elf naturally purged all toxins and poisons and healed up to full on his own, the System itself resetting the fellow pod survivor back to full health after the equivalent of a single night¡¯s rest, depending on just how high the youth¡¯s Vitality was.


    You have successfully fused Crimson Bandage to Abdominal Wound.


    Blood loss has ceased!


    Blood Mastery Skill check made!


    You have successfully synergized Infravision, Find Weakness and an advance application of Blood Mastery to temporarily seal hemorrhaging internal organs!


    Blood Mastery is now Rank 19!


    Blood Mastery has evolved a novel Perk: Lesser Healing! For the modest cost of several temporary hit points and a bit of your own Potency, you may use your blood to patch any wound, immediately clamping shut any hemorrhaging injury!


    If permission is specifically granted, you may additionally use your blood to infiltrate your target and fuse together organs that were either perforated or sliced open with a successful skill check. (This healing path has no effect on blunt trauma.) Note! This skill works best on fellow Classers. You have not yet studied how best to heal perforated organs in mortals who heal at pre-apocalypse rates!


    Warning! Temporary fatigue and exhaustion may ensue as you deplete your Stamina for the sake of another!


    You now have an intuitive sense of the innerworkings of all humanoid races!


    Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Healer¡¯s Aid at Rank 1! - Though you lack any formal medical degree, your intuitive understanding of the humanoid form and ability to sense the flow of blood, magic, and life force in your patients will aid all future attempts to use magic (via improvised spells or formalized healing rituals) or mundane means to heal those in peril!


    Of course, your growing insights into the inner-workings of the mortal form can be used to harm your foes just as much as it can help your friends!


    Find Weakness is now Rank 12!


    You have successfully saved the life of one Level 5 Elf Light Cavalryman! A portion of his infinite potential is now your own.


    The critically injured youth flashed a wan smile, his look one of genuine relief, freed at last from the shoals of agony. ¡°Thank you, hero. I¡­ I already feel somewhat better.¡± He winced, biting his lip. ¡°It still hurts like the frozen pits of Tartarus, but so much less than it did, just minutes ago.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, champion! For saving my Lewellyn, I will forever be in your debt!¡± Said the sobbing young woman before him, protectively holding her beau close, the matching rings they wore making it clear they were love-bonded in one way or another, which made Eric feel even better at the risk he had taken, revealing so much of himself in what was, after all, a company of strangers, at least a few of whom might be gunning for him in the very near future.


    But not these two, Eric thought as he nodded at the girl¡¯s thanks, doing his best just to catch his breath, so exhausted he thought he would drop, a state that thankfully began to ease within seconds, thanks to his superhuman Vitality.


    ¡°Hey, no problem. I¡¯m just glad I was around to help. Best thing you can do now is to let your beau fall asleep. It¡¯s the best way classers have to heal, and his body should fully reset by the time he wakes up. The trick is, of course, keeping an injured Classer stable for at least the duration of a good night¡¯s sleep. And I highly recommend boosting Vitality ASAP, because a score of 20 or better lets you benefit from actual regeneration. Then, potentially fatal blood-loss stops within minutes or seconds, and no matter what, all injuries will be healed after a single hour.¡±


    The girl gave a rapid nod, swearing they would both take his advice, Eric soon exchanging a warm smile with the captain and a whispered ¡°Thank you,¡± as he made his way to the girl he most wanted to see.


    In seconds he was before her wagon, feeling a flush creep up his cheeks as he gazed at the strikingly beautiful girl riding along with her daughter and grandmother, the latter offering Eric a warm smile he quickly returned. Of course, the accommodations were a bit on the crowded side, with almost a dozen other refugees who had, for whatever reason, decided Freetown¡¯s prospects were still better than even an improved Gilton¡¯s.


    There was so much he wanted to say, and Rica¡¯s twinkling eyes made it clear that she felt the same. They both seemed to delight in these sweet early days of a softly blossoming relationship and its endless possibilities, savoring both each other¡¯s company, and the wide, wild, and strikingly beautiful world all around them.


    He took a deep breath of fresh air smelling of grass and countless windflowers, feeling a sense of awe and wonder as they made their way past forests and fields already claiming what had once been suburbs. With stores and houses already out of sight, thanks to the thickly growing copses of trees on all side of this stretch of grasslands, the only odd incongruity to the bucolic landscape were the frequent remains of cars they past by. Some were grass-covered derelicts looking like they had been decomposing for decades, others looked to be in perfect condition, for all that they were barely visible over the waist high grass, as if just a simple turn of the ignition away from working once more.


    Eric smiled and took it all in as they made their way across the unusually flat stretch of plains with grass that was only ankle high, covering what Eric was pretty sure had been a highway, not that long ago.


    Of course, his exquisite hearing immediately picked up the soft murmurs of a pair talking about his new and improved status, and what that might entail for their own fortunes, making it clear that even here, he¡¯d have to watch his back.


    And probably would in Freetown as well.


    Then he chuckled, pushing such worries aside.


    Because who the hell cared that the cards were being stacked against him?


    He¡¯d happily smash through every barrier potential enemies would put in his way, and would do so for as long as it took, using the conflicts he was forced to endure to help himself advance and evolve just as fast and as far as he could.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    He took a quick look at his Interface Sheet, taking sweet satisfaction in just how far he had come from the scarred broken pod survivor that could barely even walk, just a handful of weeks ago.


    _____________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 9 Conscript (You are 100% of the way to level 10!)


    NOTE! - You have successfully infused your core! You are currently at 90.1% of maximum core density!)


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 48 (91%) You¡¯re now many times stronger than any Olympian ever to walk the face of Earth!


    Vitality ¨C 36 You can now regenerate at a visible pace, and have (limited) natural damage resistance!


    Finesse ¨C 59 Yours is an exquisite grace that any professional dancer, fencer, or marksman would envy.


    Quickness ¨C 38 You strike between the beats, cutting down your foes in the blink of an eye.


    Appearance ¨C 17! Thanks in part to your massive spike in Vitality, your Essence scars are now no more than vibrant tattoo-like markings that only a few will find off-putting, and most will find absolutely fascinating! Combined with your cat-like grace and magnificent physique, your exquisitely handsome hybrid features now exceed everything your mother had once hoped to achieve with steroids, foundations, and primers.


    Congratulations! You now glow with health that many will find absolutely irresistible! Best keep a tight lid on your Sylvan System Interface connections, lest you find yourself with an offer you (literally) can¡¯t refuse!


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 13


    Perception ¨C 51 Perhaps the greatest attribute of all. This (along with infravision) means you can spot most enemies long before they spot you.


    Willpower ¨C 28 You have already survived trials that few others could endure. And it shows.


    Charisma ¨C 13


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 17


    (Mana Pool = 204)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 16


    Soul Reserves ¨C 49 (5.9 Points reserved = 43.1)


    Stamina ¨C 400 Points


    Health ¨C 493 Points.


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 4


    Physical Regeneration ¨C At 36 Vitality, you recover 3.6 Health Points every second!


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 0


    Qi Resistance ¨C 0


    Mental Resistance ¨C 8


    Physical Age = 17 Years (+22 years, 228 Days & 14 hours that Arcane Magics cannot restore! Superhuman Vitality allows you to keep your youth, even if you''re now burning your candle at both ends!)


    Interface Recognized Skills


    Acting ¨C Rank 5


    Bardiche (Unified) ¨C Rank 18 (Cleaving Blow)


    Blade and Shield ¨C Rank 11


    Bow (All Types) ¨C Rank 19 (True Strike)


    Crossbows ¨C Rank 16 (True Strike)


    Dagger ¨C Rank 3


    Demolitions ¨C Rank 12 (Path of Mastery)


    ESS Manipulation ¨C Rank 10 (Arcane Resonance Mastery)


    Find Weakness (Spell Cleave) ¨C Rank 12


    Gunnery ¨C Rank 2


    Healer¡¯s Aid ¨C Rank 1


    Iado (Fast-Draw) ¨C Rank 8


    Negotiation ¨C Rank 7


    Repair ¨C Rank 1


    Saber ¨C Rank 14 (Doom Slice)


    Spear ¨C Rank 14 (Piercing Strike)


    Stealth ¨C Rank 12 (Hunter¡¯s Grace)


    Swimming ¨C Rank 2


    Unarmed Combat ¨C Rank 4


    Necromancer Affinities & Skills


    Blood Mastery ¨C Rank 19 (Blood Claimance, Lesser Healing)


    Spirit Mastery ¨C Rank 15 (Path of Dominion)


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding ¨C Rank 15 (Path of Dominion)


    Flesh Sculptor ¨C Rank 20 (Path of Dominion)


    You are now a Journeyman of the Path of Blood!


    You are now an Adept of the Path of Dominion!


    You are now an Apprentice Necromancer!


    Necromancer Spells


    Unorthodox Abjuration ¨C Rank 3 20! Adept Rank Achieved!


    Damage inflicted upon undead: EXTREME. Cost: 300 ex, 50 temporary health, 100 Mana ? of Soul Reserves. 60 Ex, 10 temporary health, 20 mana, 10% of temporary Soul Reserves. NOTE! This attack WILL affect Bronze tier revenants and cause CATASTROPHIC damage to all White Tier Undead!


    Interface Enhancements


    Full Neuro-Linguistic capabilities


    Extradimensional Storage Space


    Essences Claimed:


    Fire ¨C Saturated - (Rank 2, White Tier)


    Wrath (Rank 1, White Tier)


    Dominion (Rank 1, White Tier)


    Essence Related Skills:


    Burst of Strength: Rank 13 (Path of Mastery)


    Dominion¡¯s Resilience: Rank 3 (Make your toys harder to break, especially the soul-bound ones!)


    Heat Surge: Rank 10 (Path of Mastery)


    Infravision: Rank 13 (Magesight +4 to spot mind & soul magic.)


    Contender Skills (Path of Consumption)


    These skills fuse Necromancy, Essences, and a Contender¡¯s potential! You have dared to fuse your gifts along a Forbidden Path!


    Necromantic Consumption (Path of Endless Bounty): Rank 5 - You may feast on the potency potential of Territories you have conquered, boosting your Strength and Vitality permanently, so long as you claim no territory under your banner! (The Path of Rulers and the Path of Consumption are diametrically opposed!). This form of consumption has the highest likelihood of success, and mimics natural cycles of predation so well that not even System Sentinels can detect your actions!


    You may also feast upon the potency of Dungeons you have achieved a First Completion on. Note: Likelihood of success, penalty cost (in terms of life force) for anything less than a 100% clear, and degree of potency absorbed all benefit from increasing Rank!


    You have chosen to walk the Path of Endless Bounty! Now, the territories you carefully prune actually blossom under your touch, able to evolve with 1 Lesser Bounty of your choice!


    Essence Consumption: Rank 3 - You may feast on the Essence potential of Territories you have conquered, so long as you claim none! (The Path of Rulers and the Path of Consumption are diametrically opposed!). You may also feast upon the Essence potential of Dungeons you have achieved a First Completion on! Note: Not all territories or dungeons have any potential Essence to claim. Additionally, said essences might NOT be compatible with those you already have. Likelihood of success is lower than with basic Necromantic Consumption, unless territory or dungeon is naturally attuned to a particular Essence!


    Unformed (Trash Tier) Cultivation Technique (Flame Origin) ¨C Novice ¨C 20%


    Titles Earned


    Necromantic Prodigy


    HERO


    Lightning Marksman


    Realm Breaker


    Headhunter


    Mad Bomber


    Master Negotiator


    Battlefield Champion


    Battlefield Archer


    Orc Slayer


    Master Criminal


    Basher


    Title Boons:


    - Increased spacial perception and sense of timing means you¡¯re 35% more likely to hit all future targets with all ranged weapons!


    - You now learn all ranged weapon skills 60% faster.


    +4 to reaction rolls from all humans who know of your hero status.


    - So long as you forsake the Path of Rulers, you may consume the essence and potency of any territory you claim!


    - All skills involving explosives or gunnery improve 10% Quicker.


    +2 to all skill checks to impress or intimidate non-native humanoids.


    - You have (an additional) +4 to all skill checks to impress or intimidate non-native humanoids, should you reveal your Orc Slayer title.


    - +1 to all intimidation skillchecks.


    - Unless you deliberately hide Orc Slayer title, orcs will either flee, or attack you on sight!


    - You enjoy a bonus to all Find Weakness skill checks against Orcs.


    - Orcs now have a penalty at resisting your Spells or Essence based attacks.


    - All explosives you yourself design and implement, including artillery rounds, will earn you an additional 10% of base experience.


    - Tier 1 Structural Integrity Sense mean that your own weapons will hardly ever blow up in your face, and you now get a gut feeling whenever weapons (or shoddily made buildings) look ready to erupt, topple, or otherwise explode in your face.


    - Social Perception - You may now use Perception in addition to Charisma to sense meaning behind action like never before!


    - What The Other Party Wants - Above all else, you¡¯re able to sense what others truly want in any negotiation!


    - All blows with melee weapons are now 15% more powerful!


    - You learn all melee weapon skills 15% faster!


    - All melee weapons under 2 feet in length or specifically used to assassinate are learned 40% faster.


    - All thief and assassin skills are learned 25% faster than they otherwise would be.


    - 25% increased chance of finding the weakness in any object through the application of carefully applied brute force.


    - Tier 1 Danger Sense. You will automatically spot hostile intentions from sentients with a successful Perception Check! If you ever feel a cold shiver racing down your spine, you know to DUCK AND COVER, even if you fail to spot the would-be executioner!


    Nose for trouble. - You can spot a raw deal like overripe fish, and can sense a setup a mile away.


    Smooth Criminal ¨C The law doesn¡¯t take kindly to known criminals, but somehow you always come out smelling like roses!


    Know the Score ¨C You¡¯re far more likely to hear rumors or be led by the strings of fate to uniquely profitable opportunities of all types and stripes! Rewards from all Elicit activities will be anywhere from 100% to a full magnitude beyond what they would otherwise be!


    -----------------

 Chapter 103 - To Fresh Starts!

    Eric closed his Interface sheet with a smile, filled with the sweet satisfaction of any gamer shaping his character exactly into the hero of his dreams. Even if he had been forced to endure countless peril and hardship to get there, even if he sometimes dreaded even the thought of sleep, lest he burst awake gasping like a madman, haunted by nightmares no Strength stat could counter.


    But still, as raw and recent as the wounds to his psyche, perhaps his soul were, he had damn well made the most of the opportunities presented his way. As indicated by the essence infused gear he wore, and his absolutely absurd stats for any 9<sup>th</sup> level would-be hero.


    But his biggest prize by far had been one he would reveal to no one. All the now gold swirling in his ES Space that he didn¡¯t even dare look at too closely, lest he burst under the burden when its presently weightless wave-function collapsed.


    But one thing he was damn certain of was that somewhere there must a back-channel by which he could buy the information he needed to get and stay ahead, no matter how forbidden it was to share the galactic secrets of ascension with any noob clan that hadn¡¯t sworn to suck the metaphoric member of whichever asshole race of tyrants made up the rules of this ¡®Unified System¡¯ that so favored the e lite over everyone else.


    ¡°The hell with that,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°I am definitely putting my Master Criminal and Negotiator perks to maximum effect.¡±


    He thought he had said it quietly enough that no one had heard a word.


    But of course Rica was peering back back at him with a too discerning gaze. ¡°You okay, hero?¡±


    Eric grinned at her wink. ¡°Right as rain, with such a pretty guardian looking out for all of us.¡±


    This earned a snort form one of the men riding the wagon wearing little more than a sheathed knife and clothes that had definitely seen better days. Still, he had a strength, a presence about him that made Eric think he possessed at least one Professional, Trade, or other Noncombat class, even if he lacked the gear and physique of any adventurer, with just a single leather satchel by his feet.


    ¡°And she¡¯s about the only one looking out for us. Including yourself¡­ Master Criminal. The handful of elves didn¡¯t do much but nearly get themselves killed.¡±


    Eric frowned at those words, doing his best to ignore the too knowing look in the man¡¯s eyes, turning to glance back at the wagon behind them, the elf he had treated being held in the arms of his partner, shooting a grateful smile his way even now.


    The sneering man snorted. ¡°Should have let that fey little bitch die. Fucking elf lover.¡±


    Eric slowly counted to ten, choosing to let that comment go, before speaking. ¡°The way I see it, that elf, and all the others escorting us, risked their lives fighting homicidal orcs, so you didn¡¯t have to. By rights, you owe them your life, and they haven¡¯t asked for a damn thing. The least you could do is show a little gratitude.¡±


    The man blinked, as if surprised by Eric coming so directly to their defense, even after healing one of them, before glowering his way. ¡°Like I give two shits what some ¡®Master Criminal¡¯ has to say.¡±


    Words that earned a few scowls among the travelers, and a few nods as well.


    One particularly angry looking youth with features that might have been handsome if his face wasn¡¯t twisted with bitterness, scowled his way. ¡°So, how the hell did you earn that title? Rob the elves?¡±


    The hard-eyed man beside him smiled his agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll bet that¡¯s exactly what happened. Isn¡¯t it, Master Criminal? Sure as shit, you got a lot of sweet loot you could share with good friends. Friends you might want on your side, if the law ever comes looking your way.¡±


    This earned a hostile look from the obvious father of a trio of girls, at least one of which was radiating the potency of a fledgling adventurer, wearing the basic boiled rawhide and shield of the Javelineers, along with a handful of roman-style pilum, clearly a girl who had been leveling up her Conscript class the only way available to her, though Eric was positive she hadn¡¯t broken through to level ten yet, and she certainly wasn¡¯t above speaking her mind.


    ¡°Shut your face, Nils. And Morgan, why are you even sitting beside that asshole, nodding your head like a kiss-ass bitch? You fucking know better. Didn¡¯t you see the pair of them fight? The only reason we¡¯re alive is because our ¡®Master Criminal¡¯ charged those pig-faced fuckers! Fuckers you were perfectly happy to chum up with, while they were making our lives a living hell!¡±


    The young man glared at the girl. ¡°Get off your high horse, Lucy. Unlike you, I don¡¯t have a Class, so I did what I had to, in order to survive!¡±


    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t?¡± the girl who couldn¡¯t have been more than sixteen shouted. ¡°Hunting rats leveled me up. Hunting rats fed my family. Hunting rats kept my sisters safe! But I never sold out my own kind, Morgan! How many people did you rat on by the time the elves rescued us?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± the boy shouted. ¡°Every person I ratted out meant another week no one was forcing my family into the fire pits, Lucy. Besides, the whole fucking town reset! All of them lost their memories of the last six months. No one remembers a thing! Not even my family...¡± He sobbed, shaking his head. ¡°My family didn¡¯t even recognize me. After all I did to keep them safe, they think I¡¯m dead!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lucy said, her face strangely pitying. ¡°Because the classmate I remember really did die, something ugly and bitter taking his place. But at least you have a chance to start over, Morgan. Because as fucked up as your choices were¡­ at least you kept your family safe. Even if you imperiled a dozen others, you fucking sellout¡­ at least you kept them safe.¡±


    Morgan flushed with sudden heat. ¡°It¡¯s this asshole¡¯s fault!¡± he screamed, jabbing his finger at Eric. ¡°He¡¯s responsible for it. All of it! I can feel it, can¡¯t you? He¡¯s why my parents can¡¯t remember me!¡± The boy snarled, shaking his fists with humiliated fury, before turning his hot gaze Eric¡¯s way. ¡°You¡¯d better pay up, asshole. You owe me! You owe all of us, for destroying our lives!¡±


    Only then did the foolish youth wince, noting the hot glares the entire wagon was sending his way.


    All save for the grizzled man beside him, nodding in grim agreement. ¡°Kid¡¯s right, ¡®Master Criminal.¡¯ Our families don¡¯t even recognize us. Way I see it? You owe us. And if you don¡¯t pay up, I don¡¯t see any reason why the Freetown guard should let a criminal like you inside their city walls.¡±


    Nils flashed a cold, hard smile then. ¡°It would be a right damn shame if people found out that you were carrying a fortune in loot, with no place to shelter up, wouldn¡¯t it? Damn good way to get yourself¡­ killed. But if you were to share your good fortune with your new best friends, I don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t do our part to make sure your passage into Freetown goes nice and easy.¡±


    Eric gazed coldly at the man¡¯s predatory smile. He didn¡¯t need his Social Perception and Master Criminal perks both flaring brightly to know that he¡¯d be a fool to trust this ugly bastard even as far as he could throw him. And Eric was pretty sure he could throw him a good twenty yards. Fifty, if he took the time to spin him around a bit.


    ¡°Yeah, why am I not surprised that message was blared out to the entire world?¡± The cynic inside him was pretty sure that he already knew the net result, whatever the original System intentions.


    Elite scions would be revered and protected by their clans, feted with prizes that assured their ever growing ascension, while lone upstarts like him, without any backing at all, would be torn apart by all the jackals looking to get ahead on his corpse, with all the powerful factions tutting at the folly of primitive races with tight little smiles, pleased as punch at the destruction of any possible competition for their chosen heirs.


    Of course, he had nothing at all to base that on, save his own paranoia and a handful of years seeing just how ruthless the acting business could be. But the looks the boy and the grizzled old veteran were giving him, that latter clearly having nothing but contempt for the elves that had risked their lives to defend him, made it clear that he¡¯d best sleep with one eye open around them.


    Or better yet, not sleep near them at all.


    He looked up to Rica. ¡°Hey, beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hero of my heart?¡±


    He flashed a hard smile for the pair of men now flinching at his gaze. ¡°Okay if I make an executive decision?¡±


    She nodded without missing a beat. ¡°Go for it.¡±


    The grizzled man¡¯s eyes widened when Eric abruptly grabbed the lapels of his leather vest, impossibly quick hands effortlessly disarming the razor-sharp dagger the man had been holding tight, as if readying himself to strike the moment Eric wasn¡¯t expecting it.


    But of course, he had been.


    ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing? Let go of me, motherfucker!¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Eric said, tossing him right out of the wagon.


    He couldn¡¯t help cracking a grin as the man rolled and tumbled before picking himself up. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that, bastard!¡± the man said, shaking his fist as he chased after them.


    Eric flashed his warmest smile at the dozen or so passengers now radiating visible fear. And no small amount of admiration, at least from Lucy¡¯s family.


    ¡°Say, did that asshole have a bag of personal items he was carrying with him?¡±


    ¡°You through that guy right off the wagon. What the fuck!¡± said a suddenly pale-faced Morgan while Lucy solemnly nodded and pointed to the grizzled man¡¯s wares. ¡°You¡¯re going to let him back in though, right?¡±


    Mana Sight skill check made!


    His smirk instantly froze when he sensed exactly what was in the leather satchel Nelly handed him. But still, before he did something that could never be taken back¡­ he had to be sure.


    He was surprised at the way his hands trembled at the sight of a dozen slave collars carefully, almost lovingly nestled within their case, Eric now effortlessly sensing the low level, yet extremely sophisticated magic no doubt tied to a specific Profession.


    Eric looked up from the nightmare collection of collars to glare at the man racing towards them.


    For all his bluster and bile, Nils still had the sense to freeze, stock still, trembling before the intensity of hate in Eric¡¯s killing gaze. Because what he had first intended as a temporary lesson had just become a permanent banishment as he spat out words it disgusted him to even say aloud. ¡°No, that asshole¡¯s not coming back, period. And in case you¡¯re wondering why...¡±


    Unceremoniously, he dumped out the contents of the man¡¯s satchel, earning gasps and sharp curses from more than a couple refugees who turned around and spat curses at the man still vainly chasing after them.


    Lucy¡¯s gaze went ice-cold, and even Morgan flinched at the sight. ¡°That fucker actually brought those things with him? He was really going to try to sell slave collars in Freetown?¡± She shook her head with disgust. ¡°We did what we had to, to survive in Gilton. We became what the orcs made us into, or we died. It was that simple. But that asshole had a choice, the moment we left!¡±


    She glared at her own javelin with disgust. ¡°It¡¯s not like me or Rica got to choose how we¡¯d train for our classes, after all.¡±


    Rica, eyes scanning forward, having completely distanced herself from the conversation, still gave a quick nod. ¡°Got that right, Lucy. But at least now you got choices, once you get to Freetown.¡±


    Lucy nodded enthusiastically. ¡°I do! Only problem is, I have no idea what to choose, save the class I¡¯ve been training for.¡±


    Morgan was still gazing at Eric with horror. ¡°You just threw Nils off the wagon. Like he was a pile of garbage!¡±


    Rica nodded. ¡°That¡¯s because he is,¡± she said, now gazing pointedly at Morgan. ¡°That asshole dared to threaten the man who helped save the whole damned city from those fucking orcs. You do get that, don¡¯t you, Morgan? The elves and orcs have been pussy-footing around for months, both knowing that a frontal charge was suicide. Orcs had their cannons, elves have their archers, and a forest they know well.¡±


    Lucy flashed a heart-felt smile Eric¡¯s way, even as the rest of the passengers seemed to be gazing his way in a new light, and the grandmotherly figure holding a sleeping little girl was definitely beaming his way with warm, twinkling eyes.


    ¡°Eric¡¯s the one who broke the stalemate. he¡¯s the one who single-handedly claimed over a hundred orc lives...¡±


    Morgan paled and swallowed, looking like he wanted to say something¡­ anything¡­ before lowering his head. ¡°Shit,¡± he said softly, at last. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. But what about that Master Criminal title?¡±


    Rica nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. He did earn that System-wide title. Because what greater Robin-Hood of a rogue could anyone ask for than a man who helped steal thousands of captured souls from the clutches of a race of slavers and butchers who see people as little more than property? Because our Eric is indeed a master criminal. One who robbed those fucking orcs blind...before helping the Elves cleanse them from our city for good.¡±


    Lucy¡¯s father nodded with a certain amount of satisfaction. ¡°So he¡¯s a hero. I figured that much out, seeing him take on those orcs with his bow, System title aside. Still, you¡¯d think he would have earned the title ¡®Champion,¡¯ or something. Not, well...¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Master Criminal?¡± Rica said with a snort. ¡°Yeah, I agree. But remember, this ¡®System Interface,¡¯ or whatever it is, echoing through the skulls of everyone with any sort of class or Profession, is no human invention. As far as it¡¯s concerned, Eric¡¯s a rogue who outsmarted slavers, so it can call him whatever it wants. What matters is that we, the actual rightful citizens of this world, remember who our heroes are, no matter how invaders might try to tar and feather his reputation by damning him with twisted praise, or otherwise.¡±


    The more than a few passengers nodded thoughtfully at her words, and Eric thought his girl was being awfully clever, and brilliantly covering for the fact that he had indeed earned that title doing exactly what it implied.


    Effectively robbing both the orcs and the elves, along with the CSA and everyone else who thought they had a claim to that absolute fortune, six ways to Sunday. And he¡¯d do it again in a heartbeat, even without the gold, if he could secure another 25 stat points for his trouble. Especially since he was all but certain that future titles would be extremely hard to come by, and that he had effectively won a lottery of sorts, even if only by dint of taking mad gambles and a hell of a lot of perilous risks.


    He shouldn¡¯t expect future boons to ever come that easy again.


    And it hadn¡¯t been easy at all, Eric thought, having put his life on the line countless times that night alone.


    Still, he didn¡¯t hesitate to let the warmth and sudden bonhomie atmosphere of the wagon lift his spirits just a bit, even as he kept an eagle eye on a furiously cursing Nils, chasing after the horse-drawn wagons and carriages and, Eric was pleased to see, slowly but steadily losing ground.


    The elves original hard gazes sent Eric¡¯s way turned to looks of disgust after he deliberately held up the slave collars, before deliberately setting all of them ablaze. To the fresh outraged screams of Nils.


    He then turned to a pale-face Morgan. ¡°Lucy is right. It¡¯s never too late to turn over a new leaf.¡±


    The boy swallowed and shot Eric a hard glare, before crumpling in unexpected tears. ¡°What¡¯s the fucking point? I already lost everything. My family doesn¡¯t recognize me, people I...god¡­ Lucy¡¯s right. I became the biggest fucking sellout spy just to keep them safe, and to them I¡¯m dead! So now I have no one, and I can¡¯t even stand looking in the mirror.¡±


    Eric winced, hating the fact that he was starting to pity Morgan. Who at the end of the day was just a sixteen year old boy who had been pushed to his limit at world¡¯s end.


    Clearly he had broken in ways ugly and bitter.


    But if Eric had been in this kid¡¯s shoes, classless, helpless, and hopeless, what wouldn¡¯t he have done, who wouldn¡¯t he have sold out, to save his sister?


    He shuddered at the thought, pretty damn certain he would have done far worse than sell out a dozen strangers, if it kept his sister alive.


    So who the hell was he to deny anyone a second chance?


    ¡°So start over.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. But I¡¯ll tell you this much. Lucy¡¯s right. Your family¡¯s right. The Morgan of before is stone-cold dead.¡±


    The boy¡¯s face took on a sickly pallor as he gazed up at Eric with wide, desperate eyes.


    Eric patted the boy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If you were truly an irredeemable asshole, you wouldn¡¯t be feeling half so bad as you are. And you know what? If our positions were reversed, if my family was counting on me, a zero level nothing to keep them alive¡­ is there any line I wouldn¡¯t cross to keep the people I loved safe?¡± He flashed a sad smile. ¡°Fact is, I can¡¯t answer that question. But you had to. At sixteen, you had to make a choice that absolutely no one should be forced to make.¡±


    Morgan swallowed, blinking back tears as he glared at his own trembling hands. ¡°But I already failed. I mean...¡± He shuddered. ¡°I really, really fucked up.¡±


    ¡°But at least you see that,¡± Lucy said. ¡°Thank fucking god. At least your eyes are finally open, Morgan.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Morgan the boy sounds like he has a lot to answer for.¡±


    The youth before him paled but didn¡¯t deny it, lowering his head.


    Eric patted his shoulder. ¡°But what I¡¯m interested in is Morgan the man.¡±


    The boy blinked. ¡°Morgan the man?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°The man who will show respect and gratitude to those willing to help him get a fresh start. The man who will work his ass off to find an apprenticeship, learn a trade, or otherwise walk a righteous path through life that he can take pride in.¡±


    He turned Lucy¡¯s way. ¡°A path that former friends, and maybe future friends, can support him taking. A path that¡¯s the farthest thing from whoever he was before. Because Lucy¡¯s right. All of Gilton had the boon of a massive reset. So in a way, you do too. Now take a look behind you.¡±


    Eric pointed at a hot-faced Nils screaming at them from a growing distance, snarling with undisguised hate, totally unaware of the doom loping behind him.


    ¡°You can be like that self-centered prick who cares about nothing but himself, who would happily betray those who risked their lives to save him, and be hated by absolutely everyone.¡±


    And it said something, Eric thought, when he coldly raised up the bag that had contained the slave collars to meet Captain Teila¡¯s hard stare that she flashed a nod of unspoken agreement, exchanging looks with her men such that they did absolutely nothing but stay close to the caravan when a furiously cursing Nils was abruptly pounced upon by a pack of frenzied pitch-black jackals, his snarled curses abruptly turning to desperate screams.


    And Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to lock his grip on a shuddering Morgan¡¯s shoulder, forcing him to look on, as Nils was devoured alive.


    ¡°A forked path lies before you, my friend. You can choose to be like that cruel, pitiless bastard, happily consorting with slavers and flesh peddlers, making a fortune on the pain of others. Until karma finally claims its due, and not a single soul lifts a finger to help you, when men or beasts just as ruthless as you finally come to collect payment in full.¡±


    He then turned a visibly trembling Morgan¡¯s head to peer at the freckle-faced Lucy who so clearly cared for him, though he was too bitter to see it, and her family. ¡°Or you can be like Lucy. Warm of heart, a hero to her family, willing to do whatever it takes to defend and feed them. Or like her father, a hardworking man who doesn¡¯t need any class or power to love and care for his kin. A man who will be mourned and loved by all those whose lives he touches when death finally claims its due¡­ however many decades that will be from now.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully a hell of a lot of decades,¡± the man said with a gruff smile, though Eric had already turned Morgan¡¯s face to gaze back at the pack of crimson-mawed jackals.


    ¡°Or you can be like Nils. Loved by no one, without a single soul to morn his bitter death when he finally passes on.¡±


    A pale-faced Morgan didn¡¯t even wipe away the tears in his eyes, crumpling into a ball. ¡°I fucked up. I fucked up so bad.¡±


    Eric blinked, surprised to see Lucy actually gather him into her arms, holding him tenderly while he sobbed his heart out.


    He shared a complicated glance with Lucy¡¯s father, his Social Perception making it exquisitely clear that the two had clearly been an item before the world came to an end, and that the father definitely had mixed feelings about a reformed Morgan dating his daughter again¡­ but was willing to take that gamble, if he could save the boy from becoming the bitter slaver¡¯s sycophant that Nils had clearly become.


    Eric gave them all a warm nod. ¡°To fresh starts,¡± he said to the wagon¡¯s occupants, genuinely wishing them all the best, before hopping out.


    Rica glanced his way, professional hawk-like demeanor cracking just a bit to show the vulnerable girl underneath.


    As if afraid he would leave already, after all his words of grace and doing the right thing.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Eric flashed a cheeky grin. ¡°To go kill some man-eaters. Can¡¯t have assholes like that putting people¡¯s lives in peril between Sylvan Alliance territory and Freetown.¡±


    She gave a throaty chuckle, even as half the wagon gazed at Eric in horrified wonder.


    ¡°You mean you...¡± said one middle-aged woman, who swallowed her own words when Rica caught her gaze, slowly shaking her head while Lucy squealed. ¡°Ooh¡­ Experience point time! Can we party up?¡±


    You have successfully formed a party with Rica Lightfoot and Lucy Stone! Blood magic resonance in play. Each party member will keep 50% of earned experience, and split the other half between party members!


    Lucy¡¯s eyes widened as she effortlessly loped beside Eric and the girl he was definitely falling for. ¡°Shit, you can share experience?¡±


    Rica peered at him curiously. ¡°How?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Blood magic,¡± he said, readying his bow before Rica gently lowered his hand, handing him a brace of javelins.


    He blinked at her bemused smile.


    ¡°Would you like to learn?¡± she softly asked.


    Eric, sensing far more was at stake than a single lesson, slowly nodded.


    Lucy flashed an approving grin when they came to a halt, Rica carefully placing one of the javelins in his right hand while positioning the rest of the brace, along with his lizard scale shield formerly secured as a backplate to his backpack in his off hand, both for defense and to serve as a counter-lever for a powerful wind-up throw. An instant improvement over his own less than perfect technique.


    ¡°Now watch how I do it,¡± she said, as the tip of her flint-headed javelin began to vibrate and glow with a shocking amount of killing intent before her compact and surprisingly powerful frame whipped forth and she released with a fluid overhand cast, the shaft streaking through the air with hardly any arc at all, before blasting right through the largest ebony jackal¡¯s skull.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened while Lucy whistled and clapped. ¡°Nice one, Rica!¡±


    Eric gazed intently at his target as the yipping howling pack of Jackals turned their way with feral snarls. He took a careful step, twisting his hips, then casting his throw just as he had seen Rica do, deliberately not using his own less than perfect technique, only slightly disappointed when his weapon flew over the heads of the charging Canidae, and without any vibration or glow at all.


    ¡°Close!¡± Lucy commended, her cheerful voice of moments before replaced by the hard focused gaze of a seasoned hunter, casting powerful if unenhanced javelins using the same technique that Rica was, the jackals being picked off one by one in a steady shower of death, while Eric focused only on casting his weapon just as the girls before him were, feeling a certain satisfaction when his third Javelin finally hit its mark.


    You have successfully hit Charging Jackal with flint-tipped javelin!


    You have successfully quantized Javelin Throwing at Rank 1! This skill is modified by Strength, Finesse, and Perception! Rate of learning modified by maximum potency to skill conversion, Contender Status, Node Configuration, and +60% learning speed enhancement for all ranged weapons!


    At that moment it all suddenly clicked, Eric listening to his body as he shifted his hips and rotated his shoulders a bit more fluidly with his forth, fifth, and sixth cast, only the last one missing as the last of the pack abruptly twisted around and scattered through the thick brush with panicked yips, their pack utterly decimated by the onslaught of javelins.


    Rica and Lucy shared a nod. ¡°Not bad, spear sister,¡± they said in unison, flashing pleased smiles, eyes clearly alight with the thrill of the hunt.


    Lucy gave Eric an appraising eye. ¡°He has potential, sister. Definitely a keeper.¡±


    Rica beamed, not hiding the flush to her cheeks. ¡°I certainly think so,¡± she said with a slightly husky voice.


    Lucy flashed a mischievous grin. ¡°Want me to keep watch tonight? Don¡¯t worry, Vitality and Perception are now both 15.¡±


    Rica nodded. ¡°Actually¡­ yeah. Especially once Ria falls asleep. That would be great.¡±


    Lucy chuckled wickedly at the way both of them were now blushing.


    ¡°Oh, you two look so cute together! Please tell me we can go hunting again, though? Seriously. If there¡¯s one thing that worries my dad, and me as well, it¡¯s finding a decent party to level up with in Freetown that understands my fighting style, and will actually have my back.¡±


    Rica gently squeezed the girl¡¯s hand and nodded before the pair split up to retrieve their javelins, Eric doing his part to retrieve his as well.


    But as sweet as the moment of friendship and blossoming affection was, none of them had anything but cold contempt for the rictus of agony on a disemboweled Nil¡¯s face. Not one of them offering so much as a word of pity, let alone offers to bury the body, or look for any heirlooms to return to a family that already thought him dead, after Eric reset the entire city.


    Because despite shared laughter and smiles, the last half year had forced a hardness upon all of their souls. As much as they loved their friends, their cold stares welcomed only death for those they would count as foes.


    Social Perception skill check made!


    Eric caught Lucy¡¯s gaze. ¡°You really care for Morgan a lot, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She flushed and shook her head. ¡°We were¡­ before um...¡± she swallowed. ¡°He was my first and only, and I thought maybe I¡¯d marry him.¡± She winced. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    Eric flashed a sympathetic smile. ¡°Not exactly. But you clearly cared about him, even after he had been so infused with bitterness at the choices he had been forced to make in the city that he thought himself firmly in Nils camp, at least until he realized that the man was actually planning on continuing his dark trade, even in Freetown. And considering how little we care for a past-tense Nils¡­ it¡¯s obvious Morgan means a lot to you, otherwise you never would have put up with his shit for this long.¡±


    The girl chuckled ruefully at that. ¡°You¡¯re right about that! But after your um¡­ intervention? Showing him that he wasn¡¯t as bad as Nils, that it was okay to start over, however shameful the past half year has been for all of us¡­ letting him know that what happened in fucking orc town doesn¡¯t have to define us, I think maybe you saved more than that elven guard today.¡±


    She flashed a brilliant smile, features unguarded and full of hope. ¡°Even my interface says the ¡®Path of Love¡¯ is now open between us once more. And if it had done that just a day ago, I would have considered it one twisted piece of cyberware. But now?¡± She bit her lip, gazing Morgan¡¯s way, who was chatting animatedly with Lucy¡¯s father, for some reason.


    Eric smirked. Because the look in her eyes said all that needed saying.


    Lucy flushed under their bemused regard. ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of my Interface¡¯s business. How would it know anything? I mean, it¡¯s not giving you two any messages is it?¡±


    Eric blinked at this, at an unexpected loss for words.


    All the more so when Rica smiled and nodded, gently squeezing Eric¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It did,¡± she softly said.


    Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to squeeze her hand back, wrapping her in a hug before sharing a kiss that left them both breathless and smiling with a certain hunger that had Lucy chuckling evilly.


    ¡°Looks like maybe I should be taking watch a bit early, spear sister?¡±


    Rica chuckled throatily. ¡°Tell the guards to keep the pace slow. We¡¯ll make up the time¡­ later.¡±


    And Lucy¡¯s laughter could still be heard when the pair of them had already sunk to the soft loamy ground, the rustle of the windswept plain hiding far more frantic movements as the pair sought to capture in fierce hot minutes all the sweet glorious passion that would, in gentler times, have been theirs to savor all night long.


    Rica chuckled softly in his arms, panting for breath endless minutes later, cheeks flushed so prettily despite her naturally tan skin, gazing deeply into his eyes. ¡°That was fucking intense.¡±


    He swallowed and nodded. ¡°And I loved every second of it.¡±


    ¡°I could tell.¡± She kissed his cheek, grinning wickedly as she clenched him so tightly with a warrior¡¯s strength that he gasped in wonder before she pivoted her hips and freed him from paradise. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t wait to get to Freetown. Where we can actually take our time.¡± She kissed him tenderly once more, keeping his senses occupied while shifting things below before quickly springing to her feet, straightening herself up in a few very practical moments. ¡°Where I can actually hold you in my arms all night long.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± he said, and he absolutely meant it as she flashed him a heartfelt smile before quickly loping ahead, no doubt feeling a mother¡¯s pressure to always keep an eye on her child, even if their senses made it clear that the area was free of danger, and any wandering predators had been frightened off by their very thorough culling of the pack now a good distance off.


    Which gave Eric the time he needed to come to grips with his own racing thoughts as he slowly loped behind her. Almost ashamed for the real reason why he had claimed her so ardently, right then and there, with her chuckling friend still in sight.


    Because when it came to notices of love and romance¡­


    his Interface had given him no such messages at all.

 Chapter 104 - Freetown! (Note! Books 2 and 3 HAVE BEEN PULLED!) - But read my Authors Note!

    ¡°Have you ever seen the stars so bright and beautiful, shining in all their glory?¡±


    Eric smiled and shook his head as he kissed the cheek of the beautiful girl sitting next to him on the wagon, content just to hold her close as her beautiful little Ria, who had warmed up to Eric surprisingly quickly, slept in her arms.


    The stars truly were a spectacular sight, glittering in bright white, yellow, and purple hues, with swirling streamers of nebulae-like mist, the essence of magic, Captain Teila had softly whispered to the awed remarks of so many passengers, coloring the sky like magnificent rainbow hued clouds.


    But what was even more remarkable was the curious tug he felt in his chest, gazing so intently a the doe-eyed beauty by his side.


    Rica grinned, gently slipping a now quietly sleeping Ria into her great grandmother¡¯s arms, tucking them both in the woolen blankets made available, before standing tall with a sensual stretch, giving Eric a teasing smile. ¡°I think Nelly and Morgan are back from their¡­ talk. Our turn to do our part.¡±


    Eric flashed a wicked grin, though not before doing a slow 360 rotation, 51 Perception and Infravision lighting up every single thing of significance in the darkness, Eric quietly certain that no predator on two legs or four was getting past his perimeter. Not unless they were so powerful that his awareness of them didn¡¯t even matter.


    But still, there was always something to be said for feet on the ground.


    And preferably at least a little distance from the circled wagons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± he said, gently clasping her hand as they made their way into the darkness, sharing a nod and smile with one of the Sylvan sentinels before the pair lost themselves in quiet whispered conversations about their childhood, Eric finding out what it was like growing up in very humble circumstances, for all that her heart and mind blazed with a hunger to get ahead, Eric savoring her memory of scholarly accolades and triumphs, as she leveled up in the only way she could, before System advent.


    She, in turn, was more than a bit awed when earlier teasing jibes turned to the revelation of exactly who he was.


    ¡°So you really weren¡¯t kidding! You¡¯re Aurelia Silver¡¯s firstborn, right? And Elonia¡¯s your twin sister, born just a few minutes after you. Wasn¡¯t there some huge row that made the tabloids about Aurelia being absolutely furious that the hospital wouldn¡¯t switch the recorded order of your birth? As if anyone would have even cared, save for a single stuck up hospital bureaucrat who actually tried to report your mother for attempted bribery?¡± She snorted. ¡°And then he conveniently dies of a drug overdose, just a week later. Almost like a real-life murder mystery! I remember my mom gossiping about the whole juicy story at one point, even though it was old news by the time Aurelia released her next blockbuster.¡±


    Eric winced and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I made it a point to avoid having anything to do with the tabloids, and Elonia calls me Big Bro almost as a joke, I think. God knows she¡¯s a hell of a lot more mature, organized, and driven than me.¡±


    This earned him a strange look.


    ¡°Or at least, she was compared to the old me. Before, well...¡±


    ¡°The world came to an end and we all had to grow up pretty fucking fast?¡± Rica quipped.


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡±


    She chuckled softly. ¡°I swear, your mom doesn¡¯t look a day older than she did when she got her first big break, some thirty years ago. And that girl can act! Your sister, too, Eric.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Jeez, it must have been awesome growing up in a house with two women that skilled and driven.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Skilled and driven. That¡¯s one way of putting it.¡±


    Rica¡¯s bemused smile turned to a look of gentle concern, her hand gently squeezing his own. ¡°Eric¡­ if I made light of things I shouldn¡¯t have, I apologize.¡±


    Eric swallowed, quickly shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t. You did nothing wrong. You just reminded me that I have a hell of a lot to be grateful for...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Even if my mother was a domineering control freak who constantly pushed my sister and me to the breaking point, so obsessed with making us her carbon-copy starlets.¡± He sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Elonia had it worse, especially after...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Half the child-actors in Hollywood end up in rehab, according to the gossip sites I read way too much of, a few years back. But she looked fantastic in her latest film so¡­ there¡¯s that, at least.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Stone cold sober, brilliantly self-aware, and humble, and willing to work harder than ever, grateful for every day she was healthy and in control of her life.¡± He chuckled ruefully. ¡°Way too mature for someone our age. But then again, with mother pushing her like the fanatic workaholic she is, Elonia almost had to be.¡±


    Eric glared, shaking his head. ¡°It was only when Mother insisted that tee-totaling was itself a weakness, and that Elonia could ¡®damn well learn to control herself and drink socially, as expected of her station,¡¯ whatever the fuck that even meant, that things got bad again,¡± he said, mind flashing back to a certain asshole with a too-wide smile who thought he could get away with drugging Eric¡¯s sister, after exploiting her so badly the year before.


    And why Elonia had even agreed to talking to him without someone watching her back, wanting to finally get closure¡­ as she had put it.. Eric sighed and shook his head, surprised that with all the blood now on his hands¡­ the memory of that awful night still effected him so strongly.


    He blinked away unexpected tears, surprised to see Rica gazing so intently up at him. ¡°Eric? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He swallowed thickly. ¡°Nothing,¡± he whispered.


    She gave him a flat look.


    ¡°I mean...¡± he sighed. ¡°There was a certain asshole producer who somehow knew just when to circle Elonia at her absolute most vulnerable.¡± Eric shook his head, jaw clenched. ¡°There was so much grief and shame I could put at his feet, but Elonia begged me to just let it go. But when he tried to take advantage of Elonia one last time...¡± he shrugged. ¡°That wasn¡¯t something I could forgive.¡±


    Rica gazed at him for long moments. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Asshole producer slipped my sister a date-rape drug. When I tracked him down, heading to the rooftop helicopter pad, he was busy bragging to some asshole on the phone that her flesh was still pure, and he was getting her ready for transport. I think that¡¯s what he said.¡±


    Eric took a shuddering breath. ¡°It was the night of our Tokyo premier. The skies were alive with fireworks. And a certain drunk asshole was so stupid he actually managed to fall off a forty story building.¡±


    He flashed a bitter smile, remembering so clearly the dying man¡¯s scream. The desperate look in his eyes for that split second, and Eric never saw him again.


    Not alive, anyway.


    Soft lips kissed his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±


    He blinked at that.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you were there for your sister. I¡¯m glad that you kept her safe.¡± She flashed a knowing smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad that there¡¯s one less wolf out there to prey on the innocent.¡±


    Soft fingertips found his cheek, leading his mouth to her own. ¡°And most of all, I¡¯m glad that hero found me as well. You saved me, Eric. Me and my daughter both. You¡¯re the hero of our lives, and I think¡­ maybe¡­ the hero of my heart.¡±


    Eric was left speechless by her words. Which made it so easy for her to get the best of him as she flipped him over with surprising grace before wrapping him in a warm hug as their lips locked and they lost themselves in sweetest bliss upon the soft loamy ground. And soon the crickets and gentle birdsong filling the night air was filled with other sounds not entirely muted as passions burned as hot as the summer sun only then cresting the horizon as Eric gazed down and savored every inch of the beautiful girl smiling up at him, lips locking once more as the gentle morning light caressed their skin, before closing his eyes and holding the beautiful girl smiling so warmly at him snug in his arms.


    ¡°Eric! Rica! We¡¯re heading out!¡±


    Eric hissed and jerked awake, shocked to find that he had actually fallen asleep, like an idiot, even if he and the girl snuggled against him were surrounded by waist-high grass that was itself excellent camouflage against hunters lacking infravision. With his absurd Vitality, he was almost certain that he could go days without sleep, and suffer only minimal impairment.


    He slept by choice to maximize his skill leveling speed, not out of any actual sense of fatigue.


    At least that was the case most of the time, he thought, as Rica smiled shyly at him before adjusting her attire, and then they were making their way back to the caravan, and Eric couldn¡¯t help but admire the way she strode proud and tall. Her cheeks were flushed, but she didn¡¯t hesitate to stride by his side, boldly meeting the bemused stares of dozens of wagon passengers, there now being absolutely no doubt that the two of them were clearly an item.


    Captain Lewellyn flashed them a bemused smile, but said only, ¡°Good to have you back. We¡¯re heading out momentarily. Hopefully, we¡¯ll reach Freetown by this afternoon,¡± as Rica adroitly slipped into the wagon, gently gathering Ria in her arms and flashing Eric a grin as if to say, that as long as her daughter was peacefully asleep, she was still a wonderful mom, no matter how often she snuck off with her boyfriend.


    Eric chuckled softly, his smile making it clear that he was in complete agreement with that sentiment. And much to everyone¡¯s relief, the rest of the trip went as smoothly as one could hope, more a bucolic ride through the peaceful countryside than anything else as they made their way through strangely empty but strikingly beautiful plains filled with wildflowers and herds of dear, elk, caribou, wild boar, and more flocks of birds than Eric could count, Rica insisting he take advantage of the opportunity to bag them some fresh game with them, and improve his own hunting skills with the brace of javelins she had given him.


    Eric gave a good-natured laugh every time he missed his targets, which was thankfully happening less and less often, though he did feel a bit uncomfortable at the way Rica and Nelly were presently staring at the javelin that had just scored a fat pheasant, a good hundred yards away from the wagon.


    Javelin throwing is now at Rank 4!


    Nelly gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°I so hate you right now,¡± she said.


    Eric laughed. ¡°I¡¯m only hitting so well because I have a pair of truly excellent, and patient, teachers. One of the advantages of a 48 in Strength, and 59 in Finesse, is that I can put your wonderful tips and instruction to best use.¡±


    Both girls enjoying the hunt by his as the wagons meandered down the grass-covered road froze in unison, their bemused grins turning to looks of disbelief.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Yes, Nelly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a level 8 Conscript, and I have a 17 Strength and a 15 in Finesse. And those are my two best stats.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°What level are you?¡±


    Eric flushed under their regard. ¡°Nine.¡±


    Both girls just stared. ¡°I swear it!¡± He raised his hands. ¡°Scouts honor. I¡¯m compressing my core.¡±


    ¡°And that lets your stats shoot up?¡± Nelly asked with genuine curiosity.


    Eric slowly shook his head. ¡°Nope. That¡¯s a combination of titles I earned and, if this were a Cultivation novel, I''d say that I had a series of ¡®fortunate encounters.¡¯ Let¡¯s just leave it at that, shall we?¡±


    Rica squeezed her friend¡¯s hand. ¡°I know. Complete bullshit, right?¡±


    Nelly smirked. ¡°How can you stand sleeping with him when he oozes that much smug good fortune? I mean, look at those epic tattoos radiating so much power on his face. I¡¯ll bet they¡¯re giving him ten points in Strength. Or maybe just sexy good looks. How the fuck does that happen?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°You can sense Essense marks? Shit, Nelly, we gotta get you a magic wand to practice with. You might have Arcane Essence class potential!¡±


    Nelly just stared at him. ¡°Seriously? You have Essence marks? What the fuck are Essence marks?¡±


    Eric shrugged self-consciously. ¡°Oh, look at that. A pair of jackals are going after my pheasant. Time to level up those skills a bit more!¡±


    Nelly¡¯s eyes flashed when Eric proceeded to turn around and hurtle two javelins in quick succession, earning him two more kills in a handful of seconds.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious? Wait, how the hell can you sprint so fast? Get back here and explain these Essence marks!¡±


    But Eric was already long gone, claiming his kills and earning welcome nods and grins from the caravaneers who had just stopped and prepared for a bite, because fresh game was always welcome, though jackal meat, he found out, would only be good as a stew.


    Over lunch he explained to a still playfully miffed Nelly, as well as the awkwardly deferential Morgan and a positively beaming Rica, just a tiny bit about Essence marks and what little he knew about arcane artifacts.


    ¡°So, from what I understand, even if Humans aren¡¯t well suited to becoming mages, as in, it almost never happens, we can still get magically attuned classes tied to magical tools. So adventurers who skill up with wands and boost their Arcane Potential... I mean, Mana Pool, might find an Arcane Artificer class or something similar open to them. And honestly, after seeing what my friend could do with a lightning wand¡­ just raising up proficiency with that tool and the right stat will still see you kicking ass, even if your only ¡®magic class¡¯ is being stuck as a Conscript.¡±


    Nelly gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°I always loved the idea of mastering the elements, and I played a mage in every MMORPG worth playing,¡± she softly said before shaking her head and taking a sip of stew. ¡°But I have a warrior¡¯s build, now. And as much as I absolutely love feeling more vibrant, healthy, and alive than I ever have before, it still kind of sucks that I didn¡¯t really have any choice in how I leveled up. Because humans that don¡¯t grab an orc accepted class tended to be burned alive.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I used to pretend that that¡¯s why I never dared the pods,¡± Morgan softly said. ¡°But really it was because I was afraid.¡± He gazed solemnly at the girl sitting beside him, almost, but not quite touching him. ¡°I think¡­ I think maybe you¡¯re right, Eric. This wagon ride is the start of a fresh new life for me. A life where I actually have an ounce of courage. A life where I dare the mantel of adventurer.¡± He swallowed. ¡°Even if I have to risk dying in a pod to earn it.¡±


    Eric flashed a sympathetic smile. ¡°I know it¡¯s been rough. For all of us. But the great thing is, you both still have your whole lives ahead of you. And sure, it kind of sucks that your options were limited, Nelly, but right now you have a pod-infused body capable of growth and leveling like no one¡¯s business. So let¡¯s get to Freetown, figure out the requirements for whatever class you like, get you a wand, and get you walking down whatever path leads you to your dreams.¡±


    He then turned to Morgan, giving the downcast youth an almost brotherly clap on his shoulder. ¡°And my earlier words aside, I¡¯d never insist you take such a gamble as to dare the pods. But if there¡¯s any way we can find out from someone in the know how to boost your odds, or see beforehand if you got what it takes? I wouldn¡¯t mind investing a little gold in that direction either.¡±


    Eric turned to glance at all the other refugees, eating and conversing in quiet forlorn tones. ¡°For everyone¡¯s sake.¡±


    Nelly, earlier playful huff forgotten, was looking at Eric with something close to awe. ¡°You¡¯d really be willing to do that for me? Get me an actual wand? Eric, gosh, I mean¡­ I thought¡­ from what those nasty slimy goblin traders with too many teeth said to the one shaman I overheard roaring for new tools, they cost a fucking fortune!¡±


    Eric shared a smile with the beautiful woman by his side, Rica knowing damn well just how valuable the prizes he was carrying in a certain tactical backpack were, even if she had no idea what else he had claimed from Gilton before making his escape. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nelly. Somehow I¡¯m almost positive that it will all work itself out.¡± He then frowned thoughtfully at Morgan. ¡°And if wands actually work for mortals¡­ maybe that will be the key that unlocks a world of possibility without getting you killed.¡±


    Morgan¡¯s gaze grew so intent, trembling with something Eric hesitated to name, before he dropped to his knees. ¡°Eric, if you could do that for me, if it actually worked...¡± He swallowed. ¡°I would be your loyal companion for life. I swear it!¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Just be good to Nelly and her family. Whether that means being a good friend, or whatever, that¡¯s more than enough.¡±


    He frowned thoughtfully. ¡°Come to think of it, why the hell don¡¯t I buy myself some wands as well? I¡¯m training my ass off with all sorts of weapons. But when did I even try to figure out how a wand works?¡±


    Nelly threw him an arch look. ¡°Let me guess, your Mana Pool is at Merlin levels?¡± This earned a hard look from Rica, as if recalling too late Eric¡¯s revealed stats, which they swore to keep to themselves. But Eric just laughed it off. ¡°Hardly! My Arcane Potential is just 17. Only boost that I ever got was when I hit Journeyman in¡­ never mind,¡± he said weekly, noting the fresh stares he was earning.


    ¡°Only, 17?¡± Rica said archly.


    Nelly frowned. ¡°And what the hell is Arcane Potential? Is that like Mana Pool? Or Mana Regeneration? I don¡¯t have that stat on my character sheet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s not a human stat,¡± said a certain captain who Eric really should have sensed strolling their way, Eric thought with a wince as too-discerning bronze eyes measured his own.


    Nelly¡¯s look of consternation grew. ¡°Then how the hell does Eric have it?¡±


    The captain flashed an almost pitying smile. ¡°I¡¯d think it would be obvious. Eric¡¯s a member of the Sylvan Alliance, after all.¡±


    ¡°Independent agent. Strictly independent,¡± Eric¡¯s mouth said even as his mind froze, looking as stunned as everyone else around their stew pot.


    Morgan blinked. ¡°Come again?¡±


    The captain snorted, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you children to your stew. And Eric, I have something for you.¡±


    She stepped away from the others, gesturing with her finger.


    He swallowed, heart hammering, feeling the sudden need to bolt, with the too knowing look the captain was giving him. Almost surprised to find himself walking so calmly toward her. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I have a letter in my hand, which you will never receive. Because an Elf always pays her debts. But a word of advice for you?¡±


    Eric nodded, not trusting himself to say a word.


    ¡°Stay away from Gilton.¡± She smirked. ¡°A certain lady is very unhappy. And all too intrigued. And if you¡¯re not looking to spend the next hundred years in a cage of steel¡­ or gold¡­ I¡¯d give the city of your glorious ascension a wide birth.¡±


    Eric¡¯s stomach roiled and twisted at a doom narrowly avoid. It was all he could do not to bolt away from the letter she held, as if it were a trap that could snap him up in a heartbeat. ¡°I understand. And thank you.¡±


    She quirked a bemused eyebrow. ¡°Do you? Then I¡¯d check in at Freetown under a different last name, at least, and make it clear you¡¯re accepting letters from no one.¡± Her eyes twinkled. ¡°Most especially not your mother.¡±


    Eric froze, gazing at the captain for long moments, a dozen questions on the tip of his tongue. ¡°Did you really need my help with those orcs?¡±


    She tilted her head thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a complex question with many facets, Eric.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Lives were in peril. Doesn¡¯t seem like a hard one to me.¡±


    She then gestured towards the multiple lunchtime campfires.


    ¡°Have you noticed yet that each wagon is carrying two Javelineers and their families?¡±


    Eric blinked, cheeks suddenly flushing. Because despite his vaunted Perception and Negotiator title boons, he hadn¡¯t noted that fact at all. If he were honest with himself, the only thing he had really been paying attention to was a certain Cherokee princess whose passion blazed like the sun, and was well on her way to stealing his heart.


    And the captain¡¯s knowing smirk made it clear she was aware of that fact as well.


    ¡°That band of orc mercenaries was the perfect testing ground for the dozen Javelineers and their families that are choosing to head to Freetown under our protection and the diplomatic treaty you yourself helped forge, Eric Silver. To their credit, at least, they didn¡¯t feel the need to sneak out days ahead, though we were happy enough to let those warriors and their families leave without conflict as well.¡±


    She flashed a bemused smile. ¡°We even had one of our agents provide the more amenable ones with a week¡¯s worth of provisions, map, and camping supplies. Because it never hurts to make new friends, or to ¡®humanize¡¯ one¡¯s former opponents. And I have no problem expending a fair amount of rations if it means a few more conflicted souls are less willing to work with orcs or strike down elves in the future.¡±


    She then turned to gaze speculatively at the campfires Eric now recognized as as being primarily made up of family units led by at least one Javelineer, though most were wearing anything but the rawhide armors or orcish chain mail that had been the norm. As if they were anxious not to offend their escorts, for all that they were all armed with pilums, even if held more as spears and walking sticks than throwing instruments of death.


    ¡°I guess you could say it was a test. A test to see who would rise to the occasion, proving themselves truly worthy of a closer look. And who are best allowed free passage to Freetown, and never bothered with at all. Because even with their binding oaths, the moment those mercenaries attacked the caravan, that self-defense clauses that all factions here on Earth must honor rendered all restrictions moot, those orcish bastards suddenly fair game."


    Eric blinked. ¡°So you¡¯re considering recruitment.¡±


    ¡°Of course. They¡¯re warriors with a decent hybrid ranged / melee class, and at least a handful have proven themselves to have a character and temperament at least close to what we¡¯re looking for. And I¡¯m happy to say that a good two thirds proved themselves at least ready to pitch in and fight, defending the wagon and pushing them back, before you shifted the tide so¡­ drastically.¡±


    A pained look came to her eyes. ¡°My only regret was having one of my own precious Classers become severely injured in the process.¡±


    Eric gazed at her for long moments. ¡°Why do I have the feeling that if there¡¯s such a thing as healing potions, you have them on hand?¡±


    The captain grinned. ¡°And much to my pleased surprise, not only were you willing to help out an elf you had never met before, but actually showcased a rather unique¡­ trait, to do so.¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s blood magic. Part of my ¡®native heritage¡¯ that the System seems to treat as a cultural relic, and worth my time only for the sake of posterity. But considering how very much the System is clearly not in the camp of any newly awakened native of a conquered world, a System that is most definitely the tool of the already established and powerful¡­ I think I¡¯ll take advantage of whatever perks and quirks my human heritage gives me, System preferences be damned.¡±


    He winced at the bemused smile in her eyes. ¡°And now I wonder how much of that I should have said aloud.¡±


    She chuckled throatily. ¡°Use every tool at your disposal, Eric Silver. System sanctioned, or no.¡± She raised a qualifying finger. ¡°Now don¡¯t get me wrong. When it comes to developing your Class, staying true to its precepts, at least for the purposes of advancement, is the only way to move forward and unlock powers you can only dream of, right now. But when it comes to winning a war? Use every damn tool at your disposal.¡±


    Eric gazed at the captain for long moments, before bowing his head. ¡°Thank you very much for the insight. And if you¡¯re going to tell me you¡¯re just a patrol captain...¡±


    Captain Teila chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a patrol captain as much as you¡¯re just a lucky young human adventure who benefited from one too many ¡®fortuitous encounters.¡¯¡±


    He blanched and swallowed, but her grin was teasing, more than anything else.


    ¡°And not the scion of a very powerful clan with a very checkered past.¡±


    Eric blinked at that. ¡°I have absolutely no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    She smirked, pointedly glancing Rica¡¯s way, who caught Eric¡¯s gaze and flashed him a heartwarming smile. ¡°Really? Looks to me like you know exactly what I mean.¡±


    Eric blinked, when it suddenly clicked, ¡°wait, you¡¯re not saying...¡±


    She very deliberately stroked her ears which most definitely did crest to a Vulcanesque point. Unlike Eric¡¯s own, which were as human as ears got. ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything at all, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll sire wonderfully healthy children with that girl in the very near future, if that¡¯s the path you choose to walk.¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw. ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    The captain solemnly shook her head. ¡°Nothing. And I mean that, Eric Silver.¡± She gently squeezed his shoulder and smiled. Eric swallowed, chilled to the quick. Because despite his near fifty strength, he was dead certain he¡¯d be unable to shift those delicate fingers, no matter how hard he tried. ¡°And your sister sends her love, by the way. I think she will be very happy to know that you¡¯ve found someone, and seem to have no interest at all in the ugly politics marring this brand new world.¡±


    Eric swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. ¡°Tell her I love her?¡± He flushed at her expression. ¡°I mean¡­ it would be nice if my sister knew how much her brother cared about her, and hopes that she is safe, healthy, and happy, wherever she is.¡±


    The captain smirked. ¡°I¡¯m sure she would be delighted to hear that, should the wind carry your message her way.¡±


    Eric nodded, frowning as he truly took in all the clusters of families. Now that he was looking for it, he noticed more than a few people who just looked tired, bitter, and utterly alone. ¡°I don¡¯t think everyone here has an adventurer in their family.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t¡±


    Eric turned to the captain, all too able to imagine what it would be like to enter a new town, cold and tired and without the advantages of being able to level into powerhouses of their wildest dreams. ¡°What will happen to them?¡±


    Captain Teila tilted her head. ¡°Do you really care?¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°You know what? I do. I¡­ I know they¡¯re strangers, but I know what it¡¯s like to feel anxious and alone, with no one at your back, when your previous sweet life turned to ashes, wondering if you¡¯ll just survive the next few days.¡±


    The elf¡¯s eyes widened at this. ¡°I must say, I¡¯m a bit surprised. Especially after Nils.¡±


    Erics cheeks flushed. ¡°Let me guess. Another test?¡±


    Teila smiled, not saying a word.


    Eric sighed. ¡°Actually, when I first threw him out, I was of half a mind to let him back in, if he actually showed a trace of humility or even apologized.¡± He winced under the captain¡¯s hard gaze. ¡°And, yes, if I could have cowed him into an oath not to say a fucking word that would cause me grief in Freetown. I grabbed his pack to toss it to him, not to rob him. But the minute I saw it contained a dozen collars radiating such twisted magics, collars that could only be used to enslave people¡­ items he sure as fuck didn¡¯t need to start a new life...¡±


    Eric angrily shook his head. ¡°You know what? Think what you like. If I had to do it all over again...¡± He met her gaze. ¡°I¡¯d throw him out just the same.¡±


    The captain patted his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not for me to judge. Only observe.¡±


    ¡°And report,¡± he said with a wry smirk.


    She grinned and winked. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ about all the people who have no idea what they¡¯re doing, still stunned and shell-shocked by the loss of everything they had ever known and loved, not having the mental fortitude to treat life as the ruthless game we know it to be¡­ what about them?¡±


    The captain flashed a genuinely sympathetic smile. ¡°We¡¯ll be restocking and leaving after a day or two, and everyone with no familial ties will be allowed to stay with the wagons. Should they fail to find employment or shelter, or just wish to return¡­ they will be free to do so. I¡¯ll also be leading the recruitment drive, for any adventurers who wish to join the Sylvan Alliance.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Wait¡­ that¡¯s a thing?¡±


    She grinned at that. ¡°Of course!¡± Her smile turned to a look of gentle concern. ¡°But let me give you the same counsel I gave everyone else before you joined our caravan, for all that I had expected you several hours before.¡± She laughed at his expression. ¡°Keep your weapons sheathed in Freetown, Eric. No matter how much you may hate the look of certain...guests. Oaths are made at the gate, and everyone has basic rights within the city.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°What exactly are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying you¡¯ll find recruiters for numerous clans belonging to all the major alliances.¡±


    Eric clenched his fists, suddenly getting it. ¡°Orcs.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°You might run into a good half dozen who have absolutely no idea that you¡¯re Eric Orcbane,¡± she said the last with a grin. ¡°At least, not yet. Each belonging to a different tribe that wants to claim the bloody throne of their people, for all that they all are supposedly of a singular banner.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°So the various orc tribes are at war with on another?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°More like each alliance or singular clan, if powerful enough, is expected to enlarge their territory as much as possible in their quest to claim this world under one unified banner. Of course, the clans and alliances that perform the best are the ones most likely to have their nominee for ruler accepted by the other members of their race.¡±


    Eric paused, staring at the enigmatically smiling captain for long moments when the significance of everything he had been a part of so far finally sunk in. ¡°So, this is a competition. All of it. Orcs against what, Elves? Other races? But each¡­ seed? Tribe or clan or¡­ Alliance, seeks to get as big as possible among their own kind, even as they make inroads on neutral territory and take over enemy territory. And the Alliance with the most gains wins, what, the throne?¡±


    Captain Teila winked. ¡°Hardly as dense and clueless as some have implied, after all.¡±


    Eric flushed when it all finally clicked. ¡°That¡¯s why Lord Drevyn and Lady Valorn both looked so amused during our negotiations. When I basically won them Gilton, I was doing it for a clan within the Sylvan Alliance that¡¯s different from the one my mother¡¯s clearly associated with.¡±


    The high ranking elf smirked. ¡°Associated with. I like that. As if you had no idea who¡¯s truly holding all the cards.¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°Rest assured, Eric. Your mother is¡­ associated¡­ with all our clans. Though Elonia might be less than pleased, she most deliberately didn¡¯t want you to think that she was anything but proud of you, amazed by your accomplishments, and grateful to hear that you¡¯re alive. Most importnantly, we¡¯re all part of the Sylvan Alliance, Eric. Whichever one of the Winter Queen¡¯s champions claims the throne is far less important than that it not fall into the hands of orcs, goblins, or worse.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Far worse.¡±


    Eric blinked, surprised to find that even those words caused an uncomfortable pressure in his soul. ¡°I¡¯d like to assert once more that I consider myself a free agent, tied to no alliance whatsoever. Whatever concessions I make to anyone are done out of friendship or mutual benefit. I recognize no master.¡±


    Teila snorted, though there was a certain measuring intensity to her gaze that chilled Eric to sense examining him just a bit too intensely. But all she did was shrug and smile. ¡°You¡¯re free to do what you like.¡±


    Eric nodded, surprised at what a relief it was to feel a certain vice-like pressure immediately leave, and very much taking to heart the captain¡¯s advice to accept no letters from his mother either. And as much as he burned to ask the question blazing brightest in his mind¡­ best he not. Because the more he thought of himself as the very human and very independent adventurer that he was, the farther he was from being forced upon the Path of Rulers as a vessel of his mother¡¯s... associations. A thought he firmly pushed out of mind the moment it tried to sneak in.


    And why shouldn¡¯t at least a few humans have their Mana Pools titled as ¡®Arcane Potential?¡¯ It all meant the same thing, and all Eric had to do was feel his very round ears to embrace the human he at least partially was.


    Partially? He meant fully. Because with Neanderthal and countless other hominid bloodlines flowing through his and everyone else¡¯s veins, humans had been a mix of fortuitous romantic encounters for a very, very long time.


    His heart swelled, looking at one such encounter he yearned to take in his arms right now, Rica flashing him a winsome smile that set his heart racing, making it clear that she was just as hungry as he was.


    So what if his particular blend of humanity might have a little bit of something extra in it? Explaining why his mother looked so damned gorgeous at fifty, exactly like his twin sister?


    If he was human enough to win the heart of the girl he adored, then that was human enough for him.

 Chapter 298 - Just how screwed am I?

    Eric was momentarily consumed by blackness, then light. Feeling an inevitable cord of doom linking him and the horrific being at his back stretch impossibly tight, so tight that he choked back a scream, terrified that his soul would rip in twain¡­ and then it was gone.


    He jolted a single step, alarm bells momentarily shrieking in his head as he stumbled forward, desperate not to allow the mithril blades to slide free of their sheaths and slice clean through his neck¡­ before falling to his knees in the uncaring pitch darkness, realizing that somehow, by some miracle, he was alive.


    The awful cold that had given his entire body frostbite, that had frozen multiple Contenders, delvers, and an entire forest to solid ice¡­ was no more.


    The awful sense of an ancient dark god pressing his clawed finger against Eric¡¯s soul had vanished.


    And it was only now, as he panted and sobbed for breath that he realized that the pain¡­ the awful hideous unending pain that his desperate use of internal blood runes had actually managed to mitigate¡­ was now gone.


    The most painful agonizing endless ordeal that he dare not even THINK about, lest he fall into a worthless catatonic heap, was finally over.


    Trembling hands went to feel the mithril collar.


    ¡°I beat you, you stupid motherfucker. Bronze tier torture device¡­ I fucking did it!¡±


    He sobbed the words with furious satisfaction.


    Because in his desperate attempt to melt steel, those final moments when he had released all restraint, he had also managed to obliterate the pain chip that was inside his collar.


    ¡°Never again!¡± He swore to himself, tears streaming freely from his eyes in the endless pitch darkness all around him as he crumpled on what felt like a hard granite floor. ¡°I will never play the pawn for anyone, ever again!¡±


    He closed his one intact eye while whispering words to numb his pain once more, this time enduring the comparitively mild agony of his torn eye bubbling back to full utility inside his head even as his right forefinger budded anew from the stump he had so willingly sacrificed to force that fourth mithril blade back inside his collar.


    You have successfully recovered missing limbs and organs in record time!


    You have managed to keep your physiology intact while undergoing prolonged physical degradation via a device designed to torment beings a full tier beyond your own.


    Congratulations! Unified Restoration is now Rank 11! (Perk deferred.)


    Even now he shuddered, knowing he had to take in his environment, that death could be stalking him even now¡­ but desperate to do something to secure his collar and kit himself for what he feared would be a very grueling delve.


    He had, after all, landed smack dab in an Orange-tier dungeon his enemies had deliberately maneuvered such that his entrance would both doom and trap him. Of course, all that was actually redundant. They had merely wanted his head to be snicked off the second he entered, compelling him to do it by his own two feet, twisting the words of their oaths such that fleeing into the dungeon was his foolish choice while staying outside was willing suicide. A head¡¯s I win, tails you lose scenario, and somehow, those slimy bastards had gotten away with it.


    Then he choked out bitter laughter as he desperately tried to think of a way to secure those four still horrifically lose mithril blades that he feared would slide right out of their sheaths to snick his throat if he so much as shifted his painfully stiff neck.


    In the end, mind racing with everything his enemies had let slip in a language he should have had no chance of knowing, he had jumped through that portal of his own volition. Even when the white hot steel springs had lost all tensile strength before they melted to slag.


    Truth was, he could have technically run free at that very moment. But by that time, Sylvis had been the last thing on his mind. By that time he understood that terrible things far beyond a sadistic gnoll contender were haunting those woods. Things promising a far worse doom than a quick decapitation. A doom he now feared had been stalking him long before his enemies first felt that bitter, biting cold.


    Yet so bad had his pain been, he had paid absolutely no heed to it at all.


    Didn¡¯t dare to. Not until those final, horrific seconds of torment and desperation outside the rift had finally played out, Eric suddenly finding himself before a rift that led directly to a maze desperate to reset.


    He already knew that jumping into rifts was like entering separate pocket realms, and his panicked gambit had actually worked.


    Because sure, he might be utterly lost with a collar that STILL blocked his magic or ability to use external runes, he found to his horror¡­ but the important thing was, he was also lost to the nightmare abomination that had been hunting him as well.


    Whatever connections of arcane magic, fate, or, as much as it horrified him to think it, blood that had been binding them¡­ had been snapped like threads before a sheer.


    And that was all that mattered, he decided, face widening in a bitter furious smile as he jabbed his restored middle finger at the world.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive, motherfuckers. You hear that? I¡¯m alive!¡± He shouted with tears in the darkness.


    A stupid thing to do, but the agony he had endured, the tension and frustration had warranted a shout against uncaring fates and oblivion¡¯s disdain.


    He was alive and his tormentors were not.


    Granted, he had serious mixed feelings about that. The awful bastard and his mocking goblin companions who had so savored his torments were now forever beyond his reach. Having been frozen alive in mere seconds¡­ when Eric wanted to give those bastards absolute hours to remember him by.


    But they were dead and he was alive, and even if the dark, like this dark, would soon be the thing of nightmares for him¡­ he still took cold comfort in the knowledge that of all the assholes riding that velimobile, the sucker they had savored torturing and planned on executing was the only one to break free of death¡¯s hoary grasp.


    Now if only he could survive this rift and actually keep it that way.


    He took a deep breath, smelling the musty chalky tang of limestone and the brooding weight of granite bedrock as well. His infravision made out a quartet of massive arched passageways in shades of cool blue he saw in such detail that he could clearly make out the gaps between each granite block.


    And the place was massive.


    Endless 90 degree tunnels, and each corridor was over twenty feet wide and soared a good fifty feet high with arched ceilings, and he had appeared right in the center of multiple intersecting corridors.


    At first, he sensed neither sound nor any scent beyond the chalky tang of stone. He didn¡¯t even feel a breeze moving against his cheek.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The he heard them, the tiniest hint of far-off chittering.


    His stomach twisted with sudden tension. He forced himself to snap out of his daze, for all that he was utterly exhausted and mentally drained beyond belief.


    He could deal with the trauma he had endured later. All that mattered right now was surviving as best he could.


    Moving extremely slowly and carefully, he slinked over to the very side of the corridor, well out of the central passageway, looking for any sign of dips or crevices he could shelter in as he took personal inventory¡­ and finding nothing.


    Cursing softly under his breath, he pressed himself against the farmost wall, and turned his focus inward on the mithril collar, the impossibly sharp blades and the fried electromana circuits within.


    The first order of business, he thought, was to secure those damned mithril throat-cutters.


    He closed his eyes to help himself focus, for all that even his skin was aware of his environment, so acute was both his Perception and Infravision, and focused on the four mithril blades with their impossibly sharp, near frictionless surfaces.


    Except for three points.


    One was the pivot point where the blade was peened directly into the collar, a second was the now defunct trigger latch, and the final spot was where the spring was slotted.


    The solution was obvious, even to his exhausted mind. He had to use the very slots that had once locked sheering death, just a single mistake away to his advantage.


    He took a deep, shuddering breath, already knowing what his next move had to be.


    First, he poured more heat into his blood to easily reach the 4000 F mark, as hot as he had ever dared while still a Conscript. A temperature that now cost him only the tiniest fraction of his temporary Soul Reserves and experience pool, and more than enough to assure a homogeneous mixture of melted steel and bits of obliterated circuitry in his superheated blood.


    He couldn¡¯t help but flash a quick smile of satisfaction, even as the distant squeaks of rodents grew ever closer. A realization that sent fresh chills racing down his spine. Because if rats in a white tier dungeon fit for level 15s was bad¡­ How fucking bad would Orange tier rats be?


    He realized he was in no real hurry to find out.


    ¡°Alright. My blood covers this entire hell-contraption, and I¡¯ve fried out the inside. If I can¡¯t claim it by this point¡­


    You have FAILED to insert Bronze-tier Slave-collar into your ES Storage space!


    You have FAILED to summon lightning!


    Eric hissed and cursed, his head throbbing from the arcane backlash. He cursed bitterly under his breath, sensing more than seeing the arcane runes that had been painstaking etched inside the mithril collar, no complex hybrid mana circuitry needed. Just a pure arcane ward against arcane magic¡­ and whoever had inscribed the ward into the mithril had clearly been Bronze tier and light years out of Eric¡¯s league.


    He choked back a furious scream.


    He was bound to this collar, was unable to claim this collar, and could cast no magic through the collar.


    Equally infuriating¡­ as much as his blood now effectively had mastered its insides, class skills or some other art was warding the lock. And he didn¡¯t need any interface message to know that unless he had an actual Thief class, golden key, or the original control stick now frozen in a doomed contender¡¯s eternal grip¡­ he wasn¡¯t slipping free of this hell-vise anytime soon.


    All he could do was turn his hot frustration to ice cold focus¡­ cooling his growing panic to deliberate calculation, drawing all the heat from the blood that had claimed molten metal at its core. Cooling it to the point that it gelled then hardened to the equivalent of steel slag¡­ completely gumming up peen, slot, and trigger latch.


    Then making it colder still. Because mastering heat meant the lack of it as well, and it was high time he embraced that inverse to the utmost, drawing every last speck of heat from the collar that he could. Until the entire collar was reminiscent of the bitter hoarfrost that had frozen his foes alive¡­ mitigated only by the slick sheen of pearlescent blood that he had coated over the outside during his first furious dash¡­ making sure the surface was no warmer than himself.


    And all the while, the chittering grew in pitch and volume.


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound, knowing that unseen enemies were closing in.


    Considering his experiences during his last delve, he counted it a miracle he hadn¡¯t already been run down and eaten alive by prehistoric abominations.


    He clenched his jaw and shook his head, feeling the bite of the mithril collar around his neck, knowing that things were so much better than he had any ripe to hope they would be. Had he been just a couple seconds slower, he¡¯d be dead! He wanted to sob with relief that those awful mithril blades were stable. At least for now.


    And he was still rocking almost 350 Quickness. Which made him faster than pretty much anyone else in this corner of the country, region, or state¡­ he still wasn¡¯t quite sure which.


    But it was also a trap, if he wasn¡¯t careful, because even with his Speed Racer bonus perk allowing him to manipulate G-force and air resistance, so he truly could pivot to a degree worthy of both title and his Quickness¡­ he was damned well aware that any furious jerk strong enough to shatter the frozen slag holding his mithril blades in place would be the last mistake he would ever make.


    Regrettably, he had absolutely no idea how much force was required for any of the slick mithril blades to slip free of what was effectively their frozen sheaths. And there was no room for experimentation either. He¡¯d either be alright, or multiple mithril blades would slip free and quite literally clip his head off.


    Definitely not something he wanted to fuck around with, that was for damned sure.


    ¡°So, ranged sniping it is then,¡± he whispered to himself, even as he recalled all too well the curse a former orc shaman had placed on him, making it so damned hard to pull anything out of his ES Storage space.


    Save for one item. The sling he had had custom made from a classer who had been grateful as hell that Eric had been all about second chances, even if he had been playing for the wrong team at first. But with his pregnant girlfriend depending on him, it wasn¡¯t like the poor kid had had a choice. And all things considered, that sling had paid back the inconvenience of getting beamed in the head many times over. As far as Eric was concerned, Billy and Lana were good people, and would one day run a fine inn for what would hopefully eventually become the most prosperous and profitable territory on the entire planet.


    Eric could only hope that he¡¯d survive long enough to meet up with them once more, and thank Billy for his sling.


    You are attempting to pull free lesser artifact: Soul Bound Indestructible Sling.


    Contest of skills vs. Bronze Tier Ward.


    ES Skill check has FAILED!


    A sling that he found himself unable to pull free, much to his surprise and dismay.


    Eric grit his teeth in frustration as he caught scent of what was definitely animal musk, and closing in fast. And here he was, with no good options at all.


    ¡°Save the gifts I bet that damned collar can¡¯t block. Essence and the power of blood. And if I¡¯m lucky, Spiritual Energy as well.¡±


    Eric wasted no time even as he whispered the words, preparing to bite through his own flesh to draw that much-needed fluid. But despite his new pain blocking chant and stronger than ever healing ability, he was damned tired of self-mutilation and pain.


    He couldn¡¯t help chuckling as the vampiric elements of Blood Mastery elongated his fangs once more¡­ before realizing that he didn¡¯t need to hurt himself at all.


    The blood, unlike everything else he had tried during that day of torments, came to him as easily as thought, dripping free from micro pours from his index finger. Blood which he used to inscribe a ritual circle with himself at the center, but he cast no arcane magics through it. Didn¡¯t dare to.


    Instead, he pressed his finger to his double circle of crimson and fill it with all the wrath, fire, and fury that he could.


    Blood Mastery skillcheck made! You have effortlessly infused your blood with the essence of Flame! Critical success: Basic use of Elite tier skill and Rank 3 essence is now virtually effortless! You suffer no drain to Potency or Soul Reserves!


    Blood Ward is now Rank 3!


    You can now see those who would happily devour you¡­ just as they see you!


    Finally, success! Even if his flaming ward did have the drawback of filling the hallway with light as the outer two rings of blood blazed with the essence Flame while innermost one acted as a buffer of sorts, absorbing heat and pulling down fresh air from above so he needed no bloody sponge to safely breathe. Which was a good thing, since the only fabric he had on hand were his pants and shoes. Otherwise, he was bare-chested and weaponless as he caught sight of the light reflected off a dozen pairs of beady eyes from rats the size of warthogs filling up the farmost corridor, all of them glaring his way.

 Chapter 299 - Hope Rekindled

    Eric¡¯s heart hammered a staccato beat as the flood of rats glared his way. Alone, without resources or access to his magic or equipment, not daring to move faster than the tiniest fraction of his normal speed¡­ he was a dead man walking. He knew that already.


    But the hell he would give up without a fight, he thought, grimacing as he tried one more time to slide a prize free of this Bronze tier restriction.


    A prize covered in blood and bitter struggle. A prize perhaps more intimately tied to him than any other, one that had almost become him, or controlled him¡­ a prize he had infused with his essence at great peril¡­ taking the darkest of artifacts and making it his own.


    So he couldn¡¯t help feeling a fierce sense of vindication when the ancient bow he could just barely touch with his metaphoric fingers was still enough for him to slowly¡­ carefully¡­ pull free of jealous guardians eager to lock all his prizes away. As bone bow and a handful of wickedly hooked bone arrows hooked to the string came along for the ride.


    ES Skill check: Success!


    You have successfully pulled free Ancient Artifact from storage!


    You now have access to Bone Bow Artifact and six bone arrows!


    All prizes are soul bound to you.


    All claimed prizes have been previously infused with Runes of Strength & Resilience!


    Eric clamped down on the odd mixture of dread and exhilaration he felt, monstrous Finesse instantly clamping down on the tremble in his hands from sheer jubilation as something FINALLY went his way! Even if he was presently knocking back an arrow to his ear with a pinch draw, before slowly, carefully, applying ever more force via Rank 23 Flesh Sculptor demanding ever greater tension. Far more tension than he ever had as a conscript in way over his head in Junk Town, his strength almost twenty times greater and he knew he could apply only the tiniest fraction of that to his bow¡­ even as he carefully infused the limbs with potency so it didn¡¯t fly to pieces as he infused ever more of his Flesh Sculptor skill to demand the recurved limbs strain against his thumb and index finger with ever greater force as he sighted down the arrow shaft, picked his target, and released.


    Flesh Sculptor skill check: Success!


    Eric would have grinned from ear to ear with the speed his bow¡¯s bone limbs snapped forward, many times what he had managed to achieve back in Junk Town. Which would have resulted in an arrow traveling Mach 3 at least, he was damned certain of it.


    If it hadn¡¯t exploded a split second after being released, showering the rats with bone fragments packing so much force that three collapsed, utterly perforated by shrapnel while the rest scattered.


    Which was even better than he could have hoped for, perhaps.


    But it had cost him an arrow, at least temporarily, and it was damned clear that bullseye shooting at supersonic speed wasn¡¯t happening any time soon.


    Smooth draw. Knock fletching to cheek. Release.


    Eric grinned with the tiniest bit of pleasure when his arrow struck his target of reinforced rat hide now strengthened far beyond what it would otherwise be, with Flesh Sculptor boosted by 34 levels of necromancy and covered in a thin sheen of his blood saturated with the essence of Dominion. Which meant that, all in all, it had decent integrity, to say the least.


    More than good enough to make a durable rawhide target in a frame of bone, as he drew a second arrow he had made by fusing rat bones together and shaping it like clay, albeit with his mind alone, such that it perfectly matched the necromantic arrows that had come with the bow before he had strengthened them further.


    Whatever anxiety he had about inferior arrows made in desperate peril faded when yet another pair of arrows hit dead center, no matter that the target was a mere forty feet away, his ammunition firing at only a fraction of the speed of sound.


    The important thing was that the arrows worked, and that Flesh Sculpting was rapidly proving to be the most vital skill he had access to at the moment, so damned useful for purposes of utilitarian crafting, having made himself both a rawhide jacket and a quiver that now held twelve arrows. He had even been able to make fletching out of rat hide.


    He sighed, resigning himself to what he had to do next, never thinking he would be reduced to this, but now that he knew that the arrows worked, he would take that next step.


    His life, quite literally, depended upon it.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    You have successfully Soul Bound twelve bone (L 15 Rat origin) arrows. You have infused 12 Soul Bound Arrows with The essence of Dominion. Minimal potency expended.


    Eric furrowed his brow thoughtfully, wondering if there were other things he could infuse as well. He gazed intently down at the arrow and the tiny crimson rune he was struggling to place on it. It was true that the collar meant that he had limited ability to access his mana pool. But from what he could tell, outworlders had very little concept of just what was possible with unorthodox Terran arts.


    Maybe slipping mana through that way...


    You have failed to inscribe runes upon Bone arrows! 1 Light Wound (backlash) suffered!


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He glared down at the rune, more startled than hurt, his definition of pain warped considerably, at this point.


    He scowled at the arrow, resisting the urge to smash his own hard work. Before chuckling softly and trying again. He had known from the start it would take some work and thinking out side the box. And maybe his fingers were stinging and his head throbbing more than a little bit after repeated failures at sliding even the tiniest ounce of mana through the gap between himself and the collar, no matter how he tried to slide it through.


    Infusing Mana, even through his blood was clearly a no go.


    Then it struck him, as he glared at the inert crimson sigils.


    Why the hell was he worried about mana anyway?


    He had blood magic. Had always had blood magic, long before even tapping into his mana pool or spiritual energy. And spiritual energy didn¡¯t seem effected by the collar at all¡­ not that he was stupid enough to try it in the velimobile when a single wild punch would have cost him his head.


    So why not see if he could catalyze the blood itself to catalyze with Spiritual Energy to hold the power of the rune?


    It was crazy to think it would work, and he was sure any classic cultivator would think his blending an abomination. But there were definite perks to taking the supposed weakest of all Master classes, and that was the ability to safely blend and synergize absolutely every power or ability that bloodline gifts, training, and personal breakthroughs might awaken. To say nothing of the myriad fortuitous events that could shape ones abilities and potential that the daring and lucky might encounter in a world freshly blossoming into the System, without any worries about incompatible arts bricking one¡¯s build.


    Or at least, that¡¯s what he fervently hoped. Regardless, the first time he summoned spiritual energy alone to touch the runes, it did nothing but flash in a pretty explosion of color.


    But the minute he thought of anchoring the power of his spiritual energy to the essence of life itself, tied tightly to the blood¡­


    That¡¯s when everything changed.


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully unlocked an unorthodox application of Runic Lore!


    You have unlocked the hidden perk: BLOOD RUNES.


    You understand the link between will, form, and potency better than ever before! And what¡¯s more potent than your own life force? You may now substitute temporary Soul Reserves for Mana whenever you carve runes into any surface using your blood!


    Note! This variant of Runic Lore requires knowing the Blood Rune (you do.) This variant o f Runic Lore does NOT work with shouts or chants! Only physical representations of runes.


    Congratulations! Runic Lore is now Level 28!


    Eric smiled, securing his now reinforced leather vest and quiver as he prepared to leave his sanctuary of white-hot blood. If nothing else, he had at least managed to rekit himself with proper bow and reinforced arrows. If he was lucky, his essence infused arrows would hold just as well as the originals, if not even better. But his ultimate goal was to hit his target at speeds far beyond the speed of sound, without them exploding into fragments or skewing way off from their targets.


    It wasn¡¯t just a power fantasy, it was a bloody necessity.


    His smile, like his thoughts, turned grim. He was no archer with exotic powers linked to his bow, not beyond his unorthodox adaptation of necromancy, blood magic, and essences, which he¡¯d happily make use of however he could. The arrows he shot were still relatively light, and he wasn¡¯t just hunting medium sized game with mortal stats and physique. He was in a Level 60 Dungeon, with at least a few creatures who wouldn¡¯t be effected by mundane arrows any more than a tank, saturated with Vitality, potency, and no doubt odd powers he could barely fathom.


    If he wanted to survive, he needed to be shooting arrows that weren¡¯t just near indestructible at standard speeds. Thank heavens that his first encounter were with almost normal, pitbull-sized rats. Many times more savage and fierce than the very first rats that had terrorized him but no doubt perfect scavengers for a L60 maze dungeon that was enacting some sort of mirror mockery of an actual ecosystem with the rats no doubt acting as scavengers even if they could live indefinitely on the rift¡¯s wild arcane energies alone.


    Killing those rats was one thing. But eventually he needed to be releasing arrows at the speed of an anti material round, cracking the sound barrier multiple times over, praying they would at least penetrate a few inches into the hides of the true monsters of this realm before they shattered or rebounded, no matter the tiny runes he could squeeze onto the bone shafts.


    Ultimately, he needed his arrows to cut through the air far more efficiently than any mortal missile.


    And for that, a hell of a lot more was required than simple practice. Or rather, practice was that which inspired and solidified his insights. But to truly master his potential, he needed to be able to tap into that which was beyond himself, to see if reality itself could be compelled to heed the call of his will with his weapon.


    In short, he needed to hit Rank 20 in the bow, and if his hunch was right, if the perks he had earned from Javelin Throwing echoed at all with this weapon¡­ the perk that would allow him to survive this death trap was just a single skill up away.

 Chapter 300 - Bitter Revelations

    Stealth check successful!


    The hunter has become one with the shadows.


    You have spotted your prey!


    Eric lost himself in the zen of movement, becoming one with his environment, just as he had during his earliest exhilarating hunts, when he first made those tunnels of Gilton city his own.


    For the moment there was no sense of horrific betrayal, no flashes of terror and dismay. The mithril collar promising death should he dare weave and jerk aside too quickly, so tiny a pressure as to be insignificant, as he allowed all his troubled thoughts to fade away to nothing, instead embracing the oldest dance known to man.


    The sheer pleasure of the hunt, embracing the soft footsteps in the dark, honing in on his prey.


    He was now one with the inky darkness and the exquisite contrast of shades of deepest blue and brilliant shades of orange from the swarm of living prey ahead.


    There were no awful memories here.


    Screaming in agony for the delight of vicious bastards before their own hyena-like cackles died off to the wailing shrieks of being frozen alive by the darkest of Grim fairy tales brought to horrific life¡­ none of that mattered to the shadow that Eric had become.


    He reveled in stalking his prey as a nose like a scent hound¡¯s synergized perfectly with heat sense to reveal the trail and spore of footsteps just the tiniest bit warmer than the surrounding cool blue stone, the waft of their scent further assuring that the trail was fresh and true.


    He took a slow steady breath as he slowly drew back his bow string until his thumb kissed the pocket of his jaw, allowing the tension in the bow limbs to build as he sighted his prey among the dozen squirming warthog-sized rodents, bigger than the first group he had encountered.


    The farmost rat, separated from the others was the one he chose, sighting the base of its spine as he balanced the tension in his bow... and released.


    The arrow streaked through the air, striking true.


    The rat collapsed in a boneless heap, no final dying squeak to alert its fellows.


    Eric¡¯s heart hammered, a satisfied smile coming to his lips as the mischief continued to squeak and swarm in the localized area, just as before.


    Find Weakness skill check: Successful! You know just where to strike your prey for a silent kill.


    Archery skill check made.


    Flawless execution!


    Eric was now utterly aware of himself and his movements as he slowly drew another arrow, notched it, pulled back on the string to the same spot he always did, allowing for consistent, accurate fire before infusing the limbs of his bone bow, once a lich¡¯s prize, with his necromantic gifts once more¡­


    And fired.


    Again and again.


    Losing himself in the zen of archery as one fallen scout became three, then four.


    Eric¡¯s teeth would have shown in the darkness had there been any light at all, so great was his smile.


    It was time.


    He drew and sighted once more, just as before.


    But this time his target was nervous, as were the others.


    Sensing that something was wrong.


    Something hunted.


    Hunted then.


    The fiery red silhouette of his chosen rat tilted up its nose, sniffing frantically in the air.


    The tension in the bow string increased.


    A nervous squeak could be heard from the swarm of rats.


    The bow limbs creaked, yet Eric¡¯s pinch grip on the arrow shaft was rock solid.


    Their movements grew restless.


    The bow began to vibrate with tension.


    Eric flashed a fierce smile as the rat looked right at him!


    Knowing he was setting himself up for a shotgun explosion just as before.


    But his goal wasn¡¯t to shred a dozen rats, as he had with his original shot.


    It was so much more.


    Now using every ounce of Dominion¡¯s essence demanding integrity and Flesh Sculptor demanding tension, sensing the pulsing of the crimson runes for strength and resilience he had marked upon the base of his bow as he forced so much tension that he was actually starting to feel it, despite his strength, now focused as much on keeping the bow from bursting apart as lining up the shot.


    As it stood, his prey, sensing death¡¯s terrible promise, had finally spooked. Racing off in the distance.


    Which was a good thing, Eric thought with a smile.


    For it added to the challenge.


    A challenge easily met when time seemed to stretch and slow as it always did when he hit battlemode, for all that he now paid exquisite attention to his posture and balance, refusing to jerk his neck even if his arms were prepared to move at dizzying speed.


    Yet an archer needed grace more than anything else.


    More important still, he needed to hit.


    So he freely allowed himself to flow into his bow, such that the space between himself and his target seemed to melt away.


    The tip of his arrow was suddenly dwarfed by the base of the rat¡¯s spine now taking up all his vision. A target so open and visible it would be impossible to miss.


    So he didn¡¯t.


    Releasing the string and flowing into the follow through as the bow snapped with a crack.


    It was all he could do not to be jerked off his feet as the limbs snapped forward.


    A moment of terror, shaking his trance. The jerking motion yanking him forward for a split second, alarm bells screaming in his mind¡­


    Then a flood of relief.


    It had been a jolt of forty Quickness at least, an arrow released at Mach 3.


    Yet the mithril blades of death were still frozen in bitter bloody ice.


    A state he¡¯d be happy maintaining forever.


    Best of all, the arrow hit it¡¯s target!


    Even if not quite as intended.


    You have successfully used True Strike.


    You have critically struck your prey, doing catastrophic damage!


    Eric flashed a fierce smile that was bittersweet.


    His shot had indeed hit, and he found himself feeling only the tiniest bit drained after using the weapon feet. No doubt Skill Rank 19, massive stat boosts, and over 50 levels in a master Adventurer class, the most flexible of all classes, was helping him tremendously from a drain that he realized was only the tiniest fraction Soul Reserves. Strong Will, Vitality, the potency of surviving so many battles, of leaving his bloody mark upon the world¡­ all of it played a role.


    It was all he could do not to chuckle, reminded once more that there was more than one way to tap into his weapon feats, and relying strictly on Soul Reserves was just one that had come a bit too easily to him. But as far as pacing himself and minimizing overall costs, echoing a fighter¡¯s blending of potency, resolve, and raw determination. Those were Classers who rarely had any significant Soul Reserves at all, but might have significant levels and fierce determination pushing them onward.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    And none of that managed to keep the arrow shaft from exploding in midair


    Again.


    Even if, this time, the spinning arrowhead traveling at absurd speeds that were quickly slowed by wind resistance even as the tip began to glow with heat, was still more than enough to not just severe the spine but utterly obliterate the target¡¯s skull, exploding into a crimson paste.


    It was no surprise, really. Because as much as a part of him had felt as if he and the rat were connected, their distance rounding down to just an arrow¡¯s length, the air the arrow must travel through was just as real, somehow compressed into a thick morass to shatter against.


    The rats squealed, as if in protest, fury, and fear, scattering all at once, more than a few headed right toward him.


    And that was fine, he thought, with a fierce, savage grin, heart racing for all that he knew he dare not juke and dodge in any way that jostled his neck as he nocked a fresh arrow, drew back, focused and fired. Now making full use of his incredible Quickness, focus, and ability to slow his perception of time¡­ in ways that didn¡¯t jostle his neck at all. In ways that an archer might excel, where a melee expert who relied on weaving, darting movements, never could.


    Speed and stillness as he released a second arrow screaming through the air at Mach 3 once more Then a third.


    Each taking out their respective targets in explosions of crimson gore, the windmilling shafts crippling surrounding rats like a shotgun blast.


    Even though Eric knew there was a cost to chaining feats when not relying solely on Spiritual Reserves, that he was far better to pace himself than risk burning out in a mad death-sprint¡­ there were times when it was necessary.


    Downright Vital.


    Because Eric had felt something extra with his last shot.


    The sense of the space between himself and his target being compressed such that his target was literally right in front of him, unmissable, was just as before.


    Yet with that last shot, for just a second, he had felt the thick wall of compressed air between them start to thin.


    Or so he wanted to believe.


    Was desperate to believe.


    Even if the arrow shaft still windmilled as it struck, like all the others before.


    And then the rats were upon him, swarming him as one.


    Eric flashed a fierce smile, right fist crackling with spiritual energy and the essence of flame as he fell into horseshoe stance and proved to himself just how fast and powerful he could throw a punch, without jerking his neck at all.


    You have critically struck your target with Fire Fist!


    10 Qi expended!


    Your target has suffered catastrophic damage!


    Adjoining targets have been critically injured!


    Rat Swarm has failed to save versus intimidation.


    Your opponents are fleeing!


    And indeed they were fleeing, a squeaking, terrified mass, before they abruptly stopped on a dime.


    ¡°Freeze!¡±


    Eric¡¯s voice was a guttural roar. Embracing another too long forgotten Essence Related skill, Dominion¡¯s Command. An ability he doubted would do any good against higher tier opponents, before recalling his battle against a certain party of would-be mercs. Where Dominion¡¯s Command had synergized so well with Lesser Dragon Aura: Fear and his own killing aura that even 40<sup>th</sup> level mercs had crashed to their knees before him.


    Compared to that? A dozen rats his Identify skill pinged as being level 15 at best had no chance at all.


    Flesh Sculptor Skill check made! You have successfully forged another dozen Bone arrows! Arrows have been Soul Bound and reinforced with runes of Strengh, Resilience, and the essence of Dominion.


    Blood Mastery skillcheck made! You have successfully repaired 5 Soul Bound arrows without using your ES Storage space!


    Concentration check successful. You have successfully split your focus to forge new necromantic wonders while locking down your prey!


    Potency Binding is now Rank 5.


    Dominion¡¯s Command is now Rank 7!


    Flesh Sculptor is now Rank 24.


    Coldly, Eric knocked a fresh arrow, glaring at the cluster of rats he held fiercely tight in his mental grip in a way that had nothing to do with Psionics but everything to do with the strength of his will, his mark upon the world as a Contender, a Dragon Slayer, and his status as the direct descendant of the Winter Queen, whose word was law within her own domain. No matter how dark and bitter his own Sylvan destiny happened to be, as her lastborn son.


    All of it echoed and brought terrible life to his own Essence of Dominion, magnifying its effect in ways he doubted his sister would ever quite match, until the day she was actually crowned queen of Terra.


    On that day, even he would be forced to yield. He sensed that law of faerie just as much as he did his own mother¡¯s mastery over the cords of fate shaping him¡­


    And his own fierce desperate desire to break free.


    Eric glared at his own trembling hands, pushing away memories of his own awful screams with a snarl¡­ before visualizing it all fading into the comforting gloom around them even as he coldly sighted on the nearest rat after stepping back a good distance...


    And releasing his arrow once more.


    He clamped down his will upon his prey with fierce focus even as they were splattered with the crimson spray of their slaughtered comrade, caring nothing for the spikes of hot terror radiating off of all of them.


    Instead he centered himself, harnessed True Shot after a full minute of rest, minimizing long term drain, and fired again.


    And again.


    Bringing instant death to his prey, refusing to let them linger.


    He was ruthless, yes. Made bitter ruthless after his own nightmarish ordeal he had endured for the sake of 60,000 children who would have been lost to literal hell, had he not intervened. 60,000 children and hundreds of thousands of fresh troops for his mother to play with like little figurines as she strove to secure yet another pearl in her necklace of conquered worlds, this one wherein she would leave her youngest daughter at the helm.


    As she no doubt had, countless times before.


    And how many of those girls had had twin brothers? And how many of those brothers had actually survived their world¡¯s ascensions?


    He shook his head in momentary dismay.


    Distracted enough that the remaining rats actually managed to break free as he fell to his knees, glaring at the heat mark left by his own trembling hands as he sobbed for the agony he had suffered, unspeakable pain no living thing should be forced to endure, and he could only hope¡­ pray¡­ that if he meditated and cultivated long enough¡­ he could get the horror of it all to fade away.


    ¡°I gave her everything. Everything! My mother has an army. Her knights and rooks my mithril prizes. And my sister is now up so many thousands of innocent souls to rescue and nurture who will fall in love with their savior, and a dozen paladins to revere her as their queen! And I have nothing but whatever I can claw from this cold world with my own two fucking hands!¡±


    The corridors echoed with the fury in his voice.


    He glared down at his own clenched fist, bitter laughter slipping free of his tightly stretched lips.


    ¡°Is this where I become the fucking monster of my family tale? Used and betrayed, sentenced to death, just a Fucking sacrifice to some goddamned winter horror I won¡¯t even think of naming, nothing but a sacrificial lamb so that my sister can ascend on a glorious golden pedestal made of my own fucking bones while mother dearest smiles happily on?¡±


    ¡°FUCK THAT BULLSHIT!¡± He roared, his bitter tight control turning to a mad, furious cackle.


    ¡°Yet, I got played like the stupidest fool in the fucking world! A sucker with a hero complex, a sheep led to slaughter by his own mother! But I don¡¯t care, you hear me twisted cards of fate? I don¡¯t give a flying fuck!! I still saved sixty thousand children. Sixty thousand souls sentenced to death and eternal pain like I suffered in a cold bitter world where no one gave a fuck about them. Well I DID! I gave a fuck, and I fucking saved them, and no backhand bullshit that winter cunt pulls will take that away from me!¡±


    He shrieked, clawing at his own face, the white hot pain of bloody spurting furrows bringing a fierce hot flare of relief to the screams in his mind.


    Screams he did his best to roar right over. ¡°Sorry, assholes! I¡¯m not playing your game! My sister is innocent! She did nothing! Knew nothing! And I absolutely refuse to play the bitter asshole loser who betrays his own kin on a pyre of blackened bones!¡±


    He laughed then, with a dark sort of glee, as if he had bested twisted fates eager for his destruction¡­ or the simple doom of his family. Preferably him glaring cold eyed into his sister¡¯s terrified countenance, right before the dagger he had jabbed in her throat slipped out of confused, numbed fingers as he crashed to his knees, all his fury at the betrayal he suffered fading to horrified dismay when he saw the innocent despair in his own dying sister¡¯s eyes.


    Fuck that bullshit.


    There was no way his sister could possibly have been a part of that.


    None.


    Because if she was¡­


    He swallowed, furiously shaking his head in bitter denial.


    There was no way she could have known. By their mother¡¯s own admission, she¡¯s been lost in her pod for weeks.


    His sister was innocent. He knew that. Whispered it over and over in a ragged chant as he used the most primal of Terran arts to forge fresh arrows of teeth, bone, hide and sinew, marked with runes of blood.


    Trembling over the rodent remains he had ruthlessly slaughtered, desperate to raise a certain skill up to twenty, before it was too late.


    If he didn¡¯t learn how to synergize and access his limited number of abilities to best effect soon¡­ before he stumbled upon whatever the standard monsters of this maze happened to be, let alone the boss monster, he knew damn well he¡¯d be enjoying an extremely short, extremely painful run.


    Of course, that was when he heard it.


    The far off bellowing roar that made his very bones vibrate as he broke out in clammy fear sweat.


    He swallowed his own bitter chuckle, having no doubt it was his own foolish screaming to the heavens, or perhaps daring to invoke a dragon¡¯s killing aura when he had never felt so vulnerable, denied all access to artifacts, spells, mithril armaments or even the ability to weave and dodge with his full stat bonus¡­ if he dared weave or dodge at all... had not been the best of ideas.


    ¡°No use crying over spilled milk,¡± he whispered to himself, though his bitter smile turned to a grimace of fear when the creature roared again.


    And it was closer. Definitely closer.


    And somehow Eric didn¡¯t think it would be limited to a rat¡¯s acute olfactory senses to track down prey which meant¡­


    ¡°Fuck fuck fuck! I¡¯ll bet that fucker has infravision. Which means...¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart twisted with dread as he darted forward, retrieved the last of his arrows and began an easy loping jog that didn¡¯t jolt his neck at all, suddenly certain that he was in way, way over his head.

 Chapter 301 - Making new friends in unexpected places!

    You have successfully saved versus fear.


    Minotaur Bellow fails to effect you!


    Stealth check made!


    Eric¡¯s heart was hammering as he darted around one of the side corridors he had passed while on the hunt. And it was only now, mentally drained, dealing with the after effects of extreme trauma and fleeing for his life that he realized just how hungry he was. So fucking focused on his skills and pushing away all memory of the white hot agony that had been the longest most awful two hours of his life that he hadn¡¯t even thought to prepare any of the rats for food, which he so easily could have done¡­ that his skills would have made absolutely effortless!


    But hadn¡¯t. And it was too late now. The remains of the rats he had killed had been converted to essence-infused rawhide and as close to indestructible arrows as he could get. That, and a leather vest was all he had to show for his earlier hunt.


    But what really sucked was how thirsty he was.


    Thirsty, in a maze of endless corridors with no water that he had sensed so far¡­ and absolutely no access to the mundane food and water flasks that he had in plentiful supply in his ES space, as it was no real loss if his enemies had actually had the magic or means to make him clear it out. And how ironic it is that, save for the equipment he had so openly worn, no one had thought to check him for anything at all. yet it was painfully clear now that he could have gotten away with half a dozen storage devices, easy, no one ever taking off his boots or even emptying his bloody pockets!


    But all he had was his ES Space. And thanks to the collar bound to his flesh, he had absolutely no access anything save the bone bow he had successfully pulled free.


    His thoughts raced between stealth, survival, and what the hell he was going to do against an Orange-tier Minotaur. And should he really be surprised that that would be inhabiting a Terran maze with all the cultural legends surrounding them?


    Now if only he wasn¡¯t already parched with thirst.


    He continued making his way down the corridor at a steady loping clip, promising himself he wouldn¡¯t look back, not until he was in a much better position and had found something he could use as cover or camouflage¡­ so of course when the hallway reverberated with what sounded like a bull¡¯s bellow, he looked back.


    Heart racing, he thought he caught a glimmer of furious golden orbs, at least fifteen feet off the ground.


    His eyes widened with dismay when he suddenly understood how truly fucked he was, if these minotaurs had the heat sense he would expect of any Orange-tier creature in its preferred environment.


    The red glow of his feet, an endless trail against the cool blue stone.


    His throat grew dry, alarm bells ringing in his head. Because it wasn¡¯t just about the inevitability of facing down massive bull-headed abominations that could charge him like a knight and send him flying. It was that dodging would put him in peril and even worse, if he was actually body slammed and sent flying. The mithril blades would jolt right out of their brittle ice containment and cleave his head clean off, no matter how high his Vitality was.


    He was disgusted by the desperate whimper coming from no one¡¯s lips save his own, before pulling himself together and using his BRAIN!


    A sudden smile came to his lips as he remembered the blood ward he had used to invoke fear in the rats before he took their measure. And Fire¡¯s essence warming his blood when it had seemed that Winter itself had been determined to freeze Eric into a sacrificial popsicle.


    He knew damn well he could use the essence of Fire to turn his blood, easiest, or pretty much anything with increasing difficulty and risk of significant Soul Reserve depletion, into steel-melting flame. Hell, he¡¯d used that to melt the coils that would have otherwise cut his head clean off.


    So why the hell wasn¡¯t he covering his entire body with a slick coating of blood that was exactly and precisely the temperature of this corridor?


    Blood Mastery skill check made!


    Because it was cold, he realized with a rueful shudder just moments later. Since it wasn¡¯t just Fire but seemingly the essence of temperature he affected so readily, coating his skin a cool 50 degree Fahrenheit coating would chill him unmercifully, since he could never warm it up. So he did the inverse of what he used to do to so many arrowheads and armaments. First was a coating against his skin that was just a few degrees cooler than his basal temperature, about 95 degrees, which was about the normal temperature for skin in a well-regulated body.


    He then spent a few tense seconds setting up and using his gifts to lock in that coating, even as his heart raced for fear of trouble coming his way. But it didn¡¯t stop him from being thorough, even as the ground faintly vibrated with the massive pounding stride of hooves heading his way.


    Only after it had set did he ooze out a second layer from his pours on top of the first that he made sure matched the cold granite floor perfectly. He coated the soles of his feet and the top of his head, not hesitating to do in a desperate moment what countless previous encounters had been unable to do. Quickly sheering off his golden locks with a rune-hardened bone arrow head, until only bare stubble remained. Now it was covered in a double coating of temperature controlled crimson perfection, as was every inch of his body, save for his eyes.


    Which meant that he no doubt looked an absolute horror, and he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to leave any hair or scent markers behind, instead using it to stuff or line his pair of arrow quivers, their contents now not rattling even the slightest. And if Eric¡¯s hunch was right as he allowed his loping stride to turn into a ground eating sprint after darting around the nearest side corridor as the hallway behind him was filled with frustrated roars¡­ his mastery of blood was such that no trace of his scent would now permeate the air¡­ save, of course, for his exhalations, which he had no way to contain.


    He flashed a hard smile, gazing down at bow and arrows, now likewise covered in a micro-thin crimson coating far more secure than any paint. Because having taken things this far already¡­ the next step was obvious.


    Save for his eyes which he could close, he was virtually invisible to anything depending upon regular or infravision, treading as silently as Rank 15 in Stealth and monstrous Finesse would allow, with extremely little scent as well.


    Because he was covered in blood radiating the essence of Flame which meant that extremely little in the way of heat or cold would be effecting him or his bow any time soon.


    So why not kick it up a notch and remind the world just how awesome 4000 degree arrowheads could be?


    ¡°Because I¡¯m not an idiot,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°A single superheated arrowhead, when I can¡¯t just insta-pull it out of my storage space, will mean all eyes on me!¡±


    Stealth hunter it is, then, he thought with a hungry smile. His mind raced as he wondered just how he could best take down a minotaur with the tools he now had on hand and the restrictions he was dealing with¡­ before allowing his thoughts to race through wild tangents that just might be able to net him some life-giving water, after all.


    That was when he heard it, the cry that changed all his plans on a dime.


    ¡°Rich! Cover Emily! Ron¡¯s Down!¡±


    Eric near stumbled at those words, feeling an intense mixture of relief to hear other signs of humanity, and dread to sense so viscerally the desperation in the high pitched voice of adventurers clearly in a fight for their lives.


    He strained his senses to the utmost, sensing another opening in the endless tunnel just ahead, certain that¡¯s where the voice he heard had originated from¡­ the air now ringing with the clang of steel and the monstrous roar of abominations doing their best to make a meal of humanity¡¯s last hope. Those who would dare these rifts before a future monster surge one day wiped everyone off the map.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate to take the corner leading to the desperate sounds of battle, soon finding himself in a massive domed chamber several city blocks wide. His heart pounded as time seemed to stretch and slow, taking in his surroundings in the blink of an eye.


    The massive chamber was dominated by a pair of enormous battle axe-wielding minotaurs roaring and lashing out with their axes wielded by very human looking arms and torsos, for all that their hooved feet cracked against the cobblestones, communicating not with words but by a bull¡¯s bellows, perfectly fitting their horned heads.


    The par of them were doing their damnedest to slaughter a handful of valiantly struggling humans, presently hammering their instruments of death down upon a silver-steel clad warrior¡¯s shield radiating a golden light.


    By some miracle the obvious party tank wasn¡¯t crushed to a pulp, trying to block a shot that should have been dodged, and Eric immediately understood why when the adventurer went flying.


    Eric¡¯s heart jolted to see a blond-haired girl crumpled on the ground with blood trickling from her ears, now easy pickings for the looming behemoth bellowing with its giant bull head as it raised its blackened battle axe up high. And for all that Eric could clearly sense the arcane warding on her diaphenous gown, it clearly it hadn¡¯t been enough to save her from whatever had incapacitated her in the first place, and if the roaring minotaur actually connected with his follow up swing¡­ she was as good as dead.


    ¡°Emily!¡± A desperate cry from a gruff, middle-aged voice echoed through the massive chamber, emanating from a warrior kitted in blackened plate and mail along with a dark steel shield who was actually going toe to toe with a second minotaur, weaving and dodging before the ruins of a fort of rough-cut logs and stone blocks. There Eric spotted another figure perched on top of the fort also wearing a wizard¡¯s robes who was currently belting out words that twisted in the air, tasting of darkness and flame.


    Eric saw it all in a snapshot, everyone¡¯s focus seemingly on the second minotaur as the first one roared and prepared to strike the comatose blond.


    But Eric had already knocked his bow, sighting his prey with so much desperate tension in the limbs of his weapon that the air cracked when he released.


    And never had any target seemed larger in Eric¡¯s mind¡¯s eye as he locked on his prey¡­ only for his arrow to absolutely shatter in middair, shooting fifty yards, not a mere forty feet, at closer to Mach 4 than 3, and Eric thought it a miracle that the arrow head had managed to hit his target at all.


    Which was a mixed blessing. Because even if the minotaur¡¯s skull did get hit by the equivalent of a sniper¡¯s bullet, it pinged away after drawing a tiny spray of blood, doing no real damage at all.


    But it sure as hell got the creature¡¯s attention, the beast roaring and spinning around, glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± He hissed to himself. But he was already drawing and firing. A second arrow and then a third streaked through the air as he released his fourth. But this time he kept only enough tension in the bow limbs to send his arrow flying at just a hair under the speed of sound.


    His target was, of course, his opponent¡¯s eyes and throat. And thanks to True Strike, the first and last actually hit right where he wanted.


    You have successfully struck your target!


    You have scored a Superficial Wound. Critical Hit!


    Target is suffering temporary visual impairment.


    But the lightness of the ammunition, even enhanced by his runes against a level sixty minotaur, meant that his subsonic arrows had hardly penetrated at all. He might have scratched the cornea, the minotaur even now howling and shaking its bull-like head as the third and forth arrows bounced harmlessly off the creatures monstrously tough skull¡­ but he did no more than that.


    He wanted to howl with fury, feeling so helpless.


    At least he had brought the girl a bit of time.


    ¡°Emily!¡± Eric heard the panic in the voice of another party member manifesting itself in the form of a wild-eyed redhead wearing silvered mail with a shield in one hand and a javelin in the other.


    Even as Eric braced himself for the charging minotaur, drawing another arrow but not before flicking it across his cheek, scoring blood¡­ the Javelineer, because that¡¯s what he clearly was, struck.


    And Eric couldn¡¯t deny what a thing of beauty it was. Absolutely perfect execution resulting in a javelin being launched at hypersonic speeds to tear right through the minotaur¡¯s flank.


    Eric blinked, Unified Perception making it damned clear that there had been some serious power behind that blow as the minotaur stumbled and lurched, attention turning away from Eric¡¯s direction and onto roaring flanker now darting away as the minotaur pivoted to face the true threat, one giant clawed hand clutching the gaping wound in its flank.


    The redhead¡¯s eyes lit with manic glee, holding out his hand for a fresh javelin, or perhaps the one already thrown to appear.


    ¡°Time to dance, motherfucker!¡± The youth roared, and Eric couldn¡¯t help smiling at that sentiment.


    Before the entire cavern shook with a roar, and a third minotaur appeared from a far corridor.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit! We are so fucked!¡± Screamed the robed youth on top of the ruined keep. But that didn¡¯t distract him from his current target, quickly jutting his hand out and pointing at the minotaur that the older adventurer was still weaving and dodging around.


    ¡°Nigrum Flamma!¡± He roared, and Eric blinked as a ball not of fire, but fiery darkness tore through the air to explode in the minotaur¡¯s flank, the air suddenly echoing with the creature¡¯s bellowing scream as a massive chunk of of the creature¡¯s torso corroded to nothing. That it was even still upright showcased just how fearsomely powerful these creatures were, because Eric had sensed just how hideously potent that spell truly was. Though the strained snarl on the boy¡¯s face made it clear that the incredibly destructive ball of ebony flame had either been very difficult to control or was exhausting or both.


    But Eric only spared a second¡¯s consideration, his focus split between his quiver that he had just modified and the bow in his hands once more.


    Because he had felt it, with that final shot as the air was filled with the roars of minotaurs and the shouts and cries of a group of adventurers actually daring this Orange tier rift.


    He had sensed the barrier between himself and his target finally began to fade.


    Eric forced himself to absolute stillness, no matter the furious melee he was just on the outskirts of. All his focus was in the drawing of a fresh arrow, slowly pulling back on the string until his thumb was once more resting beside his jaw.


    He sighted for the eyes of the furiously roaring minotaur now lashing out two-handed once more with a berserker¡¯s fury, the spurting wound on its side ignored, trying to cleave the desperately backpedaling Javelineer in half, and at least succeeding in foiling the redheaded youth¡¯s follow up throw.


    Eric slowly let out his breath half-way, heart slowing down as he lined up his shot, the minotaur¡¯s furiously glaring eyes, one with a scratched cornea, suddenly growing so vast and big before him.


    His sense of his prey grew ever clearer, now seeing in such clarity every rough crag and fissure in the creature¡¯s massive taurine face covered in bristly hairs, its eyes glowing crimson with inhuman rage.


    A distant scream nearly broke his focus, making it clear that he was rapidly running out of time.


    If he was going to do anything¡­


    Then he felt it, eyes widening despite his focus when he sensed the thick barrier of air resistance between himself and his target fade to the intangibility of the void.


    Such that when he finally released his arrow, there was no crack and boom at all. Yet it struck his prey instantaneously, point first, just as he had intended.


    A true bullseye, in every sense of the word.


    The massive minotaur immediately stumbled back, clawing at his face with a roar.


    Find Weakness skillcheck made!


    You have successfully pierced your opponent¡¯s defenses!


    Flesh Sculptor skillcheck made!


    You have successfully struck your target with an arrow moving 5x the speed of sound!


    Bow skill is now Rank 20! You have reached Adept Tier with all bows!


    You now enjoy +3 to Finesse, Perception, and Strength!


    You have chosen the Void Piercer perk as your Adept Tier feat! Your arrows now strike without being hindered by any more air resistance than what¡¯s needed to keep the fletching honed in on your prey. It¡¯s almost as if you pierce space itself, and your prey is just a handful of feet away!


    The redhead immediately spun around, wild eyes glaring into the darkness. ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡±


    Then Eric flinched, feeling multiple desperate stares locking on to him, realizing that he was being an idiot. Of course any adventurer who would dare an Orange tier delve¡­ to the point they would make themselves an actual fort¡­ had the means to see in the dark.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The youth roared. High on battle-fury and fighting for his life, he had instinctively raised his javelin high once more, and Eric felt the cold weight of dread in the pit of his stomach.


    Because it didn¡¯t matter how high his stats might be, somehow he knew that if that Javelineer successfully hit him with all the arcane potency crackling in that weapon, Eric was as good as dead.


    ¡°I¡¯m a friend!¡± Eric cried out, realizing that even a half second¡¯s stunned pause was too damned long. ¡°Let¡¯s finish these assholes off, then we can talk!¡±


    ¡°Your covered in blood!¡± Shouted the obvious wizard from the broken fort, still panting with his last casting.


    ¡°I know, I have a knack for blood and fire magics! It¡¯s how I¡¯m blocking the minotaur¡¯s infravision!¡±


    This earned a blink from the mage as his fellows continued fighting for their lives. ¡°They¡¯re using infravision to see us? Not arcane perception?¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time, Steve!¡± Screamed a stressed feminine voice. ¡°Newblood! If you can fight, do so! We¡¯ll talk if we survive this FUBAR bullshit!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it!¡± Eric said, honing in on the third minotaur even now building up a deadly head of steam as it charged for the pair of fully armored men desperately trying to survive the onslaught of a minotaur¡¯s furious axe swings. Both sods were on the backfoot, both had activated feats allowing their shields to radiate powerful protective magics, probably the only reason why they hadn¡¯t been crushed to paste from the start¡­ and both were about to be caught between hammer and anvil.


    But all Eric could do was grin with fierce abandon as he embraced the sheer wonder of his breakthrough, pushing past his own growing sense of exhaustion to draw a bead on the third minotaur¡¯s glaring form, its ugly countenance blooming into full life as Eric drew yet another arrow from his quiver.


    The quiver now padded with blood that would never be above room temperature.


    Which was a good thing, because the first few inches of the arrow Eric now pulled out was covered with blood saturated with 4000 degrees of steel melting goodness. As his bow and hands were equally protected, he drew and released in a single beat as his arrow cut through the air without making a sound. At least, not until impact.


    Congratulations! You have critically struck your opponent!


    Warning! You are beginning to lose your focus! Further use of Weapon Feats will result in perception and fatigue penalties until rest¡­ or necessitate directly tapping into Temporary Soul Reserves.


    In the blink of an eye, Eric¡¯s third arrow blossomed into the now stumbling minotaur¡¯s left eye, bursting it instantly.


    Even at what the system noted to be an absolutely absurd Mach 4, it still failed to pierce the thick skull of the creature, which was actually best case scenario, as far as Eric was concerned. It meant that his steel-melting arrow was now lodged inside the creature¡¯s cranium after piercing the eye socket. The creatures agonized bellow instantly cut off into ground shaking spasms as it crashed to the ground, flash boiled brains and viscera soon spurting from it¡¯s eye sockets, ears, and nostrils, followed soon after by white-hot flames roaring over its entire skull.


    Relieved that the tank-killer threat had just been removed, Eric caught sight of the Javelineer pivot around the wounded, limping minotaur yet again, darting around the side where Eric had blinded it before twisting around with the consummate grace of someone who wasn¡¯t neglecting his Finesse or Speed stat at all. Only then did he release his javelin, the air cracking with a fresh sonic boom as it blasted through the creature¡¯s chest, leaving a crater where its heart should be.


    The minotaur crashed to its knees, then toppled to the ground. And the redheaded youth didn¡¯t seem that much better off, taking ragged breaths as he stumbled to the fallen girl, gently picked her up, and limped back to the ruins of the keep that had at least still had three perfectly intact walls of wood and stone. Of course, the fourth wall looked like it had been completely obliterated, giving the minotaurs painfully easy access to the party-members who had clearly been forced to scatter or climb, so they wouldn¡¯t be easy pickings.


    And there was still one wounded minotaur left, doing its desperate best to slaughter the party.


    For all that Eric was feeling near dizzy with weapon-feat fatigue, he knew as well as anyone how vital it was that they take out this final threat.


    Yet he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to launch 4000 degree arrow heads in a pitched battle when he himself wasn¡¯t feeling 100%, no matter what his stats said.


    So instead, he jogged over to where the two tanks were quite literally tanking the still raging minotaur¡¯s blows. Eric knew that they needed to break up that creature¡¯s rhythm, it¡¯s effective stun lock so the pair of defenders could do something besides try not to buckle under the killing blows. Worse, Eric¡¯s arcane senses made it painfully clear that their own protective wards were about to give out.


    ¡°Friendly fire to your rear!¡± He called out, before unleashing his payload, firing arrow after arrow now streaking through the air for the creature¡¯s eyes, flashing a fierce smile when the creature¡¯s face became a pincushion. At least for a few seconds, as light arrows going below the speed of sound failed to do more than break the skin. But he had at least managed to irritate and distract the fucker, and that was something.


    More than enough for the pair of warriors to turn the tides, the grizzled veteran roaring and lashing out with a fearsome slash of his falchion that turned brilliant crimson for just a heartbeat, before cleaving right through the thigh of the minotaur in passing, causing it to stumble as pink frothy blood washed the stone floor.


    ¡°Champion¡¯s Ward!¡± Cried out the second armored fighter, who now glowed a golden hue, as did the fire of his blade, lashing out with great cleaving slashes that tore into creature¡¯s uninjured leg before darting away just as the giant collapsed, roaring its fury only to be abruptly cut off when a girl in tightly clad glossy leather slipped free of shadow to slice open the minotaur¡¯s right wrist with a single sweep of her seven foot naginata, the poor beast giving a furious desperate bellow as the girl then flipped through the air before lashing out with a final strike to the creature¡¯s neck¡­ severing its spine and killing it instantly.


    Eric blinked, beyond impressed by the girl moving with an acrobat¡¯s supernatural grace.


    He couldn¡¯t help grinning when she caught his gaze and flashed and impish smile. He even found himself clapping, before stopping abruptly when he felt the weight of everyone¡¯s exhausted glares pinning his own. He turned back to the girl who had smirked his way, only then realizing she had disappeared into the gloom once more.


    Then he froze, feeling the weight of razor sharp death against the back of his neck.


    ¡°Now, how about you tell us who exactly you are, how the hell you got here, why you¡¯re covered in blood with a goblin slave collar around your neck, and what the hell happened to our team above? Answer all those questions and I might just decide not to cut your throat.¡±

 Chapter 302 - The Power of Persuasion (And Fast Reflexes!)

    In the best case scenario, Eric had hoped to at least earn some appreciation for rising to the challenge and coming to the aid of the party before him. But clearly they were no fools, not by temperament or experience, all of them glaring his way as they instantly put two and two together.


    The rough middle-aged man glared with furious dismay. ¡°It¡¯s him! That fucker¡¯s why our party shattered, our fort ruptured, and the damned maze reset!¡± He jabbed an accusing finger Eric¡¯s way. ¡°We nearly got killed¡­ Emily nearly got killed¡­ because of this fuckwad!¡±


    Eric winced, dread crawling in his stomach as the naginata stiffened against his neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t...¡± The girl whispered, and Eric slowly released the killing intensity in his own glare, and a fist he had been a hairsbreadth from infusing with spiritual energy. Which would have been incredibly stupid, but it had been a damned long day with people setting him up, torturing him, and doing absolutely all they could to destroy him, so he was going to cut himself some slack¡­ and just hope that wouldn¡¯t become his throat.


    The armored warrior¡¯s glare hardened all the more. ¡°What, you got a problem with what I said, asshole? Too stupid not to interfere with an active delve? Or were you just greedy? Well? Explain yourself, asshole, or it won¡¯t just be Yuki¡¯s naginata that cuts open your fucking throat!¡±


    This earned a concerned look from the man by his side. ¡°Easy, Ron. The kid did come to our aid. If he was looking to kill us, why the hell would he have risked his ass drawing all three of their attention?¡± said the younger of the pair of heavily armed warriors. Visor lifted, gentle blue eyes and handsome features peered intently into Eric¡¯s own. ¡°That was some nice firing, taking out that charging minotaur. Yuki says it¡¯s skull is now just powdered ash, and your arrowhead¡¯s still blazing like steel!¡± He chuckled softly, shaking his head. ¡°Hell, the granite floor¡¯s cracking and smoking and I wouldn¡¯t be at all surprised if it ends up melting, with the heat that arrowhead¡¯s generating.¡±


    He tilted his head in polite curiosity. ¡°Are you an Elite archer of some sort?¡±


    ¡°Actually I¡¯m an Adventurers who had a couple fortuitous encounters,¡± Eric said gamely enough, with his politest smile, recognizing an interrogation when he heard it and more than happy to play nice with someone who didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d a soon take Eric¡¯s head as spit.


    The well-armored youth smiled. ¡°Fortuitous encounters for sure, if you can shoot arrows like that. From what I¡¯ve heard, Adventurers aren¡¯t as specialized as other classes...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a piss-poor shit class, just a half-step above conscript, actually,¡± said the mage known as Steve calmly, without an ounce of heat in his voice.


    Eric smirked at the wizard¡¯s assertion. He was just glad that Steve, like the younger man before him, seemed more curious than eager for his blood.


    Though the naginata still pressed to his neck made it damned clear he best not relax too much.


    ¡°The Adventurer class does have their drawbacks, sure,¡± Eric conceded, carefully not stating just what tier Adventurer he was. ¡°But they¡¯re also pretty damn sweet, because you can pretty much mix and match whatever gifts or talents fortuitous encounters or your own talents bring to the fore. Which means a little bit of blood, a knack for flame, and some archery skill allows me to do some pretty nifty things.¡±


    ¡°That it does,¡± his good-cop interrogator assured with a smile, now calmly holding out his hand, ignoring Yuki¡¯s displeased hiss behind him. ¡°My name¡¯s Richard, by the way.¡±


    Eric grinned, not hesitating to shake the man¡¯s hand, careful to use no more force in his grip than his opposite did. Yet even that amount earned a surprised look and an approving nod. ¡°Eric. The pleasure¡¯s all mine.¡±


    ¡°The hell it is,¡± Ron snapped with a glare. ¡°The only thing that¡¯s going to be feeling pleasure is my fists, if you don¡¯t start talking!¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sure, Ron, let¡¯s have a good ol powwow in the central hub of this Orange-tier delve. There are, what, eight tunnels that branch out from this massive cavern? The air stinks of blood, perforated organs and, yeah, burning flesh, bone, and melting stone from my arrow. But why worry about sheltering up, or any of that? You have questions.¡±


    ¡°Damn right we do,¡± Ron snarled. ¡°So start talking!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the basics,¡± Richard gently cut in, his easygoing smile clearly intended to smooth over some of Ron¡¯s abrasiveness. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can tell us how exactly you ended up here without, well, what most of us would consider proper adventuring gear?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s wearing boots, blue jeans, a rat hide vest, and is covered in blood. As are his bow and arrows,¡± Yuki said with a snort. ¡°And that bow is radiating some pretty fucked-up vibes, I gotta say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certainly happy to answer your questions,¡± Eric assured. ¡°But let me start with this. Are any of you oathbound to goblin contracts or obligations?¡±


    This earned a handful of hardened glares.


    ¡°How fucking stupid does this cat think we are?¡± Said the redhead, now scratching his neck as he peered Richard¡¯s way. ¡°We¡¯re clean for now, Rich. None of the big boys are heading this way from what I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Jack.¡± Richard said, before turning his focus back to Eric. ¡°No, none of us are naive enough to get into goblin debt.¡± He flashed a humorless smile. ¡°Let¡¯s just say we have connections and know the score better than most.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°Good to hear. Sadly, a lot of people aren¡¯t in the know. And some people make mistakes and get on the bad side of very nasty people.¡± He chose his words carefully to avoid deliberately lying. He didn¡¯t know if there was even such a thing as a lie detecting skill or power, but between the paladin-like Richard gazing at him too intently, and Yuki, their shadow stalker at his back, he thought it would be an extremely bad idea to get caught out in a lie.


    It didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t paint things in a sympathetic light, however, or allow them to draw their own conclusions.


    The redhead glared at him. ¡°So, what, you got into debt with the goblins and actually escaped with a slave collar around your neck?¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile, before drawing a shuddering breath. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I didn¡¯t escape shit. It was this, or they kill my girlfriend, her friends, and her family. To say those assholes had my balls in a vice would be a fucking understatement.¡± Eric was more relieved than he wanted to admit by the looks of sympathy and dismay this confession had earned him. Because if he had humanized himself in their eyes, ninja girl was far less likely to try and cut out his throat.


    He flashed a bleak smile. ¡°So yeah, the minute this collar was put on my neck, those bastards were torturing me with glee. Once they got tired of my screams, they parked their veli a short distance away from the entrance and said that they were going to press the button to kill me, unless I dove for the rift entrance by the count of ten.¡± He gave a bitter shake of his head. ¡°They made me enter an Orange tier rift stripped of my armor, sword, and equipment. I think we both know that they sent me here to die.¡±


    The last he said while gazing intently at Richard, carefully analyzing the gamute of emotions running across the man¡¯s features, praying that his What the Other Party Wants perk was pinging accurately, and that Richard really didn¡¯t want to kill him.


    Because if there was anything to cause knee jerk reactions¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. You have to be lying!¡± Ron roared, white-knuckled grip on the hilt of his blade. ¡°Admit it, you¡¯re just an idiot who wandered in here, way over your head! Either that, or your guild was trying to claim jump our find!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± declared none other than Yuki firmly. ¡°He¡¯s not lying. The goblins put a pain collar on him, tortured him, and he was compelled to enter the rift or lose his head.¡± The girl cursed under her breath. ¡°You can taste the truth so thick in his shadow that it¡¯s almost physical pain. Just how badly did they fuck you up, kid?¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Eric forced a bleak smile. ¡°Pretty damned bad, actually. I¡¯ll probably be keeping my girlfriend up with my screams, assuming we can make it out of this place in one piece, and she even wants to see my damaged ass ever again. And who are you calling a kid? I¡¯m eighteen.¡± He furrowed his brow, blushing when he felt Yuki suddenly tense, as if sensing the lie in his shadows. And how she sensed Truth and Shadows with Arcane Sight, he didn¡¯t have a clue. ¡°I mean, I think I¡¯m eighteen? A lot of shit went down. A lot of fortuitous encounters, tainted pods, and fucked up drama. I¡¯m actually not sure how old I am now? So, yeah. Let¡¯s go with eighteen.¡±


    Yuki snorted, the pressure against his neck now so light it almost wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°Fucked up indeed.¡±


    The redhead cursed, squeezing tight the shaft of his pilum, making Eric¡¯s skin crawl with dread, but his furious gaze didn¡¯t seem to be on Eric, at least not any more. ¡°Those fuckers swore covenant! We give them a cut, they do nothing to interfere. Hell, the gnoll hierarchy welcomed us to clear as much of this orange territory as we dared. They even said they¡¯d give us rank, titles, and all the slaves we want, as soon as we were sworn in!¡±


    Richard sighed, shaking his head. ¡°And that¡¯s the problem, Jack. We¡¯ve refused, politely, their gestures twice over.¡± He chuckled bitterly. ¡°And here I had thought my Social Etiquette skill had allowed us to escape censure for our freedom. Clearly, the skill check wasn¡¯t what I thought it had been.¡±


    Ron¡¯s gaze turned flinty hard. ¡°They put Emily at risk. Mr. Goldman won¡¯t like that.¡±


    Steve, the mage, snorted. ¡°They put us all at risk, Ron. Which just goes to show that even if we managed to work out a pretty sweet arrangement with the gnoll tribes, those goblins will taint any treaty they can get their hands on.¡±


    The others nodded solemnly at that.


    ¡°So, we going to vote on what we do with this cat?¡± Jack asked, glaring hard Eric¡¯s way before he broke out in an unexpected smile. ¡°I, for one, vote for catch and release.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s think this through,¡± Ron said coolly, pitiless gaze enough to send chills down Eric¡¯s spine. ¡°Your families have something good going for them in New York. Why the hell would our allies want to mess that up?¡± He coolly shook his head. ¡°Out of nowhere, our fort ruptures, we¡¯re thrown for a loop, stunned, lucky even to still be linked as a party, only to be ambushed by not one but three of those fucking behemoths? And this kid here show¡¯s up out of nowhere in the nick of time?¡± He smirked. ¡°Only to tell us, surprise, surprise, that you¡¯ve all been set up to fail by the very factions that made your parents who and what they are today? The very factions that set half of you up with sweet classes and artifacts from the get go, forming the backbone of a party that let the rest of us ride on those coattails be become some of the most powerful Delvers in North America? Hell, we¡¯re almost at Contender status, if not past that. I¡¯d fucking bet on it!¡±


    ¡°So what, you want to kill him?¡± Yuki¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°You think that little of my skills after all this time, Ron?¡±


    The older man shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not about doubting you, Yuki. It¡¯s about our faction¡¯s enemies, the Sylvan Alliance among countless others, playing to our weakness, playing to the hero complex half of you kids are infected with, no matter how badass you all try to pretend you are. And let¡¯s not forget, those damned elves are more than capable of using their racial gifts, fairy magics, to hoodwink you and destroy New York from within. In fact, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were planning on doing just that!¡±


    Ron¡¯s eyes lit with growing intensity as he glared Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right¡­ Sylvan Spy?¡±


    Eric blinked and had to suppress a groan as the man¡¯s paranoia brought what had almost been in the palm of his hands spiraling right out of his grasp. ¡°Seriously? You assume I¡¯m a Sylvan Spy? Where? Just¡­ how?¡± He peered intently at Ron. ¡°Are you that anxious to kill me when the only thing I did wrong was risking my ass for strangers in a world as fucking cold and ruthless as this one is turning out to be?¡±


    Richard flinched at that.


    Yinzi sighed. ¡°If he¡¯s a Sylvan spy, or works for the Confederate States, then yes, you¡¯re right. He¡¯s lower than dirt, and I¡¯ll hate him for lying through my shadows more than anything else. But if you¡¯re wrong, Ron¡­ the debt of karma we¡¯ll be paying if we strike dead a nameless soldier who fought by our side with no promise of recognition or reward? That will be a pretty fucking steep price to pay!¡±


    Jack frowned, glaring at the giant corpses slumped over in death, shaking his head before turning to meet Ron¡¯s gaze. ¡°You do know Emily owes this cat a handshake at the very least, if not her life, don¡¯t you, Ron?¡±


    Ron¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Bullshit. I had things covered. We had things covered!¡±


    Jack grit his teeth, but slowly shook his head. ¡°No, man, I¡¯m afraid we didn¡¯t. I was out of position and you and Richard were busy just trying to survive the second minotaur¡¯s onslaught.¡± His gaze grew solemn. ¡°I¡¯d never been so afraid in all my life, desperate to twist and THROW this javelin before it was too fucking late. But by the time I cast, the stone floor had already cracked and broken.¡±


    He flashed a relieved smile. ¡°But not the stone where Emily lay. Because this crazy cat managed to unleash a hail of arrows right into the fucker¡¯s face!¡± He then smirked. ¡°Even if most of those arrows barely scratched the creature¡¯s skin, at least one managed to pink it¡¯s eyes, and it was so busy bowling, roaring, and squinting that it had completely forgotten about Emily. That, of course, was when I stepped in, lancing it¡¯s kidneys and liver.¡±


    ¡°But not a heart shot,¡± Ron noted.


    Jack¡¯s pleased smile hardened. ¡°No. Not with my first fucking throw. Because strikes that are harder than you think, and my positioning was shit.¡± He crossed his arms, glaring at Ron. ¡°And just so you know. Second shot? I burst his heart like a fucking melon.¡±


    Ron smirked. ¡°Considering that you invested two full nodes into throwing that thing, I¡¯d expect nothing less. It¡¯s all that makes you worthy of Phoenix Company.¡±


    Jack rolled his eyes. ¡°Sure, Ron. Whatever you say.¡±


    Eric blinked, gazing at the blushing youth speculatively. ¡°You invested two nodes in Javelin throwing?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Jack snapped. ¡°I invested two nodes to a skill aligned perfectly to this class I¡¯m stuck with after getting my skill rank up to Elite rank one! Problem with that?¡±


    Eric solemnly shook his head. ¡°Not at all. You took out a sixtieth level fucker with Vitality I¡¯m pinging at around 150 and who knows how many high powered damage resistance skills. That was some anti-material rifle firepower right there, no fucking doubt.¡±


    Jack snorted, tightened features softening in a good-natured smirk. ¡°More like I¡¯m approaching the power of 12 pounder cannon with every javelin I throw. And that, if you couldn¡¯t tell already, is pretty fucking badass.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Eric said with a perfectly straight face. ¡°So, does this mean I get to live?¡±


    Richard grinned, a warmhearted twinkle in his eyes. ¡°Live and thrive! Honestly, Eric, it seems like you¡¯re a victim of circumstances just as much we all are. Though I¡¯d love to know more about why the goblins had such a hard-on for you¡­ you did come to our aid right when we needed you. And though some would argue that your appearance was a bit too convenient...¡± he said with a pointed look Ron¡¯s way. ¡°The fact remains that your fire arrow that struck and killed a fifteen-foot minotaru in a single shot, right through the eye. An arrow that could have been aimed for any of our backs, all but assuring our doom.¡±


    He flashed a warmhearted smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes, reaching out to clasp Eric¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I propose a temporary alliance! Just swear that you have no intentions of injuring, disabling, impairing or killing us at any time from this moment forward, most particularly while we¡¯re in this dungeon and the period we¡¯re vulnerable heading back to New York...¡±


    ¡°And that you¡¯re not affiliated with the Sylvan Alliance or the CSA!¡± Ron interjected, earning a chuckle from Richard.


    ¡°And that you¡¯re not affiliated with either of those two organizations, then we¡¯d love to have you on board.¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw with those final words. Because of course they had to bring up that wild accusation, Eric knowing all too well just how pertinent it was, with Yuki¡¯s naginata suddenly tense against his throat.


    And none of them were fools, Eric doubting a single one had a quickness under sixty¡­ because they would have never survived this long, had been otherwise. All of them were survivors, instantly picking up on Eric¡¯s sudden tension.


    Warm smiles immediately turned to the ice-cold miens of experienced killers. Even the mask of Richard¡¯s bonhomie dropped to reveal the ruthless soldier who would do whatever it took to survive.


    ¡°Fuck, he¡¯s one of them!¡± Yuki hissed with a curse.


    Jack¡¯s earlier smirk turned hard and cold. ¡°Fucking asshole! So what faction do you serve, you fucking spy?¡±


    Ron flashed Eric a malevolent smile, eyes glittering with bitter satisfaction. ¡°I knew he was nothing more than a goddamned spy. Asshole probably killed Chuck and Zane. I think we all know what we need to do now.¡±


    Eric¡¯s Danger Sense shrieked sudden warning, in perfect sync with Nose For Trouble and Know the Score. And goddamned did he hate Ron for his paranoia being right on the mark, even though it couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. It would still end in a bloodbath, which would only make their enemies laugh with to no end.


    ¡°Hold the fuck up!¡± Eric snapped.


    Quickness check made! Finesse Check made! You manage to claim your prize without fatally jostling your neck!

 Chapter 303 - The Sweet Taste of Freedom

    ¡°Will you guys at least let me explain myself before trying to decapitate me? Honest to fucking god, the goblins and, yes, the gnolls, would love nothing better than for us to all destroy each other!¡±


    The entire party, however, was busy staring at his hand, now effortlessly gripping the shaft of Yuki¡¯s naginata, just before the crackling blade now bleeding obsidian death, could score his flesh.


    Jack¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°Fuck. How the fuck did he move so fast? Yuki! You had a blade to his throat! Why isn¡¯t he bleeding out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Yuki shouted, eyes wide with disbelief. ¡°He moved faster than I could fucking twitch! And I¡¯m behind him¡­ was behind him,¡± She said as Eric calmly shifted his grip, 265 strength utterly overwhelming her own. ¡°My weapon should be slipping out of his hand!¡± She cried, now not holding back from jerking frantically on her blade¡­ not budging Eric more than half an inch of give he calmly reclaimed with every jerk.


    ¡°I knew this asshole was trouble!¡± Ron snarled, his sword and shield glowing with a warrior¡¯s perks as Richard began to chant and the entire group began to glow.


    ¡°Unhand her naginata or I¡¯ll kill you hear and now!¡± Jack roared, readying his javelin once more.


    ¡°Silence!¡± Eric shouted, revealing his full killing aura, no longer holding back.


    And the surprised looks on everyone¡¯s faces when the blanched and stepped back in stunned speechlessness caught even Eric off guard.


    Dominion¡¯s Command Modified by Dragon Fear and pristine Killing Aura! +5 modifier for a perfectly reasonable request!


    Your opponents have failed to save!


    ¡°Can we just please put a pause on the inevitable tragic misunderstanding and meaningless death and bitter enmity scene, because I fucking promise you that if this were a movie, the next scene would cut to a bunch of goblins seers cackling that they managed to have the most elite team of Terrans this side of the northeast get butchered by someone who I¡¯ll bet in any other situation would have become a brother-in-arms. Hell, if you can put up with my dorky bullshit, maybe even a friend. And they¡¯d be fucking thrilled to get us to spill each other''s guts without technically violating their oaths!¡±


    Eric implored them with his gaze, desperate to reach them, praying they could think beyond the animal terror his exquisite Perception made clear they were now all feeling.


    ¡°Please, just relax and take a deep breath¡­ and let me explain. Yes, I do have ties to the Sylvan alliance, but I am most definitely not fighting under their banner! As far as I¡¯m concerned, I¡¯m strictly a free agent, no matter how much they¡¯ve tried to recruit me, and they¡¯ve tried, better fucking believe it. And as far as the slave trading CSA assholes are concerned, I hate their tyrannical government making more of a mockery of our former great country than every corrupt president ever to sit in the oval office!¡± Eric flicked the collar still on his neck with his free hand. ¡°The first time I ever wore a collar, I was a level nine Conscript with a massive CSA bounty on my ass being being hunted down by four level thirty assholes!¡±


    He took a deep breath, seeking calm, trying by his slow breathing, relaxed position and intent gaze to coax them into calming down as well.


    Of course, Ron was the first to speak. ¡°Who the fuck are you, and how the hell did you do that?¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m someone that our enemies, all the humanoid fucks that invaded this planet, will do whatever they can to destroy.¡± He locked gazes with the man. ¡°Just like they¡¯d happily do to you and all your friends, no matter what so called ¡®accords¡¯ or ¡®contracts¡¯ they swear to abide. If you think they¡¯ll honor them in good faith, then I have a string of territories to sell you!¡±


    He gestured grandly to the massive chamber they all found themselves in. ¡°Which is how this whole conversation in the middle an Orange tier maze came about. It¡¯s why they chose this delve, of all places, to force me into. Because if they can fuck you over and break your party, they win. And if they can get elite humans to blame eachother for the shit going down so that they kill each other off and weaken themselves while our enemies prepare for the second wave of aliens who¡¯ll soon be coming to stake their own claims on our planet¡­ then that¡¯s all the better for them.¡±


    Richard was gazing at him with an odd mixture of fear and respect. ¡°You¡¯re a Contender.¡±


    Eric sighed, before acknowledging the truth with a dip of his head, still honoring them with the truth.


    Yuki gave a bitter snort. ¡°Of course he¡¯s a fucking Contender. This monster¡¯s twice as fast as me and at least twice as strong, and I still can¡¯t get control of my...¡± She lurched back when Eric casually let go.


    Yuki huffed while Jack smiled. ¡°Thanks. And I can still cut your head off if you give us shit, you know,¡± she snapped.


    Eric nodded. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you can. Anyway, I¡¯m trying to avoid the whole blood and guts tragic ending. Going for a diplomatic resolution. I know it¡¯s a pain when playing SkyDragon. There, it¡¯s far easier to just murderhobo for levels and glory. But since we¡¯re actual real living breathing people, and our hopes and dreams matter¡­ I¡¯m going for diplo 100% right now.¡±


    Steve¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fuck, fuck fuck fuck! Is the game real? Were we isekaid, somehow? Was that a fucking Titan Shout you belted out? Are you Titan-Born?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Nope. Dragon Fear aura. Don¡¯t look so shocked. I¡¯m not dragon-blooded...¡± He frowned thoughtfully. ¡°At least, I don¡¯t think. Anyway, it¡¯s a reward I earned with my last dungeon.¡±


    Ron¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No fucking way you took out a dragon, kid. No way I¡¯m believing that bullshit!¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s cool. You¡¯re free to believe whatever you like.¡± His gaze hardened. ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t end with you trying to cut my throat when my only ¡®crime¡¯ was getting fucked over by Goblin Inc. and pitching in when you guys looked like you could use a hand.¡±


    Ron crossed his arms while Richard faded back a few feet, clearly comfortable letting the older man play bad cop, and Eric didn¡¯t blame him. It was a good tactic to assure any bad blood was focused only one one obvious tank, while the party as a whole, under Richard¡¯s lead, could sugar coat any rough words and leave any third party with a far better impression of the group as a whole than the one individual who asked the tough questions.


    Or at least, that¡¯s what Eric¡¯s Social Perception and ¡®Know the Score¡¯ perk hinted was going on. Which made it easier for Eric kept his expression calm as Ron asked what was on all their minds.


    ¡°So, who the fuck are you really? What are your ties to the Sylvan alliance? The gnollblood consortium is at war with your kind, and we¡¯re oathbound to fight in the defense of our city, in case any of you assholes actually decide to make a beeline for New York.¡± He flashed a cold smile. ¡°If that¡¯s your game, I really don¡¯t recommend it. We got a few fresh surprises for any would-be conquerors. Not to mention a whole hell of a lot of levies who will be happy to give you all hell¡­ unless you leave us the fuck alone.¡±


    Steve snorted. ¡°Yeah, surprises of the heavy artillery kind.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Steve!¡± Yuki hissed.


    Eric kept his expression benign. ¡°So, let me get this right. You all are oathbound to defend New York from invaders on behalf of the gnollish faction. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yes,¡± Richard cut in. ¡°And that¡¯s nothing unusual. Humanoids are hardly the monsters portrayed in World of Warblades. At least if you¡¯re a Classer, you can count on fair treatment for you and yours. But that comes with the understanding that you won¡¯t be committing any self-righteous purges that are just going to get a lot of people unnecessarily killed, and that you¡¯ll defend your home city in times of peril. So long as you abide by that¡­ you can enjoy at least as much freedom and liberty as any European in the Renaissance era could have hoped for.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to join them in any campaigns of conquest, right?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Jack said. ¡°Not unless you want to sign up, where they do make some sweet promises¡­ but again, we¡¯re not stupid. We pay them a cut, and they leave us alone.¡±


    ¡°Until now,¡± Steve noted, earning pinched looks and bitter nods.


    Eric took a deep breath, gazing intently at what he sensed were mostly college-aged adventurers before him. Which was where he would probably be, if life hadn¡¯t thrown such an insane curve-ball their way.


    ¡°So let me ask you this. Would that agreement still hold if the other party acted in bad faith? I mean¡­ really, really bad faith.¡±


    A declaration that earned him a hard glare from Ron and a snort from Yuki.


    ¡°Specifics, Eric,¡± Yuki snapped. ¡°What the hell do you mean by bad faith? Because none of us have any plans of breaching contract and risking a massive EX penalty. Not without serious fucking cause.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Fair enough. Let¡¯s just say that none other than Sylvis himself deigned your guild a threat and was eager to see you dead, yet still smart enough to try to do so in a way that would leave his hands clean, without any technical breach of contract that could shake his position¡­ or enrich your parents.¡±


    His gaze hardened before their looks of surprise, dismay, or scorn. ¡°And let¡¯s just say I¡¯m being dead straight with all of you, and not just blowing smoke up your collective asses. If you found out that your supposed allies were actually eager to see you dead, and happy to bend certain codicils without breaking them, in their own minds at least, would you all feel justified enough that you wouldn¡¯t suffer any experience backlash when your enemies finally reveal themselves to be just that?¡±


    The last handful of words left a definite chill in the air, and Eric would have smacked himself¡­ realizing he should have just left well enough alone.


    ¡°How much do you fucking know?¡± said Richard with a glare, no longer bothering with the good cop role at all.


    Eric sighed. ¡°You know how common wisdom is that you¡¯d be absolutely stupid to invest any of your nodes on things like universal languages or ES Spaces that no one can claim? Even if you can grab it right away and not wait til level 10 to open your first node?¡±


    Steve¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No. You¡¯re not that stupid! It¡¯s clear as shit that your no chump, so why would you...¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile. ¡°When Sylvis and his goblin hit squad friends were chatting it up and laughing about how to best get rid of me and fuck over your families while remaining untouchable to retribution¡­ let¡¯s just say I could make out every word they said, in a galactic dialect I¡¯d bet fucking gold that absolutely no one will teach you, here on Earth.¡± His smile faded. ¡°Every word I spoke to you was the truth. Both goblins and gnolls want you dead, because a powerful guild like you, hosting at least half a dozen cool-ass cats that even I can tell are getting pretty fucking close to level fifty, is a threat they can¡¯t handle with their champions all stuck between levels 25 to 30.¡±


    Yuki gave him a hard look. ¡°Sore wa hontou desu?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Hai. It damn well is true.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°To be honest, I did pick up a bit for a part I played a few years ago, but everyone spoke too fast for me to make out more than one word in five, when I was last in Tokyo.¡± He winked. ¡°And thanks for speaking slowly. My comprehension¡¯s picked up a hell of a lot in the last¡­ well, however long ago it¡¯s been since the break.¡±


    Steve gave a dismayed shake of his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense. All we¡¯ve done is present them with a handsome cut of whatever loot we find that doesn¡¯t give away anything about our actual level or the nature of this delve. We¡¯ve seen nothing and no one! We have scouts outside, and Yuki¡¯s no fool. We made sure to keep our movements slow, our behavior deferential, just in case one of those assholes had some kind of bullshit game-like identify spell! How the fuck could they know our levels without...¡±


    He gazed at Eric with something close to horror. ¡°You know our fucking level.¡±


    Eric flashed a cold smile. ¡°Yeah, I think there¡¯s a reason why they keep access to info so goddamned limited. Experienced players will always have a huge advantage over noobs. Because yes, there are identify-like skills. But it¡¯s risky to use it in combat which happens way too quick¡­ and it requires a certain amount of skill to read a quick flash of info without looking like you¡¯re staring into someone¡¯s soul.¡±


    Steve¡¯s glare intensified. ¡°Okay, genius, what are my stats?¡±


    Eric turned to Richard. ¡°Happy to. But I want your guarantee that this won¡¯t be used as some pretext to cut my head off or otherwise fuck me over.¡±


    Richard¡¯s gave Eric a thoughtful look. ¡°I think it¡¯s pretty clear that we¡¯re past that, Eric, but if you want to amuse Steve, we won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± He turned to his companion. ¡°Will we, Steve?¡±


    Steve slowly shook his head, for all that Eric could see the tremble in his clenched hands.


    ¡°Alright, sure. Steve Warwick. Advanced Classer. Strength is twenty on the nose. Vitality is fifty¡­ good move there, by the way. Nothing beats strong bones and decent regeneration. Important thing is that you all got your Vitalities to forty minimum, which is four health points healed per second. From there the rate slows down to one additional point per ten in Vit.¡± He smirked at the collective stares this earned and continued. ¡°Finesse is thirty. Since you¡¯re throwing fireballs of black flame I¡¯ll give you a pass, but 40 would be smarter. Quickness is sixty. Now that¡¯s everything! Being fast enough to sense what you¡¯re foe¡¯s going to do and either counter or take advantage of their weaknesses, strike beffore they can even think of countering, that¡¯s everything in a fight. In other words, you¡¯ll always win initiative in the easier dungeons, and that¡¯s everything when you¡¯re a glass cannon with sick spells at your beck and call.¡±


    Steve¡¯s gaze intensified. ¡°I¡¯m no fucking glass cannon, and that¡¯s not everything.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Eric said. ¡°But it¡¯s what I can sense. You¡¯re physical stats. I¡¯m guessing that you also have a decent Perception, because you¡¯re not an idiot, and having Finesse and Perception at least halfway close to Quickness will give you an incredible edge in a fight¡­ or, at least it does for me. As for your Arcane Potential, or Mana Pool, or however it shows up on your character sheet, I can¡¯t see a thing. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s pretty damned high since you¡¯re an Advanced classer and throw balls of black fire.¡±


    He sighed and shook his head at the looks they were giving him. ¡°But who gives a fuck about that? The point isn¡¯t me¡­ it¡¯s the goblins, and the gnoll who made some pretty serious fucking deals with at least some of your parents, who now want out of the bargain, and don¡¯t mind using me as the patsy to keep their hands clean and make it happen.¡±


    His pitying smile hardened. ¡°I have no doubt that Yuki¡¯s a badass. I can see it for myself. But you¡¯re talking about Goblin sages, and somehow they¡¯ve been able to stretch the edicts to squeeze in some seriously over-leveled pieces. That, and their hit squads are specialized at spying on targets and remaining unseen. That¡¯s basically their thing. That, and sniping with arcane blaster rifles while remaining so well hidden that they managed to cripple and pin down the entire Sylvan faction not that long ago. It¡¯s totally their M.O. And if they can pin down an army, I think they can get the best out of one talented mixed-classer who¡¯s not looking that seriously for trouble beyond the dinosaurs grazing near your dungeon entrance.¡±


    His offhand words earned a blush and a hot glare from Yuki, so he quickly spoke on.


    ¡°Wake up, kids. They¡¯ve been studying your operation, and they understand the strengths of this Maze type rift at least as well as you do! Namely, that the loot is higher than it should be for a low-average wealth tier dungeon, and that there are no swarms, save for level 15 scavenger rats. The catch is that once you¡¯re in, you¡¯re not getting out til you face the actual dungeon boss or slip by him, so sweet wealth and predictable solo encounters that you can plan for mean absolutely nothing when you¡¯re going to be facing down a boss, assuming you can even find your way out of the maze without a Navigator class, which I only learned today was actually a thing.¡±


    ¡°But you guys found a brilliant hack!¡± He commended, beaming at them all. ¡°Just split your party so that not quite everyone goes through. Somehow, that locks the maze down. And if you alternate peeps so that there¡¯s always one or two in and one or two out, because your party leader has a full set of nodes or better¡­ then congratulations, you¡¯ve just discovered a backdoor hack to actually surviving and delving safely, even when underleveled in hostile territory!¡± His smile faded. ¡°But now the goblins and gnolls are just as aware of the potential of this maze as you all are. I¡¯m guessing that Silvis¡¯s spies saw you trading out people, and was smart enough to put two and two together.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°And let¡¯s not forget, the only reason why you can get away with this tactic without setting up a massive operations base here is because this territory is populated mostly by docile herbivores that look a hell of a lot like powered up ankylosauruses that Sylvis himself was bragging are easy enough to counter with trenches and earthernworks, so they have every plan of emulating your own clever strategy for safely ranking up some champions.¡±


    Eric leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. ¡°Only thing is, how fucking likely is it for any scout to find a Maze type dungeon in a high level Orange tier area that¡¯s populated mostly by giant, slow moving herbivores? My guess is¡­ not very fucking likely. And to find such a choice specimen less than a day¡¯s hike from any major population center I¡¯ll put down as minuscule in the likelihood department. So when the gnolls figured out just how sweet a prize this was, in the middle of their territory, and all that was stopping them from taking it over was whatever contracts they had signed with your parents before assuring a bloodless coup of New York, taking you lot out discretely seemed to be the only thing on Silvis¡¯s mind.¡±


    He flashed a bitter smile at Yuki¡¯s glare.


    ¡°He¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°That, and torturing the fuck out of me and tearing out my eye, I mean,¡± he quickly amended¡­ Yuki¡¯s glare turning to a horrified look when she realized that he was absolutely and unequivocally speaking the truth.


    Eric forced a relaxed smile, peering intently at the whole group staring so hard back at him, noting a new girl slipping into their ranks to clasp Richard¡¯s hand, for all that Ron scowled at her with an odd mixture of ire and protective worry. He couldn¡¯t help smiling, relieved to see that the icy beauty now gazing at him so imperiously with her baby blues that coordinated perfectly with her fine silk robes and obvious wizard¡¯s staff had made what appeared to be a full recovery from the minotaurs that had tried so hard to kill her.


    Thank goodness for high vitality and that natural regeneration that they all no doubt had.


    Of course, the first words she said quickly put him in his place.


    ¡°How the fuck does he know about our parents?¡±


    Eric winced at how fast increasingly thoughtful looks, even sympathy, turned to cold, defensive hostility. Jack had the grace to look away, as if ashamed.


    Eric quickly raised his hands. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not judging. No, seriously, will all the shit my family got into, once upon a time? You won¡¯t see me preaching any self-righteous bullshit. Scout¡¯s honor. Did you see Gilton after the orcs took over? Fucking mess. It was a slaughter. I hear they tried to actually fight back, armed with absolutely nothing but desperation and police batons, since no guns were working. No guns save orc muskets that are basically ten-gauge shotguns, and fucking cannon.¡±


    He gave a sad shake of his head. ¡°The humans didn¡¯t have a fucking chance. They just got slaughtered, and when I came out, Gilton was a ruin full of desperate people who lived on rats and roof-grown crops at best, or were just herded for the pods and eaten along with the rats by the orcs. If you can tell me that your families negotiated for anything better than that, then you¡¯re parents are fucking heroes in my book.¡±


    Eric kept his nonchalant smile firmly in pace when angry defensive glares were mollified. And if Yuki¡¯s hard smirk made it clear that she knew he was halfway lying¡­ he was still halfway telling the truth as well. They might be slimy sellouts who made a killing selling out the city¡­ and they might have saved tens of thousands of lives while doing so. And Eric had absolutely no intention of striking their families no matter where the future led him, so the rest, as far as he was concerned, was moot.


    Yuki snorted and looked away.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the blond girl¡¯s glare softened into a defensive scowl. ¡°Our families aren¡¯t idealistic fools. We know how the world works, and we know what it means to build financial empires¡­ and how to keep our employees safe and fed in uncertain times.¡±


    This earned a mocking smile from Steve and an eye-roll from Jack, but neither said anything contradictory, Richard himself giving a tired smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Our parents were some of New York¡¯s biggest movers and shakers, once upon a time.¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Jack snorted.


    Richard smirked. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that our parents had an eye for talent, negotiation, and survival. We¡¯re we rich? Sure. But we always put the wellbeing of our community, our employees, first. And when it became clear that America¡¯s technological advantages over primitive weapon-wielding barbarians had been eliminated in a single catastrophic incident, and that the so-called barbarians we found ourselves negotiating with had the advantage of levels and magic that we could scarce conceive of, outside video games¡­ our only option left was compromise. To embrace the dignity of a protectorate, as opposed to the disgrace of our entire population being enslaved.¡±


    Richard sighed, looking off into the distance, lips hardening in bittersweet memories, Eric guessed. ¡°Sometimes, life is all about compromise. And far better a twelve-hour work day that ends with a full belly, a warm roof over your head, and good company, drinks, and entertainment to look forward to, just like New York in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, than for the city to be slaughtered wholesale. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Eric?¡±


    Eric nodded easily enough, glad he was now able to read between the lines. And he certainly wasn¡¯t going to ask what percentage of New York¡¯s population were happily productive, working people, and what percentage had been sold off or forced to work in farms or mines in less than ideal conditions. Because none of that was Richard¡¯s fault, or any of their faults. And for all Eric knew, their parents really had struck a deal with the invading devils that was a hell of a lot better for New York¡¯s millions than to just be slaughtered wholesale.


    Didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t going to improoove things in his own special way, when the time came. But not being an idiot, with Yuki gazing at him way too intently, he quickly tucked those extraneous thoughts away in a tight little box of furious glee he¡¯d only open when he got out of there alive.


    ¡°It really is all about compromise. And I¡¯m glad that your parents were able to negotiate for the safety of as many people as possible while securing the futures of their sons and daughters. Because what right-thinking parent, either rich or poor, wouldn¡¯t make that their number one priority?¡±


    Eric flashed a surprisingly sincere smile. ¡°So your parents managed to secure you access to some sweet Advanced classes and I¡¯m guessing access to a Tier 1 Ascension pod. Good for you, and I fucking mean that! It¡¯s a hard world, and we need all the future champions we can get.¡± Eric¡¯s smile faded. ¡°My only question for you now is, knowing that the gnoll faction that made all those promises to your families is actively seeking your deaths¡­ what do you all plan on doing about it?¡±


    That was when they heard it, the distant bellow of yet another minotaur.


    Blondie¡¯s haughty features instantly paled. She trembled, leaning into Richard as he wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Oh no, not again. I¡¯m tired, Richy, I just want to get out of here!¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re going to make that happen,¡± Ron said, hovering protectively over her, ¡°I promise you.¡±


    Her lips stretched in a strained smile. ¡°I know, Ron. Thank you. As always.¡±


    The man swallowed, visibly moved but those simple words. ¡°It¡¯s my duty. You know that.¡±


    She looked up, gazing at the gruff-looking man who had been glaring so hard at Eric as if he were a beloved uncle. She clasped and squeezed his hand. ¡°You¡¯re far more than my bodyguard, Ron. You¡¯re part of the Rising Phoenix.¡± She swallowed, looking as moved as the older man did. ¡°You¡¯re family.¡±


    ¡°And he¡¯s also an Ace tank!¡± Steve snapped. ¡°And right now you¡¯re hogging the tanks, Emily. So let¡¯s cut the emotional scene, swear the new-blood in, and get ourselves in position. Because we¡¯re about to get company!¡±


    Richard sighed, giving Emily a final squeeze before turning around, the shield once more on his arm took on a golden glow as he glared Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Do you swear to fight by our side in good faith, and that you won¡¯t do anything to injure, maim, or kill us or otherwise fuck with us maliciously until we¡¯re all out of this dungeon, at which point we will agree to part ways amicably, a permanent cease-fire between us?¡±


    ¡°And no reporting any details of us to any Sylvan friends you might have!¡± Emily added.


    Eric quickly nodded. ¡°Yes. Absolutely. So long as you all also promise not to injure, maim, or kill me, and to let me fight at full capacity while I¡¯m here in this dungeon with you, I¡¯m more than happy to fight by your side! And that most definitely includes a permanent ¡®cease-fire¡¯ by the time we leave. Hell, we might even be friends!¡± He flashed Emily a quick strained smile. ¡°And I promise I won¡¯t be reporting anything about any of you to any Sylvan acquaintance I might have, unless and until you say otherwise. And believe me, I have no plan on stepping inside any Sylvan territory any time soon!¡±


    Richard exchanged anxious glances with his friends. ¡°Guys?¡±


    Steve nodded, Ron glared but eventually dipped his head. Emily gave him a look perfectly suited to an ice princess.


    ¡°Did you really save my life?¡± she whispered, before her eyes widened, as if surprised by her own words.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s you saving my life by freeing me of this collar and letting me fight by your side, and I should be the one thanking you.¡±


    Emily¡¯s scowl turned to a snarky smile. ¡°I guess that would even the scales between us. Good.¡±


    She then turned to Jack. ¡°Jack?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re all friends. Great! Can we hurry this up and get into position?¡±


    Richard turned to Yuki, who crossed her arms, glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Yuki?¡±


    Even Richard flinched at the sound of minotaurs rapidly approaching.


    Yuki glared. ¡°This stinks to high heaven on so many levels.¡±


    ¡°Yuki!¡± Jack snapped. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for bullshit!¡±


    Eric held Yuki¡¯s gaze. ¡°It really does, for a hell of a lot of reasons. Believe me, no one knows that better than me. I¡¯m the one with a fucking collar on my neck, after trying to keep my girl and her kid from being sold as goblin slaves. But that¡¯s not really your concern, am I right? All that matters is whether I¡¯ve been telling the truth, or lying my ass off.¡± His eyes bored into Yuki¡¯s dark orbs as the tension grew. ¡°Well, Yuki? Have I been shooting straight or telling lies?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no saint!¡± She hissed. ¡°You reek of blood!¡±


    ¡°Well of course he does,¡± Steve snapped, looking worriedly down the corridor where multiple bellows could be heard. ¡°He¡¯s clearly some sort of Bloodmage Archer hybrid. I mean, bone bow and blood covering everything he owns, including himself? So¡­ yeah. I¡¯d rather have him on our side with an oath to play nice and those arrows of his in the minotaurs, not us.¡±


    He pointed at the minotaur with the superheated arrow Eric still hadn¡¯t had a chance to claim. ¡°I mean, fuck it. Level 60 giant minotaur, his skull now a crispy pile of charred bone and ash. And the rest of the body¡¯s still burning!¡± Steve frowned his head thoughtfully. ¡°Kinda reminds me of my flames, actually. Hey¡­ Eric, right? Do you know anything about using BlackFire?¡±


    Eric flashed the intent-looking Steve a friendly smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, but I¡¯ll be happy to trade notes with you, sometime in the future. Maybe we can both find ways to enhance our builds.¡±


    Steve grinned. ¡°Yeah, that would be sweet.¡±


    Richard¡¯s jaw clenched¡­. ¡°Steve, now¡¯s not the time. Yuki?¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± She snapped, glaring at Eric even as she shook his hand. ¡°Welcome to the fucking group. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re game is, but we want nothing to do with it! Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Crystal,¡± Eric said, holding her gaze. ¡°Now, if you¡¯d all like me at full fighting capacity, would you mind kindly popping the lock on my collar?¡±


    The group grew silent, intent gazes now locking on Eric¡¯s mithril collar.


    Eric forced a smile. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m sorry to presume. I just, well, when next I see my girl, I¡¯d rather it not be wearing this. It will make it pretty hard on both of us. And more importantly for our immediate survival¡­ remember how I said that some people actually had the option to buy an Extradimensional Storage Spaces from the get go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, which would be a stupid move,¡± Steven noted, glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    Eric smirked. ¡°Yet if someone had chosen to waste a ¡®precious¡¯ node on such a thing, now, with minimal supplies, deep behind enemy lines, is when a gift like that would truly shine.¡±


    Yuki glared. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe when we¡¯re actually out of here in one piece¡­ I could do you that favor. But you¡¯ll owe me big, Eric, because sure as hell, you¡¯re not getting into polite society anywhere with that around your neck, and I¡¯ll bet there are a dozen bounty hunters and slavers that would take that as an automatic green light to hunt you down and claim you as their own.¡±


    She flashed a wicked smile. ¡°In fact, I know for a fact that¡¯s the case.¡±


    ¡°And we will do nothing to alert anyone to the status of our new friend,¡± Richard said, his gaze hardening. ¡°Because the Rising Phoenix, unlike certain treacherous consortiums, gives its word in good faith and keeps it.¡±


    Yuki shrugged. ¡°Of course. But if he thinks I¡¯m popping that collar now, before we get out of here safely...¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, 180+ Perception catching sight of what the others were missing. ¡°The minotaurs will be here in less than thirty seconds. And Yuki...¡± He held her gaze. ¡°How are you guys for food...and fresh water?¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. ¡°Shit. We were supposed to switch out today!¡±


    Yuki glared. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tie my hands while you have me negotiate, Richard? It would make things so much easier.¡±


    Eric sighed, gazing at the massive minotaurs that had sown such chaos, and the damaged fort.


    ¡°Besides water¡­ my ES Space, and yes, I have one, don¡¯t say anything, Steve¡­ would also let me turn those minotaurs into something very useful.¡±


    He held Yuki¡¯s cynical gaze. ¡°I can repair your fort with a bit of time and resources. At least to a point¡­ and offer you all some cold water when its done. But only if this collar is off my fucking neck.¡±


    The girl¡¯s stare hardened. As if she were trying to peer into his very soul.


    ¡°I owe him,¡± Emily whispered, like the words physically hurt. ¡°Please, Yuki. Help me clean the slate?¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± She snapped as the din of approaching monstrosities grew louder.


    Eric did his absolute best to calm his racing heart, palms clammy with desperate worry that something would go horribly wrong or another twist would leave him stuck with this collar and the laughter of his foes and he kept his eyes desperately open for some last minute catch¡­


    ¡°If I can pop that collar off your neck, you¡¯ll be sharing your food and water with us, and whatever skills you got that can help us fix our fort. And, you¡¯ll owe me a personal favor!¡± Yuki declared as she approached.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt myself or anyone else, or give you everything I own or anything like that, Yuki.¡± Eric flashed a cynical smile. ¡°I¡¯m no one¡¯s hit man or a chump. But one favor, within reason, that we both agree upon?¡± He nodded solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡±


    She glared at him, her gaze hard as ice for long moments, before finally nodding. ¡°Deal.¡±


    With a single flick of Yuki¡¯s finger dipped in shadow, the mithril collar that had been such an abominable nightmare, that even Rank 30 in Blood Mastery and multiple essences under his command were helpless to get rid of¡­ popped off his neck.


    And as simple as that, he was free.


    He fell to his knees, no longer hiding the flood of emotions overwhelming him, the tears springing from his eyes as he trembled, kneeling, glaring at the collar.


    He had no idea at all why the group suddenly lurched away from him, gazing at him as if he were suddenly more of a threat than the bull-headed abominations headed their way.


    Emily took a shuddering breath, staring down at what had clanged to the ground by his feet. ¡°Wait, guys, that¡¯s not a slave collar. That¡¯s a fucking mithril kill-collar!¡±


    ¡°Who the fuck is this asshole?¡± Ron snarled with a curse.


    Steve whistled. ¡°Mithril. Bronze-tier. And it had totally been suppressing him. His potency... are you guys feeling this? I mean, that shout should have given it away, but this boy¡¯s a fucking monster!¡±


    ¡°Jeezus,¡± Jack whispered. ¡°Just look at him. Shaking like a leaf. They really fucked you up bad, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    Eric could feel their intent gazes boring into the back of his head as he shook with a flood of emotions he absolutely hadn¡¯t been expecting.


    ¡°Good,¡± Emily whispered. ¡°Now¡­ now I feel like we¡¯re truly square.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± Eric said, his voice raw and ragged, turning to gaze at Emily with red-rimmed eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat, pretending it didn¡¯t sadden him, the way she flinched and stumbled back. ¡°You did me a serious good turn there, Emily. I won¡¯t forget it.¡±


    <div>


    He turned his gaze Yuki¡¯s way. The petite Japanese girl was now giving him the strangest look, her naginata in front of her as if she expected him to strike her dead.


    <div>


    ¡°You were fronting!¡± She accused, eyes widening with fear. ¡°You¡¯re way too fucking strong, and you¡¯re not bound to any word at all! Just who the fuck are you?¡±


    Eric blinked, confused, before shaking it away, voice filled with sincerest gratitude. ¡°You freed me from the worst nightmare you can imagine.¡± He gave her his most heartfelt smile. ¡°I¡¯m not going to forget this, Yuki.¡±


    ¡°Shit, now I wish you would.¡±


    Eric smiled through his tears. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how much I want to hug you right now.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±


    Eric laughed, long and loud, before roaring all his hate and fury and hope and relief in one furious shout.


    Your allies fail to save versus Dragon Fear!


    Eric winced, surprise to see his new boon companions, stumbling back, gazing at him with something close to horror.


    ¡°Um, yeah¡­ sorry about that.¡± He offered with a shy smile, still feeling overwhelmed by the emotions brimming in his chest. ¡°It¡¯s just, I can¡¯t...¡± He blinked back tears, turning his gaze toward the fifteen foot tall monsters that had been plodding towards them before were now roaring and charging their way, massive steel battle axes held high as they charged directly towards him, as if in answer of his battle cry.


    ¡°Fuck! Get your game faces on, people!¡± Jack screamed, the first to snap out of his daze. ¡°And you! Eric! Quit screaming like an orc berserker! This is neither the time nor the place!¡±


    Eric winced, duly chastised as he kitted up in soul-linked gambeson and lizard armor in the literal blink of an eye. ¡°Noted!¡± He said, feeling such a rush of ebullition and relief when he instantly reclaimed his already soul-bound bone arrows and quivers, flipping them right into storage before darting for the three fallen minotaurs, slamming a palm to each and claiming them all into his ES Space as effortlessly as breathing.


    He ignored the awed whispers and soft curses behind him. ¡°Where do you want me? Sniping? Tank? DPS? Or building up the fort?¡±


    ¡°Snipe! We know you can do that!¡± Rich shouted while organizing his team. ¡°We¡¯ll fix up the fort as soon as we¡¯ve taken these assholes out!¡±

 Chapter 304 - Sandwiches Make Everything Better

    Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to join Steve and Emily in scaling up the ruined fort, embracing the advantage of height and terrain visibility while Ron and Richard positioned themselves behind a barricade of partial rubble to foil the minotaur¡¯s charge.


    Eric spotted Jack nearby, his raised javelin already vibrating as he waited for the perfect shot while Yuki positioned herself to strike their foes from the flanks, once they engaged the tanks in melee. She then became one with the darkness broken up only by a few flickering flames in ways Eric found impressive as anything. Yuki was definitely one of the deadlier Classers he had come across, able to flow through shadow and strike unseen in the blink of an eye. In some ways, she was very much like an elite goblin assassin, but without the whole homicidal asshole that needs to be slaughtered on sight vibe. Why she had flinched before his gaze earlier he still had no idea, since all he felt for her was gratitude and deepest respect.


    Even now he had to blink away tears of fierce gratitude, fighting the bizarre impulse to laugh like a madman, savoring the sweet, exhilarating rush of freedom, for all that he found himself constantly rubbing his neck, as if his hands just to make absolutely sure that no deadly mithril blades were a single wrong move from slicing right through his jugular¡­ but he was fine, now, he promised himself.


    Cool as a cucumber, and 110% ready to rock and roll!


    His hands just had issues.


    He could sympathize.


    Poor hands.


    Considering what had happened back at Freetown¡­ he shuddered, yanking his mind free of those awful memories he was now desperate to forget. Only knowing that the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to himself, or what he could do¡­ any more than he already had.


    Right now he was desperate to reinvent himself and savor a fresh start. Or just have the cover of another identity so he could choose when and where and how he would strike those slimy assholes who had caused him so much pain. Right now, all his new allies knew for sure was that he was an unorthodox archer who made use of both blood and flame. Just one more eclectic, eccentric adventurer who had managed to cobble together a handful of fortunate encounters into an unorthodox yet effective class. Even if it was obvious from the way his aura flared after too long constrained that he was no weakling.


    They still didn¡¯t have any idea of just how strong he was. And for now, until he knew them better, until the tension he now sensed from them had finally passed, he would hold off on revealing any more of himself than he already had. Right now, it was about surviving as an archer and taking advantage of this time to rank up his skills and show them all what an asset he could be while he took their measure, just the same as they were clearly taking his.


    ¡°Eric, they¡¯re coming! Are you ready?¡±


    Eric grinned at the nervous excitement he so clearly heard in Steve¡¯s voice, Arcane Perception sensing the dual build up of Obsidian Flame and bitter cold from the two mages flanking him.


    In answer, he responded in the only way that mattered, the limbs of his bone bow vibrating with more tension than he had ever dared before as he locked on his target, glarin into massive bovine eye wild with hate. Then, with a flicker of his will, he traded inert bone arrow for one whose tip was flaring with superheated flame.


    The air cracked with the release of his string, but Eric knew the sound was far fainter than it should have been, for all that it thrummed so loudly that Emily cursed and glared.


    But Eric paid it no mind, all his focus on the farmost minotaur who stumbled and lurched back as his arrow tore through the air, striking exactly where Eric had intended, smiling coldly the creature collapsed, massive bull head now engulfed in furious flames.


    True Strike in effect! Void Piercer in effect! You have critically struck your foe with Bone Arrow! Mach 5 momentum pierces Level 60 Greater Beast vitality. Void Piercer mitigates all air resistance penalties. 4000 degree arrow head has pierced brain pan.


    Level 60 Minotaur has perished. Experience earned!


    Eric¡¯s lips curled in a fierce grin as he embraced his latest skill evolution, not hesitating to embrace both perks to better understand his talent and his weapon. He held off from a follow up shot, but kept his arrow ready, eager to see what his new companions could do without his help.


    Available Soul Reserves are currently 83 out of 85.


    Not to mention there was something to be said for sparing use of his perks, at least until he felt refreshed enough to use them as a fighter did, instead of tapping into his Soul Reserves directly, for all that he knew it was a major advantage that he could probably only pull off because he had soul linked all his favorite toys.


    Even better, had he chosen to manifest his Crimson Orb, he could have cut the Soul Point cost from 2 to 1. But he didn¡¯t want to chance hid fellow adventurers seeing and understanding the manifestation, even if it should be invisible to most. His new allies were both savvy and uncertain of him, and it was up to him to assuage their concerns, put them at ease, and decide exactly how much of himself he wanted to reveal, especially considering their city of origin.


    A city he now had every intention of claiming.


    After wiping out every last gnoll holdout, fort, and agent that he could.


    He focused past the sweet surge of victory and even sweeter rush of experience flooding him io order to carefully study his companions, all of them readying themselves for the lone minotaur now charging them.


    ¡°Obsian Flamma!¡±


    A ball of eldritch flame streaked out from Steve¡¯s fingertip, wobbling through the air as the young wizard visibly struggled to keep the violent globe of fiery obsidian on target, falling to his knees as it hooked downward, nearly clipping Richard before it veered back on course, slamming into the chest of the roaring minotaur now stumbling over the shattered rubble serving as a crude bulwark between charging beast and broken keep.


    ¡°Steve! Be fucking careful!¡± Emily snapped, before looking his way, catching sight of his deathly pallor as he slumped over, panting for breath. Her eyes widened with sudden concern as she raced to his side. ¡°Shit, Steve, are you alright?¡±


    The young wizard chuckled softly, pointing to the stumbling minotaur, cut off from his attack mid-swing as he clutched the bloody hole in his chest, a heartbeat before a roaring Jack¡¯s javelin pinned the minotaur¡¯s arm to the spurting wound, before summoning forth a second then third javelin, all three blasting into the minotaur like artillery shells.


    The minotaurs roars had turned to desperate bleats as it stumbled back, wanting only to retreat, but Ron and Richard clearly weren¡¯t going to let that happen, launching attacks of their own as Yuki simultaneously hamstrung the cloven-hoofed beast with lightning-fast slashes of her naginata before slipping into the darkness once more.


    Steve peered down at his friends slaughtering their prey with an exhausted smile. ¡°Damn, our friends can fight, can¡¯t they?¡± He slumped over, clearly exhausted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Em. I¡¯ll be fine...¡±


    ¡°Bullshit, you¡¯re the farthest thing from fine,¡± she snapped, her glare equal parts frustration and heartfelt concern.


    He chuckled ruefully. ¡°Yeah, that obsidian fire almost skewed into our team leader. I haven¡¯t had that happen since, well...¡±


    ¡°Since you first got ahold of that book,¡± Emily hissed. ¡°Steve, you know what happens if you push yourself too hard!¡±


    His tired smile turned to a hard glare. ¡°I don¡¯t see as we have much choice. This is the third wave we¡¯ve faced, when normally we don¡¯t dare more than two a day!¡± He closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°Fuck, I could really do with some water right...¡±


    His words cut off when he saw a smiling Eric presenting him with a tall cold mug of foamy ale. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Drink up,¡± Eric said. ¡°If you like German brews, you¡¯ll love this. I literally got it fresh from the tap.¡±


    Emily stared at Eric. ¡°Seriously? Alcohol to a dehydrated companion in the middle of a fight?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Low alcohol brew. With a certain special something that makes all the difference. And considering that we don¡¯t just fully recover in an hour but regenerate in minutes or seconds with our Vitality¡­ I can think of worse things than giving my companion a beer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Steven quickly said, not hesitating to take a sip, smacking his lips as his eyes widened with pleasure. ¡°This is delightful!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the best? And if you check a certain something, you might find a certain depleted stat rapidly refilling.¡±


    Steve froze, quickly inspecting a certain stat, his eyes going wide with wonder while the adventurers below cheered the collapse of the second minotaur, before the Jack started cursing under his breath.


    The young wizard looked up at Eric with awe. ¡°My Mana Pool¡¯s fucking refilling. This beer.. it¡¯s an honest to goodness mana potion?¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Gimme!¡± She darted forth, taking a swig, mouth scrunching prettily before she gave it back to Steve who glared, holding it tight.


    ¡°My beer. Get your own.¡±


    ¡°Shit, you weren¡¯t kidding! My mana¡¯s ticking back up to full!¡± She furrowed her brow, graceful features peering curiously up at Eric. ¡°This is no simple beverage, Eric. I mean I¡¯m grateful as anything that you¡¯re sharing this with us¡­ hell, it might just end up saving our lives! But where did you get this?¡±


    Eric grinned happily. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. I might play the idealistic fool tilting at windmills on SelfTube, but that didn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to pass up on the chance to snag the Sylvan Alliance¡¯s celebratory spread.¡±


    Emily laughed. ¡°You¡¯re joking! But seriously, where...¡± She blinked, furrowing her brow. ¡°You¡¯re not joking.¡±


    Her eyes widened, earning a glare from Steve when she snatched his stein away from him again.


    ¡°Hey, get your own! That¡¯s my--¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Steve. This is important!¡± She sniffed the brew, took another sip¡­ and squeezed her eyes shut with a sigh. ¡°Oh we are so fucked.¡±


    Steve scowled, slowly getting back to his feet. Eric winced, not needing his interface to tell him that his magic was taking a tole. ¡°Emily, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    His worried scowl was interrupted when Eric handed Steve a perfectly prepared Reuben sandwich.


    ¡°Oh fuck, are you serious?¡± Steve didn¡¯t hesitate, grabbing the sandwich, taking a big bite of corned beef and sauerkraut goodness, shuddering with pleasure. ¡°Oh this is fucking awesome! You, good sir, are a prince among men.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± Eric said with a warm smile, relieved to see the youth¡¯s pallor flushing with health and vitality. ¡°This I picked up from my friend¡¯s house on the way here.¡± He smiled in fond memory of Morlekai and Grim¡¯s parting advice, and counsel.


    ¡°They were kind enough to give me a whole cooler of meaty deliciousness that¡¯s great for restoring the blood.¡± Eric patted the youth¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Or rejuvenating the blood, when one draws a bit too heavily on reserves that perhaps one shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Steve froze, stepping back with a soft curse. ¡°Fuck. You know.¡± Accusing eyes pinned his own, though Eric was glad to see the youth didn¡¯t stop eating his sandwich.¡±


    Eric flashed a sympathetic smile. ¡°It¡¯s cool. Takes one to know one.¡±


    Steven took an aggressive bite. ¡°You don¡¯t just play with blood¡­ it¡¯s not just some weird defensive power for you.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Nope. Not limited to defense at all. Pretty damned useful, actually, if you know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°You use Blood magic¡­ Soul magic.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I do.¡±


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Steve shook his head with a bemused smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re even dancing around your skill set. You were rocking a bone bow that I now don¡¯t even see. A bone bow that makes Yuki uncomfortable as shit, so I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re a straight up necromancer of some sort? One that makes use of life force and body parts, even if you don¡¯t actually raise the dead?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s in a label? Anyway, that Obsidian Flame spell of yours¡­ it¡¯s not just a boosted fireball, is it?¡±


    Steve smirked, shaking his head. ¡°Hardly. It¡¯s the essence of entropy and destruction. That¡¯s why it can sear right through that fucking absurdly tough hide the minotaurs have that turns almost any adventurer¡¯s sword or spell.¡± His eyes twinkled with darkest mirth. ¡°Even the cocky gnoll champions who thought they could take on the minotaur that broke free, last week. Turns out most Classers can¡¯t do shit against a sixtieth level, unless they¡¯re using actual Classer artillery, or they¡¯re rocking hard core artifacts, perks, and levels, like we are.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°So you got a kick ass spell that can chew right into them, like the fireball that sent that minotaur reeling right before Jack capitalized with his double-node Javelin throwing and the rest of the gang finished the latest one off.¡±


    Steve puffed up with pride. ¡°Damn right, I did! If you got a tough nut to crack, that¡¯s when I pull out the big guns. The minute I make the breach, everyone else knows exactly how to jump in for maximum destruction.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a price for that magic, I¡¯m guessing.¡±


    Steve paled, then sighed. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much.¡±


    Steve groaned and rubbed his eyes. ¡°Yeah¡­ I know. The price is pretty fucking steep, actually. But as long as I can pace myself and place points into Vitality every level¡­ I should be okay.¡± The look on his face, however, made Eric almost certain that he wasn¡¯t. Not completely.


    ¡°And hey, at least all this practice is giving me lots of experience toward the next skill rank. As soon as I get my Obsidian Flame powers up to Adept Rank, I¡¯ll be set, I know it.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Cool. And hey, if you ever want to stop by my friend¡¯s place in Freetown when this shit is all said and done¡­ he might be able to set you up with something that can help. Or at least¡­ better understand your path and maybe give you some insights to help light your way.¡±


    Steve swallowed gazing up at Eric with hope-filled eyes only now hinting at desperation kept at bay only by quips and dark humor. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Damned serious.¡±


    That¡¯s when they both turned to Emily¡¯s surprised gasp, all three of them ignoring the cheering of their party members below when the second minotaur went still.


    ¡°Level up time, baby!¡± Someone below happily shouted.


    Yet Emily¡¯s eyes were locked on the beer stein and Steve¡¯s now nearly completely devoured snack.


    ¡°That sandwich fills soul reserves,¡± she whispered. ¡°And this beer¡­¡± She lifted her eyes to meet Eric¡¯s gaze. ¡°You weren¡¯t joking. You actually swiped this from the Sylvan faction?¡±


    Steve snorted. ¡°Emily, come on. Eric here¡¯s clearly fucking with us. Right, Eric?¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Who can say?¡± He gazed down at the others below, stacking hands with a celebratory cheer before turning to look up their way.


    ¡°Everything okay, Emily?¡± Richard called out.


    Emily grinned down at her obvious boyfriend. ¡°Actually it is! And guess who has access to a casket of Sylvan mead?¡±


    Steve frowned down at his stein. ¡°This is mead? Not beer?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Not sure, to be honest. I just swiped the whole spread, and every cask I could get my hands on.¡±


    Steve blinked. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°As the grave.¡±


    In short order, All of Eric¡¯s party members were absolutely devouring the repast Eric set out on one of the table cloths he had swiped, that was presently set on one of Elonia¡¯s many tables, including the chairs.


    ¡°This is absolutely fucking divine!¡± Yuki declared, devouring the pheasant dumplings, buttermilk biscuits, and ripe fresh fruit she had stacked upon her silver plate. She gazed up from her meal with a stein full of far more mundane red wine but didn¡¯t begrudge it a bit as she chugged it down before glaring at Alex until he topped her off. ¡°And you managed to, what, swipe the entire feasting hall of some Sylvan bigwig?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Awesome spread, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m glad you understand why I¡¯m saving the mead.¡±


    Richard gave Eric an approving smile, saluting him with his own glass while Jack kept watch from the top of the damaged fortress, giving the party a chance to recharge and unwind after what Eric suspected had been a long day for them¡­ even if not nearly so long as his own.


    ¡°Actually that¡¯s smart thinking, Eric. It makes no more sense for the rest of us to drink up that mead than it would be for us to chug mana potions when our spell casters are the ones who will really need it. And I, for one, applaud your team spirit in thinking of the welfare of the group beyond personal comfort.¡±


    Ron snorted. ¡°He¡¯s no saint. It¡¯s in his own best interest if Steve and Emily are topped up. Their spells, and the rest of us being in top fighting form, is key to his own survival. Key to us all getting out of here alive.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go with that if it makes you happy, Ron. How¡¯s your steak?¡±


    Emily paused in her eating, gazing at Eric thoughtfully. ¡°Yuki raises a good question, Eric. Did you really manage to swipe an entire banquet hall from some Elven noble, Eric? And they¡¯re not coming after your head?¡±


    ¡°Too late.¡± Eric flashed a bitter smile, revealing perhaps more than he intended to, before shaking it away. ¡°But yeah. Tactically ¡®efficient¡¯ or no, internal storage spaces are absolutely awesome for culinary capers! Did you know you can actually skill it up, just like other abilities? And the space I have available... let¡¯s just say it utterly kicks ass.¡±


    He closed his eyes, feeling a warm wave of contentment to see how accessible all the goods he had pilfered truly were. And how damn much he had taken while still assuring a clause that no matter what happened to him, he and he alone would have full rights to whatever property wasn¡¯t deemed of military significance.


    Which meant that even if he had good cause to fear his enemies stripping him of all his military assets¡­ he could still rob his mother¡¯s banquet hall blind. And by the very accords they his mother had agreed upon as much as everything else¡­ everything he had pilfered into his ES space was his, no strings attached.


    Because even then, he hadn¡¯t intended on coming back.


    Only hoping that he could count on at least one of the girls to return his mithril armaments to him after fleeing the bullshit ¡®peace summit¡¯ never having thought he¡¯d be ending the day helpless and crippled with a kill-collar around his neck.


    Not being a complete idiot, he had been prepared for steel.


    Only to be collared a mithril variant that had been utterly immune to so many of his gifts.


    ¡°Eric? You okay there, buddy?¡±


    Richard¡¯s warm voice immediately pulled Eric out of his brooding thoughts.


    ¡°Yup, right as rain!¡± His strained grimace quickly turned to a genuine smile. ¡°And happy as hell that I have a chance to eat a damn fine meal and enjoy the company of fellow Classers¡­ human Classers¡­ free of that which could so easily have killed me.¡±


    He dipped his head in profound respect, smiling a flustered Yuki¡¯s way. ¡°Thanks again, Yuki. I owe you. Big time.¡±


    Her eyes widened, lip quirking in a smile at those words. ¡°You know that¡¯s just binding your karmic debt all the more, right?¡± She flashed pearly-white teeth under the warm glow lights Emily had set up. ¡°If my favor¡¯s halfway reasonable, you don¡¯t dare refuse.¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Sure. If you want to look at it that way...¡±


    The group grew silent as solemn looks were exchanged. And somehow Jack knew to jump down and saunter toward them as Yuki caught his gaze.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± She asked.


    Jack peered thoughtfully at Eric, measuring him with his bright green eyes before flashing a cheeky grin and grabbing one of the many creme puff pastries Eric had casually placed on a silver platter.


    ¡°What I think is that we should either make friends with whoever hosts Sylvan public relations¡­ or raid the fuck out of their larder. This shit tastes absolutely divine!¡±


    Yuki¡¯s gaze firmed. ¡°Jack...¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a bad idea,¡± Ron cut her off with a hard shake of his head before turning to glare at Eric. ¡°We¡¯re right now eating on a table that belongs in a fucking museum, with over twenty pounds of actual silver silverware, and food fit for fucking royalty. Sylvan royalty. And we still haven¡¯t gotten a straight answer from him about much of anything, save an oath he damn well better honor.¡±


    Ron raised his hand before Yuki could interrupt. ¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is that there¡¯s no way this cat is just some simple Classer some scouts were trying to entice. He¡¯s gotten his fingers in at least a few political pies and ruffled enough feathers to get someone to snap a collar around his neck.¡±


    He then took a beefy bite of his sandwich. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to turn down a full belly. Or the best damned wine I¡¯ve had in months. Because it¡¯s just what we need, here and now. And we can work together¡­ here and now. Because right here, hip deep in goddamned 15 foot tall minotaurs that almost killed us twice over, most of us in need of a goodnight¡¯s rest, yeah. Sure as shit we can use a sharpshooter with a fucking larder in his back pocket.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°My larder is certainly at your disposal,¡± he said, saluting the party with his stein before taking a sip of mead.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the only reason why we¡¯re even having this conversation,¡± Ron said. ¡°Because down here, nothing matters but how well a man fights, and takes care of his fellows. And as much as I hate to admit it¡­ you haven¡¯t disappointed so far. But once we¡¯re top side, then all the ugly political ramifications of being friendly with someone that both the goblins and the gnolls clearly want dead¡­ that might be a bit more heat than is good for us. Any of us.¡±


    He gazed at Eric for long moments. Eric crossed his now empty hands behind his head and leaned back, meeting the man¡¯s cynical gaze with a half-smile of his own, earning a snort.


    ¡°So yeah, we agreed to work together tackling this rift, and part ways peacefully. Let¡¯s not compound the countless risks we¡¯re already taking with this guy.¡±


    Richard rubbed his chin thoughtfully, also leaning back in his chair which gave an alarming creek. ¡°But if our boon companion¡¯s intel is accurate, and Sylvis really is gunning for our heads, then the oaths we swore mean absolutely nothing, and we¡¯re free to do exactly what we planned. In that case, having friends with diverse backgrounds might be just what we need.¡±


    ¡°So the solution¡¯s simple,¡± Emily said, giving Eric a considering look with her baby blues as she held his gaze. ¡°We work together to survive this rift as best we can. Once we get out, and we will get out, we do a little digging and see what the score really is in New York. If our supposed allies really do think we¡¯re worth more dead than alive...¡± Her lips curled in a bleak smile. ¡°Then we do exactly as we planned, no legal loopholes needed. And in that case, Eric might be a perfect fit.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help winking back, saluting Emily with his stein, feeling a warm fuzzy tingle in his mind, knowing certain perks were suddenly in play. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for someone who¡¯s not afraid of getting his hands a little dirty for a sweet payoff¡­ then I¡¯m your guy.¡±


    His smile widened when the table grew absolutely still. As if he couldn¡¯t piece together what they were really saying. ¡°So long as the cut¡¯s fair, and no one¡¯s playing me for a patsy, pawn, or fool... you might find that I¡¯m just what the fixer ordered.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit¡­ okay, Eric, level with us. How much do you know?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Not a damned thing. So don¡¯t worry. No one has a clue as to who your even are, let alone what you¡¯re up to, in my neck of the woods. But it¡¯s obvious you guys are planning a heist of one sort or another, and I got no problem with that. And if you all want to pretend we never had this conversation when we go our separate ways topside, I got no problem with that either. But if you¡¯re looking for a standup safe-cracker...¡±


    Jack whistled. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re in the game? What are the fucking odds!?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°I might have dipped my toes in the deep end a time or two. But as far as any other party¡¯s concerned, I¡¯m clean as a whistle.¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°And I¡¯ll bet that¡¯s the real reason why you were wearing the collar.¡±


    Eric winked, sipping his mead.


    Yuki gave him a curious look. ¡°Did they squeeze you dry, first?¡±


    Eric laughed long and loud, not giving a shit for the looks this earned him. ¡°All those assholes got was a major headache for some cast-iron. And when the bill finally comes due for those fuckers, it won¡¯t be pretty.¡±


    Richard forced a chuckle. ¡°Let¡¯s save this conversation for another time, and focus on our immediate future. No offense, Eric.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°None taken.¡± He chewed his own corned beef sandwich thoughtfully. ¡°Though as long as we¡¯re working together, I wouldn¡¯t mind whatever info you have on just how things work down here.¡± He glanced back at the fresh pair of minotaur corpses, one whose head was blazing furiously away still, the other a crumpled heap. ¡°Like, how often and in what numbers do these minotaur patrols swing by this central area? How much time do we have to fix your fort, and what¡¯s our end game for this dungeon? Do any of you actually know how far it extends, or in what direction we can find the boss?¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help noting the increasingly solemn glances his questions earned him, until Ron, glaring his way, slammed the thick-planked table Eric had manifested with his hand.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how often patrols hit this area, or how much time we have, or if we have any hope of doing a full week¡¯s worth of work with no access to the forest, since our fort was ripped right from the entrance where we had complete control of the area to here, in the middle of minotaur fucking central, all thanks to you, asshole!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, be cause I asked a certain asshole gnoll to put a fucking collar around my neck and threaten me with rift jumping and decapitation,¡± Eric shot back. ¡°And I definitely conspired with the goblin hit squad on the virtues of getting rid of annoying human factions and clans while using cutouts and patsies. And if you kiddos are actually foolish enough to go back to New York and expect anything but even more elaborate schemes to isolate you and take you all out, one way or another¡­¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°At least be nice enough to replace the table you¡¯re about to break before you do anything that stupid. Preferably one lovingly constructed by naked elven maidens.¡±


    Ron crossed his arms, giving no response save for his accusing glare.


    Eric sighed, taking another bite of his sandwich.


    At least the man was no longer pounding his table.


    Jack gazed thoughtfully at the table. ¡°Was this table actually constructed by naked elven maidens?¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be wild if it was? No fucking idea, actually. But if it was good enough for Mother Dearest, then it¡¯s good enough for Ron not to break in a fit of pique.¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite. Who the fuck is ¡®Mommy Dearest?¡¯¡±


    Eric sighed and shook his head. ¡°You know, I thought I knew. I really did. Now, though?¡± He went for a nonchalant smile, as if to show that he was too damned cool for the morning¡¯s shenanigans to affect him at all. Instead he found himself shuddering, squeezing his fists as bitter hot tears streamed down his cheek.


    He took a shuddering breath and got up, quickly enough not to catch the gazes he now felt boring into his back. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to take a look at the fort, see what we can do to spiff this bad-boy up.¡±

 Chapter 305 - Showing Unusual Restraint

    Eric frowned, taking a good hard look at what had been a well-made fortress, comprised of cemented stone blocks and giant wooden support beams. Now its defensive properties had been utterly compromised, with one entire wall shattered to rubble, the floors inside having collapsed in a great big pile of wooden beams, shattered furniture, and stone.


    Eric rubbed his chin thoughtfully, ignoring Ron¡¯s snort as he casually walked to the three other walls of the keep, pressing his weight against each one and closing his eyes.


    ¡°What does this fool think he¡¯s doing? He can¡¯t be older than what, eighteen? He sure as fuck isn¡¯t any structural engineer,¡± Ron said.


    ¡°Who gives a fuck? At least he¡¯s doing something,¡± Yuki snapped. ¡°As opposed to just sitting here, eating his grub, and insulting him behind his back.¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s your problem, Yuki!?¡± Ron glared at the shorter woman. ¡°It¡¯s this kid¡¯s fault that we¡¯re all in this mess in the first place!¡±


    ¡°Ron does have a point,¡± Richard gently noted. ¡°I¡¯m not saying Eric meant for any of this to happen, mind you. But Ron does have every right to be angry. We all do. And we should never be letting an outsider get between us, no matter how sympathetic we might feel to someone who was set up to die.¡±


    Eric ignored the awkward embarrassment he felt, having never wanted to be in this position, hating the fact that he had been forced to play the bad guy just to survive, exactly as his enemies had wanted. So he kept all his focus on the ruined building, pretending that his Perception didn¡¯t allow him to hear every word they were saying even as he scouted the farmost wall of the keep, his Mad Bomber perks, ironically enough, letting him know that the three still upright walls were perfectly sound and in no danger at all of collapsing. In fact, there were no weak points that a carefully shaped charge could exploit, surprisingly enough. Just one badly mangled wall, and two inner floors that had been made of nothing but thin light planks to minimize structural stress that had utterly collapsed.


    He frowned in thought, no longer having to fake having all his attention on the problems before them, noting the tons of shattered stone, support beams, and minotaur corpses they¡¯d best take care of soon, because he could already hear the distant squeals of scavenger rats.


    Despite knowing that it would stretch his cover, Eric decided to take full advantage of his Extradimensional Storage Space that had been big enough to claim multiple giant lizards when he had been a mere level nine. And now, already more than halfway to Level 55 as a Primal Adventurer, he had an ES Space that had once stored half a trillion credits worth of gold. So he had all the space he could possibly need, and more than enough potency from his most recent kills to push Flesh Sculptor to the absolute limit.


    ¡°Hey, you guys care what we do with the internals of this fort?¡± Eric said, catching their attention as they continued to sit and chat at his table as he waved toward the pile of planks and rubble that comprised the gutted innards of the fort.


    Richard exchanged a half-smile with his companions. ¡°Nope, the sight¡¯s yours, do whatever you like. You¡¯ve just been elected our group¡¯s engineer for the day. So feel free to knock yourself out.¡±


    ¡°You got an hour,¡± Ron said, no humor at all in his voice. ¡°Assuming shit doesn¡¯t come heading this way a fuck ton sooner. Once you¡¯re done fucking around, then we¡¯ll get to serious work, and you¡¯ll be putting using those muscles of yours to put those blocks where we tell you and maybe we¡¯ll actually have shelter safe enough to rest our heads, for at least a few hours.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Eric said, and immediately got to work. The hard part was already halfway done as far as he was concerned, having spent a good twenty minutes just studying the sight and the scattered rubble, not to mention getting a sense of the potency trapped within the level 60 minotaur frames he had claimed. Massive corpses that were far stronger and resilient that the greater lizard beasts he had once hunted down in the tunnels under New Gilton.


    It took hardly any time at all to actually gather up the rubble and the gutted innards of the keep, before following up with the pair of minotaurs just beyond.


    You have successfully claimed 5 tons of stone rubble!


    You have successfully claimed 2 additional Minotaur bodies.


    You have successfully claimed multiple arrows tipped with eternal flame!


    He smirked at the last, even as the air rang with the surprised whispers of his boon companions.


    ¡°Did you fucking see that, Ron?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Emily, I saw.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a couple of rocks or one of our logs carted with the extra storage space backpack that cost us a fucking fortune. That boy just claimed the entire fucking innards of our building. How?¡±


    ¡°By being foolish enough to invest an entire node on his ES Space,¡± Steve Explained. ¡°No doubt he has a skill for it, and can even hit Journeyman status and invest perk points in it. I mean¡­ obviously he is, because he also claimed all the minotaur bodies... and why do I no longer feel like it was quite as stupid as I first thought it was?¡±


    ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t a stupid move at all?¡± Jack opined. ¡°I mean, just think about all the doors that will be open to this kid as a shipper or courier¡­ or in the construction field, able to store ten tons of rubble and corpses like it¡¯s nothing. And we now have an entire world¡¯s worth of cities that are in need of serious renovation.¡±


    Yuki chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll bet that¡¯s not all he can do with his ES Space.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean like smuggling gold? No, there are hard limits,¡± Steven noted. ¡°That¡¯s one of the reasons why gold¡¯s so valuable. It¡¯s incredibly useful for high powered wizards far beyond what we have here on Earth, and it can¡¯t be stored in ES spaces without rupturing them.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking more along the lines of our own play. You think Bronze Tier artifacts will be a problem in a personal ES Space?¡±


    ¡°Shit, Yuki. That¡¯s a good point,¡± Jack noted. ¡°And didn¡¯t he imply he once worked with an outfit or something? Our dream of a heist might be right up his alley.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. But sure as shit, we got no shot of getting him on board with Ron¡¯s attitude.¡±


    Eric smiled to himself, pretending to be completely oblivious to their conversation as well as Ron and Richard¡¯s murmuring as he closed his eyes and visualized exactly what he needed to happen, sensing that he was pushing his Flesh Sculptor skill in profound ways with his mental exercise alone. Or perhaps it wasn¡¯t all in his head, since he really was forming the shape he needed, infused with the essence of Dominion, or at least his profound understanding of that concept, not caring a lick that he was about to invest a full tenth of the experience he had already earned down here with this single formation.


    Yet as excited as he was to bring his construction to life, it was dampened considerably by the words he couldn¡¯t help overhearing.


    ¡°Please, Richard. We need to get out of here! We¡¯ve already been down here for far too long. I¡¯m starting to feel really claustrophobic, and I can¡¯t pierce a single one of those fuckers with my ice bolts!¡± Elisa¡¯s voice was raw with barely suppressed emotion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, sweetheart. Your ice slicks allow you to help us control the flow of battle. I mean, how many charges have you managed to stop with that and all your other abilities? Combine that with our bulwark, and we¡¯re golden, you know that!¡± Richard¡¯s voice was a soothing counterpoint to Emily¡¯s increasingly anxious tone.


    ¡°Yeah, I know, babe. It¡¯s just that before, I knew we could leave whenever I wanted¡­ and how often have you guys put up with me calling an early end to the day?¡± She gave a helpless little laugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t mind delving before. It was an honest to god sweet fucking rush. But that¡¯s because I could always count on seeing the sunlight whenever I wanted it. Needed it. Even when our fort was a hundred percent, and we all had our own rooms, even with all the lights on¡­ you know I hated sleeping down here. And now? Fuck, Rich, we could be stuck down here wandering this endless labyrinth til we die of old age!¡±


    ¡°It will be okay, sweetheart, I promise,¡± Richard soothed. ¡°You know about Yuki¡¯s gifts. How frustrated she is that she¡¯s never had the opportunity to use that node that will one day make all the difference, for all of us. Right now, she just needs time for her disorientation to pass and to adjust her bearings after we were all ripped from our moorings. So for now, we just gotta take things nice and slow. First we¡¯ll fix up the fort, and you can have your own private room where you can rest and meditate with all the magic lights you like, and I was even able to get you a present before things went completely to shit, see?¡±


    ¡°The Silver Queen¡¯s Adventures? Fuck, I love this series.¡±


    ¡°I know, babe,¡± Rich said with a soft chuckle. ¡°And you don¡¯t want to know what I had to go through to get the entire series. I was saving it for when we got out of here to celebrate our anniversary. But, all things considered...¡±


    ¡°No, this is great. Perfect! Thank you, love!¡±


    Eric grinned despite himself, wondering if they had any idea who played the series heroine when it hit the big screen. In fact, Eric was almost positive that the series, along with absolutely dozens of others that had been littering most fantasy book shelves in the libraries and bookstores of America and most of Europe until the day society collapsed, had been soft propaganda sponsored by his mother. The official story was that she had been playing the odds that at least one of those books would hit the bestseller lists, green-lighting the possibility of a movie, for which Elonia would be absolutely perfect for the role. Just like she would the other half-dozen best-selling series that no one had time to convert to Zon-Flix or big-screen formats before the world went to absolute shit, long before his mother had predicted.


    His bemused smile turned to a disgusted shudder, once more recalling his mother¡¯s final glance when that awful dreadful collar had snapped about his neck.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°They were all in on it,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°The gnolls, orcs, goblins, and mother fucking dearest. They all knew what was going down. And each and every one of them are happy to gamble with us all, like pieces on a fucking chess board. While they all do their damnedest to snatch up yet another freshly blossomed world for their galactic fucking empires.¡±


    He swallowed the lump in his throat recalling how brightly his mother¡¯s eyes had lit up when she had claimed that fragile little girl that had looked just like Elonia, just like her¡­ from the goblin smelting pit she had been hours away from being sacrificed to. He told himself that he was genuinely happy he had played the paladin far better than the dozen or so newly ascended children sworn to Aurlia¡¯s service likely ever would, and his heart warmed at the thought of that child, like 70,000 others delivered from horrific nightmare to be rescued by people who would genuinely love and care for them. They deserved that.


    Each and every one.


    He just hated the fact that his mother had never once looked at him with eyes as soft as those she had favored the little girl with.


    He squeezed shut his eyes, refusing to shed bitter tears, forcing himself to accept just what her final stare had meant.


    Bitter regret overladen by fierce satisfaction.


    Like a professional who had the tough call: trading a beloved pawn for a future queen.


    ¡°Eric? How are you, man?¡±


    Eric forced his eyes open to behold Richard giving him a concerned look immediately replaced with his trademark smile. ¡°I have to say, you¡¯ve done an absolutely fantastic job cleaning up the rubble. That¡¯s going to be incredibly helpful to us, so it¡¯s very much appreciated. Now I don¡¯t suppose you can retrieve the blocks and the wooden beams from your storage piecemeal? If so, me and the gang will get to work putting it all in place before Elonia binds it all in eternal ice.¡±


    ¡°Which she¡¯ll have to cast thrice a day, tapping into her reserves considerably and limiting her ability to control the flow of battle with her ice, because we don¡¯t have any fucking cement,¡± Ron sniped, still glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°How long will it take to put together that way?¡± Eric curiously asked.


    ¡°A fucking week, and that¡¯s if we¡¯re busting our asses the entire time, and not getting ambushed by minotaurs!¡± Ron snapped, Emily paling as her supposed bodyguard made it clear just how dire their situation truly was.


    Which was of course the very moment that Jack gave a desperate cry. ¡°Minotaurs! More minotaurs are coming! Three hot pockets coming our way!¡±


    Surprisingly, Elaine wasn¡¯t the only one who blanched at that dire bit of news.


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m out of juice! I need at least an hour¡¯s fucking sleep. My power-move pool is tapped!¡± Ron said in a ragged whisper.


    Richard¡¯s jaw clenched, his haunted gaze making it clear he was in equal straights.


    Jack¡¯s voice increased in pitch. ¡°Make that four!¡±


    Elaine trembled. ¡°Rich, all I got is ice! I can boost our fort but it¡¯s broken¡­ I can make the ground slick as fuck so they crash, but you know my ice spears don¡¯t to shit! They¡¯re too high level. I¡¯m not skilled enough to pierce their vitality wards!¡±


    ¡°Good thing we got Steve,¡± Richard declared, putting a hand on his far more slender companion¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Feeling up to pulling off a miracle, my friend?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. About that. Eric¡¯s sandwich helped a fuck ton, but I still need some fucking rest before I can safely cast my go-to spell again without risking disaster¡­ or shriveling myself to a smoking corpse.¡± His humorless chuckle turned to an anxious grimace. ¡°Fuck, Rich! You all saw how close my last to obsidian balls came to skewing right off target. It was just as hard pushing the dark from tapping into my sweet life force.¡±


    ¡°Well you won¡¯t have any life force, if those minotaurs close!¡± A now panicked Ron roared, glaring at a shrinking Steve.


    ¡°Fuck! Will you guys get your shit together?¡± Jack shouted as he raced back to them, a wild look in his eyes as he summoned javelin and shield once more. ¡°What the fuck! Why are you all standing around here for? Why aren¡¯t you idiots getting into position?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re tapped,¡± Eric said, cutting off a now glaring Ron. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s just you and me for this round, buddy.¡±


    Jack blinked, eyes widening. ¡°Shit. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I KNEW doubling up my nodes and hyper-specializing in the one true power this fucked up orc class gives me, burning my level up points to get an absolutely fucking absurd Epic tier rank, was the only way to go. Gimp myself? Fucking bullshit. It¡¯s saved my bacon more times than I can count! Almost as much as declaring myself your squire and spending another priceless node on getting access to your ¡®leet Shield perks, Rich. Three fucking nodes invested in javelin and shield. Because I knew we¡¯d need it! But I can¡¯t handle more than one at a time. You all know that!¡±


    Yuki slipped free of shadow, glaring at them all. ¡°Are you fools done ranting? We got four assholes coming our way! Someone¡¯s gotta serve as tank¡­ Elaine you have to at least put up an ice slick! I can flank and hamstring them, but I¡¯ll be a fucking pancake, trying to stop their charge!¡±


    ¡°Guys, you¡¯re missing something very fucking important!¡± Steve squawked in an oddly strained voice.


    ¡°And what would that be?¡± Richard asked, his voice cracking with tension.


    Steve flashed a strained smile. ¡°Our necro-tower¡¯s fully operational once more.¡±


    Eric did his best to tune out his party¡¯s growing panic, all his attention carefully focused on the problem at hand.


    Scholarship check: Successful!


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding skillcheck: Successful!


    Flesh Sculptor performed with FLAWLESS execution!


    You have successfully repaired and enhanced: Flawed Fortress.


    Eric couldn¡¯t wipe the grin off his face when he took a good look at the improved fort, grateful to see that the structure he had visualized in his mind had been executed perfectly. Because he already knew just how effective even Level 15 beast flesh, bones, and hide was in terms of structural stability. It had already proven to more than capable of hosting an entire battery of 3000 pound long guns on multiple occassions. So why not serve as the equivalent of mortar and support struts for a damaged fortress, when he already had all the stone blocks used in the original construction? And even if a few blocks had been shattered, certainly his undead minotaur glue¡­ like horse glue, only a thousand times stronger, was a hell of a lot better than any half-assed cement.


    Best of all, he had plenty of bone left over to both reinforce the external structure with struts, as well as put up a row of nasty looking bone spurs all along the wall of the keep he had repaired, just at charging minotaur head height, which would hopefully discourage those bastards from charging right into the reinforced wall, if they had had any inclinations of doing so.


    Even better, when he closed his eyes and took a quick look at his Interface, it was clear that his latest stunt had raised his Flesh Sculptor skill to just a hair under Rank 25. Considering that he had just used his ability in unorthodox ways in a high pressure situation, even investing a bit of his own experience point pool into the crafting, he thought the skill growth made perfect sense.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Steve?¡± Yuki snapped, the strain getting to her as death rapidly approached. Then she turned, actually looking where Steve was frantically pointing.


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh fuck, are those bone spurs jutting out of the north face?¡±


    Emily whistled. ¡°Bone everything. The entire face is covered in¡­ wow, is that minotaur hide? And what are those red glowing runes all over the wall?¡±


    ¡°Runes for Resilience, Dominion, and Strength,¡± Eric explained. ¡°I just depleted a shit-ton of Potency, Mana, and temporary Soul Reserves reinforcing the North face and the floors inside, so if you want to dash into an actual shelter, I¡¯d highly recommend you do so right now!¡±


    Steve¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are those bone spurs covered in your blood?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°The tips? Yes.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ why?¡±


    Eric grinned and flexed his will once more.


    Your Crimson Orb is now visible to those who have the eye to see.


    You have successfully bound your essence to: 30 bone spur tips!


    Bone Spur tips now blaze at 4000 F!


    Heat Surge is now Rank 13!


    You have depleted your Soul Reserves by (30)(1/2) = 15 points. You have 50 points remaining before you are fully depleted and must rest for a minimum of: one hour to fully recover.


    Eric smiled. ¡°Because our horned friends had it way too easy before, appearing from the tunnels with a perfect run-up to charge headfirst into our fort. Now they won¡¯t find a head-on charge to be quite so effective at bringing down your entire fort.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes were wide with wonder, a relieved smile lightening his features. ¡°This is absolutely fantastic! Thank you, Eric. This is a game-changer!¡±


    ¡°It bows out,¡± Ron said with a scowl. ¡°Clearly our boy¡¯s not an architect, there are no straight lines to save his life.¡±


    Eric raised a polite eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s deliberately convex to spread and dissipate the force of a level 60 charging bull without buckling under the strain, much like a roman arch.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but that doesn¡¯t do shit for the other walls.¡±


    Eric blinked, gazing at the man in disbelief. ¡°Let me get this straight. I actually manage to make a wall that could save your sorry hide, at considerable cost to myself, in a tiny fraction of the time you were hoping for, right before our new friends charge in for the kill¡­ and you¡¯re bitching because it doesn¡¯t match the other walls?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put words in my mouth!¡± Ron snapped. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why military commanders favored box structures for thousands of years, and if you¡¯re too much of an idiot to understand why, now¡¯s not the time to educate you! We got to get in position and pray we can push those fuckers away before they get it into their minds to flank our one ridiculously reinforced wall and hit us where it hurts, which is everywhere else, since you couldn¡¯t do your job. So shut the fuck up and get into position, new blood!¡±


    Eric glared hotly at Ron¡¯s contemptuous gaze. It was all he could do to rein in his furious outrage at the man going out of his way to disparage and belittle every single damn thing he did to help the party.


    It was almost like the man was looking for a reason to hate on Eric and make him look like a clueless fool. Like nothing would make Ron happier than if Eric actually took a swing at him. That hostility made absolutely no sense, particularly when they should be working together, showing at least basic respect for one another, all the more so when they could all sense bellowing death rapidly closing in.


    That¡¯s when Eric stole a glance at everyone else staring so intently at them both as they stood right outside the thick door of reinforced flesh and bone that Eric had made by his will alone.


    ¡°Well, get moving! You got a problem with that, boy?¡±


    Eric¡¯s fists clenched... before sensing the entire party¡¯s sharp discomfort with the sudden tension rapidly heating up between Eric and Ron.


    Yuki cursed softly under her breath. Emily whimpered softly.


    Eric reined in his temper as best he could, slowly shaking his head. ¡°No, Ron. No problem at all.¡±


    He gave Richard a meaning-filled glance as his bone door opening effortlessly at his silent command as he lead the way inside, his thoughts racing as he tried to figure out Ron¡¯s game. Because if his Social Perception, Nose For A Bad Deal, and What The Other Party Wants perks were anything to go by, the man despised him, and would love nothing more than to tarnish Eric¡¯s image in the eyes of everyone else. The asshole was holding a dozen unseen cards close to his chest, and none of them were good. But if Eric did anything but play softball with the man, he was the one who would be branded a troublemaker and kicked out of the group.

 Chapter 306 - Steady Progress

    Eric sighted the roaring minotaurs from the keep top while slowly increasing the tension in the limbs of his bow, his crimson orb now hovering over the opposite shoulder to the one his beloved BunBun favored. He whispered a silent prayer for her safety, as unlikely as he knew that was¡­ before clearing his mind of all thought save the battle about to commence, locking gazes with the closest roaring minotaur charging the keep, clearly not giving a shit about Eric¡¯s fire-essence reinforced spike defense.


    Instead of cocky disdain, Eric felt growing unease. These creatures were level sixty and that rank alone made Eric respect them. If they were charging¡­ they had a reason to be confident.


    Skill check made: You have FAILED to Pierce the Void between yourself and your target!


    0.5 Temporary Soul Reserves extended.


    You have saved versus migraine!


    Eric cursed under his breath, but knew he didn¡¯t have time to fuck around and be cute with his skills when death was literally seconds away from charging into them.


    ¡°Eric!¡± Jack¡¯s voice took on fresh urgency, standing as he was just a few feet to Eric¡¯s left as he peered over the side of the crenelated parapet, a wide-eyed Emily just feet behind them. Richard, Ron, and Steve were all inside, getting the rest they desperately needed, Eric recalling Richard¡¯s earlier pained request.


    ¡°Can I count on you to keep those minotaurs in check for a short nap, Eric? It would mean a hell of a lot to all of us.¡± Eric had smiled and nodded, earning a relieved grin in turn. ¡°Thanks, Jack. I knew I could count on you.¡± Eric had nodded, before looking in the direction of a glaring Ron who had immediately claimed a room and stomped inside without so much as a farewell wave to any of them.


    ¡°You¡¯re good people, Eric. None of us doubt that. It¡¯s just been a really, really long day. For all of us,¡± Rich had said, patting him on the shoulder of his crimson scale armor.


    Eric had just smiled, dipping his head and quickly making his way to the roof, with an excited Jack and anxious Emily in tow. Because there had been a hell of a lot to say about Ron¡¯s behavior, yet Social Perception made it clear that if he wanted any chance at all of making some genuine friends who weren¡¯t tied to his mother¡¯s coat strings, then he dare not risk antagonizing whatever bonds the six of them had. No, he had thought. He¡¯d let Ron dig his own grave.


    Eric was just happy to be on the roof, away from the man.


    Even if that meant accepting the limits of his bow perks and the need to use them in tandem, paying twice the cost that he otherwise would. Of course the beauty of his Soul Reserves was that the expenditure was based on weight alone. So when he sighted the minotaur now bellowing into a charge and the distance between them telescoped in such a way that the minotaur now seemed just inches away as the thick wall of air faded to the void, it only cost him only a single point of Soul Reserves to let loose the crack and thrum that presaged the minotaur stumbling forward with a surprised bellow, crashing to the ground with death¡¯s furious ember blazing in its eye.


    Of course the sixtieth-level monstrosity thrashed and bellowed against its fate, as eternal heat inspired by the very essence of flame battled against the creature¡¯s monstrous resilience before Eric¡¯s critical hit forced the minotaur to surrender to the inevitable.


    A loud pop echoed through the cavern as the lead minotaur¡¯s skull exploded, spraying the area with superheated brain, blood, and gristle as the creature collapsed to the ground, tripping the minotaur just behind it.


    True Strike!


    Void Piercer!


    Echoes of Dominion Pierces Natural Wards!


    Essence-inspired Eternal Flame (4000 f) successfully ruptures natural resistances.


    You have critically struck your target.


    Fatality!


    Solo Kill!


    Experience earned!


    ¡°Nice shot!¡± Jack hooted. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn for gold and glory!¡±


    Jack twisted his hips and snapped forward with a javelin that hummed with so much potency that it blazed like a heat seeking missile to Eric¡¯s Arcane Perception, streaking forth not in an arc but a straight-line shot that blasted right through the chest of a second minotaur now gazing down at the spurting hole in it¡¯s chest with surprise before stumbling to the ground in a heap.


    It struggled to rise on shaky limbs before being knocked over by the minotaur just behind it, the pair of bellowing creatures reduced to surprised bleats, such that only one minotaur made it through.


    Eric whistled, truly impressed. As far as he was concerned, Jack wasn¡¯t launching pointy sticks so much as firing precision artillery, with devastating results.


    ¡°Fuck! I couldn¡¯t get off my ice in time!¡± Elaine cursed, before being sent flying off her feat as the entire structure shook.


    ¡°The fucker just leaped when he charged! He leaped over my spikes! The fucking fucker!¡± Eric shouted in dismay.


    He then turned to meet Jack¡¯s wide-eyed look of dismay. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he assured. ¡°Shit-for-brains didn¡¯t break through¡± He flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Three very potency-intensive runes in a work of flesh sculpting that¡¯s strong as fuck, all of it braced with a convex curve that will be damn hart to counter...¡±


    Eric winced, hearing the crack of masonry on the far side of the structure.


    ¡°Unless it carries the force through the entire tower,¡± he said with a pained grimace, before snapping back into focus, peering over the lip of the tower, knowing there was absolutely no time to waste.


    His position was absolutely terrible for shooting straight down with his bow at the pair of fuckers now tried to scale it, and Jack¡¯s cursing made it clear that as much as the high ground was a super win for him, throwing 90 degrees straight down wouldn¡¯t be perfect either.


    ¡°Shit, their climbing the walls!¡± Jack screached.


    ¡°Cover your ears!¡± Eric shouted, before responding with the best attack he could think of. Perfect for this situation that gave almost no magic or cultivation tells, and best of all, assuming they really could complete this dungeon without risking multiple casualties¡­ he could make use of one of the very few methods available to him to boost a stat that not even his Master Class would let him put points into.


    Only with earned titles or dungeon completions could he hope to raise a stat that normally represented the Achilles heel of his race¡­ The Sylvan half, anyway. And he definitely wanted a much bigger stat if he were ever to achieve outer world titles that could truly make him a force to be reckoned with along Psionic paths that made him shiver with sand dune excitement.


    He glared down at the minotaurs which had already gotten far too close for comfort as Elaine screamed, the air suddenly filled with icy splendor in the form of a half dozen massive icicles slamming down into the closest minotaur and knocking it right off the tower.


    Even if only one of them had pierced deep enough to draw the tiniest trickle of blood.


    The minotaur who laughed off the icicles just dug monstrously powerful hands into Eric¡¯s bone and hide reinforced wall that was far too effective at climbing, then flashed Eric a far too knowing smirk as he began scaling once more.


    ¡°Fragor!¡± Eric roared, both reveling in and hating the ice cold shiver and nauseating lurch he experienced, daring to use a power so alien to his bloodlines. Powers he knew he¡¯d have to practice with every damn day, if he didn¡¯t want whatever weird synaptic connections existed between himself and the most unlikely of abilities to rapidly fade to a half-remembered dream a part of him was eager never to experience again.


    Your target has RESISTED Mana Portion of Psionic Rupture!


    Eric¡¯s gaze narrowed. Just how fucking tough was this thing? He¡¯d killed High level 60s with just two applications!


    He glared at the minotaur, forcing himself to focus, to build up his concentration, his furious hate, to remember the shivering icy cold sensation of spearing and RUPTURING his foe¡¯s mind with will alone.


    The minotaur bellowed, glaring at Eric in oddly sapient challenge, now scaling as fast as it could, battleaxe gripped in its mouth.


    ¡°Fragor.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a shout, it was a whisper.


    A whisper that shivered through the bones of everyone present, earning a surprised cry from Emily and a startled curse from Jack.


    A shiver in the bones that built up to a furious crescendo of destructive power designed to sheer the links between body and soul by tearing the mind completely free to glorious explosive effect.


    You have successfully PIERCED your foe¡¯s natural defenses!


    You have critically struck Greater Minotaur with Psionic Rupture!


    Eric shivered, eyes widening in sudden epiphany. Sensing for just a heartbeat the potential of this odd fusion of Psionics, Magic, and Spiritual Energy synergistically channeled through the gauntlet of Runic Spell forging.


    The absolute farthest thing from any clean psionic kill.


    And more than enough to send the minotaur crashing to the ground, it¡¯s skull exploding in bone fragments and crimson paste.


    ¡°Eric, what the fuck!?¡± Jack said, pasty-faced and lurching back, blood trickling from his eye as the final minotaur climbed over the ledge of the fort.


    Emily looked green around the gills, doing all she could to avoid vomiting, unable even to lift her head up, it seemed.


    Eric met a panicked, furious Jack¡¯s gaze. ¡°Close your fucking eyes right now!¡±


    More by surprised reflex than anything else, Jack did just that.


    And that¡¯s when Eric struck.


    Fire Fist!


    The minotaur, just seconds away from leaping over the parapet had only a split second to look Eric¡¯s way with malicious amusement before feeling the effects of Eric¡¯s overhand cross.


    It was a blow that hit with far more force than his superhuman physique would indicate, even if thrown by an Olympian boxer. Because a Gold medalist might, conceivably, achieve 20 Quickness, with finesse to match for the perfect punch.


    With 265 Strength, over 13 times what any human who had ever lived could claim, the blow should have been beyond devastating. But when Olympian Quickness shot up to over 15 times what any Gold medalist could dream of, that alone equated to a 225 fold increase in power above and beyond what any monstrous 265 strength could generate with Gold medalist speed alone, and it was only his Speed Racer perk, mitigating inertia, at least somewhat, that kept him from cracking the keep tiles under his feet with the power of his strike.


    So it was no surprise that even the minotaur¡¯s rib cage shattered under the force of Eric¡¯s blow, sending shotgun bone fragments tearing through the creature¡¯s heart, lungs, and liver, just a split second before the entirety of the massive beast¡¯s rib cage was filled with white hot flame.


    The creature didn¡¯t even have time to blink before it erupted in a catastrophic explosion of bone shrapnel and gore, and it was only the sheer power behind Eric¡¯s blow that had the fire, blood and shrapnel spraying away from Eric¡¯s two companions, who had both stumbled to the ground.


    Jack gazed up with an awed curse, eyes now open to glare at Eric with suspicion and wonder, Emily curled in a ball, leaking tears as she sobbed and groaned with discomfort.


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain 1 Minotaur of higher level than you in singular combat, using martial abilities and Qi Skills alone.


    Fire Fist is now Rank 9.


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 16.


    This is your first time challenging: Greater Minotaur in singular combat. Opponent is twice your Cultivation level. Opponent exceeds your Primal Adventurer level.


    You have ascended one more step along the Path of Peril!


    You have achieved Rank 28 as Death¡¯s Disciple!


    Strength +3


    Vitality +3


    Quickness +3(1.3)


    Spiritual Energy +3(1.2)


    Note! You are unable to advance further challenging this type of entity. - Singular Exception: Boss-tier opponents.


    Eric flashed a fierce, satisfied smile. A quick look made it clear that, for the moment, they were free of hostile foes. So before more shit came their way, or Ron could burst out of the rooftop hatch and start screaming and cursing at Eric for not killing their enemies quieter, he took a long look at his character sheet, appreciating just how far he had come, and why his enemies were all so desperate to kill him.


    His spirit was filled with an odd mixture of fierce satisfaction and the bitter rue of knowing he had once again managed to play the jester for his mother¡¯s amusement. But all that aside, he could still take fierce satisfaction in how well the twin crucibles of pain and peril were forging him, promising himself that he¡¯d never again play the selfless hero if gratitude was a sucker¡¯s bet, and more powerful players than him were constantly pulling the strings. Because if it were otherwise, if he truly did have autonomy and free will and had been thinking with a clear head, then why the hell hadn¡¯t he even bothered studying for himself the movement technique he had worked so hard to claim? Instead, he had spent every waking moment teaching his would-be wives¡­ his mother¡¯s pawns, how to master cultivation affinities and themselves while ignoring his own needs altogether.


    He shuddered in self-disgust, wondering just how fucked in the head he had been, thinking he had actually been in control of anything¡­ until that mithril collar had snapped about his neck and he finally woke up to just how penniless, and fucked, he truly was.


    On the other hand, what the fuck did he expect? He had been matching wills not with a ninetieth level genius, or a Bronze titan beyond any human Classer, but a Silver-tier Empress who could slaughter Bronze titans by the score, with thousands of years of experience, and a dozen worlds under her rule.


    A woman so tied to fey magics and ancient legends that mastering the minds of mortal men was child¡¯s play.


    And she was his mother.


    How the fuck did he think he¡¯d ever get the best of a fairy queen who he owed his very existence to?


    He shook his head with a rueful chuckle.


    Because none of that bullshit detracted from just how far he had come, in less than a year¡¯s time.


    _____________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 54 Primal Adventurer


    Rank 28 Cultivator (Death¡¯s Disciple)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 268


    Vitality ¨C 281


    Finesse ¨C 198


    Quickness ¨C 352


    Appearance ¨C 24


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 23


    Perception ¨C 189


    Willpower ¨C 77 Perilous Focus.


    Charisma ¨C 13


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 161


    (Mana Pool = 1932)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 236


    (Qi Pool = 2832)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 11


    (Psion Pool = 132)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 85


    Stamina ¨C 2606 Points


    Health ¨C 3599 Points.


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 53


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 28.1 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 29


    Qi Resistance ¨C 44


    Mental Resistance ¨C 27


    20% Bonus to all Spiritual Energy points above 200.


    30% Bonus to all Quickness points above 300.


    Physical Age = 17 Years (+ 32 years, 10 months, 12 days, & 4 hours that Arcane Magics cannot restore! Superhuman vitality allows you to keep your youth, even if you¡¯re now burning your candle at both ends! Note. Your meridians now anchor 12 Divine Tier Spirit Peaches. Life expectancy has increased by 12($%^&^%) years!)


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


    Primal Adventurer Powers


    1. Runic Lore - Rank 28 (Soul Infusion, Tier 2 Runic Spell Evolution, Runic Focus, Blood Runes.)


    Greater runes known: Wood (herbam), Wind (ventus), Fire (ignis), Wrath (iram), Dominion. (dicio)


    Lesser runes known: One (unus) / Many (plures) / Now (hodie) / Sun Duration (dies) / Weaken (debilito) / Strengthen (roboro) / Resilience (mollet) / Freeze (Congelo) / Lightning (Fulmen) / Torment (Cruciatus) / Blood (sanguis) / Gravity (gravitas) / bend/curve/warp (incurvo) / invert/reverse/turn upside down (inverto) / Concentration duration (attentio) / Resilient (mollet)


    Fragor ¨C Rupture (Psionic Explosion)


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully unlocked an unorthodox application of Runic Lore! You understand the links between will, form, and potency better than ever before! And what¡¯s more potent than your own life force? You may now substitute temporary Soul Reserves for Mana whenever you carve runes into any surface using your blood!


    Note! This variant of Runic Lore does NOT work with shouts or chants! Only physical representations of runes.


    2. Unified Restoration ¨C Rank 11 (This Power allows you to infuse your body with your own spiritual reserves whenever you take an injury for near immediate healing, over and above your basic regeneration rate!) - Perk evolution deferred.


    3. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 8


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 6


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 8


    - Lightning Bolt - Fulmen- (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen (30 Mana & Qi, 3 (.50%) SR) ¨C Rank 9


    (This spell dispels/abjures/& can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt -Ignes Pilum - (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 8


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor (30 Mana & Qi & 4 Psion) ¨C Rank 5.


    Cultivation Affinities


    Wind / Wood / Fire


    Qi Skills


    Fire Fist ¨C Rank 9 (10 Qi)


    Windfire Strike ¨C Rank 13 (30 Qi & 3 SR¡­ 1.5 SR with Blood Orb) ¨C Bloodfire Strike ¨C (Uses elements. Pierces resistance and armor and Soul Wards. - Necromantic affinities possible. Absorbs enemy vitality! X2 baseline due to Vampiric Drain evolution of Blood Mastery.)


    Necromancer Perks:


    Basic Class Perks


    All necromantic (and blood magic) skill use is modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    All Summoned & Forged undead have their potency enhanced by Master Necromancer Level.


    All spells conjuring forth any number of creatures have summoned total modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    One additional enhanced class perk is earned every 2 Master Necromancer levels.


    Enhanced Class Perks:


    1. Soul Orb: Tier 1


    2. Undead Legion: Tier 6 (Up to 3,200 revenants may be risen after each battlefield victory!)


    3. Undead Tactical Interface map access.


    4. Vampiric Restoration


    5. Mixed Unit Tactics


    6. Mark of Resilience


    7. Call to Battle (500 mana cost to summon ? UL max at any time on the battlefield, but never more than the number of fallen bodies or remaining adversaries.)


    8. Death March


    9. Undying Phalanx


    10. Enhanced Legion (You can safely raise undead up to level = Adventurer + 2*Necromancer level )


    11. Crimson Orb: Soul Orb upgrade (Soul Orb potency now includes blood magic. ? cost to all soul point using feats!)


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Interface Recognized Skills


    Acting ¨C Rank 6


    Bardiche (Unified) ¨C Rank 21 (Cleaving Blow, Battleforged,*Piercing Strike)


    Blade and Shield ¨C Rank 11


    Boar Riding ¨C Rank 7


    Bow (All Types) ¨C Rank 20 (True Strike, Void Piercer)


    Crossbows ¨C Rank 16 (True Strike)


    Small Blades ¨C Rank 4


    Demolitions ¨C Rank 14 (Path of Mastery)


    ESS Manipulation ¨C Rank 19 (Arcane Resonance Mastery)


    Find Weakness ¨C Rank 24 ¨C (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    Flail ¨C Rank 5


    Identify ¨C Rank 1


    Gunnery ¨C Rank 10 (Cautious Gunner)


    Healer¡¯s Aid ¨C Rank 3


    Iado (Fast-Draw) ¨C Rank 17 (Doom Flurry)


    Javelin Throwing ¨C Rank 21 (Piercing Strike, Void Piercer)


    Negotiation ¨C Rank 12 (Intimidation)


    Repair ¨C Rank 1


    Sling ¨C Rank 17 (Precise Shot Adv.)


    Spear ¨C Rank 25 (Piercing Strike, Battleforged)


    Stealth ¨C Rank 15 (Hunter¡¯s Grace)


    Swordsmanship ¨C Rank 30 (Doom Slice, Battleforged, Cultivator¡¯s Fury (+50% potency Qi attacks) *Piercing Strike *Cleaving Blow)


    Swimming ¨C Rank 2


    Unarmed Combat ¨C Rank 16 (Empty Fist)


    Essence Related Skills:


    Burst of Strength ¨C Rank 15 (Path of Mastery)


    Dominion¡¯s Resilience ¨C Rank 3


    Dominion¡¯s Command ¨C Rank 7


    Heat Surge ¨C Rank 13 (Path of Mastery)


    Unified Perception Rank 23 (Sense Heat, Spiritual Energy, Magic, & Qi Flow.)


    Arcane Skills


    Elemental Wands ¨C Rank 11 (Insightful Caster)


    Advanced Arcane Weapons (Blaster Rifle) ¨C Rank 9


    Necromancer Affinities & Skills


    Blood Mastery ¨C Rank 30 (Blood Claimance, Lesser Healing, Essence Infusion, Vampiric Drain)


    Spirit Mastery ¨C Rank 30 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Forced Obeisance)


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding ¨C Rank 31 (Tier III Path of Dominion, Ritual of Greater Spirit Summoning, *Instant Transcription)


    Flesh Sculptor ¨C Rank 24 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Basic Revenant Preparation)


    Blood Ward ¨C Rank 3


    Potency Binding ¨C Rank 5


    Necromancer Spells


    Unorthodox Abjuration ¨C Rank 20


    Interface Enhancements


    Full Neuro-Linguistic capabilities


    Extradimensional Storage Space


    Essences Claimed:


    Fire ¨C Blazing - (Rank 3, White Tier)


    Wrath (Rank 1, White Tier)


    Dominion (Rank 1, White Tier)


    Path of Endless Bounty ¨C Rank 14 (Crimson Balance, Evolution¡¯s Crucible, Oblivion¡¯s Mercy)


    You may consume the potency of any tile you claim for a 50% bonus to baseline ST & VIT earned while granting 3 Lesser Bounties of your choice!  (Note. These bounties increase in significance when claiming territories of orange tier saturation or greater!)


    You dare to walk Oblivion¡¯s Path (Rank 14 ¨C Journeyman Status) You may consume the potency of any tile you claim, while granting 3 Lesser Bounties of your choice!


    Drink deep¡­ and share with your supplicants!


    Crimson Balance: Each territory feeling the bite of your Necromantic Consumption now gives you a 50% bonus to baseline Strength and Vitality earned, while expertly coaxing the territories to spring to new, desperate life, still granting the same boon of Lesser Bounties as you had gifted before!


    Note: All territories whose destinies you shape under the mantel of Conqueror (and resist feeding upon) will enjoy the bounty of 3 Lesser and 1 Greater land enhancements!


    Congratulations! You have dared to embrace Evolution¡¯s Crucible! The territories you conquer will blossom to unspeakable heights as oblivion itself commands its evolution!


    Each territory you place upon the Path of Endless bounty will have one additional Lesser Boon as a thousand generations of fiercest competition transforms plants, soil, even magical potential itself to new heights of desperate glory, struggling endlessly for survival in a world more ruthless than any mortal could possibly comprehend!


    You have embraced the hidden perk: Oblivion¡¯s Mercy!


    All territories that know your touch will suffer the Low Birthrate Bane!


    All children born within or conceived by man or elf within territories you have forged will enjoy the Gifted Trait Boon. All such offspring will have a sharply increased likelihood of possessing pristine meridian gates of various configurations! (All children with any intact meridian gates whatsoever will be capable of using ascension pods.)


    No child born or conceived within said territories will suffer any adverse genetic mutation or birth defects. All children born within those territories will be unusually beautiful, as pristine genetic templates result in glowing health!


    ___________________________________________________


    Just for fun, he flipped the page and took a gander at some of the key titles he had earned and the compiled summation of System declarations about each one that he had scrap-booked in a separate personal section of his character sheet¡­ because who didn¡¯t enjoy browsing cheerful System declarations when they were trapped in a hell maze with half the world wanting them dead?


    Titles Earned


    Necromantic Prodigy


    HERO


    Lightning Marksman


    Realm Breaker


    Headhunter


    Mad Bomber


    Master Negotiator


    Battlefield Champion


    Battlefield Archer


    Orc Slayer


    Master Criminal


    Basher


    First Ascendant ¨C 5% Increased Rate of Cultivation. +5 to Spiritual Energy


    Alpha Hunter


    Nature¡¯s Boon


    True Disciple


    Primal Warrior


    Transcendant Farmer You have gained the title: Transcendent Farmer.


    Arcane Trailblazer (Elite) You have brought the dead back to life and given them a class!


    Lord of The Dead you risk being HUNTED by members of various fanatic organizations, should you fail to keep your title HIDDEN (or should you bring your undead armies off-world!)


    Artillery Sniper! You¡¯ve also gained an intuitive sense of exothermic reactions and structural integrity both! You can instinctively sense the strength of most mundane materials, and you¡¯re able to jury-rig repairs for almost any complex weapon. The more complex, the better!


    Increased spacial perception and understanding of your chosen weapons means you¡¯re 20% more likely to hit all future targets with all ranged weapons you know at Journeyman Rank or better, and you¡¯re now able learn all ranged weapon skills 20% faster than you would otherwise be able to!


    Battlefield Slinger!


    All slings now enjoy 15% Increased accuracy in your hands!


    Your learn how to master the use of any sling 15% faster than you otherwise would!


    Arcane Sniper


    +15% bonus in the efficiency and use of all sniper rifles & arcane weaponry means you¡¯re able to lock on and eliminate your targets faster than all your competition!


    Harvester of the Harrowed!


    You learn all necromantic skills and spells 20% faster than you otherwise would! Your mastery over the dead means perilous failures (for you!) are almost unheard of, and your chances of successfully forging fresh abominations is now better than ever!


    Death¡¯s Consort


    You now enjoy a permanent 30% bonus to the mastery and application of all killing arts! This includes a 30% bonus to damage to any blow delivered with lethal intent!


    RANKED CONTENDER


    *Congratulations! You have hit 200 in Spiritual Energy!


    You are the first Earth-born Contender to achieve this feat!


    You are now visible in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    You have taken the Number 1 Spot for Spiritual Energy in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    Potency Boon is now in effect!


    Terra takes note of her champion!


    All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Spiritual Energy while you reside on Earth OR one of her many pocket realms, will receive a 20% bonus from Mother Earth herself!


    You have earned the Epic title: DRAGON SLAYER!


    You now enjoy a +5 Bonus to all attempts to Find a Dragon¡¯s Weakness, or overcome their magic resistance! You additionally enjoy +5 to Perception, because only most perceptive and savvy fighters could ever survive a duel with a race so far above their own!


    You now enjoy a +5 bonus to resist Dragon Breath weapons and spells!


    You may now radiate Lesser Dragon Aura: Fear at will! - As you are a cultivator, this counts as an enhancement of your natural killing aura!


    You now enjoy a Dragon¡¯s Boon! All Delve loot drops will be 25% great in quantity and scarcity of resources than for those who have failed to inscribe their feats into living legend as you have!


    You now have +2 to all roles to garner respect from all dragons, so long as you behave with honor in all your dealings with them.


    Adept Delver ¨C 20% EX bonus upon entering Delves of Orange Tier or better.


    Psionics Arcanist!


    You now receive a 20% bonus to successfully incorporate Arcane magics and Psionics into any of your spells! Into any of your spells! Said spells have significantly reduced risk of critical failure. You will now learn spells incorporating said arts 20% faster than you otherwise would!


    All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Quickness while you reside on Earth OR one of her many pocket realms, will receive a 30% bonus from Mother Earth herself!


    Speed Racer!


    For having forged yourself in a high gravity field with thicker than normal air pressure, while harmonizing yourself with the spiritual essence of Wind and Gravity, you have learned how to instinctively maneuver yourself without being overly hindered by wind resistance or air pressure at all! You additionally have limited ability to manipulate the g-forces inertia places upon your form!


    You may now race across any Terrain in Terra or any of its pocket realms with only 1/(Runic Spell Mastery Skill Level) the normal degree of air resistance! A speed-modified skill check will also allow you to redirect your own inertia! Pivot on a dime, with your original momentum intact!


    *Note! This boon applies to you (and your familiar, an extension of yourself) alone. This boon will have NO effect on Revenants effected by the Death March Necromancer Perk!


    Additional Title Boons:


    - Increased spacial perception and sense of timing means you¡¯re 35% more likely to hit all future targets with all ranged weapons!


    You¡¯re 50% More likely to hit future targets with all javelins and throwing spears.


    - You now learn all ranged weapon skills 60% faster.


    - You now learn all javelin & throwing spear skills 75% faster.


    Your throwing spears and javelins fly 15% farther and faster than they otherwise would.


    +4 to reaction rolls from all humans who know of your hero status.


    - So long as you forsake the Path of Rulers, you may consume the essence and potency of any territory you claim!


    - All skills involving explosives or gunnery improve 10% Quicker.


    +2 to all skill checks to impress or intimidate non-native humanoids.


    - You have (an additional) +4 to all skill checks to impress or intimidate non-native humanoids, should you reveal your Orc Slayer title.


    - +1 to all intimidation skill checks.


    - Unless you deliberately hide Orc Slayer title, orcs will either flee, or attack you on sight!


    - You enjoy a bonus to all Find Weakness skill checks against Orcs.


    - Orcs now have a penalty at resisting your Spells or Essence based attacks.


    - All explosives you yourself design and implement, including artillery rounds, will earn you an additional 10% of base experience.


    - Tier 1 (2) Structural Integrity Sense mean that your own weapons will hardly ever blow up in your face, and you now get a gut feeling whenever weapons (or shoddily made buildings) look ready to erupt, topple, or otherwise explode in your face.


    - Your Tier 1 Inanimate Structural Integrity Sense is now Tier 2! Sense when buildings might collapse or bombs (and cannon) might blow up in your face with even greater ease than you otherwise would!


    - All blows with melee weapons are now 15% more powerful!


    - You learn all melee weapon skills 15% faster!


    - All melee javelin and spear skills are learned 30% faster.


    - All melee weapons under 2 feet in length or specifically used to assassinate are learned 40% faster.


    - All thief and assassin skills are learned 25% faster than they otherwise would be.


    - 25% increased chance of finding the weakness in any object through the application of carefully applied brute force.


    - Tier 1 Danger Sense. You will automatically spot hostile intentions from sentients with a successful Perception Check! If you ever feel a cold shiver racing down your spine, you know to DUCK AND COVER, even if you fail to spot the would-be executioner!


    - Your Tier 1 Danger Sense has Evolved to Tier 2! Now you can sense death a split second before you otherwise would!


    - Social Perception - You may now use Perception in addition to Charisma to sense meaning behind action like never before!


    - What The Other Party Wants - Above all else, you¡¯re able to sense what others truly want in any negotiation!


    Nose for trouble. - You can spot a raw deal like overripe fish, and can sense a setup a mile away.


    Smooth Criminal ¨C The law doesn¡¯t take kindly to known criminals, but somehow you always come out smelling like roses!


    Know the Score ¨C  You¡¯re far more likely to hear rumors or be led by the strings of fate to uniquely profitable opportunities of all types and stripes! Rewards from all Elicit activities will be anywhere from 100% to a full magnitude beyond what they would otherwise be!


    - Your bloodline has been purged of all negative mutations as defined by Summer Realm. Symmetrical features, unmistakably sylvan eyes, and enhanced pheromones increases likelihood of potential mates becoming infatuated with you.


    - +15% Cultivation Efficiency


    - +5% Potency to all Spirit Fruit eaten and Beast Cores consumed.


    - All agricultural Professions are now open to you!


    - You receive DOUBLE standard benefit to all Agricultural Profession skill boons, perks, and modifiers!


    - All crops you tend to for 20 or more hours per week will grow at twice the rate and quality than they otherwise would have!


    - You may now safely tend to and harvest all Spiritual plants of up to Silver Tier Potency, even without any agricultural profession!


    You now learn all unorthodox arts (Including Blood Magic & Necromancy) 25% faster than baseline!


    You now have a modified 65% bonus to the rate at which you learn all necromantic arts!


    - Congratulations! You are among the first 5 Terrans to Achieve an Elite Tier skill!


    You now learn all skills an additional 5% faster than you otherwise would!


    ___________________________________________________

 Chapter 307 - Just how hot can fire burn?

    ¡°Eric! What the fucking hell was that!?¡± Jack was gazing at Eric with a wild look in his eyes. Emily was still trembling and dry heaving, pristine silks now scuffed and dirty, their delicious repast now a puddle of vomit by her face.


    ¡°What the fuck was what?¡± Eric asked, the height of innocence.


    Jack¡¯s eyes bulged, jabbing his fingers over the parapet. ¡°That, Eric! Whatever the fuck you did that blew up that one asshole¡¯s head¡­ and the other...¡± His outrage cooled to a thoughtful frown. ¡°Totally blew out his torso. And his entrails¡­ jeez. He looks like someone strapped C-4 to his chest, than kicked him into the Taco Hell burrito fryer.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help smirking at that. ¡°Surprisingly, I have to agree.¡±


    They shared a grin for a second before Jack¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°Seriously, Eric, you can¡¯t be doing¡­ whatever the hell you were doing, without giving us all a fucking head¡¯s up!¡±


    Eric winced. Of course he had truly intended no harm, and intention was everything with both oaths, and his own personal integrity.


    Covering his actions with even the most absurd pretexts, because he¡¯d rather be absurd than show these freshly met acquaintances and at least one hostile party exactly what he was capable of, was one thing. But to put his acquaintances and hopefully future friends in jeopardy was a different matter altogether. Repeating that mistake would be unacceptable to him, oaths aside.


    Eric¡¯s smirk fell, his gaze solemn. ¡°You¡¯re right. My yell might have been a good faith intent to keep those two minotaurs from making it over the ledge, but I still caught you guys in the periphery.¡± He sighed, turning to help a glaring Emily, who scowled, but at least didn¡¯t look away from his apologetic smile when he moved to help her back to her feet.


    ¡°I apologize to both of you. I¡¯m used to delving solo, and I had no idea that there would be any backlash from my shout. My interface notes implied that it only struck an individual target.


    Emily¡¯s scowl softened into a forgiving smile the minute Eric handed her a stein of fresh mead. Or as close to fresh as possible, seeing as how everything in his ES space was perfectly preserved.


    ¡°Yeah, well, I guess I can¡¯t say too much,¡± Emily sighed, taking a sip that had her eyes widening, a gentle smile coming over her features as she whispered a few words that had the smudges and, yes, vomit on her otherwise beautiful dress instantly freezing and cracking right off, leaving her magical attire spotless once more.


    ¡°I was just standing there like a terrified bitch who couldn¡¯t even think straight when those four bull-heads were all charging this way and you guys could have really used another ice slick, even if my ice spikes can¡¯t penetrate whatever that fucking Vitality ward that they use is.¡±


    She took another sip of her drink, closing her eyes in a moment of unguarded bliss. ¡°And this shit alone gives you a free pass. I swear it perks up my mana recharge tate and soothes my belly in a heartbeat!¡±


    Jack sighed and shook his head, his glare turning to a smirk as Emily reached down to collect her staff. ¡°Well, if Emily¡¯s cool, I guess I am too. And fuck, far better you taking out those last two a bit too enthusiastically than pulling a runner and leaving us high and dry. But Eric? Seriously. You could have just let them pop their heads over the parapet. It wouldn¡¯t have been the end of the world.¡±


    Eric blinked at this, before immediately understanding. ¡°You¡¯re a Javelineer with a double Node enhancement. Their ascent was your kill-box. You would have blown a hole clear through both of their skulls.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ hopefully?¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°If my timing¡¯s right and I have half a second¡­ then yes. I¡¯m pretty much the only one here that can pierce their vitality wards no problem.¡±


    He winced at Emily¡¯s crestfallen expression. ¡°And I¡¯m such a bloody one-trick pony that it¡¯s ridiculous. Three freekin¡¯ nodes just so I can Shield like a tank when we need it, or throw javelins that will take down the baddies. Who knows how many nodes I even have left? OR if everyone will be laughing at me when they reach level whatever and grab an epic divine tier spell node or some other shit we can¡¯t even imagine right now, because the galactic elites like keeping us all in the dark.¡±


    He shrugged, chuckling at his own expense. ¡°But yeah, at least for now, I¡¯m useful. I¡¯m one of the few among us that can pierce their defenses without tapping into a limited number of daily feats or Steve¡¯s awesome magic that will slowly shrivel him to an old prune if he¡¯s not fucking careful¡­ and what was in that sandwich by the way?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Spirit Beast meat absolutely filled with rich red vitality. A favorite among blood magic practitioners.¡±


    Jack blinked. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a bloodmage?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    Emily nodded. ¡°He is still covered in blood, Jack. Heat to toe. Even his bow and arrows are magically enchanted bones covered in blood, and you don¡¯t get more necro or blood-magey than that. And Jack? Please quit acting like you¡¯ve bricked your build.¡± She gently punched his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely badass, and you were totally saving our bacon back before our Titan-Shouting archer friend popped in out of nowhere. And if you think we¡¯re going to drop you like nothing, just because we¡¯re locking in those Level 100 god powers you didn¡¯t get the memo on while your still throwing javelins, just trying to survive being stuck in an orc hell-hole, then you really are an idiot.¡±


    Jack grinned in relief before his brow furrowed. ¡°Wait, you guys actually got pamphlets? Why the hell didn¡¯t I...¡±


    But Emily was grinning, eyes twinkling with mischief. ¡°I¡¯m joking, goofball. There isn¡¯t any Level 100 god-tier power node advancement.¡±


    Jack chuckled. ¡°Well that¡¯s a relief, or I would have really felt.¡±


    ¡°The evolution¡¯s at level 80,¡± she said brightly. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re still useful to us for at least another thirty levels!¡±


    Jack smirked. ¡°Ha, ha. Very funny.¡±


    Emily winked, before turning to Eric. ¡°And you. Please, for fuck¡¯s sake, watch the shouts, okay?¡± She smirked. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m just glad you didn¡¯t wake Ron. You guys already act like a pair of Dobermans having a pissing contest. That would have made it a fuck ton worse.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Yeah, good point. And Emily, about Ron...¡±


    Her smile faded into a look both hard and cold.


    Eric¡¯s Social Perception blared sudden warning. He immediately raised his hands. ¡°He¡¯s a snappy dresser. That¡¯s all I wanted to say.¡±


    Her icy stare turned to a sigh. ¡°Yeah, look. I know he was being a complete hardass. But he has his reasons, okay? You¡¯re not the first hotshot we¡¯ve run into out here, though never actually inside the dungeon before. And my mentor¡¯s a former drill sergeant who knows how to break through bullshit. His pressure-testing always brought people¡¯s true colors out¡­ when we were in a position to actually handle them.¡± She smirked, taking another sip of mead. ¡°And you are sort of completely and utterly covered in blood. You¡¯ve even got the same charming smile of Bateman in that Psycho film.¡± Her brow furrowed. ¡°Wait, are you him? I feel like I¡¯ve seen you before.¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°That film¡¯s over twenty years old, and how old did we agree you were, Eric?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Eighteen, I think it was.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°Bale¡¯s gotta be a handsome fifty by now. But maybe he survived the pods and is actually looking just as anti-hero badass as he did in the movies?¡±


    Emily glared at Jack. ¡°I know. I¡¯m not an idiot. Seriously, Jack, don¡¯t you remember what that sage told us when daring the pods, right after our parents? That the lucky few truly built for this life with a full set of nodes actually come out of the pods in the prime of lives. So¡­ it¡¯s possible? I mean, just look at him. He just looks like he belongs on the cover of a teen magazine. Just not with so much blood. Unless it¡¯s a goth or vampire special, maybe.¡±


    Jack smirked. ¡°You¡¯re forgetting that I wasn¡¯t there, Emily. I¡¯m not one of the elites, remember? I¡¯m one of the Javelineers that fled the fall of Gilton. I just look like I¡¯m in my prime because I was nineteen when I was forced in the pods at spearpoint. And thank everything that is sacred and good in this world that your boyfriend saw potential in me, so let me join the Silver Griffins and eventually become an all-star in your crew.¡±


    Emily had the grace to flush, lowering her gaze. ¡°Shit, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s just¡­ you fit in so well with our lives that I feel like you¡¯ve always been one of us.¡±


    Jack shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯s all good now, with our adjoining condos and your parents always treating me right. So no complaints here, you know?¡±


    He then turned to Eric. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± His words cut off when Eric smiled and waved his concerns away, now gazing at Eric with odd intensity once more, before breaking out in a fresh grin. ¡°Well shit, Emily, when you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right. I do feel like I¡¯ve seen this cat before. Are you really the one and only badass Bale, Eric?¡±


    Eric chuckled ruefully. ¡°Nope. I was only ever in one movie, and that was scheduled for release just after the world went to shit.¡±


    Emily winced in sympathy, before her eyes widened. ¡°Wait, you were actually in the movies?¡±


    ¡°Not technically.¡±


    ¡°But your parents, they must be in the business¡­ and we¡¯re from New York!¡± Her eyes twinkled with warmth. ¡°Hey, maybe I saw you at a premier party? Who are your parents again?¡±


    Eric chuckled ruefully. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you both of them, I¡¯m afraid. I never met my father.¡±


    Emily winced, star-struck eyes becoming limpid pools of sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eric. I didn¡¯t know. But um¡­ congratulations for almost making it?¡±


    Jack smirked. ¡°See? Not all of us had perfect lives like you and Richard, or had badass Yakuza ties with uncles serving as New York kingpins while learning martial skills that would have done Wick himself proud. Hell, Yuki¡¯s practically underworld royalty.¡±


    Emily¡¯s glare instantly froze Jack¡¯s braggadocio.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. She is. And you sure as hell shouldn¡¯t be saying that shit to a cat we just met two hours ago¡­ no offense, Eric.¡±


    ¡°None taken from the guy still covered in blood. And I¡¯d totally be wiping it off, if it weren¡¯t so gosh darn good at dealing with heat exchange.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean infravision? The dozens of blazing bone spikes you effectively put up on the side of our keep makes that kind of a moot point, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°It does. But it also means that I don¡¯t feel any heat back lash from my own arrows¡­ among other things.¡±


    Emily nodded thoughtfully at that, now giving him a curious look. ¡°I know it¡¯s totally not my business, but as long as we¡¯re getting to know each other and fight together¡­ what exactly is your ability set?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Bone, blood, and fire is close enough, I guess.¡±


    ¡°And let¡¯s not forget those epic tier shouts,¡± Jack said with a smile.


    ¡°Yup. A cool power I picked up during a fortuitous encounter. Not clearly tied to my build, not yet¡­ but I do have some ideas on how to change that.¡±


    Emily crossed her arms. ¡°But not during this delve.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, in deference to Jack and Emily¡¯s clear concern. ¡°Certainly not where my party members can hear it.¡±


    Emily flashed a relieved smile, showing off perfect pearly white teeth worthy of any Manhattan socialite. ¡°Wonderful. You can look to me for all things ice, by the way.¡± Her grimace turned apologetic. ¡°Unfortunately, all the progression charts that I have access to made it clear that eldritch frost was the path to true power, which means I progressed out of standard ice, which we could have really made use of for purposes of potable permanent drinking water, if I had known we were going to be stuck in a maze indefinitely.¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Yeah, I hear that. Nothing¡¯s worse than working hard towards a class or build, only to find out that you really miss what you had to leave behind.¡±


    Emily sighed, dipping her head. ¡°But no one says this girl can¡¯t learn from her mistakes! As soon as I get out of here, I¡¯m buying a storage ring at auction, and I¡¯m cramming it with nothing but rations, water, survival gear and healing potions.¡± She smirked. ¡°And as much of this mead as I can get my hands on. This is truly a lifesaver!¡± She tilted her head curiously. ¡°But I¡¯ve been to a Contender convention before, and although it was fascinating getting a chance to hear the various Elven factions make their case without them pointing their bows at us, and offering some damn fine food, including the best tasting pastries you can imagine¡­ there was nothing like this mead, that¡¯s for damned sure.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s just say this mead was Freetown adjacent.¡±


    This earned wide-eyed looks from both of them, gazing a bit too intently Eric¡¯s way, and he counted himself a fool for dancing a bit too to things better left unspoken.


    ¡°Shit, are you for real? Wasn¡¯t there a major kerfuffle back at Freetown a while back? Some wild Contender who tried to take out multiple faction heads before fleeing the city entirely?¡±


    Jack chuckled. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s right! And the fool actually dared to eat the pulled pork. He basically declared war against the entire Orc Confederacy. I mean, there¡¯s ballsy... and there¡¯s whatever the fuck he was.¡± Jack sighed. ¡°Poor bastard was probably strung up and crucified. Or maybe just thrown into one of their barbecue pits. Damn shame. At least the fool had a spine.¡±


    Emily gave him a look. ¡°I¡¯ve heard you rant about orcs yourself, Jack.¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± He smirked. ¡°But my chieftan was dead, and I swore no oath to anyone else. But all the same, I¡¯m fucking glad I headed to New York and not Freetown.¡± He turned back to Eric. ¡°So, I don¡¯t suppose you were at that convention? I think it was hosted by Blue Corp, actually. The only faction that doesn¡¯t give you rights of rulership over any territory you claim for them.¡±


    ¡°True, but they do offer that sweet, sweet, headache-free 20%. And if your territory¡¯s something special, they will invest an absolute fortune in it, turning it into a true mecca that¡¯s pretty damn close to our 21<sup>st</sup> century tech, in some ways at least, only using Electromana as a power source instead of the electricity we¡¯re used to,¡± Eric noted with a smile. ¡°And trust me, the accommodations are cutting-edge. They even have limited RPGs on their computers in their hotel suites, along with thousands of reclaimed anime in brilliant 3-D holographic displays, including every episode of Super Punch ever made! Though he is wearing a Blue Corp logo in this version. So if you don¡¯t mind a pre-internet space-fantasy vibe, you really can¡¯t go wrong with Blue Corp, especially when the credits start rolling in, because they invest in actual industrial, mercantile, agrarian, and delving infrastructure where the other factions are just playing Renaissance fair.¡±


    Eric found himself warming up to the intent gazes of his companions, both of them hanging on to his every word. ¡°As a matter of fact, I was at that conference you mentioned, Jack. As for all the sweet grub I pilfered¡­ let¡¯s just say I crashed the Sylvan Alliance¡¯s pad personally.¡±


    Elaine froze, giving Eric a too intent look. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re telling me you were actually in Elonia Silver¡¯s castle? She¡¯s the Contender, right? Formerly a famous actress who had starred in half a dozen high fantasy romance films like our knew reality most definitely isn¡¯t?¡±


    Eric grinned, raising his hand. ¡°Guilty as charged. And I don¡¯t mind telling you, the food was even better than what they were offering the Contenders and all the 30<sup>th</sup> level wanna-be Contenders in Freetown.¡±


    Jack flashed a hard smile. ¡°And you actually had the balls to pilfer their entire larder?¡±


    Here, Eric adamantly shook his head. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not some asshole whose going to put the squeeze on hundreds of desperate troops trying to survive getting utterly overrun by 15,000 orcs and 80 odd cannon. Hell no. But their freezers full of pastries radiating magical deliciousness? The five tables absolutely filled with a feast¡¯s worth of delectable treats as a farewell celebration to Elonia¡¯s idiot of a brother? Damn right, I robbed those fuckers blind.¡±


    Emily froze, too-wide eyes gazing into Eric¡¯s own. ¡°15,000 troops and 80 fucking cannon? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ maybe?¡±


    She and Jack exchanged a look.


    ¡°Dude, you know that¡¯s impossible, right? No one has eighty cannons. We only have six in New York and they¡¯re all claimed by Classers!¡±


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


    Emily froze, glaring Jack¡¯s way. ¡°Jack...¡±


    He wave off her concerns. ¡°Relax, Emily. I seriously doubt he¡¯s planning on taking on New York with his army of one.¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Well, sure as shit, I¡¯d have to escape this dungeon first, right? And maybe instead of charging in the gates, I¡¯ll just knock politely and head to the market? I don¡¯t know, where do adventurers shop for high end gear in New York?¡±


    ¡°Sacks and fifth, same as always,¡± Emily said with a smile. ¡°Even though only the heart of our city remains the way it was. The rest stepped back in time by a good fucking hundred years.¡± Her gaze grew intent. ¡°So, seriously, what¡¯s up with the Elven faction? Are they still around? And what¡¯s this about eighty cannon? Come on, spill the beans!¡±


    Jack flashed an apologetic smile. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. Her and Richard¡¯s parents had to go off to Freetown on business of some sort, and besides knowing that it has to be about politics, everyone¡¯s keeping tight lipped. I mean, we don¡¯t even know what the status of the Sylvan Alliance even is! They¡¯re the only Elven faction that wasn¡¯t wiped out, right?¡±


    Emily tilted her head thoughtfully, peering up at Eric. ¡°Is that why you were in that collar? You were fighting for the losing team, and the elves and their champions were just put up for auction? Is that what happened?¡± She asked, before cringing at her own words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That must have sounded callous as all hell.¡±


    Jack winced. ¡°Yeah, sorry about that, Eric. We didn¡¯t mean to bring up any bad...¡±


    Jack froze, now gazing at a smiling Eric a bit too intensely while Eric focused most of his attention on the bodies below.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Eric. You¡¯re name¡¯s Eric!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Well, yeah. You know that already. Anyway, I think I hear those rats coming. Better get those minotaur bodies while the going is good.¡±


    Eric then hurtled off the parapet, effortlessly leaping to the ground, monstrous Strength, Vitality and damage resistance, and most importantly perhaps 350+ Quickness meant that when he was in battle-mode, time seemed to stretch and slow to just the tiniest fraction of what it would otherwise be. Which also meant that his body had a chance to absorb and counter the inertia, as if his body was making contact a dozen times slower than it would for any mortal, showcasing just one of the boons of a lightning Quickness coupled with the right stats in the right ratios to make Slow-Time an actual thing. Because how many blows that could knock a guy out would be nothing more than a gentle, insistent shove the body could effortlessly adjust to, if it was going at 1/12th of its normal speed?


    By the same token, any punch would see the kinetic energy generated jump a hundred fold if the speed of the fist went up by ten. Which meant that his leap meant no more to him than jumping on a bed.


    Of course, he was dead set on hiding his true stats and what he was capable of, but the look in Jack¡¯s eyes underscored what Eric should always keep firmly in mind. No matter how naive, impulsive, or young any delver happened to be, no one reached level forty whatever by playing the fool. Except, perhaps, for himself.


    Still, it was only a minute to race forward and collect the remaining minotaurs. Best of all, the instant they were in his storage space, Flesh Sculptor gave him an intimate sense of the entirety of the bodies he had claimed. Their strengths, weaknesses, how best he could manipulate them, and most important to him, an appreciation for the strongest, densest bones in their bodies as he closed his eyes and visualized the perfect arrow. An arrow he could visualize so clearly because he had Soul Linked with so many and intimately knew their shape and feel. Thus bone arrows with fletching of leather and sinew were something he could now effortlessly shape in the comfort of his ES Space, no additional crafting skill needed, as Flesh Sculptor paid rich dividends once more.


    Flesh Sculptor skill check modified by previous soul-bound artifacts made: Critical success!


    Your arrows forged of a minotaur¡¯s femur, are now just as straight as the first handful you had ever claimed. You have successfully created new (minotaur hide) fletching! You have successfully attached bone arrowhead.


    You have forged an additional 12 Greater Minotaur bone arrows! These arrows are precisely 5x the density of your other arrows.


    You have successfully fused all arrows with the essence of Dominion!


    You have runemarked your arrows with the runes of Resiliency and Dominion.


    You have converted a portion of one Minotaur body into¡­ archery targets.


    Fire at will!


    Eric decided he didn¡¯t mind the silence when he leaped back to the parapet ledge, his Strength enhanced Quickness making it effortless to leap the thirty feet height, Finesse allowing him to land as gracefully as any gymnast.


    ¡°And now for some archery practice!¡± He grandly declared, for all that his draw was slow and careful with the first of his freshly made arrows glittering with ruby iridescence, thanks to the runes he had forged with blood and focus, reveling in having access to his sweet, sweet Mana reserves once more.


    He took a deep breath, partially exhaled, and held it as he sighted his first target and released his pinch grip, eyes lighting up satisfaction when the arrow streaked through the air to plunged almost to the fletching, no feats needed. Of course there was no Vitality-based field protecting the targets now, but the flesh had still been considerably reinforced after being exposed to his rather awesome Flesh Sculpting boost, naturally infused with the potency enjoyed by all the creatures he raised via his Master Necromancer class.


    He couldn¡¯t wipe the grin off his face with the satisfying thwack of arrows streaking forth at a good safe fraction of the speed of sound plunging into his target over and over again as he lost himself in the zen of archery, only one arrow exploding as it hit one of the massive swarms of rats that had come from seemingly nowhere to gorge upon the minimal remains Eric had left of their titan-sized kills. Fortunately for Eric and his fort, the rats found the taste of Necromancy-enhanced remains abhorent, so quickly learned to leave both targets and fort alone.


    You have successfully struck your targets 12 times!


    1 arrow has shattered.


    You have gained familiarity with: Heavy Bone Arrows!


    You may now Soul-link Heavy Bone Arrows at ? standard potency cost.


    Jack whistled, gazing down at the targets that Eric had deliberately set up both close to the keep and near one of the tunnels, to mime shooting at the minotaurs at different ranges. ¡°That¡¯s some nice shooting, Eric. They were all straight line, no real fall at all.¡± He frowned thoughtfully at the arrow Eric had yet to fire. ¡°Those look different than the ones you used before.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I made another dozen in my ES Space with the strongest, densest bones in the minotaurs that I could find. That¡¯s why you¡¯re seeing very little falloff. My arrows go fast as fuck and their five-fold mass means that it takes considerably longer for the air to kill their momentum. My hope is that level 60 minotaur arrows might be able to pierce their natural defenses without me burning a TSR point every time every time I shoot my bow.¡±


    Emily nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Makes sense,¡± she said, before flashing a grin. ¡°And you are our archer, so¡­ kudos to you for taking your role so seriously.¡±


    Then her eyes abruptly widened. She immediately lurched back, bemused half-smile turning to a look of panicked despair. ¡°Oh fuck, oh fuck, they¡¯re coming again!¡± She looked on the verge of tears as Jack gave her a wordless hug. ¡°It will be okay, Emily. Right Eric?¡±


    ¡°The fuck it will! Those bastards are going to wreck my arrows, and my targets!¡±


    ¡°Eric, what the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    But Eric was already leaping free and darting down the hallway, desperate to make it to his targets before the giant trio of minotaurs lighting up the gloom with their fiery red eyes stomped his toys to kindling. All three roared and raised their battle axes up high, clearly meaning business.


    You have successfully claimed 2 targets! Six Bone Arrows have been successfully reclaimed. You have successfully Flesh-Crafted Razor Sharpness to all six arrows.


    Congratulations! Flesh-Crafting is now Level 25!


    You have Soul Bound 6 bone arrows for minimal permanent Soul Reserve cost!


    Your last target has been smashed to kindling!


    ¡°Motherfucker!¡± Eric roared, his fist crackling with white-hot flame.


    ¡°Eric! Get the fuck back here!¡± Jack¡¯s worried cry brought a smile to Eric¡¯s features despite his sharp hot spike of fury. It was almost like he cared.


    Eric had a plan. It was a good plan. He¡¯d be a low key archer everyone could relax and make friends with. It was the perfect way to move forward.


    The largest of the trio of minotaurs roared and snorted, eyes snapping right for Eric despite his careful use of blood and essence, now whipping his massive dark steel axe in deadly moulinets while charging right for Eric in the gloom of darkness.


    That was when Eric realized he could no longer hold back.


    He didn¡¯t dare to.


    If his hopeful friends understood what happened in the darkness? Then he would deal with that when it was time.


    For now, it was good to finally tear free all the shackles holding him back.


    His lips stretched in a savage grin, ears thrumming with the furious pounding of his heart. Eric found himself taking in every detail of the environment around him, noting the roughly hewn stone the massive minotaurs strode upon with their cloven hoofs and reversed knees, how they roared and bleated so oddly as they whipped their axes downward in fierce, overhand chops to avoid hitting each other at speeds that would have cleaved right through a Sherman tank.


    Descending Damocles blades he found effortless to weave and dodge past before returning some fierce savage love of his own, his fist crackling as he unleashed a series of right hooks, spinning backfists, and overhand crosses exploding into the ankles and shins of his opponents.


    The minotaur¡¯s looks of surprise would have been comical as they collapsed to the ground upon bones that had shattered like glass before Eric¡¯s onslaught, his bemused half-smile kept so tightly in place now revealing the furious howls of an animal that had been caged, brutalized, and tormented beyond what any living creature should be forced to endure. And no matter how desperately he struggled to hold it all together, to keep from collapsing and shrieking in pain, grief, loss, betrayal and with wild, psychotic fury¡­ all it had taken was the callous destruction of a handful of arrows and a target for him to explode with rage that could no longer be contained.


    Furious wrath desperate for a target, any target, as the minotaurs bellows became desperate bleats of panic as the area outside the keep was marked by a dragon¡¯s fury, explosions of fire, and the shredded bodies of minotaurs pounded beyond all recognition.


    Congratulations! You have singlehandedly slain three sixtieth level minotaurs with the fury of your fists alone!


    Unnarmed Combat is now Rank 17.


    Fire Fist is now Rank 10!


    You have reached Journeyman Rank in Fire Fist! How do you wish to evolve your ability?


    Endless Blows ¨C You revel in the madness of battle and would happily take on an entire army with a never-ending stream of blows! You now only pay half the normal cost in terms of physiological fatigue or Potency Pools accessed by this skill!


    Power Strike. - You have already unlocked a handful of secrets once the sole province of an ancient martial clan. For double standard potency cost, you may infuse your fiery blows with added explosive power! Now you do additional damage equal to your strength in terms of raw percentage. - Hidden Boon! Most White tier martial artists never achieve your degree of Strength! Where a gifted young master with 50 strength will enjoy an added 50% damage bonus with his Fire Fists, you will (at present) enjoy a whopping 268% Damage bonus and increased Fire Explosion Radius! - Embrace the Body Cultivator¡¯s highest ideal, and let your strength work for you!¡±


    Transcendent Strike - Dare to go beyond all Earthly limitations and embrace the very origins of destruction! Your Fire Fists will now transcend fire¡¯s mortal echo and unleash a higher order manifestation of the Platonic ideal of Flame, should you will it so. 10 Qi & DOUBLE Spiritual energy cost in Soul Reserves will be expended with every Transcendent Strike you dare to unleash.


    Eric¡¯s fury froze in an awed heartbeat, the anxious cries of his teammates fading into the background as he went over the perks before him.


    Endless Blows would be excellent for sustainability and training up the skill itself, a vital consideration for cultivators with a Qi Pool closer to the norm. As for himself, even without any perk at all, he could throw an absolutely absurd 280 or more Fire Fists before he needed to cultivate or sleep to restore his Spiritual Energy. If anything, his natural reserves were such that even its advantages in terms of insane grinding, turning 280+ to 560+ punches, would be so niche specific that he¡¯d be far better off getting another perk that actually powered his strike.


    Power Strike was, of course, the epitome of grabbing a skill evolution that synergized perfectly with his underlying build. Since his Path of Endless Bounty tied directly into granting him boons of Strength and Vitality with every territory claimed, it would be a way to allow for absolutely devastating strikes that were even now almost quadruple the norm in terms of fiery explosions and, perhaps just as importantly, the radius included, meaning that every time his fist slammed into an enemy, he might obliterate half a dozen others in close proximity. And that number and the damage would only grow with his increased strength as both kinetic and explosive heat damage ratcheted up to absolutely glorious levels. And double standard cost still meant that he would be able to launch a full 140 of those bad boys with every fight.


    It was an undeniably devastating perk that he really should get, as it fit perfectly with his path as a cultivator and as a contender.


    Yet there was one more that begged fair consideration.


    A skill evolution promising an enhancement unlike any he had seen before.


    Somehow he knew it would be far beyond Wrath evolving into a Burst of Strength skill, useful as that had been for him in the past, or mastery of a Greater Rune, or infusing essence to his blood and wreaking fiery havoc indirectly.


    This would be using his Essence affinities to tap directly into a higher order of Flame, an eternal ideal, into the most primal of all martial blows: His fists.


    When he punched, he wouldn¡¯t be unleashing a fiery explosion of destruction to utterly rupture whatever target¡¯s wards he¡¯d pierced with his fist, and maybe inflict a handful of burns to high level monsters nearby that would at least be distracted by the pain.


    All of that was a mortal echo of Transcendence


    Eric somehow knew that comparing this higher order Platonic ideal to an arcanist¡¯s fireball would be like comparing a drawing of fire to an actual blazing inferno.


    Then throwing the sketch right in.


    He got chills just thinking about it. Viscerally imagining some cutout orc shaman¡¯s paper ice ward, then devouring it just as effortlessly as a laughing player setting his DM¡¯s papers ablaze. A grave insult that might result in criminal charges, or at least banned from a certain playgroup. Yet in the bitter crucible that their world had become¡­ Eric couldn¡¯t think of a more powerful manifestation of his abilities.


    Soul Reserves channeling eternal ideals and Spiritual Energy fused together. Multiple pieces of the puzzle that would unlock the path forward to a Bronze-tier class truly worthy of the path he dared to walk.


    He got shivers just thinking about the possibilities.


    But even so¡­


    Each strike would cost both ten Qi which he had in abundance¡­ and an absolutely absurd twenty points from his Temporary Soul Reserves, which would run out way too damned fast.


    It was here and only here that a perk like Endless Blows would actually be a worthy 20<sup>th</sup> level enhancement. For he sensed that particular perk would be around to choose forever. Just as he sensed that only here and now, after being pushed to the brink of oblivion, forced to rely on blood and essence alone to survive what should have been his death multiple times over, this day, that he was being struck with an epiphany he could so easily channel into a transcendent, otherworldly understanding of living flame.


    He could only pray that he would still retain the flexibility to alternate between mortal and Transcendent Fire Fists.


    But even if there was no such option¡­ even if he never had the opportunity to reduce its costs to truly manageable issues, he already knew the path he would take.


    For the sake of an ultimate closer after honing himself against the darkest abominations he could find¡­ For the sense of a key slowly unlocking the puzzle of his soul as he sought to unify his utterly disparate build¡­


    There really was no choice but the one he would take, no matter how much he would love to take Power Strike if the opportunity ever arose a second time.


    Eric calmed his pounding heart, finalizing the choice he had already embraced, the rest just pretext for the brilliant impossible flame that had utterly disintegrated the trio of minotaurs with his last blow, leaving nothing but a smooth sheer crater in the stone floors, and a pair of broken shafts and Dark Steel axe heads that had been just outside the final Fire Blast¡¯s area¡­ all that was left behind.


    And as far as Soul Reserves and his mastery over fire, even the platonic ideal of flame went¡­ he had been pushing both traits to the utmost since the instant a bitter mithril collar had snapped around his neck promising oblivion.


    Even as his body trembled with the sudden pulsating surge of power redefining him, Eric howling with the sweet joy of ascension, he knew that his latest stat boost would have no weird twisted silvery tendrils messing with his mind, no AI algorithm redefining his psyche. For the 9 points he slammed into Soul Reserves was just a flick of a metaphysical accountant¡¯s pen, denoting the furious crucible of growth he had already been forced to endure after finally slipping free of his mother¡¯s bewitching gaze.


    You have slain 3 minotaurs beyond your level in melee combat.


    Congratulations! You have achieved Level 55 as a Primal Adventurer!


    All potency pools have been fully restored


    Health and Stamina are now full.


    Soul Reserve Pool has been boosted 9 points.


    You have successfully SAVED versus direct System modification!


    _____________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 55 Primal Adventurer


    Rank 28 Cultivator (Death¡¯s Disciple)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 268


    Vitality ¨C 281


    Finesse ¨C 198


    Quickness ¨C 352


    Appearance ¨C 24


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 23


    Perception ¨C 189


    Willpower ¨C 77 Perilous Focus.


    Charisma ¨C 13


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 161


    (Mana Pool = 1932)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 236


    (Qi Pool = 2832)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 11


    (Psion Pool = 132)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 94


    Stamina ¨C 2606 Points


    Health ¨C 3599 Points.


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 53


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 28.1 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 29


    Qi Resistance ¨C 44


    Mental Resistance ¨C 28


    ______________________________________________


    ¡°Eric, if you¡¯re alive¡­ get the fuck back here!¡± Jack screamed. ¡°Those fuckers are swarming!¡±

 Chapter 308 - Did his mother really expect him to slaughter them all in cold blood?

    Eric felt a jolt of alarm upon hearing Jack¡¯s desperate cry for aid, not certain if he had been lost in a fugue for countless minutes, or just the blink of an eye. Either way, he could do nothing but move forward, no longer bothering to hide his strength this deep in the corridor he had chased the minotaurs in, racing for what he thought of as the central hub, his bow and new arrows at the ready.


    Arrows that were now reinforced with the Essence of Dominion and linked to his soul, their tips a white-hot incandescence infused with the essence of flame.


    And it was every bit as bad as he had feared.


    In the time he had charged those three scouts like a head strong fool, no less than a full dozen minotaurs had taken the opportunity to charge the keep as one.


    Emily¡¯s desperate shriek immediately brought everyone to the fore, and Eric could only pray that Rich and the others had gotten enough rest to at least partially use their perks and feats.


    Just in case he didn¡¯t manage to take them all out, Eric thought with a furious grin as he knocked his bow, glaring at the minotaur even now ascending the wall after smashing a crater just above his carefully placed spikes.


    He zeroed in on the back of it¡¯s neck as if it were just a few scarce feet away as the dense fabric of air between hunter and prey faded to nothing.


    And only then, when Emily was screaming and Ron shouting and calling an exhausted Richard seven kinds of fool for trusting an outsider, did Eric release his arrow.


    Before immediately switching his focus, ignoring the confused shouts and the distant pop of a skull rupturing free of a minotaur¡¯s head as Eric drew another bead. And another.


    He took his time, of course, he was no fool. Even when his new friends were crying out in panic as four minotaurs, the farthest thing from stupid beasts, charged in tandem, actually managing to smash into the farthest wall from the tower Eric had worked so hard to fix.


    Yet as infuriating as it was, as much as the desperate cries of his friends tore at his focus, he kept his focus as cold as the tips of his arrows were hot. Only taking shots that wouldn¡¯t be deflected off of windmilling arms or furiously darting bodies.


    It was far slower than he would have liked, tens of seconds instead of the blink of an eye.


    But the icy satisfaction he felt when one roaring minotaur after another that was furiously on a snarling Ron¡¯s upraised shield, or slamming Richard an instant before he could summon his party-wide golden auras¡­ when those abominations suddenly stiffened with surprised looks upon their bovine faces as they opened their mouths to bellow, yet could only shoot out streams of incinerated lung and white-hot flame, Eric felt a fierce satisfaction as the predators became the prey.


    True Strike!


    Void Piercer!


    Find Weakness skill check made. You have critically struck your target!


    Sadly, not every shot went his way. Because even when he spent precious seconds infusing the limbs of his bow to send his arrows at Mach 4 without shattering... it still wasn¡¯t enough to pierce their impossibly thick skulls. No matter that the arrow was 5 times normal density and made of their own femurs. Clearly, absurdly potent protective magics were in play, and perhaps it made sense, considering the force with which they charged their targets with those very same skulls.


    But the furiously pounding hearts that were double the size of an elephant¡¯s were beautiful targets his Infravision enhanced Find Weakness had no problem picking out. And for all that the first shot bounced off ribs as touch as the skull¡­ The second and third arrow found their marks.


    And the fourth a well.


    Then the fifth.


    And suddenly the minotaurs were down to half their strength, and Ron was protecting a downed Richard as Jack dodged and darted furiously, perforating as many minotaurs as he could with his own brand of death, for all that Eric could tell that exhaustion and feat depletion had finally taken its tole on perhaps the longest lasting member of their team. Jack¡¯s furious aggression also helped protect Emily, now wide-eyed and trembling in the crumbling remains of the ruins, desperately trying to feed a potion to a comatose Steve.


    As for Yuki¡­ Eric saw not a trace, He could only hope that meant that she was embracing the shadows, preparing to hamstring half a dozen of the fuckers now uniformly glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    Eric¡¯s lips stretched wide in a feral grin as all their focus turned on him.


    It was effortless to light himself up with wild flickering flame. Showy, pointless, the opposite of his sniping style, but at that moment, it was fine. Right now, he wanted to draw his prey in.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, motherfuckers! Fresh elven flesh for the bull-faced asshole that can get me! And by the way, I fucking love hamburgers. Almost as much as I love pork! You don¡¯t like it? Then ignore your fucking appetizer and head for the main course! Because if you don¡¯t take me out, I sure as fuck am coming for you!¡±


    Words he emphasized with the twang of his bow as one of the half dozen snorting bull-heads stiffened and toppled over with a white-hot arrow blazing and spurting in its right eye, skull gushing superheated fluids and fire as the minotaurs left bellowed their hatred and went charging Eric¡¯s way.


    Just a heartbeat before a reappearing Yuki could hamstring the last.


    She huffed and glared Eric¡¯s way. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking stupid¡­ they¡¯re going to kill you. Run, you goddamned idiot! Run!¡±


    But Eric was tired of running. Tired of fear, pain, and the terror of death.


    What he felt with the five giant sized lumbering assholes who actually thought they could tag him if he didn¡¯t want to be tagged was fierce exultation¡­


    And a hunger for their deaths.


    352 Quickness UTTERLY DOMINATES your foes!


    Speed Racer controls all inertia.


    Perception and Finesse allow for enhanced Battle-time!


    You have successfully weaved past your opponents blows.


    You have dared to manifest Transcendent flame!


    ¡°Fire Fist!¡± Eric roared the words as he struck, simply because he could.


    A brilliant flash of impossibly hot light flooded the corridor.


    Yuki screamed in surprised dismay.


    ¡°Fuck! What the fuck just happened!?¡±


    And before she could blink away the dazzling lights, the hallway flared with the brilliance of a supernova yet again.


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m blind! Goddamn it!¡±


    Her words died off to eerie silence. Save for groans and panicked sobs, the horrific clatter of hooves to stone tiles, black steel against enchanted shields and the desperate shouts of a Javelineer pushing his class beyond all limits¡­ all of it had been replaced by the roar of silence as Eric gazed down with dazed disbelief at his brilliantly shimmering hand.


    Then looked to the perfectly smooth crater that had eaten into the wall.


    Of the five giant minotaurs, Eric didn¡¯t see a trace.


    ¡°Jeezus T.H... I don¡¯t fucking believe it.¡±


    Eric swallowed, heart pounding as he gazed at his own trembling fist.


    You are directly responsible for the deaths of 10 Minotaurs!


    Bow is now Rank 21!


    Find Weakness is now Rank 25!


    You are more than halfway to your next level!


    CONGRATULATIONS! You are the first Contender to unleash a higher order manifestation of any element within this quadrant! You have successfully obliterated multiple enemies of a higher level than your primary class with a single blow!


    FIRE ESSENCE ¨C BLAZING ¨C HAS ACHIEVED RANK 4!


    System-Wide Notice! Eric Silver has earned the ELITE title: Divine Trailblazer!


    (Good thing you¡¯re currently trapped in a dimensional maze rift, blocked from all outside communication! Because if your enemies were eager for your head three hours before, that¡¯s nothing compared to how much they would all want you dead now!)


    You have earned the following boons for your incredible feat!


    You now enjoy +5 Points to ALL potency potentials that you have currently unlocked!


    You now enjoy #$@%^ Increase in Essence based damage!


    You now enjoy a @#%#@% reduction in the cost of all Essence-based abilities!


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    NOTE.


    TRANSCENDENT ATTACKS CANNOT BE MODIFIED BY TITLE BOONS.


    (As skill enhancements are a reflection of your evolving soul, skill enhancements and class evolutions alone may modify the potency and efficiency of essence-based Platonic ideals.)


    Eric¡¯s mind was whirling as multiple messages thundered in his ears. He had enjoyed a handful of essence related skills for quite awhile, and had used Burst of Strength, Heat Surge, and Infravision, later evolved to Unified Perception, since his earliest days. All of which had allowed him to survive so long and overcome such perilous odds. But those had been skills based on his essences. Even his blood-enhanced armor, deadly arrows and fire that seemed to burn endlessly was but manipulating his blood with an essence¡¯s end result. Heat that became flame.


    Now that he thought of it, his runes but described the ideal of the essence, and his own affinities allowed him to infuse so much more meaning into his Spells than he could otherwise hope to. Even infusing the essence of Dominion into so much of his armor¡­ it had been inspiration, the shadow of the higher platonic ideal, not the ideal itself, that had infused his runes. Yet even that had been enough to give him access to a handful of greater rune variants. For all that they only contained the faintest echo of the ultimate power that essences could allow a Contender to unlock.


    The ability to transcend earthly limitations and unleash higher order manifestations of the very Platonic ideal of flame.


    Destruction in its most primal form.


    As proven just now, when he had lashed out with a fist that was the perfect fusion of Spiritual Energy and the pristine ideal of Fire given life as a perfect form. Utterly obliterating everything in the radius of that punch.


    It wasn¡¯t just lingering heat or a boosted rune.


    It wasn¡¯t a mortal flame that would last for eternity, after being locked in a blood covered arrow.


    This was infinite heat, the absolute ideal of flame, allowed to exist for just an eyeblink of time.


    More than enough to obliterate anything below Bronze. Heck, he was pretty damned certain his final punch would have taken out a Bronze-tier Cultivator as well, assuming that they couldn¡¯t tap into similar higher-order manifestations of their powers. Right now, he still had no idea if what he had manifested was as rare as diamond or as common as glass for those who continuously progressed along Peril¡¯s Path.


    And that cheeky note by the System.


    What the fuck?


    As if it was both acknowledging his worst, most jaded fears¡­ that announcements were as much about giving the established powers plenty of opportunity to crush lone wolves and independents even as they lauded and commended their chosen scions who were already thriving in the bosom of their well-established families eager to see them achieve similar feats¡­


    Yet the message had also acknowledged that where Alex was had made all the difference in assuring his anonymity¡­. And that, so far¡­ his secret was safe.


    Even if the six accusatory stares pinning him where he now stood made it damn clear that that anonymity wouldn¡¯t last for very long.


    ¡°You! This is all your fault, you goddamned asswhipe!¡± Roared none other than Ron, nostrils flaring as he glared at Eric, hand rhythmically squeezing the hilt of his sword.


    Richard, Eric was relieved to see, was still among the living, for all that he was comatose, being held in a sobbing Emily¡¯s arms.


    Steve was slumped over, panting, carefully not moving an inch, and Eric had to suppress a wince at the sight of his intestines spurting between trembling fingers. Even as Eric could also sense them slowly getting slurped right back in the pasty-faced kids¡¯ body... proving just how damned useful inhuman Vitality could be, as Steve¡¯s regeneration rate fought against the health point drain of a disemboweling blow. Yet for all that, he still found the energy to flash Eric a pasty smile.


    ¡°I knew you were holding out on us, you clever bastard.¡± It was a whispery wheeze Eric nonetheless made out perfectly, even as Ron rapidly closed the distance, Jack doing all he could to pull him back.


    ¡°Come on, Ron. Relax! We¡¯re all alive. That¡¯s what matters.¡±


    ¡°Back the fuck off, Jack! All of this. All of this bullshit is his fault!¡±


    Eric grit his teeth, tired of turning the other cheek with the bellicose guardian, refusing to budge when the man jabbed a finger in his chest.


    ¡°You! Admit it! This! All of this fucking bullshit is you¡¯re fucking fault!¡±


    Eric gazed coldly at the man. ¡°Let me get this straight. You¡¯re blaming your, what, survival on me? Because yes. You should be.¡±


    Ron shook his head furiously. ¡°No, you idiot. I¡¯m blaming the whole fucking ambush on you! You left your post!¡± he said, lips curling in a bitter smile. As if desperate to find something to pin on him. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t left your post, our fort would still be upright, and half our team wouldn¡¯t be injured!¡±


    Eric quirked an eyebrow. ¡°You sure about that, Ron? Because the way I see it, I cleared the corridor behind me of minotaurs and set myself up for a clean line of fire from angles no one was expecting. Which meant I could take them out systematically, methodically, while the rest of you were just keeping your balance and trying to survive.¡±


    Eric¡¯s cold logic had Ron snarling with fury.


    ¡°We would have been fine if the keep hadn¡¯t collapsed!¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°And you think I could have somehow stopped them cold if I had been at that wall that very second? Bullshit. All I would have done was get sent tumbling the air, after shooting a single fucker¡¯s eye out. But from where I was standing? I got five heart shots¡­ a couple deflections as well, but five of those furiously flaming fuckers are down because I know what I¡¯m doing, and actually know how to line up a shot. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, Ron, I¡¯m going to check on Steve.¡±


    ¡°Just hold up a second, asshole. We¡¯re not done talking!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think we are.¡±


    ¡°We know about your title¡­ Eric Silver! We know who you fucking are!¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Good for you.¡±


    The man snarled, grabbing Eric¡¯s wrist. ¡°You¡¯re the Silver Queen¡¯s bastard prince of a son. Elonia Silver¡¯s brother!¡±


    The air rang with his words. Eric sensed everyone going deathly still.


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck, we are so dead,¡± Steve sobbed, gripping his wound and softly cursing under his breath.


    Ron¡¯s face took on a twisted snarl. ¡°You¡¯re why half the administrative nobility of New York went to Freetown, asshole! It was to put you down!¡±


    Eric noted the looks of horror and dismay that the party members still conscious were giving him while Ron squeezed his wrist as tight as he could, trying to yank his arm back while drawing his blade with his other hand, now glowing a brilliant red with a power in play, before pressing it against Eric¡¯s kidney, melting right through his scales.


    Somehow, Eric wasn¡¯t surprised to find a near 50<sup>th</sup> leveled player¡¯s class ability was able to cut right through armor that had been made while he was at single digit levels, no matter how much effort or essence-infused blood he had fused into the scales since then. Because that was the point. The touch of power was indirect. A very powerful enhancement, but no more than that.


    He hadn¡¯t been using essence to tap into a higher order Platonic ideal, like a fucking pristine form that could sear the world itself.


    Until suddenly, he could. Fusing it perfectly with Spiritual Energy in one glorious gestalt whole, and triggering an unexpected Elite-tier title, and a 20 point stat boon with the implication that it could have been so much more. It was a title so raw and unexpected that the notification had edited remnants of promised feats that the System itself was rebuffed from tying directly to those abilities, because Transcendent Strikes really were that fucking powerful.


    And from the very first day he had awoken a crippled burned wreck after refusing to surrender his essences, it had been made fucking clear that the goblins and orc shamans had some clue as to just how powerful the path of Essence could become¡­ a window giving the wisest or luckiest Contenders a glimpse of so much more than what the world they knew held. So those bastards had been intent on either destroying people like him, or stealing away their most sacred gifts, with every single tainted pod they seeded the world with. Because they had been stacking the odds and using Earth¡¯s own ascension to assure humanity¡¯s utter downfall since day one. And probably many decades before he had ever been born.


    And that raised a very terrifying possibility that he didn¡¯t even want to think about. But seeing the mindless hate in Ron¡¯s eyes, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder.


    Had his mother somehow known?


    Known he was on the cusp of a major breakthrough? One that if blared by the System at large, which any Elite or Master Title was wont to do, would have set the entire world against him? Any and all factions that weren¡¯t the Sylvan alliance uniting in bringing him down? He could only imagine just how hot and furious the bloodlust against him would have been then. Even worse, he feared that a certain Silver-tier goblin seer would have woken up from his stupor enough to assure Eric¡¯s absolute and utter destruction.


    But even so, somehow Eric was damned certain that had he not been forced into the utter crucible of agony, had he not been riding waves of torment lasting for actual hours that felt like a horrific lifetime of pain, forcing him to focus every iota of his soul upon forcing HEAT into that damned collar, desperate to destroy it from within¡­ using his most basic and primal masteries to finally gain control of his own agony, Dominion over his own soul. Then being forced to rely on the essence of Fire in a dungeon that should have killed him with that damned collar but now¡­


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound.


    He wanted to scream.


    Because the torments he had endured¡­ the degree to which he had been stress-tested without being outright killed¡­ even the doom he had fled which had tasted NOTHING like his mother¡¯s soul¡­ but rather something far older, far more terrible¡­ to think that it had somehow been a deliberate, calculated move on the part of another was beyond horrific.


    Yet to find himself here and now, awakening powers that would be his death sentence anywhere save this maze, the very torment that had forged him both awakening him to his own potential and assuring his undying hate against his foes¡­ Aurelia¡¯s foes¡­


    It had his mother¡¯s fucking signature all over it.


    But still, he had absolutely no fucking doubt that his mother had coldly sacrificed his piece for the sake of 360,000 or so troops in a time and place where even 15,000 had been a huge number and she had been down a few hundred broken souls. Not to mention tens of thousands of innocent children pulled from a massive crucible of steel that would have forever bound their souls in torment, Eric bargaining his strongest chips away to save them all from the literal jaws of hell, just in the nick of time. Children who would now forever worship Elonia as the queen she was, no doubt elevating her spiritually in all sorts of ways Eric couldn¡¯t even begin to quantify. And his mother suddenly had a beautiful little waif in her arms that was clearly her blood, thrown in as a cherry on top. A cute little doll, a fresh new daughter to raise in place of the son she was losing.


    Eric couldn¡¯t deny that he had most definitely been a pawn sacrificed for a Queen¡¯s ascension.


    But the horrifying possibility remained that, as fucking high as the likelihood of his own death had been, his mother had nonetheless been positioning myriad other pieces in a scheme so conniving that his Master Criminal perk couldn¡¯t help but admire it. A scheme that had allowed for at least the possibility of not only his survival, but his own ascension, Eric now able to manifest higher order transcendent strikes to which there could be no mortal equivalent. Even if he could only ever manifest four at a time¡­ nine per hour if he used Crimson Orb, revealing his necromantic origins as well.


    FUCK!


    He just didn¡¯t know. And dealing with a thousand year old Silver-tier monster who shouldn¡¯t even be in this world where presently any Bronze save for Blue Corp was utterly forbidden¡­ he didn¡¯t think there was a chance in hell he¡¯d ever get a straight answer as to what was truly going on.


    And now here he was, forced to face down the children of the very administrators who had gunned for his death.


    Boys and girls nearly the same age as he, who now knew his darkest secret, one not even he had expected to manifest. And if word got out¡­ he feared the entire world would be out for his head, long before he was ready.


    It was pretty fucking clear what had to happen now, if he wanted any sort of breathing room at all, if and when he finally escaped this bullshit maze.


    Eric swallowed, heart pounding as he looked toward Emily sobbing over Richard¡¯s fallen form, Steve grimacing in agony as he desperately fought to hold in his own too slowly healing intestines.


    All of them so damned vulnerable.


    All of them little more than children.


    Even Jack was flinching before his gaze.


    ¡°Eric Orcbane,¡± the freckled boy whispered, the javelin in his hand so ready to throw slumped point first as he lowered his head. ¡°We are so fucked.¡±


    Eric shook his head in dismay. Did his mother really expect him to slaughter them all in cold blood?

 Chapter 309 - We’re just pawns in your twisted game!

    ¡°You¡¯re the enemy, motherfucker!¡± Ron roared, spittle flying in Eric¡¯s face. ¡°Admit it! We¡¯re just pawns in your twisted game. Our delve was disrupted and we¡¯re conveniently rescued by the man who has every reason to hunt down the children of the administrators who sentenced him to death? Bullshit!¡± His crimson blade pricked Eric¡¯s flesh, drawing blood. ¡°Admit it, asswipe. You¡¯d happily destroy us all!¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw with bitter heat. Ignoring the sting of Ron¡¯s blade.


    He forced himself to meet the horrified young faces looking his way.


    Of course Yuki wasn¡¯t among them.


    He had no doubt she was positioning herself to dispatch him even now.


    Unified Perception Check: Success!


    Good thing he had a decent eye for shadows.


    He belted his words out, leaving no room for error or doubt.


    ¡°If that was the case, Ron, why did I risk my ass taking down ten of these fucking minotaurs while your so-called charges were getting overwhelmed? Considering that I gave my word not to cause any of you deliberate harm¡­ as you yourself swore, Rony-o,¡± he said, with a pointed look at the trickle of blood coming from the tip of the blade pressing against his kidney.


    ¡°So, if I wanted you dead, why didn¡¯t I just do nothing and let those bad-boys bum rush you all when I could have accomplished my ¡®mastermind objective¡¯ without a single bit of strain to my cultivation base, which is a fuck-ton more sensitive to that sort of thing than a System Classer¡¯s progression?¡±


    Eric shook his head, hand snapping forth in the instant Ron was distracted to snatch away the man¡¯s sword. Then, before the asshole could even blink, Eric grabbed the man under the neck and tossing him a surprised Yuki¡¯s way, all done so smoothly that Ron hadn¡¯t even finished opening his mouth before crashing into Eric¡¯s target.


    Eric smirked at a flustered Yuki who was slammed out of shadow, her naginata dropping to balance a toppling Ron.


    ¡°Really, Yuki?¡±


    She flushed, before crossing her arms and huffing. ¡°Fuck you, Eric Orcbane. I was only going to kill you if you actually attacked us.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Well that¡¯s alright, then. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to collect some arrows and crafting supplies.¡±


    Eric did his best to ignore the haunted looks he was being given as he casually plucked his arrows free of massive minotaur corpses before claiming both them and their massive axes. Countless tons worth of flesh and incredibly heavy potency-infused steel¡­ and he hardly felt any strain to his ES Space at all.


    ¡°Damn, that is one fine ability you chose, Eric,¡± Steve said with a pained smile. ¡°Anyone who says you wasted a node after storing twenty fucking tons of meat and axes is an idiot.¡±


    Eric smiled down at the young wizard, sensing so much anxiety and dread beneath the boy¡¯s anxious smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but note that you¡¯re losing a fuck ton of blood.¡±


    Steve closed his eyes and whimpered a chuckle that became a groan. ¡°Fuck, yes I am. And the potion Emily tried to give me¡­ I told her it wouldn¡¯t work, not with the path I walk. There¡¯s no Blood Magic, just arcana in it!¡± He whimpered in laughter. ¡°Why are crooked paths so goddamned painful?¡±


    Eric flashed the youth a gentle smile. ¡°Believe me, I¡¯ve asked myself that question more than once. I¡¯m still looking for an answer.¡±


    Steve sighed, eyes growing distant as he smiled up at Eric. ¡°Is this where you¡¯re going to kill us all?¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Fuck no. Not until you tell me all your delicious secrets.¡±


    Steve smirked. ¡°I have no secrets. Or do you mean this?¡± He opened his hand, forming a fresh pool of blood, from which a black book formed, covered in obsidian flames. ¡°A fortuitous encounter. An artifact that promised me a path far beyond what a desperate Conscript hoping only to be able to afford a wand and one day walk an Arcanist¡¯s class could have hoped for.¡±


    He swallowed, gazing up at Eric with desperate eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill me to get the secrets, either. You just need a class change. But, um¡­ it does drain Vitality. And Life force. And potency. By which I mean, it claims a fraction of your experience points. Anyway, you have to really know what you¡¯re doing and invest in the right stats, or you¡¯ll be a shriveled up old man before you know it.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Yeah, I know what that¡¯s like. Now, how about you put that away and we work on fixing you up?¡±


    Steve gave him a shaky smile. ¡°I wish. The only one of us who even knows how to stitch a wound is Yuki. Emily¡¯s mom can hook us up with potions that work wonders on everyone but me. But that shit¡¯s expensive, and we hate owing her favors. So mostly, we just keep the wizards out of trouble and wait a single hour for everything to¡­ fuck, it hurts!¡±


    Eric gave him a sympathetic smile. ¡°I know. One hour¡¯s almost perfect stillness or Rem sleep. But when your entrails are torn open and blood loss exceeds your regeneration rate and you¡¯re in too much pain to sleep and writhing too much to be perfectly still to trigger a one hour System reset, you¡¯re kind of fucked.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Steve sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m fucking living it!¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s fix that.¡±


    Blood Mastery skill check made! You have successfully reclaimed blood of associate: Steve.


    Blood has been successfully cleansed of pathogens (Essence of flame) and returned to host. Wound has been sealed.


    Patient has been stabilized.


    Steve choked off a cry, eyes bulging as he mewled with agony when Eric pressed his open palm against the blood pouring out of him. Blood that suddenly became a living thing that gripped its own body¡¯s intestines before crawling back inside its host, crimson tendrils of blood then squeezing tight to the wound, cutting off the blood-loss completely after paying its respects to the savior of its host.


    Emily was gazing at Eric with open-mouthed horror as Steve collapsed with a groan.


    ¡°Wow. That was some fucked up tentacle shit,¡± Yuki whispered.


    Jack just stared. ¡°Did Steve¡¯s blood just scoop up his own entrails like a living fucking thing?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Of course. Blood is alive, after all.¡±


    Jack blinked. ¡°Well, yeah, but it doesn¡¯t normally grow limbs or pop out glowing red eyeballs before saluting you.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°You say tomato, I say Rank 30 Blood mastery.¡±


    Jack whistled. ¡°Rank 30 Blood Mastery. Elite tier.¡±


    ¡°I know. Awesome, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Fucking absurd.¡± Jack¡¯s grin matched Eric¡¯s own as he kissed his Javelin that Eric now recognized as an extremely powerful arcane construct that Jack could clearly summon at will. ¡°Elite tier is where it¡¯s at, after all.¡±


    ¡°So, Eric, what happens now?¡± Asked Yuki, leaning against her Naginata.


    Eric frowned, gazing up at the ruins of the keep. ¡°Now, I think we need to face facts.¡± He ignored the sudden sense of tension his words brought. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. Whatever role the fort served, plugging up a lost delve entrance that you could clear passage by passage, here in what might be the heart of the maze, or at least a main thoroughfare¡­ now it¡¯s doing nothing but attracting attention, inviting larger and larger swarms to come our way. It¡¯s effectively a beacon. We¡¯ll only attract more aggressive resistance, the longer we¡¯re here.¡±


    He quirked a wry smile. ¡°In point of fact, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if we actually saw a lot less minotaurs once we start doing the maze properly and looking for an exit, or just the maze boss. Because once that¡¯s cleared¡­ our exit¡¯s virtually assured.¡±


    Yuki stared at him intently. ¡°Who gives a fuck about the minotaurs right now, Eric?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I do?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what this is about.¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck can¡¯t it be, Yuki?¡± Jack urged. ¡°If Eric wants to focus on clearing this maze, let¡¯s just clear the fucking maze. Who cares about anything else?¡±


    Yuki coldly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Jack.¡±


    Eric sighed, catching Yuki¡¯s intent gaze, and Ron¡¯s glare of absolute hatred behind her.


    ¡°And why the hell can¡¯t it be?¡±


    Yuki clenched her jaw, angry brown eyes pinning Alex¡¯s own. ¡°Because I don¡¯t like knowing you could explode at any minute, blaming us for the shit that led to a collar around your neck! Because if the odds of us taking you on are bad now¡­ they¡¯ll be impossible if you take us out while were actually facing down the boss of this place! Hell, for all we know, you¡¯ll happily use us until the final battle is over. Then, when we¡¯re all panting with exhaustion, thinking we¡¯re all friends¡­ that¡¯s when you cut our fucking throats!¡±


    Eric sighed, gazing at Yuki for long moments. ¡°You must have really seen some fucked up shit working for your uncle, huh?¡±


    Her eyes flared with sudden heat, fists clenched¡­ before her anger abruptly faded. She shook her head with soft chuckle. ¡°Sure as hell did. Yeah.¡±


    Eric gave a sympathetic smile. ¡°Me too. My mom wasn¡¯t nearly as sweet and innocent as she appeared on the big screen.¡±


    ¡°No shit. Your family was muscling on my uncle¡¯s territory big-time. Blackmailed some of our favorite associates to sell out and move before we could put them all back in their place.¡± She shook her head with a hard little smile. ¡°He called Aurelia Silver an ice-cold prima donna who was as vicious to producers as she was to made men, and could never get enough. Of anything.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Yeah, all that¡¯s true.¡± His smile faded. ¡°And you want to know something else? It doesn¡¯t mean shit. Because all of us here? We aren¡¯t so different. We all come from money¡­¡± He dipped his head a smirking Jack¡¯s way. ¡°Or are now allied to people who come from money. Ruthless people who are used to trading favors, crushing their political and professional opponents, and doing whatever it takes to get ahead.¡±


    He didn¡¯t flinch from their gazes. Held them all, save for Ron, who Eric already knew was a lost cause.


    ¡°And not one of them is above using their own kids as pawns in their political games. My sister was the darling little movie starlet that Mother used to stretch her empire, no matter how much it ate Elonia up inside. And me?¡± Eric shrugged, locking gazes with Yuki once more. ¡°She used me in other ways.¡±


    Yuki blinked, giving him an odd look. ¡°She used you as an enforcer. Like my uncle did to me?¡±


    ¡°Certainly she trained me for something. But mostly I was just a patsy, a seeming fool that would soften up our marks with how easily I fell into trouble of all sorts. And how opportunistic assholes would swoop in, over-extending to take advantage, only to find their feet swept right out from under them. Then it¡¯s Mother Dearest picking up the pieces of their holdings at a steep discount. As for my rap sheet and supposed criminal record?¡±


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


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Who gives a fuck, when sentencing is endlessly deferred because we too have friends in all sorts of places? And what the hell should a gamer nerd care if some of the strange dreams he had, surrounded by beautiful loving women, were actually true? I would just laugh it off, think of it as my own private isekai adventure, and get back to my raids.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s gaze was filled with unexpected pity. ¡°She used you like that? Fuck. I¡¯m sorry, Eric. That sounds almost as bad as what...¡±


    Eric clenched his fist. ¡°I¡¯m a boy. It¡¯s different. PC bullshit aside¡­ it¡¯s different. Guys like the stud fantasy. Half their friends cheer them on, even if your cheeks are blazing and you can barely pay attention to the raid because you¡¯re feeling dizzy and strange, like there are two versions of you and you¡¯re living a double life, and most of the time, you don¡¯t remember a goddamned thing.¡±


    He cracked his neck, doing his best to ignore the strange look in Yuki¡¯s eyes. ¡°And at least I got to watch the manipulative assholes squirm when they found out that I wasn¡¯t the only one being taped. It was my smirk they had to look at when we squeezed them for whatever they were worth, unless they wanted certain pictures to be sent to the local papers, and their employers, employees, and families.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d call it a wash. Only thing I missed out on was whatever the fuck a normal healthy relationship was. But plenty of time to figure that out later, am I right? The point is, all I see before me are survivors and fellow adventurers about my age, who were used as pawns by people hungry for power, just like I was.¡±


    He caught Emily¡¯s anxious gaze as he finally reabsorbed in the crimson sigils he had drawn all over his face, to serve as a final shield before recognition set in. Yet with his blood mastery being what it was¡­ clear ivory skin, brilliant blue eyes and golden locks presented themselves in all their glory once more. Not a flaw or blemish to be seen with his absurd Vitality and an Appearance score that looked outright photo-shopped.


    Emily¡¯s cheeks positively blazed, her eyes widening with horror. ¡°Oh fuck, it really is you. And you look even better...¡±


    Eric had the grace to say nothing of a certain drunken party she now clearly wished to forget, noting the way she clenched Richard tightly to him, glaring his way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say a thing!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t going to.¡±


    ¡°So I say¡­ fuck it. If my mom¡¯s hell bent on ruling the Sylvan Faction through my sister? I don¡¯t care one way or another.¡± Eric¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Their political games are no longer my concern.¡±


    ¡°Like hell it¡¯s not your concern!¡± Ron snapped, ignoring Yuki¡¯s glare. ¡°You¡¯re her get. Her blood¡­ her spawn!¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°You can choose your friends...¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t choose your family,¡± Jack noted, sharing a look with the others.


    Eric nodded. ¡°Exactly. As for myself? I¡¯m a strictly free agent. I don¡¯t ride under anyone else¡¯s banner. Which means I¡¯ll make my own choices as to who I call friend and foe. As long as you¡¯re not trying to stick a dagger in my back, I think we¡¯ve got a lot more common than all the assholes trying to play us all off against each other while they¡¯re sitting high and dry, with no personal skin in the game at all.¡±


    Emily gazed at Eric for long moments, before blushing and lowering her head. ¡°I trust him.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Just like that? You trust him because he said some pretty words?¡±


    Her flush grew brighter. ¡°I trust him. Because I¡­ know him.¡±


    Yuki frowned. Ron¡¯s eyes widened with sudden fury, glaring at Eric once more. ¡°You little shit!¡±


    ¡°Chill, Ron,¡± Yuki snapped, before turning to a brightly blushing Emily, an amused smile playing across Yuki¡¯s features. ¡°Wait¡­ I do seem to recall your father being in hot water a couple years ago. But nothing came of it, did it?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she whispered, stealing a look Eric¡¯s way before forcing out the words. ¡°Because Eric somehow manged to destroy the files.¡±


    The silence gained an oddly painful intensity. None of them were fools.


    Steve found the strength to whistle. ¡°Jeez, Emily. You enjoyed a night with Aurelia¡¯s elusive scion. I¡¯ll bet that was quite a notch in your belt, once upon a time.¡±


    She crossed her arms and glared. ¡°Yes. It was. And if you weren¡¯t mortally injured, I would be kicking your ass right now. As it stands, if you say so much as breathe a word to Richard once he wakes up, I¡¯ll shove an ice pick so far up your ass you¡¯ll be able to give us a bird¡¯s eye view of this entire fucking maze!¡±


    Yuki whistled, gazing Eric¡¯s way with an odd sort of admiration. ¡°Wow. You actually crossed your mother playing the white night. I¡¯ll bet she pounded your ass something fierce for fucking with her schemes like that.¡±


    Eric shivered despite himself. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not even go there. Those days are long gone. Right, Emily?¡±


    She smirked. ¡°Like they never fucking happened. Because as far as I¡¯m concerned, life started over when I met Richard.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s parents also ran afoul of Aurelia¡¯s schemes.¡± Yuki smirked. ¡°Wow, Eric. You gonna tell me there are some sweet tapes of you and Richard somewhere? Wait, hold up! Put down the fucking staff, Emily. I was just joking around!¡±


    ¡°Then why the hell are you still laughing, bitch?¡± Emily snapped.


    ¡°Because it finally makes sense!¡± Yuki crowed. ¡°Why absolutely everyone who¡¯s anyone has a hard-on to put Aurelia¡¯s wild child in his place! I mean, seriously. Who gives a fuck if the orcs get taken out? No one. All their righteous indignation was just a pretext to punish Aurelia for making half the elites of New York look like chumps before our world turned into fucking World of Warblades 2.0!¡±


    Eric laughed, long and loud. ¡°So that¡¯s why I ended up with a collar around my neck, sending pain currents like you can¡¯t fucking believe. Well damn if that doesn¡¯t make so much sense I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡±


    For some reason, Yuki did not look relieved. ¡°So tell us you¡¯re not going to kill us all for the fucked up shit you went through?¡±


    Eric held Yuki¡¯s gaze. ¡°I promise you, Yuki. I have no intention of doing anything malicious or more than slightly naughty to any of you. Because you¡¯re no more responsible for your parents¡¯ than I am for my mother being a power hungry monster.¡±


    Yuki furrowed her brow, warm brown eyes glaring intently into his own. ¡°What the hell does slightly naughty mean?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°It means that you¡¯re hot as sin, and don¡¯t seem to be attached at the hip to anyone so¡­ yeah. We¡¯ll see where that goes, won¡¯t we?¡±


    Yuki froze, giving him the strangest look, a slight flush caressing her dusky cheeks. ¡°I thought you said you had a girlfriend?¡±


    Eric flashed a sad smile, playboy grin fading. ¡°Yes. A girl I enjoyed four beautiful nights with, months ago, then sacrificed more than you could imagine to save. A girl now utterly in my psycho mother¡¯s power, and the more she thinks I care about her...¡± he shrugged. ¡°Far better if Mother Dearest thinks I¡¯m so angry that I wrote everyone in my old life off.¡± He flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Even better if she never hears from me again.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s gaze locked with his own. ¡°I¡¯m pretty damn sure my uncle never had me sleeping in your bed.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. But really, who the fuck even knows? I¡¯ll bet half of us here were being fed benzodiazepines like I was, which is great for anterograde amnesia, which means you forget what happened for a couple hours after you were drugged up. Only thing is, with all of our stats, most especially our Vitality and Scholarship being boosted¡­ I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m not the only one waking up to fresh memories they had thought no more real than dreams before.¡±


    Eric ignored Emily¡¯s furious blush and the way Yuki looked anywhere but up at him.


    ¡°Assholes.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°That our parents definitely were.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s full of shit!¡± Ron glared at Eric. ¡°Quit listening to him. He¡¯s just fucking with your minds!¡±


    Emily turned Ron¡¯s way. The look she gave was cold enough to freeze him where he stood.


    Jack whistled. ¡°And I thought growing up in my old neighborhood was tough. Nothing compared to growing up as a New York Blue Blood.¡±


    Emily sighed, rubbing her red-rimmed eyes before gently kissing a still sleeping Richard¡¯s brow. ¡°I told you to think carefully before you got too close to us, Jack. You know I love you like a brother after what you did for us last year. And our guild will always be your home. But, well, you already know how my dad likes to use his so-called family.¡± She flashed a sad smile. ¡°He¡¯s even using my baby brother to watch his back while he¡¯s in...¡±


    Her words cut off, horrified eyes gazing into Eric¡¯s own. ¡°Eric please! Please tell me you didn¡¯t...¡±


    Eric waved her concerns away. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to anyone, save put a certain gnoll Contender¡¯s champions in their place. There was a lot of bullshit shouting, name calling, and hustling¡­ and at the end of it all, my mother got 360,000 troops for her faction and I got a collar around my neck, and we can fast-forward this tape to right here and now.¡±


    Jack winced. ¡°Damn. That does sound bad.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Especially the part where New York¡¯s own contender deliberately maneuvers to assure the destruction of the entire band of adventurers that had dared to get so much more powerful than his 30<sup>th</sup> level ass and his cronies, after maneuvering your parents to be over a hundred miles away, doing his bidding. I mean, if you want to talk about twisted ironies, there¡¯s a whole boatload for you, right there.¡±


    Eric cracked his neck, taking the group¡¯s measure. ¡°The way I see it, it¡¯s the goddamned gnolls and goblins that are the enemy, not a bunch of rich socialites and movie moguls still at odds with each other, and sure as hell not us, their offspring, with all of us being used as pawns for their own advancement. Screw that primo-grade bullshit. From now on, I¡¯ll be walking my own path through life without taking anyone¡¯s grudges on top of my own. You guys feeling me?¡±


    Jack gazed at Eric for long moments, Emily also pinning him with her enigmatic blue eyes. Surprisingly, Steve was the first one to speak.


    ¡°I think this cat might have just saved my life¡­ no matter how strange it was to feel my own blood pulling the wound shut¡­ with it¡¯s own little arms.¡± He gave a rueful chuckle, wincing as he shook his head. ¡°This dude¡¯s done more for us and our fort than any one of us did in the past month. And the minotaurs he took out¡­ did you see the way his arrows kept hitting their mark?¡± He gave an appreciative whistle. ¡°Now that¡¯s a badass I want on my team. Not gunning for me. So as far as I¡¯m concerned¡­ fuck the gnolls.¡±


    His strained smile turned dark and ugly. ¡°You here me guys? Fuck those goddamned gnolls! They would have been cackling their asses off if they could have seen that last fight, if Eric hadn¡¯t played super archer and saved our asses!¡± He clenched a trembling fist. ¡°I say team human, all the way.¡±


    ¡°So do I,¡± Yuki said next, earning a surprised glance from Eric, whom she gave a sly grin. ¡°Even if this cat here isn¡¯t exactly human.¡±


    Steve¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit, Eric! Please don¡¯t tell me I offended you?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Hell no. I¡¯m all about team human. I happen to be half human myself!¡±


    Jack chuckled. ¡°And half Roundear. I guess all the stories are true, huh?¡± He gave Eric a curious look. ¡°Did you really eat pork at the Blue Quarter Contender¡¯s meeting?¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened. ¡°That¡¯s not the question you should be asking.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Did I really do what my feasting on that succulent pulled pork implied? Because the answer, my dear Javelineer friend, is a whole-hearted fucking yes.¡±


    Emily furrowed her brow. ¡°What are you talking about, Eric?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s expression turned deadpan. ¡°It means he¡¯s feasted on his orc kills¡­ giving a big ¡®fuck you¡¯ to all the orcs who consider humans little better than livestock.¡±


    Jack whistled, duly impressed. ¡°My man Orcbane. What a fucking badass you are.¡±


    Eric quirked a brow. ¡°No hard feelings?¡±


    Jack smirked. ¡°What, you mean being given a golden opportunity to get the fuck out of there before the inevitable confrontation with the Sylvan factions resulted in me getting my ass peppered with arrows? With the former chief falling before any pig-faced asshole could think to force me and my friends to swear oaths to another one of those psychopathic fucks? Fuck no!¡±


    He chuckled grandly. ¡°Fleeing that hell pit, where my choice to advance was either to endlessly hunt rats or hunt innocent people, or just as bad, elves¡­ the only race I play in World of Warblades 2.0¡­ was really no choice at all. It was a freekin¡¯ godsend. You did me and a bunch of others a king-sized favor. The only people throwing hissy fits were the ones who stuck around, trying to take you out. And I haven¡¯t heard a lick from any of those jagoffs since, so as scary as that night was...¡± He gazed fondly at his friends. ¡°I¡¯ve never regretted the opportunities that leaving that city opened up for me. I do have one question, though.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°What does orc taste like?¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Have you ever had crispy-fried lechon?¡±


    ¡°My ex was Filipina. So yeah, actually.¡±


    ¡°It tastes exactly the same.¡±


    ¡°No shit?¡±


    ¡°Dead serious.¡±


    ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to hunt ourselves up some lechon sometime.¡±


    The pair laughed like brothers after that, earning a hard look from Emily.


    ¡°That¡¯s absolutely disgusting. And if you¡¯re going to join the Silver Griffins, there will be no eating of any humanoid that looks at all like us while you¡¯re with us. Are we agreed?¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°Deal.¡±


    ¡°My lady, please, no!¡± Hissed an alarmed Ron. ¡°Anyone would be a better fit than this savage. Lest you forget, he¡¯s why you¡¯re close to death right now!¡±


    Emily gave an angry shake of her head. ¡°Wrong, Ron. It¡¯s because of Sylvis. Not Eric. Eric had every right to race for the only sanctuary being offered. And instead of hiding in a tunnel when he crashed through, happily letting our deaths serve as a distraction while he sneaked right past us, he dared to present himself and fight by our side.¡± She gave an oddly satisfied nod. ¡°Even when all we¡¯ve given him is grief, and not nearly the gratitude that he deserves.¡±


    Ron angrily shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ve treated this murderer more than fair. Yuki even went so far as to free him from his collar! The only pressure point we had on him. Please, my lady. The boy is right on one thing and one thing alone. We need to move. And we most certainly don¡¯t need to have him accompanying us!¡± He then scowled at Eric. ¡°And if his word means anything, he will be gracious enough to part ways with us, here and now.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t think so. How about we instead wait for Richard to wake up and then see if we can find the exit? As a team, ready and able to cover each other¡¯s backs. And while we¡¯re letting Richy Rich get his beauty sleep, I¡¯ll be keeping a look out for our friends.¡±


    To Eric¡¯s immense satisfaction, everyone save a scowling Ron nodded in quick acquiescence.


    Which was a very good thing, because fresh company was soon upon them once more.


    And instead of twelve minotaurs¡­ there were twenty.

 Chapter 310 - Bad memories & unexpected heroes.

    ¡°Glacio! Glacio!¡± Emily¡¯s voice was a high pitched, desperate scream as she gazed upon death¡¯s grinning countenance in the form of a full score of massive axe-wielding giant minotaurs while huddled before the ruins of their fort.


    Emily could barely move, so thick was the terror crushing down upon her. The cold soulless eyes of the bull-faced titans promised eternal torment. Their very souls would be lost in this eternal, awful maze, for being so foolish as to think the fates would allow weak-blooded humans to master realms only true Contenders and the most glorious of outworld champions were fit to take on. Those truths had been hammered into their heads by Sylvis himself, just days ago, when he and the other outworld lords of New York had gazed upon Silver Griffins with fangs bared in what Emily had been assured by her beaming father was highest approval.


    They would even be permitted to nibble at the edges of greatness. So long as they didn¡¯t take their daring too far.


    And how impossibly distant her father¡¯s proud smile seemed, now that she was trapped in this nightmare realm, forced to face death¡¯s legions, with no way to escape. She choked back a shudder as the massive platoon of minotaurs charged forward with bellowing yells.


    ¡°Glacio!¡± She managed to scream one more time. Aiming not for the charging minotaurs, which she had no hope of harming directly, but rather for the granite slabs their cloven hoofs trampled, causing the monstrous 15-foot-tall beasts to slide against the impossibly slippery surface she had spent a full spell evolution enhancing, for this reason alone. Instead of nearly indestructible ice walls, which these minotaurs could still cleave through with a single swing, she had focused on filling the dual roles of DPS and crowd control.


    ¡°Nice one, Emily!¡± Jack flashed her a relieved smile, as if they actually had a chance because Emily had managed to break their charge for just a few seconds. Emily, however, knew they were only buying time after barely surviving their last encounter, and now there were so many more.


    They had struggled just to take on bands of two. Three had been pushing it, before today. And now they were facing twenty?


    Then Emily¡¯s growing sense of dread turned to outright terror when a cold harsh voice echoed through the massive chamber, and the air was filled with massive spears, hurtling through the air.


    ¡°Shields!¡± Ron, her loyal bodyguard of almost a year, reflexively called out. But the boy who¡¯s eyes had touched Emily¡¯s scarred bitter heart on her first day of college was unable to fill the air with the furious cries of hope and salvation, no matter how much Emily sobbed and begged him to wake up. Because even if he wasn¡¯t dead yet, he had suffered catastrophic injury that none of them could figure out how to heal, and the one precious ingredient they needed, just a single hour¡¯s time to reset, was the one gift their roaring enemies absolutely refused to give them.


    ¡°Emily! Shields!¡± Ron¡¯s desperate cry jolted Emily out of her fugue even as the air screeched with death hurtling their way. Emily¡¯s mouth went dry. She could barely breath as she saw those bitter sharp spears plummeting right to them.


    ¡°Emily!¡± Yuki screamed.


    ¡°Glacius Murius!¡± She cried, before huddling against a too quiet Richard, her heart aching with despair and terror because she already knew that they were as good as dead.


    She flinched when the now slowly approaching minotaurs, sliding on her multiple patches of ice all turned an odd shade of crimson, before realizing it was her crystalline dome itself that had turned tinted as the fierce-looking youth who had stumbled upon them out of nowhere, a Contender radiating terrible power he didn¡¯t suppress nearly as well as he thought he did, slammed the dome with the palm of his hand.


    ¡°Mollet roboro dies!¡± Eric¡¯s words echoed oddly through the air, as if echoing between mountains, not a comparatively tiny dome.


    Emily wanted to sob with frustration, knowing that it meant nothing. That it would do nothing. And even if a part of her wanted to die with humiliation upon seeing him again, forced to remember so many ugly bits of her past that most of the time she could pretend never happened, that her father and mother acted like never happened, but had most definitely fucking happened¡­ another part of her wanted to sob with relief that he was here.


    The impossibly beautiful contender, scion of the most powerful movie mogul ever to leave her mark on Manhattan''s night life. A boy whose predatory stare had once sent her heart racing and a primitive part of her throbbing with a hunger she had thought herself long past¡­ by some twisted miracle, he was here.


    How fucking ironic it was that they were all going to die together, when her father had promised that he was going to help clean up loose ends in Freetown so that she and her friends and fiance could adventure peacefully and safely forever.


    ¡°I love you, Richard!¡± The final words she¡¯d ever utter as she hunched down over Richards body while the air shrieked with the cry of black steel spears hurtled by abominations even now charging forward. Her ears rang with the shriek of metal scraping against crystal and she wanted to puke for terror and pain as she curled up waiting to die¡­ only to find herself in no physical pain at all.


    ¡°Fucking hell yes!¡± Yuki cheered, almond eyes wide with the adrenaline rush of certain death, looking coked to the gills. But Emily knew her friend well enough to know that she was high on battle alone, perhaps the most dangerous drug of all, as Yuki dragged a shaking Emily back to her feet.


    ¡°Your ice ward did it, Emily! Fuck yeah! I knew you¡¯d evolve that skill in time!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Her whisper didn¡¯t even cut through the din as Ron and Jack braced themselves, a propped up Steve smiling her way.


    ¡°Synergized magic¡¯s the best, huh?¡± Steve¡¯s hand crackled with obsidian fire. ¡°You can drop your ward when you¡¯re ready, Emily. Only half of them were armed with oversized pilum, and our melee mavericks need room to fight.¡±


    Emily was gazing in awed disbelief at her own dome, radiating so much more power than it ever had before. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I actually blocked it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s awesome, but lower it so we can pick some off before they get here!¡± Jack urged, snapping a dazed Emily from her fugue, for all that her heart was pounding so fast she thought she¡¯d faint as she caught sight of the twenty behemoths continuing to pick their way through her frictionless ice, their crimson gold eyes promising death.


    ¡°Emily!¡±


    She flinched before Yuki¡¯s urgent cry¡­ before feeling a gentle touch on her brow, gasping to see none other than Eric Silver smiling down at her so calmly, so warmly, as if there wasn¡¯t a murderous crimson glint to his eyes. As if her father didn¡¯t have a hard-on to take his whole family down a peg, after what Aurelia had done to the man¡­ Never mind what Eric had done for her.


    Emily gulped. She had wanted to reach out to him so many times, to thank him. And maybe¡­ but she had always flinched away from it, desperate just to put that awful time out of mind for good. And she almost had. She had almost forgotten those awful years, before the world cracked and she found herself back home and under her father¡¯s power once more.


    Emily trembled as the monsters beyond them roared. And here Eric was, the monster her father swore was a threat to the entire east coast, holding her trembling fist with a gentle hand she knew could crush her own fragile fingers to pulp in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Eric, please! I...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Just take a deep breath¡­ and relax.¡±


    His words were like liquid fire, shivering through her veins. She gazed up into those hypnotic blue eyes, an ocean of peace who had once filled her with such sweetness¡­ and she felt the horrid tension and fear leave her, the grip on her spell easing at last.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Jack hooted when the shield finally went down. Emily could hear him giving his own battle cry, throwing javelin after javelin that tore into the ranks of their giant foes. When he wasn¡¯t busy playing the goof, her freckled friend was a force to be feared. Jack, when he got stone-cold serious, was capable of such potent concentrated destruction that Emily was almost jealous of just how well he had invested those two Nodes on what most elites thought was a shit class. But it was all in how you used your abilities, and Jack was on fire today as he brought down minotaur after minotaur presently stumbling on the ice, none of them in any position to counter his throws. Jack¡¯ss deadly stream of artillery tier javelin earning furious roars as one Minotaur after another crashed to the ground with gaping craters in their chests where their hearts should be. And what an awesome sight it was to see a fourth collapsing just seconds later, clawing at it¡¯s own throat now shooting a spray of blood.


    ¡°Fucking hell yeah!¡± Jack crowed, despite panting heavily. Because no matter how much he hyped up his base DPS, Emily knew for a fact he had only taken out multiple minotaurs so damned quickly because he had had a recent battlefield breakthrough and had just completely tapped out his class feat reserves, which really should be a green stamina bar all its own, but for some reason wasn¡¯t.


    In perfect follow up to Jack¡¯s sweet triumph, taking full advantage of the momentarily flustered minotaurs, Steve¡¯s own obsidian balls of fiery death were pounding into the chests of the closest pair charging their way with devastating results. Both those creatures collapsed like someone had cut their strings, her friend¡¯s obsidian balls now so deadly they could effortlessly burn a hole through even a giant minotaur¡¯s chest, leaving nothing but ash in its wake.


    Her friends had blossomed in ways both terrible and beautiful, whereas she, on the other hand, still froze up whenever she heard those titan¡¯s roar, and her beloved Richard couldn¡¯t even move.


    And the horror of it was, it didn¡¯t even matter.


    It didn¡¯t even matter that two of her closest companions had grown by such leaps and bounds that what used to take them an hour of carefully prepared planning could now be done just a handful of seconds.


    Because her friends had just blown there load and there were still over a dozen giant-sized minotaurs that were rapidly closing the distance, furiously stomping their hooves to shatter her frictionless ice before stepping forward.


    It would still take them a good minute to reach them, though their furious glares and bellows made it exquisitely clear that they would make the humans who had invaded their territory pay in blood and tears for daring to inconvenience those lords of the maze.


    ¡°Oh shit, there are just too many of them,¡± Steve said with a bitter smile. ¡°Sorry, Emily. That¡¯s all I can give without giving a month of my life away with each additional casting.¡± He flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Who the fuck am I kidding? Of course I¡¯ll be doing just that,¡± he said, before his eyes widened when the meatiest, juiciest sandwich Emily had ever seen made it¡¯s way into Steve¡¯s shaking hand, held by none other than a grinning Eric.


    ¡°Just give me a shout whenever you get the munchies, buddy,¡± Eric said, clapping Steve¡¯s shoulder and earning a tired laugh in turn.


    ¡°You¡¯re too much, man, you know that?¡± Steve commended before tearing into the sandwich, a look of bliss on his features. Emily¡¯s eyes widened when she saw the way Steve¡¯s hollowed cheeks began to visibly fill back out, making it clear that Eric really did have access to some badass magical sandwiches. Of course, it was also painfully obvious that Steve had already pushed himself too damned far. As if his lush thick curls going listless with a tint of grey wasn¡¯t indication enough.


    ¡°Volum tora kos!¡±


    The hideous words echoed through the air, spoken by none other than the giant leader of the minotaur swarm eager for their deaths, and suddenly Emily felt so dizzy it was all she could do not to collapse. Yuki had already tumbled over, it hitting her far worse, for some reason, the poor girl curling in a groaning ball and puking her guts out.


    Emily choked back a cry, feeling Richard weaken in her arms from yet another assault on his injured form. ¡°Richard, hang in there baby, please!¡±


    She hated how desperately plaintive her words sounded. Why couldn¡¯t she be strong like Jack was? Even now laughing through the pain.


    ¡°No worse than getting in a fight after drinking wild turkey. Fuck it!¡± Yet Jack¡¯s snarl turned to a groan of dismay when his ascended javelin, their trump card, skewed off so badly it hit a far wall, totally missing their targets, who were now all bellowing laughter as if they too sensed that the end was near.


    The ground shook as the minotaurs marched forward in eerie synchronized lockstep, sending jolts of dread through Emily¡¯s bones with each pound of their hooves, their leader chortling, because they all knew exactly how this would end.


    Emily quickly turned her focus to Eric, scowling at their shared enemy and only now drawing his hideous bow of bone and twisted nightmares. Emily¡¯s eyes helplessly skittered away whenever she saw the hideous faces carved so carefully cared into that eldritch artifact. Expressions that seemed to writhe with unspeakable torment whenever the bow limbs moved, as they did now, Eric casually drawing the bow string to his cheek, sighting his target, and releasing as if it were as effortless as breathing. The only odd thing was that there was no arrow being drawn at all.


    Until suddenly there was. An arrow appearing as if by magic, the head blazing with a furious intensity that made Emily cry out, seeing the painfully brilliant point like the tip of welding torch that wouldn¡¯t stop flaring in her eye even after the air rang with the crack of bow limbs snapping back with far too much tension as the minotaurs¡¯ steady march was broken up by fresh squeals band furious roars.


    Eric, whose cold, focused expression brought so many painful memories back to the fore did nothing but smile dispassionately at the horrific din of less-than-pleased minotaurs while pulling back the powerful limbs of his bow and firing again and again, Emily counting five inhuman cries and countless bellowing roars before catching Eric¡¯s sigh.


    ¡°Fuck. It¡¯s not enough.¡±


    Emily blinked away the last of the dazzle, knowing better than to look until Eric had finished his shooting, lest she be blinded by the flaring brilliance that for some reason didn¡¯t seem to effect him at all. Never mind that he had to sight his targets with that flare in his vision.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    She hated the anxiety in her voice, for all that she was relieved to see five more fallen minotaurs, noting that every last one of them had died twisted in torment, their now charred hands having reached for the blazing white-hot pyres that their skulls had become.


    It was as if Eric had managed to hit each of them in the eye, never mind that those monstrous creatures, almost as fast as they were, should have been able to dodge at least a couple shots.


    But she supposed it made sense, with Eric being some sort of evolved archer who had clearly mastered fire, as that strange interface voice had implied earlier, and if Steve¡¯s remarkable recovery was any indication, blood as well.


    She choked back a sob as her hopeful gaze filled with despair.


    It didn¡¯t matter that they had taken down almost a dozen of those monsters in less than a minute, and that everyone save Eric was crippled by dizziness and pain. All that mattered was that just as many axe wielding titans remained as made up their own party, in addition to the final giant among giants, roaring chants that sent all of them save Jack and Eric crashing to their knees.


    Ultimately they would die here, Emily feared. Their struggle had been fruitless, the levels they had gained meaningless. The minute that bastard Sylvis had forced Eric through, they were all as good as dead.


    Just as their enemies¡­ humanity¡¯s enemies, had no doubt planned from the very start.


    ¡°No, fuck no. It doesn¡¯t end here!¡± Cried a furious Jack of all people, face locked in a snarl as he glared hate at the minotaurs smashing through the last of the ice. The only one save Eric even on his feet.


    Even her sworn bodyguard Ron was shaking like a leaf, leaking tears of black ichor and bright red blood, having been hit harder by the dark chants than anyone else, it seemed, despite his crazy high Vitality of near a hundred.


    ¡°Damn right it doesn¡¯t,¡± said none other than Eric, with that same cocky smile she remembered after a tearful drunken confession whispered in his arms, two years ago.


    A confession that had ended with half the mansion in a wild blaze, all the guests fleeing into the night, the only missing person being an enforcer who had taken liberties he never should have been allowed.


    And how furious her father was, pointing his finger a coolly smiling Aurelia¡¯s way, months later, when next they crossed paths at a private gala, a humiliated Emily forced to bear witness to the whole damned thing. And how grateful she was that Aurelia didn¡¯t rub the shame of it in her face, having eyes only for her father.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have absolutely no idea what you¡¯re talking about, Senator Chelton. Though it is such a shame to hear about the fire. But of course, someone as savvy and forward-thinking as yourself no doubt had plenty of insurance, no?¡±


    Eric hadn¡¯t been present at the gala. In fact, Emily had never seen him again, despite the one letter she had dared to write him. Yet as grateful as she was that she could finally start over as the innocent college freshman she had so desperately yearned to be, without fear of those awful tapes humiliating her years down the line¡­ even then she had known Eric to be pretty damn handy when it came to flame.


    Like the fire that was now filling his hands, his eldritch bone bow gone as if it had never been.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Jack gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Let me guess. Your bow¡¯s some kind of exotic necromancer spell. Am I right? That¡¯s how you got those awesome sandwiches for Steve, refueling weird potency pools too closely tied to one¡¯s life force. Only now, you¡¯re finally tapped like the rest of us.¡± Jack gazed at the rapidly approaching minotaurs with an odd mixture of fear and determination. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve done enough. Eat one of your sandwiches. I¡¯ll buy you at least a couple seconds.¡±


    The minotaurs roared as they closed.


    Yuki cursed and sobbed. ¡°Fuck, why can¡¯t I get up? Now I could show all you assholes what I could do, taking them out from behind¡­ if only I didn¡¯t feel like I was dying!¡±


    ¡°Willpower check needed,¡± Steve said with a soft chuckle, who was perfectly steady, just too wounded to move. ¡°You know, one of those seemingly pointless stupid stats that you can only raise up by letting the System twist inside your mind, or through actually dealing with serious fucking pain? Not a stat most of us are anxious to force up. More the fool us.¡±


    Jack glared Eric¡¯s way. ¡°Dude, I said I¡¯d cover you! Now eat your fucking sandwich!¡±


    Yet instead of a sandwich, an intent-looking Eric pulled out from nowhere what looked like a classic scroll from World of Warblades.


    Steve¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit, is that thing really made of bone and monster hide?¡±


    Emily couldn¡¯t say for sure, but even she saw the way the crimson scrawls that looked like a combination of spider scratches and really bad cursive squiggled upon the leathery parchment that might or might not have been skin. A realization that made her flesh crawl.


    Not that she gave a fuck how dark a path Eric walked, with death roaring and bleating as they shattered the last of Emily¡¯s ice¡­ and why the hell hadn¡¯t she made more? Why was she so fucking nauseous and dizzy with fear and just kneeling like a dazed sacrifice while that giant minotaur mocked her in her own mind?


    Then she heard it¡­ the words that changed absolutely everything.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Inevitable Doom.¡±


    Six words that seemed to echo endlessly in the air as giant trees comprised of massive thorny limbs that might have been wood or white-hot flame, but either way were considerably more massive than the minotaurs themselves. Those gargantuan thorn-covered vines covered in flame immediately began lashing out at the beasts that were suddenly stumbling back, their cow-eyes now wide with fear.


    For just a second Emily felt an awful knot of desperate hope roiling in her belly before the minotaur leader gave an angry bellow and the leading trio of minotaurs snarled their defiance, lashing out with their massive battle axes that were made for battle, not lumber, but nonetheless would be perfect for cutting down stubborn shrubbery¡­ save when that shrubbery abruptly yanked the closest of the squealing minotaurs up by its hocks before clutching them in its multiple blazing limbs, the poor beast suddenly shrieking and squealing as it was covered in furious flames. Now the dying minotaur was writhing in agony no doubt made all the worse when tendrils of liquid fire rammed down the creature¡¯s throat, searing its lungs to ash.


    The two other would-be lumberjacks managed to chop off a good pair of tendrils before wisely leaping back, glaring at the chieftain who roared at them both, before stomping forward with his own battle axe crackling with eldritch enchantments that had Emily whimpering like a frightened girl when the air suddenly rang with a curiously muted sonic crack, the chief baddy stumbling back as an arrow planted itself in it¡¯s thigh, shooting out white hot flame that caused it to squeal, desperate to pull it out.


    ¡°Now, Jack! Use your ice, Emily! Steve, let¡¯s rock those doom balls!¡± Eric shouted, somehow free of the terror that had frozen everyone else to a terrified stupor.


    Emily couldn¡¯t believe that crazy boy could sound so enthusiastic. Even now flashing his infuriating adorable madcap grin as if he were raiding an opposing guild on the double-monitor gaming rig he used to live-stream on, not delving for his life. Yet his words were also strangely compelling, and she found herself matching his madcap excitement with a smile of her own, roaring forth the words she should have been belting out every second that their foes were stymied. The one spell she could cast, over and over, no matter how much those fuckers threatened to end her with their bellows.


    Who the fuck cared if their hooves could crack her ice?


    She could always put down more.


    ¡°Glacio! Glacio, motherfuckers!¡±


    Almost like it was bouncing at the gates for the release, the magic poured out of her in thick glossy waves of pristine ice that bubbled up around the minotaur¡¯s feet, not only repairing the shattered holes they had struggled to pound into her last sheet, but stacking beautifully on top of itself in ways she had never even attempted before, for some stupid reason.


    Because it worked brilliantly, each layer of ice even thicker and glossier than the one before.


    Best of all, when the glaring minotaurs with the axes tried to smash through her latest sheets, they only managed to send their hooves skittering across its super slick surface. The massive fiery hell plants would then dark forward to wrap around the suddenly squealing cows before yanking them into the heart of the swarm of writhing thorn-covered vines, ripping open and cooking their struggling flesh till it smoked and charrred while shoving thorny tendrils down the minotaurs shrieking orifices, smothering and shishkebabing them all at once.


    It was glorious, and downright horrific.


    And the way Steve and Alex were whooping it up, it was just what they needed to restore morale as the air came alive with javelins firing like artillery, ripping through jugulars and abdomens. Whatever angle Jack could get through the vines was a shot he took, to brilliant effect. Even as the Minotaurs found new reasons to fear approaching their stubborn prey, death came from above in the form of obsidian balls that hooked right over the vines to slam into one minotaur skull after another, that impossibly glorious ball of destruction that cost Steve so much to unleash proving just how damn useful it was, the only attack they had that could make any sort of dent on those enchanted skulls, sending one minotaur after another collapsing like their strings had been cut.


    And all the while a madly grinning Eric was cracking jokes while unleashing shot after shot with his bow. Even if he was no longer able to shoot perfect bullseyes with the fiery vines blocking so many shots, he still absolutely peppered them with arrows that always struck his prey in the abdomen or joints at just the right moment to send those oversized bulls stumbling with painful squeals right into the fiery vines that happily finished off any prey that the three boys managed to maim or, in Steve¡¯s case, outright kill.


    And Emily, her cheeks hurting with how fiercely she was laughing and smiling through her tears, was raising her own ice staff with fierce pride, adding to the chaos as she felt herself slowly coming to a deeper understanding of her art, feeling like she was on the cusp of a breakthrough as each layer of ice blossomed on top of the other.


    ¡°Glacio! Glacio!¡± She cried out with jubilation and joy as the squealing minotaurs fought less like a well oiled machine intent on bringing their deaths and more like panicked creatures now desperate to escape what would be there doom as one after another collapsed, and suddenly there were fresh oak-sized trees on all sides of the increasingly panicked minotaurs as Eric roared his deadly chant and unleashed fiery arrow after fiery arrow.


    The ear-piercing squeals and bellows of their enemies were so soon replaced by the scents of charred meat and the roar of flame, and never had Emily been so happy to belt out her own growing spell mastery as Jack honed his deadly spear throwing and Steve devoured yet another sandwich a smiling Eric handed him before joining in the final blitz as they brought down their giant-sized targets until only one remained.


    For just a heartbeat, Emily¡¯s fierce sense of triumph was replaced by dread as the massive, near twenty-foot tall minotaur leading the charge seemed to glare through the vines Right at her! And she couldn¡¯t help but whimper as the awful creature flashed a deadly smile, somehow finding some hidden way right through the trees, as if embracing some dreadful gift that allowed it to slip through any barrier like a maze¡­ and it was Emily¡¯s doom to lead it through.


    Before she was knocked over with a startled cry by none other than Jack, giving her the strangest look.


    ¡°Emily, what the fuck are you doing!?¡±


    She flinched, choking down a terrified sob as the minotaur appeared right in front of them!


    Giving a triumphant roar as it swung its axe, eager to cleave free all their heads.


    ¡°Emily, get down!¡±


    And somehow Jack was scooping both her and Richard up, as the stone tiles exploded in a massive crater and Emily screamed, hating the fact that they had come so close, only to die right here and now, before the floor shook with a great crash and she was sent flying, desperate to hold Richard close, sobbing her grief and regret¡­ before the air rang with laughter.


    Her eyes widened, turning around to gaze upon the massive minotaur that had sworn to claim her, body and soul, with a single look of its hypnotic gaze.


    Eyes that would haunt her in her dreams, perhaps, but never again in real life, as those awful eyes were presently spurting sprays of superheated brain before the entire skull burst into a roaring, white-hot flame as Eric laughed and gave her a thumbs up.


    ¡°We did it, Emily! That fucker was so distracted taking the bait that it left itself wide open to me and Steve pulling the finishing combo. Thank you, Emily! And Jack? Nice save.¡±


    ¡°Naturally,¡± Jack said with a grin. ¡°And I think I actually managed to rank up both my Javelin throwing and my Javelin node skills. And hell yes, I leveled up! Hoorah!¡±


    Emily just stood there, staring at the boys getting such a high off nearly getting killed, and she couldn¡¯t deny the ebullition she also felt, so buoyant and light, having experienced such a roller coaster of emotions, from despair to fierce exultation to the awe and wonder of a fresh breakthrough as she sensed her favorite spells evolve and strengthen in ways both glorious and profound.


    But still¡­ despite savoring sweetest relief, she couldn¡¯t deny her shame. She would own it, no matter how much it stung. ¡°But Jack, the last one.¡± She swallowed, heart pounding, cheeks flushed with painful heat. ¡°It locked on to me. I know it did. I¡­. somehow, I brought it through the maze of Eric¡¯s hell trees!¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± This from Yuki, still wan and shaking from the horrible nausea that had gripped her, only now stumbling to her feet with the help of her enchanted naginata. ¡°Girl, at least you were fighting through the dizziness and giving it your all! Me? I was so fucking sick that I couldn¡¯t do shit! And that was a high level boss-tier¡­ or maybe sub-boss tier, elite motherfucker. So it used some sort of linking magic to bridge the gap with your eyes. So what the fuck were you supposed to do? Be stupid enough to take your eyes off your enemy?¡±


    Yuki solemnly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I think it was more just the luck of the draw. What mattered was that our gung ho boys were all about putting that fucker down, where it counted, in the brain-holes, while it was phasing in from the trees and we all had perfect line-of-sight on it¡¯s face, not half-protected by the very fiery vines killing it.¡±


    Yuki turned, hands on hips, smirking Eric¡¯s way. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you say that about sums it up, archer who can somehow summon badass elite tier crowd control hell trees?¡±


    A chuckling Eric saluted them both with a celebratory stein of mead he was now passing all of them from one of the many kegs he had clearly pilfered from the elves. And none of them were complaining.


    ¡°I¡¯d say that about sums it up nicely, Yuki.¡± Then Eric flashed Emily a smile that sent her heart fluttering in her chest¡­ and a sudden surge of guilt, alleviated only when she looked her boyfriend¡¯s way. Fortunately Richard was now sleeping like a baby on the road to recovery, thank goodness, his head resting on her wool-lined jacket which she did bring, because ice mistress or no, Classer vitality or no, she had always hated being cold, and wasn¡¯t going to put up with chilly dungeons now


    ¡°You absolutely kicked ass, Emily,¡± Eric grandly declared. ¡°Reinforcing the Ice Slick which made it impossible for them to just blitz through my hell vines and made it that much easier for the limbs to grab their prey and force them off balance was exactly what we needed..¡± He saluted them all with his stein. ¡°To a kickass team effort, and hopefully levels and skill boosts to all of us, because we were definitely walking the path of peril there!¡±


    Emily grinned, her heart glowing with remembered warmth for the hotblooded wildcard her family had always hated and the tabloids had so loved to gossip about, but who had now played the dark knight twice in her bittersweet life tale, right when she needed him the most.


    Yuki abruptly turned her way as Eric and Jack talked shop, comparing weapons and praise, seeing far too much with those beautiful almond eyes of hers. And how did she get her shadow and liner to look so hot and not streak at all, even when they were in the middle of a fucking dungeon? Because with the looks Eric had been giving her¡­


    Yuki smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to be starting anything with your old flame.¡±


    Emily open her mouth, but no words came out. A thousand protestations flickered across her mind¡¯s eye as she turned her focus back to Richard. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± she whispered, feeling a flush creep across her cheeks as Yuki gave her a gentle hug, somehow understanding.


    ¡°No. And I don¡¯t think Richard will ever piece your shared past with Eric. He never had to understand that kind of life¡­ at least not like we did.¡±


    Now Emily¡¯s cheeks were blazing, tears creeping down her face as she trembled and held Richard close. ¡°Yuki...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s clear he still cares about you, and I don¡¯t think he¡¯d ever do anything to hurt you. Including bring up the twisted games all our families clearly played. I¡¯m just glad to see that he didn¡¯t, well...¡±


    ¡°Hurt me?¡± Emily swallowed the lump in his throat. ¡°No, Yuki. He was¡­ sweet. Everything I could have wanted, if it had been, well, real. Not just, you know...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Emily shook her head. ¡°The way he held me... even back then, just a couple years back, somehow I knew that he knew. And when I broke down and cried in his arms, when he realized how much everything was hurting me, something changed. And suddenly it wasn¡¯t a goofy boy and we could pretend it was just innocent sweet fumbling and who the hell cared what sick games our parents were playing at downstairs? He knew.¡± She took a shuddering breath. ¡°And maybe he did me a favor I had no right to ask of him, finally setting me free.¡± She flashed a bittersweet smile, her tears dripping on Richard¡¯s beautiful sleeping face.


    ¡°And then I truly was free. Starting life as an innocent freshman in upstate New York where I met Richard, and he accepted me as the girl that I so desperately wanted to be.¡±


    Yuki gave a solemn nod. ¡°Enthusiastic. Idealistic. The cheerful engaging girl with a sweet smile and the perfect past that every boy dreams of marrying and every girl dreams of being.¡±


    Emily nodded. ¡°The farthest thing from the¡­ whatever you want to call what me and Jazmine had to be.¡± She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, shaking in Yuki¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡­ I put all that shit far behind me. And Richard, he¡¯s no fool. Somehow, I know that he knows with his smile, but he loves me. He actually loves fucked up me, accepts me as the girl I try so hard to be, and has absolutely no interest in my past.¡±


    ¡°Of course he doesn¡¯t,¡± Yuki chided. ¡°Richard¡¯s good people. And it¡¯s not like his family¡¯s completely innocent, either. Even if they kept him out of it and they¡¯re a bit less¡­ let¡¯s call it jaded, than our own families are.¡±


    Emily sighed. ¡°I just feel bad for Eric. If our situation was rough...¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°He¡¯s the son of the Winter Queen, Emily. That¡¯s the mean one who eats all the children¡¯s hearts and freezes entire cities in eternal frost in the storybooks. But seriously¡­ if the look in my uncle¡¯s eyes was anything to go by, it was pretty bad.¡±


    Emily winced. ¡°Shit. I¡¯m surprised he managed to keep his head on straight.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t.¡± Yuki smiled a confused Emily¡¯s way. ¡°You seriously didn¡¯t hear all the juicy gossip about Eric in our parent¡¯s circles? Where have you been, Emily?¡± She grinned at her friend¡¯s blush. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. You managed to break free of ¡®the life¡¯ and go live your dream in upstate New York.¡±


    Yuki chuckled throatily, massaging her friend¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You made the right call, there. As for Eric?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Weird as it may sound, with the way he¡¯s trying so hard to impress us and win us over, I think he¡¯s lonely and is looking for some friends.¡± She gave Emily a hard look that sent shivers down her spine. ¡°And believe me, Emily. We really want to be his friends.¡±


    Emily swallowed her parched throat, before drinking the mead that was somehow in her hand.


    ¡°I know,¡± she whispered, before her eyes widened with delight. ¡°And this is some fucking delicious mead. My mana¡¯s perking right back up!¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°Yup. Royal Sylvan mead that our hero just happens to have on tap.¡± She smirked. ¡°Must be nice to be the brother of the future queen of Terra, if his mother has anything to say about it.¡±


    ¡°A development which our parents strongly oppose,¡± Emily noted with a wry smile.


    Yuki nodded. ¡°And look where that got them. A favor owed to those who gave us such a bittersweet head start that our families dutifully honored, only for Sylvis himself to do his best to take all of us out, pure-blooded humans and half-elf former boyfriend in one fell swoop.¡± She flashed a bitter smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, Emily, but I¡¯m no longer putting much stock in any of the gnoll or goblin faction talking points about working together for a more harmonious, peaceful Earth.¡±


    Emily shivered, forced to accept yet another uncomfortable truth. ¡°Because it¡¯s all bullshit. Those alien assholes will happily play us off against one another like European diplomats playing Native American tribes against one another, letting them wipe each other out before purging the rest.¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°Not that any dominant ethnic majority in any part of the world is that much better, if you study the history. Even my ancestors have all sorts of uncomfortable skeletons in their closets. And the choices of those who have come and gone long before we were ever born has nothing to do with the choices we make in our own lives, Emily. Their sins are theirs alone to bear. Never forget that. But what we do have to keep in mind, is if we humans are savage and cruel enough to do that to one another, and have been since mankind became the dominant race and every other branch of the hominin family tree conveniently died out with our rise, why the hell would we expect anything different from alien races who came to Earth to subjugate us all? Especially when those bastards have been caught happily eating the flesh of men, women, and children in their more unguarded moments¡­ and not just the fucking orcs. It¡¯s all of them that should be purged from our planet!¡±


    Emily swallowed, sensing the trembling fury Yuki was now just barely keeping in check. Wordlessly, she turned around and gave Yuki a sisterly squeeze, and how odd it was that now she was comforting the strongest girl she knew, quietly sobbing into her arms.


    Only when Yuki swallowed, flashing a brilliant smile and swearing she wouldn¡¯t break down like an idiot topside, only here beside a girl she could trust, did they turn to lighter topics, sharing a laugh, before Yuki squeezed her hand and left her to her beau.


    She swallowed the lump in her throat as she gazed down at Richard, her heart melting for the beautiful boy who needed her. She kissed his brow, tenderly wiping the sweat-soaked strands of hair from his forehead, before turning to gaze at the wildcard who had both imperiled and saved their lives. Radiating so much wild potency with a lion¡¯s commanding presence that he couldn¡¯t help but draw people¡¯s gazes, even now he was cracking jokes with Steve and giving him what sounded like life advice that their friend was nodding along with and seemingly taking very, very seriously.


    Emily furrowed her brow when Yuki returned with fresh egg salad sandwiches for both of them. ¡°Steve¡¯s Obsidian Fire discipline gets pretty damn close to necromancy and forbidden magics, right?¡±


    Yuki smirked. ¡°Forbidden, according to the assholes happily stabbing us all in our backs, sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ so how come Eric, our newfound archer, is just full of advice Steve looks like he¡¯s taking very, very seriously?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s grin widened. ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d pick up on that. I mean, let¡¯s not even talk about his bone bow looking like some nightmare artifact in the game of your choice, or the fact that he¡¯s so comfortable using animal parts and blood. Because in any game we ever played that would make us...¡±


    ¡°Necromancers,¡± they said together, giving Eric pointed looks as they did so.


    Emily frowned. ¡°Dad said they were going to Freetown to preserve the peace, get rid of a dangerous threat, ha ha, and put firm strictures on what he called ¡®forbidden arts.¡¯ Why am I almost certain that whatever the hell Eric¡¯s capable of will definitely fit in that category?¡±


    Yuki smirked. ¡°Because you weren¡¯t born yesterday?¡± She then sighed and shook her head. ¡°And what¡¯s really fucked up is, assuming your dad and the other administrators put any strictures in place, you just know that Steve¡¯s magic is going to fall under those edicts. Never mind that our families have been happily profiting from his good fortune, at no small cost to Steve.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Yuki. So what the fuck do we do?¡±


    ¡°Well, first thing we do is get the fuck out of here. After that, we¡¯ll see, I guess.¡±


    Emily¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Yuki, after seeing Eric, being reminded of so much shit I tried so fucking hard to pretend never happened, then finding out that all of this near death bullshit is because Sylvis was fucking us all over¡­ I kind of don¡¯t think I want to go back.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat as she uttered words she had never dared to so much as whisper before.


    Yuki stared at her for long moments. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Heart pounding in her chest, she nodded. ¡°Yeah, you know what? I think I am.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s grin was fearless. Because after what they had already faced and overcome, why the hell should they fear the opinions of any stuffy bureaucrat or tyrannical parent?


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get the fuck out of New York.¡±

 Chapter 311 - You got any more of those roast beef sandwiches?

    Congratulations! You have successfully slain 11 Greater Minotaurs!


    You have successfully defeated 1 Minotaur Chieftain in single combat!


    You have achieved Level 56 as a Primal Adventurer!


    Quickness / Finesse / Perception have each increased by 3 points, for nothing is more crucial in battle than striking your foes before they can counter.


    Eric gave whoop and when his final shot sent the minotaur titan crashing to the ground with not one but two blazing hot arrows piercing its jugular while Jack¡¯s javelin pierced its heart and Steve¡¯s Obsidian Flame blasted through its skull.


    ¡°Three way epic kill!¡± The three of them cheered as one, because it was just one of those perfect moments.


    And if Eric was moving a bit faster and confidently than ever before, his movements more coordinated, his awareness of the environment even more acute, that was the result of him blossoming into his own potential, and not the System¡¯s silvery tendrils directly infecting his body and soul. Even if his interface did still give him courtesy head¡¯s up, so he could appreciate just how well he was coming along.


    Hell Vines is now Rank 9.


    You have achieved Rank 22 with all bows!


    Heat Surge is now Rank 14 as not even a Minotaur Chieftan can resist your added affinity with the essence of Flame!


    Even if Eric was feeling a bit salty that he had missed out on the 200 first-achiever feat for Finesse, he was still quite pleased with his steady growth, slowly but surely getting ever closer to his goals. Because even if he was head and shoulders above most classers his level, he had been profoundly humbled by both his mother and by his Gold tier cultivation master. A pair of unspeakably powerful women who had made it painfully clear in their own ways that he had only taken the very first steps along his cultivation and ascension journeys. He needed to do everything he could to continuously push himself, and to make the most of fortuitous encounters, momentum, and his own sweat and tears if he wished to truly be worthy of his own potential.


    Because it ultimately didn¡¯t matter how he compared with White tier cultivators struggling in a newly ascended world. What mattered was how he would compare to elite Bronze in the upcoming years who all enjoyed the benefits of clans with countless centuries devising the best paths forward for their chosen scions, with fortunes spent in spiritual treasures, arranged fortuitous encounters, and choice selected titles all being used to open a path for the true elites of any given clan to blossom to their ultimate potential.


    Compared to them¡­ Eric shook his head, knowing he was still just taking his first baby steps, and had so much farther to go.


    His class was already such a hodgepodge of fortuitous encounters and eclectic combinations without any underlying theme that he hadn¡¯t even had the option to infuse his path, let alone change his class, at Level 50. And for all that at the time of using his Tier 2 pod, he had basically had the possibility of unlimited potential before him¡­ he knew in his gut that he needed to get pretty much every skill he valued to at least the Adept level, a whopping level 30, before even thinking about anything like advancement or ascension to Bronze. Hell, he suspected that was the bare minimum that he needed to achieve before he even hit level 100, and that was with him having EVERY intention of embracing Core infusion just as he had before, doing his utmost to unlock whatever options there might be, so long as he could continue to ascend without limit.


    His thoughts were racing, even as he passed out drinks to his cheering friends, knowing that he¡¯d not only have to do a far better job of clearly defining his path, if that was even possible, but also get every spell he had cobbled together as well as get most of his combat skills to Level 30 or better, or he¡¯d be insulting his own potential in ways from which there would be no going back.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll bet that also includes every essence skill as well,¡± he said with a rueful chuckle, earning a strange look from Steve.


    ¡°What was that, Eric?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, buddy. And that was some mighty fine fireball throwing!¡± Eric quickly commended, giving Steve¡¯s shoulder a gentle squeeze. ¡°And don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t catch how you went from barely controlling those balls with our first encounter to actually getting them to curve around the Hell Vines and strike those assholes right in the face!¡±


    Steve, now standing upright with a sheepish smile and looking a hell of a lot better save for a single streak of silver in his otherwise full mane of once more glossy hair, chuckled warmly, his eyes twinkling.


    ¡°Damn right I did. I actually leveled up midway through the battle and I got a skill evolution!¡±


    ¡°Steve, the man!¡± A whooping Jack high-fived his friend.


    ¡°Damn straight!¡± Steve said with a wide grin. ¡°Which means that my brain fog cleared, my mana pools reset, and injuries near instantly healed with what I guess was an infusion of excess potency.¡± He gave a rueful chuckle. ¡°Even if I must have torn free a couple months of my life there, at the end¡­ I¡¯m not going to sweat it. Because adventurers live forever, right?¡±


    Eric shrugged thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m halfway certain that rumor started because the pods reset the ages of those with the potential for a pristine configurations back to their ideal 18-year-old body. But fuck it! As long as we can steadily raise our Vitality every level, why the hell can¡¯t we live forever?¡±


    ¡°Right on! Youth forever!¡± Jack crowed.


    Steve smirked. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll definitely be taking care of that Vitality stat. Now I just have a single lock of silver hair to go with my handsome chiseled features.¡±


    Eric gave him a heartfelt smile, gently clapping his shoulder. ¡°Trust me, my friend. It could be far, far worse.¡±


    Steve paled, seeing something in Eric¡¯s gaze. ¡°Shit. You know exactly what I mean.¡±


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Which means you¡¯ve walked this walk, even if it doesn¡¯t show at all for you.¡±


    Eric smirked, flicking his bone bow. ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Which means you¡¯re no simple archer.¡±


    Eric affected an innocent expression. ¡°Moi?¡±


    Steve rolled his eyes. ¡°Come on, man. Like, let¡¯s look at those blazing twenty-foot tall trees of whipping vines made of thorns and living flame.¡±


    Eric winked, tapping his blank scroll prop. ¡°I¡¯m pinning that on my blank scroll prop.¡±


    Steven scowled. ¡°Who wants to bet that¡¯s not actually an artifact tier scroll?¡±


    Emily smirked, rubbing her six foot staff fondly. ¡°Considering that you soul-bound a book of dark magic deliciousness and my family bought me this sweet Ice Princess artifact, and that¡¯s all that¡¯s allowing either of us to rock these Advanced tier classes and not be stuck running piss-poor White-tier delves as Conscripts? Not a chance.¡±


    Steve chuckled. ¡°Okay, Eric. We love your scroll, whether prop or artifact. You got any more of those roast beef sandwiches? Oh fuck, yeah. You¡¯re the best!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Eric said with a smile, taking care of his friend then handing Jack a Reuben and the girls egg and chicken salad sandwiches respectively. ¡°These I got at the buffet. Won¡¯t boost Soul Reserves, since Elves don¡¯t follow that path, but it¡¯s meaty deliciousness nonetheless!¡±


    Jack took a big bite of his prize. ¡°Fucking epic! So, the elves aren¡¯t all animal-loving vegans?¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Certainly this half-elf loves animals¡­ in his belly!¡± He smirked at the four very curious stares being sent his way, probably because he had just effectively admitted to his own heritage. ¡°But to be fair, a lot of elves really are into whole grains and sourdoughs. Lots of heritage flours like buckwheat, durum, spelt, you name it. They make some damn fine pastries and you¡¯ll happily find that they don¡¯t have that teeth grating jittery sugar rush that processed food normally gives you.¡±


    ¡°Because they use magical flour to make magically delicious and nutritious tasty treats?¡± Yuki quipped, earning an eye-roll from Emily.


    Eric nodded. ¡°Pretty much, yeah. I think that¡¯s really what it boils down to. Magical Sylvan baking professions. And my sister loves pastries, noodles and salads, and the whole vegetarian lifestyle. And anything more than a tiny serving of meat actually gives her bad cramps. But me? I¡¯m all about the carnivore diet¡­ as long as there¡¯s chocolate in there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Meat and chocolate,¡± Jack said with a sigh. ¡°A man after my own heart.¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Awesome. Next time we delve, I¡¯m bringing all the chocolate pastries I can grab, and I know just the territory to get them from. But for now? I think we got some fresh minotaurs to hunt down.¡±


    And Eric counted it a win that no one pointed out how unlikely it would be that they¡¯d ever delve as a group again. Instead what he received was good-natured laughter and ribbing that turned to genuine appreciation when Flesh Sculptor near effortlessly forged a double wheel-stretcher of leather and bone that Jack assured didn¡¯t look icky, rather badass, that allowed them to place a still-groaning Ron and comatose Richard on it without jostling them at all, balanced enough for any one of them to easily wheel the pair in the middle of the group as they prepared to roll out. Eric took point, Jack covered their rear, and they quickly moved out from the ruins of their doomed fort that did nothing but invite ever greater swarms of minotaurs their way.


    Steve sighed when they hit the centralmost passageway they had voted on taking, intending on leaving what they hoped was, in fact, the central chamber for good. ¡°It¡¯s almost like there¡¯s a tower defense option for this dungeon. But sure as shit, our tower couldn¡¯t crack it.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Who knows? You could be right.¡± He then gazed down at their wounded party members. ¡°But considering the state of a third of our force, I think we¡¯re better off taking the maze-solving, boss-killing option for completion.¡±


    Steve smirked. ¡°True. But the levels were sweet.¡±


    ¡°But totally not worth it, if one of us doesn¡¯t make it,¡± Emily noted, gazing down at her beau.


    Steve quickly nodded. ¡°Totally agree. Alright, then. Lead us on, noble half-elf scion of a lost ancient Atlantean civilization.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Damn right, and you sure as heck are not getting in with that attitude.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Bullshit! You are not going to tell me that Atlantis is actually some ancient elven city, are you? Because if you were¡­ I totally want to go there.¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. But if you guys are good, I just might show you where you can set up a base of operations promising endless delves from level 5 to Bronze tier absurdity, with Tier 2 ascension pods to assure yourselves the absolute best Level 50 class options you could hope for.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes grew round as saucers. ¡°You¡¯re shitting me!¡±


    Eric raised his hand. ¡°Scout¡¯s honor. Twelve endless tier delves. Even if there are bosses to overcome every level down. And a Tier 2 ascension pod means countless powerful class options and synergisms await you that aren¡¯t corrupted by Goblin bullshit. So if you can hold off leveling before you hit level fifty, by all means do so. My understanding is that that¡¯s the final sweet spot where you can enjoy a class evolution before level 100, or Bronze tier ascension.¡±


    Jack whistled. ¡°Are you serious? Shit¡­ look at his face. This cat¡¯s actually for real!¡±


    Yuki bit her lip, looking vulnerable in a way Eric wouldn¡¯t have expected from her. ¡°Are you sure, Jack? I¡­ I want to believe it too much to get a read on this.¡±


    Jack¡¯s nod was oddly solemn. His expression was no longer that of a goofy college-age kid shooting the shit with Eric, but instead that of a survivor who¡¯s seen the ugliest that humanity has to offer.


    ¡°Yeah. Believe it or not, Yuki, he¡¯s actually for real.¡±


    Eric blinked, pretending he wasn¡¯t feeling a surge of anxiety as the most flippant member of their crew turned out to be the one detecting truth from falsehood. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s you? I was sure it was Richard serving as your de-facto Paladin truth-teller. Yuki as well.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s smirk hardened. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Jack chuckled. ¡°Yeah, well, I needed to develop a sharp eye not just for rats and snipers but all around bullshit, just trying to survive under Orc occupation in Gilton. And honestly, Yuki¡¯s every bit as good at reading people as I am. So if we both agree on something¡­ But our Richard¡¯s an idealist. Such a good-natured goofball that I think he actually believes all his father¡¯s speeches, not even realizing it¡¯s all puff-pieces for the rubes. And since he¡¯s such a boy scout, his dad¡¯s happy to have him keep the rose-colored glasses on. Because what politician wouldn¡¯t want to have such an upstanding idealist of a son? Especially if there¡¯s an older brother around somewhere who understands how things really work.¡±


    Emily winced. ¡°True, sadly. He was an idealist since the first day we met in college, and I love him for it. Which meant that Sylvis¡¯s betrayal hit him pretty damn hard.¡±


    ¡°Especially since I could vouch for it,¡± Jack said, gazing solemnly at Eric. ¡°Because whether or not there¡¯s another spin to it, you genuinely believe every word you told us.¡±


    Eric was going to respond, assuring Jack that there was no other interpretation or ¡®spin¡¯¡­ before freezing stock still, holding up a clenched fist, peering hard down the T-section at the end of the giant corridor they were now traversing along.


    ¡°Game faces, people! Trouble¡¯s coming!¡±

 Chapter 312 - Battleforged Book 2: Contender is now LIVE!

    ¡°Yuki! Brace our passengers! Everyone else, MK Alpha on three!¡±


    ¡°Eric! What the fuck¡¯s MK Alpha?¡±


    Eric frowned at Jack as the pair of minotaurs that just turned into their corridor, their surprised bleats quickly turning to furious bellows as they raised their battleaxes high.


    ¡°Minotaur Killer, plan alpha! Seriously, we didn¡¯t go over this?¡±


    ¡°No, Eric, we did not!¡± Jack shouted with growing anxiety as the ground shook with the pounding of massive cloven hooves racing toward them.


    Eric sighed, rolling out his scroll.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Inevitable Doom!¡±


    The ground cracked with a sharp report as multiple trees covered in thick vines whipping about like octopedal limbs causing the charging minotaurs to jerk to a halt, glaring angrily at the trees as they lashed out with their axes.


    ¡°Alright, Emily. Time for that ice slick. Jack? Fire your badass javelins at will through the openings between the tree trunks. Even a shot to lance their thighs and shatter their knees is sweet, so long as we can keep than at bay for you to skill up by throwing as many javelins as you like.¡±


    ¡°On it!¡± Jack shouted, the air whistling with the crack and boom of magical javelins being thrown at supersonic speeds, kneecapping the closest minotaur who promptly fell right into the Hell Vines as dozens of flaming tendrils whipped about the surprised minotaurs flesh, the creature managing to choke out a single desperate bleat before thorny tendrils covered in liquid fire were rammed through it¡¯s nostrils and down its throat. It continued to thrash for long moments before stiffening and curling up in a fetal position as the hallway began filling up with thick black smoke.


    ¡°Roboro ventus attentio,¡± Eric whispered over a handful of seconds, and the thick black smoke of charred flesh causing Eric¡¯s party to cough and wipe their stinging eyes was replaced by a fresh breeze sending the thick black smoke the way of the remaining pair of minotaurs that were even now backing away, their bovine faces an almost comical mixture of confusion and fear.


    ¡°Glacius Murius! Glacius Murius!¡± Emily quickly cried out, and the look of surprise on the minotaurs¡¯ faces when they found themselves backing into a double-thick wall of ice had Yuki cracking up.


    ¡°Too bad, motherfuckers. Now it¡¯s YOU who won¡¯t be getting away!¡±


    The pair of minotaurs bleated, snarling at Yuki and the others before turning around to frantically chop at the ice wall, to no avail.


    ¡°Obsian Flamma!¡±


    ¡°Pilum strike, motherfuckers!¡±


    The air rang with the boys calling out their attacks Sayun-style as Eric smirked and unleashed fire-tipped arrow after fire-tipped arrow, and within a handful of seconds the minotaurs were crashing to the ground, hearts pierced, skulls blasted open, impaled by multiple arrows covered in eternal flame.


    Your party has successfully slain 3 minotaurs!


    Experience earned!


    Coordination bonus of 15% given!


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Well fuck, I actually earned experience, even though I didn¡¯t do anything more than taunt one.¡±


    Emily cheered, cheeks flushed with joy, eyes sparkling with fierce satisfaction. ¡°We fucking did it! And my double thick ice wall actually worked! Now it wasn¡¯t us huddling in fear, but those assholes trying to escape!¡±


    Steve grinned. ¡°And damn does it feel good disintegrating those asshole¡¯s oversized skulls.¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t disintegrate yourself while doing so,¡± Yuki said with a cautionary grin.


    Steve laughed like a madman. ¡°Damn right! So I¡¯ll let you guess the perk I picked after busting my ass toward it for the last ten levels!¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean it popped up?¡±


    ¡°You better believe it did! After we took out that sub-chief in back in that tower-defense nightmare, an option to cut all costs by a full 50% popped up, and you¡¯d damn well better believe I took it.¡±


    ¡°Jack, congratulations,¡± whispered none other than Richard, finally open his eyes with a wan smile.


    ¡°Rich, you¡¯re awake!¡± Emily sobbed, wrapping him up in her arms and sobbing her heart out. He gave her warm smile and awkwardly patted her back.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Emily. I¡¯m okay.¡± He flashed Eric a sheepish smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re still with us.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Well of course! Do you know how boring it is wandering endless tunnels with just your own spiraling thoughts for company? No thanks. I don¡¯t even have my bunny anymore, so I¡¯d far rather do this one with friends.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s ears perked at that. ¡°You have a pet bunny?¡±


    Eric¡¯s warm smile faded. ¡°I did. And she was much more to me than just a bunny. And I¡¯ll let you guess what happened to her after my Freetown ¡®negotiation.¡¯¡±


    Yuki winced. ¡°Shit. They even killed your pet? Those guys really are grade-A bastards.¡± She flashed her friends an apologetic smile. ¡°Present company¡¯s kin excepted, of course.¡±


    Emily smirked. ¡°No need. I know what my father is like as well as anyone.¡±


    Richard looked a bit uncomfortable, quick to change the topic as he gingerly got back to his feet, stretched, and flashed the first genuine smile Eric had seen since he had met the man. ¡°Honestly, guys, it¡¯s a fucking miracle I¡¯m even upright. That last fight was too damned close.¡±


    He turned to Eric, saying so much with his gaze as he solemnly held out his hand. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to have you fighting by our side.¡±


    Of course that was the moment a groaning Ron woke up, reading the situation in a heartbeat, glaring daggers Eric¡¯s way.


    Eric happily ignored the man utterly, taking Rich¡¯s hand. ¡°Likewise, Rich. Happy to help.¡±


    ¡°Until it¡¯s time for you to take us all out,¡± Ron hissed, suppressing a groan as he stumbled back to his own feet. He gave Emily a look of heartfelt concern so at odds with his otherwise assholish personality. ¡°Are you alright, my lady?¡±


    Emily gave him a strained smile. ¡°Yes, Ron, I am. How are you feeling.¡±


    The man chuckled softly. ¡°I¡¯ve certainly been better, but the important thing is that your still in once piece.¡±


    Emily¡¯s smile stiffened. ¡°That¡¯s thanks to Eric, Ron.¡±


    The man¡¯s smile wilted.


    ¡°Ron, you need to respect that.¡± Her gaze hardened. ¡°It¡¯s only because of his contraption that we were able to keep you still during movement, so you could enjoy a complete System reset.¡±


    Ron paled. ¡°Just how badly was I hurt?¡±


    Jack snorted, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Who the fuck knows? You might have a Vitality of a fucking hundred, but I know you¡¯re pushing fifty years if you¡¯re a day, and you didn¡¯t get a fresh 18 reset. So maybe the minotaur¡¯s sonic shout caused some sort of brain aneurysm?¡±


    Ron visibly paled, violently shaking his head. ¡°No. There¡¯s no way I could be that weak. No way I¡¯d let myself fail you all so badly.¡±


    Emily patted his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve failed nothing, Ron. I¡¯d trust you with my life. You know that.¡± She gently scolded him with a finger to his unresisting brow. ¡°Which is why I need you to trust Eric, no matter what issues my parents has with his. That has absolutely nothing to do with us. Do you understand, Ron?¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The older man furrowed his brow in clear silent protest.


    Emily¡¯s smile turned to a focused stare. ¡°You do serve me, don¡¯t you, Ron? Not my father. Me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yes, my lady. In all things.¡±


    Emily flashed a dimpled smile. ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯m so glad to hear it. So you¡¯ll try to get along with my friend Eric, won¡¯t you, Ron?¡±


    Ron stiffened, glaring at Eric for long moments before finally bowing his head. ¡°I will strive for greater¡­ courtesy when addressing him. This I promise to do to the best of my ability.¡±


    Emily beamed. ¡°Thank you, Ron. That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to hear.¡±


    He then glared at the obstacle ahead. ¡°I see we¡¯ve run into an underground grove of fiery vines? They look extremely dangerous. They¡¯re writhing like sentient animals. I suggest we backtrack immediately.¡±


    He looked surprised at the smirks this earned him.


    ¡°Good to have you back in the thick of it, Ron! And sure, fleeing¡¯s definitely one way to handle it, or¡­ you know, Eric could just cancel the spell?¡± Steve said with a twinkle in his eye.


    Ron¡¯s glare was replaced with a lurch and a hissed curse when the massive knots of whipping vines covered in thorns and flame vanished as if they had never been, as did the breeze, just seconds later.


    ¡°How the hell did he do that?¡± Ron glared accusingly Eric¡¯s way. ¡°I thought he was just an archer.¡±


    Eric tried to control the surprise in his expression, though Yuki¡¯s smirk made it clear he hadn¡¯t completely succeeded.


    Had Ron forgotten about the System Interface message that had pinged all of them, admittedly in the middle of combat, several battles ago, before he had been rendered unconscious?


    Perhaps any suspicions had been knocked right out of him, and they were all lucky as hell that System resets also prevented long term damage from concussions, a definite hazard of their job, or strokes and similar hazards that perhaps older adventurers lacking five or more meridians that could form a balanced configuration had to watch out for, as they were denied any sort of System reset upon becoming a Classer. Or maybe that was all bullshit, Classers really did stop aging entirely, Vitality was the only definitive marker of health and youth, and apparent age was just lower starting Physical stats and a few cosmetic skin wrinkles? Eric had heard too many conflicting theories to know for sure.


    All he knew was that the uncertain look in Ron¡¯s eyes, free of the wild hostility of an hour ago, gave him sudden cause for hope.


    Assuming Ron¡¯s confusion was genuine, and that Eric¡¯s perks would pick up on something as subtle as the man playing clueless, just hoping to get out of this dungeon without Eric taking out a perceived threat.


    Eric grinned at Steve¡¯s nod, pulling up his scroll of flesh and bone.


    ¡°He stumbled upon a powerful eldritch artifact, much like my Black Book,¡± Steve explained. ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s a prop and he¡¯s both archer and mage. Who knows. Who the fuck cares? What matters is that we¡¯re alive, and those minotaur fucks are not.¡±


    A dozen emotions flickered across the man¡¯s rough features before he sighed and shook his head. ¡°Fine. If this asshole can actually pull his weight and doesn¡¯t fuck us over¡­ then why the fuck do I care about his past bullshit?¡±


    Jack hooted. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, bro!¡±


    Emily gave Ron a heartfelt smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear you say that, Ron.¡±


    Ron smirked, dipping his head, before giving Eric a measuring look. ¡°So long as he doesn¡¯t stab us in the back before we¡¯re finally out of here.¡±


    Eric smiled, grateful that Ron was finally breaking free of his instinctive prejudice against him. Ron clearly didn¡¯t trust him, but at least now seemed willing to give him a chance. And for the sake of the party, that was good enough for Eric.


    ¡°Awesome! Well then, Ron, I¡¯ll do my best not to let anyone down. Shall we?¡±


    Richard chuckled. ¡°Indeed we shall.¡± He gave Eric a measured nod. ¡°Thanks for pulling us out of the hotbox. Anything I should know about our group tactics?¡±


    Yuki gave Eric a concerned look, but he smiled, happy to let Richard take the lead. He wasn¡¯t trying to make a power play, after all, merely make some new friends and open them all up to a world of possibilities.


    ¡°We sure do! We¡¯re calling it MK Alpha.¡±


    ¡°We agreed to no such thing,¡± Emily huffed.


    Richard quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Really.¡±


    Eric grinned. Really! Short for Minotaur Killer. I throw out fiery twenty foot tall whipping knots of fiery vines, Emily coats the ground beyond the vines in multiple slicks of ice which we found out do stack quite nicely for synergistic bonuses that not even the minotaurs can crack through without wasting lots of time, and the whole time they¡¯re trying not to slip right into the vines they¡¯re desperate to hack down before they get strangled with fiery rippy thorny tendrils tearing out their throats and searing their lungs, our boys Jack Savage and Doc Steve-O are tap dancing love notes with artillery javelins and great big balls of you¡¯re-completely-fucked!¡±


    Richard crossed his arms Eric¡¯s description waxed poetic. ¡°Enough!¡± he chuckled, eyes twinkling. ¡°I think I get the picture. And really, it¡¯s an effective use of overlapping defenses when you lack proper tanks.¡± He gave a thoughtful nod. ¡°Actually I see no reason why we can¡¯t continue doing just that, so long as you have the arcane reserves to keep pulling it off,¡± he said, with a nod toward Eric¡¯s prop.


    Eric smiled as he took a quick look at his potency pools, seeing that he still had over 2000 Spiritual Energy and his Mana Pool had already ticked back to full. But considering that each set of Hell Vines tapped him for 140 of both Mana and Qi, and Inevitable Doom, which made all Fire, Wood and Wind attacks hit so much harder, allowing Steve¡¯s spells and even the shafts of Jack¡¯s javelins to hit to devastating effect, he was spewing about 400 points in both pools with each triple casting.


    ¡°I can pull off another four chants before I¡¯m completely tapped. Those vines definitely take it out of me.¡±


    Rich nodded. ¡°Fair enough. So let¡¯s do this. When we encounter one or two, we¡¯ll do it the way we¡¯ve always done it before as a team, and we¡¯ll keep Eric¡¯s MK Alpha strategy in mind for when things get serious.¡±


    Eric and the others nodded. ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll use my bow then, unless you say otherwise.¡±


    Richard nodded. He turned to Yuki. ¡°How¡¯s are favorite dungeoneer feeling?¡±


    Yuki lowered her gaze, as if genuinely ashamed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rich. Ever since the connection between ourselves and our corp-mates outside was severed¡­ I¡¯ve got nothing.¡± She glared at her own clenched fists. ¡°A gift I worked so hard to nurture, when we had nothing but white-tier crap others have run a hundred times before, and now when it really counts? All it took was a single gnoll asshole shattering my connection to Terra to completely fuck me over.¡±


    Everyone grew silent.


    Rich nodded, patting her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Yuki. Next time we¡¯ll do it right. We won¡¯t tease fate for weeks on end, stretching the absolute limits of this delve. With our next run, your gifts will shine like the sun. I just know it.¡± He then turned to Eric. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any idea how to get out of here?¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Look, direction sense isn¡¯t one of those things that comes naturally to everyone. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯re in a maze! I can rock it up topside, because interface maps are a sweet cheat.¡±


    Rich blinked at that. ¡°Seriously? You have access to Contender maps?¡±


    ¡°Aaanyway, those maps don¡¯t do shit down here, so...¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re just walking.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re leaving a string behind. Right?¡± Rich frowned, looking behind him. ¡°I don¡¯t see any string.¡±


    Jack solemnly shook his head. ¡°No string, I¡¯m afraid, bossman.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine. Markings then?


    The group stared.


    And before long, everyone was looking at Eric.


    He shrugged. Then he tried whistling.


    He wasn¡¯t very good at it.


    ¡°Come on, guys. Seriously. I don¡¯t do mazes, or politics. I just kill things, grab crunchy titles, and savor those sweet, sweet power-ups.¡±


    Richard sighed. ¡°Alright. Well, from this point on, it¡¯s markings all the way. We¡¯ll leave markings and arrow signs midway down each corridor and at all the intersections. Maybe we can devise some sort of code sign to go with it.¡±


    Steve grinned. ¡°Good idea, boss-man!¡±


    Richard gave a satisfied nod, made the first markings with the chalk that of course he had on him, and in very short order, he was explaining maze exploration based on Markov chains and probability models that, after ten absolutely excruciating minutes, made Eric want to smash something.


    He gave a sigh of relief when they were finally moving once more.


    Yuki grinned. ¡°He was a model student, already in his third year studying financial analysis and higher mathematics when most of us were fucking around in our senior year.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Yup. I totally get that vibe.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s very good at piecing together tactical models based on limited info.¡±


    ¡°No doubt.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a good leader, Eric.¡±


    Eric grinned at a frowning Yuki. ¡°I¡¯m sure he is.¡±


    ¡°He just tends to go on tangents,¡± she said, gazing up at the arched ceiling, high above.


    ¡°Yes he does,¡± Eric said with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°And that¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°You were just leading us in circles.¡±


    ¡°Actually, my infravision¡¯s so acute that I¡¯ll be able to sense the heat signatures of our passing long after we left, if we ended up getting turned around.¡±


    Yuki gave him a look. ¡°You¡¯re just covering for the fact that you forgot to leave any sort of marking at all.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really good at killing things, though.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eric said, pulling out his bow.


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened, then her voice turned to a shout for all to hear. ¡°I hear something ahead!¡±


    Eric of course was already pulling the string back and infusing it with as much power as the limbs could take, waiting for the emergence of the roaring, lumbering creature they could now all hear approaching the bend around the latest intersection just up ahead.

 Chapter 313 - Carry on, chosen scion of the Winter Queen!

    ¡°Oh fucking hell, that thing is huge!¡±


    Eric had to nod in agreement at Jack¡¯s panicked declaration, even as Richard hurriedly began screaming orders, not quite as cool-headed and together as he had purported to be while calmly going over what seemed to be myriad tactical methodologies in between explaining choice stochastic modalities.


    Thankfully, Richards commands were far more concise and practical.


    ¡°Ron! Shields Up! Emily, Crowd Control! Yuki¡­ hamstring that bastard when you find an opening that won¡¯t kill you! Jack, Steve, fire for the left knee! Eric? Eric!¡±


    But Eric had already sighted in his target, felt the glorious frisson of two points burning into one as the absolutely massive twenty five foot tall behemoth going much faster than any creature that size had a right to, tore around the corridor and charged right for their way too close party¡­ before stumbling back when its eye exploded in superheated flame.


    True Strike.


    Void Piercer.


    You have critically struck your foe!


    Foe Quickness check made. Your arrow has been successfully plucked free!


    Your foe is now partially blind and will suffer penalties to accuracy, initiative, and orientation!


    Eric let the interface messages wash over him, heart pounding with genuine dread, knowing that this creature wasn¡¯t simple, not by any means, and was moving far too fast for his friends to do anything but die, if he didn¡¯t bring it down hard.


    And the creature, so damn quick, had pulled out the arrow before it had even fully penetrated its eye. Flinched and jerked it¡¯s head back and brushed his arrow away like a mortal would do with an annoying fly. Thankfully it was enough to partially blind it, and more to the point, set it off balance.


    But Eric already knew it wasn¡¯t enough. Not nearly enough, and that the creature was far too savvy to let it¡¯s other eye be taken out the same way, Eric suddenly feeling a massive barrier of furious intention, much like he had when facing a certain spider countless months back while a conscript, and suddenly it was a major challenge getting space to warp between them, his arrow now needing to shoot the full distance to ping his foe.


    Of course he took the shot, one after another, praying the split seconds the massive bull-headed abomination spent weaving and dodging would be enough as Eric roared out words that might piss Richard off, but it didn¡¯t fucking matter if everyone was dead.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Inevitable Doom!¡±


    Three groups of thrashing viney trees sprung from the ground on top of Emily¡¯s packed ice, and he was glad their previous linkage of an intimate sort somehow allowed him to melt through her ice-princess act effortlessly, her ice slick firmly in place, gripping the trunks of his trees tightly as they blazed and did their thing, lashing out against the abomination presently bellowing it¡¯s fury, refusing to be pulled off its feet and consumed as it tore free vine after vine, no matter the stench of charred skin and hair now filling the air.


    ¡°Robero ventus attentio!¡± Eric shouted, once more finding himself able to cast a weaker chant that wasn¡¯t locked to a duration longer than his focus in just a handful of seconds while the air filled with Steve¡¯s black balls of doom crashing against the minotaur and searing off parts of its forearms always perfectly raised to defend, managing to parry even Jack¡¯s furiously thrown Javelin, and Eric could tell the boy was still exerting a full battle-feat with each thrust that pierced the forearm and seemed to lodge itself in the meat of the arm, for his alternate throws didn¡¯t even pierce the skin. Even if those same throws would have near effortlessly pierced the armor plates of a Sherman tank.


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s too tough!¡± Steve cried out, voice trembling with fear.


    ¡°Shut up and stick to the plan!¡± Richard roared. ¡°Keep the pressure on it! It¡¯s our only chance at winning. Our only chance at surviving!¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened, her limbs trembling, and Eric just knew she had used some sort of Perception skill on it. ¡°Shit. Richard, I can¡¯t cut through it¡¯s ward. Is this the fucking Boss monster? I can¡¯t hamstring him. He¡¯s too fucking strong!¡±


    ¡°And fast,¡± Rick said as the minotaur furiously pounded the ice slick spells Emily kept belting out with fearless resolve, never mind the palpable killing aura it was now radiating. It¡¯s hooves were smashing the ground so fast that it would be death for any would be ninja girl to get too close¡­ even at a hundred Quickness.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Yuki whispered. ¡°That¡¯s no fucking Orange tier abomination!¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t say a word about Boss creatures, or how damned tough they truly could be, remembering the plant-like monster of countless vines and mouths and hideous hunger that he had had to put absolutely everything into taking down. Because sniping at the edges using clever techniques to keep a portal locked in place while whittling down peripheral stragglers to level up at a mad pace was actually sound tactics, much like sniping into a high tier territory from a low in World of Warblades 2.0.


    But when it came to actual dungeon clears, the recommendation was a full party of elite players who were at least 80<sup>th</sup> level. Ideally while being lead by someone of noble blood who had at least nine or ten meridians, considerably more than the absolute maximum of seven open meridians for any Classer or Cultivator born of common stock, even for those with the greatest potential. Which, as always, staked things firmly in the favor of the true elites, perhaps explaining just how they had become the elites, their power steadily consolidating over countless milennia, the grim necessity of bowing before their methodology and ever growing power a bitter necessity accepted and adhered to by what Eric imagined was pretty much certain was any and every newly risen world.


    Yet far from serving as an example of an elite¡¯s hand-chosen forces, their party was a hodge podge of fortuitous encounters and surprisingly efficacious use of Standard and Advanced Classes¡­ and at Level 48 or so, they were still horribly underleveled.


    And this was the result, Eric thought, already knowing what had to happen as the far too savvy Boss tier monster ducked and weaved, keeping his face and torso out of line-of-sight while cleaving through the hell vines with blisteringly fast swings of his axe, now radiating impossible sharpness he had pulled out of seemingly nowhere.


    ¡°Oh fuck¡­ I see an axe. That monstrous shit pulled out a giant axe! Does it have an ES Storage space? Was he just toying with us before? That¡¯s complete fucking bullshit! I can¡¯t even hit him for shit now!¡± Jack screamed.


    Richard paled. ¡°Fuck. FUCK! Keep your head in the game, guys.¡± Yet his face had paled. He turned to Emily. ¡°You saw how fast it is. How many ice walls can you form, babe?¡±


    Emily was instantly pulled from her battle high, the exultant grin she wore, as she flowed into her chants like Eric had never seen before seen, was ripped free of her features as quickly as splashing her face with the cold weight of liquid terror as panicked eyes looked into his own. She outright whimpered when he handed her a potion that only a fool wouldn¡¯t think had cost a fortune.


    ¡°Richard!¡±


    ¡°Drink it all, babe. As much as you need to. Just¡­ fill this corridor with as many ice walls as you can.¡±


    The party leader quickly took note of their surroundings, no doubt spotting just as Eric had that the corridors had definitely gotten a fuck ton bigger.


    And when the hell had that happened?


    Rich¡¯s eyes took a desperate intensity. ¡°When we first entered, when we thought this was just a rat dungeon and were just getting our bearings, the corridors were actually narrow! Remember? I think our fort lasted so long because only the weakest and skinniest fuckers, well below level 60, could even get close! We¡¯re going back, babe. Back the way we came, because if this is leading to the final layer, Yuki thinks she can find the way back!¡±


    Yuki gave a frantic nod, a desperate light in her eyes. ¡°I just pushed up my Dungeoneer perk one full rank with my banked points! The option clicked once this fucker came into view. Now I think I can at least get us the fuck out of here, so let¡¯s go, go, go, before it finishes chopping down Eric¡¯s fire trees!¡±


    Emily¡¯s terror was replaced by sudden hope. ¡°Really? Oh fuck yeah, I¡¯ll cast all the ice walls you...¡±


    Her words were cut off by the crack and boom of one massive hell vine after another being cut to the stump.


    ¡°Shit, we¡¯re out of time!¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw, knowing his new boon companion was right.


    They had indeed run out of time¡­ Assuming Eric wanted to get his party out without a single wipe.


    ¡°Rich, I can buy you time!¡± Eric shouted, ignoring the surprised looks being sent his way.


    He cracked his neck, getting more satisfaction than he wanted to admit at the stares he received when his hands burst in white-hot flame.


    Ron hissed. ¡°Now. Now is when you would betray us?¡±


    ¡°Fuck off, Ron.¡± Eric caught Richard¡¯s gaze. ¡°Think of it! A powerful illusion that will have him swiping at his feet like a fool while our DPSers smack him down. Team work at it¡¯s best!¡±


    Richard stared at Eric, eyes wide with disbelief as the minotaur roared and tore through the hell vines, Eric estimating that he was less than a handful of seconds from breaking completely through.


    Eric turned to Emily. ¡°NO time to fuck around. Emily! Turn off your ice slick! At this point it will only hurt me!¡±


    Emily¡¯s horrified gaze met Richard¡¯s, and Eric knew what the man would say.


    ¡°Richard!¡± The intensity of Eric¡¯s voice all but compelled their leader¡¯s attention. ¡°It will work. Trust me.¡± He locked gazes with the man, slamming his fists together. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m willing to bet my life on it.¡±


    Richard glowered. Eric didn¡¯t say a word further, or make a move for the berserking bestial horror. He had already pushed as far as he could without directly countermanding Richard¡¯s words or undermining him as a leader. He¡¯d give the man a chance to make the necessary call. Doing so would maintain group integrity and, if anything, strengthen his position. But if he refused...¡±


    Richard shot Eric a look that promised words later.


    Then he nodded his head, a desperate roughness to his voice. ¡°Okay, Wildcard. Show us what the fuck you can do. Steve! Jack! Get ready for some serious sniping! Ron, get that shield glowing hot! Yuki, do what you do best. Emily, melt the ice!¡±


    Emily trembled. ¡°Are you...¡±


    ¡°Now, or were fucked!¡± Eric urged.


    Emily glared. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking arrogant¡­ Rununtio!¡± She cried, and Eric was already off.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The words of surprise coming from his friends stretching to a low thrum as he quit holding back, now embracing every last iota of Quickness, Speed Racer, and Battle-time, darting through the trees with his fists blazing with furious intent, getting his first good look at the roaring minotaur who¡¯s focus was entirely on the trees it was blitzing through, which suited Eric just fine.


    The trees ignored their master. Even better, the limbs Eric darted under twisted with furious abandon, buying Eric all the time in the world to make his presence known.


    Fire Fist!


    Fire Fist!


    Eric lashed out with furious abandon, his fists blazing with white hot killing intent.


    He held off from using his Essence Fusion for two reasons. One, it had been made damn clear that what he had forged in the crucible of his own agony, his own desperation, was so out of the pale that the system itself had seemed oddly unprepared, and he feared the cost of revealing his deadliest trick would be just as severe as whatever forced his hand, quite literally, to use it, if there was a single soul around who he didn¡¯t trust with his very life.


    The other point was that he had, at peak, 250 Qi-infused strikes he could unleash before needing to cycle his Qi once more. Tied to essence, he had no more than 4. And at present, with all the arrows he had shot, could only unleash two. Four, if he let allowed his Crimson Orb to circle him, not giving a fuck who saw, which he immediately did.


    And finally, Eric was now in the most terrifying and exhilarating place he could possibly be. Desperately weaving and dodging past massive titan-sized cloven hooves that would no doubt shatter even his limbs as he darted like a madman, glorying in the inevitable truth of physics. For every hoof dodged was a target he could immediately pivot back to and STRIKE with all his burning fury, savoring flesh rupturing and searing under his blows as hocks were bruised and fried before desperate hooves were lifted for a panicked rebuttal with the opposing foot, and once said limb stomped down, it was nothing to weave back just enough to be spared the hoof, protect his eyes against the worst of the shattered rock tearing through his armor yet bouncing off his skin before darting forward with a roar and pounding the second hoof with a furious chain of hate-filled fists, finally having a fucking TARGET for the fury clawing up his throat as he gave vent to a roar, shaking the corridors with the torments he had endured in a day seemingly without end. FINALLY he was able to take the mask off and unleash his HATE on a monster he felt no shame in striking.


    It was a roar that made even the monster trying to crush him under its feet flinch, before the crack of bone and an explosion of gory flesh had the twenty-five foot tall titan crashing to the ground with a desperate panicked wail.


    And then Eric truly went to town.


    You have critically struck your target¡¯s neck with Fire Fist! Catastrophic Damage inflicted!


    You have critically struck your target¡¯s skull with Fire Fist!


    Multiple metacarpal bones FAIL to save versus striking Unbreakable Target.


    You have suffered temporary impairment!


    Left hand successfully strikes your target¡¯s neck with Fire Fist! Catastrophic Damage inflicted!


    Eric howled with gleeful abandon, striking like the frenzied monsters he truly was, reveling in the pulpification of his enemy¡¯s flesh as tyranical bellows became the panicked squeals of cattle finally understanding it wasn¡¯t going to the pasture of its dreams, but the slaughter house that, in this case, it so richly deserved.


    And not even the sharp, sweet agony of no less than three metacarpal bones cracking was enough to get Eric do anything more than laugh like a madman who had finally found a limit, 200+ Finesse at least good for letting him effortlessly switch hit, now weaving and darting and putting Speed Racer to the ultimate test as he weaved back and forth on a dime as the minotaur thrashed and struggled, Eric now timing his strikes for the vulnerable heartbeat needed to pound his foe¡¯s fucking neck to a ruptured pulpified mass soon spurting arterial blood boiling at point of impact, the boss-tier abomination now squealing smoke and flame before it¡¯s throat filled with blood and it began to thrash, wild-eyed with panic, now a greater threat to Eric than it had ever been before.


    Yet Eric savored this additional opportunity to hone himself against savage physical power, darting in to strike the flanks with completely unnecessary blows, laughing like the fool he was when a flailing limb sent him slamming into the wall, leaving an Eric- sized indentation he sprung right out of, before going right back to down.


    Vitality check made! All bones remain intact! You have successfully saved versus critical injury!


    You have saved versus temporary stun and taken 3 Light Wounds.


    You continue to hone yourself against perilous opposition!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 11.


    Fire Fist is now Rank 12!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 18!


    You have DEPLETED your Spiritual Energy reserves.


    You have FAILED a Charisma check.


    Your party members now see you for the bloodthirsty monster that you truly are!


    Congratulations! You have achieved Level 57 as a Primal Adventurer!


    Quickness / Finesse / Perception each increase by 3 points as you embrace the crucible of battle once more.


    All wounds have been healed, curses revoked, and all Potency Pools have been fully restored with your ascension!


    Carry on, chosen scion of the Winter Queen!


    Eric took a deep, shuddering breath, sitting down to cultivate and reign in the flood of emotions roaring through his body and soul.


    He wanted to laugh with triumph. He wanted to scream and shout at the heavens for the monstrous agony he had endured that day, forced to push it back, to pretend that he hadn¡¯t been lost in hellish torment no thinking being should ever have to endure.


    He could hear his own laughter, feel his tears drip down his cheeks from injuries no one could see or heal. And he knew damn well he should have been covered in gaping wounds all over his body from stone shrapnel, but between his absolutely absurd 56 in Physical Resistance and his level-up, physically he was in absolutely pristine health once more.


    Even if his armor was in shredded tatters¡­ fixed in very short order when he popped it back into his ES Space, such was the boon of Soul-Bound prizes.


    He only wondered for a moment why he hadn¡¯t leveled up as Death¡¯s Disciple, because sure as fuck, that had been one serious fight.


    Note. You have FAILED to defeat Boss-tier foe independent of outside assistance.


    Cultivation Rank remains unchanged.


    ¡°A yes, I¡¯m not alone,¡± he realized with a bitter smile through his tears, feeling far too many judgmental stares now staring down at his shuddering frame.


    He wasn¡¯t alone.


    There were at least half a dozen souls who had just seen him at his most glorious and his most savage. Who had caught a glimpse of the shark-toothed monster hiding in sheep¡¯s clothing.


    In the end, not that different from his mother after all, once all the chips were down.


    And sure as shit, 195 Perception meant he could taste their fear on the tip of his tongue.


    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± Jack asked in an awed voice.


    ¡°He actually took that fucker down. Solo,¡± Yuki said, with no small amount of respect in her voice.


    ¡°That freak¡¯s covered in blood. He was enjoying it!¡± Ron shouted. ¡°He was laughing like a madman. Pounding that¡­ thing, even in it¡¯s death throws!¡±


    Eric could sense Steves¡¯s nod. ¡°Yes, he was. He was taking every opportunity to push himself beyond simple experience point accrual, honing his skills without holding back. Just look at him. He¡¯s in the lotus position. And check out at his fists! They¡¯re actually blazing, and it¡¯s an energy my interface is pinging as¡­ Spiritual? He looks like a¡­ what are they called again?¡±


    ¡°Cultivators,¡± Richard whispered, a trace of awe in his voice. ¡°But we were told they were forbidden from populating Earth. That the Bloodtier Consortium had won the rights to declare the terms of Earth¡¯s ascension.¡±


    ¡°Well it looks like Eric didn¡¯t get that particular memo,¡± Yuki whispered. ¡°So¡­ what do you think the odds are that he might teach us?¡±


    ¡°Yuki, are you serious?¡± Emily¡¯s voice was a high-pitched whisper. ¡°You heard him laughing. You saw his face!¡±


    ¡°Emily...¡± Yuki¡¯s tone carried definite disappointment, yet she was still graceful enough not to say anything more.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ there¡¯s a reason why I walk the path I do,¡± she said, squeezing a clueless Richard closer to her, earning a sympathetic nod from Yuki.


    Eric breathed in and out. Loosing himself in the flow of spiritual Qi through his central and peripheral meridian channels, becoming one with the flow of Fire fueled by Wood and propelled by Wind. Eric did his best to dispassionately reviewing his battle and consolidate his gains, to put it in cultivation terms, and perhaps more than anything else, desperately trying to regain his calm. His center. To burn away in the fires of his own soul the agony he now knew he need NEVER fear again. For though he lacked his sister¡¯s essence affinity with Pain, his growing mastery over Dominion meant that pain collars and any other torture device would never have sway over his nerves again.


    Not that he would allow collars of steel or mithril to ever touch his flesh again, under any circumstances.


    He¡¯d burn fucking cities to the ground before he ever willingly suffered that agony a second time.


    Save seventy thousand kids? Damn right he would.


    And he¡¯d do it by slaughtering every single opponent in sight, until the final three gate-wielding shamans were held in his grip, pissing themselves in terror, knowing that he was more than ready and willing to tear out their throats if they did anything but let those kids through.


    That was how he planned on handling any further negotiations with his enemies.


    Enough said.


    ¡°Eric? Are you um¡­ okay?¡±


    Surprisingly, it was Jack who spoke, Eric having allowed himself to float in the purifying flame cleansing the fear and terror away, leaving his spirit at peace, happily drifting in the now.


    There was no past filled with pain¡¯s bitter memory, merely lessons well learned.


    There was no future that wouldn¡¯t be decided by the present.


    There was only the now.


    The now, where he would embrace every precious second he could squeeze from this existence, savoring life¡¯s triumphs and reveling in its challenges.


    Breath in.


    Breath out.


    Let the lingering screams fade away.


    No more than the gentle rustle of hot winds blowing the peaceful wooden seeds fueling his ascension.


    Eric opened his eyes with a smile.


    Trying not to wince at the troubled stares being sent his way.


    Though he did nod his head in approval. At least his friends were taking a few precious moments to rest and recharge, eating meals that didn¡¯t look quite as appetizing as his own, but were still enough to fill hungry bellies, no matter that they had eaten less than an hour before.


    Fighting for one¡¯s life, not to mention monstrously high stats, definitely burned the calories.


    Eric met Richard¡¯s concerned gaze with a smile. ¡°Mission accomplished, fearless leader.¡±


    ¡°I see that,¡± Rich said. ¡°Good work.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still covered in blood,¡± Ron said with an ugly sneer, earning a frown from Richard. ¡°And don¡¯t think we didn¡¯t hear you screaming and shrieking like a fucking psychopath.¡±


    Eric held the man¡¯s gaze for long moments.


    His expression remained perfectly calm. Absolutely no trace of killing wrath marred his features.


    Yet for some reason, Ron still paled and looked away.


    ¡°True. You got me there, Ron. But you gotta remember, I had a Bronze-tier pain collar searing through my soul less than half a day ago.¡±


    Eric shrugged nonchalantly, trying not to be bothered when both Yuki and Emily¡¯s gaze filled with such unbearable pity that he couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°Anyway, if that doesn¡¯t fuck you all to hell and back, if you¡¯re not left a gibbering wreck after being forced to endure the same, Ron, then let me be the first to say that you¡¯re a better man than I. But since I have no time to break down and cry my heart out to nonexistent therapists who probably met their end in an Orc fire pit, I just gotta deal with my shit in the only way I know how.¡±


    ¡°By giving our enemies the ultimate smackdown, beating the motherfucking tar out of any monster that gets in our way!¡± Jack said, boldly crossing the invisible line no one else seemed to dare, giving Eric a fist bump he hadn¡¯t been expecting but appreciated quite a bit.


    It was clear that Jack, at least, could relate to a berserker¡¯s desperate fury far better than the elite offspring among them. And the pain and horror of being forced to live in the shell of a doomed city that stunk of death and desperation, so many innocent souls thrown into the flames, was a bitter bond they both shared.


    ¡°My man Eric Orcbane! Half-elf badass to the bitter end.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡± Eric said, standing up and cracking his neck and rotating his shoulders, happy to find his fucked up hand as good as new once more. ¡°Now I don¡¯t know about you, but there¡¯s a dungeon boss and what I¡¯m betting is a fucking sweet first clear bonus with our names on it, and I sure as hell aim to collect.¡±

 Chapter 314 - Will you teach this unworthy student?

    Richard stared at Eric for long moments. ¡°What can you tell us?¡±


    Eric smiled, knowing exactly what was being asked of him. ¡°It¡¯s another one of those juicy secrets our humanoid ¡®friends¡¯ would prefer to keep to themselves that will make all the fucking difference in the months and years ahead as their chosen ascend to crazy levels in power, and we, the natives, who should be earning experience points a full ten-fold faster than them, will be left ever further behind.¡± He held their gazes, savoring their looks of awe.


    ¡°We earn ten times the experience those champion assholes do?¡± Steve said, more than a bit awed. ¡°No wonder they seem stuck at such low levels. I just thought they were all lazy fucks!¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± Eric said with a toothy smile. ¡°Which is why they¡¯ll be even more pissed when I tell you that every first clear¡­ at least every first clear in my experience¡­ earns you character points over and above whatever you earn going up in levels. Which, when you think about it, is even better than a class level on its own since each level requires more potency to achieve. But if you, say, earn 12 points clearing an Orange tier dungeon¡­ that¡¯s two or so levels that you¡¯re always ¡®up¡¯ everyone else¡­ even if you¡¯re still leveling up at the speed your base level implies.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened, sharing a disbelieving glance with Emily. ¡°No fucking way!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Yes, fucking way. Most definitely absolutely yes. Now, you don¡¯t get to choose where the points go. Or at least I don¡¯t. It seems to flow to the stats you used the most to survive. Now as to the exact number of points people will get with a first clear¡­ or whether or not it¡¯s divided between survivors¡­ I have no idea.¡±


    Eric reached out to clap Richard¡¯s shoulder, looking at their de-facto leader, who could so easily pass for a young Captain North America, in the eye with a smile. ¡°But I¡¯d like nothing more than to formally join your party, so we can see if that boon is, in fact, transferable to all of us, and if we can all earn the same sweet, sweet set of twelve points.¡±


    Jack¡¯s expression was one of awed wonder. ¡°Fuck, are you serious?¡± He shook his head, chuckling softly, blinking back a bitter tear. ¡°I¡¯m taking your advice, you know. I got the option. I¡¯m holding off on level fifty until I get a chance to check out your magical Tier 2 ascension pod and see if I can get some other class besides this five-point class that¡¯s leaving me so far behind my friends that I have to train my ass off, focusing on the one thing I¡¯m good at, not to feel like a worthless lump of shit.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s gaze softened. She stroked Jack¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯re the farthest thing from shit. Even if your humor does sort of suck. The way you threw those javelins¡­ Jeez, Jack. You¡¯re practically up there with Eric for kill count! You did so much more in the last few fights than I did that I can barely look at myself in my nonexistent mirror.


    He smirked. ¡°Thanks, Yuki. God knows I try. Point is, I would give almost anything to be able to blossom into something more. So much more than I am right now. If I can truly get a decent class¡­ and assuming I actually have nodes to spare, and I¡¯m not just a ¡®three hit wonder,¡¯ then I¡¯ll be doing my damnedest to be the strongest, most flexible DPS and tank class that I can. But shit! If we can actually grab a handful of points with every first clear¡­ that would just be such an incredible boon! Even 10 points would be two of my levels. Clear enough dungeons, and we¡¯ll all be walking with the elites, no matter how few points we get per level!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°That is the plan, my friends. But take it from me. You want to evolve into the class that pays the best long term dividends. Because you know this is just the start, right?¡±


    He frowned at their confused looks.


    ¡°Fuck. Seriously? No one ever told you?¡±


    Steve frowned. ¡°Told us what exactly?¡±


    ¡°That this is just the beginning! The first fucking step! The whole point of White tier ascension, which goes up to level 100 is to form as strong a foundation as possible for Ascension into Bronze. And, if you¡¯re truly something special, Silver. And to put it in perspective¡­ A Bronze would be a champion badass able to take out hundreds of basic Classers. As they get more and more powerful, they become movers and shakers within whatever nation they¡¯re a part of.¡±


    He gazed at his speechless companions for long moments. ¡°And Silver-tier players? They¡¯re the ones who conquer entire worlds.¡±


    Jack whistled. ¡°Seriously? Are you fucking serious? All I was ever told was that Bronze is a fool¡¯s dream and I should just focus on throwing my pilums as hard as I could.¡± He then froze, giving an embarrassed chuckle. ¡°But considering the source¡­ maybe that was absolutely shitty advice.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Even Orcs know their class. Learning to master javelin throwing and gaining ever greater proficiency with your class overall is never bad advice. But now that you realize that you¡¯re capable of so much more, and being native-born, earning a 10-fold boon over invaders who themselves ascend 10x faster here than elsewhere in the galaxy¡­ so yeah.¡± Eric held their gazes for long moment, letting the silence build, his eyes boring into each and every one of his fellow adventurers. ¡°The bottom line, everyone, is that it¡¯s you and I that were destined to ascend to greatness alongside Earth¡¯s own ascension. Not these invading alien fucks.¡±


    Richard sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Just like European settlers stealing the wealth of the original natives.¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°Or my own ancestors absorbing or eliminating so many of the tribes that claimed the islands of my parent¡¯s birth long before their own ancestors did. I think it¡¯s the nature of all sentient humanoids to plunder whatever resources they can, however they can. Ethics, morality, our ivory tower ideals we can aspire to when our culture is stable and secure is all great in theory. But it doesn¡¯t mean shit in times like these, when so much power is up for grabs.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Eric said, clenching his fist. ¡°The worlds resources are ripe for plunder, and the only ones who should be feasting upon its fruit is US! So let¡¯s work together and see if we can¡¯t just survive this dungeon, but profit beyond our wildest dreams!¡±


    Much to Eric¡¯s surprise, his words actually earned a ragged cheer.


    Except, of course, for Ron.


    ¡°Can you believe this guy? He talks such shit. Does he really think that we forgot that he¡¯s one of these invaders?¡±


    Those words instantly silenced their enthusiasm, everyone now giving Eric pained looks.


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sorry to break it to you, Ron. But I¡¯m just as much of a New Yorker as anyone else here.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Seriously? You weren¡¯t born in some Elven palace somewhere?¡±


    Eric smirked, shaking his head. ¡°I was actually born in the same hospital as Emily and Richard were.¡±


    Jack whistled while his friends chuckled. ¡°Damn, it is a small world, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Because your mother planned this, from the very beginning,¡± Ron said, crossing his arms and glaring his contempt, no less than it was before, no matter what promise he had made to Emily.


    Eric sighed, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Honestly? Yeah. Probably. But that¡¯s not my problem, Ron. I was just a baby pushed out after eleven months gestation. It¡¯s not like I had any control over anything in my life but drinking my fill of mother¡¯s milk and shitting my diapers.¡±


    Emily grinned at that. ¡°I¡¯ll bet you were an adorable baby.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°I have it on good authority that my sister was the angel and I was the winy monster.¡±


    Yuki frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean nine month¡¯s gestation?¡±


    ¡°Actually, no. Eleven. Because even if we can crossbreed because on some level were all a part of the same hominin family, and no, I have no idea why or how exactly that all worked out, but there are still major differences between our tribes.¡±


    Jack whistled, shaking his head. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s something else.¡± He then furrowed his brow. ¡°But how do you know you were born in the same hospital as Rich and Emily?¡±


    Eric blinked, realizing he was an idiot, before grinning when the obvious solution hit him.


    Social Perception Check successful!


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say my family¡¯s not the only one who made too many tabloids, and maybe I was selected for a certain private academy where it paid to know who was who, because life was all about making connections, once upon a time.¡±


    Much to his relief, Rich didn¡¯t look offended at all. ¡°So your mom had you do your research before attending Julian Academy? Smart. But, um, forgive me, Eric. I don¡¯t seem to recall your face there?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Eric laughed, flashing a shameless smile. ¡°Oh yeah. That¡¯s because academically I was a complete fuckup, never mind my Scholarship score today. I completely failed the entrance exams to the point that not even Mother Dearest¡¯s money could help.¡±


    Yuki whistled. ¡°Yeah. Julian Academy is no joke. But, shit, you really were a screw-up back in your streamer days, weren¡¯t you? Decent raider, though.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Thanks, I tried. Even if the numbers were totally thanks to borrowed family fame and I only streamed a couple times a month, it was still fun. Mostly, I just went HEMA hardcore, smacking shit with military sabers and bayonets, training my ass off for a movie that never quite happened.¡±


    ¡°Sure, during daylight hours,¡± Yuki said with a cough, earning a couple smirks from those in the know, and odd looks from everyone else.


    ¡°Well, regardless, if he was spending his days learning how to fight with historical weapons and shit¡­ he couldn¡¯t have been better prepared for what was coming, shitty grades aside,¡± Jack said. Right before his smile faded. ¡°You¡¯re mother knew.¡±


    The corridor chilled with their mood, everyone now giving him cold, almost accusatory looks.


    Eric denied nothing, ignoring the painful lurch in his chest as he slowly dipped his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s my conclusion too. And I can¡¯t tell you how furious it made me, to find out that I hadn¡¯t been training for a movie role for two long ball-busting years, but rather training for the fucking end of the world. It left me sick to my stomach. I can¡¯t tell you how much I hate feeling like I¡¯m just a piece on someone¡¯s gameboard. That I thought I had control and autonomy over my life, only to find out I was being led on marionette strings the whole time.


    Eric shook his head with a bitter sigh. ¡°But you know what? Fuck it. None of that matters. All my mother¡¯s schemes, all the conniving of our enemies, none of that fucking matters. Because at least now I know the score. At least now I can fight! Now, I aim to get so strong that no one can ever manipulate me again. And I invite you all to join me in striving for that strength! For in a world where strength is everything...¡±


    ¡°Only the strong can truly be free,¡± Yuki whispered.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Got it in one, Yuki.¡± He knew he was taking a risk, holding out his hand, like he had seen them do once before.


    He ignored Ron¡¯s snort, merely locking eyes with Jack who immediately grinned.


    ¡°Fuck yeah. Eric Orcbane, welcome to the team!¡± Jack said, clasping his hand over Eric¡¯s.


    Then Yuki¡¯s hand went over both of theres, followed by a softly blushing Emily, then Richard.


    Richard turned to Ron, giving him his trademark smile. ¡°We¡¯re stronger fighting as one, Ron. And politics aside, Eric¡¯s more than proven his worth.¡± He looked pointedly at the massive minotaur titan Eric had yet to claim.


    Ron¡¯s glare turned to a tired snort. ¡°Fine. He¡¯s his momma¡¯s patsy. And yeah, he can fight. So long as he doesn¡¯t fuck us over¡­ yeah. We¡¯ll party with him and see if there¡¯s any truth to this first clear bullshit, or not.


    You have been offered a Formal Part Invite! Party Invites allow you to share experience points and a mental map of all party member locations. You will also have a basic sense of your fellow party member¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. Note. This is a Light-Touch invite. No compulsions or auras radiated by any party member will effect any others. You enjoy bonus saving throws against impairment or damage, should you be caught by attacks unleashed by your party members. All orders given by Party Leader Richard will be obeyed on a voluntary basis only. Party Formation lasts until all surviving members have left the dungeon.


    Do you wish to join Silver Griffins¡¯ Party?


    Eric gazed at his new acquaintances for long moments, seeing the hope and expectation in so many gazes slowly turning to looks of hurt disappointment when Eric froze. Suddenly feeling terrified that he was at risk of being trapped and compelled by unseen variables that would then clench just as tightly around his neck as a certain mithril collar.


    But if he didn¡¯t do this¡­ he would never know what it was like to be a part of a true party. Never know if he could share the boons of a first clear. Worse, they would suddenly be at odds, competing for the same prize.


    And nothing would please their enemies more than the discord they would sow as a result of their own malicious torments.


    Fuck that.


    Eric ignored the roaring of his own heart, mentally pressing accept just as he sensed Richard¡¯s sigh.


    Congratulations! You are now a Silver Griffins Party Member!


    All Classer experience will be shared evenly between all players!


    (Cultivator experience progression will be calculated separately. Skill experience progression will be calculated on an individual basis.)


    You now sense the location and temperament of all party members!


    Do you wish to see combined interface?


    You have chosen yes!


    Silver Griffins Party


    Party Stats


    St / Vi / Fin / Qui / Per / Mana / Qi Pool / Soul Reserves


    Jack 60/60/60/60/40/ 10/10/10


    Emily 20/40/30/60/40/ 1080/ - /10


    Richard 90/100/40/60/40/ 210 / - / 9


    Steve 20/50/30/60/40/ 900/- / 37


    Ron 70/90/40/60/40/ - / - / 8


    Yuki 50/56/70/100/70/ 350/ 14 / 10


    Eric 268/281/204/360/195/ 1992 / 2904 / 99


    Eric sensed the stunned looks he was being given, wincing in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry it took me so long to accept. It¡¯s just¡­ well, after what happened this morning, it¡¯s really hard for me to completely trust anyone, or anything, and not fear that some massive collar of pain is going to strike me from some unseen angle and leave me screaming in agony.¡±


    Eric flashed a sheepish smile. ¡°Silly, I know. The party offer made it clear that we still kept our autonomy, and we even get to enjoy save bonuses, should we step into each other¡¯s AOE.¡±


    Eric winced, because the accusing stares hadn¡¯t abated, only grown more intense.


    Jack was shaking his head in utter disbelief. ¡°You absolute fucking fuck! What the hell, Eric?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    Emily glared so intently that Eric felt his cheeks blushed. ¡°How? Just tell me how, Eric Silver!¡±


    ¡°How What?¡±


    ¡°Your stats!¡± Yuki hissed. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely, utterly, completely fucking broken!¡±


    Steven nodded. ¡°If you add up the point total, he¡¯s worth four or five of us in every single stat.¡±


    Yuki crossed her arms and nodded. ¡°In fact, this fucker is just forty points from matching our combined Quickness total of four hundred! What the hell! And I busted my ass, putting a hundred points into that fucker! And what the hell is this Qi Pool and Soul Reserve bullshit? How come it¡¯s only populating on my character sheet right now, when we...¡±


    Her features paled. ¡°Shit. My character sheet just revealed two hidden stats!¡± She turned to the others, receiving sods and head shakes.


    ¡°I only see one,¡± Emily said. ¡°Soul Reserves?¡±


    Steve grinned. ¡°Actually that¡¯s always shown on my stat. It¡¯s part of what allows me to use my Black Book. It¡¯s basically our blood essence, or life force. It takes rest and a good meal to replenish, or just an hour of sleep, since our Vitalities all hit twenty. But unlike our mana pool, there¡¯s no hidden multipliers. We only have the points we put in.¡±


    Emily frowned. ¡°Somehow that sounds more serious. What happens if you overdraw? Do you get a massive headache and a stamina penalty?¡±


    Steve gave a pained smile, pulling his silver lock of hair. ¡°I think you already know the answer to that, Emily. This is the part of my art that scares you so much. If we completely drain our Soul Reserves, we draw on life force instead.¡±


    The party froze, gazing solemnly Steve¡¯s way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± He assured. ¡°I¡¯m not playing the fool again. My Obsidian Flame evolution just cut all costs in half, and I dumped all my points into boosting my Soul Reserves last level.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure I ever want to mess with that stat, especially since mine¡¯s starting at ten,¡± Yuki said.


    ¡°Probably a good idea,¡± Steve said with a sad smile.


    ¡°So, who here got a Qi Pool notification?¡± she asked, receiving a nod from Jack and a congratulatory smile from Eric, who immediately clasped both their shoulders.


    ¡°Congratulations, you two. That¡¯s awesome to hear.¡±


    ¡°But my powers don¡¯t draw on any sort of Qi Pool,¡± Jack noted. ¡°How will it help?¡±


    Eric just grinned, looking Yuki¡¯s way, her eyes widening with awe as her cheeks flushed with excitement. ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°Yuki!¡±


    She chuckled ruefully. ¡°You overpowered asshole! Does this mean what I think it does?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°That depends. What do you think it means?¡±


    ¡°That me and Jack have the ability to become cultivators?¡±


    Eric gazed at Yuki for long moments, before dipping his head. ¡°Yes, Yuki. That¡¯s exactly what it means.¡±


    ¡°No fucking way,¡± Jack whispered. ¡°I can become a cultivator? Just like in all the xianxia novels I used to love reading?¡±


    ¡°And let¡¯s not forget the cool Super Punch anime we all know and love,¡± Eric said, kissing his own flaming fists. ¡°And why the hell couldn¡¯t they make that third season before the world fucking ended? Bullshit, right there.¡±


    But his new friends weren¡¯t laughing. Instead, they were gazing at him with breathless anticipation.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yuki?¡±


    She fell to her knees. ¡°will you teach this unworthy student?¡±

 Chapter 315 - I’ll buy what time I can. Run NOW!

    ¡°Me too! Me too!¡± Jack crowed, kowtowing before Jack. ¡°This unworthy one bows before his master!¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Very funny. But seriously, you guys want to learn cultivation?¡± His gaze turned solemn. ¡°Can you all keep a secret?¡±


    To this he received several rapid nods.


    ¡°Good. Because it just so happens that there¡¯s a cultivation academy adjoining the territory with those twelve endless delves I was talking about. Rich tear delves with Adventurer¡¯s Promise and Adventurer¡¯s Paradise both in play, by the way.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what the hell that means but I¡¯m getting the feeling it¡¯s a damned good thing that our foreign ¡®friends¡¯ would absolutely hate for us to take advantage of.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°And you would be absolutely correct in thinking that. Endless wealthy delves, a tier two pod, and a cultivation academy just one territory over that I get the feeling at least two of you could make great use of. But don¡¯t let an empty pool fool you. If all the shit we once read in our favorite novels was in any way preparing us for what was to come, then at least a few of you with quiescent nodes might just have the potential to cultivate awakened with your first Fire Peach.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but gave fondly at their rapt expressions, like a favored uncle giving extra presents at Christmas. ¡°And if I perhaps did happen to have a handful or two of those Fire Peaches that I deliberately kept with friends with absolutely no ties to my mother, then maybe I¡¯ll have a fine gift or two to give my future adventuring companions, assuming things work out the way that I sincerely hope they will.¡±


    Yuki gazed at him slack-jawed for long moments. ¡°You¡¯re practically offering us the world. And as much as I like you¡­ no one¡¯s that nice, Eric Silver.¡± She bit her lip and locked gazes with him. ¡°So, what¡¯s the catch?¡±


    ¡°You mean besides me enticing you with my dark charm to fall madly in love with me?¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Yeah. Besides that.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, really. I just want to see humanity blossom and thrive, despite all the assholes that are doing everything they can to divide, conquer, and destroy us all.¡± He smirked at the looks of awe they gave him. ¡°But no, seriously. Those fire peaches are worth a fucking fortune, and I only have a few that I didn¡¯t sacrifice for a wonderful cause. Those will be going only to my favored future disciples and my closest adventuring companions.¡±


    Yuki smirked, a teasing twinkle in her eyes as she approached him with a sultry strut. ¡°And if this future cultivator offered to rock your world to taste one of those wondrous peaches?¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Then I¡¯d count myself a lucky man, if you weren¡¯t teasing me. Now come on. We¡¯ve got a delve to clear, a bonus to earn, and who knows? Maybe a future alliance to look forward to.¡±


    Richard smiled. ¡°Fair enough, Eric.¡± He turned to the others. ¡°Come on, guys. Looks like we have a rift to clear, and now I¡¯d like to think that we actually have a chance at clearing it.¡±


    Everyone nodded, continuing on their way after a final check of their gear, ignoring a spluttering Ron.


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s it? None of us are going to ask how the fuck this kid¡¯s got five times our base stats? Are you fucking kidding me?¡±


    Several members did look uncomfortable with that, but Steve laughed it off. ¡°Seriously, guys. Who the fuck cares? We already know our good buddy Eric¡¯s a Contender. Sure as shit, he has access to backdoors that we don¡¯t.¡± His smirk turned deadpan. ¡°But he¡¯s the only cat I know who¡¯s actually offering to share his good fortune. Not to mention hooking me up with everything he¡¯d learned about walking the crooked path involving Soul magic, just so that I don¡¯t end up a shriveled fucking prune in ten years or less.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°He¡¯s also just given us all a hell of a lot of good advice regarding holding off on level 50 for elite class advancements, leveling up our skills instead, and maybe seeing if we can get ourselves a class that will actually allow us to ascend to Bronze.¡±


    Yuki grinned. ¡°And if boy wonder here actually has a backdoor pass to a cultivation academy and a territory full of rich tier delves¡­ I¡¯ll be fucked if I won¡¯t be paying him back in spades.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? And what if he¡¯s been doing nothing but spouting bullshit?¡± Ron countered, hooded suspicious eyes locking with Eric¡¯s own once more. ¡°For all we know, it¡¯s ambushing parties like ours that got him this fucking powerful in the first place.¡±


    Eric¡¯s bemused smile froze to an angry glare. ¡°Watch it, Ron. I¡¯ve been putting up with your shit like a good sport from the start, but you¡¯re crossing a serious line right there. Because it would have been a fuck ton easier wrapping things up when the tanks were helpless in my wheel cart!¡±


    ¡°Guys, relax!¡± Richard snapped, glaring at Ron before turning to Yuki and Jack. ¡°Do either of you guys get a bad vibe on our buddy Eric, here?¡±


    Jack shook his head. ¡°Nope. I totally get his flow. He¡¯s aces in my book. And if he can unlock a cultivation class for me¡­ I¡¯ll keep him up all night, right by Yuki¡¯s side,¡± he said with a too-wide grin, earning snorts and laughter.


    ¡°Alright, he¡¯s yours! I concede!¡± Yuki smirked, before her gaze turned solemn. She held out her hand. Confused, Eric grasped it.


    ¡°Do you want to rock my world, Eric Silver?¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart started to pound. Because it was a serious question, he could tell. And as cavalier as he tried to be after everything he went through¡­


    ¡°Like you wouldn¡¯t believe. but I¡¯d probably feel guilty as hell, afterwords.¡±


    The group grew strangely quiet. Yuki gave a satisfied nod. ¡°And do you have any plans on cutting our throats or draining our powers or doing any other fucked up Contender bullshit to harm us, steel from us, drain us, or otherwise doom our future in your quest for absolutely disgusting levels of power?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m perfectly happy leaving you breathless and quivering in my arms, Yuki Li. No need for any of that treacherous bullshit when I have other paths to embrace sweet, sweet badass power.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s cheeks flushed. When she turned to Richard, her voice was husky.


    ¡°He means every fucking word he said, fearless leader. Though now I¡¯m wondering how the hell he plans on doing all that...¡±


    ¡°Contender¡¯s prerogative,¡± Eric said with a grin. ¡°Though I¡¯ll tell you something else for free. Cultivation, for those of you who can wing it, is another sweet path to power. And if you get strong enough as cultivators before hitting the pods at level 50¡­ I¡¯m thinking that you might find some incredible options waiting for you. Because the System and Cultivation are in a friendly sort of competition, so don¡¯t be surprised if you find choices you never would have dreamed of before. And even if that¡¯s not the case¡­ why the hell wouldn¡¯t you grab a handful of extra points or so, even if you can only progress a handful of levels as a basic cultivator?¡±


    Eric spread his arms, miming taking all the cheese. ¡°Even if you only have limited progression, so what? Grab the points and cultivation levels that you can by clearing whatever meridian gates are available to you, because why the fuck would you leave money on the table. Am I right?¡±


    Jack whistled. ¡°Shit, are you serious? Why the fuck do I feel like there isn¡¯t another soul alive who would share that information with us?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Because there isn¡¯t. I¡¯m one of the few who¡¯s walked this walk without being a spoon-fed scion of a ridiculously powerful clan sworn to secrecy¡­ and you already saw just what the would-be rulers of this world think of me smashing the status quo in the fucking face because I want EVERYONE to rise up with equal opportunity to excel and grow, which will in turn help us to rebuild our entire planet and everyone in it! Not just leave all choice and power in the hands of corrupt administrators and profiteering tyrants.¡±


    Eric took a deep, shuddering breath as he forced himself to pull his mithril collar from storage, his heart glaring in sudden furious hate for that tool of pain and degradation before flipping it right back into storage, now that he could, pretending he hadn¡¯t been bothered by the way everyone had flinched and stepped back.


    He cleared his throat, speaking on. ¡°Our enemies want to kill me because I want to take it all back. Take the entire world back from all those who would oppress us, exploit us, claim our treasures, and ultimately see us as nothing more than slaves or food chattel forever enslaved to forces who hold us in absolute contempt!¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Eric¡¯s voice rose to a furious pitch. ¡°So to hell with them. To hell with all the corrupt sycophants would would sell our country¡¯s dreams to corrupt alien bastards, happy to trade human lives like chattel, so their own families can get ahead! And to hell with all the would-be tyrants who think they can set up unelected counsels and dictate the flow of power with their twisted decrees, corrupt contracts, and false edicts! And here¡¯s a final juicy tidbit for all you cool cats. Once you accept that you are at war with every corrupt administerial power within this world, once you understand that their every whispered snake-tongued word is simply an attempt to throw you off balance and destroy you using arcane chains of subjugation and false obligation, you realize that their Lawfare has absolutely no power over you. None whatsoever!¡±


    Eric clenched his fist, no blazing brightly with spiritual fire. ¡°So I invite you all to delve with me and grow rich. Delve with me and grow strong. Strong enough so that no corrupt asshole can dictate your life or steel your future. So strong that you can choose to fight for the world you love, the people you love, without ending up another notch in a Snicklit assassin¡¯s belt! Strong enough that the earth quakes under our footsteps, and even our most fearsome enemies know better than to cross us. That is the strength to which I aspire, one day at a time. One delve at a time!¡±


    Eric took a deep, shuddering breath, gazing intently at the half-dozen wide-eyed adventurers. ¡°That¡¯s a journey I was prepared to go alone, all hands against me in my final hour, a kill-collar fastened around my throat.¡± He flashed Yuki a grateful smile. ¡°Before I was shown mercy in the most unexpected of places. So perhaps this journey need not be quite so lonely as I had feared.¡±


    A shaken Jack locked gazes with Eric. ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± he whispered. ¡°Whatever you want to do, however far you want to take it, I¡¯m your man.¡±


    Eric blinked in surprise. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d love to have friends at my back, Jack. But right now? My goal is to get you all a first-clear boon in record time, and then we head straight to Ashland and set you all up with the classes of your dreams.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re going to teach us cultivation as well, right Jack?¡± Asked Yuki with a smile that was both teasing and hopeful. ¡°Because that¡¯s also a path to true power, right? Combine that with a strong kick-ass class like mine, and like Jack¡¯s. Because whatever else he may think, he¡¯s got the highest kill-count of all of us right now. Besides you, I mean.¡±


    Eric took a thoughtful breath, seeing so many hopeful gazes peering intently into his own. He gave a slow nod. ¡°Absolutely. Hell, we might be able to crack open some nodes in all of you. We¡¯ll see. And now that I think of it, who the fuck says we can¡¯t clear every delve between here and Ashland? Because why settle for twelve points when you could have sixty?¡±


    Everyone gazed at him, rendered utterly speechless.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡± Steve asked with a breathless whisper.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Absolutely! When I wasn¡¯t busy screaming in inconceivable agony, my Contender Interface was busy mapping all the territory I was passing through, noting all the Delves that needed at least a first pass claim by someone before the territories themselves could be claimed. And there are five Delves that need to be cleared before the territories between Ashland and New York can be taken off the board.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re the one who would claim these territories?¡± Said a strained-sounding Ron, gazing at Eric with the strangest mixture of awe, desperate hope, and bitter despair.


    Eric¡¯s cold smile denied nothing. ¡°Damn right I plan on doing just that. Claiming them right before giving them right up. The how and why of it is not something you need to worry about. All that matters is that I also plan on clearing every single dungeon in every territory between New York and Ashland. What I want to know is, would my new friends the Silver Griffins like a piece of that action?¡±


    Eric was more pleased than he wanted to admit before six hungry gazes turned to a handful of solemn nods, even Ron dipping his head.


    ¡°Fuck, kid. If you can actually help us lock in sixty fucking points free and clear¡­ if what you¡¯re saying about first-clears turns out to be true, and if Yuki¡¯s actually capable of what she claims she can do...¡± Ron flashed a hard grin of his own. ¡°That would change absolutely everything.¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes lit up with warmth. ¡°Eric, if you can actually do this for us...¡± She swallowed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡­ I just don¡¯t know what to say! Except that it would mean the world to us. To all of us.¡±


    Richard positively beamed. ¡°I think you just might be the best thing to happen to Silver Griffins in a very long time, Eric. Now let¡¯s clear this dungeon and see if we really are fortunate enough to receive a boon that would change absolutely everything.¡±


    ¡°But even if we don¡¯t get shit, we don¡¯t give Eric a hard time, as long as he gets us out of here in one piece,¡± Yuki cautioned, before flashing him a brilliant smile. ¡°So long as his cultivation academy talk wasn¡¯t bullshit.¡±


    ¡°I promise you it isn¡¯t.¡±


    Yuki gave a sultry chuckle, squeezing his hand. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to see, won¡¯t we, Eric Orcbane?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°I guess we will.¡±


    Their patter was broken up by the sudden feeling of pressure in the air.


    Yuki and the others visibly paled as the ground began to shake, and even the most distracted among them was suddenly wincing under a fearsome wave of killing intent.


    Jack blanched. ¡°Why do I suddenly feel like all of us bullshitting in front of the corpse of what must have been the second in command might have been a bad idea?¡±


    Eric flashed a fierce smile, slamming his fists together. ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How do you figure?¡± Jack snapped, before blanching and stepping back as the very walls seemed to buckle and stretch. ¡°Of fuck. It¡¯s getting closer.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°Shit. What do we do, fearless leader?¡±


    Richard froze, mouth open, turning to Eric, who had yet to claim the massive corpse filling the now stretching hallway, only the giant axe radiating the essence of sharpness.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Eric said. ¡°How about you guys back up a bit? I¡¯ll stay here.¡± He gave his new friends a gentle smile. ¡°Seriously, haven¡¯t you guys figured it out yet? There¡¯s a reason why I haven¡¯t gathered the corpse yet.¡±


    ¡°You left it out as bate, asshole!¡± Ron roared.


    Eric nodded. ¡°Damn right, I did. Haven¡¯t you all noted the way these hallways are saturated with fluctuating Arcane energy? Spiritual energy as well. Somehow, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to find the boss of this hellhole before he wants to be found.¡±


    Yuki shook her head in dismay. ¡°So you had us bullshitting around your latest kill, the only one you haven¡¯t popped into storage, so it would come to us.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Sounds bad when you put it like that. It was a hunch, Yuki. Nothing more. And tell me that it doesn¡¯t beat wandering endlessly until we¡¯re weak with hunger and thirst and it then picks us off at its leisure? This way, we¡¯re taking it on our own terms, before it can wear us down with a dozen more wandering monster encounters. A much better option all around, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s gaze narrowed. She crossed her arms, glaring at him. ¡°If I didn¡¯t actually agree with your fucked up logic, your nose would be a flattened pancake. You get me, Eric Orcbane?¡±


    Emily trembled, eyes widening with growing horror. ¡°Shit, I feel it. This is no 60<sup>th</sup> level beastie!¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. The System level notifications seem to be somewhat deceptive. First clear bosses are true bitches that I think are pretty damned close to Bronze, even here in Orange Territory. I don¡¯t know for sure, though. But it makes sense, as you need to eliminate the overpowered boss and lock the Rift into the local manafold to both claim the first-clear bonus, stabilize the monster levels within, and from there be in a position to claim the territory, if you happen to be a Contender.¡±


    But Emily¡¯s eyes were wide with terror, her fear stench a tantalizing musk that even Eric could sense, and if the ground-shaking roars rapidly approaching were any indication, their foe could as well.


    Eric flashed a cold smile as the corridor began to stretch and grow vast at a monstrous pace. First the size of one of Elonia¡¯s palatial gala rooms in her central palace, then the size off a baseball field. Then the size of a stadium¡­ then stretching endless in all directions as a tiny black dot rapidly grew in size, Eric soon making out the countenance of a massive beast with obsidian horns, blazing red eyes, and smoke blowing from its nostrils.


    Eric couldn¡¯t help flashing a fierce smile as his entire body trembled with excitement, gazing upon a minotaur that was thirty feet tall if it was an inch, built like an Adonis, if such has a bull¡¯s head, cloven hooves and a body covered with thick, bristly curls.


    Then it smiled, and Eric¡¯s furious surge of confidence froze to bitter ice. Suddenly understanding so much in that precious half second.


    He knew it was impossible. Utterly forbidden. A graver insult than even his existence. Or maybe it was pure wild chance. A roll of the dice. The luck of the draw.


    None of that changed his frightening ability to sense the mask that nightmare creature was wearing.


    He recognized that smirk.


    A cocky young scion pretending he was all bluster, presenting a false cookie-cutter image of shallow pride, easily pricked.


    Only to hide a true monster underneath.


    Unified Perception check made!


    You know your mother¡­ and you recall all too well the reindeer games you yourself used to play!


    You sense the spiritual pressure radiating from an ascended core.


    Willpower check made!


    You manage to keep from screaming like a little pussy, realizing just how fucked you are, messing with a TRUE Contender!


    ¡°Change of fucking plan! Do NOTHING to antagonize it. Just run. Run as fast as you fucking can!¡± Eric hissed.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    He turned, flashing a terrified-looking Emily a smile far closer to manic than comforting. ¡°This thing¡¯s no Orange-tier Boss. It¡¯s already ascended.¡±


    Her eyes widened in horror. ¡°No. You don¡¯t¡­ that¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Bronze Contender, Emily. I¡¯m guessing he was seeded in by a clan even more corrupt and powerful than the assholes trying to steal our rights away in Freetown.¡± His voice turned desperate. ¡°I¡¯ll buy what time I can. Run NOW!¡±

 Chapter 316 - When you find out youre in way over your head.

    Emily was captivated by those sky-blue eyes that shown with such crazy Machiavellian strength, exciting her in ways that sent her cheeks flushing even now. He was a wildcard that she knew was pure trouble and would only get her hurt in the end. Thrilling her in ways that the boy of her dreams, standing so tall and strong beside her, never could.


    And she was okay with that, she realized. Okay living a storybook life of domestic bliss, standing by Richard¡¯s side. His dutiful wife, the doting mother of his future children. Perhaps a doctor working part time in a clinic when not cherishing time with her family or sweet gentle nights with her man. And she¡¯d be totally enamored with such a life, if the world hadn¡¯t gone to hell. Even if it meant never seeing this beautiful wild midnight stallion who had rocked her world so fiercely, once upon a time.


    Her dark knight.


    Her ultimate champion she both feared and hungered for so badly it scared the hell out of her.


    Yet that was nothing. A heady afternoon¡¯s fantasy, compared to the jolt of terror she now felt, catching a glimpse of the horrified dismay in Eric¡¯s gaze.


    Knowing that the one she had been counting on so desperately to save them apparently didn¡¯t think they had a chance in hell of making it out of here alive.


    And that¡¯s when she heard it, that horrible mocking laughter, as the giant minotaur that had seemed like the perfect boss to this insane dungeon, was no longer roaring with predictable rage.


    Rather, it was smiling. A twisted, all too human smirk, possessing the eyes of a master chess player, or a consummate hustler. One who had been stringing them along the whole time.


    Letting them think that they had any sort of chance at all¡­ before unleashing an aura so horrifically strong, with a pressure so inconceivably vast, that it sent them all crashing to their knees.


    A Level ?? Bronze Contender has revealed his Killing Aura!


    1200 Points in Martial Stats has COMPLETELY SUPPRESSED 370 Points in your own!


    You are unable to move!


    You are unable to process any thoughts beyond your own mortal terror!


    Emily heard Yuki¡¯s terrified cursing in Japanese, Ron¡¯s furious sob, his final act seeming to be to collapse before her, a futile effort that didn¡¯t even block her view, let alone counter the nightmare now unfolding before her eyes. Richard¡¯s normal roaring chant was now a desperate plea to a higher power, the only one among them who had attended church regularly, before everything collapsed. Of Jack and Steve, she heard nothing at all. A tiny corner of her mind hoped they were already unconscious and that their death would be painless and quick.


    Yet mostly what she felt was terror.


    Terror when the minotaur laughed with such arrogant confidence, gazing her way with features far more human than the monstrous caricatures they had faced so far in this dungeon. Their opponent was clearly capable of nuanced reflection, and just as clearly, all he felt for them was overweening contempt.


    And he was no 30 foot giant.


    He was seven feet at most, covered in plate and mail of odd shimmering alloy radiating magic so fierce it was blinding to her eyes, with a battle axe he swung about with such casual mastery, whipping it around in lazy moulinets at shocking speed.


    ¡°My, how fascinating. So my sire was right. There are Terrans willing to dare these depths, thinking themselves actually worthy of ascension upon what will be OUR property, too stupid to take the hints given, when neither Green nor Blue tiles were permitted upon their continents.¡±


    His sneer turned to cold disdain. ¡°And all of you who would dare this dungeon are so contemptuously weak that you crumple before my very presence? Pathetic! Beyond pathetic!¡±


    He then furrowed his brow, turning to the only White-tier delver still on his feet.


    ¡°Except for one. One who still dares to stand. One who even dares to meet my gaze.¡±


    The minotaur¡¯s smile grew as discerning eyes flicked over Eric¡¯s graceful physique, revealing canines that no herbivore should have.


    ¡°Yet look at you. Little more than a savage, wild animal. Wearing scraps of animal skins that will protect you little better than rags before Death¡¯s Kiss,¡± he said, gesturing with his own whirling battle axe that Emily was breathlessly certain could cut through even a bank vault as effortlessly as her flicking a knife through water.


    ¡°Your blows would pound against my mithril plate for hours without making a dent. Pathetic!¡± The minotaur shook his head in mock dismay. ¡°Are there truly no worthy Contenders among the lot of you? Must I wait another year in this place for suitable challenge?¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    If Eric had had a lick of common sense, he would have fallen to his knees and begged for his life, as they were no worthy challenge at all for this fearsome beast. OR at least, that¡¯s what Emily would have done, praying that she could convince the creature that they were utterly unworthy of his time, and that it would besmirch his honor to lower himself to dealing with trash like themselves. If nothing else, Emily would have begged for the privilege of serving it, praying that she could earn its regard, or at least allay it¡¯s contempt.


    Instead, Eric chuckled. ¡°Is your position truly that onerous, that you must wait a year between worthy battles?¡± Emily¡¯s one-time lover shook his head in mock sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m lucky if I get more than a day¡¯s break between fights. Truly, the plights of those who have achieved worthy Bronze ascension are beyond my ken.¡±


    The minotaur turned to glare Eric¡¯s way. ¡°You would dare to speak to me so casually, mortal?¡± The creature snorted, shaking his head. ¡°It is one thing for you to find the courage to stand before me, proving yourself better than trash. Quite another for you to dare address me as an equal. Now tell me why I shouldn¡¯t cut you down this instant for your insolence alone?¡±


    Emily choked back a sob, fearing that this was the end. Yet there was something about the twinkle in Eric¡¯s eyes that sent chills down Emily¡¯s spine. Or perhaps it was the sheer cocky arrogance in his smile.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m guessing that you, like me, aren¡¯t interested in trite games or being manipulated like pawns by clan elders. You¡¯re hungry for something more. To prove yourself in the crucible of ascension. To rise beyond everyone who would mock us, demean us, and see us fall.¡± Eric¡¯s grin widened when the Minotaur said nothing, merely gazing at Eric with what was now a hawk-like intensity as Eric rubbed his chin in thought.


    ¡°And if my senses don¡¯t deceive me¡­ you also walk a cultivator¡¯s path.¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened at the surprised snort this earned him, and Emily could sense him radiating a pressure he hadn¡¯t before¡­ or perhaps, Eric had just been holding back.


    Yet the effect was obvious, the minotaur¡¯s contempt turning to curiosity as he examined Eric a bit more carefully, his battle axe now resting casually on his shoulder.


    ¡°A half-elf monkey who also dares to embrace the true arts. How fascinating! Father assured me that the goblins had corrupted your world seed so utterly that there was no chance at all of that happening.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Fortunately, goblins are stupid enough to fall for clauses in their own contracts, and certain boons supersede all corrupt administrative attempts to destroy. And that¡¯s a boon for you and I both, for we now have the perfect opportunity to trade pointers along our path. Do we not, fellow disciple of The Way?¡±


    The minotaur froze, glaring at Eric with such contempt that Emily couldn¡¯t help but whimper her terror, because Eric just had to take it one step to far.


    Emily shuddered when the minotaur abruptly laughed.


    ¡°Oh the balls on you, mixed-blood! A Basic White-tier student who would dare to challenge one who has already ascended to Bronze!¡± The minotaur snorted his contempt, whipping his axe about in threatening moulinets once more. ¡°And why should I bother, when you have no weapon worthy of being called such? Nothing that could so much as scratch my armor, and my axe could effortlessly cleave you in twain?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°And how easy it would be for you to do just that. Almost as easy as goblins with arcane blasters sniping poor students practicing basic forms at the academy.¡±


    The minotaur froze, eyes lighting up with a furious heat. Eric quickly spoke on.


    ¡°But you¡¯re better than that, and so am I. Because such acts of cowardice avail us NOTHING! No growth, no honing ourselves against the crucible of peril. It gets us nothing but bad karma. A stain upon the pristine white gi of our souls.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Eric was utterly stripped bare of everything but a thin linen tabard that went down to his knees. A piece of cloth that he now wore like a training gi.


    ¡°So I propose we trade pointers like true martial artists. Wielding no weapons, save the bodies housing our meridians, and whatever spiritual energy techniques we can bring to bear.¡±


    The minotaur gazed at Eric for long moments, before breaking out in fresh laughter. ¡°Truly you are bold, half-blood!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°And what cultivator worthy of the title is not? Come, kung fu brother. Trade pointers with me, and let¡¯s see if I am a worthy enough opponent for you to wet your blade upon the crucible of my soul.¡±


    For long moments, the axe-wielder stared coldly at Eric, Elise feeling their fates dangling by the thinnest of margins.


    It would be so laughably easy for that minotaur to cleave Eric in half with a single swipe of his axe, and the rest of them were so pathetically weak that they couldn¡¯t even stand.


    And perhaps that was the point. What Eric was betting their lives on.


    The jaded ennui of a creature far more powerful than most of them could possibly conceive, looking for distraction. A prisoner of his own maze, just as much as they.


    Still, Emily was shocked when the shimmering silver-alloy armor of plate and mail covering the massive minotaur suddenly disappeared, along with his axe.


    What now stood before them all was a magnificent display of oiled muscle somehow glistening in the sourceless light, the beast not even bothering with a loincloth. He, and it was most definitely a he, was almost entirely human, save for a face that was both human and bovine, with silver-tipped horns that could effortlessly disembowel anyone.


    ¡°My name is Minose Trueblood. I look forward to honing the blade of my soul against a worthy opponent!¡±


    Eric grinned, eyes alight not with the fear Emily had thought to see, but excitement.


    ¡°My name is Eric Silver. I too am eager to ascend upon the crucible of your martial mastery.¡±


    And much to Emily¡¯s utter disbelief, the minotaur flinched. ¡°You¡¯re Aurelia Silver¡¯s get! She¡¯s no cultivator! Who is your teacher?¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Defeat me and you will earn her name.¡±


    And whatever else Emily might have been expecting them to say was lost when both figures seemed to blur, moving so fast as their bodies collided and the world exploded in flame.

 Chapter 317 - Hit Them Where It Hurts!

    Bronze Killing Aura boosted by 1200 points in Martial characteristics has FAILED TO SUPPRESS your own!


    Radiated Aura reveals your opponent¡¯s build!


    Minose Trueblood. Rank 10 Bronze (Cultivator/Classer hybrid) - 350 Strength / 350 Vitality / 200 Quickness / 200 Finesse / 100 Perception / 200 Spiritual Energy


    You have dodged Meteor Fist!


    You have shin-checked roundhouse kick! - Blow-through damage causes one Light Wound.


    You have shin-checked roundhouse kick! - Blow-through damage causes one additional Light Wound.


    You have (barely) dodged: Crescent Kick!


    Find Weakness skillcheck made.


    You have successfully struck opponent¡¯s Solar Plexus!


    Fire Fist!


    Fire Fist!


    Your foe is temporarily stunned!


    Eric¡¯s roar was equal part fury, terror, and glorious release.


    Never had he felt closer to oblivion than when dodging under a Bronze-tier cultivator¡¯s fist somehow radiating the essence of a boulder hurtling from the heavens, just knowing it could instantly obliterate him, no matter what their stats implied.


    Eric''s legs were already throbbing horribly. For the first time in forever, he was forced to pay the price for having focused almost entirely on punching, with zero focus paid on kicks, save for Pavel doing his best to at least teach him how to shin check angle kicks and roll with the blows. Lessons that had already saved him from at least a few broken ribs and crippled thighs. But he was already in pain, both of them embracing Battle-time as best they could, and it was only Eric¡¯s absolute emphasis on speed above all else that had him surviving his foe¡¯s monstrous blows.


    Both natural Quickness and his Speed Racer enhancement proved absolutely crucial to his continued survival, having earned a surprised glare when he first pivoted past what would have been a skull-cracking kick before twisting around to slam a Fire Fist against the minotaur¡¯s flank.


    But it was clear that Ascension to Bronze went far beyond stats, because Eric¡¯s own pounding blows caused bruises, but no bones shattered. No flesh exploded under super-heated flame.


    Eric, on the other hand, had to duck and weave and dodge endlessly, knowing that a single Qi-enhanced punch from a Bronze-tier opponent could and would utterly obliterate him. Blows that came so close to tearing his head right off his neck on more than one occasion.


    Minose¡¯s attacks were, in fact, radiating such potent killing energy that Eric couldn¡¯t help but sense to an exquisite degree the complex weave of potencies comprising each deadly strike.


    If nothing else, it was painfully obvious that Eric dare not take his attention off those impossibly deadly fists for even a second.


    Which of course set him up perfectly for his opponent¡¯s savage kicks. And it was that deadly alternating combination, and what were no doubt years, perhaps decades of martial training, that had Minose forcing him so badly on the backfoot, no matter Eric¡¯s advantage in Quickness.


    Side-kick sends you flying! Vitality check successful. You have avoided Critical Injury!


    Then Eric found himself flying as System messages blinked across his interface, having embraced Pavel¡¯s lessons on how to flow in battle and roll with his opponent¡¯s blows, his old mentor¡¯s sage advice all that was saving his life now.


    Though he knew, as alarm bells shrieked warning inside his head, that what he needed to do was pick his dazed self off the ground and MOVE!


    Because his opponent was about to pile-drive him into the stone floor.


    You have successfully dodged crushing blow!


    The air rang with the minotaur¡¯s amused laughter.


    ¡°A most entertaining fight, Eric! Or perhaps I will call you Mouse? You scurry quite well, Mouse! Darting in and out, honing my ability to hit annoying gnats, if nothing else!¡±


    Eric grinned, spitting out a loose tooth. ¡°True! Because those meteor roundhouses of yours are not something I want to get hit with!¡±


    The minotaur chuckled coldly, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Indeed you don¡¯t. Shall we continue?¡±


    Eric smirked, dipping his head even as he cautiously approached. ¡°Why not? Though I can¡¯t help but wondering...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Smirked the minotaur, clearly feeling the master of the engagement, for all that he too was breathing like a bellows. It was obvious that he was enjoying himself as well.


    ¡°Seeing as they hit a hell of a lot harder than my puny Fire Fist...¡±


    ¡°Indeed they do!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing they also take a lot out of you too.¡±


    The minotaur¡¯s condescending smirk froze into a cold snarl. ¡°All it takes is one hit, half-blood.¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened, even if he could sense Emily¡¯s panicked thoughts, thanks to both Party interface and the deeper connection they had once shared. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s another thing. I couldn¡¯t help but note that those sweet, sweet, ridiculously deadly meteor punches are radiating a fuck-ton of Spiritual energy.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Indeed they are, Half-blood! The difference between Basic and Bronze is like comparing heaven and earth, Mouse!¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Eric said with a mocking smile. ¡°OR Spiritual Qi and a good strong dash of Arcane Potency as well. Am I right?¡±


    The minotaur¡¯s eyes glared with sudden heat, his indulgent smirk turning hard and cold. ¡°You set the terms, half-blood. Any attack channeling Spiritual energy is permitted, as all of mine do! For mine is a hybrid art. The best of both worlds!¡±


    Eric solemnly dipped his head. ¡°Understood. I accept this interpretation.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°As if you had a choice, fool!¡± The minotaur roared, and Eric¡¯s heart pounded as terror filled his veins.


    Essence of Dominion enhances Will Check! You have successfully saved against Aura Shout!


    Quickness check: Success!


    Emily¡¯s scream lingered in the air as the minotaur seemed to blur through the air, just as Eric was struck by the roar.


    Yet the triumphant bellow the minotaur gave was short lived when a spear-hand strike radiating all the power of a charging herd hit nothing at all.


    It was just an instant of confusion in a veteran of scores of battles, but more than long enough for the air to flash with fire, as Eric demonstrated the perils of overcommitting.


    Burst of Strength in Effect!


    Your Strength has (temporarily) Doubled!


    Fire Fist!


    Fire Fist!


    You have critically struck your opponent¡¯s kidney!


    The minotaur roared with pain, stumbling as Eric¡¯s fist hit far harder than it ever had before.


    And still he held back from his ultimate attack, determined to ascend upon baseline skills alone.


    Even when the minotaur¡¯s spinning backhand strike somehow managed to catch Eric completely off-guard, sending him flying.


    And this time the minotaur was already charging and roaring, horns lowered to gore as Eric tumbled to the ground, inertia assuring a long tumbling slide his opponent would have no problem predicting and intercepting, silver-tipped horns ripping through the air.


    Yet they encountered no trace of Eric¡¯s flesh¡­ for he had already darted away despite his violent tumble, as if inertia had no hold on him at all.


    Vitality check made. You have avoided utter disorientation!


    Speed Racer Boon in effect.


    You have dodged your opponent¡¯s goring attack!


    You have weaved past haymaker.


    You have critically struck kidney!


    Quickness check made!


    The minotaur¡¯s powerful fists tore through the air in a violent weave of hooks, jabs, and overhand crosses. Enough to shatter Eric¡¯s nose and clip his cheek, even as he weaved and darted back.


    Only now there was a fierce smile on his face, despite the blood and missing teeth. Because yes, his foe¡¯s blows were definitely harder to predict, and far more free-form than the rigid, potency-infused attacks before.


    Which meant that Eric was now getting clocked by a 350 Strength minotaur with years of training. But it was equally clear that Minose¡¯s meteor showers was finally at an end.


    And Eric¡¯s had just begun.


    Fire Fist!


    Fire Fist!


    You have critically struck your foe!


    The air became a blistering blur of furious heat as Eric weaved and struck with all his pent up force and fury, no longer having to hold back for fear that his opponent¡¯s fists would instantly spell his doom.


    Break his nose, smash his teeth, partially deafen him? Sure.


    But for every punch Eric allowed Minose to land, his opponent received multiple blows to the kidney, solar plexus, or right under his floating ribs, until his opponent was wheezing, eyes bloodshot, with blood bubbling out of his nose as he lurched and stumbled.


    Eric dared the tiniest of smiles. The slightest of grins.


    Because his foe¡¯s deadly barrage had petered out, and his had just begun.


    Then he froze when the minotaur chuckled coldly, realizing things would never be quite that simple when competing against Bronze-tier monsters.


    The minotaur''s cold chuckle turned to a furious, bloodthirsty roar.


    Eric cursed vehemently under his breath, realizing that their fight was just getting started.


    ¡°I will tear you limb from limb, half-blood, and ascend upon your shredded corpse!¡± Minose roared as his muscles began to ripple and bulge before Eric¡¯s very eyes, skin turning a deep ocher hue.


    ¡°Eric!¡± Emily¡¯s voice brought home just how perilous the situation truly was.


    Eric¡¯s euphoric high snapped back into ice-cold focus.


    A single mistake now as his foe¡¯s body infused with a berserker¡¯s Strength and Quickness would mean both his death, and his companions.


    It was time to stop holding back, and make use of a power tied to Spiritual energy and so much more that he had fought so hard to make his own. Even if it cost him the Cultivation Level he sure as fuck had earned, and then some, what mattered was keeping his friends alive.


    And, of course, clearing the dungeon.


    ¡°Hey Minose! About those hybrid abilities of yours. There¡¯s something you should know!¡±


    But Minose was too lost in the throws of battle-rage to pay any heed to Eric¡¯s words. Though his lips did curl in a satisfied smile when Eric raced right to him.


    Minose chuckled coldly. ¡°You seek to supplicate yourself before me? Too late, half-blood! We will revel in this fight to the bitter end, you and¡ª¡°


    ¡°Fragor!¡± Eric roared, embracing every iota of his being into pushing his singular psionic attack so good at rupturing barriers and enemy skulls to the ultimate test. Because it too was a hybrid attack, even if it used three, not two, sources of energy.


    Minose had opened the floodgates to interpretation, and damn if Eric wouldn¡¯t be swimming in red by the end of it.


    It was an attack sufficient to make his fearsome foe flinch, but little more, breaking off eye-contact for the precious moments needed to orient to an attack unlike anything the creature had ever encountered before. A Psionic strike that could effect even the physical realm. An attack mastered by a race whose arts had been utterly alien, even to the local System. An unorthodox skill Eric had altered further still, before making it his own. And Eric could tell he had actually managed to surprise the experienced killer before him. Even if he had done little more than the metaphoric equivalent of kick sand in Minose¡¯s eyes, and he had absolutely no doubt that his roaring foe was now determined to make him pay for both the pain and the insult.


    Of course, Eric wasn¡¯t stupid. He had no doubt that even when embracing a Psionic paradigm, his foe¡¯s id, ego, and superego would enjoy near complete immunity to pretty much everything, thanks to the System having blessed the minotaur tribe with near unbreakable skulls. A strength that must only grow as their race ascended.


    But Eric¡¯s testing probe had told him exactly what he needed to know.


    His most unorthodox attack could pierce even a Bronze titan¡¯s wards, even if it did little against their strongest defenses.


    Yet Psionic resonance or no, Eric¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to rupture his opponent¡¯s skull. His real target was Minose¡¯s most precious prize that he was arrogant enough to leave on display. Perhaps it was a way of culturally showing off, proving to fellow males that he could guard it so well that he need not even hide it. And once it became clear that Eric couldn¡¯t kick for shit, Minose hadn¡¯t bothered guarding it at all.


    So when Eric charged forward during the split-second that Minose reflexively covered his eyes, it was knowing damn well what awaited him if he dared close with a monster who had just doubled his strength, however temporarily.


    Fortunately, he knew exactly what he had to do.


    ¡°Fragor!¡±


    Furious cries and bellows were replaced by the sound of a tire exploding, the patter of rain, and an agonized bleat as Minose crashed to the ground, ball sack ruptured by a Psionic attack that could rupture the skull of a fiftieth level creature effortlessly, or shatter a steel door.


    And a furious Eric knew better than to stop screaming that word even as he pounced upon the curled up minotaur and began pounding the absolute fuck out of his opponent¡¯s spine and back with a whirlwind of blows.


    Burst of Strength is in effect once more!


    You have chained Fire Fist 47 Times!


    You have ruptured multiple internal organs and depleted your Psionic Reserves & Soul Reserves.


    You have incapacitated your opponent!


    YOUR OPPONENT HAS SURRENDERED!

 Chapter 318 - The Sweet Taste of Victory

    Eric froze, fiery fist just inches from pounding into the side of his opponent¡¯s neck, finally in position to finish the crippled groaning creature once and for all.


    Eric took a deep, shuddering breath as he gazed down at the groaning minotaur, curled up over the burst remains of its own balls now wheezing for breath as Eric¡¯s spiritual fires cooked its organs and lungs to the point that only Bronze-tier life-support skills were keeping Minose from spiraling right into death.


    For just a moment, Eric wanted nothing more than to tear out this creature¡¯s throat, and howling his triumph to the heavens, before realizing just how stupid and unworthy of him that would be.


    Unworthy, because Minose could so easily have killed him with mithril axe and full plate armor, when Eric had been kitted in little more than rags and bones.


    Instead, Minose had agreed to a duel. Effectively agreed to give Eric a fighting chance. A chance to live.


    Eric would be less than dirt if he didn¡¯t honor that gesture. Both for his own sake, and if he ever expected any future cultivator to choose an honorable duel instead of ruthless no-holds-barred salt the earth and slaughter everyone near and dear styles of conflict. For the sake of his friends and loved ones as much as anything else, he damn well better show that he was at least honorable enough to let his opponents surrender with their lives when the contest was done.


    And it would be stupid as hell for Eric to finish this battle and alienate a faction filled not with simple White-tier wanna-be tyrants, but Bronze-tier clans who actually had the power to capture Orange-tier delves for purposes he could only guess at.


    For all of those reasons, not to mention the sense that an extremely powerful, extremely angry Deep Bronze was glaring down at them both from angles Eric couldn¡¯t even imagine, he solemnly stepped back and bowed his head over his closed fist.


    ¡°Thank you for the pointers, kung-fu brother. I have learned much, honing my blade against the crucible of your arts.¡±


    Eric¡¯s pleased smile was instantly wiped off his face, however, when a bloody red slit immediately formed in the air right above the crumpled minotaur.


    His eyes widened with horrified surprise when he was struck by a wave of spiritual pressure that had his friends crying out before collapsing in unconscious stupors as massive hairy arms reached through the rift to grab the insensate Minose and pull him back through. Then the terrible presence faded as the bloody rip in reality sealed itself, as if it had never been. But not before leaving an unexpected prize behind. An exquisitely crafted box that made Eric think of a go set, radiating magics that seemed to shimmer and twist in the air.


    He swallowed a suddenly parched throat and crashed to his knees when his skull was bombarded by words that he sensed could have crushed his mind to paste.


    ¡°Forbearance is life. Savor it, mortal. For you have now earned the right to live, and claim the prize that should have been another¡¯s.


    If you are truly wise, you will show no one what you now hold. For once the box is open, the first living soul to touch its contents will be forever bound to the secrets within.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t use Essence Strike,¡± Eric whispered to himself, shaking his head. But only minutes after the horrific pressure eased and he sensed that he was truly alone once more, the only sounds were his own ragged breath and frantic heart pounding against his chest. ¡°The last thing I need is to make an enemy out of whatever the hell that was, dropping Bronze-tier prizes meant for Minose for who knows what end, but I bet this thing is just asking for trouble.¡±


    Not that he wouldn''t have used his ultimate strike if he had needed it, but considering how effortlessly that figure could have crushed his mind had Eric damaged Minose beyond repair¡­ and he had no doubt that any Bronze tier consortium could heal any injury short of absolute annihilation... he sure was glad it hadn¡¯t come to that.


    Even if it had been a far closer duel than he wanted to admit.


    If he hadn¡¯t used his one Psionic attack¡­ he¡¯d probably be in a heap of trouble, one way or another. Fortunately, hybrid technique that Psionic Rupture was, it made use of Spiritual, Arcane, and Psions all at once. By Minose¡¯s own words, hybrid attacks were perfectly legitimate for their duel, and it seemed, much to Eric¡¯s relief, that both the System and Evelyn felt the same way.


    CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTENDER TO DEFEAT A BRONZE TIER CONTENDER ON THIS PLANET! - THIS IS A BRONZE TIER FEAT! - TERRA ITSELF RECOGNIZES YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!


    YOU HAVE EARNED A PERMANENT 5% BOON TO ALL STAT GAINS YOU HAVE EARNED SINCE INITIATING YOUR CONQUEST OF TERRA!


    YOU WILL ADDITIONALLY RECEIVE A PERMANENT 5% MULTIPLIER TO ALL FUTURE STAT GAINS ON OR OFF OF TERRA!


    * ANOMALY DETECTED *


    BRONZE TIER FEAT EARNED AS WHITE-TIER CONTENDER.


    ALL BOONS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!


    TERRA WILL NOW GRANT YOU AN ETERNAL +10% TO ALL FUTURE STAT GAINS AS HER ASCENSION BECOMES YOUR OWN!


    * ANOMALY DETECTED *


    YOU ARE A NATIVE-BORN CONTENDER SWORN TO NO INVADING FACTION THAT TERRA¡¯S ENEMIES HAVE SOMEHOW FAILED TO DESTROY.


    ALL BOONS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!


    YOU WILL NOW EARN A 10% BONUS TO ALL BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS!


    * NEW QUEST AUTOMATICALLY INITIATED! DEFEND YOUR HOME PLANET AT ALL COSTS! *


    Eric fell to his knees, wide-eyed with awe at the messages now racing across his interface.


    A Bronze-tier feat. He had actually earned a Bronze-tier feat!


    And that wasn¡¯t all.


    You have successfully defeated a Rank 10 Bronze tier cultivator in mortal combat.


    You have chosen to show: Mercy! - In martial victory and political prudence, you have shown that you have what it takes to survive.


    Find Weakness is now Rank 26!


    Identify is now Rank 2!


    For successfully enticing a Bronze Tier opponent into risking his life in a duel when he could have just as easily killed you with one swipe of his axe, you have earned 2 Ranks in Negotiation!


    Negotiation is now Rank 14!


    Eric felt an icy chill with his social notification, suddenly certain that had fortuitous encounters not imbued him with both Social Perception, Master Negotiator, and What The Other Party Wants perks, he¡¯d probably be a headless corpse spurting blood from his neck stump right now.


    Burst of Strength is now Rank 16!


    Unified Perception is now Rank 24!


    For daring to duel a Bronze-tier Cultivator and actually winning, you have earned two ranks in Fire Fist!


    For daring to duel a Bronze-tier Cultivator and actually winning, you have earned two ranks in Psionic Rupture!


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    For daring to duel a Bronze-tier Cultivator and actually winning, you have earned two ranks in Unarmed Combat!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 14!


    Psionic Rupture is now Rank 7! - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only!)


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 20! - Congratulations! You have achieved Journeyman status in: Unarmed Combat! You now enjoy +3 to Finesse +3 to Quickness and +3 to Strength as increasing mastery over your martial techniques becomes mastery over yourself!


    You may now choose 1 martial perk as the essence of the martial artist becomes your own!


    Power Blows ¨C (Standard) ¨C Years of grueling training has made you a natural at striking with your fists. All strikes incorporating your arms will be 20% faster and 20% harder than they would otherwise be, assuring that your fists will be feared in boxing rings throughout the sector. NOTE! This perk does NOT incorporate knee bombs or kicks, as you have failed to incorporate them fully into your art!


    Twitch Reflexes ¨C (Advanced) ¨C Supernatural speed and daring to take on opponents far deadlier than you has given you a natural instinct for slipping past and outright dodging otherwise lethal blows! You enjoy a 20% bonus multiplicative of all other bonuses and modifiers to dodge out of the way of any attack that you can see. (Synergism detected! This 20% Bonus includes avoiding whatever perils your danger sense might alert you to!)


    Cultivator¡¯s Might ¨C (Legendary) ¨C You have dared to claim an avatar of Death as your mentor, and have fought Bronze-tier cultivators to submission! Your martial abilities are now inextricably intertwined with your cultivation foundation and thus transcend your physical body! All Peripheral Meridian Channels will continuously evolve ever closer to perfection with every advancement you make as both warrior and cultivator. All Elemental Qi attacks channeled through your meridians (Including Fire Fist, Windfire Strike, & all variants) will now be 1% more potent than they would otherwise be for every rank you earn in unarmed combat, and for every level you earn as a Disciple along Peril¡¯s Path!


    Cultivator¡¯s Resilience  ¨C (Legendary) ¨C You have dared to claim an avatar of Death as your mentor, and have fought Bronze-tier cultivators to submission! Your martial abilities are now inextricably intertwined with your cultivation foundation and thus transcend your physical body! After enduring the most grueling of duels against a Bronze-tier striker, you both understand the devastating impact that Spiritual Energy-laden blows can have on the physical body, and now intuitively understand how to counter those strikes in turn!


    You have achieved true Dominion within your own mind and body!


    Your body is now infused with Spiritual Energy that gives you added resilience against ALL attacks! - You may permanently invest Spiritual Energy points in each and every one of your resistances. Every point so invested will increase your resistance by 1 point! The maximum points that may be invested is equal to your baseline resistances.


    Eric froze, dumbstruck and awed as his mind raced through the options before him.


    Power Blows was the most basic choice, and a 20% multiplier to both the speed and power of his blows would make him an absolutely devastating striker. If his hunch was right, it would even extend beyond his fists, since this evolution seemed to incorporate his entire body, and would enhance swings with sword or polearm as well. As common as it might seem, it was a perk option worthy of definite consideration.


    Still, he hated the fact that it was limited in a complete lack of any ability to enhance his feet, emphasizing his own lack of martial knowledge or mastery, his flaws made all the more glaring with how effortlessly the minotaur had worked him over with its own kicks. He had countered okay, but had been worthless in responding with any sort of kick of his own. Simply for the fact that it emphasized his own glaring weakness, he was exceedingly reluctant to take this perk, turning his focus to the other options suddenly available to him.


    Twitch Reflexes, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t limited to his arms by any means, and was definitely worthy of consideration. To earn an additional 20% to his ability to dodge and slip past any enemy attack, on top of the boons that insane Quickness and Battle-time already gave him, a boon that would even enhance his Danger Sense, was definitely worthy of consideration.


    But still, he couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to the two Legendary tier perks that his status as a cultivator who had dared to embrace the Path of Peril under the most unusual of masters before taking down an actual Bronze-tier opponent had earned him. They were astoundingly powerful perks that promised perfect synergism between his unarmed combat and his cultivation path¡­ just like in pretty much every xianxia novel he had ever read, back when such stories were simply escapist fantasy, and not harbingers for what was to come.


    Cultivator¡¯s Might was an evolution that would make his ability to channel Spiritual Energy based attacks so efficient and deadly that he¡¯d be earning a full percentage point bonus with every level or skill rank achieved.


    As of this very second, Cultivator¡¯s Might would grant him close to a 50% bonus with every Fire Fist or Windfire Strike he unleashed.


    It was an unquestionably powerful boon, showcasing just how potent a Legendary tier perk could be, such that any lesser perk was utterly beneath consideration.


    Yet there was still one other skill evolution to consider.


    Cultivator¡¯s Resilience, which would allow him to invest some of his Qi Pool into enhancing his baseline resistances, in effect infusing his flesh with Spiritual Energy enhanced with the essence of Dominion, which would, in turn, make it far harder for external forces to assault or damage his form.


    Practically speaking, for the cost of just 57 of his over 3000 Qi pool, he could double his Physical Resistance of 56. And considering that he wouldn¡¯t get much more than a small bruise from a point blank shot from an orcish musket, the equivalent of a ten gauge shotgun steel slug when his Physical Resistance had been just two thirds of what it presently was¡­ and he was pretty certain that a 112 physique would come damned close to letting him survive cannon fire. Or at least the smaller artillery shells. Not that he had any plans of ever testing that, or that with Danger Sense, Battle-time and close to 400 Quickness, he¡¯d ever let any asshole with a long gun line him up for a shot¡­ but the point remained. Cultivator¡¯s Resilience was an incredible enhancement utterly worthy of a Legendary Title. He could double each his resistances against physical, elemental, mental, even cultivation attacks, all for a mere 6% of his current Qi Pool.


    Yet as eager as he was to immediately snatch it up, he was compelled to look over Cultivator¡¯s Might one more time, whereupon it finally clicked, now clearly understanding what made that gift equally worthy of consideration, even if the raw damage output was limited to Qi-focused attacks, whereas Cultivator¡¯s Resilience would help protect him against everything.


    It was right there in the description.


    Cultivator¡¯s Might, unlike any other option, would actually enhance his peripheral meridians as he continued to improve himself and ascend, as both warrior and cultivator, enhancing not just his damage output, but his very ability to channel Spiritual Energy through his entire frame.


    It truly was the skill evolution that would enhance his abilities as a cultivator overall.


    Eric felt blissful smile lighten his features as his most recent battle flashed through his mind. He was startled to sense his peripheral meridian channels minutely shifting and strengthening even as he meditated on his own breakthrough, growing ever more efficient in their transfer of both biochemical and spiritual energy, such that any rematch with Minose would end with him absolutely wiping the floor with his most recently bested foe.


    Just what his mentor would have wanted, Eric thought with a grin. Not for him to fall into the trap of accepting a single pristine peripheral meridian configuration that she had granted him at the end of their first meeting. No. She would want him to always continue striving for improvement, forever pushing himself to grow. To constantly evolve, or perish in the attempt. The ultimate manifestation of both his path, and his mentor.


    And as he wasn¡¯t a complete fool, he quietly promised himself that he most definitely would be grabbing that sweet, sweet resilience perk when he ranked up to Elite-tier Unarmed Combat, assuming it was still available. Because being smart and savvy enough to enhance his natural defenses as much as possible was ALSO a tried and true evolutionary path, and one he planned on taking full advantage of, as soon as he could. Which meant that he might be focusing on unarmed combat for far longer than he realized, when first finding himself stripped of most of his prizes while trapped in this dungeon.


    Congratulations! Rank 20 Unarmed Combat now synergizes perfectly with your Cultivation Path!


    All Peripheral Meridian Channels will continuously evolve ever closer to perfection with every advancement you make as both warrior and cultivator. All Elemental Qi attacks channeled through your meridians (Including Fire Fist, Windfire Strike, & all variants) will now be 1% more potent than they would otherwise be for every rank you earn in unarmed combat, and for every level you earn as a Disciple along Peril¡¯s Path!


    You have achieved Rank 29 as Death¡¯s Disciple, enhancing your damage bonus for Qi attacks to 49%!)


    Strength / Vitality / Quickness / Spiritual Energy have increased by 3 points (multiplicative of all pertinent modifiers!)


    You have achieved level 58 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You have achieved level 59 as a Primal Adventurer!


    Finesse, Quickness, and Perception each increase by 6 points (multiplicative of all pertinent modifiers!) as you come to appreciate just how crucial quick reaction time is to surviving duels against opponents far stronger than you!


    And that wasn¡¯t all he had earned, Eric pleased to find that his earlier hunch was proven absolutely right.


    Silver Griffins party has successfully cleared: Orange-tier Maze Rift!


    Each surviving party member has earned 12 points automatically distributed to the combat stats that assured their survival!


    And that was when Eric felt it, the incredible surge of potency roaring through his shuddering frame as every level-up, skill advancement, and most especially his Bronze-tier title boon hit him all once.


    He howled with an ecstasy that would have been agony had it not filled him with such awful rapture. His cries resonated with the shudders of the Orange-tier delve he had just conquered, and somehow he could sense it all turning to glorious golden light, evaporating into the ether even as he ascended in ways utterly beyond the pale.


    His final thoughts besides the shockingly sweet joy of shattering 300 in multiple stats was for the safe return of his companions to Terra¡¯s gentle bosom as Eric felt himself become one with the howling storm of power all around him.


    Congratulations, Eric Silver! You have successfully cleared: Orange-tier Maze Rift! Your rift has been DRAINED to White-tier status. As Terra herself has catalyzed your growth, no penalty will be enacted!

 Chapter 319 - An Ascension Like No Other

    Congratulations, Contender! Your Finesse has exceeded 200 points!


    You are the ninth Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    (Boon has already been claimed.)


    Your remarkable feat means that you are now visible on the Top 10 Player Charts!


    Congratulations, Contender! Your Perception has exceeded 200 points!


    You are the seventh Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    (Boon has already been claimed.)


    Your remarkable feat means that you are now visible on the Top 10 Player Charts!


    Eric smiled as he found himself floating in the void of his psyche, just seconds from coming to, happily taking an endless moment to view the latest system messages before he pulled himself fully awake once more. In truth, he wasn¡¯t disappointed by missed opportunities. He knew he had absolutely no right to that, after the incredible boons he had already gained.


    Besides, he had been all but certain that he was way too late to claim either of those two title boons. Though a 20% stat bonus with all future points gained would have been incredibly sweet, he had sensed with the handful of assassins that had taken out BunBun that the tried and true method of sniping powerful opponents at range and leveling up as a glass cannon sniper was just as effective here as in countless games he had once enjoyed playing, and if there were two stats that definitely had specialists, it would be those two. His hope at this point was that the sheer vulnerability of being so super specialized would compel most if not all specialists to work on strengthening their foundations by a certain point, as they had to take ever greater risks to advance in increasingly unsafe territory, which hopefully meant that the 300 point slots were still open.


    And it was with that thought in mind that his psyche awakened itself just a bit more to savor the next two System notifications that filled him with incredible joy and a fierce sense of accomplishment before looking at a condensed version of his character sheet, now all but certain that he understood the real reason why he was met with such fierce hatred from the humanoid invaders that had been all but howling for his death.


    Congratulations, Contender! Your Strength now exceeds 300 points!


    You are the FIRST Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Spiritual Energy will receive a permanent 30% bonus from Mother Earth herself!


    You have taken the Number 1 Spot for Strength in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    Congratulations, Contender! Your Vitality now exceeds 300 points!


    You are the FIRST Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Vitality will receive a permanent 30% bonus from Mother Earth herself!


    You have taken the Number 1 Spot for Vitality in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    _____________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 59 Primal Adventurer


    Rank 29 Cultivator (Death¡¯s Disciple)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 303


    Vitality ¨C 313


    Finesse ¨C 236


    Quickness ¨C 412


    Appearance ¨C 26


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 25


    Perception ¨C 223


    Willpower ¨C 84


    Charisma ¨C 14


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 184


    (Mana Pool = 2217)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 272


    (Qi Pool = 3272)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 19


    (Psion Pool = 237)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 101.2


    Stamina ¨C 3133 Points


    Health ¨C 4366 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 59


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 31 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 33


    Qi Resistance ¨C 51


    Mental Resistance ¨C 33


    30% Bonus to all Strength points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Vitality points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Quickness points above 300.


    20% Bonus to all Spiritual Energy points above 200.


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned! (Additive with all other modifiers)


    ___________________________________


    Eric frowned in thought. It seemed that the numbers were being rounded down on his condensed character sheet, but still counted in full underneath the hood, so to speak, if his potency pools were any indication. And he thought it interesting that 400 Quickness had gotten no notification from the System in terms of a new boon earned or missed out on. But maybe the next ranking of significance wasn¡¯t based on even hundreds but something closer to the Fibonacci sequence?


    It was one of the most common patterns to be found in nature, Earth¡¯s nature, at least, which made it¡¯s own sort of sense and meant that the next ranking of significance would be 500, then 800, then 1,300. In other words, stat ranking opportunities would soon be drying up, so best he keep busting ass for the best bonuses he could possibly get.


    He chuckled softly, gazing fondly down at his friends, presently resting comfortably over the frozen ground in the bone and leather hammocks he had made them, thanks to all their kills and his Flesh Sculptor skill. Everyone looked fine, and for all that this was an Orange-tier territory, the wildlife was considered imposing yet docile, and not even a snow fox had yet to dare this frigid piece of land by the rift entrance.


    His thoughts were racing as he scanned the still frozen wonderland stretching as far as his eyes could see. He couldn¡¯t help but mentally relive the brutal struggle for survival they had all endured, and the incredible boon that he, at least, had gained.


    A boon that made it abundantly clear why invading clans did all they could to take the lead in every way imaginable, desperate to lockdown whatever titles they could get, and above all else, keep the humans in their place.


    Because if natives that could advance 10 times faster than invading clans were to actually stumble upon Bronze-tier boons¡­ they would be rewarded not just for future gains, but for every stat point they had earned while living on Earth, from the moment of their birth.


    Eric took a deep breath, wiping an unexpected tear from his eye, even as he resisted the urge to laugh for the sheer pleasure and power he felt in his frame, now stronger, faster, and more graceful than it had ever been before. All for the freakishly unlikely encounter that led to him actually besting a Bronze-tier opponent, and profiting from the exchange far more than any invader could have possibly hoped to.


    And for all that a combined 40% bonus to future Strength, Quickness, and Vitality points filled him with the urge to level up like a madman, what really awed him was the initial 10% boost to all his stats he had earned. That fusion had been the sweetest rush imaginable. Most striking of all, it had been a cumulative 10, not additive, taking full advantage of all the bonuses he had ever earned before. Which mean that if he could find the secrets to earning additional Bronze-tier titles, especially before ascending to Bronze himself, he¡¯d be ascending in power beyond his wildest dreams¡­ and beyond the means of any White-tier opponent, at least, to touch him.


    He chuckled ruefully at that delicious and perilous train of thought, before it spiraled into a realization so awful that he found himself clamping shut his jaw shut and glaring at the cold, howling wind that prickled his skin but didn¡¯t really chill him at all. Because if he was being honest with himself, he had to accept the very real possibility that his mother hadn¡¯t been callously sentencing him to death at all¡­ but rather pointing the way to a path that would see him ascend beyond his wildest dreams.


    As much as he was infuriated by the monstrous torments he had suffered¡­ to have come so far in such a short period of time, to have learned how to touch upon Transcendent Fire while claiming a Bronze title and not one but three stats in excess of 300¡­ one of them now cresting 400¡­ it defied the very laws of probability to think that his boons had all been the result of random chance alone.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    But still, even if he knew he should be grateful, the thought of his mother smirking and him and insisting he kneel and give thanks for being made to suffer unspeakable agony and the terror of death for hours on end¡­ He clenched his fists in frustration, promising himself that he would never give her the satisfaction.


    ¡°Like throwing a dozen helpless fools into the sea. If eleven drown, is the twelfth still supposed to thank you for learning how to swim?¡±


    ¡°Ah, but you didn¡¯t drown, my beloved lastborn son. You ascended to glorious heights, just as I knew you would! Now rise further, Eric. Rise to heights so grand that none will ever be able to cast you down!¡±


    Eric gasped and jerked upright, realizing he had momentarily dozed off and absolutely refusing to give the dream of his mother¡¯s taunting voice any more weight then that.


    He then twisted around when he heard sleepy grunts and soft curses, focusing on things far more important than his own brooding thoughts.


    ¡°Eric? What the hell happened?¡±


    Eric smiled down at a groaning Jack, the first of the presently comatose delvers to wake up, all of them carefully wrapped in rat fur and minotaur hide, for the breeze was brisk and the air far colder than it would normally be this time of year, and all one had to do was look around to understand why.


    Which Jack immediately did, now flashing the first heart-felt smile free of strain that Eric had seen on the cheerful redhead¡¯s features, before his eyes widened with awed dismay.


    ¡°We made it! We actually escaped that nightmare!¡± He peered intently at Eric, as if desperate for reassurance. ¡°Did we really do it, Eric? Are we actually¡­ out?¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t poke fun at the question. He understood the sentiment completely, the fear that this might be just another level of the dungeon mirroring the outer world. So he just smiled and nodded. ¡°We are.¡±


    ¡°Then why is the forest a frozen icicle as far as I can see? And fuck, the ground is cold!¡± Jack scowled down at the ground, slipping off of his raised bone bed to put a foot on grass stalks that would have sliced a mortal¡¯s limbs to ribbons, before shattering like glass.


    Eric sighed. ¡°That is the million dollar question, isn¡¯t it? But the good news is that whatever caused this cold snap appears to be gone.¡±


    Jack¡¯s expression grew strained, questions flooding out of him as he shook himself free of exhaustion¡¯s stupor. Eric focused only on the ones that were most pertinent, and those he could immediately answer. ¡°Your friends are okay.¡± He gave Jack a gentle smile. ¡°Everyone I could save, at least.¡±


    Jack¡¯s smile turned to an anxious curse. He quickly snapped around, counting heads. ¡°Ron, Richard, Yuki¡­ too damned cute, sleeping with drool leaking down her cheek. Emily and Steve.¡± He gave a relieved chuckle. ¡°Shit, that¡¯s a weight off my chest. You scared the shit out of me!¡±


    Jack took a deep breath, and held out his hand. ¡°I know Ron will argue it, because he¡¯s an ornery bastard who likes things staying just the way they are. But let me be the first to say thank you, Eric. If it weren¡¯t for you...¡± He swallowed, eyes going wide in reflexive panic, before violently shaking his head, as if to shake dreadful memories free. ¡°Well, let¡¯s be honest. We¡¯d all be dead.¡±


    Jack took a deep shuddering breath, before slowly letting it out. ¡°There. I said it. We owe you our lives. Far more than we can ever repay.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m just glad I got a chance to play hero, where everything doesn¡¯t end in backstabby bullshit. Now let¡¯s hope that¡¯s not the only reason you have to shake my hand.¡±


    To Jack¡¯s curious look, he said only, ¡°Take a fresh look at your character sheet. I think you¡¯ll be pleased by the changes.¡±


    Jack frowned, before his eyes lit up with wonder. ¡°Are you fucking serious? For clearing an Orange-tier Delve I¡¯m now eligible for¡­ shit¡­ Half a dozen Adept-tier classes, including Elite Adventurer!¡±


    ¡°Careful before you take that one,¡± Eric cautioned. ¡°It only gives six points per level, not nine like most Adept classes. On the other hand, if you¡¯re looking to fuse cultivation with a Classer¡¯s skills without any conflict, it might be a great choice. But what I¡¯d mostly advise is, after we do our dungeon clearing blitz, you take the time to reflect and go over all the possibilities, and maybe see if our Blue Corp affiliated Cultivation Academy isn¡¯t a perfect fit for you. Then, after a few weeks or months or years of training, you might find yourself able to lock in an incredibly sweet hybrid class.¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°Or at the very least, benefit from two sources of stat boosting level up & ascension points.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you do it!¡± Jack exclaimed.


    Eric gave him a curious look. ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°Got so damned powerful! Do you have any idea how much juice you¡¯re radiating right now? I swear that when I first woke up, I thought the minotaur had won! You have the same pressure¡­ or close to it. Anyway, it makes sense, seeing as you¡¯re both a Cultivator and a Classer.¡±


    Eric chuckled, pretending alarm bells weren¡¯t ringing in his head with that last compliment. He began frantically looking inside himself for any way to tune down whatever pressure he was giving off¡­ or whatever it was that had Jack giving him such strange looks, while still doing his best to answer his new friend¡¯s questions.


    ¡°Among other things, yes. I am both Cultivator and Classer.¡±


    ¡°What other things?¡±


    ¡°Not important. What matters is how much you value your twelve point boon.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyes grew solemn. Much to Eric¡¯s surprise, he actually kowtowed before Eric.


    ¡°This unworthy disciple thanks revered master for over two freekin¡¯ levels worth of power over and above what my class would suggest... and yes, sure as fuck, my skills are progressing so much faster now that I locked myself at Level 49!¡± His eyes grew brilliant with near reverence. ¡°Eric, do you understand what you did for us? You earned us each the equivalent of one of those revered titles! And twelve points is a fuck ton better than what most offer, and even I know that all those humanoid Contenders will tear out your throat in a heartbeat, if they think you¡¯re trying to come between them and their fucking titles!¡±


    Eric chuckled softly. ¡°I know, right? Probably explains why they hate me so much.¡± His smile instantly faded as he peered off into the distance.


    Jack immediately picked up on his troubled scowl. ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Time to wake up sleeping beauties here, and plan our next move.¡±


    ¡°Why the sudden rush?¡±


    Eric flashed a humorless smile. ¡°My interface is suddenly picking up a handful of reds coming this way. And ten to one odds says they aren¡¯t the local slow-moving dinosaur-sized plant-eaters either.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit. We do not want that fucking Sylvis asshole to see us vulnerable like this. Especially since we just earned a first clear and if even half of what you told us is true...¡±


    ¡°It all is.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that just makes it even worse.¡± Jack immediately spun on his heel and turned to the others. ¡°Emily! Yuki! Rise and shine, sweethearts. Steve, get your game face on! Richard, Paladin-wannabe time!¡±


    He began gently shaking people awake, everyone but Ron, Eric noted, and in very short order confused groans became excited squeals and congratulatory pats on the back as everyone without exception, even Ron, was ecstatic to see themselves twelve additional character points in the black, around two levels stronger than they had any right to be. Especially as all of them had agreed to halt their progression at Level 49.


    Their judgment call had showed a surprising amount of trust in Eric¡¯s suggestion, but Richard¡¯s words made perfect sense.


    ¡°We literally owe you our lives, Eric. If you had wanted to do us dirty, you could have cut our throats at any time. Hell, you pulled us right out of that dungeon and actually watched over us while we slept the sleep of the dead, in a fucking Orange tier territory, which is stupid as sin, no matter how docile and slow most of the wildlife might be.¡± He flashed a brilliant smile. ¡°These twelve points will help change our lives, their boon only growing as it gets increasingly hard to level up naturally. And if you were serious about that offer¡­ if you can actually lead us to several more delves¡­¡± He shook his head with more than a little bit of awe. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve certainly made an outstanding case for why your words have merit. If you think we should hold off on hitting level 50 until we at least have a chance at seeing what options are available to us in a Tier 2 Pod, we¡¯d be fools not to take you up on it.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Yuki cheerfully chimed in. ¡°Especially seeing as I got a fucking Epic-tier class option waiting for me!¡±


    ¡°Sweet,¡± Eric said, doing his best to hide the tension he felt, knowing they had needed at least a couple precious moments to unwind, savor their escape, and celebrate a happy ending to their perilous adventure.


    Because they were about to dive into the deep of it once more.


    ¡°Only problem is that we got reds coming in hot and fast. I¡¯d put them at less than five minutes out. So unless you want to stick around and explain the potency you now all radiate just a bit clearer than you did before, not to mention the fact that you quite literally cleared an Orange-tier Delve¡­ I suggest we get a move on, and fast.¡±


    Emily paled. ¡°Oh shit. I¡¯ll bet it¡¯s Sylvis!¡± She anxiously turned to Richard. ¡°You know we don¡¯t dare stick around, love. He¡¯ll be all congratulatory smiles with his goblin body guards pointing their blasters just a bit too high for comfort, and he¡¯ll be encouraging all of us to celebrate with him and I have no fucking doubt that by the end of those celebrations we¡¯ll either be VIP players of the gnoll faction with contracts signed in our blood, or we¡¯ll be dead. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any middle ground at this point.¡±


    Richard nodded. ¡°I think you¡¯re right.¡±


    She blinked, surprised. ¡°Really? But I thought you¡­ no, that¡¯s great. Great! Okay, what do we do now?¡±


    Her smile held a twinge of anxiety as she looked Eric¡¯s way. As did the rest of them.


    ¡°You want my opinion? Sure. We head that way.¡±


    Yuki frowned in the direction he was pointing. ¡°You want us to head South? Deeper into Orange territory?¡±


    Eric beamed. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want. There¡¯s another Delve exactly twenty miles away from this one, one of two wild Delves in the adjoining territory. We clear them and we¡¯ll have two Orange-tier territories that any Contender will then be able to claim, assuming they can get rid of the 70<sup>th</sup> level wildlife.¡± He flashed a fierce smile. ¡°And somehow, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s happening any time soon.¡±


    ¡°Unless that someone is you,¡± Emily whispered, eyes widening with what could only be called awe. ¡°You¡¯re actually going to go for it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Only thing I¡¯m worried about now is locking in another twenty four points for all of us, with these next two delves. But first, we need to get some transportation.¡±


    Richard frowned. ¡°How are you...¡±


    But Eric had already turned to face the one member of their crew who had seemed to find fault with absolutely everything he did. Until now, at least, Ron still in an odd daze with whatever he was looking at in his interface.


    ¡°Ron, question for you.¡±


    The man blinked, shaking his head. ¡°You actually did it. You badass motherfucker¡­ you actually came through!¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been known to do that from time to time. Quick question for you! Do you still feel any bonds of loyalty to the gnoll faction or any of their asshole friends?¡±


    Ron¡¯s jaw clenched. He gazed at Emily like a father would his beloved daughter, before angrily shaking his head. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, you and they are equally responsible for nearly killing us all. But at least you made amends. Hell, you didn¡¯t just pull us out of the fire, you earned us two bonus levels while doing so.¡± surprisingly, he actually held out his hand. Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to clasp it.


    ¡°You¡¯re good in my book, Eric Silver,¡± the man said, flashing a bitter smile. ¡°And I never thought I¡¯d be saying that aloud. But those treacherous gnoll bastards on the other hand...¡± He chuckled coldly. ¡°I swore an oath to protect my employer¡¯s daughter. I swore nothing to those little shits, and I don¡¯t intend to. As I see it, you delving with us is directly aided in my own mission. So no, Eric. As far as I¡¯m concerned, we owe those little shits absolutely no consideration at all.¡±


    Eric nodded. Because even if he still did feel a faint prickle of something with Ron¡­ it was equally obvious that the man despised him a hell of a lot less than he had an hour ago. He¡¯d just have to win the man over one step at at time.


    ¡°Glad to hear that. Now you all head that way at as fast a clip as you can¡­ and I¡¯ll see about finding us some transportation.¡± After firmly pointing for them to continue their cautious path through the thick foliage a short distance from the cleared fields, keeping a close lookout for trouble, Eric jogged back to the rift entrance, eager to pay his regards to whatever was coming his way.


    He spared only a moment to gaze at the stone box he had received as compensation for sparing Minose¡¯s life¡­ both fearing triggering whatever double edged curse or blessing would bond it to him for all time¡­ yet almost certain it had to be something pretty damned useful, if the prize had been ultimately intended for the young scion that their opponents actually thought they could slip onto Earth even as a Level 10 Bronze-tier monster.


    Which forced Eric to wonder just how powerful that particular Minotaur faction was? Or was the treasure he had earned the farthest thing from a cultivator severing the karmic debt of Eric sparing his prized warrior, perhaps even his son? What if it was a trap instead? How well did he really know any of the rules of cultivation in this reality? The answer, sadly, was not very well at all. All he knew for sure was that the next living soul who opened that box would be bound to the artifact, whatever it was, within.


    Which meant that Grim, who wasn¡¯t alive at all but was actually a lich who just happened to look like an extremely distinguished 18<sup>th</sup> century gentleman of mixed origins, might have an answer for him.


    Yet the true boons of that delve had been far more precious than any material prize that he could think of.


    ¡°An actual Bronze-tier title. +10% cumulative bonus to all my stats, and a 10% additive bonus to all future earned stat points from all sources. That¡¯s so sweet it¡¯s fucking absurd. Now I just need to figure out how to get more of them, assuming that it isn¡¯t a capital crime for anyone to whisper a single word about it my way.¡±


    Eric shook his head, still marveling at the magnificent peaks and terrifying valleys that he had been forced to endure, all in less than a day¡¯s time.


    But now it was all about embracing the unorthodox once more, climbing one of the frozen trees surrounding the clearing before the rift, and quickly spotting the velimobile in the distance.


    Eric slowed his breathing, brows furrowing as he drew back his bone bow, sighting his targets with such singleminded focus that he completely ignored the bone deep chill of the frozen branch he effortlessly balanced upon. For all that he regretted receiving no First Achiever bonus for breaking the 200 Perception mark, his vision was still sharp enough to see the disdainful sneer on the lead gnoll¡¯s jackal-like features as he controlled the veli, earning cold looks from the goblins who clearly felt no need to hide when they were safely in their vehicle, speaking harsh rebuttals with twisted lips that Eric¡¯s Interface could now pick up on perfectly.

 Chapter 320 - Necromancy is now forbidden by unanimous vote!

    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you that there¡¯s no way in hell any pathetic natives actually cleared an Orange tier delve!¡± The gnoll hissed, glaring back at his passengers, clearly unfazed by the arcane blaster rifles they held so casually. ¡°My Interface has made no mention of any active attempts at conquest in this sector, and why the hell would anyone start with Orange? Anyone that powerful would have claimed the White-tier territories adjoining New York City long before risking themselves on this stupidity. Seers make mistakes. Fuck knows your clan called Freetown dead wrong! Now we gotta deal with three hundred and sixty thousand elves? Fucking madness!¡±


    ¡°Are you truly so blind, Iglin?¡± Sneered one of the assassins, glaring coldly at the gnoll¡¯s back. ¡°Sylvis has gone silent, and you were the one complaining to us about Terran Guilds that didn¡¯t know their place. Clearly the fool thought he could challenge high level forties when he himself hasn¡¯t even reached thirty! No doubt the Guild broke covenant, attacking one of New York¡¯s sacred Contenders. In fact, we would be fools not to assume just that. Would we not, my brothers?¡±


    The goblin next to him chuckled coldly. ¡°Absolutely! For it is absolutely inconceivable that Sylvis would have allowed those fools to continue their unforgivable pilfering our resources unopposed, and his disappearance and the continued existence of the Silver Griffins means that they themselves have done the unforgivable! Which of course means that we are now permitted to kill on sight, no need for either confirmation or interrogation. And as a reward for our righteous efforts, whatever spoils they might have claimed in their illegal plundering of our treasured resources is now ours to claim!¡±


    All three goblins cackled, Iglin yipping right along with them. ¡°Well of course we were intending on getting rid of those fools. Sylvis just needed a decent pretext. But their damned brown-nosing chevalier kept toeing a line he should have been blind to! So infuriating!¡±


    His smirk turned to a glare. ¡°But we could have waited to take them out when they came back to New York. A little poison or a few shots in the dark after fucking whatever whores we put in their beds and they would have been out of our hair with no risk whatsoever. Most importantly, I wouldn¡¯t have to be dragged out into this damnable cold!¡±


    The lead goblin shook his head, even as the velimobile came to a park just outside the rift. ¡°No good. The oaths made to their parents, who have so far been prudent enough to do exactly as they¡¯re told, would have instantly snapped, and they would understand precisely what happened.¡±


    The goblin beside him nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why Sylvis¡¯s disappearance couldn¡¯t have happened at a better time! Missing till first light is as good as a death sentence in this world! Since we know exactly who to blame, justice can now be dispensed without triggering any oath-violations or alerting a soul!¡±


    The smallest of the three goblins tittered like a chihuahua. ¡°And not even a fiftieth level genius can survive triple perk-boosted sniper shots from arcane blaster rifles in the handful of seconds that Delvers are so vulnerable while leaving their dungeons! We¡¯ll shoot them dead, one at a time, the second they pop out of their rift!¡±


    Iglin¡¯s glare turned to a happy grin. ¡°You little shits are so damn good at slipping out of contractual obligations. I absolutely love it!¡±


    Iglin¡¯s feral grin turned to a look of stunned disbelief when the closest laughing goblin¡¯s head was abruptly perforated, splashing the car with brains and blood. The former assassin¡¯s eyes began rolling wildly, as if to catch a glimpse of the spurting wound in the center of his forehead, before his entire body jerked and spasmed with death¡¯s embrace.


    The smallest goblin opened his mouth to cry out warning, but could only cough up blood, gazing down with confusion at the massive hole spraying blood from his chest.


    The lead goblin¡¯s confident smirk of moments before had been replaced by a terrified grimace and a wild look in his eyes, already lurching free of the vehicle while Iglin just stared at the vacant gaze of the corpse next to him as the smallest of them drowned in his own blood.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack! Get out of the veli, you damned idiot, and get Vooch over here! We can still patch him up!¡±


    The leather-clad killer was now peering frantically into the trees before he gave a triumphant holler.


    ¡°Got you, motherfu¡ªoh shit! It¡¯s Eric Orcbane!¡±


    Iglin jolted out of his seat. ¡°Eric Orcbane? That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    The goblin¡¯s eyes filled with terror, looking smiling death right in the face. ¡°Run! Run for your¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fragor!¡±


    The Bloodtear killer had time only to open his mouth before his head exploded, Iglin himself shrieking and furiously rubbing his eyes as blood trickled from every orifice.


    ¡°Quarter, quarter!¡± Iglin screamed even as an odd offbeat hum filled the air.


    ¡°Well, shit. After seeing what that shout can do to a Bronze-tier¡¯s testicles, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised that your friend¡¯s head exploded like I had stuffed his mouth full of C-4.¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly, sauntering over to a whimpering Iglin. ¡°It looks like even you¡¯re incapacitated. Can you even see out of your right eye? I think I popped it. Outstanding. Definitely a deadly attack against level 30 losers.¡±


    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t be here! We had you contained!¡± Iglin squealed in furious dismay.


    ¡°Our alliance swore it! You were dealt with!¡± His panicked yelping turned to calculating fury when a smirking Eric closed the distance, the gnoll champion going from panicked to smirking as he unsheathed his gladius and rammed it into Eric¡¯s throat.


    Or tried to, before crumpling into genuine terror when Eric caught the blade with his naked hand, slowly ripping it free of Silvis¡¯s panicked grip and snapping the blade between his two hands.


    ¡°Mortal steel against someone with 59 Physical Resistance?¡± Eric tutted and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll need to do better than that, Iglin.¡±


    The gnoll¡¯s eyes lit up in panicked desperation. ¡°No, please¡­ please don¡¯t kill me!¡± His lips quivered in a desperate smile. ¡°I can be useful to you! Yes, in so many ways, I can aid you! You want Gold? Slaves, women? I can get you anything. Everything! I am a champion of New York! All doors are open to me!¡± He nodded desperately, as if trying to convince both Eric and himself.


    Eric feigned a thoughtful nod. The relief in Iglin¡¯s dog-like features was palpable. ¡°Actually, there is something you can do for me, Iglin. Several somethings, in fact.¡± Eric¡¯s hand casually patted the trembling gnoll¡¯s shoulders before he shifted his grip around the monster¡¯s throat, glaring into the trembling champion¡¯s eyes as he began to squeeze.


    ¡°And somehow I just know that you¡¯re going to bend over backwards to answer all my questions. Aren¡¯t you, Iglin?¡±


    The desperately choking gnoll nodded, head whipping back and forth as he gurgled, collapsing to his knees when Eric dropped him with a smirk before hoisting him up once more, the gnolls legs kicking wildly in the air as he continued to cough and wheeze.


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°Damn right, you are. Now how about you give me the lowdown on New York, the factions, movers and shakers, and yes, most definitely where exactly all the goblin seers and stalkers are hiding. If you tell me everything I want to know in exhaustive yet concise detail, I¡¯ll give you the greatest gift you can ask for!¡±


    Iglin¡¯s eyes lit up with desperate hope. ¡°Gold?¡± he wheezed.


    Eric shook his head, finally easing his grip. ¡°Time.¡±


    The gnoll gasped for air before moaning. ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! A full five minutes to escape before I come after you. And doesn¡¯t that beat me just tearing your throat out, right here and now?¡± Eric emphasized the last with a squeeze to the gnoll¡¯s jugular. A squeeze perhaps harder than he had intended, still getting used to his new Strength.


    The gnoll champion¡¯s eyes bulging until Eric finally loosened his grip, almost certain he had cracked more than a few bits of crucial cartilage.


    ¡°Please! I beg of you! Mercy!¡± Iglin wheezed, gasping for air, his garbled words still perfectly clear to Eric¡¯s enhanced linguistic comprehension as the doomed gnoll stared helplessly at Eric with terror so visceral it was sublime, the air smelling of sour musk, piss, blood, and perforated bowels.


    Eric couldn¡¯t help it, he roared with laughter. ¡°Mercy? After what you ungodly fucks put me through? Damn right I¡¯ll be merciful!¡± His lips curled into a hate-filled snarl, eyes glowing with deadly heat. ¡°I¡¯ll put you out of your misery so fucking fast you won¡¯t even know what hit you! And then I¡¯ll raise you from the dead, and go to fucking town on your screaming corpse!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°I sure as fuck can.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand! Necromancy is now forbidden by unanimous vote within the counsel!¡±


    Eric inhaled to laugh and spit in the trembling gnoll¡¯s face, before the significance of what his enemy had said finally sunk in.


    ¡°You said unanimous. As in, all the administrators from New York and Freetown.¡±


    ¡°NO, I mean EVERYONE!¡± The gnoll insisted, terror turning to a bitter little smile, savoring Eric¡¯s dismay even as he skirted death¡¯s final mercy. ¡°That includes all the neutral factions. That includes even the Sylvan Alliance!¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Eric snarled the words, then knew himself to be a fool. Letting himself show weakness before his foes.


    But Iglin was smart enough to goad him no further, merely bowing his head, unable to catch his breath as his airway began to whistle.


    ¡°Did you hear me? I said it was fucking impossible!¡± Eric roared, earning a desperate nod from Iglin who knew better than to contradict him. ¡°If you expect me to believe that every neutral faction, including those who know just how treacherous and slimy goblin kind is, went out of their way just to fuck with my ability to...Fuck.¡± Eric¡¯s protestations died off.


    Because it made too much damned sense! With his army of undead revenants, he was unstoppable. So of course every enemy of man would want him stopped, and preferably six feet under.


    As for the supposedly neutral factions¡­ even if they didn¡¯t necessarily want him dead, sure as hell, they didn¡¯t want some wildcard mixed-blood determining the fate of the world when they no doubt thought that their own champions could do a much better job.


    As for his mother?


    Eric shook his head, feeling a whirlwind of emotions.


    He had been tortured beyond mortal endurance, and his mother had done nothing to stop it.


    Yet considering the incredible boons he had gained, perhaps he could eventually forgive it.


    But what he couldn¡¯t let go was this final betrayal.


    His mother dooming his ultimate tool for surface realm conquest, crippling his class and his ability to evolve and ascend.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Why? Why the hell would she do that to him?


    Eric¡¯s bitter laughter caused the gnoll to tremble violently.


    Because of course he already knew the answer. Why risk unexpected outcomes this late in the game when her dutiful son had already locked in close to 360,000 troops for her?


    360,000 troops at level 10 or less, bright-eyed recruits and trainees from Aurelia¡¯s top academies in her dozen worlds, all of them eager to blossom and excel, and an additional 240 professional specialists between the levels of 20 and 30 in a time and place where a few thousand per faction was normal, and 15,000 a shocking sight.


    And considering his mother¡¯s utter distaste for his revenants, however skilled she was at hiding it, he could actually see her getting on board with a plan that would absolutely screw anyone who dared a necromancer¡¯s path. Because why risk competition catching her unawares, when she was already leagues ahead of everyone else, thanks to Eric¡¯s stupidly noble sacrifices just hours before she completely sold him out?


    He shook his head, thoughts racing back and forth. ¡°But can I really hate her? My own mother? Because it¡¯s an even bet that she¡¯s the only reason why I have access to the most powerful attack imaginable. Not just an essence inspired attack, but a transcendent flame fused to a higher order of existence! A fucking platonic ideal. The ultimate trump card. A perk advancement that never would have come along if I hadn¡¯t been doing all that I could to master my own essence affinities while on the razor¡¯s edge of expiring. It might an attack I dare show no one until the final hour, but at least I have it!


    And let¡¯s not forget that Bronze-tier 10% bonus of sweet sweet crunchy goodness. And how I hate that my mother¡¯s mittens are all over it!¡±


    Eric gave a frustrated shake of his head, taming his stray thoughts before focusing on what mattered. ¡°I have questions, and you have answers. How long you manage to survive is directly dependent on how well you answer those questions. Are we clear?


    ¡°Crystal!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin. First, what do you know about the Federal Reserve?¡±


    The gnoll scoffed. ¡°What the hell are you talking about, fool?¡± he sneered, clearly preparing to deny everything. Then he thought better of it, studying Eric¡¯s ice-cold smile. The smile of a man EAGER for obfuscation and denial.


    Because that¡¯s when the fun would truly begin.


    It was a look Eric had nailed perfectly, for a role he had ultimately refused to play, sickened by the character, and terrified that he¡¯d slip so easily into that role, because method acting was the only acting he could do with any sort of skill at all, and then Eric would BE his role.


    Just as he was now. Smiling like a madman, eager for his target to say the wrong thing.


    Iglin blanched, immediately backing down, with a canine¡¯s natural instincts to get on the good side of a mad dog who thought nothing of tearing the throats of disobedient members of his pack.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll talk. I¡¯ll talk! Just, let¡¯s work something out, okay? Give me a fair cut, and I¡¯ll even help us put together a crew! Fuck this Contender bullshit. We do this right, and we can both leave this shitty world stinking rich!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but smile at the offer, sensing a certain perk at work...


    Before the sudden prickling of the hairs on the back of his neck was like a splash of cold water before his execution, Eric realizing that he had just played the idiot but had no time to think only MOVE! As the air flashed with the brilliance of plasma arcs tearing through the air.


    Missing a panicked Eric, whose 370+ Quickness was utterly beyond the pale, but striking the back of Iglin¡¯s skull that promptly exploded into super-heated gore.


    And it was only after he had already taken cover under the veli that Eric understood what the fuck had just happened.


    Two kill shots, arrow and voice, Eric thrilling in the opportunity to take out three deadly opponents with an artist¡¯s grace, when his True Strike pierced not only the front seat assassin but the one across from him.


    Only the smallest of assassins, the one by the name of Vooch, had clearly suffered a far less severe injury than Eric had thought, before his own Feign Dead ability had him slip completely free of Eric¡¯s mind.


    Well never again, Eric thought, heart hammering, as the air shrieked with the tiny killer¡¯s fury.


    ¡°No, you goddamned elven asswipe! You well never get the secrets to Bloodtear syndicate¡¯s gold! Never, never, never!¡± The goblin shrieked, shooting wildly in all directions. But Eric kept his cool, crouched under the hovering velimobile, infravision now pinging his prey right above him. And the moment that the goblin inevitably got smart and tumbled out of the car while spraying the undercarriage with deadly plasma, proving his earlier-seeming panic just a ruse, Eric was already a step ahead, snagging the barrel of the blaster rifle and yanking it off-line before tearing right out of the stumbling goblin¡¯s grip and flipping it into his ES Space.


    And before the tiny terror even could blink, Eric had yanked the little killer free of its tumble.


    Before ripping Vooch¡¯s arms clean off.


    The air rang with the surprised shrieks of a goblin doomed to die in wild-eyed agony in less than a minute.


    Before the deadly bloodflow trickled to nothing in just seconds.


    Bloodmastery skillcheck made! You have successfully sealed shut all injuries within your target.


    Let the interrogation commence!


    Eric turned the little monster in his arms around, forcing the trembling creature to meet his gaze, smiling coldly into the doomed goblin¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, you little shit. But I don¡¯t trust you not to pull something cute. This way, even if you can fake out your death a second time, it won¡¯t mean shit without your arms. Now, I think it¡¯s time you and I had a little chat, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The creature wasted precious seconds trying to look like an innocent waif. When Eric just stared coldly at it without an ounce of pity, its demeanor morphed and twisted, mouth somehow growing longer, teeth sharper, before nearly biting Eric¡¯s face off with its jagged shark-like maw.


    Eric was quietly impressed by just how well it writhed and squirmed like a fearsome snapper.


    ¡°We¡¯ll kill you in the end, Eric Silver! Just you wait! First, we¡¯ll gangbang your whore of a sister, then we¡¯ll assfuck you like one of our pleasure-dolls! Then we¡¯ll cut you both up into bloody little pieces and feed you to your mother! How do you like them apples, asswhipe? Because sure as shit, no matter what you do to me, you aren¡¯t getting our gold!¡±


    Eric sighed, gazing into a sneering goblin who was clearly feeling no pain at all. High as a kite, no doubt having taken all the pain-killers he had when dealing with his gut wound, now hoping to goad Eric into giving him a quick, merciful death, Vooch well aware that he was living on borrowed time.


    Social Perception Check made!


    Eric felt a ruthless smile coming to his lips.


    The little fucker wanted out.


    But what if he was instead forced to endure forever?


    Eric looked toward the rift, and back at the goblin. Seeing the first trace of fear in those features. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m not such a psycho that I¡¯ll do what¡¯s clearly required to break you right now, seeing as you¡¯re high as a fucking kite. But you know what just might? Rats.¡±


    He winked when the would-be assassin shivered. ¡°That¡¯s right! That dungeon right there is absolutely filled with rats! How long do you think you¡¯ll last, crippled, armless, swarmed by rodents? How much you wanna bet that the dungeon will imprint your soul when your desperate screams are finally cut off by rats burrowing into your throat, and you¡¯ll find yourself waking up an instant later, haunted by the fresh memories of being eaten alive, still armless and all alone. Knowing that you¡¯ll have just long enough to whimper in terror before the air rings with the cries of a fresh swarm of rats eager to chase you down once more.¡±


    Eric¡¯s cold laughter seemed to echo between the frozen trees as the tiny armless goblin whimpered with fear. ¡°Hell, I¡¯ll bet the System will even load you in as a dungeon feature! A bit of extra color for all the delvers soon to plunder this very much first-cleared dungeon.¡±


    Eric flashed a truly vicious smile. ¡°I¡¯ll even let you in on a little secret. Since I¡¯m the one who actually cleared the dungeon, that means I get to pick the design! And I think adding you as a permanent fixture, getting a chance to enjoy ENDLESS terror, racing desperately around corridors before you¡¯re eventually eaten alive will be an absolutely SUPERB addition to our dungeon.¡±


    The goblin in his arms grew absolutely still, before shuddering and lowering its gaze.


    ¡°You win,¡± it said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t fucking hear you!¡± Eric roared into its quivering ears. ¡°I guess that means it¡¯s time to fucking throw you in!¡± And Eric marched forward to do just that, feeling a certain dark thrill realizing that YES, he WAS intent on doing just that. He was embracing this role so firmly that he was now living it.


    ¡°Wait, wait! I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk! Just give me half an hour head start when we finish. That¡¯s all I ask! And I¡¯ll tell you everything. Everything!¡±


    Eric froze, just a half step from tossing the little fucker in, more surprised than he wanted to admit that he really had been about to make good on his threat, filled with the sudden terrible certainty that no matter the supposed constraints and alphabetized choices in forging his dungeon, no matter that he had supposedly finished, shot his load, set up the parameters¡­ Absolutely none of that mattered. If he threw the little fucker in, the little monster really WOULD be copied and integrated into the System Delve. And whether or not it was the goblin¡¯s own recycled soul or a cloned copy that might or might not even be sapient, sure as shit, a screaming armless ex assassin would be fleeing hungry rats for eternity within.


    And somehow, using whatever social rogue skills the killer had, Vooch sensed that truth as well.


    ¡°Please, just half an hour!¡±


    Eric froze, turning his head with birdlike slowness to gaze at the trembling, terrified goblin. ¡°In return for answering my questions, I will give you a half hour head start. Once the timer starts, I, personally, will do absolutely nothing to hinder or harm you, save in self defense, until those thirty minutes have passed.¡±


    ¡°Deal, deal!¡± The goblin screamed.


    Eric rubbed his hands. ¡°Awesome! Now come on, fill my ears with your juicy secrets! I¡¯ve got blasters to claim and places to be.¡± He then squeezed the top of the trembling goblin¡¯s head. ¡°And just a little tip here. A friendly FYI.¡± His almost jovial voice turned to a hiss. ¡°I¡¯ve got friends and contacts in New York. And Master Criminal perks that means I always Know the Score. So if your story doesn¡¯t check out, or if I sense you bullshitting me¡­¡± He chuckled merrily once more. ¡°Well, you already know what happens next, don¡¯t you? There¡¯s a good boy!¡±


    Congratulations! You have successfully claimed 3 Mark II Blaster Rifles and three additional power packs for a total of 543 charges! NOTE Mark II Blaster Rifles are forbidden within this newly ascended planet! - Master Criminal Perk negates all legal penalties and fines. Spoils of War condition negates all legal penalties and fines. (Note! These weapons may still be seized and confiscated by rightful authorities, with due compensation sent to an authorized bank or neutral third party.)


    You have successfully claimed 3 stilettos covered in BRONZE-tier toxins! - Warning! These artifacts must be turned over to proper authorities (or destroyed) regardless of perks, or risk suffering SIGNIFICANT repercussions!


    Eric smirked at the last notification, while flipping all the other toys into his ES Space, quietly relieved that he had gone full Leeroy Jenkins, because an armless goblin assassins was one that COULDN¡¯T stab you in the back with Bronze tier poison. As to whether it would have actually broken his skin with their power differential, and whether or not those Blaster Rifles could even inflict critical wounds on him at this point were questions he had no interest in answering, simply glad that the tools were out of his enemy¡¯s hands, with fresh bone sheaths made for each stiletto he quickly put in his ES Space.


    He winked at the look of absolute apoplectic hate Vooch gave him after noting how the little armless goblin always kept shifting his posture when Eric prepared to start up the veli.


    When Eric snorted and lifted the goblin up by his stringy strands of greasy hair, he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in bemused admiration.


    Because of course the fucker was trying to pivot his Bronze-tier poisoned holdout knife with his butt cheeks alone.


    Eric then turned to gaze down at the now quaking goblin in his hand, giving him a mocking thumbs up.


    ¡°Wow. A+ for effort, and another knife for me. By the way, you do know what¡¯s going to happen if you don¡¯t make me VERY happy in the next twenty minutes or so, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Please! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! It was just professional habit!¡±


    ¡°Sure it was. And how exactly you expected to stab me with your ass cheeks¡­ you know what? I don¡¯t even want to know. Let¡¯s focus on what matters! Tell me all about the New York Federal Gold Reserve that we all know wasn¡¯t nearly as defunct as dear Uncle Sam liked to pretend!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll ever break in!¡± Vooch snarled, glaring with wild-eyed hate Eric¡¯s way. ¡°The security measures will hamstring you! The killers we have on duty will make sure you never survive your fifth step without triple clearance! Our vaults are laced with Durantium and Mithril! The gold¡¯s ours! We rightfully seized it, and we¡¯re never giving it back! Never, never, never!¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened. ¡°I got a Master Criminal perk that says otherwise. Details, Vooch, I want details.¡± He paused in his attempts to get the veli started, turning to peer into beady little eyes filled with inconceivable hate.


    ¡°And if you actually steer me right, and can give me the shifts, rotations, and blueprints to the vault¡­ maybe I¡¯ll do more than just let you live.¡±


    Vooch stiffened, his curses freezing on his lips, clearly hanging on to his every word, as Eric¡¯s What The Other Party Wants perk made it damned clear that vinegar alone wasn¡¯t going to win him this round.


    Eric sighed, gazing out the windshield for long thoughtful moments when he finally got the Veli moving, surprised by just how smoothly it ran when he fed it just the tiniest stream of mana. Still, he kept it slow, hovering just a few feet above the ground at a jogger¡¯s pace as he got his thoughts in order, before turning to the utterly silent goblin.


    ¡°So, Vooch... how¡¯d you like a quarter share?¡±

 Chapter 321 - Okay, I’ll bite. How did you earn a master criminal perk?

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s alright?¡± Emily¡¯s worried voice earned a handful of nods and a worried grimace.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Jack said while helping Steve navigate the trail just under cover of the trees. ¡°This is Eric Orcbane we¡¯re talking about! Did you know that cat single-handedly overthrew Gilton? Proper fucking badass, that one.¡±


    Steve snorted. ¡°I seem to recall that you weren¡¯t always that enthusiastic about him.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure, but that was before I actually met him! He¡¯s a pretty decent guy. Not spoiled or stuck up at all. He¡¯s the farthest thing from a Hollywood socialite.¡±


    Richard quirked an eyebrow. ¡°You mean as opposed to being a battle-fiend far happier slaughtering his problems than, say, attending all the bullshit galas we have to put up with as new world socialites?¡±


    Jack laughed. ¡°Sure, he¡¯s a bit bloodthirsty. But honestly, who among us hasn¡¯t put down at least one asshole threatening us or our family?¡± He smirked at the hard smiles and awkward glances this earned. His smile grew. ¡°This month alone.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t put down any asshole this month,¡± Emily said with a certain amount of pride, earning a snort from Yuki. ¡°What, I didn¡¯t! Besides, that slime-ball the other day was a total pedo bastard, targeting those kids, so it doesn¡¯t even count.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s grin widened. ¡°I didn¡¯t say a thing, sweety. But we¡¯re definitely a case of ¡®innocence lost.¡¯ Nowadays, if we saw some guy robbing a family at gun point, taking cover and calling the cops is the last thing on our minds.¡±


    Emily rolled he eyes. ¡°Implausible scenario. Guns don¡¯t work, remember?¡±


    ¡°They do if they¡¯re using the magical gunpowder favored by orcs!¡± Eric called out with a smile, having heard them through the foliage separating the forest from the fields just beyond.


    He gave them all a friendly wave before gesturing to the veli. ¡°Behold, my friends! Our transportation to the next delve awaits! Not that we really need it, but sure as shit, any goblin or gnoll scent hounds trying to dial us in are going to have a hard as fuck time if we¡¯re floating through the air for the next twenty miles!¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes lit up with unmistakable joy. ¡°That¡¯s a Veli Bently! With plush beast-leather interiors and Durantium-chrome alloy exterior. Sweet! It seats, six, easy, so let¡¯s hop in!¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re seven,¡± Steven noted.


    Emily rolled her eyes. ¡°Obviously I¡¯ll be sitting in Richard¡¯s lap, with his arms wrapped around me like a snug throw-rug.¡±


    Ron frowned. ¡°So, we¡¯re going to ignore the blood and spattered brains all over the exterior?¡±


    Yuki grinned. ¡°Of course! Durantium-chrome alloy is combat graded, so it should all just wash right off. Though I do note we seem to have an extra¡­ passenger?¡± She frowned, giving Eric a look. ¡°And I note that he currently lacks anything like¡­ arms.¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°That he does! He also lacks a Mark II Arcane Blaster Rifle, holdout blaster, and not one but two poisoned daggers! But you know what? I think he might be useful anyway.¡± He turned to his glowering passenger. ¡°Say hi, stumpy! Wave to your new friends.¡±


    ¡°Go fuck yourself, Eric Silver! I still want a full goddamned share!¡±


    Richard flinched, turning to give Eric a look.


    Eric gave his best innocent shrug. ¡°What? We¡¯re still in the middle of negotiations.¡± He turned to the goblin. ¡°Half a share, you psychotic, murdering little shit! And if you don¡¯t want to spend eternity running down endless corridors before being devoured by rats, you¡¯ll fucking take it!¡±


    The goblin screamed curses and insults in return.


    Eric turned to wink at his friends. ¡°Delicate negotiations like these require a gentle touch.¡±


    Jack laughed, eyes twinkling merrily, for all that he shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re a madman, you know that, Eric?¡±


    Eric tilted his head in thought. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re probably right. I think that BRONZE TIER PAIN COLLAR! Definitely knocked a few screws loose. And I don¡¯t think I want to sleep again, like, ever. But FUCK IT!¡± He said, roaring the last in the goblin¡¯s twitching ear before turning to beam at his friends. ¡°These days being a bit crazy isn¡¯t a flaw, it¡¯s a fucking feature! Now come on, who¡¯s up for some more SWEET FIRST CLEAR BONUSES before we make the score of a lifetime?¡±


    Yuki turned to Richard, giving him a long look. ¡°Should we tell him?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°We might as well.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyebrow tilted curiously, his manic demeanor quickly fading as he stepped away from the vehicle as the others seated themselves. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Hardly seem like the madman now.¡±


    Eric flashed a smile that made Yuki flinch, though he couldn¡¯t say why. ¡°Sometimes slipping into a role is the only way to make it through the day, you know? Method acting 101. Anyway, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Richard inhaled, as if to speak, before sighing, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to put this, but I¡¯m not quite the upstanding knight Emily credits me as being.¡±


    Eric blinked at this. ¡°Okay¡­ I have no idea where you¡¯re going with this, but let me tell you that the girl straight up loves you and you¡¯d break her fucking heart if you don¡¯t feel the same. As for anything else?¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re all hardened killers making our way through the world along the path of slaughter. Who the fuck has time for righteous bullshit?¡±


    Yuki snorted, folding her arms. ¡°This you say, after putting on a pain collar for the sake of an old flame and a bunch of kids you don¡¯t even know. Who¡¯s fronting now?¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Yeah, well, to be fair, it was an awful lot of kids in need of saving, and I¡¯m not a complete psycho, only about 50%. And none of that has shit all to do with our little powwow¡­ so what¡¯s up?¡±


    Yuki pursed her lips, hooded dark eyes staring intently into his own. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious about a lot of things, and not really serious about anything except getting stronger. So¡­ what exactly is it that we¡¯re asking about?¡±


    She furrowed her pert brow, looking rather adorable as she glared up at him.


    ¡°You have pink lip gloss? When did you have time to put on pink lip gloss?¡±


    ¡°When you were busy slaughtering whoever was in the fucking veli. Obviously.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s fair.¡±


    She huffed, squeezing his hand. ¡°Are you serious about pulling off a major heist? Or are you just fucking with that goblin assassin for shits and giggles?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be both?¡±


    Richard furrowed his brow. ¡°Actually, we do have a potential target¡­ but it¡¯s not the federal reserve.¡±


    This instantly got Eric¡¯s attention. ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°Of course. But you must understand, Eric, that if this gets out...¡± Richard¡¯s earnest gaze became mild disapproval when Eric broke out in laughter.


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re urging discretion on me? Dude, I¡¯m enemy numero uno! At the tippy top of American Invader¡¯s most wanted! Those fuckers are even trying to lock down my profession. I¡¯ll effectively be declaring war on the entire fucking North East Counsel, including the neutrals, if I go back to doing what I¡¯m best at. So who the fuck would I tell?¡±


    Yuki smirked. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s a fucking good point. You¡¯re not exactly loved in the circles we walk.¡±


    Eric smirked, glancing over at a still glaring stumpy. ¡°You think?¡±


    Richard cleared his throat. ¡°Regardless, we were given a rather tantalizing proposition, but we only have a slim window of opportunity to take advantage of it.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Eric raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really. By all means, tell me all about it.¡± He passed them each a drink.


    Yuki chuckled. ¡°Sylvan mead. Shit, but I could get used to this.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Good thing I got another dozen casks before you gotta go debasing yourself and joining the Sylvan alliance. So, what¡¯s the scoop?¡±


    Yuki brushed his cheek. ¡°The scoop is that we have someone on the inside who will be directly involved in organizing the upcoming Contender Competition.¡±


    Eric slowly blinked. Staring at them both. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend that I know what the fuck you¡¯re talking about. So, what does that tidbit have to do with us? Unless you guys actually are...¡±


    Richard adamantly shook his head. ¡°Nope, we¡¯re the farthest thing from evolved monsters like that.¡±


    ¡°You mean like me?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have like some Contender sense or something?¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Not that anyone¡¯s told me about, but the only real Contender I actually know who isn¡¯t a jealous humanoid aping our titles is my sister, and we have Twin-dar, so any other sense is kinda mute and pointless.¡± He then waved his hand. ¡°Pray continue, fearless leader.¡±


    Richard snorted. ¡°Okay, long story short, the Contender Competition or the Double C, is an opportunity for future potential world leaders to challenge each other in everything from mortal combat to team based battles to group competitions of a more benign sort¡­ even games of strategy, with multiple territories being placed up for grabs. The competition allows power to be consolidated and alliances cemented without the need for horrific bloodbaths, not to mention it gives elite factions a chance to showcase Earth¡¯s rising stars, and perhaps earn them a Bronze tier sponsor or two.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Okay, so this competition no one told me a damned thing about is a big deal. Are you thinking of making a score while everyone who¡¯s anyone is away?¡±


    ¡°Hold up, we didn¡¯t tell you the best part!¡± Yuki said with a pearly white smile. ¡°The enticements for the Contender¡¯s champions, who will be fighting on their behalf, and for the Contenders themselves. Enticements that include mystic tomes that can grant you access to unique classes or powers, or magical potions that can instill the gift of magic upon those born without the gift, to indestructible swords and shields of Mithril and other exotic alloys.¡±


    Richard nodded. ¡°And if cultivators like yourself become a thing, I¡¯m betting there will be all sorts of cultivation manuals there too.¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°All in all, it will be an absolute fortune in priceless heirloom treasures. And that¡¯s where we come in.¡±


    Eric tilted his head, before flashing a grin the equal of theirs. ¡°You¡¯re looking for a Contender to represent you, am I right? A pretext to enter the competition and sweep all the other players off the board?¡±


    Yuki chuckled throatily. ¡°Goddamn, you¡¯re arrogant as fuck, aren¡¯t you?¡± She chuckled throatily, meeting his eyes with odd intensity. ¡°Then again, considering that you actually managed to beat that¡­ thing, and get us out of that delve alive¡­ I guess you¡¯ve earned a bit of self esteem. But no, Eric, our goal isn¡¯t to win the competition.¡±


    Richard clapped Eric¡¯s shoulder, flashing a maverick grin Eric hadn¡¯t even thought him capable of. ¡°We plan on stealing it. All of it. Profiting in the billions, and getting the fuck off this twisted deathtrap of a planet.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes lit with contagious enthusiasm, feeling a serendipitous frisson of excitement, still finding it hard to believe that a single feat, even Epic tier, could actually bend fate such that, at least occasionally, roguish opportunities like this one would come his way.


    ¡°Sounds fucking awesome!¡± he said, before he abruptly sneezed.


    Eric froze, turning to gaze at the pair very, very carefully.


    It was clear as sin that the pair were being straight up with him.


    But something still smelled¡­ off.


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s a saying,¡± he began.


    Richard furrowed his brow.


    Yuki sighed and cursed. ¡°Fuck, Eric. Please don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but it needs to be said. If something sounds too good to be true...¡±


    Richard furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give you a lot of credit, and cut you a lot of slack. But that¡¯s a two way street, Eric. Please don¡¯t think we¡¯re all fools, just because we¡¯re not quite at your level.¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw¡­ before easing it into an agreeable nod. ¡°You know what? That¡¯s fair. More than fair, actually. But still, I gotta ask. Who¡¯s your source? If they check out, then you won¡¯t hear any complaints from me.¡±


    Yuki furrowed her brow. ¡°Alright, if you must know¡­ it¡¯s my uncle.¡±


    Eric gave her a flat looks. ¡°Really.¡±


    Her cheeks blazed. ¡°Look, I know how it sounds, but my uncle¡¯s always kept his word. No family head has ever knocked his integrity.¡±


    ¡°You say that, even after everything that¡¯s happened?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s cheeks blazed. ¡°Fuck you, Eric Silver. Your mom¡¯s no better!¡±


    Eric solemnly nodded his head. ¡°I¡¯m not disagreeing with that in the least. My mom maneuvered my piece to ensure an incredible payoff for my sister, and I ended up slated for death by torment. So¡­ yeah. Our supposedly loving families who totally set us up for success and definitely didn¡¯t fuck us up with traumatic bullshit that would give our no longer living therapists absolute field days if we ever came clean¡­ they¡¯re not people I accept things from at face value any more.¡± He clenched his fist. ¡°No matter how often bitter thorns hold the sweetest smelling roses, sometimes it¡¯s just not worth the pain, or the betrayal.¡±


    Eric quickly raised his hand, deflecting the angry retort he sensed coming. ¡°Okay, I said my piece right there. Let¡¯s say I give your uncle the benefit of the doubt. We still need to know his source, and make sure that he¡¯s not being played for a fool¡­ like my mothe played me.¡±


    Richard gave Eric a pitying look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eric. No one should have to endure that.¡±


    Eric, much to their surprise, chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not complaining. No, really! The sweet payoffs I got from playing the idealistic fool one final time are fucking priceless! I want to hug her with all my heart, just as much as I want to smack her smirking mother-knows-best face. But all that being said, I don¡¯t ever plan on being played like that again. So it would be a damn shame if I didn¡¯t try to protect my friends from getting shafted as well.¡±


    The pair exchanged glances, before turning to Eric in unison.


    ¡°Alright, major trust time,¡± Richard said.


    Eric snorted. ¡°You say that like I didn¡¯t just save your asses and net you all twelve points each, just because I want actual friends who will survive this crazy world,and I¡¯m not a complete self-centered paranoid fuck.¡±


    Yuki glared. ¡°Fuck you for being right. And thanks again. Even if I also want to smack you so hard right now.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to any time you like. Just please be gentle, okay? It¡¯s my first time.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s cheeks blazed. ¡°You¡¯re suck a prick.¡±


    ¡°And I plan on running another four dungeons with you. At least. And we¡¯re going to hit that Tier-2 pod and get you all fucking elite classes. Because I want to see you all shine like a fucking starry night sky before we¡¯re through.¡± He said the last with a solemn intensity that left them both looking away, Eric¡¯s snarky humor replaced by words so profound it was almost an oath.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Yuki whispered, her gaze lingering upon his features for long moments. A graceful hand reached out to delicately touch the glittering ruby-like essence scars that now appeared as little more than exotic tattoos.


    Eric smiled at her touch.


    She flushed and looked away.


    ¡°My uncle knows someone very high up in the UFN. It seems that there were two shipments of prizes sent for the upcoming competition, not just one.¡±


    She bit her lip, chocolate-brown eyes gazing imploringly into his own. ¡°If that second shipment were to disappear¡­ our contact would make the paperwork disappear as well, and the actual contestants would suffer no loss whatsoever. It truly would be a victimless crime.¡±


    ¡°And the profit could be in the billions!¡± Richard added. ¡°As long as Yuki¡¯s uncle and his contact get double-shares, we¡¯re all gold.¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°And no matter what, each of us will be permitted to bond with one prize. And that¡¯s at the very least. And if it¡¯s the generous shipment that we think was planned for Earth, then we¡¯ll all have an unbeatable edge and be rich as absolute fuck, even before everyone else is fighting for the proper shipment who¡¯s paperwork will be nice and shiny and absolutely beyond reproach.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°So, do we have information on its whereabouts? Security? Changes in shift?¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes positively lit up. ¡°Damn right, we do. We have everything we need for a sweet score. We just need some, well, maybe some specialized help?¡±


    Eric rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely talk more about this after our run. It just so happens that I know someone who knows someone who might find this right up their alley.¡±


    Yuki and Richard gave curt shakes of their head. ¡°No, Eric. It¡¯s not a good idea to bring anyone else on board. You know all about loose lips and all that shit, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Eric sighed, gazing at his friends for long moments. ¡°Yuki. You and I both know you¡¯re the only one really specialized for this...¡±


    ¡°And Jack,¡± Yuki said with a smirk. ¡°He grew up in a tough area. He knows the score but fumbled just once, and that was all it took. Did some baby time, because he had a spotless record before then, got love and got straight and was well on his way to getting married and setting up his own deli. He definitely lived life to the fullest before hitting the ripe old age of twenty. But, well, shit happened. You know the rest.¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°Fair point. You and Jack. And me. So you got to ask yourself, how the hell did someone like me get a Master Criminal Perk?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Holy fuck, you¡¯re serious!?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I am.¡±


    She whistled. ¡°Shit. I know your mother enjoyed her games, but I thought she kept you out of the wetwork and similar shit.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°She did. For the most part. But this was for stuff I earned after the fall.¡±


    Yuki furrowed her brow. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite. How the fuck did you earn a master criminal perk?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°So, you hear about what happened to the Gilton black book Federal Reserve Bank?¡±

 Chapter 322 - I gotta ask… what are your plans for New York?

    Richard frowned. ¡°Eric, there¡¯s no such thing. It¡¯s the Federal Reserve Bank in New York that holds around what, half a million bars of gold?¡±


    But Yuki¡¯s eyes widened with something close to awe. ¡°Fuck, fuck fuck! He said black book. That means it was outside of formal channels. I heard something about that, Richard, and you did too!¡±


    He furrowed his brow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuki. I¡¯m not sure I...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how furious the goblins were about what went down in Gilton? They wanted to explode, they were looking for blood so hard. Remember? That was the week we all stayed in your father¡¯s compound because even he was feeling the animus rage. Then the next week, it had somehow all blown over.¡±


    Richard frowned, now taking a good hard look at a beaming Eric. ¡°Is that why they¡¯re all gunning so hard for his death?¡±


    ¡°Bingo!¡± Eric cheerfully confirmed.


    Yuki, however, did not look happy. ¡°Then why the fuck are you scrounging here in nothing more than primitive gear made of bone and lizard hides when you could be gallivanting around the galaxy with a dozen enlightened tutors paving your way to Bronze and who knows what else, with a half trillion to your name?¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°That¡¯s easy. For one thing, why the fuck would I leave Earth? We¡¯re earning potency 100 times faster what suckers who weren¡¯t born here that are adventuring anywhere else in the galaxy are earning, unless they¡¯re also from an ascending planet. If I left, my Experience gain rate would be one fucking tenth of what it is now. Because honestly, why else would we be shooting past centuries-old elves pleased to finally hit level 30 before coming here if we didn¡¯t have something strong going for us? And since the mana or potency released here or whatever is even giving outworlders that weren¡¯t born here a 10-fold boost to their own growth rates¡­ that explains why everyone and their mom is trying to find tickets to filter into our world. And, as we saw by a certain Bronze-tier minotaur hiding in an Orange-tier fucking dungeon, not everyone¡¯s willing to play by the rules.¡±


    Yuki winced sheepishly. ¡°Yeah, I really don¡¯t recall what happened between the minotaur bearing down on us and you, well...¡± her cheeks flushed prettily. ¡°Absolutely saving our asses?¡±


    Eric winked, buffing his fingernails. ¡°Yeah, I am pretty awesome like that. Anyway, the cost of not having the Galactic Counsel itself coming after my head for being such an eclectic fuck full of forbidden powers just happened to match whatever I might or might not have claimed from a vault that might or might not have never existed. Cappiche?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty fucked up,¡± Richard said, crossing his arms. ¡°You had to give up the most massive haul imaginable just to be put on, what, a Silver-tier do-not-kill list?¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile, cocking his finger. ¡°Bingo! Only White-tier assholes and whatever high leveled shits the corrupt fucks already on Earth managed to smuggle on planet are allowed to slaughter me with impunity. Or at least, that¡¯s what my Know The Score perk is strongly implying.¡±


    Richard scowled. ¡°And it means that high powered players are staring down at us even now. Getting off on watching us fight for our lives.¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°And the minute that any of us find some unorthodox way to survive without desperate peril, that¡¯s when they swoop down to take us off the board.¡±


    ¡°You got it!¡± Eric said. ¡°Unless you can pay the price. The good news is that anything else I earn from this point on is mine. And I plan on using my unorthodox powers to earn a fucking ton of sweet, sweet lewt. So enough of that shit. Who exactly is this high powered Administrator who¡¯s absolutely certain he¡¯s stumbled into a second shipment of goodies being sent to us for some contest no one¡¯s told me shit about? And conveniently wants us to steel it, and you¡¯re absolutely sure we¡¯re not being set up because...¡±


    Yuki scowled. ¡°Damn, you do make it sound sketchy as fuck.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is sketchy as fuck. But if you let me bring in some friends¡­ friends who helped me lock in some incredibly sweet prizes, once upon a time, maybe we can see if it¡¯s a salvageable operation or not. Because I¡¯m all about Ocean¡¯s Seven...¡±


    ¡°But not thirteen, where they all get caught. I get it.¡±


    Richard exchanged a look with Yuki. ¡°You know, he has a point. If these are actual professionals...¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Yuki said, before turning Eric¡¯s way. ¡°But first thing¡¯s first. We told you that our contact once removed is a highly placed UFN member. How much do you know about what UFN actually stands for?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°UFN? Honestly, I glazed over the acronym. My focus is on the heist, not the background.¡±


    ¡°Well, genius, it stands for the United Federation of Nations.¡±


    Eric blinked, then broke out in laughter. ¡°Let me guess. This is some bullshit association that our uninvited guests cooked up?


    Richard nodded. ¡°That about sums it up, yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I know they¡¯re unelected hacks and puppets, the humans among them, anyway, taking full advantage of bullshit lawfare classes to pass laws and edicts that only hurt our own kind and help the slimy bastards that they sold out to.¡± Eric flashed an ice-cold smile. ¡°And I also know, for a fact, that their edicts and strictures will have absolutely no effect on you, to the point that they will literally burst into flame in the air, if you give them absolutely zero respect in your mind and in your heart. If you know that there is zero legitimacy to their so called ¡®laws¡¯ and that they are nothing more than tools of oppression and subjugation. So the whole UFN can go fuck themselves silly, as far as I¡¯m concerned. At this point, I don¡¯t two shits about what any of them thinks or says.¡±


    Richard and Yuki frowned. ¡°Even if that puts you at odds with the entire world?¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°All that means is that a diplomatic win is off the table. We¡¯ve all played CiV-9000, I¡¯m sure. Once diplomacy and tech advancements are off the table, what¡¯s left?¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Yuki¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°100% conquest. Achieving victory through the absolute and utter subjugation of all other players.¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin was all teeth. ¡°Damn straight.¡±


    Richard sighed, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand. ¡°Eric¡­ you do know that our families are a part of the UFN, don¡¯t you? Or at least they are, on a local level.¡±


    Eric turned away, gazing at the tree line, still a bit shaken to see the demarcation where a forest of frozen icicles was replaced by lush, green, fecund life and growth. Even if the incident had effectively scared off all the wildlife, this Orange tier area now being as peaceful as a park, pre-apocalypse.


    ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡±


    Yuki scowled. ¡°Before we even talk shop, Eric, I gotta ask¡­ what are your plans for New York?¡±


    Eric lifted his gaze, holding Yuki¡¯s own. ¡°I think you already know. And before you say anything else, would you like to hear what the latest batch of happy-go-lucky assholes had to say, while driving up here?¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t wait for a reply before calling out to the car.


    ¡°Hey, stumpy! How are those nubs of yours feeling?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, Eric Silver!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Damn straight. Because who needs arms¡­ when you can have a full 3/4ths of a profit share!¡±


    ¡°I want a hundred percent, you goddamned dickwad! A full cut. Officially one of your crew!¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Well, maybe. Maybe if I know I can trust you¡­ that might actually be on the table.¡±


    The goblin snorted, turning to glare Eric¡¯s way. ¡°Do you really think I can go back and live this down? Think again, asshole! You effectively killed me!¡± His monstrous glare turned to a desperate plea. ¡°My life isn¡¯t worth shit. But if we could actually tap into New York¡¯s vaults? It would make getting the hell out of here and starting over a hell of a lot easier. As for trustworthiness...¡± The goblin glared long and hard at Eric. ¡°What the fuck would you know? We both know you plan on seeing me dead at the end of this, no matter how sweet your words or entertaining our little bullshitting sessions might be.¡±


    The rest of the party turned to Eric, faces a mixture of grim acceptance, dismay, even accusation. Because bringing Vooch along and risking humanizing him to Eric¡¯s teammates had definitely been a major fuckup on Eric¡¯s end. He should have just popped him and called it quits, so his allies would have had absolutely no reason to care.


    But he just had to get greedy.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re not a complete idiot, Voochy baby. So, what do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°A blood oath.¡±


    The entire group paused at this.


    ¡°Is there really such a thing?¡± Steve wondered allowed.


    The goblin snorted. ¡°Of course there is! As this annoying human should know. He¡¯s a bloodmage. Or did you fools not figure that out already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we figured that much out,¡± Emily said with a flat stare for Eric and Vooch both.


    ¡°Good. Because the Bloodtear Syndicate is well aware that he¡¯s already blood-bound multiple Javelineers he was too weak-willed¡­ I mean thoughtful and considerate enough not to kill.¡± He smirked. ¡°It¡¯s not the same as taking an oath to an administrator, but since I don¡¯t want to crack my foundation, and better yet, actually want to live past sundown¡­ I¡¯ll take the fucking oath!¡±


    Eric gazed at the goblin for long moments, thoughts racing between steadying breaths.


    For the goblin to know that had to mean several things. One, the Bloodtear Syndicate was far more organized and better informed than Eric had given them or anyone else credit for, which shouldn¡¯t surprise him at all, considering they had hostile sages and ties to even worse working on their behalf. Two, they weren¡¯t above doing their homework, and planning tactical contingencies that Eric found positively chilling. Three, if Vooch, the least of an admittedly deadly trio of assassins¡­ former assassins, knew that much, then Eric strongly suspected he knew another ugly truth as well.


    The rune-bound oathbindings were pure bullshit. A shiny rune that might have a tad bit of soul-binding permanence, but that in and of themselves amounted to no more than permanent tattoo ink that non even leveling would get rid of, at the cost of a tiny handful of Eric¡¯s experience points, which was a hell of a lot more concentrated now than it had been for him as a level 9 Contender. Because sure, he might have picked up some insights¡­ hell, a lot of insights from Morlekai, including how to use blood magic to share experience and effectively create a pseudo party without actually having mastered any system method or perhaps Guild-method of forming a party like Richard had clearly learned how to do. But as far as actually destroying people¡¯s foundations or subtly dooming them? That had all been in their minds.


    OR at least, that¡¯s what he thought.


    But if this little goblin shit was actually suggesting it¡­ then that meant he both knew it was bullshit AND that he thought Eric was such an idiot that he didn¡¯t even realize that he was fooling both himself and his supposed victims, a bit of group hypnosis where everyone¡¯s effected by the same delusion. But not the simpering goblin begging for some kind of chance to go on living¡­ a goblin who would then be free to act like a sycophantic fuck while Eric and his friends¡¯ guards slowly eased for the sake of their new friend¡­ who would no doubt then bust his absolute ass to strike Eric and his friends at their most vulnerable moments and savor the most massive payoff in terms of credits and levels that little shit could earn over who knows how many years or even decades with any other scheme.


    Of course, it was always possible that the little shit was absolutely sincere in believing that the blood-oaths actually had any sort of retributive power, or simply wanted a shot a survival and would actually help them pull off the heist of a lifetime in good faith.


    But Eric sure as heck wasn¡¯t going to bet his life on it¡­ or the lives of his friends.


    And the way the goblin¡¯s eyes widened, flinching back when he caught Eric¡¯s gaze, as if suddenly understanding just how wily the eccentric seeming half-mad half-elf who dared to challenge the entire fucking world really was¡­ made it clear that Vooch understood that Eric knew exactly how he was trying to set Eric up, and he had effectively just signed his death warrant.


    ¡°No, wait, there must be a way¡­ wait!¡± Vooch screamed, revealing true fear as Eric closed the distance, preparing to do what he should have done from the start. Because all their words so far had been bullshit, verbal sparring, cloak and dagger, without an ounce of potency, sincerity, or spiritual energy put in a single thing he had said. As far as Eric was concerned, deceiving his enemy the way he had, was no more ¡®wrong¡¯ than feinting an opponent out in combat before striking his target with a killing blow. And he was quietly certain that he¡¯d earn nothing worse than a cold smile from Eve, so long as he didn¡¯t cross the glaring red line of a formal Cultivator¡¯s Oath.


    ¡°No wait, I can be useful! Please!¡±


    Then, just inches above the trembling goblin¡¯s head, ignoring the alarmed expressions of his friends and Yuki¡¯s confused frown¡­ because hadn¡¯t he said he was going to use the little shit, not kill him? Eric froze, eyes widening, hit by an epiphany so profound it shook him, his too long pushed aside master class making it exquisitely clear, just as it had reminding him of a certain skill evolution he could take with his Psionic Rupture¡­ there might be a way forward that actually allowed the goblin before him to live.


    Eric didn¡¯t stop to analyze it as he smacked his hand against the trembling armless goblin¡¯s sweaty forehead. He didn¡¯t dare to. He simply allowed the frisson of certainty that somehow mingling the same Revenant-raising potential as he once had invested in raising literally thousands of opponents from the dead to infuse the blood trickling out of his pores¡­ and mingling with Vooch¡¯s own.

 Chapter 323 - Anyone up for a heist?

    ¡°Do you, Vooch, give an oath of your own free will to act in the best interests of myself and my companions for any future heists that one or more of us embrace, directly or indirectly, in any capacity, in return for a share of the spoils equal to whatever one standard share of said heist will bring each of us, on average? And furthermore, do you swear, in any and all cases, to inform no one about my or my companion¡¯s inolvement, whereabouts, personhood, or activities, directly or indirectly, save in good faith and with our consent, and only as it pertains to our heists? And do you furthermore swear that you will do absolutely nothing to harm, kill, or deliberately inconvenience myself, my kin, my friends, or my companions and their kin and friends, directly or indirectly, via yourself or external agents, to the absolute best of your ability, from this moment forward?¡±


    Vooch stared at Eric for long, breathless moments, wearing the oddest expression, as if he didn¡¯t sense the precipice they both stood upon.


    The goblin blinked, revealing the widest, most innocent smile he could muster, soured only somewhat by his pointed teeth.


    ¡°I swear it! I, Vooch, do solemnly swear to this oath!¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened, feeling an odd tingle, as if slowly gaining momentum down a steep snowy sloap before his brain vibrated with a shivery thrum, as he sensed the sudden storm of spiritual energy now roaring through both their souls. And it was obvious from Vooch¡¯s horrified flinch, that he felt it too.


    Because Blood Magic and Necromancy weren¡¯t just kissing cousins¡­ they were two sides of the same coin.


    A coin with which he could bind his prey to him for all time.


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have earned the BONUS Master Necromancer Perk: Spiritual Oathbinding!


    Thanks to your mastery of both Bloodmagic and Necromancy, you can now forge binding oaths with willing supplicants that will enact upon the moment of their deaths! Said victims will AUTOMATICALLY fail any save to resist absolute dominion of their soul upon the moment of their demise, should they be below your combined Adventurer+ 2xNecromancer level (Enhance Legion boon in effect!) - Those of higher level may save at a penalty = to your Master Necromancer Level!


    Upon your supplicant¡¯s death, their spirit will be under your effortless and permanent control! You may then summon forth their revenant to serve you at your pleasure, and may be summoned or dispersed at will, without any need for additional storage space! You may also elect to FREE said spirit upon claiming their soul to continue their journey to whatever awaits them in their afterlife, or allow them to eternally partake whatever nirvana (or hell) you have established for your bound Revenant Souls between corporeal summonings!


    All hail the Necromancer King! Lord and master of all before him! For not even the edicts of a corrupt council can deny the Contender who would Rule Them All!


    Eric blanched at the interface message audibly blaring loud enough for his entire party to hear.


    Richard, Elise and Ron were gazing at him with looks ranging from disgust to dismay, while Steven and Jack were actively giving him thumbs up or clapping their approval.


    Yuki flashed him a maverick smile, chuckling throatily. ¡°So that¡¯s your end goal, is it? Global Conquest as a necromancer king right out of World of Warblades 2.0?¡± She whistled, shaking her head. ¡°And with your Contender status¡­ fuck, could you actually do it?¡±


    Jack hooted. ¡°My man, Eric Silver! The future king of the world! So, where the fuck can I sign up as one of your death knight generals?¡±


    Steve chuckled. ¡°Are you sure about that, Jack? I think Death Knights are an undead class. I¡¯m all for joining a winning team and absolutely stomping all the assholes who treated us like shit, but I¡¯m not exactly keen on becoming one of Eric¡¯s revenants.¡±


    Steve flashed an almost apologetic smile Eric¡¯s way as the goblin assassin screamed his dismay.


    ¡°Happy to join the winning team, but I would really prefer to do that firmly in the land of the living,¡± Steve quickly clarified. ¡°You okay with that, NK?¡±


    Eric groaned, massaging his temples. ¡°Honestly, guys, I don¡¯t know what the hell that was, and I sure as fuck wasn¡¯t expecting the Interface to say any shit like that. My only goal was to make sure that dear Vooch here actually kept his word. And Jack, Death Knight is a Master Class, I¡¯ll have you know. No need to be a Revenant to take it. As to whether you actually have what it takes to get a Master Class¡­¡± He caught all their gazes, most especially those looking at him so critically. ¡°As to whether any of you actually have what it takes to claim a Master Class and the virtually guaranteed path to a glorious ascension that such a class would lock in for you¡­ I guess we¡¯ll have to check out Ashland Territory¡¯s Tier 2 pods in the very near future and find out for ourselves, won¡¯t we?¡±


    Richard¡¯s mouth opened, but no words came out. He just shook his head, expression caught between reproving glare and a certain hunger that not even his idealism could completely deny.


    ¡°Are you serious, Eric? Ashland Territory actually has a Tier 2 ascension pod?¡±


    Ron clenched his jaw, shaking his head, looking like he was fighting the urge to tear into Eric¡¯s blasphemous System stance like the drill sergeant he supposedly once was. Instead, the words that slipped from between his clenched teeth seemed to surprise even him.


    ¡°Can you really get us access to this pod? If you¡¯re the fucking Necromancer King¡­ what¡¯s to keep the entire Northeast Counsel from denying you all access?¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. He turned to the goblin still trembling in horror. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and tell them who actually owns that ascension pod, Stumpy?


    ¡°What did you do to me, Eric Silver? What did you do!?¡±


    He gently covered the trembling gobin¡¯s lips. The creature whimpered, clearly too cowed even to nip at his finger, let alone try to bite it off. ¡°Shh. Let¡¯s focus on what matters, Stumpy. Why don¡¯t you tell them about that pod?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s his!¡± Vooch hissed in barely constrained fury. ¡°A priceless treasure which the Terran Accords specifically prohibit your kind from accessing was backdoored into this world by this monstrous mongrel¡¯s tainted territory ascensions! By all rights, it should have been surrendered to Bloodtear Syndicate and the Terran representatives the moment we first made contact with this¡­ this¡­ monster!¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly, allowing a hyperventilating Vooch his moment of outrage before catharsis faded once more to terror, the goblin¡¯s despairing gaze once more meeting his own.


    ¡°What did you do to me, you monster? What did you do?¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, though, was it, Vooch? It was YOU who accepted that Spiritual Oathbinding.


    Vooch furiously shook his head. ¡°You were just supposed to mark me with a blood rune! A harmless, powerless blood rune!¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°See that, friends? Our dear little sweet stumpy thought that the oathbinding was harmless. And he would have been all too happy for us to believe otherwise, which would have put him in an absolutely perfect position to wreak absolute havoc and slaughter us all in our most vulnerable moments.¡± He patted Vooch¡¯s cheek. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Stumpy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you little malignant shit, it is! Your blood oath should be powerless! Our very Seers swore that it was so.¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile grew. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it quite worked out the way you all planned. Isn¡¯t that a shame?¡±


    The goblin¡¯s eyes bulged with furious terror. ¡°This isn¡¯t even a conditional oath! There¡¯s no way for me to avoid retribution! The moment I die, my soul is yours!¡±


    Eric winked at his horrified-looking friends. Even if Steve and Rich were looking at him with dopey smiles. ¡°Well, look at the bright side, guys. At least now we have definitive proof that there is a soul, and awareness after the end of our corporeal bodies. Isn¡¯t that nice?¡±


    He then turned to the goblin, his smile going ice cold. ¡°That¡¯s right, Vooch. You¡¯re free to do whatever you like, so long as you understand that once you pass on, it will be me that judges your soul.¡± He winked. ¡°Terrifying prospect, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°And if I kill you first?¡± Vooch snarled.


    Eric¡¯s cold laughter washed over them all. ¡°Come now, Vooch. What¡¯s death to a Master Necromancer? And that¡¯s not the question you should be asking yourself, is it, Vooch?¡±


    The glaring gnoll lowered his gaze, visibly trembling. ¡°No. Perhaps not.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Correct. You¡¯d better pray you aren¡¯t sinking into the depths of the Halls of the Dead to receive my judgment in that realm. Because if I¡¯m strong here, with life¡¯s mercies guiding my hand¡­ can you even imagine how strong, ruthless, and terrible I¡¯ll be if I see your ugly mug there?¡±


    The goblin began shuddering, tears streaming down his eyes. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you just kill me, along with the others?¡±


    Eric¡¯s wild toothy grin softened into something almost human. He gently patted the trembling goblin¡¯s sweat-slicked forehead. ¡°Because this way, Stumpy, if you play your cards right, you get to walk away with your life and a FUCK TON of gold. And contrary to what you might think, I¡¯m not quite the malicious ass your faction paints me as. I don¡¯t mind telling you that if you treat me and mine right, I¡¯ll be happy to let your spirit fly free¡­ or stick you in the nirvana all my revenants enjoy, reliving their favorite memories when not in my active service.¡± Eric¡¯s smile hardened. ¡°And considering all the malicious shit you¡¯ve no doubt pulled as an Assassin¡­ if you¡¯re at all worried about what comes after your eventual fall, maybe my Nirvana is the island in the storm that will ultimately leave your twisted little soul a fuck ton happier than your friends are, right about now.¡±


    ¡°None of those assholes were my friends,¡± Vooch snarled.


    Eric gave him a pitying look. ¡°That is pretty fucking sad, Vooch. I think you¡¯re going to need my nirvana more than even you realize.¡±


    Vooch glared at him for long moments, his desperate furious gaze turning thoughtful. ¡°You¡¯re right. I am alive. And if I treat you square, I can walk away with a full share and at least I know that no angry Goblin Seer will be coming for my soul when I totally fuck the whole faction over, steeling all that juicy sweet gold.¡±


    The goblin got an actual tear in his eye, flashing the first genuine smile Eric had seen from the creature, his What The Other Party Wants and Social Perception perks actually green-lighting the little shit he was almost certain he¡¯d have to kill.


    So when the goblin reached out a slowly regenerating stump, Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to carefully shake it.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    The goblin forced himself to sit up, turn around, and give the entire horrified-looking party his widest grin. ¡°This is what we¡¯re working with?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±


    ¡°We are so fucked.¡±


    Yuki glared. ¡°Fuck off, Stumpy. Not all of us are green.¡±


    Stumpy snorted. ¡°You¡¯re a twenty year old girl who¡¯s been running hustle missions as your uncle¡¯s pleasure girl more than anything else, softening up targets before going in for the kill¡­ just like sugar princess over there and boy wonder right next to me!¡±


    He chuckled coldly when Emily flinched, burying her face in Richard¡¯s chest whose cold glare made it clear that he was very much aware of a certain girl¡¯s checkered past and just as clearly didn¡¯t give a shit, though he looked like he¡¯d happily tear Stumpy¡¯s arms off¡­ if they weren¡¯t already gone.


    Yuki¡¯s cheeks also turned beet red, clenching her naginata with killing intent at the insult, earning a fresh smirk from Stumpy.


    ¡°Sure, sweetheart. You got to vent from being a toy for greasy old men on whatever rube your uncle wanted beaten down a peg, because not even he¡¯s stupid enough to deny you any outlet when it could be his throat you cut. But your actual experience pulling off heists is a big fat whopping zero!¡±


    Vooch gave Eric a mocking sigh. ¡°Sorry, would-be Necromancer King, but none of these children are mechanics, safe-crackers, grifters, lifters, or second-story men. Little Jack over there got busted for breaking and entering! A summer in juvy hall and he¡¯s already singing a brand new tune, happy to make fucking deli sandwiches for the rest of his life. Isn¡¯t that right, Jacky boy?¡± The goblin said with a sneer.


    Jack, surprisingly, seemed the least bothered by the barbed commentary. ¡°Sure,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°I was pissed at life, got some cold water splashed in my face, then decided to stop being a stupid angry fuckup, and found out that I really liked working in a place where I could make people happy without any stress. My boss didn¡¯t hold past shit against me, so long as I was stand-up with him. And I always was. Best of all, he showed me how to make the best damned roast beef sandwiches I¡¯ve ever had outside the Sylvan Alliance¡¯s own grub! On the job training, he called it.¡±


    Jack sighed, shaking his head in fond memory. ¡°Sam was a good man. Too damn bad he didn¡¯t survive all the bullshit those damned orcs put us through in Gilton.¡±


    Stumpy snorted. ¡°Cute little story. Still pathetic, but fuck it. Even I love a good sandwich! Still, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that the only one who even has the skills to Shadow herself out of the inevitable kill box that will be waiting for you all is sweet little Yuki here, who looks like she¡¯d just love to pluck my eyeballs out right about now. Isn¡¯t that right, princess?¡±


    Yuki gave him the finger.


    Stumpy laughed, pleased as punch. ¡°Yuki will be fine. She won¡¯t be getting a penny for her trouble, probably shaking like a leaf in her panic room she still thinks we don¡¯t know about when shit goes South, but she¡¯ll be okay. Now, as for everyone else?¡± The little goblin shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re just asking to get killed.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°So we need a professional touch. I thought as much. And Stumpy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Necromancer King?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a free pass. Just this once. But don¡¯t get it twisted. We now all know that Bloodtear¡¯s got files on every Classer of note in the Northeast. Clearly, you got the dirt on all of us. So I¡¯m going to count all that shit as basic psyche training. We now know to be on emotional guard if any other goblins or any other Bloodtear associates try to humiliate us to force a reaction that would doom us all. But make no mistake, that ¡®training¡¯ is now officially over. Any more digging at my party-member¡¯s emotional weak spots counts as abuse.¡±


    Stumpy paled and flinched far more than Eric¡¯s mild warning warranted. He slowly turned around, flashing the entire party of glaring delvers a simpering smile.


    ¡°A thousand pardons to one and all.¡±


    Yuki, surprisingly, just rolled her eyes and laughed it off. ¡°Fuck it. If you can help us actually pull off a heist, you can do all the shit-talking you want. I know my uncle¡¯s an asshole, and my past is checkered as fuck. So what? Business is business. Shit in my closet can stay in my closet, so long as I have a fucking pile of gold bricks to put in front of it.¡±


    Emily, cheeks still blazing, found the courage to smile back. ¡°And we don¡¯t have to let the past haunt us at all, if the people in our lives accept us for who we are today, and don¡¯t judge the lost girls we were, two years ago.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Eric turned to Vooch once more. ¡°So, Voochy baby, what are the odds that any UFN administrator would want to use my friends¡¯ considerable delving talents on an inside job?¡±


    Eric smirked as Vooch¡¯s eyes widened, bemused smile crawling across his features as if he couldn¡¯t believe the words he was hearing. ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡±


    Eric grinned, Infravision acutely sensing the sudden heat radiating from more than one pair of cheeks.


    ¡°Yup! An inside job so delicate and incredibly profitable that a UFN Administrator uniquely placed to get his hands on a certain precious¡­ something, is in desperate need of a band of overpowered twenty-year-olds to pull an inside job and make them all an absolute killing.¡±


    Even before he finished the words, Stumpy was balling over in laughter. ¡°These kids? Pulling a high-stakes heist? No, not just a heist, a smooth-as-silk inside job, what with their social fumbling and absolute lack of any skills save slaughter and preening for their parent¡¯s business contacts? Oh you¡¯re fucking cracking me up, Eric Silver!¡±


    He cackled for long moments as everyone¡¯s patient smiles grew strained, and then turned to outright glares.


    Eric¡¯s own cool smile only grew. ¡°Are you sure, Stumpy? Surely they must have something going for them if someone as savvy and important as a highly placed UFN Administrator has confidence in them?¡±


    Vooch¡¯s laughter instantly died off, though his smirk stayed firmly in place as he gazed at one awkward-looking face after another. ¡°The only thing Sir Charles Smith had confidence in was just how gullible your crew is.¡±


    His smile stretched like a snake¡¯s, seeing their Chevalier¡¯s horrified expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, wanna-be Paladin. We know all about the switcheroo you idiots were actually conned into thinking you had a chance in hell of pulling off.¡± He raised a bemused eyebrow. ¡°Over ten billion credits in prizes, stat boosting fruit, spirit peaches, cultivation manuals, and arcane tomes granting Elite tier classes to the truly worthy. Prizes reserved for the future scions of Earth, just as soon as we smuggle them all here to clean-sweep your competition! And you actually think for even a tiny second that you¡¯re going to have access to either prize box?¡±


    Vooch¡¯s manic chortles rang through the clearing they had stopped at, and Eric, despite the horrific ordeal he had gone through less than a day ago, actually found himself wincing for the looks of chagrin overcoming his party.


    Steve paled, staring at the ground. ¡°We¡¯re such idiots!¡±


    Jack chuckled bitterly. ¡°And this is why I chose the deli life. I know I can make a good sandwich, but I¡¯m the farthest thing from someone who knows the score. I¡¯m just the patsy everyone else will leave holding the hot money when they¡¯re already out of state and I know damn well that if I speak a word of it to anyone, I¡¯ll leave juvy in a body bag.¡±


    ¡°I endangered the entire party!¡± Richard visibly crumpled up, cursing himself for seven types of fool while Emily just held him close and comforted him as best she could.


    ¡°So, what the fuck¡¯s going on?¡± Yuki alone had the strength to whisper.


    Vooch, who despite being the only one with stubs for arms, looked absolutely giddy, savoring their dismay while they pled for his advice.


    Eric tried not to roll his eyes, but sure as sin a little humiliation now was worth a life-saving lesson or two. Even if that lesson was simply to stick with what one was good at, and not to go in blind, trusting people who were holding knives behind their backs no matter how wide their smiles. It was important enough that he didn¡¯t even intent to call stumpy out on it. Far better Vooch play that role than he.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on is that you little shits were being set up!¡± Vooch chortled. ¡°Are you truly too stupid to figure that out?¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Rich asked, eyes wide with dismay. ¡°We¡¯ve always paid our taxes, kept our heads down, didn¡¯t make trouble for anyone. Hell, we even told Sylvis exactly what we were doing and he gave us the green light to harvest as much Dark Steel as we could get!¡±


    Vooch nodded. ¡°All true. But you committed two unforgivable crimes. One, you dared to get stronger than both Sylvis and Iglin, and their champions. Not just by a little, but by a glorious fuck-ton! Considering what most of us had to go through just to hit levels twenty-five through thirty before getting here, you lot of idiots achieving high forties so quickly is abso-fucking-lootly infuriating!¡±


    He cackled at their expressions before continuing. ¡°But the truly unforgivable sin was that you refused to fall in line. You refused to march under our banner! Sylvis could forgive your power, if it was his to control. But to a gnoll, an untamed alpha is a wild dog that will eventually tear out your own throat. So best put him down quick! Only problem was all the oaths and concessions your too clever parents rung from us, just to assure a bloodless coup of New York.¡±


    Vooch gave a sad shake of his head. ¡°When you think about it, we were the ones doing you all a favor, not slaughtering three fourths of your population like the orcs did in Gilton, as both our boys Jack and Eric know all too well, right? Ha ha! And what do we get for our lenience, munificence, and generosity? Our own words used against us! Twisting our arms to provide you lot with Classes that no natives should be permitted, especially this early in Earth¡¯s Ascendance when you could conceivably challenge those chosen to steer your world to it¡¯s ultimate destination¡­ liquidation for the bottom line! Ha ha. Just kidding. Not really.¡±


    He paused a moment, savoring the looks of horrified dismay now upon everyone¡¯s features save one.


    ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s even worse than you think! Because one of our own had come up with the brilliant plan of how best to take out all of you and your idiot parents in one fell swoop! All they had to do was catch you in the act of actually trying to steel the most precious possessions the UFN had at their fingertips, intended for Contender¡¯s hands only!¡±


    He sighed and chuckled, shaking his head fondly. ¡°Can you imagine the look that would have been on all of your faces, leaving the local UFN security facility feeling like kings of the world, only to be caught at the last possible second, red handed, before being tried and shamed before the entire world!? Forced to look into your parents and sibling¡¯s disbelieving eyes when they were ALL sentenced to execution for their crimes? The panicked screams, the tears of recrimination, the desperate pleas for mercy! Why, we could have made millions just selling tickets to see the execution of all of New York¡¯s native administrators, right before witnessing the TRUE consolidation of power! We could have sold rights to torment the bound captives while they were already on the chopping block before finally chopping off their heads, personally! It would have been glorious. Glorious!¡±


    His dreamy sigh turned to a bitter cold snarl. ¡°And you bloody humans would have finally gotten the message that you are OURS to do with as we see fit! Everyone would have understood the underlying message. Don¡¯t get uppity with your new masters! You take what we give you and you like it! You fight and die for our causes and count yourself lucky that we don¡¯t kill you all out of hand!¡±


    Vooch sneered and spat, glaring at the horrified-looking youths. ¡°Do you idiots get it yet? The laws we¡¯ve put in place are to codify our strength and rights as the conquerors of this newly ascended world. They have nothing to do with you at all, save to put you fools in your proper places! And if you¡¯re too stupid to understand that, then you won¡¯t be stupid for long!¡±


    Richard had collapsed to the ground in horrified dismay, along with his entire party, wide-eyed and shaking with horror at a nightmare fate narrowly avoided. All except for a solemn-faced Eric and a sneering Ron.


    ¡°I nearly doomed my entire family,¡± Richard said with a whisper, tears streaming down his eyes. ¡°It would have cost us everything. Absolutely everything!¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Vooch said with a happy little nod. ¡°You almost did! We even got Iron Company to join the fun, because those assholes are also getting a bit too big for their britches. The other guilds at least know their place!¡±


    Vooch then sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°But poor Sylvis thought your parents were still useful, and with Aurelia having the fucking gall to claim our enforcers as her new crop of paladins, that fucked with our entire time table! I swear that bitch knew exactly what we had cooked up, smirking at those Terran Administrators so eager to kill her when she stole their children, too stupid to realize that she was saving their lives. Because the fuck if we¡¯re going to give her the satisfaction of a holy war morale bonus by killing the parents of every Paladin on Earth! Not even the gnolls are that stupid.¡±


    He shrugged at the party¡¯s utterly confused looks.


    ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯re saying my baby sister¡¯s now a paladin?¡± Yuki¡¯s gaze was one of wide-eyed wonder. ¡°After all the shit we went through? She¡¯s just as fucked up as me!¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Vooch said agreeably enough. ¡°But it turns out that when you swear your soul to a Silver-tier elven queen who infected this world with her legends and tales centuries before the rest of us could insert our own claws into your culture, you really can become a Paladin on the spot. Shape the flow of your own life tale, so to speak. Of course, a sacrifice had to be made to seed this world with a King-Arthur¡¯s Dozen new paladins. You do realize that, don¡¯t you, Eric my boy?¡±


    The smirk he sent Eric was positively chilling.


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound, but he said nothing at all. Absolutely refusing to take the bait, or blame for an instant twelve innocent children determined to better themselves¡­ even if he was the stag to be sacrificed for their ascension.


    There had indeed been a High Hunt, and by some miracle, he had managed to escape with his life. And he wasn¡¯t even sure how much it had to do with those children''s ascension. But he sure as hell wasn¡¯t sharing any details or his suspicions with the goblin in their mist who was clearly far more than he seemed.


    ¡°So that¡¯s when we came up with plan B. Take the boy with a kill-collar on his neck and manipulate him into dooming you all. Yet by some fucking miracle, Eric Orcbane managed to keep his head, and the dungeon was marked as cleared on the Dominion Interface! So then we had to come up with a plan C! Since it normally takes several days for first-clear champions to warp out of delves after reforging them in their soul¡¯s image, we thought we had plenty of time to line up our arcane blaster rifles and triple perk your high-level asses into the ground!¡±


    He turned to glare at Eric. ¡°But of course the Winter Queen¡¯s mad little wildcard Contender proves to be an exception to every fucking rule, and it¡¯s him sniping our asses when we finally had the rift in our sights.¡±


    Eric gazed at the sneering goblin for long moments, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prickle in the air. ¡°You¡¯re no simple assassin.¡±


    Vooch stared back at him for long moments, before flashing a chillingly cold smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, you stupid fuck. Congratulations. You managed to net yourself a Seer.¡±


    Yuki and Richard exchanged wild-eyed glances, clearly at the end of their metaphoric rope.


    ¡°We are in way, way, over our heads,¡± Richard declared.


    ¡°No shit,¡± Yuki cursed, before turning to glare at the others. ¡°We can never go back to New York City. Not for any reason. You all know that, right?¡±


    ¡°No fucking way,¡± Steve whispered staring at the glaring goblin in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re a Seer! Why would you even expose yourself like this? Your mental stats should be fucking off the charts! You should have seen this shit coming!¡±


    ¡°Wrong, fool! The land before the rift was dead! Frozen! Cut off from the cycle of life and the cords of fate, and we want to know why! So of course I had to come.¡± Vooch sighed, shaking his head, Eric only now sensing the age within the tiny frame. ¡°And here I was, looking forward to embracing old much-loved roles, spraying the ground with fresh blood it¡¯s been too long since I had the chance to bathe in. And what do I find?¡±


    He flashed Eric a bitter smile. ¡°I thought I could bluff this boy out with a meaningless crimson rune. Turns out I was the one playing the fool. My soul is now bound to this little snot-nosed brat. I¡¯m a Seer. I can fucking feel it! And he¡¯s nowhere near as stupid as Greed thought. He could sense my play, and now he knows exactly what I am! My afterlife is now dependent upon how well I amuse him for the next thousand years!¡±


    Eric¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°No, Vooch. I have absolutely no intention of having you follow me around and learning my business for the next thousand years. Our agreement remains the same. Help us with our heist, don¡¯t fuck us over, and go. Take your cut and go offworld, far, far away from this sector, so we never cross paths again. Then I will have absolutely no reason to condemn you when you eventually pass on.¡±


    Vooch shuddered, giving Eric a look he never would have expected from a Seer.


    ¡°The horrible thing is that I know you¡¯re actually speaking the truth. If I leave in good faith¡­ you really will just let me go. Denying me any pretext to kill you at all, any loophole that would allow me to escape your doom upon my soul, no matter how glorious my fate-bending perks might be.¡± He gave a dreadful little chuckle. ¡°Believe me, Contender. I plan on fulfilling my end of the bargain and never seeing you ugly face again!¡±


    Jack gazed at the seething goblin for long moments. ¡°So the heist we were planning¡­ it was all just a lure to destroy us?¡±


    Vooch snorted. ¡°Are you really that dense boy? Yes! Both you and your entire guild, and the parents among you that actually matter.¡±


    ¡°But the treasure in those containers¡­ it¡¯s real? People as advanced and sophisticated enough to take over world really send duplicate shipments by mistake?¡± Emily asked with a skeptical frown.


    ¡°Of course! And it was no accident. Clearly it¡¯s to make sure the chosen scions get exactly what they need to prosper and grow, even should unexpected wildcards like the bastard half-elf smirking beside me right now actually enter the competition and throw all our predictions to the winds!¡±


    Yuki blanched, then glared. ¡°Eric, he¡¯s breaking his word...¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Technically, I am a bastard. What of it? If I allow a begrudging ally¡¯s snarky comments to throw me off my game, then I really will have a glaring weakness that any other Seer could easily take advantage of. So as far as I¡¯m concerned¡­ this is just training. Right Stumpy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, dickwad! Now tell your clueless friends that Aurelia¡¯s surprise moves or no, we have a dozen people in place more than eager for the idiot-savants here to make a single error in judgment that we can then use to wipe them all from the board! Because with both gnoll contenders now dead thanks to Eric here...¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t actually kill Sylvis,¡± Eric qualified.


    Vooch frowned at that. ¡°Regardless, with both of those fools down and their hotheaded champions taking their place, everything¡¯s going to be a bit chaotic, and those high strung shits would absolutely love to consolidate their position with a clean sweep of all the major human factions within New York city before they tear through all the territories leading straight to the duchy of Boston.¡±


    ¡°Boston¡¯s a duchy? Nice. What faction claimed it?¡±


    Vooch snorted. ¡°A human one, you ignorant idiot. Why do you think the gnolls have just allied with the Black Tusk Tribe? They¡¯re eager to consolidate their grip upon the Northeast and that starts with controlling all major cities, trade networks, access to shipping, and working their way inland.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°A consolidation power play with a second major city soon to be under their control. I can see why the gnolls and their newest allies are finally showing their teeth! But still, this sounds a bit intricate for jackal-heads alone to think through. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re also working with your fellow brother and sister seers?¡±


    Vooch snarled and spat. ¡°They¡¯re the farthest thing from kin and you¡¯re damned lucky I can counter them! But only to a point. And yes, of course we¡¯re the masterminds behind this operation! Who do you think stands to profit the most when all¡¯s said and done?¡±


    The goblin seer¡¯s glare abruptly transformed to twisted mirth as he cackled with discordant laughter. ¡°I swear, those fools as bad about checking for contractual loopholes as you stupid humans are!¡± He sighed, shaking his head with a fond smile. ¡°Those yapping little shits are lucky we¡¯re feeling generous. They won¡¯t even be wearing slave collars by the time all¡¯s said and done. Hell, they may actually come out ahead!¡±


    The smirking goblin¡¯s face twisted back into a snarl. ¡°But you¡¯d better believe that by the end of it all, New York will be ours in every way that counts, as will Boston, and we¡¯ll be ready for anything you fools throw our way!¡±


    Eric flashed a positively manic grin at that. ¡°Whelp, I guess we all know what that means!¡±


    Emily frowned. ¡°No, Eric Orcbane, we don¡¯t.¡±


    Jack clenched his grip on his javelin, glaring back in the direction of New York. ¡°Clearly it means we should stay the hell away from all coastal cities and call off this heist bullshit altogether.¡±


    Eric rubbed his chin. ¡°Sure. It could mean that. Or...¡±


    ¡°Or?¡±


    ¡°Or it could mean that we take advantage of the chaos and rob New York absolutely blind!¡± Eric said with a wink. ¡°We just need a little bit of planning, preparation, and teamwork. And I think I know just who to bring on board.¡±


    Emily gazed at him disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡±


    ¡°As the grave.¡±


    Eric turned to Vooch. ¡°Can you get us all the pertinent info for both the UFN Vault and the Federal Repository?¡±


    The gnome blinked, gazing at Eric in wide-eyed disbelief. ¡°Wait, let me get this straight¡­ you¡¯re actually going to let me go? You¡¯re worst nightmare? And trust me to both get the pertinent info you need and not stab you all in the back when you¡¯re not looking? And if you think you have a shot at breaking into either facility, you¡¯re a fucking madman!¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Yes, to all of it. I got a good feeling about you, Stumpy. Somehow I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to let me down.¡± His smile hardened. ¡°Because with my mark upon your soul¡­ you¡¯d be a fool to do so.¡±


    Vooch gazed at Eric for long moments, before finally shrugging. ¡°Sure. Why the fuck not? Now we just need a decent dead drop.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Just dig a hole anywhere in that zone of frigid earth you yourself said was severed from the cords of fate. Which hopefully means that none of your fellow Seers will be able to trace what the fuck you¡¯re doing or leaving, even if the papers themselves are hot. Just place a stone or log on top with a single drop of your blood.¡± Eric¡¯s smile widened. ¡°We have an arcane connection now. So I¡¯ll be able to sense both the dead drop and any unexpected malice you might have towards me¡­ from quite a ways away.¡±


    Vooch blinked. ¡°Fuck if that isn¡¯t actually a fairly decent plan. Alright, it will take me a few days to get what you need. I recommend we not communicate via interface for obvious fucking reasons. Give me a week¡¯s time. I¡¯ll check every few days after the first week for any further messages.¡± He tilted his head. ¡°If you¡¯re serious, and you¡¯re willing to take that extra step, let me know when you need a distraction.¡± He flashed a mirthless smile. ¡°So none of you can ever say that I didn¡¯t do my part to earn my share.¡±


    ¡°And then you¡¯ll have a karmic weight on us, if we leave you high and dry,¡± Steven noted.


    Vooch smirked. ¡°I¡¯m glad we understand each other. Now if that¡¯s all¡­ I¡¯m going to stick around you idiots until my arms grow back, and then I¡¯m out.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sure. But we¡¯re just about to head to the adjoining Orange.¡±


    Vooch¡¯s confident demeanor slipped. ¡°You¡¯re fucking insane. It¡¯s a pure fluke that the oversized herbivore monstrosities this close to New York aren¡¯t aggressive, just damn close to indestructible. But the adjoining territories?¡± He shuddered. ¡°We never enter them without the veli forcefields on full.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Which is why you might want to hop out now.¡±


    Vooch glared. ¡°Fucker.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°A pleasure doing business with you, Stumpy. I hope we all end up rich as lords, and that you and I never see each other again.¡±


    ¡°Finally, something we can agree on!¡± Vooch back-flipped out of the vehicle with effortless grace, seeming to fade into the shadows in the blink of an eye. ¡°Later, losers!¡±

 Chapter 324 - Do you really think he’s going to be okay, daring that delve alone?

    Eric hummed to himself as he drove them to the next delve sight, pausing only to gaze in admiration at the magnificent stegosaurus and ankylosauruses that were far more massive than any earth equivalent, contentedly munching on a plethora of giant conifers as the air turned increasingly hot and humid.


    ¡°Fuck, Eric, I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m level 49. I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ dying back here. AC please?¡± moaned Jack.


    ¡°This is the part where you turn on the force fields and give us all a blast of cool air,¡± Yuki said helpfully, grinning through the cute wet sheen on her face, cheeks flushed like she had just¡­


    Eric cleared his throat and looked away. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a little problem with that.¡±


    ¡°And that would be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually know what the hell I¡¯m doing. See those nobs and that swivel? I have absolutely no idea what the fuck any of that does.¡± His grin widened at their dismayed looks. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you another secret.¡± He lifted up his hands, the odd half-dome steering wheel moving itself. ¡°I made an arcane mastery check. Turns out I can steer this veli with just a steady stream of Arcane Energy! Which is good, because I haven¡¯t exactly figured out how to drive this veli at all.¡±


    ¡°Look out!¡± Emily screeched, but Eric was already on it, pulling to a neat stop before they could crash into the massive fern that had popped up out of nowhere.


    Yuki gave him a look. ¡°Dude¡­ do you even have a driver¡¯s license?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°No one needs licenses in post-apocolyptica, baby!¡±


    ¡°No. Seriously.¡±


    Eric mumbled something.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What was that? It sounded almost like you said you FAILED your driver¡¯s test!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ maybe?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°I heard that when Elonia was doing Love-Bug Three, she didn¡¯t even use a stunt driver. That was her behind the wheel, tearing up the curves at sixteen!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Which is why I never needed to learn at all.¡±


    Rich sighed. ¡°Get out of the driver¡¯s seat, Eric. You¡¯ve been demoted.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine. Just wake me up when we get there.¡±


    Eric closed his eyes to meditate, when he realized that they hadn¡¯t moved an inch.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Richy Rich?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Contender. My interface isn¡¯t telling me jack shit about the terrain¡­ so I don¡¯t exactly know how to get wherever the hell we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°That does sort of complicate things, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Richard sighed. ¡°Get the fuck back up here and let me show you how to actually use this thing.¡±


    Eric chuckled, rubbing his hands like a supervillain. ¡°Excellent. My master plan is finally coming to fruition.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Now the right pedal is what we call a BREAK, Eric. Can you say break?¡±


    ¡°Fool should have learned this shit half a fucking decade ago,¡± Yuki murmured.


    Emily snorted. ¡°I know, right? How did he ever manage to date?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need cars in New York City!¡± Eric snapped, earning a snort from Steve.


    ¡°For a guy who was talking major badass J. Bourne style smack with Yuki before cowing an actual Goblin Seer into submission, you sure are defensive about your lack of game.¡±


    Eric suppressed a groan.


    This was definitely going to be a long ride.


    ¡°Well shit, you did it, Eric. Led us right to it.¡±


    Eric look back at Yuki, after admiring the glaring slit in reality bleeding ebony darkness and red light the exact same shade as blood.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Did you really have any doubt?¡±


    Yuki smirked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer that directly, just count the number of times we nearly crashed.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but you can¡¯t count those bear-wog things that kept chasing us.¡±


    ¡°You mean the animals you found any excuse to leap out of the car and chase down, running about five times as fast as you can drive this thing, eager to show off at something you don¡¯t suck at?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Duly noted.¡±


    Emily gazed solemnly at the glaring sliver of alien energies pouring into their world. ¡°Um¡­ so, yeah. So, we¡¯re in a territory full of aggressive six-limbed bear abominations that could chew through a tank, Rich is only halfway certain our forcefields will protect us, this rift looks a hell of a lot less peaceful than the one we learned the ins and outs of, and we don¡¯t know anything about what¡¯s on the other side.¡±


    Eric gave an enthusiastic nod. ¡°I know. Isn¡¯t this exciting?¡±


    ¡°More like, perilous as hell, but to each their own, I guess.¡±


    Eric caught Emily¡¯s nervous smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re all still partied up. So I¡¯ll take a quick look inside, and you all can anchor me from here. If things look doable? We¡¯ll go in as a group.¡±


    ¡°And if not?¡± Rich asked, gazing intently at Eric as he closed his eyes and whispered a string of syllables that caused light to shimmer in the air.


    Steve jolted back and cursed when a heater shield scribed with crimson sigils manifested upon Eric¡¯s left forearm.


    ¡°This guy actually knows magic! Shit, what spell is he casting?¡±


    ¡°Runic variant,¡± Eric said, his eyes opening once more, gazing fondly at the shield on his arm. ¡°This one was formed from the runes for resiliency, strength, blood, and wood, with the form of a historically typical round shield and a one day duration.¡±


    Emily was gazing at him far too intently for comfort.


    ¡°Eric, what the hell? I¡¯ve never heard of a spell that works like that!¡±


    Jack shrugged. ¡°Must be some eccentric class power.¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a node power that pretty much anyone can claim, so long as you have access to both a Mana Pool and a Qi Pool. It allows for unlimited magical flexibility, so long as you can learn the appropriate runes. And for those truly committed, a second properly invested node will even let you take the runic chants you master and transform them to fast-cast spells.¡±


    He frowned thoughtfully, ignoring their odd looks. ¡°Though honestly, unless you¡¯re a gifted genius, you might be better off learning them directly from me, and investing a character point or two helping to imprint the spells you want with your future level up.¡±


    ¡°Unlimited casting potential manipulating two potency pools? Needing only one or two nodes to use as well as any wizard¡¯s carefully hoarded handful of spells? Fuck, do you have any idea how valuable this information is?¡± Steve said with a breathless whisper.


    Eric just smiled. ¡°Probably worth a fuck ton. I don¡¯t care. I¡¯d happily give it away. As far as I¡¯m concerned, it¡¯s just feed capital for the most precious investment of all. The blossoming of our race into its full potential, so that our enemies can no longer slaughter and enslave us in the middle of our own ascension!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes flashed with unmistakable heat before he laughed off his own outrage. His friends had done absolutely nothing wrong, and didn¡¯t need to be subjected to the fury he held only for his enemies. Never his allies.


    So instead he flashed a maverick grin. ¡°As far as making an absolute killing goes, I¡¯d rather have my enemies foot the bill, not a bunch of struggling survivors just trying to make it through the day and take care of themselves and their families. And that, my fine friends, is where our multi-billion dollar heist comes in.¡±


    ¡°And maybe taking over the world when no one¡¯s looking?¡± Jack said with a cheeky smile.


    Eric¡¯s laugh sent shivers down everyone¡¯s spine. ¡°Trust me, Jack. When I decide it¡¯s finally time to pull out the dominion card, people will know.¡±


    His glare eased to a cheeky grin once more. ¡°For now, however, I¡¯m all about that sweet, sweet twenty percent. And of course, earning those twelve point titles for myself and all my closest friends.¡±


    Eric then leaped for the portal, laughing like a madman about to face his greatest fears as he jumped through.


    * * *


    For long moments, silence filled the velimobile, the distant sounds of massive six-limbed bears putting everyone on edge.


    ¡°Keep a sharp eye out, Ron,¡± Richard warned. ¡°Yuki, take the wheel. If we see any shit head our way, be ready to race out at full speed if we don¡¯t think we can handle it. The rest of you, it¡¯s time to build basic fortifications just like with our former base.¡±


    Steve peered at the rift thoughtfully. ¡°Do you really think he¡¯s going to be okay, daring that delve alone?¡±


    Rich nodded. ¡°He should be. We¡¯re still group linked. He¡¯ll hopefully have no problem sensing right where the exit is, just like we can sense the pull of his presence. It¡¯s only if we¡¯re forced to drive away at full speed that we risk snapping it, and Eric getting lost in there.¡±


    ¡°There are worse outcomes,¡± Ron slowly suggested, before flinching at a party-full of hard gazes. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that¡¯s optimal. Only that it beats us dying out here in a lost cause fight, if we¡¯re swarmed by abominations no one¡¯s studied, let alone cleared.¡±


    Yuki slowly dipped her head. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll save our own asses if we¡¯re in peril. But I¡¯m not going to abandon a teammate who put his life on the line saving ours, and found a path to earn us twelve fucking level-up points with every first clear! And what¡¯s he asking in return for a carry that would net him an absolute fortune if he sold out to our racial enemies?¡±


    Emily flashed a pained smile. ¡°Nothing. Except maybe friends who won¡¯t fuck him over the minute it¡¯s convenient to do so. Right, Ron?¡±


    The older man flinched before her angry glare. ¡°My mission is to keep you safe, Emily. If we can accomplish that while making new friends and boosting our abilities, I¡¯m all for it. But make no mistake, your lives matter to me far more than a wildcard maverick who nearly got us all killed.¡±

 Chapter 325 - Drifting into the void.

    You have successfully saved against NIGHTMARE!


    You laugh at the specter of your own terror!


    You have critically struck your foe!


    Eric jolted awake, finding himself once more in the ruins of Newark, and his rune shield was gone as if it had never been.


    The despairing wales and desperate cries of those doomed for the Orc fire pits filled the air.


    Eric jolted upright, eyes alight with terror¡­ before Unified Perception kicked in and he better sensed the realm about him.


    For as much as he found himself stepping upon Gilton¡¯s battle-scarred streets, peering upon ruined buildings, he sensed as well the specters that hid so well from both vision and the arcane¡­ but who¡¯s spiritual and heat signatures were unmistakable.


    But even understanding the phantasmal nature of the ruined city before him didn¡¯t dispel the background, any more than flicking a casually claimed stone from outside interacted with the ruined sentinels of concrete and steel.


    Eric flashed a cold smile, his mind briefly flickering through all his options as he wrapped a strip of cloth around his eyes.


    Because the best way to handle enemies invisible to the eye when surrounded by deceptive phantasms was not to use them at all.


    His exquisite heat sense and arcane perception was what he now relied upon, working every bit as well as when he once hunted rats in the sewers of Gilton, from the very start.


    Instantly, he got a sense of the numbers arrayed against him, realizing there weren¡¯t just a few handfuls but scores of specter-like spirits rapidly closing in.


    So Eric didn¡¯t bother fucking around. He had already survived one delve where not understanding his foe¡¯s weaknesses had come perilously close to killing him, yet once he understood the nature of his foes¡­ his efforts were richly rewarded.


    Just as they were now, once more.


    You have summoned forth: Blood Orb.


    Note! Necromantic abilities have been formally outlawed by the Northeastern Branch of the United Federation of Nations!


    UFN warning disregarded.


    What what goes on in a delve STAYS in a delve!


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    You have critically struck multiple Level 65 Specters!


    Your lightning has lanced MULTIPLE targets!


    You have CRITICALLY STRUCK multiple targets!


    You have successfully slain six Specters!


    Experience earned!


    (60 Mana, 60 Qi & 3 Soul Reserves expended.)


    Eric flashed a fierce grin at the sounds of his rapidly approaching foes screaming as they faded away to oblivion, Eric instantly seizing the Vor and raining furious lightning upon a rapidly routing enemy. It was with fiercest satisfaction that he witnessed creatures so like the ones that had once come so close to killing him now rupturing before his fury as easily as throwing stones at brittle glass houses. And in less than two minutes, he was already at the brink of earning another level.


    He tempered his manic joy, however, when a pair of darker shadows sought to strike him from behind, somehow utterly certain that their touch would have horrific repercussions for his friends¡­ even if he should survive a couple of their blows. Hopefully.


    Quickness check made!


    Speed Racer in effect!


    You easily escape encirclement!


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    Eric howled with fury and glee. Finally, he was able to cut loose without stricture or fury. He could finally push all thoughts of vicious intrigue and cold-hearted betrayal into a tiny frigid corner of his mind, along with the agony he knew he was already over, happy to revel in the sheer joy of OBLITERATING his foes and sucking in their juicy soul-force and he was absolutely flooded with sweet potency and power, his Blood Lightning becoming both far more efficient and deadly than it had ever been before.


    Crimson Lightning is now Rank 10!


    Efficiency perk AUTOMATICALLY taken!


    You have achieved Rank 59 as a Primal adventurer!


    Crimson Lightning is now Rank 11!


    Crimson Lightning is now Rank 12!


    Crimson Lightning is now Rank 13!


    You have achieved Rank 9 as a Runic Spell Forger!


    You have been completely surrounded by EXTREME Hostile Potency!


    Warning! This counts as a BRONZE TIER OPPONENT!


    For a time, Eric¡¯s laughter rang through the massive cavern, even as he sensed the trap closing in.


    An irresistible clarion call to the dozens¡­ no, hundreds, of bitter revenants and specters so fragile that they couldn¡¯t even exist in the outer world. Only in here could savor the tainted spiritual pressure they needed to exist. Frigid howls of ghostly apparitions now filled the air, sending shivers even through Eric¡¯s crimson haze, Spiritual Perception making it exquisitely clear the weight of tortured souls that eagerly wanted him to join their ranks.


    And Eric was no longer lashing out with abandon, having to weave and dodge with disciplined focus that rapidly became tinged with desperation, refusing to feel shocked, or horrified, when frigid breath caressed his Rune enhanced armor only to freeze it right off, and a chunk of Eric¡¯s 284 Vitality underneath.


    As if over 4000 Health and massive resistances meant nothing at all.


    Between one heartbeat and the next, what had at first been a glorious chance to let go, before evolving into a glorious exercise, harnessing both his reflexes and his Potency Reserves while enhancing his deadliest skill, had somehow become a death trap.


    Suddenly, Eric found himself not just herded but utterly surrounded by not dozens but hundreds of hungry, powerful specters, as the frigid whispers that froze his ears off became cackles of glee that scratched and bled across his soul.


    Only then did the cold taste of mortal peril finally snap Eric out of his berserker¡¯s haze, as a sudden sense of his own mortal peril, and recollection some of the most dangerous fights of his life all clicked together in a single desperate act revelation, realizing that he had been leaving his trump card unplayed for far too long.


    He opened his mouth wide, mind racing along too long neglected paths, savoring warped magics that had NOTHING to do with the symmetry of Runic arts, but were rather the discordant clashing of all three of his major disciplines. He visualized himself ramming opposed forces together in the desperate hope that the resulting reaction would work just as well as it had when facing a zombie incursion in the heart of Junk town, what now felt like a lifetime ago.


    Even as he utterly failed to account for the differences in power that dozens of levels and massive boosts to his stat pools would make, as he whispered the word that would unleash catastrophe.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°ABJURO!¡±


    Eric roared, and the world flashed Brilliant white, before inky darkness that tasted of screams and blood and the very realm being torn asunder left him hurtling through the air, fighting to maintain consciousness as his body suffered Catastrophic injury.


    You have successfully unleashed UNORTHODOX ABJURATION!


    UNORTHODOX ABJURATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY FUSED TO THE ESSENCE OF DOMINION!


    You have managed to summon a HIGHER ORDER MANIFESTATION OF DOMINION!


    Your abjuration transcends all known limits.


    CRITICAL SUCCESS!


    You have slain 169 Greater Specters!


    Unorthodox Abjuration is now Rank 21!


    Unorthodox Abjuration is now Rank 22!


    Unorthodox Abjuration is now Rank 23!


    you have successfully learned the Necromancer Spell Variant:


    TRANSCENDENT ABJURATION!


    Obliterate your undead opponents and any pocket rift they¡¯d are nest within with a higher order manifestation of Dominion! - Cost to cast: 40 Mana / 40 Qi / 40 Psion / 40 Soul Reserves. (Efficiency will increase, should you dare to master this spell!)


    You have suffered catastrophic damage!


    You have achieved Level 60 as a Primal Adventure!


    You have achieved Level 61 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You have achieved Level 62 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You have achieved Level 63 as a Primal Adventurer!


    Your fourth node has SUCCESSFULLY ASCENDED!


    Potency surge is healing all injuries at 140 fold basic rate!


    Unified Restoration is now Rank 12!


    Unified Restoration is now Rank 13!


    NOTE! You have successfully ruptured your local rift!


    Boss Monsters have NOT been defeated! You are unable to shape the fate of this rift! Rift closure will occur in 30...29...28¡­


    For an endless moment, Eric felt nothing but blinding agony that would have consumed him then and there, had he not learned the awful art of fusing the essence of Dominion right into his very nerves, FORCING them to obey and mute his agony. Yet even so, his skin feeling like it was both freezing and boiling as his eyes bulged, but didn¡¯t burst, and he sensed himself hurtling into the void, as the rift rupture shrank in the distance.


    For a moment he allowed himself the luxury of panic, even as his lungs ached with the need to vent the air trapped in his lungs, thoughts racing to his time battling cackling Shamans who had sent him hurtling into the heavens to the wards he had placed muting G-force itself.


    Only he was now far beyond any earthly atmosphere, hurtling into the depths of endless frigid darkness, being relentlessly pulled away from the distant sliver of warm, life-giving light slipping free of the ruptured rift into the starless void.


    Praying that his desperate plan would work, Eric allowed the tiniest trickle of air to leave his lips, mouthing words he didn¡¯t need to hear, so long as the energy trapped within his frame could blossom forth.


    ¡°Inverto gravitas! Roboro Gravitas! Unos Attentio!¡± Eric screamed in his mind with every iota of focus, and suddenly it was as if he weighed a thousand pounds. His weightless plummet into the void quickly reversed, and he was hurtling towards an event horizon that was the closing rift itself. A rift shining brilliant colors into the starless void. A rift that was still closing, and Eric realized to his horror that he would be too late.


    ¡°Eric? Fuck, you idiot! Roboro Ventus Unos Attentio!¡±


    Eric was surprised beyond belief to here Bunbun¡¯s voice. Even more so to feel a strong blast of frigid air pressing against his back, the void itself eager to claim it all, allowing it to smash against his back with no resistance at all, and suddenly, to his profound, heartfelt relief, it seemed like he just might slip through the rift in the nick of time.


    Then a warm cloak of light, heat, and life-giving air embraced him, and he wanted to laugh for joy, before realizing that he was hurtling for the ground at breakneck speeds.


    In that instant he understood his absolute peril, and that he had no time at all to do anything, most definitely not evolve an instantaneous spell, or scream out a four word chant in twenty seconds. Yet there was one thing he could most definitely do. That which allowed him to embrace a combat sensed utterly beyond his opponent¡¯s ken, resisting the kinetic force of blows as if they were far slower than they actually were.


    He pushed his ephemeral slow time state to the absolute limit, every instant seeming to stretch endlessly as his level up points shot into Quickness, Finesse, and Perception as they so often did, enhancing the effects even further. Because the difference between being gently poked in the chest or having ones heart explode from impact had everything to do with the speed of the projectile, all other factors being equal. Or, perhaps just as valid, it had everything to do with the relative perception of speed.


    Because if time was now going at a fraction of normal speed for Eric as his mind absolutely blazed with all the information he could process in his environment, then hopefully his body would be equally capable of handling the kinetic force of impact. Regardless he could sense with such clarity, in those endless awful moments the crater of absolute destruction he had caused upon a featureless grey canyon of a rift. If nothing else, most of Gilton¡¯s post-apocalyptic remains had been abjured, along with hundreds of specters that had thought Eric such easy prey.


    He sensed as well the utter fragility of this realm, the crater that was paper thin in some fourth-dimensional hard to define way. Yet the gate of mist he sensed just a short distance away, that any smart, careful party could have gotten to after only having to fight half a dozen perilous encounters, so long as they could see the apparitions, and knew how to protect against, dispel, destroy, or simply avoid those specters¡­ still glowed with potency.


    Without a doubt, the boss monster was alive and well.


    Eric could only pray that it would stay in its corner of the Delve as he finally made contact. Even with Combat-time in full effect, he still had to endure feeling like a thousand pounds of weight was upon his back for long seconds as he crouched and rolled, allowing his legs and maneuvering to absorb the force, and then he was upright once more.


    Because a thousand pounds of weight would definitely have crushed any mortal. But with his present physique¡­ it had amounted to no more than momentary muscle strain.


    Then he sat his ass down and meditated, pretending he wasn¡¯t shuddering with adrenaline and the after effects of coming so damned close to death. Again. So many fucking times in one day.


    Yet all he had to do was close his eyes and feel the horrific darkness clawing into his eyes, ears, every pour of his skin as he was sent endlessly hurtling away from a tiny patch of light representing light, life, and home¡­


    He choked back a terrified sob. Focusing on nothing more than his breathing.


    In, out.


    Not moving an inch until an hour had passed, and all his reserves had been restored.


    He had learned several important lessons that day. One was to be damned careful of overconfidence, even when he felt in complete control of the situation. Because until he had run a given dungeon at least once¡­ anything could catch him off guard.


    Like nearly 200 60+ level Greater Specters in a single city-wide cavern he had managed to aggro nearly all at once.


    And the fact that his Greater Abjuration Spell, that was more like an arcane fusion reaction than any sort of harmonious fusion of his elemental arts, could send shockwaves through the ether that, in addition to being capable of severing even a Bronze-tier Undead¡¯s links to the world at large, also had the very potential to rip oven delves and spill him into the void¡­


    Because he had actually managed to fuse a higher order manifestation of absolute Dominion upon the most unorthodox of spells. To the point he had learned a new spell variant of abjuration based on Dominion alone.


    It was a profound feat, utterly unexpected, miraculous, and it had nearly gotten him killed.


    And at a cost of 40 Mana, Soul Reserves, Spiritual Energy and Psion¡­ it sure as fuck wasn¡¯t cheap, though it definitely represented overwhelming Dominion in the form of overwhelming force, if nothing else.


    He then allowed himself to savor the massive silver-lining in what truly had been a perilous encounter. Five level-ups in a single Delve!


    With a Quickness now over 400, and Finesse and Perception rapidly approaching a sweet 250, he was now able to think, process stimuli, and move faster than he ever had before. But he was definitely feeling the strain more than ever before as well, thanks to the difference between the three stats growing ever greater.


    Alex decided right then and there to focus on Finesse or Perception exclusively to try and lock in massive 30% bonuses he¡¯d get if he managed to hit 300 points in either one before any other Contender that he had absolutely no doubt was out there even now, gunning for those titles. And the closer he got one and preferably both of those stats to 300, the more effortless his Battle-time senses would be.


    Yet for all that he savored those incredibly sweet gains, there was a certain System message that froze him stiff with dread. The fact that somehow a fourth node had already ascended, and he had been given no choice in its evolution whatsoever.


    He shook his head, knowing it was foolish, perhaps, but he just didn¡¯t have the mental energy to endure bad news that could mean the end of his limitless run, as what were the actual odds that he would have earned a node that once more harmoniously balanced with his Essences and the elements as a whole? Not very fucking lightly.


    ¡°One thing at at time,¡± he thought. ¡°First, let¡¯s shepherd those kids through this Delve and see if we have the grit to handle one final one. Then head for the outskirts of Freetown for a certain shack well out of goblin territory. Then we see if Morlekai¡¯s pad is still the safe haven that I pray it is, free from probing eyeballs with all the enhancements they purchased. Because I got questions and hopefully they have the answers I need.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes snapped open, sensing reds approaching. When a random spirit floated by less than fifty feet away, Eric moved like shadow, easing through the dark until he had returned to the entrance, having tested for himself just how easy it would be for the average party to slip past doom undetected, so long as they didn¡¯t get within twenty feet or unleash Blood Lighting, roaring their challenge to the world.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s get the crew in, and make sure they can lock in at least one kill. Tying themselves to the fate of this dungeon, it¡¯s potency would then become their own. Then I hop through the gate and blast the final fucker, because there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to risk my friends against the boss-tier version of specters that can freeze chunks of even my flesh off. Then hopefully they get those twelve points and we¡¯re fucking out of here.¡±


    He flashed a wry smile. ¡°And it looks like even whispering is too loud for 100% stealth mode. So bye, approaching specter, we¡¯ll be back to kill you shortly.¡±


    Then, pretending his heart wasn¡¯t still pounding and he hadn¡¯t been meditating in absolute stillness for a full hour to enact a System reset¡­ because he had been both terrified, depleted, and dizzy as fuck after pushing Battle-time so damned hard¡­ he forced himself to step through the gate, praying he would find more than just the endless void beyond.

 Chapter 326 - A little friendly competition.

    ¡°Ron! Shield on full! Jack, back him up! Steve, we need those orbs, Emily, freeze the fuck out of them!¡±


    Richards voice held steady, despite the perilous odds.


    Eric emerged to the stench of coppery blood, animal musk, and ruptured entrails.


    He took in the hastily made fortifications and the half dozen giant six-limbed bears with four beady red eyes and massive oversized jaws that had no place in Earth¡¯s own ursine evolution. But clearly that didn¡¯t mean shit when a particularly large specimen smashed through the thick foliage of the nearby forest abutting the clearing, raising itself to an impressive fifteen feet height and roaring for blood as it lowered its paws and charged forward, Ron and a visibly panting Jack bracing their perk-boosted shields to meet it, Yuki suddenly appearing from stealth to hamstring the absurdly fast bear as it managed to slam her over in passing before leaping in the air as Steve desperately chanted his Obsidian spell, Emily¡¯s stream of ice doing nothing to slow the bear¡¯s momentum.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡± Eric roared, the air thrumming with the crack and boom of a massive bolt of crimson lightning blasting through the giant bear¡¯s head.


    Quickness check made! You have successfully struck: Greater Ursine Abomination!


    Finesse check made! You¡¯ve managed to avoid striking and killing any of your friends!


    Greater Ursine has suffered Stunning Blow!


    Greater Ursine is temporarily incapacitated!


    Eric¡¯s teammates needed no more of an opening than that, Ron¡¯s sword glowing a bright red-orange hue as he plunged it into the beast, Jack¡¯s clear exhaustion turning to berserker fury as he plunged his pilum into the creature¡¯s eye sockets repeatedly, even Rich methodically cleaving through all its tendons, lest any last second swipe spell anyone¡¯s end.


    Steve and Emily were panting, catching their breath, no doubt mana depleted, and clearly in no hurry, and Yuki was picking herself up and wiping the splatter and gore from her enchanted leathers while cursing and glaring at the now massive corpse she had failed to get a piece of. She then turned her ire to Eric.


    ¡°What the fuck, man? You were gone for nearly an hour! I thought you were planning on a simple fucking recon! In and out, asshole, and then we make our call. Because we¡¯re in the middle of Death-Bear valley, up to our hips in creatures trying to kill us!¡±


    Eric winced, noting the accusatory glares in addition to the concerned glances, then bowed his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. I fucked up, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Richard¡¯s scowl softened. ¡°At least you¡¯re not too proud to acknowledge that, Contender or no. So what the fuck happened?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I got in a bit over my head and managed to rupture the rift, then crawled back in before getting lost in the void. After that, I needed a good hour to recover my reserves and sanity¡­ because that was some serious nightmare shit right there.¡±


    The group before him went dead silent, their stares boring into his increasingly heated cheeks.


    ¡°Did I hear you correctly, Eric Orcbane?¡± Steve tilted his head. ¡°You actually managed to rupture a fucking rift?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It sealed itself back up. Though it¡¯s still a bit fragile right now.¡±


    ¡°How? Just tell me how!¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°By being a cocky asshole even at level nine and discovering a way to combine three separate disciplines in ways that were utterly discordant, then using that discordance to rupture the cords of magic linking the dead to the realm of the living. Only¡­ what worked great for abjuring undead at level 9 sort of tore apart the entire rift at level 59.¡±


    Richard gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yes, fearless leader?¡±


    ¡°I want you to promise me, right now, that you will never use that ability, whatever it was, when we¡¯re in a rift with you. Can we categorically agree on that?¡±


    Eric blinked, opened his mouth to qualify that stricture, noted the glares, and immediately nodded his head. ¡°Sure. No problem.¡±


    Rich¡¯s glare softened. He gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Fair enough. What can you tell us about the delve?¡±


    Half the party flinched when the roar of rapidly approaching bears could be heard.


    Eric nonchalantly passed his friends sandwiches and beer. ¡°Greater Specters around level sixty. Their touch will hurt you, no matter how tough you think you are. Hell. They can even freeze chunks of my flesh off, and considering my stats and who my mom is, I get the feeling that I¡¯m a bit more cold resistant than most.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    He quickly spoke on, seeing their horrified expressions. ¡°The good news is that they¡¯re slow. But they can only be effected by a limited number of attacks, including Qi infused lightning, preferably with ties to Blood magic and Necromantic Abjuration.¡± He gazed thoughtfully at Steve. ¡°Steve¡¯s Obsidian Orbs might actually be pretty effective, and since he¡¯ll connect you all to the rift¡¯s causality field with his kills, that will hopefully lock you all in for party experience, delve experience, and give you all credit for first-clearing the dungeon with me.¡±


    He turned to Richard as the pair of giant six-limbed bears rapidly closed. ¡°Hell, now that I think about it, they might be particularly vulnerable to your paladin repulsion aura, which is a very, very good thing. We need to do all we can to lock you all in to the field so that when I take out Mr. Boss in the adjoining room, everyone gets at least partial credit.¡±


    Ron scowled. ¡°And why the fuck wouldn¡¯t we join you?¡±


    ¡°Because I have absolutely no idea what a Boss-tier Specter will do to me, but I¡¯m pretty fucking sure it will one shot one or all of you, and that¡¯s not something I feel like dealing with right now.¡±


    His casual comment caused even Ron to pale.


    ¡°I¡¯m totally cool letting Orcbane do his thing and chilling in the next room,¡± Ricky quickly said. ¡°So, what are we waiting for? Bears are closing in!¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°You guys have been pushed just like I was, and shame on me for not making sure this area, at least, was clear of hostiles before practically abandoning you. So eat your sandwiches, drink your beers, recharge your energy, and I¡¯ll take care of the bears until we¡¯re all at peak once more. Fair?¡±


    They all exchanged looks, and strangely relieved smiles.


    ¡°Sounds good, Eric. Solid plan,¡± Rich said.


    Yuki smirked, eyes twinkling. ¡°You so sure you can take on all those ursine badboys yourself, big guy?¡±


    Eric grinned right back. ¡°You looking for some competition, Yuki Li?¡±


    She chuckled throatily. ¡°Maybe I am. But we both know how that will go.¡±


    Her eyes widened when he casually handed her a Mark II arcane blaster rifle. ¡°Here. Let¡¯s even things out a bit.¡±


    She gave him an incredulous look. ¡°Shit, do you have any idea how illegal those things are?¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°More Terran Counsel bullshit? Rules deliberately designed to weaken us in whatever way they can, using our own culture¡¯s pretext to get us to willingly hinder ourselves, when we should all be uniting together and declaring all out war on goblin lawyers and orc soldiers alike.¡± He smirked and shook his head. ¡°So sorry, I didn¡¯t get any counsel memos. And even if I did¡­ Master Criminal perk and spoils of war, baby. Those fuckers can¡¯t touch me.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s gaze turned solemn. ¡°But they can touch me.¡±


    ¡°Which is why we¡¯re in the middle of an Orange-tier territory that frightened off even our Seer friend who now has a vested interest in people not looking our way.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes narrowed. Then her smile blossomed into something truly beautiful. ¡°Fucking hell, you¡¯re right. Blaster skill, here I come!¡±


    As if on cue, the first ursine horror burst from the trees.


    The air lit up with a flare of plasma, and the bear crashed to the ground, a massive crater where its left eye was.


    Jack glared at her. ¡°After all the skill ranks I earned and perk points I invested? Seriously?¡±


    Yuki smirked. ¡°I have class synergies in terms of Sense Weakness, Critical Strike, and Fatal Blow. Not to mention years of honing my skills in Uncle¡¯s underground dojo and gun range. And that fucker wasn¡¯t over level 45. Unlike the 70<sup>th</sup> level monster we just took out. And it¡¯s a tier 2 felony to get caught with these magical blasters... unless, of course, we decide to go to war with the entire UFN, like Eric here clearly wants to.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just saying...¡±


    But Jack just glared, wiping away the last of the sweet sauce from the sandwich he had happily devoured. ¡°Okay, that fucking fantastic pulled-pork sandwich hit the spot, so I¡¯m in this game too. Fuck if my spears are outplayed by some cheap ass goblin sniper rifle!¡±


    Eric grinned and sat back down, crossing his arms behind his head while enjoying the show of Jack versus Emily, both agreeing to take one side of the field, both of them more than capable of one-shotting any bear under level 50. The tougher bears, however, were a different story. There, Jack¡¯s dual nodes shined, the first pilum crippling and causing multiple negative status effects, including perforated organs and bleeds, before falling to the second pilum almost always¡­ whereas Yuki¡¯s perks only synergized perfectly for a perfect first strike. After her first shot, with the too smart ursine horrors then weaving and juking, Yuki needed to expend three shots or just switch to her naginata to finish it off. And since Eric made it clear she wasn¡¯t getting more ammo¡­


    ¡°I win!¡± Said a panting Jack, eyes bright with satisfaction thirty minutes later.


    Yuki, good sport that she was, clapped his shoulder and shook his hand. ¡°You crushed it. Nice job, Jack.¡±


    He chuckled ruefully. ¡°And you came so fucking close it wasn¡¯t funny, while not wasting any nodes at all.¡±


    Yuki shrugged. ¡°Illegal weapon, limited ammo. It was fun and got me some cross-class skill ranks. It¡¯s not my focus, but at least I¡¯m now confident that I can pop a goblin sniper at a mile out almost as well as he can pop any of us.¡± She gazed at the way Jack was holding his weapon with what even Eric thought of as an Olympian¡¯s unconscious grace, then smiled in approval.


    ¡°And Jack, here¡¯s another thing. Popping those bears with a Tier 2 mana-tech weapon didn¡¯t do shit for my experience pool. Only the ones I finished off with my naginata. And just by the way you move, I can tell that all the experience you¡¯re shunting to avoid hitting Level fifty went right into leveling up your badass javelin skills.¡±


    Jack¡¯s satisfied grin made it clear that she was spot on. ¡°Damn right! I am so glad I was able to lock myself out of fifty. I can literally feel my skills blooming like never before!¡±


    Eric smiled, relieved to see everyone dipping their heads in agreement, even Ron, making it clear that no one was playing the fool and rushing the levels with an inferior class.


    ¡°Alright, we done showing off our bear-popping skills? Great. Let¡¯s head in and check this place out for ourselves.¡± Richard nodded Eric¡¯s way. ¡°I assume you don¡¯t mind leading the charge?¡±


    ¡°No problem at all,¡± Eric said, entering the rift once more.

 Chapter 327 - There is a price for power that must be paid.

    Eric quickly jumped through the portal, coming up in a roll, Crimson Orb manifesting with a surge of his will as his right fist clenched and crackling with ruby-colored lightning. Darting eyes showed no specters approaching, so he took the long seconds needed to summon his blood shield ward, ready to unleash crackling doom in the blink of an eye.


    Yet there was nothing to be seen, save for the flickering remnants of a phantasmal city revealing the featureless expanse of an impossibly vast cavern marching off in the distance, broken only by a massive crater that seemed to waver and flicker between hyper-intense resolution, and a misty discorporeality that Eric sensed it would be a Very Bad Idea to walk through.


    Fortunately, Eric had no sense of shifting electromana pressures presaging any sort of collapse¡­ nor was he even sure how he was able to sense such a thing. But his danger sense wasn¡¯t tingling any sort of warning. Not unless he moved too close to the rupture fault line.


    As for the specters that had come so close to surrounding him before, he caught sight of only a few distant wisps of ethereal malice, buried in the corners and crevices of the remains of the city, with absolutely none inhabiting the area by the crater.


    Of course that was the first thing his friends focused upon emerging, Yuki taking the lead, immediately blending into shadow and giving the entire cavern a 360 pannoramic glance before confirming with a single nod from him that all was well. Then she faded back into the gloom, Eric certain she must have jumped back through, and seconds later it was Rich leading the charge with a glowing ward radiating something very similar to a cultivator¡¯s pristine spiritual energy springing up the moment that he stepped through, shield glowing like the gates of heaven in all the cathedral frescoes he had ever seen.


    ¡°Eric? What¡¯s the word?¡±


    ¡°Only a handful of Greater Specters left, fearless leader. They¡¯re lurking in the corners of the cavern. If you look in the far distance you can see the crackling portal of black and crimson light, near identical to the entrance. I¡¯m betting my bottom dollar that gate leads to the boss room. Now, if we want to try hunting down revenants, I¡¯m pretty sure I can find at least a few of them. Or, you can do your own thing.¡±


    Steve whistled. ¡°Jeez, this place is dark and dreary and that flickering half-real city is giving me serious creep vibes.¡±


    Emily swallowed. ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    She pointed toward the crater. ¡°That¡­ thing. Half the time it¡¯s so painfully crisp and detailed that I feel like I can make out every cracked rock and grain of sand to the point my mind screams from over-stimulation. Then, a minute or an hour or a second later, all I¡¯m seeing is a rough-hewn sketch of reality.¡± She paled and shivered. ¡°How could that be? How could that even exist, unless we¡¯re also some part of the collective drawing here?¡±


    Yuki paled, before flashing a nervous smile. ¡°Jeez, sister. Just had to go with the hardcore metaphysical questions, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh that. Don¡¯t worry about that. That¡¯s just where I ruptured the rift.¡± Eric explained, ignoring the stares he was presently being subjected to. ¡°Though I¡¯d sort of recommend avoiding that area¡­ just in case you don¡¯t come back? Yeah. I¡¯d definitely avoid it, unless you have spells or skills that let you survive oblivion long enough to crawl back in.¡±


    Ron was giving him the strangest look. ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about rupturing the rift, earlier, or about any of the other ridiculous shit you claim to have done. I mean, I thought you were shit-talking¡­ I knew you were shit-talking. But you weren¡¯t shit-talking at all, were you?¡±


    ¡°No. Why would I bother?¡±


    Ron gave a bitter laugh. ¡°Fucking monster. That¡¯s what you are.¡±


    Steve just shook his head. ¡°Come on, Ron. He¡¯s a Contender. Let¡¯s let it go at that.¡±


    Yet now it was Emily crossing her arms and glaring at Eric. ¡°It doesn¡¯t fucking matter! How the hell is it that he¡¯s so fucking strong that he can rip a hole in reality and, what, go skipping across dimensions?¡±


    Eric paled, recalling for a horrible second with visceral clarity just how terrifying it had been to be sent hurtling through the void, eternal inky blackness crushing him to nothing while the light of all that was warm and cheerful, the sweet blush of existence itself, slowly spun away from him, sealing itself up forever, consigning him to the eternal void.


    ¡°Eric? Eric! What the fuck, man. We need you focused!¡± Yuki hissed in his ear, jolting him out of the horror of his own thoughts.


    He flashed his friends an anxious smile. ¡°Sorry, um¡­ I guess I¡¯m not quite as over it as I had thought.¡±


    Emily swallowed, gazing at Eric a bit more gently than she had been before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eric. I guess that was uncalled for.¡±


    Eric forced a chuckle. ¡°Tell you one thing¡­ I wasn¡¯t skipping. More like screaming a desperate few last words that just barely allowed me to race back through the closing gate and into this precious world that I will never take for granted again¡­ or we wouldn¡¯t even be having this conversation. I¡¯d be dead. Maybe worse than dead.¡± He shuddered. ¡°Alright, come on. Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    He could sense the looks exchanged behind his back as he led them to the closest specter he sensed, just a short distance away. He was surprised to feel Yuki¡¯s gentle touch upon his hand. ¡°Um¡­ Eric?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Yuki?¡±


    She gazed at him, lips pressed tightly together, looking torn. Before her entire face lit up with a strikingly pretty smile. ¡°I guess it¡¯s kind of silly for me to hold back when you¡¯ve shared so much of your own secrets, and granted us boons and knowledge I think we¡¯re all grateful for.¡±


    Eric¡¯s tense features eased into a genuine smile. ¡°It¡¯s not problem. No skin off my back, and honestly, I¡¯m happy to earn a good-guy checkmark from at least one group of delvers who don¡¯t want to stab me in the back, use me, or squeeze me of any more than I¡¯m willing to give.¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Oh, we are most definitely taking advantage of your generosity, Eric Silver. And if you for one moment don¡¯t think we¡¯re grateful in turn...¡± He winced when he felt her finger flick his ear a bit too hard for a mortal, anyway. ¡°Then you truly are an idiot.¡±


    He didn¡¯t quite shudder when her husky breath sent shivers down his spine, cheeks flushing as f he hadn¡¯t engaged in earlier wildcat flirting while he was high with the sheer rush of just being alive¡­ and he still wasn¡¯t sure where his head was at, and maybe it didn¡¯t really matter in the end. All that mattered was that they survived, leveled up, and embraced a path that would get them so strong that no overbearing tyrant could casually slaughter them on a whim.


    So he chuckled at his own expense. ¡°You¡¯re probably right about that. But don¡¯t worry. I still have every intention of locking in a few kills for our group and taking out the big boss, locking a sweet take-home bonus for the entire team.¡±


    Her gaze softened ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yuki?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I try something?¡±


    He stopped, turning his focus entirely on her, measuring the weight underneath her intent gaze. ¡°Sure, go for it.¡±


    She took a deep breath. ¡°Will you yield party control to me?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°I thought Rich was the...¡±


    She covered his mouth, giving him a mock glare. ¡°Please, Eric. Don¡¯t insult us.¡±


    Eric smirked, noting that she was at least graceful enough to keep her tone low enough that the others could pretend not to have heard anything at all.


    Eric swallowed, sensing his lips falling ever closer to her own¡­ or maybe hers rising to meet his... and how did she have such sweet breath smelling of peppermint and cinnamon after sandwiches and bear? He quickly shook himself free of his daze with too many people staring their way, giving a quick nod.


    ¡°Of course. Control is now yours.¡±


    An unexpected silvery glow abruptly overtook Yuki¡¯s form. Her eyes widened with what almost seemed muted ecstasy as she gazed around the massive cavern with a fire in her eyes. ¡°Yes! Perfect! Thank you, Eric!¡±


    She turned back to Rich. ¡°We are on, Fearless Leader!¡±


    Rich grinned. ¡°Excellent. Where¡¯s the first key?¡±


    Yuki, to her credit and Eric¡¯s amazement, didn¡¯t miss a beat, immediately turning down a flickering alley in an odd direction it hurt his head to even look at.


    ¡°It helps just to hold hands. At least for this part,¡± Jack said, Eric now finding himself in the very back of the group, Jack¡¯s powerful grip claiming his own hand as a bemused Eric allowed himself to be led. The entire group took a winding path he sure as hell hadn¡¯t expected, his belly doing flip flops, surprised to find himself sprinting past ruins and obstacles and abominations he had seen absolutely no sign of just seconds ago¡­


    While simultaneously knowing that they had barely moved at all.


    ¡°Jack, what the fuck is going on?¡±


    ¡°Hold that thought! We got trouble up ahead.¡±


    Eric blinked in surprise, suddenly finding himself in a grand alcove somehow both beside the cavern and, according to his interface map, nowhere near any other point he¡¯d ever been to before.


    He was about to curse, before noting the trio of specters rapidly racing about a golden corona of light, hiding a secret in its heart.


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. She cursed softly under his breath.


    No longer feeling so dizzy that he was about to hurl his cookies, Eric crept to her side. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Yuki glared at the specters. ¡°Those fucking monsters¡­ if they so much as touch us, we¡¯re all dead!¡± Her features were one of desperate focus. He could see the way her hands were trembling.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. All I need to do is touch the locus point, retrieve the key, and we¡¯re out of here.¡±


    Eric frowned at Yuki, thoughts racing, when suddenly he grinned.


    ¡°Fuck it, you have some sort of badass perk! You do, don¡¯t you? Because I sensed no weird tunnels sloping in unnatural directions when I was in here before, and I never once sensed anything like this. A pocket realm full of level seventy specters guarding a golden globe of whatever it is¡­ is definitely radiating some serious power!¡±


    Yuki flushed, but eventually nodded. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it called?


    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time, Eric!¡± Richard hissed, his voice tense. ¡°Yuki needs to grab it and we need to get ready to jet in two seconds time!¡±


    Yuki closed her eyes, whispering fervently under her breath as she prepared herself for the snatch. Eric found himself embracing slow-time as well, focusing entirely on the trio of specters, looking for the slightest tell that they could sense the utterly unremarkable blob of shadow rapidly approaching them.


    Closer and closer shadow approached, and the trio of specters did nothing.


    Not even when the golden globe abruptly blinked out, Eric¡¯s eyes widening with something close to awe when a pristine golden key coalesced into being, before falling right into Yuki¡¯s hand.


    Her eyes danced with the thrill of victory, before growing wide with horror when it became clear that Eric could see her perfectly. As could all her other friends, and the specters as well.


    ¡°Run, Yuki!¡± Rich cried when she froze in horror for one endless moment, before the specter¡¯s shrieked and charged her as one, and the air lit up with Lightning.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡± Eric roared.


    In less than two seconds the shrieks of the damned were replaced by the stench of ozone as a pair of powerful spirits were instantly ruptured, and then there was but one.


    And Yuki was still standing there, Eric horrified to see that her feet had been frozen in place by a fourth spirit that none of them had sensed, and Eric was already racing forward as Yuki inhaled a scream, knowing in that split second as he darted forward that there was no time for him to spit out the words to a fresh pair of bolts. NO time when Yuki¡¯s flesh was being frozen by specters laughing at frequencies that made his soul scream as his fist BLAZED with heat he hadn¡¯t dared unleash before newly made friends, revealing his greatest secret, the flesh freezing off his face as a specter¡¯s claws ripped free his ear just as he ripped a screaming Yuki free of frozen feet in a spray of blood and struck out with a fist blazing like the sun.


    ¡°FIRE FIST!¡±


    You have struck multiple Greater Specters with FIRE FIST infused with transcendent flame!


    10 Qi spent. 10 Temporary Soul Points spent.


    Revenants are immune to flame!


    Higher Order elemental manifestations TRANSCEND all limitations!


    Critical hit!


    YOU HAVE OBLITERATED YOUR FOES!


    Pocket realm successfully saves versus higher order infusion!


    Artificial construct FAILS to save versus higher order infusion!


    You have slain two Greater Specters of greater level than yourself using martial mastery and spiritual energy!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 15!


    Blood Lightning is now Rank 14!


    NOTE you have used the direct manifestation of a higher order of reality to make your kill.


    No cultivation levels have been earned.


    Eric wasted no time, already sensing the sudden sharp instability as he held a screaming Yuki tightly, Blood Mastery instantly sealing the crimson stumps of her shins as he raced back to the horrified party.


    ¡°Okay, Yuki. No time to waste! Get us out of this pocket realm you¡¯ve made. It isn¡¯t stable!¡±


    ¡°Eric! What the fuck¡¯s going on?¡± Rich¡¯s panicked voice washed over Yuki¡¯s screams.


    ¡°Those fuckers were about to kill Yuki. I did what needed doing. Now we need to go!¡±


    Steve, however, was looking at Eric with horror. ¡°You did something¡­ you damaged the very fabric of this place. This chamber behind us is fucking melting!¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Eric dared but a single glance back and winced, realizing that it was so, regardless of what the interface message had said. The entire strange chamber of stone and glowing golden light was melting like ice before the roaring blast of Eric¡¯s Fire Fist which had somehow frozen like ice itself. Ice so hot that it transcended the very concept of temperature, effortlessly melting a construct of a construct. What Eric was somehow certain wasn¡¯t the actual dungeon but Yuki¡¯s interpretation of it, or an adjunct to it. Something containing a key that would no doubt unlock some prized treasure¡­ but not if they all perished before getting back to where they nneded to be.


    Eric¡¯s voice took on sudden urgency, breaking through Yuki¡¯s agonized daze. ¡°Yuki. We have no TIME for your pain! We need to get out of here NOW!¡±


    He sensed her flinch before his urgency, but he just didn¡¯t give a fuck at that point. He knew exactly what was waiting for them if they didn¡¯t get their asses in gear.


    ¡°Look, you just point the way and I¡¯ll get us out of here. I promise!¡±


    His words were a plea.


    She finally responded, whimpering as she pointed a trembling arm in a direction that gave him a headache even looking at, till Jack¡¯s voice snapped him free.


    ¡°I got your elbow, it¡¯s fine! Just go in that direction, Eric. Come on!¡±


    And he did. Making use of a handful of desperately whispered runes to make gravity a bit more flexible than it should be, he raced forward for all he was worth, paying no attention to the way his belly did backflips as space seemed to twist and fold in on itself, merely following Yuki¡¯s desperately pointing hand while keeping his panicked feet slow enough that absolutely no one was left behind.


    Slowly, the weird twists along a stone tunnel that somehow became a flat plain and a passageway through the flickering remnants of the cavern solidified to a spot right by the entrance to the delve itself.


    Eric felt a sting in his cheeks as he took in half a dozen faces wet with tears of relief, terror, or pain, all of them sinking to the ground as Yuki finally gave back to the agonized screams she had clearly been holding in.


    Eric¡¯s heart bled with sympathy. He understood exactly what she was enduring right now, so kissed her forehead before placing her trembling thrashing body in Jack¡¯s capable hands and standing upright once more, ignoring his own heart¡¯s frantic pounding, and the horrific feeling that even now a rift of perfect darkness was forming right behind him, a rift that would lead right to the featureless eternal void, and it was eager, so very eager, to suck him right in.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    Eric snapped around to catch Richard¡¯s anxious gaze, flinching before him, which made absolutely no sense, all things considered.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Yuki needs time to recover, and with most of the specters down¡­ the normal ones, I mean, we¡¯re best off doing it in here. But since her cries might be attracting fresh Revenants¡­ best I patrol.¡±


    Richard just nodded, no one else saying a word beyond Emily¡¯s soothing whispers as Yuki thrashed and sobbed, Eric stepping away from the party as they huddled near the entrance, so as to be able to facilitate nearly instantaneous escape if any unexpected guests arrived.


    But all Eric saw was a single pair of spirits slowly misting their way.


    And all it took was a moment¡¯s furious focus to make sure they¡¯d never bother Eric¡¯s friends again.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    You have critically struck 2 60<sup>th</sup> level Revenants! Experience earned!


    ¡°And now I¡¯m over halfway to level 64. Silver linings and all that,¡± Eric whispered to himself, trying not to think about what had almost happened.


    How it had felt to channel not just fire, but transcendent destruction. A higher order of flame.


    Only the second time he had ever used it.


    He shook his head, trying to wrap his head around how different it was from the Essence Related skills he had learned.


    Because Burst of Strength, Dominion¡¯s Resilience and Command, Heat Surge and even Infravision all took advantage of his connection to certain elemental truths of reality itself. Inspired by them. Empowered by them. Much like lush green vines, a metaphor for Dominion¡¯s Resilience, were nurtured and fed by the sun.


    But his Fire Fist Qi Attack had evolved from inspiration to fusing with its platonic ideal. It wasn¡¯t one step removed from the sun¡¯s golden light¡­ it was channeling the might and fury of the sun itself.


    And ever since he had gotten a certain Interface message he was terrified even to look at¡­ afraid that he had just bricked his build after all his efforts to walk a pristine path without limits¡­ something drastic had changed.


    His Fire Fist was even more potent than it had been the first time he had used it while directly channeling a Higher Order Concept, obliterating 3 minotaurs with a single blow. Then never daring to use it again, when he had felt that hot frisson within his fourth meridian node.


    A node he was planning on using only after he had researched yet another powerful, flexible, and most importantly, utterly balanced power much like Runic Lore and Runic Spell Forger, and hopefully nothing like Unified Restoration which did little more than heal him very, very quickly, which had certainly saved his life, but might one day be eclipsed by nothing more special than a singular triggered spell.


    But even Unified Restoration was, in the end, perfectly acceptable, because he had managed to transform that blossoming ability in such a way as to encompass all the major elements needed to somehow balance it, so his path forward as a Classer or Cultivator wouldn¡¯t be permanently impaired by a single desperate choice after suffering goblin sniper fire.


    He groaned, rubbing his eyes as he replayed the system message that he really didn¡¯t want to see.


    UNORTHODOX ABJURATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY FUSED TO THE ESSENCE OF DOMINION!


    Your fourth node has SUCCESSFULLY ASCENDED!


    Making sure there were no more revenants insight, he took a quick look at a condensed version of his character sheet cutting off at Node abilities and Essence affinities, anxiety crawling up the pit of his stomach as he carefully examine his bricked build.


    _____________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 63 Primal Adventurer


    Rank 29 Cultivator (Death¡¯s Disciple)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 303


    Vitality ¨C 313


    Finesse ¨C 253


    Quickness ¨C 433


    Appearance ¨C 26


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 25


    Perception ¨C 239


    Willpower ¨C 84


    Charisma ¨C 14


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 184


    (Mana Pool = 2217)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 272


    (Qi Pool =3272)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 19


    (Psion Pool = 237)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 113


    Stamina ¨C 3133 Points


    Health ¨C 4366 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 59


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 31 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 33


    Qi Resistance ¨C 51


    Mental Resistance ¨C 33


    30% Bonus to all Strength points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Vitality points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Quickness points above 300.


    20% Bonus to all Spiritual Energy points above 200.


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned! (Additive with all other modifiers)


    Physical Age = 17 Years (+ 32 years, 10 months, 12 days, & 4 hours that Arcane Magics cannot restore! Superhuman vitality allows you to keep your youth, even if you¡¯re now burning your candle at both ends! Note! Your meridians now anchor 12 Divine Tier Spirit Peaches. Life expectancy has increased by 12($%^&^%) years!)


    Primal Adventurer Powers


    1. Runic Lore - Rank 28 (Soul Infusion, Tier 2 Runic Spell Evolution, Runic Focus, Blood Runes.)


    Greater runes known: Wood (herbam), Wind (ventus), Fire (ignis), Wrath (iram), Dominion. (dicio)


    Lesser runes known: One (unus) / Many (plures) / Now (hodie) / Sun Duration (dies) / Weaken (debilito) / Strengthen (roboro) / Resilience (mollet) / Freeze (Congelo) / Fulmen (Lightning) / Torment (Cruciatus) / Sanguis (Blood)


    Gravity (Gravitas) / bend/curve/warp (incurvo) / invert/reverse/turn upside down (inverto) / attentio (attention ¨C concentration duration, in other words) / Resilient (mollet)


    Fragor ¨C Rupture (Psionic Explosion)


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully unlocked an unorthodox application of Runic Lore! You understand the link between will, form, and potency better than ever before! And what¡¯s more potent than your own life force? You may now substitute temporary Soul Reserves for Mana whenever you carve runes into any surface using your blood!


    Note! This variant of Runic Lore does NOT work with shouts or chants! Only physical representations of runes.


    2. Unified Restoration ¨C Rank 11 (13) (This Power allows you to infuse your body with your own spiritual reserves whenever you take an injury for near immediate healing, over and above your basic regeneration rate!) - Perk evolution deferred.


    3. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 9


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 6


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 8


    - Lightning Bolt - Fulmen- (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen (15 Mana & Qi, 1.5 (.50%) SR) ¨C Rank 14! (Efficency Perk)


    (This spell dispels/abjures/& can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt -Ignes Pilum - (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 8


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor (30 Mana & Qi & 4 Psion) ¨C Rank 6.


    - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only (for obvious reasons!)


    4. Essence Fusion ¨C Rank 1


    You now have the option to evolve essence-linked skills, spells, and powers to embrace a Higher Order Transformation!¡ªWhy should your Fire spells be inspired by the essence of flame when they can BE the essence of flame?¡ªWarning! Soul reserve cost = Double Mana or Spiritual Energy costs (modified by skill rank, class synergisms, and perk evolutions).


    Note! ALL immunities and damage mitigators are NULLIFIED against Higher Order attacks! - Singular exception: Countermeasures involving similar or opposing ESSENCES!


    Note! Should opponent save versus obliteration, baseline damage will still be multiplied by 1x Essence Rank! (Fire Fist infused with Pristine Flame at Rank 4 will do 5-fold baseline damage with all resistance checks & damage mitigating effects automatically countered!)


    Warning! Your evolution will earn the interest or ire of ALL known powers and principalities who find out about it. DISCRETION is strongly advised!


    Warning! Now that your fourth node has ascended, you will experience the FULL power of this ability, whenever a successful skill check is made.


    All seers can sense the use of this gift upon the surface of Terra. (Though they might not know who embraced it, they will know this ability is now in play! You¡¯d better believe they will take steps to CRUSH any outsider who dares make use of it!)


    Any use of Essence Fusion within rifts must save versus rupture unless YOU make a successful skill check against catastrophe!


    NOTE! There is a PRICE for POWER That must be PAID! You presently have access to only 3 ESSENCES. You have FAILED at achieving 3-Dimensional Stability. Your Potential is presently limited to GOLD-tier ascension.


    Essences Claimed:


    Fire ¨C Blazing - (Rank 4, White Tier)


    Wrath (Rank 1, White Tier)


    Dominion (Rank 1, White Tier)


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Eric stood there in numb shock.


    He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.


    It seemed like he had stumbled upon a synergism so powerful that he was tapping into a higher order of reality. One that would wash away all resistances, immunities, and whatever advantages being a Bronze Classer might grant one. Eric already knew damn well that his standard Fire Fist blows had been mitigated to a tiny fraction of their potential while fighting a certain minotaur scion.


    And never had he been happier that he had trusted his own gut feeling, deliberately NOT infusing his punches that day with the Platonic Ideal of flame. Because not only would he have been striking a minotaur momentarily descended from Bronze impenetrability to mortal vulnerability, he would have been hitting for 5-fold damage on top of that.


    A strike which would have certainly obliterated the scion who¡¯s surrender he had been more than happy to take, especially with the prize he had earned that he still didn¡¯t dare open.


    Because had he chosen a more ruthless path that earned him no cultivation growth at all, he would have earned the ire and enmity of an entire faction of powerful cultivators that had most definitely been observing their contest while revealing powers that would supposedly earn him the interest or ire of absolutely everyone. To say nothing of the fact that they had already proven themselves more than capable of snuffing him out like a light, humbling and humiliating him even as the feted him with a gift that their pristine cultivation foundations alone forced them to pay.


    Or such were his suppositions, and he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to go asking Minose¡¯s faction for confirmation.


    And considering the fact that he was now seriously considering declaring war on the whole bloody world¡­ or at least every last territory where the UFN was trying to wave around their clout, he needed to keep his cards close to his vest, more than ever before.


    Which meant that he had a deadly trump card he never dared use, unless the situation was set up perfectly. An exquisitely powerful ability he¡¯d have to skill-check every time he used in a rift, just to make sure he didn¡¯t rupture whatever dungeon he was training in, daring fights that clearly wouldn''t improve his cultivation, if he was using higher order attacks to clean-sweep entire floors of baddies.


    And worst of all, by far, was that he now had to deal with an ugly reality of a hard limit that he had never had to worry about before.


    Because for all that Gold was leagues beyond what most would ever even dream of achieving, Silver itself being the rank of world emperors and those who might dare even more, Gold was the rank of those who could do more than conquer with the might of an army¡­ they could rule by fear alone, possessing power so great that they could destroy any world that failed to yield before them.


    Yet there was still so much farther to go. So many limits to transcend, unlocking abilities and wonders he could scarce conceive of.


    And as for what exactly those powers greater than Gold truly were? Classers and Cultivators so great they could control the fate of entire clusters? Perhaps even galaxies?


    Clearly he would never know.


    For at the cutting edge of divine potential, a single mistake was more than sufficient to turn all those absurd dreams to ash.


    Eric chuckled bitterly, glaring at his own clenched fists. ¡°Fuck. I¡¯m such an idiot.¡±


    He shook his head, then froze, sensing a presence behind him.


    He spun around, prepared to deliver hot death¡­ before he lowered his fists with an apologetic chuckle, seeing Yuki smiling shyly before him.


    And how much of a relief it was to see her with two perfectly healthy looking feet, even if her exotic magically enhanced beast-hide armor was now absent a pair of missing boots.


    Yuki gazed at Eric for long moments, looking strangely awkward in a way Eric hadn¡¯t seen before. She puffed her cheeks and exhaled, before boldly striding up to him.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t easy for me to say, so let me just get it out there. You¡¯re an arrogant ass and you nearly got us all killed, using fuck-all I don¡¯t know powers I could feel searing my eyes with higher order concepts that will give me nightmares for a long time to come. And you saved my life when you could have run. Should have run. But you didn¡¯t. And now we¡¯re here, together, having this conversation.¡±


    Her voice had turned breathy at the end, honey-brown eyes that looked so captivating in the dungeon light peering far too deeply into his own. Eric could taste her breath, sweet and spicy, soft warm lips suddenly pressing against his own.


    His heart started to race as their lips locked, so fiercely ashamed when he fell into her kiss¡­ and not giving a fuck.


    They were alive when so many things that wanted them both dead had fallen before their fury.


    Eric savored the moment. And the second Yuki¡¯s ardor lessened¡­ he stepped back with a smile.


    Surprised that his heart was pounding so loud it was a roar in his ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you back on your feet,¡± he said with a smile, earning a quick glare that turned to a throaty chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re such an ass, Eric Silver.¡± She took a shuddering breath and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m probably going to have nightmares for a long time to come.¡± Her gaze turned pointed. ¡°And you¡¯re going to help me with that.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°I am?¡±


    She smirked, then turned back around, hips swaying as she headed back to the group, but not before flashing him a hungry smile. ¡°Come on, hero. We got monsters to kill and first clears to earn.¡±


    Eric swallowed. Was she purposely strutting her hips?


    ¡°Yes, I do believe she is,¡± he muttered to himself, shaking away his dismay at his own personal dilemma as he appreciated just how sweet life could be in ways that had absolutely nothing to do with risking one¡¯s life in fearsome crucibles of power and peril¡­ before shaking even those thoughts free of his mind and getting his head fully back in the game.

 Chapter 328 - We’re a team. We take down threats together.

    ¡°Alright, everyone present and accounted for?¡± Rich asked, giving Yuki a sympathetic look. ¡°I note you have some new boots.¡±


    She grinned, looking back at Eric. ¡°This boy¡¯s proving useful in all sorts of unexpected ways, fearless leader. Who knew that becoming a Necromancer King included cobbling and tailoring?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°In my defense, I just shaped some treated leather in my ES space around her feet and calves, and skin tight leather boots have been around pretty much forever.¡±


    Jack and Steven exchanged grins.


    ¡°So how did you like molding that leather around those perfectly proportioned calves?¡± Steve asked.


    ¡°He liked it just fine,¡± Yuki said, glaring Steve¡¯s way. ¡°And unless you¡¯d like to find yourself lost in endless looping corridors...¡±


    Steve quickly raised his hands. ¡°Forget I said anything! I¡¯ll let you two cobble in peace, then.¡±


    Emily sighed, before flashing Yuki a sympathetic smile. ¡°You okay, Yuki? We can always take a break or, you know¡­ stop, if you don¡¯t feel up to any more dungeoneering.¡±


    Surprisingly, Yuki adamantly shook her head, even as she clenched her trembling fist. ¡°No. No, I have to do this¡­ I WANT to do this. Because sure as fuck, I want to raise my skill and see what the payoff is now that I finally have a chance to show off this skill that would have made me, us, absolute kings of the world if the assholes in charge hadn¡¯t torn free all the Greens and Yellows and left us with Orange tier nightmares in their place. If instead I fail to follow through, if I flinch away from seeing for myself exactly what the payoff of this skill is¡­¡± she swallowed, looking back up at Emily, the dread in her eyes plain for all to see.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t face my fears right now, I know the node will be utterly wasted. I¡¯ll never have the courage to do this again.¡±


    Rich smiled reassuringly, gently squeezing her wrist. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You got this, Yuki.¡±


    She flashed a bitter smile. ¡°And some asshole revenant¡¯s got my feet¡­ and my priceless naginata, but fuck it. Onward we¡­ Eric! You did it!¡±


    Eric was surprised by how fiercely she hugged him when he handed her the naginata he had instinctively flipped in storage when shit went down, having only remembered it when she had kissed him, oddly enough, having previously been so preoccupied with his own shit.


    ¡°Of course I did. I don¡¯t want my favorite dungeoneer to be thrown off her game¡­ so shall we?¡±


    Eyes glittering with relief and hope that belied the twitch in her limbs, she took a deep shuddering breath, and they were off once more.


    Once more finding themselves moving along a path that wound in and out of alleys, caverns, tunnels, and reality itself, to find themselves in a massive-cathedral like dome covered in twisted depictions of torment and despair. It was only the soft golden glow of a prize in the heart of the chamber that made this chamber of crimson glass seem anything other than a nightmare, for all that a trio of revenants were guarding it just like before.


    Eric sensed Yuki¡¯s shuddering breath, whispering in her ear. ¡°Time for you to show the world just how kickass you are,¡± he said, and just when she flashed a determined smile, he whispered again. ¡°And you know exactly what to look out for.¡±


    She instantly froze, glaring at the three specters, waiting long moments for the telltale signs of the fourth.


    Because yes, she did know exactly what to look out for now, all of them studying the pattern of the three specters glaring just past the shadows they had all emerged from the edges of, Yuki¡¯s cloaking ability somehow expanding to include them all, at least when they were embracing her lead, as the official dungeoneer of their group.


    ¡°Okay. Every six seconds it pops up. I¡¯m trusting the middle two to be the safest time to¡­¡±


    Her words cutoff as she darted forward.


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding in his chest as he sensed her darting through the crimson glass cathedral just as specters wearing expressions mirroring the twisted ecstasy of monks embracing the most vile of sins floated by.


    For a heartbeat, all three had shifted away.


    Yuki was just about to plunge her hand into the golden ball of light before freezing stock still¡­ long enough for glaring eyes filled with malice and hate to emerge from the obsidian floor¡­ before sinking beneath the surface once more.


    And just as the three other specters turned around, eyes locking on to Yuki¡¯s presence, she had already claimed the golden key and was darting through the shadows once more.


    The air erupted with the cackling howls of revenants sensing their prey.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen, motherfuckers!¡± Eric roared as the chamber lit up with crimson flashes and the crack and boom of oblivion, and the three specters were no more.


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Come on, we have to go NOW!¡±


    Eric blinked, but didn¡¯t argue, having no doubt that Yuki knew better than anyone what ugly secrets tied to priceless opportunities were twisted within her pocket realms, quickly taking the rear when everyone linked hands and began darting through twisting corridors that made Eric want to heave just as before¡­ but at least they were leaving the growing sense of hideous abominations howling in their wake endlessly far behind.


    ¡°We did it!¡± Jack cried with a whoop. ¡°That¡¯s two keys down! We¡¯re almost there! Right Yuki?¡±


    Yuki flashed a pleased smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, just one more to go!¡±


    ¡°What happens then?¡± Eric curiously asked, earning a teasing grin from Yuki.


    ¡°Patience, hero. You¡¯ll see soon enough.¡±


    Intrigued, Eric just smiled and nodded, happy enough to go with the flow.


    And much to his surprise, Yuki now seemed completely in the zone, both focused on her mission and utterly in tune with their environment, such that when they entered a third chamber of whirling black-iron cogs and gears crashing against each other like a massive steam-work clock of doom, earning a disbelieving look from Eric and curses from everyone else, Yuki didn¡¯t hesitate to weave and dart through steely death, disappearing before their eyes.


    And before Eric could do anything but gaze in horrified awe, all too easily able to imagine Yuki being crushed between clock-like gears that were now somehow a part of this dungeon, Yuki had popped back into existence right in their midst, holding the third key with a look of absolute triumph.


    ¡°I did it! We¡¯re now so close to completion, I can taste it!¡± And in far less time than Eric would have thought, they were back in the gloomy central chamber, gazing at the crackling portal of crimson and ebony flame leading ever deeper into the rift.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Yuki took a shuddering breath, before gazing back Richard¡¯s way.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Yuki? If you¡¯re wrong...¡±


    Yuki¡¯s anxious smile turned to a glare. ¡°I¡¯m not. These three keys are the lynchpins to the entire kingdom. We claim the keys, we can claim this rift, locking it in just as it is!¡±


    Emily furrowed her brow. ¡°But, Um, Yuki¡­ we¡¯ve never done this successfully before, outside of White-tier dungeons that have already been claimed and drained by countless adventuring parties before us. This one¡¯s still virgin territory radiating so much wild energy, and that¡¯s, well, an Orange-tier boss monster were about to face. And after what happened last time we tried to take on an Orange-tier...¡±


    Yuki made an angry chopping motion with her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not the same! That dungeon was infiltrated by another goddamned faction of elitist assholes, thinking they could smuggle in an actual fucking Bronze-tier scion! I don¡¯t care what bullshit ¡®prize¡¯ a certain someone was rewarded, it wasn¡¯t worth it, and there was no way they would have gotten away with it. Anyway, the point is, that wasn¡¯t how a normal delve should flow!¡±


    Of course Ron immediately picked up on what Yuki had said in passing. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Prizes? This elven asshole was rewarded a Bronze-tier prize on our delve and he didn¡¯t think it worth mentioning? That¡¯s our prize, motherfucker!¡±


    Eric froze, realizing he had to be damn careful in responding to Ron¡¯s hot-eyed accusation, wanting to laugh at the irony that he couldn¡¯t even properly defend himself. His metaphoric hands were tied, at least if he wanted free and clear use of the prize he had been given without incurring strain to his foundation.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± snapped a startled Richard, now glaring Eric¡¯s way, along with the entire party, save for Yuki herself. ¡°Explain, Eric. Now!¡±


    Yuki flashed a cheeky smile. ¡°Don¡¯t blame him. He basically gave an oath never to say a word. The rest of you weak bitches were nocked out, and yeah, I was barely holding on myself. But I still heard all sorts of juicy tidbits, and I gave no oath of silence, and since we¡¯re in another delve, I don¡¯t think any goblin sage or bull-headed tyrant can listen in.¡±


    Eric hated feeling pinned by the hostile stares he was being given, before everyone¡¯s focused turned back to Yuki. Richard cleared his throat, sounding at least partially mollified.


    ¡°Okay, so¡­ what exactly happened?¡±


    Yuki smirked, clearly enjoying Eric¡¯s discomfiture. ¡°After our hero here schooled that asshole of a minotaur by goading him into over-extending and exhausting himself, he hit that arrogant shit where it hurt, pounding the crap out of him and blasting him apart with flame. Then the fucker¡¯s squealing for mercy and Eric actually accepted! I thought he was being an idiot, then I realized he was being dead smart, because of course some titanically powerful fucker had been watching the whole thing, and chose that moment to make an eyeball-searing rift and step part-way through. Not that I got a close look at its face, I kept my gaze down! But I still caught sight of the stone box he tossed by Eric¡¯s feet radiating so much Shadow energy even I was squinting to see it, and by the time I looked back, that over-powered monster had already pulled his prodigy back to the land of high-living elites, the farthest thing from here, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Ron glared at Eric. ¡°So, he was holding out on us!¡±


    Much to an embarrassed Eric¡¯s relief, Yuki shook her head. ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t think so. I mean, seriously, Ron, he¡¯s been watching our asses, setting us up for some fucking sweet power progression, and just saved my ass less than an hour ago while I was screaming with bloody foot stumps.¡± Yuki¡¯s smirk faded, eyes growing wide with remembered pain and dread before she shook her head and her trademark smirk was firmly back in place once more. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, in a world full of asshole users, it¡¯s Eric giving up so much choice info and opportunities so fucking selflessly that¡¯s throwing half of us off our game. Am I right?¡±


    Ron scowled, shaking his head, clearly not convinced, though Emily blushed and nodded, even though she hadn¡¯t said a word of protest herself. Even Steve gave Eric a self-conscious shrug.


    Richard just smiled, nodding Eric¡¯s way in warm approval. ¡°You¡¯re right, Yuki. Bottom line, it was a duel between cultivators, and our lives were on the line. Any prize he earned should be considered his alone.¡±


    Jack, however, did not look happy.


    ¡°We¡¯d been busting our asses in that delve for over a month, just for boy-wonder here to do a clean sweep and claim the rewards without telling us a thing? Not even conveniently write us a note since he can¡¯t say it aloud, or drop his prizes so we at least know he¡¯s being square with us? I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s bullshit.¡±


    His words earned a dark chuckle from Ron, who crossed his arms and glared Eric¡¯s way. ¡°See? Just what I told you. All his idealistic crap and selfless-seeming gestures was him just stringing us along. Getting us to lower our guard. He¡¯s a user, just setting us up for his future score.¡±


    Yuki shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re way off, Ron. Like I said, he¡¯s oathbound not to say a word. And it¡¯s not some storybook oath where the noble rogue slips free of unwanted strictures to reveal everything with a wink and a nudge, Jack. This was some high-tier cultivator shenanigans and somehow I get the feeling that intent here matters a hell of a lot. Besides, as far as sharing spoils goes, I¡¯d say that the twelve points we each earned is pretty much fucking priceless. If you consider how much one lousy low-tier magic stat-boosting fruit costs¡­ in the millions of credits, you know just how valuable those twelve points are. To each of us!¡±


    Ron scowled, then shrugged. ¡°What of it? By his own admission, it was no skin off his back. Twelve points for him, either way. So why not give us something that cost him nothing if he¡¯s just buttering us up for a future score? What matters is that he wasn¡¯t going to give us shit, when it actually cost him something. Because he could have still shared the rewards for the dungeon clear without actually saying anything!¡±


    Yuki crossed her arms, glaring at the belligerent man. ¡°Actually, he couldn¡¯t have, Ron. The minotaur elder¡¯s words were, and I¡¯m paraphrasing here, ¡®This was for my living champion. It would have done him no good dead. So now it is yours.¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t said in English. The dialect he used had another meaning. The meaning was that the next living person who touched it would be permanently bound to it. And this was clearly some elite ascended cultivator talking, because I understood his meaning just fine without any universal language node.¡±


    She then turned to glare at Jack. ¡°And you, after practically calling Eric your long lost brother when he hooks you up with a boon granting you over two levels worth of Javelineer points, points which you desperately need, you¡¯re going to jump on Ron¡¯s hate fest just because he got a cut on the side? Really? Like he didn¡¯t already save our lives twice over? Like any amount of treasure we could have earned in there would have brought us even two magic fruit on the exchange?¡±


    Ron just glared and looked away, clearly unwilling to budge in his own opinion.


    Jack, however, flashed Eric a rueful smile. ¡°Yeah, Yuki does have a point. You¡¯ve been standup, and here I am bitching like a winy, well...¡±


    ¡°Bitch?¡± Eric offered helpfully.


    ¡°Ha ha. Yeah, you know what? Maybe I was.¡± He sighed, shaking his head. ¡°I guess the fear of being fucked over by people I thought had my back still hasn¡¯t completely, well, faded.¡±


    Eric clapped Jack''s shoulder. ¡°Yeah, I know that feeling well enough. The sting never quite leaves and it¡¯s hard as hell to trust anyone after that.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight. But you¡¯ve been stand-up with us despite all the shit you¡¯re dealing with, same as us. So thank you, Eric, for everything.¡± His gaze grew solemn. ¡°I mean it.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Eric said, bumping fists with his new friend.


    Yuki nodded in satisfaction. ¡°There. You wanted to know the secret you sensed, Rich? There it is. This fucking badass is dueling Bronze-tier elites, and I¡¯m getting my feet frozen off by ghosts.¡± She gave a bitter chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Well no more. Eric¡¯s done enough. Now it¡¯s our time to shine.¡±


    Her smile turned to a hard stare for Eric. ¡°Can I trust you to keep to my shadows along with everyone else, and let me actually do what I have to do to complete this?¡±


    Eric caught her gaze before dipping his head. ¡°That was never a problem, Yuki. But if whatever¡¯s in there is as bad as I think it is¡­¡±


    She smirked. ¡°If I start screaming, you damn well better come save my ass.¡± Her gaze turned solemn. ¡°And the rest of you better go back the way we came.¡±


    Jack scowled. ¡°Yuki, that¡¯s bullshit. We¡¯re a team. We take down threats together.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, Jack. That¡¯s just feel good bullshit you see in movies. In real life, if you can¡¯t do shit, all your sticking around will do is stress out those who can. And don¡¯t feel bad. Except for this crazy dungeoneer perk, I can¡¯t do shit against these things either. I think Steve¡¯s the only one who can.¡±


    Steve smirked. ¡°Yeah, not like I haven¡¯t paid enough for Soulfire magic¡­ and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve had a chance to cast anything so far in here. But sure, if shit hits the fan, I¡¯ll be shooting out Obsidian Orbs fast and furious until the minute whatever¡¯s in there looks my way, and I¡¯m jumping right back through with everyone else. Scout¡¯s honor.¡±


    ¡°Awesome! So, are we all good to go?¡±


    Eric took one look around, pushing his Perception to the utmost, trying to get a sense of any ghost-like revenants that might be lurking in the distance¡­ yet there was absolutely nothing within half a mile of the second gate. ¡°I think we are,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s clear our second delve!¡±


    None of them hesitated after that, Eric standing by Yuki¡¯s side as they touched the crackling gate screaming in resonances that made his bones shake¡­ and then they were through.

 Chapter 329 - Ambush

    The first thing Eric made out was a massive chamber soaring upwards like a gigantic football stadium, decorated with horrors unimaginable.


    Eric clenched his fists at the sight of countless writhing souls bound to spikes upon the ground, silently shrieking as ghostly streams of energy all rushed into a central figure hovering over them all, his head no more than a skull with two perfectly preserved yellow eyes.


    In its bony ethereal hands it held a bone staff trembling with ghostly yellow energy. Eric¡¯s senses screamed warning, having absolutely no doubt that being hit with that weapon would be a Very Bad Thing.


    Eric felt a chill of deathly apprehension, instantly understanding their peril.


    This dungeon might be located in an Orange tier-territory, but having never been properly anchored to a world ascending so rapidly¡­ this final boss was far closer to level 100 than 60 or 80.


    A truth he felt in his soul, even if his too low ranked Identify skill could give him nothing clearer than that. Not without giving the game entirely away.


    Because Eric didn¡¯t dare move as the creature¡¯s cold yellow gaze turned to a furious glare.


    ¡°What foolish Champion of Light dares to enter the chamber of Lost Souls?¡± The creature roared, voice echoing endlessly through the half-domed chamber, to the point even Eric¡¯s ears stung and he could sense the choked off groans of the others. Because at that moment with all of them keeping utterly still in Yuki¡¯s shadows, none dared say a word as she darted through the final chamber, slipping past tormented sentinels moaning their agony, claws dripping with cold so deep it appeared jet black to both Infravision and Magesight.


    For Yuki was both light and shadow, somehow blending in perfectly with her environment as she scurried under the feet of the hot-eyed specter running the asylum.


    The translucent abominations continued their odd rounds, tending to the spirits writhing on obsidian spikes as the undead puppetmaster went back to his twisted cultivation. At least Eric could be certain it was a boss monster and not any sort of rule-twisting Contender, yet the dark power it radiated was no less fearsome, because to be hit with it might kill even him. Without the proper arcane wards at the ready, Eric feared only combat-time and fast reflexes would save him. And that would do nothing for his friends.


    Eric turned his focus back to Yuki, who had frozen perfectly still with anxious eyes Eric could see so clearly when a guardian specter abruptly shifted his patrolling pattering. Eric¡¯s heart started to pound, about to scream for everyone else to flee¡­ when Yuki slid right past the sentinel and continued on her way.


    Eric smiled when Jack squeezed his arm painfully tight, almost certain that Jack had a crush on the girl.


    And Eric felt Jack sigh in relief next to him when Yuki made it to the far side.


    Then everything changed. A brilliant golden light flashed, and all the shadows burned away.


    The levitating specter shrieked when he was pierced by a golden bar of light that bounced from crevice to crevice before pinning the shrieking specter in a fiery diagram mid air, and all at once, every single specter present, both boss, underling, and tormented soul, were shrieking in golden coronas as they blazed so brightly all Eric saw was white light¡­ then nothing at all.


    Congratulations! You have successfully cleared: Spectral Dungeon!


    This Rift has been locked to standard settings! Boss monster will be normalized to surrounding mana levels for all future encounters!


    Congratulations! You have successfully achieved a First-Clear bonus for this Orange-tier Delve! A part of Terra¡¯s eternal potency is now forever your own.


    Spiritual Energy has increased by 1 Point.


    Soul Reserves have increased by 1 Point.


    You have achieved Rank 2 in Essence of Dominion!


    Eric frowned as he came to himself once more, realizing that he had lost at least a few seconds of time, being at the periphery of a dungeon clear and not himself the main show. But still¡­ only 3 points earned instead of twelve? A part of him felt angry dismay as his spirit raced toward the brilliant shaft of light ahead that he knew would lead them all back to the realm of the living once more.


    Then his ire turned to sweetest joy, recalling a truth too long forgotten.


    He had just earned a node that, for all its bitter flaws, promised incredible power. And in all the time he had delved and grown by leaps and bounds, almost never had he found any opportunity to increase his essence affinities. Affinities he had thought that at least in two cases, would be permanently stuck at Rank 1.


    Until now.


    And if Rank 1 Dominion had granted him considerable power enhancing various skills even without the terrible wonder of infusing Higher Order concepts, how much would Rank 2 change?


    Presently, he had no idea. All he knew for sure was that he was rapidly approaching the rift between worlds, and considering the warm welcomes prepared for them so far, he¡¯d best be ready for absolutely anything.


    So when brilliant autumn sunlight flared like a goblin¡¯s blaster rifle, Eric was already sprinting free of the entrance more out of good-sense habit than anything else.


    He certainly wasn¡¯t expecting his tactical Interface map to suddenly scream with warning. Now flaring with scores of reds.


    Only then did he register the pain of a sniper shot piercing his abdomen. Monstrous quickness, dilated time perception, flaring danger sense and sheer paranoia compelling him to him weave, duck and sprint even before he had even fully registered all the hostiles trying to kill him.


    Far better to look a fool than die as one was what he had been planning to say to Yuki, when she and the others shot the inevitable quips his way, knowing that his juking and darting about made him look like a goofball.


    He didn¡¯t expect their first uttered sounds free of the dungeon to be screaming and gurgling blood as their enemies made it utterly clear that they were now enemy number 1, to be executed at all costs.


    Greed, Head of Bloodtear Syndicate, ACKNOWLEDGES your open state of vendetta!


    WAR has formally been declared against Eric Silver and all his allies!


    All cease-fire accords between your parties have been REVOKED!


    All treaties between your factions have been REVOKED!


    You have been struck multiple times by Bloodtear assassin sniper fire!


    433 Quickness modified skill check AVOIDS DoomStrike Perk!


    Contender Status mitigates Instant Death Perk!


    You have successfully mitigated 3 Critical hits to Medium Wounds!


    The air was awash with the scent of blood, the screams of the wounded, the desperate cries of his friends.


    Eric¡¯s instincts were screaming warning as he sensed both the unexpected roar of giant bear worgs and the distant shouts of gnolls fighting them off, and the awful killing pressure of cannons now being pointed his way.


    There was only one thing he could say, one chance they had, sending a mental scream Yuki¡¯s way, her soul flaring brighter than any others, some of their friends already near death from hideous wounds they had taken in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Jump back in the gate! NOW! NOW! I¡¯ll draw their fire!¡±


    Even as he thought the words, he screamed his hate to the trees absolutely filled with sneering gnolls and the weight of goblins embracing their darkest arts. And each and every one of them was armed with blaster rifles, and thank all the heavens that Eric¡¯s shimmering warded lizard hide armor that had served him so well since he had first fled Freetown was shedding blaster fire as easily as it ever did.


    Even if more than one strike had left smoking marks upon his flesh, over 4,000 hit points having been cut by a third in a shockingly short period of time. He could only pray that he had been the focus, and that his friends at least had a chance of survival.


    And with multiple gnoll champions screaming for their lackeys to fire their three bronze 12-pounders in the split second since he had emerged¡­ death was all but certain if his friends didn¡¯t jump back in immediately.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    It would have been so easy to just sprint away right then, slip free of the killbox entirely. To blow these fools away with just how fast he could move.


    And perhaps he would have, if the death of six people who had trusted him with their lives wasn¡¯t all but assured.


    So he burned away his fear, his blind terror of death in the simmering crucible of retribution it deserved, white hot fury transforming to absolute killing intent.


    Still weaving and juking before blaster fire winnowing down his close far too close to half, Eric locked gazes with the sneering human cannoneers so eager to see him dead.


    ¡°Fragor!¡± He howled, and the cold-eyed man spitting chew and glaring Eric¡¯s way as he manned the cannon battery exploded in meaty paste, spattering the pair of assistant orc gunners who crumpled with matching groans, blood pouring from their ears.


    The barrage of fire immediately cut off as a dozen startled cries made it clear that Eric¡¯s Psionic rupture had grown in strength and potency, buying his friends precious time.


    ¡°Yuki! Leave fucking now!¡±


    But he wasn¡¯t done. Far from it. Eric¡¯s lips curled in a furious snarl as sporadic fire tracked him once more, Eric deliberately staying in the clearing, weaving and dodging inhumanly fast, but right in the open, drawing all his enemy¡¯s fire.


    Even as Eric¡¯s flesh lit up with fresh burns, Eric paid it no heed, eyes and throat protected, Unified Peception allowing him to sense all he needed to. Because with all eyes on him, his foes weren¡¯t focusing on his friends.


    With all eyes on him, they weren¡¯t even focusing on the cannons¡­ or the powder kegs they thought safely scooted back, just a few yards away.


    But Eric was very much aware of all the players on the board¡­ including the pair of assassins even now lining up shots for fresh kills.


    Not on Eric¡­ but on the critically wounded players behind him.


    ¡°Hell Vines!¡± Eric roared, caring nothing that his mana and Qi reserves were both rapidly falling as he screamed the words out half a dozen times in a row, filling not just the clearing but the forest itself with those blazing trees.


    Trees that rapidly sent the entire forest ablaze, even as dozens of 20+ level gnolls, feeling invincible with such deadly toys in their hands, soon felt nothing at all when thorn covered limbs of liquid flame wrapped them up in tight constricting vines that could crack even 60<sup>th</sup> level dinosaur ribs. Against low-leverl pseudo-champions a third of that level, death was quick and brutal, one shrieking gnoll after another exploding in flame.


    Eric flashed a fierce grin of satisfaction when gnoll yips were interspersed with orc squeals and goblins screams. Happy that he didn¡¯t have to actually spot the stealthy goblins to assure their doom when the entire world became a furious maelstrom of choking smoke and flesh searing flame.


    ¡°Hell Vines!¡± Eric roared once more, flashing a fierce smile as a band of reds scurrying back were suddenly pierced and blackened by fresh death as yet more trees made up of whipping limbs and liquid flame set ever more of the forest ablaze as Eric whispered a handful of arcane syllables that made it clear that even here and now, shot, ambushed, terrified for his friends, he was ruthless and savvy enough to think of the big picture.


    And by some fortuitous stroke of luck, fate, or design, not one tendril caressed or marred a single Bronze cannon, the kegs of gunpowder somehow cooled by a chance breeze. Priceless treasures Eric now raced toward, before being intercepted by a giant of a man chuckling coldly and radiating the power of a Contender. Sheathed in enchanted steel and radiating Strength and Vitality the equal of his own, Eric realized that Greed hadn¡¯t been lying when he¡¯d bragged a bout being six moves ahead of them all from the start.


    The massive giant of a man who¡¯s spiritual pressure made it clear that his physical stats were well above the 200 watermark, smirked, twirling a wicked looking axe of dark steel so like what the minotaurs favored.


    ¡°Eric Silver I presume? The famous Sylvan Contender?¡± He snorted. ¡°Name¡¯s Calvin the Destroyer. Sorry about your friends, kid. But they chose the wrong side. As did you. Now that you¡¯re warmed up, it¡¯s time for the main event!¡±


    He grinned up at a shimmering little silver eye hovering above him. ¡°My All Seeing Eye will be taping it live for my Members-Only channel. You cool with that? Of course you are! Alright, kid. Show me what you¡ª¡°


    Fire Fist!


    Fire Fist!


    You have disarmed your opponent.


    You have claimed your opponents axe!


    Your opponent is pleading for mercy!


    You show him NONE!


    Eric didn¡¯t waste time with pointless attempts at diplomacy, or bemoaning the pathetic irony of humanity eating itself while their enemies watched on and laughed. All he saw was a smirking monster taking advantage of betrayal and the tragic doom of his friends, and for that, this Calvin asshole was instantly relegated to subhuman monster.


    Now that the blaster fire had died down as his own arcane fire roared with increasing fury, he could focus all his attention, all his KILLING WRATH on the fucking piece of slime that wanted to treat this like some fucking game.


    Swinging his battle axe like an idiot who knew how to hew wood or decapitate oversized underground horrors, but sure as fuck the man had never trained with practitioners of SCA, HEMA, or under any true master of polearms, where he would have at least learned to use winding strikes to guard his line, weave past his opponent¡¯s blows, and strike with finesse and control that would instantly line him up for a follow up cut or thrust.


    This asshole instead put all of his monstrous Strength into each fearsome blow. Which, combined with a Quickness of several hundred, meant that he had probably obliterated anyone slower than himself with a single strike.


    Which didn¡¯t do shit against Eric as his fury turned to a white hot point of light on his FIST as he juked under his foes¡¯ piss poor guard to pound Calvin¡¯s vulnerable gut with powerful hooks that cratered the man¡¯s pathetic excuse for enchanted armor and filled the world with FLAME!


    Calvin¡¯s eyes bulged comically, wheezing for air that just wouldn¡¯t come as Eric tore the man¡¯s own battle axe free of his twitching hands and twirled it effortlessly around, finding it surprisingly similar in weight and feel to the bardiche he had once so loved, before locking gazes with his would-be executioner for one final moment.


    ¡°NO, Please! I¡ª¡°


    Critical Hit! You have successfully DECAPITATED YOUR FOE!


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have taken out your first TRUE Contender!


    Evelyn Death approves of this battle! You are now a Level 30 Cultivator!


    Strength/Vitality/Quickness/Spiritual Energy have all increased by 3 points!


    You have successfully claimed a portion (5%) of all of Calvin The Destroyer¡¯s MAJOR STATS!


    Strength & Vitality have increased by 13 points!


    Quickness has increased by 11 Points!


    Perception & Finesse have each increased by 9 points!


    (All point totals have been further increased by previously earned titles and boons!)


    Eric howled as the rush of power flooded through him, the air lightning up with crackling electricity so potent that he sensed a shockwave blast away from him even as he trembled with an ecstasy that bordered on agony. Twisting and shuddering like the hero of one of his favorite TV series of katana-wielding badasses. Even so, he still sensed not one but three nearby screams as a final trio of stalking would-be killers were thrown off by the blaze of his own ascension.


    When he jolted back to full awareness a split second later, he didn¡¯t waste any time on awe, wonder, or horror at what he had gained, lost, or been forced to do.


    Instead he glared right at the three goblins who had been torn out of stealth by powers they clearly understood no better than he, glaring at him even now and pointing their blasters his way.


    ¡°Fragor!¡± Eric roared, springing forward as the center goblin¡¯s skull exploded like a grenade, peppering the others with gristly shrapnel and critically injuring the closer one while the farmost one sent a stream of plasma Eric darted past before he threw his axe. A desperate move earning a sneer for his clear stupidity before the startled goblin wheezed his last, Eric¡¯s axe cleaving right through the blaster rifle and chest faster than an arrow shot from a longbow in an explosion of gore and super heated plasma from the ruptured rifle.


    An an eyeblink later, Eric tore the blaster free the final goblin assassin''s grip, who was now desperately holding up his broken hands. ¡°Wait! You don¡¯t understand! We¡ª¡°


    Fire Fist!


    You have critically struck your opponent.


    FATALITY!


    Eric didn¡¯t bother ranting at the heavens, or shouting at the eye bot even now hovering close to him after a final pan of the now completely desiccated remains of the former Calvin The Destroyer. Instead, he darted into the trees and in between his pocket of dutifully writhing Hell Vines before claiming the prizes kept securely between them, buffered free of heat and sparks by the ward he had somehow compelled into being even in the heat of battle. A stunt he would normally never dare.


    But with multiple cannons now in the mix, sure as hell he wasn¡¯t going to let that resource go to waste, or end up back in the hands of his enemies.


    Never again.


    And if he snagged a handful of weapons without wasting more than a split second on the snatch and grab? Damn if he wouldn¡¯t do that as well.


    You have successfully claimed: 2 Mark II Blaster Rifles! You have successfully claimed 5 Mark I Blaster Rifles!


    You have successfully claimed: 3 Bronze 12-pounder cannons! You are familiar with manipulating this model of cannon! All cannons are in pristine condition!


    You have claimed 3 Powder Kegs covered in Inferior Tier Runes of Fire Warding! How fortuitous that your enemies made sure your prizes would last!


    Eric didn¡¯t bother worrying about the implications that his opponents had been knowledgeable enough to protect the powder from Eric igniting it. All his focus was on the rift just a few feet away.


    Worst case scenario, his dying friends had been swarmed by specters and he¡¯d never forgive himself for being so fucking STUPID as to trust a goblin Seer, no matter the oaths or measures taken. They were self-centered spite-filled fucks who¡¯d rather die with their claws in your eyes than live where everyone could see. Or perhaps it was the velimobile they had tracked down, or simply Greed in his calculating devious way had used Calvin The Destroyer to track Eric down. For all Eric knew, the deal was that his enemies would weaken him, and only then would Calvin force the fight.


    And weaken him they had. Not that it had done that asshole a lick of good, when Eric pounded the shit out of him before cleaving his head right off.


    Right before getting the power-up of his life, second only to his Bronze-tier title, all his injuries healed in the literal blink of an eye.


    Yet whatever exhilaration he otherwise might have savored, all he felt now was fear for his friends as he slammed against the rift, along with the dreadful certainty that he was already too late.

 Chapter 330 - A Desperate Rescue

    For countless seconds, Eric was trapped in endless darkness, ears ringing with whispers of oblivion before the true nightmares began.


    What greeted him when he finally manifested was even worse than he had feared, the darkness ringing with Richard¡¯s desperate cry and the shrieks and groans of his friends.


    It was a horrific moment before Eric could even act, beholding their would-be paladin¡¯s chalk white skin, hollowed eyes giving testament to how hard he was pushing himself, keeping a veritable swarm of howling specters at bay with his shuddering ward.


    Clearly, the delve had completely restored and recharged after being anchored back to Earth, shrieking specters doing all they could to burst through his ward while Yuki cried out desperately. ¡°We¡¯re out of healing potions, Rich! That fucking goddamned Goblin sniper critically hit our healing pouch! We¡¯re losing Emily, and I don¡¯t know what to do!¡± She sobbed while Steven desperately squeezed the gaping hole in a panicked, dying Jack¡¯s throat as he wheezed and choked on his own blood.


    ¡°Hold it together, Jack! You know the drill! Head below chest so the blood flows out of your lungs! Try to meditate. Keep it chill¡­ an hour and you¡¯ll reset entirely! Come on buddy, you have to do this. We have no other options!¡±


    Yet all Jack could do was give a desperate dying wheeze, eyes rolling in the back of his head as the cavern flared with a furious barrage of lightning that tore through specters and phantasmal ruins alike.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡± Eric screamed, too panicked for his friends¡¯ sakes to even savor the sweet hot rush of power and potency surging into his body with every crimson fork of lightning tearing right through wispy specters that were otherwise near immune to any other attack he had tried so far.


    ¡°Richard, let me in! I can help! Let me help!¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened with awed disbelief, gazing through the rainbow-hued field that looked as fragile as a soap bubble to Eric¡¯s senses. A weary smile flickered across the wounded Chevalier¡¯s features. ¡°By heaven¡¯s grace, you¡¯re actually alive. We thought¡­ We were almost certain you had...¡±


    He looked choked up with emotion, Eric quickly waving away his concern, only then noticing the dark blood pouring from the blaster hole in his chest.


    ¡°You got to hold it together, Rich!¡±


    Richard choked back a sob. ¡°The second I lower this field¡­ I¡¯m out.¡±


    Eric shuddered, forced to appreciate just how perilous their situation was, even as his thoughts raced to a fever pitch, desperate for any path forward that wouldn¡¯t see half his friends in the grave.


    ¡°Blood, lightning, essence. What do my enemies hate the most!?¡± He hissed.


    His eyes widened, on the cusp of an idea as he jerked his wrist against the bitter sharp blacksteel axe he had claimed from Calvin¡¯s corpse, a true Prize of War, its sharpness enchantment serving well enough for Eric¡¯s bright red arterial blood to bloom in a gentle spray that went exactly as he willed, a bright rich ribbon of color circling the chevalier¡¯s shimmering ward.


    Blood Mastery in effect. Your blood effortlessly follows your will!


    Eric took a deep breath, lashing out with another half dozen quickly cast bolts of crimson death echoing with the crack and boom of thunder as another 20 spirits perished. And suddenly the area near them was a bit less perilous. But Eric knew it would be only a matter of minutes, perhaps seconds, before a fresh contingent of ghosts floated their way.


    Blood Mastery skill check made! You have infused your blood with the Fire¡¯s Echo!


    Eric flashed a fierce smile as his blood immediately heated to an absurd 4000 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature that was near effortless at this point, and in absolutely no danger of going too far. It wasn¡¯t the madness of rift-rupturing fully Essence-Fused Fire Fist¡­ but rather was an echo of that pristine form¡­ much like a magnifying glass setting paper on fire, as opposed to actually bringing down the sun.


    And it was a fire that would never run out, so long as Eric willed it.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough. Eric knew that as well.


    He took a slow, steadying breath, now daring what he never had before.


    Now that he was burdened with a fourth Node power that was the farthest thing from balanced¡­ it behooved him to attempt its mastery. Not only to see if he could find a path forward that did not spell his eventual stagnation, but also to unlock the true devastating power that Essence Fusion promised. Only now he wasn¡¯t seeking to infuse his blood with a higher order principle directly. Rather, he was seeking to infuse it with the echo of not one but two essences. Flame that was not only incredibly hot, but nearly impossible to quench, by anyone save himself.


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound as the pressure mounted, feeling himself stretch, both spiritually and mentally in ways that were a strain, desperately tuning out Jack¡¯s fading wheeze, Yuki¡¯s growing panic, focused only on what he was doing. Before he was struck by sudden epiphany, suddenly understanding exactly what he was doing wrong.


    He was fighting incorporeal spirits. He didn¡¯t need his fire to be so hot it would burn only them, but rather bindings tailored specifically to the spirits that would kill them all.


    Find Weakness perception check made: Critical Success! You¡¯ve fought these creatures multiple times before, and consumed their essences in the hundreds!


    You have SUCCESSFULLY formed a second ring of blood! Blood Ring follows Basic Warding Pattern! (Rituals of Summoning and Binding) Blood Ring enhanced by Rank 30 Spirit Mastery! (Forced Obeisance.) - You follow the Path of Dominion with both skills, and so have EFFORTLESSLY Infused Dominion¡¯s Echo within your ritual circle!


    Critical Success! Your Barrier is immune to all spirit intrusion below Bronze Tier!


    Congratulations! Spirit Mastery is now Level 31!


    Eric blinked, snapping out of his daze with a look of awe at his own construct as first half a dozen then a full score of snarling specter¡¯s approached, before the black holes that were their eyes widened in horror they gave a single silent scream as they began to fade to utter translucence before fleeing for all they were worth.


    Eric shook his head in relief and rue, once again humbled by just how much he was lacking in practical application of his gifts as a necromancer. If only he had thought to use the incredibly potent skills that were his birthright and trained to such a strong degree as a raiser of Revenant Armies¡­ yet he had thought only with his fists and his fury, crimson lightning to wash all sins away, when the simple ritual circle that his young mentor Jacob had first taught him could have avoided the need for a rift-disrupting disjunction entirely.


    Eric flashed his friend a triumphant smile. ¡°I did it, Rich!¡±


    But Rich, to Eric¡¯s horror, had already collapsed, Yuki¡¯s eyes now filled with unmitigated panic as not one but three souls began to shudder with imminent death.


    ¡°Fuck no!¡± Eric cried out, desperate hands smacking against the blood-soaked ground before his friends, claiming those crimson gifts as his own.


    Blood Claimance in effect! You have claimed all blood present!


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Lesser healing in effect! You have categorized, cleansed, and sorted blood!


    It was effortless to stop the bleeding from all three of his friends, now that the ward was down.


    Yet it wasn¡¯t enough. Not nearly enough, even when multiple skill checks allowed Eric to patch Jacks muscles, arteries and throat, crimson patches held in fierce place by an Elite tier Blood Mastery skill with a Lesser Healing boon on top of it.


    Because too much blood had already been lost. So much blood that even borderline level 50 brains where in peril of perishing as breathing wheezed to a halt, death only seconds away.


    For perilous awful seconds, Eric allowed the flames of his own resolve to purify the pristine source of life and hope before him¡­ before gently sending each stream back where they belonged, even as he shouted terse words to Yuki.


    ¡°Yuki! Chest compressions on Emily, now! Don¡¯t worry about inhaling! Diaphragm compressions will keep the lungs oxygenated and the blood flowing! I got Jack! I¡¯ll alternate in twenty seconds for Richard!¡±


    Yuki didn¡¯t say a word, could only let out a panicked whimper, but much to Eric¡¯s profound relief, didn¡¯t argue at all.


    Not even when the revenants gathered up their courage and began flooding toward the ward that dared to twist the ether to Eric¡¯s will alone.


    And how those specters screamed their hate, when they sensed the affront to all of them, struggling mightily to burst through and obliterate all the warm-bloods, several mocking the delvers with silent screams, reveling in the imminent deaths of Eric¡¯s friends¡­


    But they could not get through, no matter how they tried.


    And as the minutes past, and Emily gasped for sweet life, awake and screaming before collapsing with a groan as Eric passed her one of Grim¡¯s sandwiches absolutely brimming with rich blood-building goodness, the specter¡¯s fury increased in pitch.


    All the more so when neither Jack nor Richard responded to Eric¡¯s chest compressions, Yuki exchanging a nod with Eric before taking over for Richard.


    The minutes droned endlessly on, neither young man showing any signs of life beyond Yuki and Eric¡¯s CPR, the pair refusing to stop. Even when the crack of ribs made it clear that a price was being paid.


    Emily, clearly exhausted and still weak despite the emergency rations Eric had handed her began to wail. ¡°Richard! Please wake up, Richard!¡± While the mindless shrieks of the damned became taunting whispers understood by all.


    ¡°Your friends have perished. Their souls join us even now. There is nothing you can do. Nothing!¡±


    The air rustled with their mocking laughter.


    Emily¡¯s eyes lit with sudden fierce heat. ¡°Bullshit, you goddamned bastards! I¡¯ll kill you all!¡± She snarled, stumbling to her feet, about to charge them with her staff blistering with sub-zero frost.


    Quickness check made!


    Yuki didn¡¯t have to say a word, lost as she was in keeping Richard¡¯s blood flowing with oxygen. Even if it was less than optimal, even if he would be beyond doomed as a Terran mortal with their strength flagging¡­ it didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was that they never surrender. Not their friends hovering on death¡¯s doorstop, and not ones about to be goaded into a far more immediate demise.


    ¡°Stop it, Emily!¡± Eric snarled, grabbing a fold of her enchanted garments and hoisting her up like a mewling puppy or panicked child. ¡°They¡¯re trying to goad you into leaving my circle. Now keep fucking still and let me work!¡±


    His voice was a cold snarl as he shook her once before flopping the sobbing girl on top of a stunned Steve, before racing back to Jack¡¯s side, having only lost a handful of beats, but determined to lose not a single heartbeat more as he ignored Emily¡¯s despairing wales and continued his machine-like chest compressions as his friend fell ever deeper into what Eric sensed was a vegetative-like state from which there would normally be no recovery.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Jack snapped, glaring even a shaken Yuki¡¯s way. ¡°You don¡¯t see me stopping, so don¡¯t you dare quit now!¡±


    Those were the last words he bothered with, his glare silencing anyone who even murmured a peep of bullshit defeatism as one minute bled into his next and their two doomed friends sunk ever deeper into the depths of dying neurons and no return.


    Until the instant Eric¡¯s internal timer dinged that a full hour had passed.


    And between one heartbeat and the next, a pair of glassy-eyed vegetables took wheezing breaths, before lurching up as one.


    Eric couldn¡¯t hide the fierce sense of vindication he felt, knowing even Yuki was awed to see their entire brains and bodies reset before them.


    But after what he had experience just outside, taking down a Contender that had clearly been hand-picked to kill him¡­ he knew there were far more awesome and terrible things than the miracle before them.


    Even if he was blinking back tears of his own.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Jack asked, a look of dazed incomprehension upon his features, perfectly mirrored by Richard.


    ¡°Sweetheart? Weren¡¯t we going to jump through?¡± Richard¡¯s confused look elicited a cry from Emily who held him tight, weeping her eyes out. And this time Eric didn¡¯t glare a bit, merely sunk his head in genuine relief, before sharing a look with Yuki.


    ¡°It really was a complete reset.¡± She shivered. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not even sure they¡¯re the same people as were here just two minutes ago.¡±


    Her words earned a solemn nod from Steve and a scowl from Jack.


    ¡°Shit, what are you guys talking about, and why is my chest so fucking¡­ his frown grew. ¡°My chest feels fine. What am I even talking about?¡±


    Yuki smiled through her tears. ¡°Ambush. We suffered an ambush and you and Richard...¡± she swallowed and shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it was close. Too fucking close.¡±


    Richard scowled, shaking his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t¡­ damn, I should remember something, shouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    Eric flashed a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Not if you¡¯re so far gone that the System Reset basically had to reset, well¡­ your entire prefrontal cortex.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes bulged in horror. ¡°You¡¯re kidding! I died?¡±


    Eric quickly shook his head. ¡°No. Most definitely not. You were both alive in the one way that matters. I made damn sure of that.¡±


    Jack frowned. ¡°Forgive me, Jack, but how do you know that we didn¡¯t actually, well, die?¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°Because I¡¯m a level 31 Master Necromancer. Believe me, I would know.¡±


    Richard froze at those words, staring intently at Eric. ¡°You¡¯re what, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Just someone looking out for his own. Now if you¡¯re all feeling a hundred percent, just stay here and chill while I check outside, and make sure that there are no more fucking ambushes being set up.¡±


    Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Mollet roboro sanuis herbam unus dies!¡± He whispered over a slow twenty second chant as a crimson shield covered in runes and echoing the power of resilience formed in his hand. ¡°Thinking ahead, this time.¡± He then whispered another stream of words, surrounding himself in a whirling barrier of constantly generated fresh air, realizing he had done nothing to put out the furiously burning Hell Vines, the massive tree-sized and very hungry traps would hopefully act as the perfect deterrent against both mutated bears, gnoll champions and goblin snipers.


    There. He had infused the spells with as much potency as he could, praying that this time the spells would survive the transfer. It was one thing for half-assed spells not to carry between realms, sure. But if sniping truly was a risk all delvers had to face, then he could only hope that overcharging his own enchantments with his personal mana while returning back to his home planet that anchored his magics would increase the odds that his spells would actually stick.


    Eric braced himself with one final look back. ¡°Alright, if everything¡¯s okay, I¡¯m going back out there. If I don¡¯t come back¡­ wait a day. Fuck it, wait three days¡­ maybe longer,¡± he said, presenting them with a massive quantity of sandwiches, beer casks, and longer lasting rations. ¡°Then high tail it for Freetown, Blue Quarter, as fast as you damn well can while messaging a Blue Corp representative named Morlekai. Tell him I¡¯d like him to look out for you, as a courtesy to me. My quarters in the Blue Quarter are now yours, and you have free use of the Tier 2 pod and delves.¡± He hastily scribbled a note in his own blood on a flap of minotaur hide before solemnly passing it to Richard.


    Yuki glared at him. ¡°You¡¯d better not die on me, Eric. Not until I have a chance to show you up with the awesome class I¡¯m going to get.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Sure, Yuki. I¡¯ll do my best to stay firmly in the land of the living.¡±


    Richard bowed his head in solemn gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Eric. We¡¯re eternally grateful to have you by our side.¡±


    Eric hid his smile and bowed his head in turn before hopping out of the crimson ward and sprinting for the gate, hearing Jack finally asking the question that he himself had been afraid to ask when everyone had been in crisis, desperate just to survive. Too many lives had been in the balance to morn.


    ¡°Ron! Fuck, guys, where the hell is Ron?¡±


    Jack was answered by Emily¡¯s sobs, Eric sighing for the loss as much as any of them, before turning all his focus into surviving yet another ambush against his foes.

 Chapter 331 - Lets head back to Freetown!

    Finesse check made! You have successfully darted free of rift entrance!


    Note! All ritual spells have been disrupted by realm transfer, regardless of extra mana infused into your constructs. No shield or gust of air aids you!


    You are surrounded by thick choking smoke.


    You sense no reds in the area!


    You have dispelled Hell Vines!


    Eric took the expedient measure of holding his breath and sprinting a good few hundred yards, finally clearing the blazing inferno. The blazing forest would be a death trap for any would-be ambusher who dared to stick around for any length, and for that reason, he refused to play the fool and put it out. This was a wild, monster-filled wild-mana area, the farthest thing from a nature preserve, and the only thanks he¡¯d get for any conservation effort right now would be a goblin round in his back, or a six-limbed bear¡¯s maw tearing into his throat.


    ¡°Fuck, that,¡± he whispered, eagle eyes scanning the area, confirming both his hopes and fears.


    There were no reds anywhere near¡­ but there were no Velimobiles either, and he had sensed a small train of them during the mad moments he had been fighting for his life a short while ago, clearly used for quick troop transport of elite units.


    Which meant that there had been enough survivors at least for a tactical withdrawal and to remove the bodies, or at least their most precious possessions, he thought, before flashing a grim smile. ¡°But I still claimed your sweetest blasters, fuckers. And three sweet bronze cannon I¡¯ll be Flesh-Sculpting some fresh ammo for very, very shortly!¡±


    He chuckled coldly. ¡°Because we will most definitely be having this conversation again¡­ WHEN I TAKE OUT YOUR WHOLE FUCKING CITY!¡± he roared, glaring off in the direction of the Big Apple before turning his focus back to the rift, thinking fast as he took another deep breath, sprinted through the smoke, and jumped back through.


    ¡°You made it!¡± Jack¡¯s smile was lit up with relief, as was everyone else present. He then swallowed anxiously. ¡°Any sign of Ron?¡±


    Eric solemnly shook his head. ¡°There was no sign of any ambushers, or bodies. They claimed all the velis, however. Including the one we had grabbed.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened. He angrily shook his head, pulling at his own hair. ¡°Fuck, fuck, I¡¯m such an idiot!¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes widened in alarm when he began clawing at his own face. ¡°Rich, stop it! Stop hurting yourself!¡±


    The specters of course hissed and chuckled their mirth.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen, fuckers!¡± Eric snarled, flashing a fierce smile when half a dozen exploded, shrieking into nothingness as the rest fled, glaring their hate Eric¡¯s way.


    He smirked and gave them all the finger.


    ¡°Richard, stop it!¡±


    Haunted eyes gazed into Emily¡¯s own. ¡°Can¡¯t you see? This is all my fault!¡±


    ¡°how the hell do you figure that?¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t even think they might have tracking devices in the velis! It¡¯s the only thing that would have given them such confidence to strike an ambush at us in the middle of Orange territory that they normally wouldn¡¯t dare! Why would they? Now of all times?¡±


    Eric sighed, bowing his head in acknowledgment of Yuki¡¯s glare.


    ¡°That¡¯s my fault, fearless leader.¡± He flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Greed and the Bloodtear Syndicate has formally declared all out war on me and mine, all previous contracts and accords broken. A state of Vendetta is now in effect.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡±


    Eric flashed a fierce, bitter smile. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how tempted I was to scream my acceptance of his challenge on that fucking eyebot, and maybe strike the fear of god into that asshole¡¯s craven heart. But then I recalled that Greed, as much as I hate to say it, is one smart fucker, and has been playing us all like fools from the very start. Six moves ahead when we don¡¯t even realize we¡¯re all playing cutthroat chess. Which makes me think that he wants me to declare it. He''s trying to goad me into attacking his interests right away. And somehow I''m just sure that will somehow fuck with my mother''s ability to finish collecting her troops... I mean my sister''s troops, that the smarmy bastard owes her. Troops that Greed must be FURIOUS that he has to let through. But that''s just a hunch, where I''m assuming worst-possible scenarios. Because they''ve proven pretty fucking accurate, so far. What''s not a hunch is that he''s no longer pulling punches. At all."


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Eric''s gaze turned thoughtful. ¡°Have any of you guys ever heard of Calvin The Destroyer?¡±


    Emily shook her head.


    Yuki paled.


    Jack¡¯s eyes bulged in alarm. ¡°Dude, trust me, you do NOT want to fuck with that guy. He¡¯s not a kid playing at being a Delver, he¡¯s an actual, full-blooded Contender. He hunts down people like you for fun!¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°He even has a Blue Corp affiliated streaming service, where he makes a fortune selling his live-feed duels and fights to all the high-powered fuckers eagerly awaiting his next stream of butchering whoever the fuck he feels like. Eric¡­ I¡¯ve seen him duel in the New York pits.¡± She paled, an unusual sight in jaded Yuki. ¡°What he does to anyone who dares to challenge him¡­ it isn¡¯t pretty, let me just say that.¡±


    ¡°But he respects Blue Corp boundaries!¡± Jack hastened to add. ¡°Since he uses their services. He¡¯s savage, not stupid. If you can manage to make it to the Blue Quarter in any city, you should be safe!¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes grew wider, her visible pallor now just as bad as when Eric had first healed her. She choked back a sob. ¡°Oh fuck, now we¡¯re going to be hunted down by an elite Contender? Why won¡¯t this day finally end!?¡±


    Eric cleared his throat. ¡°Yeah, about that, guys...¡±


    Jack¡¯s gaze grew in intensity. ¡°Okay, new plan. We cut through Orange-tier territory and don¡¯t fucking stop til we hit Freetown, since New York¡¯s just a fucking death trap. Everyone-agree?¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°Makes sense, let¡¯s¡ªwhat the fuck are you holding, Eric?¡±


    Eric smirked at the shocked expressions all five of his party members were giving him. He smirked down at the shriveled head in his hand. ¡°This, guys, is what I was trying to tell you about. I already met Calvin. And let¡¯s just say he¡¯s not quite the fighter he hyped himself up to be.¡±


    Yuki gazed at Eric in stunned disbelief. ¡°Eric, I¡¯ve seen him fight. He¡¯s a fucking monster.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a bitch who doesn¡¯t know the first thing about fighting with polearms. Or at the very least, he did nothing to guard his line, or embrace the virtues of a windmilling strike and that, as you can see, cost him quite dearly.¡±


    Eric smirked, tossing the head towards a yelping Yuki before pulling free the man¡¯s Dark steel battle axe, made of such heavy alloy that it felt just as comfortable and meaty in his hands as his bardiche had, all the way back at level 9. And he was pleased to find that his suspicions were right as he demonstrated the basic kata that Jake and Louie first had him master, flowing from stance to stance, weaving in tightly controlled strikes and overhand moulinets before switching it up and lashing out with tight underhanded blows, always keeping either the shaft or blade in front of him, always perfectly balanced, able to strike, pivot, and weave on a dime.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the expressions his little display earned him. ¡°And that, friends, is how you wield a battle axe weighted just like a bardiche, even if the blade length is only half of what I¡¯m used to. It still falls under polearms, a weapon I trained with pretty intensely, once upon a time.¡±


    He frowned, noting how silent all his friends were being.


    He coughed self-consciously. ¡°Sorry, that was probably unnecessary. What can I say? It¡¯s been a long fucking day. But if any of you want to pick up bardiche, battle axe or polearm skills and earn some free points by pushing it to Journeyman... I was actually going to offer to train anyone who wanted to, you know, learn. Or we can spar with whatever you¡¯re strongest at!¡± he suggested brightly, flashing a flinching Jack his friendliest smile. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to dance spears with you any time, Jack, since that¡¯s also a weapon I¡¯m trying to get to Epic tier.¡±


    For some reason that final declaration made half the party flinch.


    Yuki traded looks with Emily, still holding the desiccated head of the former contender that had stricken such fear into his companion¡¯s hearts.


    ¡°He¡¯s a fucking monster.¡±


    Emily nodded, not saying a word.


    Eric sighed, putting the battleaxe back in his ES Space, along with Caliban¡¯s head when a smirking Yuki tossed it back to him.


    ¡°So what now, Eric?¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯m thinking we go to Freetown. I have friends there. Good friends. And assuming it wasn¡¯t a certain asshole shaman who fucked us over¡­ we¡¯re still green for a certain double heist!¡±


    Richard winced. ¡°Yeah, with the gnolls now on shoot-to-kill mode with all of us...I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s such a good idea.¡±


    His sentiment earned a handful of nods.


    Eric¡¯s cold smile grew. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s going to be a problem?¡±


    Richard frowned. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Of course it will be a problem.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Believe it or not, I¡¯ve danced this dance before.¡± He turned to Jack. ¡°Remember Gilton? What happened when the walls tumbled down, the keeps exploded, and the city was flooding with elves?¡±


    Jack chortled. ¡°So that¡¯s when you made the magic happen! You didn¡¯t fear the chaos, you made it work for you!¡±


    Yuki¡¯s clenched the hilt of her naginata, her gaze hungry for the play she sensed just as crisply as Eric did. ¡°We¡¯ll stir up a panic. New York¡¯s enemies will flood the city, and we¡¯ll be sliding free of the chaos with a fucking fortune in gold and treasure!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the plan. So let¡¯s go chat with some friends of mine, and see if we actually have a shot in hell of making it happen.¡±

 Chapter 332 - Racing Across The Plains

    Fortunately, no one argued when Eric shouted, ¡°Hold your breath and run to your right!¡± so with only a minimum of coughing, tearing eyes and disorientation, they sprinted past the inferno near the entrance that didn¡¯t really bother Eric but had his teary-eyed friends weazing, coughing and crying, Eric not hesitating to scoop up Emily when she took an accidental breath and nearly collapsed. Fortunately, a couple second¡¯s hard sprint and they were out of the kill zone. Soon, his five companions were taking gasps of fresh air only slightly tainted by black smoke, rapidly looking around with wide, frightened eyes as they got their bearings.


    Jack whistled. ¡°Jeez, you weren¡¯t holding back at all!¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I just did what needed doing, and no, I didn¡¯t put out the fire or even try to. This makes sure that any asshole goblins that try to skunk us when we pop back out of the rift will be the ones smoked out. Because our lives are worth more than pretty trees that are part of an Orange territory filled with abominations hungry for our flesh, and I¡¯m including gnolls and goblins in that definition.¡±


    Emily, despite having been hit the hardest by the thick, black, acidic smoke, looked the farthest thing from reassured. ¡°We have to go back.¡±


    Richard gave her a concerned look. ¡°Emily...¡±


    ¡°Ron, we have to see if we can find him! If there¡¯s any chance he made it...¡±


    Her words died off when Rich wrapped her in a reassuring hug. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Emily. He¡¯s not trapped in the dungeon.¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes widened in sudden comprehension. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot. You¡¯re the party leader, so of course you know! I just assumed that since we¡¯re so far apart¡­ we¡¯ve never been forcefully split up like this before.¡±


    Richard solemnly nodded. ¡°Turns out you don¡¯t even need to be in my sight for the gift to work. Which is convenient, and something we should have tested months ago.¡±


    ¡°Know what, exactly?¡± Eric asked.


    ¡°Whether Ron¡¯s still with us or not,¡± Steven said, giving his friend a thumb¡¯s up. ¡°It¡¯s one of the reasons why he¡¯s our party leader. Not only is he a tank with what we think must be a full set of meridian nodes he can fill, he also has party buffs and interface enhancements as a part of his class that cost him nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the status of Ron? Is he hurt somewhere and needs our help? Fleeing some beasty? Past tense?¡± Jack asked, ignoring Yuki¡¯s scowl and the way Emily wilted, fearing the worst.


    Much to their collective relief, Richard¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver. Indeed, he pointed in the direction that Eric was sure was east¡­ yes, according to his interface, it was east. ¡°He cut across the territory successfully, and he¡¯s heading North at a walking pace. Fortunately, he¡¯s sent me no distress messages. Or any messages, for that matter. Anyway, his pace and direction probably means that he¡¯s safe in white-tier territory and is heading back to New York City.¡±


    Yuki gave Emily her best smile. ¡°He¡¯s probably heading back to your family compound, Emily, to let your father know that we made it. Remember, we can all communicate through Richard just like Contenders can communicate with each other and all the bigwigs, thanks to your boyfriend¡¯s super sweet class and perks.¡±


    Emily seemed to melt with relief. ¡°Thank god. I was so worried! After all he¡¯s done for me and my family, the thought of him lying in some unmarked grave¡­¡±


    ¡°You know Ron, Emily. I¡¯m betting he¡¯s perfectly fine,¡± Richard assured.


    ¡°But he¡¯s heading back to the city,¡± Steve calmly noted. ¡°If that goblin wasn¡¯t lying to us¡­ and it probably was lying about a lot of things but I doubt it was lying about all sorts of bad dudes wanting to punch our collective ticket.¡±


    Emily groaned. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re right. Why¡¯s he going back? We should warn him.¡±


    Jack scowled, before flashing Eric an apologetic look. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that will do any good, Emily.¡±


    ¡°But Jack, it¡¯s dangerous!¡±


    Jack sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s not kid ourselves. We all know how Ron feels about Eric. And I¡¯m going to be honest, I don¡¯t envy having those two shooting barbs and threats at each other for the next 200 miles while we¡¯re just trying to get to friendly territory without getting obliterated by swarms of Orange tier seventieth level beasts and abomination.¡±


    Emily¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°It¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Ron hate¡¯s Eric¡¯s guts, Emily. Sorry, there¡¯s no getting around it.¡±


    Before Emily could say anything else, Richard gently squeezed her shoulder. ¡°I sent him an interface message. Told him to be careful, that the rest of us got out okay, and to send me a message when he can.¡±


    Emily sighed, before finally dipping her head. ¡°Thank you, babe. Please let me know the minute he responds. And since New York is most definitely off the table for the rest of us¡­ maybe we should get going?¡±


    Yuki frowned, taking a careful look all around. ¡°I don¡¯t see any signs of goblins, and the hairs on the nape of my neck aren¡¯t prickling in alarm.¡± her tension eased as she dared a thin-lipped smile. ¡°Good. Now if only we could get someplace safe where we could actually rest and celebrate just surviving that madness without having to worry about ambushes or getting eaten by high level monsters on the way...¡±


    ¡°I know just the place. Best of all, you can all relax and take it easy. Just leave the driving to me!¡± Eric declared with a flourish as he summoned forth his latest creation.


    ¡°Debilito gravitas unus dies!¡± The nearby trees rustled with the reverberating echoes of his runic chant. He ignored the whistles and soft curses of his friends as the massive amalgamation of flesh and bone that he had carefully sculpted inside his ES Space to resemble a velimobile as closely as possible with the addition of fins that were almost wings and a half-dome of interwoven bones that would hopefully protect against rolling and random monster attacks. The whole thing was reinforced considerably by both his class, his essences, and runes for strength and resilience saturated with his own blood that he had carved into the frame.


    He couldn¡¯t help beaming with pride at his creation.


    ¡°So, what do you guys think?¡±


    Much to his dismay, the reaction seemed to be mixed.


    ¡°Looks fucking wicked, Necromancer King!¡± Steve quickly assured with an eager thumbs up.


    Jack smirked, cracking his neck. ¡°Yeah¡­ this isn¡¯t exactly flying below the radar, Eric. You do know that, right?¡±


    Emily rosebud lips eased into a concerned frown. ¡°Um¡­ Eric?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up, Ems?¡±


    She frowned at that, but let it pass, even if Rich raised an eyebrow at Eric¡¯s new nickname for his girlfriend.


    ¡°When you said you could get us to Freetown in style¡­ that we wouldn¡¯t have to spend the next few days at a forced march through multiple Orange-tier territories while making our way to Freetown on zero sleep...¡±


    ¡°I mean, I could always make us a reinforced necro castle,¡± Eric said, ¡°especially with all the stone blocks I saved from our original fort. But considering all the assholes gunning for us, I¡¯d like to get you all to a safe zone as soon as possible. I¡¯m sort of recommending that we avoid sleep in the meantime so no more goblin shits can ambush us, and I¡¯m hoping that with almost all of us now at Level 49 we won¡¯t have any problems staying awake for a day or two?¡±


    Emily flashed a reassuring smile, her golden locks flashing in the reflected light of the afternoon sun. ¡°No, Eric, we¡¯re grateful for any safe zone you can bring us to that¡¯s truly safe. Even your idea of using a veli is perfect. But this, well...¡±


    ¡°Sure as fuck isn¡¯t a veli,¡± Yuki declared with a smirk, her enchanted naginata resting casually in her grip.


    Eric¡¯s expression fell. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not a veli? It¡¯s perfectly a veli! If has the fins, the sleek design, the optional bone grill and racing fins! See, look! It¡¯s even levitating!.. Oh shit, hold on.¡±


    Rich crossed his arms and sighed while Eric wrestled his veli back down when the breeze started blowing it towards the still crackling rift entrance. Eric couldn¡¯t help wondering if there was some sort of arcane draw. At least the pull was slight, since the veli was still massive, even if nearly weightless, and the flashes of ebony midnight darkness and pearlescent sheen of color coming from the rift through the smoky haze definitely looked a lot more stable to Eric¡¯s eyes than it had before.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing the diplomacy option is totally off the table?¡± Richard asked.


    ¡°There,¡± Eric said, deciding to ignore the question because diplomacy was most definitely off the fucking table, and he didn¡¯t even know what Rich was referring to, nor did he care. Because as far as he was concerned¡­ all orcs, goblins, gnolls and every other invading psychotic shit had to die. He just had to be smart enough to hold off on things until his mother, who was also a bitch but at least she was his mother¡­ finished claiming her 400,000 or so troops.


    He was careful to say none of these thoughts aloud as he finished wrapping his rope of essence-infused minotaur rawhide to the bone frame he had fastened upon the back of his armor that didn¡¯t hinder him at all but secured the rope attached to both him and this bone veli. Best of all, if trouble came, a single twist and he was free to do whatever he had to do.


    ¡°We¡¯re all ready to go!¡± His smile fell. ¡°Guys, seriously. Hop on, we¡¯re running late.¡±


    Richard gave him a pointed look. ¡°Eric...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting about the decree against necromancy?¡±


    Eric paused to give his friends a look. ¡°Seriously? After all that those fuckwads did to screw you over and kill us all, you¡¯re still going to jump to their tune?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair and you know it,¡± Yuki snapped. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to be okay with you trying to claim New York after our play. Those fuckers broke their oaths, good and proper, and my foundation feels strong as fuck, even with that declaration. So hell, I might even join you! But a little bit of territory conquest is a hell of a lot different than getting a dozen aligned powers that now make up the former USA to come down on our asses all at once!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Sure, I get it. But you¡¯re all forgetting something.¡±


    ¡°And what the fuck is that, Eric Orcbane?¡±


    ¡°The stricture, at least in gnollish, was specifically against revenants. This isn¡¯t a revenant. It¡¯s a construct. If we¡¯re going to outlaw using corpses as construction materials, a million people including the gnolls are going to be fresh out of leather boots, jackets, quivers, arrows, bow strings, and pretty much everything else.¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile grew at the looks his friends were giving him. And how awesome was it that he could honestly consider them friends, now?


    He gave his veli an affectionate pat. ¡°When you get right down to it, this is me just using my harvested kills the same as any quality craftsman would. And when you consider the leather interiors on all the best cars and velis, there¡¯s hardly any difference at all!¡±


    Rich¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°Eric, that thing looks like a necromancer¡¯s levitating chariot. Not a high-end velimobile.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Form versus function. So I have a bit more style than the gnolls do. So what? The point is that it¡¯s not a revenant...because believe me, I could make us some wicked steeds if that was on the table¡­ and it will get us from point A to point B, just fine.¡±


    Steve¡¯s eyes lit up like that. ¡°Wait, you mean you could make us some badass midnight black undead stallions like all the best soul-reavers in Skydragon ride?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°What do you take me for, an amateur? Of course I can! And mine would be massive tuskers that are ten feet high at the hocks with lots of comfy padding over their bones so your ass won¡¯t be sore in five minutes like it would with a skeletal mount. But apparently those guys are off the table,¡± he said with a mock glare for Richard who had crossed his arms and was adamantly shaking his head.


    ¡°No, Eric. We are not riding on those tuskers you used to slaughter all the orcs in Queensland.¡±


    ¡°That was an awesome fight!¡± Steven said with an awed smile Eric¡¯s way. ¡°You took out what, like 10,000 orcs that day? Oh, I can¡¯t tell you how much me and Jack were silently cheering you on, even if Emily and Richard¡¯s parents were screaming and shouting with all the other blue bloods of New York, terrified that you were going to come after us, once you took out Freetown.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°Yup, that was their fear. But it was more like 20,000 orcs, right? And you never did take over Freetown, let alone head to New York.¡± He then winced under Emily and Richard¡¯s looks. ¡°Before um¡­ now, that is.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Well of course I wasn¡¯t going to hit Freetown. That¡¯s Blue Corp¡¯s home base in this area.¡±


    Emily¡¯s eyes widened with alarm. ¡°Wait, Eric, if Blue Corp is aligned with the goblins...¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re truly fucked,¡± Jack said with a groan.


    Eric smirked, shaking his head. ¡°Believe me, if they had known what absolute backstabbing fucks the Bloodtear syndicate would prove to be, I seriously doubt they would have had anything to do with them. But¡­ yeah. I¡¯m only allowed in the Blue Quarter, and I promised Caliban I¡¯d play nice with those little assholes, but only in Freetown. Everywhere else? It¡¯s game on!¡±


    Richard blinked at Eric¡¯s casual declaration. ¡°You mean Lord Caliban, one of the most powerful Bronze-tier representatives here on the North American Continent, only allowed here at all because of Blue Faction¡¯s revered neutrality in regards to all planetary ascensions?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°I knew Cali was holding back! I mean, if he could summon Bronze troopers to help me cart my gold and they¡¯re allowed on Earth, it only makes sense that he is too.¡±


    Emily turned to her boyfriend. ¡°He called Lord Caliban¡­ Cali. And after my father was sweating bullets just getting ready to meet with him about a trade deal...¡±


    Rich gave her a sympathetic nod, holding her close.


    Yuki smirked. ¡°You two look disgustingly adorable. You should get married already. And I told you this cat was absurd.¡±


    Eric patted the side of his veli, ignoring the increasingly strained looks his friends were giving him. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going! I want to see how fast I can go while dragging you all behind me.¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°You really think you can drag us along like Santa¡¯s reindeer? Sure, Eric, give it a shot.¡±


    Emily¡¯s brow furrowed, but Richard¡¯s gentle squeeze of her hand eased her hesitations. She stepped in, looking more surprised than she wanted to admit that the seats were just as soft and plush as Eric had promised they would be.


    Steve followed, his lips curving into a grin. ¡°Fuck, you can do this? Awesome! I swear if it wasn¡¯t outlawed, I¡¯d so want to be your disciple.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Trust me, that edict won¡¯t be lasting too much longer. You guys all comfy?¡±


    ¡°No! This thing is tilting!¡± An alarmed Yuki hollered before yelping adorably when she was jerked down onto her seat as Eric began racing across the plains, ignoring his friend¡¯s startled shouts.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay! It won¡¯t tilt once we pick up some speed!¡± He shouted, no determined to see just how far he could push himself, eager to feel a burn in his thighs for what would be the first time in ages as his jog soon turned to an easy run, keeping an eye on his interface map even as he allowed himself to slip into the zone, feeling just as exhilarated as he used to while jogging along nature trails in upstate New York, what now felt like a lifetime ago.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Of course, not everyone was content with a relaxing jog.


    ¡°Those fucking mutant bears are chasing us, Eric!¡± Jack screeched, earning a laugh from their driver.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m hardly even running, and they can barely keep up!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, Eric!¡± Yuki snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be trapped in here if you fucking crash and the bears swarm you!¡±


    ¡°Good thing I have no intention of crashing then, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eric snarked, and whatever Yuki was going to say became a breathless curse when Eric leaped over a gully, earning a couple panicked shouts even as he effortlessly cleared the jump, as did their veli, with the advantage of mass and fins.


    ¡°What the fuck, Eric?¡±


    Eric smirked, his normally enthusiastic friend Steve, who otherwise liked the edgy dark lord lifestyle, was clearly not a fan of leaping over deep gorges and feeling his stomach lurch.


    ¡°Just giving our friends something else to contend with!¡± Eric cheerfully declared, and indeed they left the now massive swarm of enraged bears far behind¡­ until new ones picked up their scent and began to chase them with savage fervor. ¡°Oh look, new jogging buddies.¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding, Yuki. Relax.¡±


    But Yuki did not relax, not even when his interface pointed him to other cleverly placed ridges and ravines dotting the area, Eric soon making a game of how many bears he could leave bunched up at any given canyon face before leaving them all in the dust, only stopping when his friends made it exquisitely clear that no one else was enjoying his game.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re leaving mutant bear territory,¡± he declared a short while later, smirking at the swarm of roaring howling abominations still trailing the velimobile as they left the outskirts of the pine forest far behind, rapidly approaching a fresh region comprised of endless sprawling grasslands and absolutely massive conifers with a sharp spike of humidity.


    ¡°I knew they couldn¡¯t run for shit with all those extra arms!¡± A pleased Eric declared. ¡°And look, they won¡¯t even cross the boundary between regions! They¡¯re ire immediately shuts down and they just go ambling back to whatever the fuck they were doing before, as long as we¡¯re at least half a mile beyond the outskirts of the region. No wonder some clever cats were able to hit level forty and such just by sniping from a neighboring territory. How cheesy! I totally approve!¡±


    Eric happily noted that his friends seemed okay, for the most part, having long since forgiven his earlier escapades when a bone ice chest filled with ice-cold drinks and sandwiches had revealed itself for their culinary pleasure. And his vehicle hadn¡¯t broken to bits, so maybe it was finally time to pick up some serious speed.


    ¡°Alright, put away your snacks, guys! Bone drink holders should have formed right beside you. Eric Silver airways is about to take off!¡±


    Eric steadily began increasing his pace, grateful to sense the fins keeping his custom veli that Yuki so wrongly called a bone death trap perfectly level, without any roll. And even if he was using his Flesh Sculptor and general Necromantic Abilities to will their vehicle steady, without allowing it to start whipping about chaotically for more than a couple seconds as he blitzed across the endless plains filled with fearsome aggressive wildlife like a child flying a kite, he counted it mostly a success. He wasn¡¯t using that much energy, and his friend¡¯s screams had finally stopped.


    Finesse check made! You manage to stay on your feet!


    Though he did frown when he almost lost his footing, the supernaturally levitating Veli that was still quite massive and weighed down by his friends and a smidgen of his will was definitely proving harder to handle as air resistance increased sharply. Which might have made the ride a wee bit more bumpy, but at least he was finally beginning to feel a good burn in his quads and glutes for the first time in ages.


    ¡°Eric, what the fuck!¡± Yuki screamed from the vehicle. ¡°We almost went airborne! You were floating in the fucking air!¡±


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Steve could be heard cackling. ¡°We¡¯re going over a hundred, easy! And fuck, what are those giant¡­ Eric! T-Rex¡¯s are coming our way!¡±


    Eric smirked, gazing in the direction he sensed his friends pointing, having no doubt someone was exaggerating just a bit. There were any number of bipedal theropods besides the tyrannosaurus, after all... He then blinked, catching sight of the towering monstrosity, the creature¡¯s nostrils flaring as glaring red eyes looked Eric¡¯s way.


    He felt a sudden icy knot in his stomach, his heart skipping a beat as the massive creature roared and began lumbering their way, nowhere near as colorful as some modern interpretations declared them being. Rather, the monstrous beast with jaws gaping as wide as Eric was tall was was a mottled green and brown hue which actually blended in quite well with the plains they were traversing¡­ or would have, if it wasn¡¯t so massive.


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re right, Steve-O. That is a T-Rex!¡± Eric ignored his friend¡¯s surprised shouts. ¡°Guess we shouldn¡¯t be surprised. This is North America and the dinosaurs ruled this continent for over a hundred and fifty million years, long before we were ever here, so it makes sense that the Ascension remembers their footprints, ha ha. And where better to pour out some of Earth¡¯s overambundance of sweet, sweet potency than by bringing those beasties back to life and infusing them with delicious high-level goodness?¡±


    ¡°Go back, we have to go back!¡± Emily screamed.


    ¡°Relax, historians pin it¡¯s speed at around ten miles an hour!¡± Eric assured. Before frowning, because the T-Rex in question was no longer just lumbering their way. It was blitzing across the plains like an out-of-control locomotive, a shower of grass and soil flying in its wake.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Pre-system T-Rex. Pre-system! We don¡¯t know how fast those fuckers are now. And what happens if you trip or we take a tumble?¡± Jack screamed.


    ¡°Good point!¡± Eric shouted back. ¡°Roboro ventus attentio!¡± Eric chanted over long seconds of his friends alternately screaming or demanding he stop so they could prepare themselves for a fight. Then he felt a powerful breeze at his back and suddenly it was so much easier to race forward, wind resistance cut down to just a fraction of what it would otherwise be, even if he had to concentrate on this chant while racing faster than ever to keep his veli from pitching in the air, earning fresh screams and angry shouts before he successfully leveled it out once more as his speed hit 150 mph according to his interface, which was when he summoned a second breeze at an angle that both pushed him down and forward, giving his quads even more of a delicious burn and keeping him firmly on the ground.


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s working!¡± Emily breathlessly declared. ¡°The T-Rex is breaking off his chase!¡±


    ¡°That sucker¡¯s in the dust!¡± Jack hooted. ¡°Even if it was going a hell of a lot faster than ten miles an hour...¡±


    ¡°Told you it would work!¡± Eric said as he gazed about with sheer delight at the odd fusion of modern day plains and ancient Cretacious wonders; waist-high grass was interspersed with massive conifers and giant-sized ferns dotting the humid plains, the endless fields dotted with flowering plants that he was sure were far larger than their actual historical counterparts, with bright yellow and white Marigolds and Eucidots making up the large majority. Of course Eric was no expert. There could be a hundred different varieties and breeds of flowers that to him just looked like a beautiful windswept grasslands filled with massive brontosauri reaching with their long necks for the tops of enormous ferns soaring at least ten stories in height while tyrannosauruses and similar streamlined killing machines raced across the endless fields in search of easier prey.


    Like Eric¡¯s veli, though it was now racing many times what even magically enhanced dinosaurs could hope to match, probably due at least in part to wind resistance that had a hell of a lot more impact on their massive frames than his own, and Eric was cheating with multiple wind enchantments and a gravity one as well.


    ¡°This is fucking insane! My interface is pinging us as now going over one hundred and fifty miles an hour!¡± Steven hooted. ¡°I love it!¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick,¡± Emily sobbed.


    ¡°Me too,¡± Richard said with a groan.


    Eric snorted and rolled his eyes, savoring the warm golden afternoon light from the clear blue sky, a delicious contrast to the fierce wind whipping back the hair that slipped free of his helmet. ¡°We just survived multiple ambushes and death traps! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to let a little belly ache get in the way of the ride of your lives?¡±


    Of course they couldn¡¯t actually hear him over the howling wind. Fortunately their group-chat made that a moot point.


    ¡°Eric! T-Rex just ahead!¡± Jack cried out before the air flashed with crimson lightning.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen! Sanguis Fulmen!¡± Eric shouted, and the T-Rex just ahead of them on an intercept course for their veli abruptly lurched aside when lightning seared its eyes and tore at its face.


    ¡°Fragor!¡± Eric roared a heartbeat later, taking fierce satisfaction when the giant-sized head exploded, showering his friends in dinosaur gore.


    ¡°Fucking hell, Eric!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Yuki!¡± Eric¡¯s cheeky grin as he raced through the plains became a wince. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m sorry, did I catch you guys in the blast again?¡±


    There was a painful silence and the sound of retching.


    ¡°Not that bad,¡± Yuki finally allowed. ¡°Even if there¡¯s some blood trickling out of my ears, fucker. And that was all it took to get Emily puking¡­ and fuck, I¡¯m covered in dinosaur brains. I am so getting you for this, Eric Orcbane!¡± She declared, before the air filled with the sound of her wretches and Jack¡¯s laughter.


    Eric grinned over the sound of his friends good-natured and not so good-natured grumbles and curses as he picked up his pace and continued to race for all he was worth, savoring the sheer rush of the miles absolutely flying by, the waist-high grasses thankfully pressed flat before him thanks to what were probably hurricane force winds he was concentrating so hard to keep at just the right angle.


    ¡°How are you guys doing back there?¡±


    ¡°Terrible! When the hell are we stopping? Now I¡¯m going to be sick¡± Jack groused.


    Eric smirked, finally well and truly feeling the burn¡­ yet knowing better than to stop, surrounded by massive sauropods and hyper-aggressive theropods, and knowing as well that him racing through the grasslands at an absolutely insane 150 mph was probably their greatest measure of safety. By the time any creature sensed their presence, they were already roaring away before said creature could fight or flee.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop when we get to the edge of the territory!¡± Eric said between breaths.


    ¡°And when the hell will that be?¡±


    Eric inhaled to belt out a witty answer before nearly freezing in shock when a quick look at the interface map he had in the upper left hand corner of his mind¡¯s eye revealed something that chilled him to the quick. ¡°This is fucking insane.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Steve breathlessly asked. ¡°is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°There better not be anything wrong, Eric!¡± Yuki snapped.


    Eric swallowed, forcing himself to say it. ¡°You all know we¡¯ve been racing along at crazy speeds, right? You guys are hearing me as much through the party interface as over the shrieking sound of the wind blowing past you, and that¡¯s with my own constant breeze minimizing wind resistance for me and pushing down the grass. Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t be going nearly this fast!


    ¡°Yes, we know, what¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°My point is that we¡¯ve already got eighty miles under our belt!¡±


    Dead silence from his friends.


    ¡°Wait, Eric!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Steve?¡± Eric said between breaths.


    ¡°I thought¡­ wait¡­ aren¡¯t White-tier territories like twenty by twenty miles¡­ or roughly 400 square miles or something¡­ but Orange tier can be up to 40 by 40 miles normally¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my understanding.¡±


    ¡°Is this territory like some stretched out noodle?¡±


    Eric shook his head, instinctively adjusting himself against the tension of the leather rope tying him to the veli flying his friends like a low-hanging kite. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m pretty sure that it¡¯s square shaped, like many if not most of the New York territories except for the white-tier ones on the coast.¡±


    ¡°Then what the fuck is going on?¡± Jack shouted over Steve¡¯s continuing questions.


    Eric shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But we¡¯ve already traveled twice the length of a standard Orange¡­ and according to my interface, we¡¯re no more than halfway across.¡±


    Steve groaned. ¡°Oh no, that means the Earth¡¯s surface area is expanding with the planet¡¯s ascension, just like in all the cultivation novels I used to read.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what it means?¡± Eric asked.


    ¡°No he¡¯s not,¡± Richard interjected. ¡°None of us know what it means. All we know is that the sooner we leave this oversized territory filled with way too many T-Rexes and other bipedal predators glaring at us like upright-walking crocodiles...¡±


    ¡°You mean the Spinosauruses beside that swamp over there?¡± Eric helpfully clarified, steeling a look at a pair of predatory eyes glaring at them from the swamp¡¯s edge¡­ though making no attempt to chase prey moving as fast as they were.


    ¡°Yes, exactly!¡± Richard snapped. ¡°So let¡¯s get the fuck out of here now and worry about the metaphysical later!¡±


    Eric eyes abruptly widened, feeling, for the first time, a jolt of fear as he caught a glimpse of something he wish he hadn¡¯t seen. ¡°Okay guys, enough horsing around. Now we¡¯re going FAST!¡±


    ¡°Oh no, please, Eric, I¡¯m already going to...¡± Emily¡¯s words were cut off when a low reverberating rumble they could feel in their bones, vibrating through their teeth edged into audible decibel levels that had the entire regions erupting in the shrieks, caws, and howls of countless herbivores and predators alike.


    ¡°What the fuck was that!¡± A panicked Jack asked.


    Eric didn¡¯t both answering after he caught just a glimpse of the massive theropod that had made the roar. An unspeakably vast Tyrannosaurus that absolutely towered over even the giant ferns, that Eric glimpsed from countless miles away.


    Despite the distance, the creature towered over them all like a mountain, filling Eric with a sort of reverential wonder that left him breathless.


    And despite the distance, the massive red eyes, pools of hellish fury, fastened in him, sending shivers through his soul as he immediately broke off his gaze.


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! There¡¯s a giant dinosaur, and it¡¯s chasing us!¡± Steve screeched.


    ¡°Oh god, we¡¯re going to die. We¡¯re going to die!¡± Emily sobbed.


    ¡°Eric, go faster!¡± Richard roared, his voice filled with desperate panic, to which Eric responded in the only way he could.


    Intensifying the wind on his back and pressing him down as he increased his pace yet again, air coming into his lungs like bellows as he made full use of his Speed Racer perk, and absolutely tore through the grasslands, no matter that the ground began to shake with the crashing footsteps of a true behemoth, belting out a second roar that made the ground shake and Eric¡¯s ears bleed.


    Yet not once did Eric slow, no matter how his friends screamed or cried out, no matter how intent the crashing pounding footsteps of his would be executioner or how fiercely his own quadriceps burned with exertion unlike anything he had suffered in months or years.


    Wheezing for breath, making full of his Unified Restoration node to clear lactic acid buildup and repair skeletal-muscular stress and injury beyond what even his insane Vitality would normally allow, Eric demanded his body move faster than he ever had before.


    Strength modified Finesse Check made! Quickness check made! You have successfully pushed yourself beyond all previous limits! You have achieved 200 MPH while five of your newest friends are at the absolute mercy of a contraption never built to survive the abuse you¡¯re giving it!


    Eric didn¡¯t even have the energy to smirk at his interface¡¯s cheek. All he could do was force his desperate gasps into disciplined breathing, making full use of his diaphragm as he pushed himself like never before. Slipping ever further into the zone until there was only the endless moment of him racing across the plains, one with the agony in his legs, one with the bone and leather veli he did his best to keep steady and smooth¡­ one with the majestic panorama of endless fields, filled with countless flowers and Cretaceous abominations and the most spectacular sunset Eric could imagine as one mile bled into another before, miracle of miracles, Eric raced across the barrier between territories, the hot humid air quickly cooling off with a sudden breeze, and they were surrounded by far hillier terrain with pine forests all about, the air suddenly alive with the wild howling call of canine predators that had always lived concurrently with man.


    ¡°We did it. We¡¯re out of there!¡± Jack hooted.


    ¡°Jeez, it¡¯s suddenly cold! I swear the terrain changed faster than traveling up and down hills and mountains in Skydragon!¡± Steve exclaimed.


    ¡°Can we stop now?¡± a wan Emily pleaded.


    Eric had slowed down long enough to catch his breath and for the agony of legs burning with exertion to fade as he took on an easy loping stride of a ¡®mere¡¯ hundred miles an hour. Even he had felt a sharp spike of fear at the thought of encountering the massive behemoth that would have certainly doomed his friends.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend stopping right now, Emily. Considering that there are two mega-wolf packs converging on us right now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding!¡± Yuki hissed, to which Eric could only shake his head.


    ¡°Infravision and interfaces don¡¯t lie. If we¡¯re lucky, this territory won¡¯t be an absolutely insane 160 miles in diameter like the last one was.¡±


    Eric smirked at the growing howls, even as his friends began cursing profusely.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we stopped, Eric. Give us time to hunker down and prepare for these shits,¡± Richard said.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Sorry boss man. I can¡¯t hear a thing over the wind.¡±


    ¡°Eric...¡±


    ¡°Do you really want to risk getting swarmed in the dark by countless packs? I know you could handle the dark just fine in the delve with the minotaurs, but these are wolves that specialize in hamstringing and ambush tactics.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Rich,¡± Yuki said. ¡°If this crazy cat can actually sprint us all the way to Freetown¡­ let him. We¡¯ve done enough killing. When¡¯s the last time we actually got a good night¡¯s sleep?¡±


    The air grew silent, save for the mournful howl of the wolves.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure you can keep it up, Eric,¡± Richard said at last.


    ¡°Only thing I¡¯m sure of, is if territory bosses are all the size of that hundred foot tall fucking dinosaur, I want no part of it! Not yet, anyway.¡±


    Richard snorted. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Emily groaned. ¡°Please, Richard. I can¡¯t go another hour like this, sick to my stomach, smelling like my own vomit!¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°Look back in our little bone ice box that didn¡¯t jostle a bit during our journey! You¡¯ll find a dozen fresh, ice-cold elven meads. Just, um¡­ ignore the bone bottles. It¡¯s the good stuff, I promise.¡±


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yuki?¡±


    ¡°I meant to ask you this awhile back¡­ but did you somehow stretch your ES Space to the point that you could summon a chest full of ice-cold Elven ales in this bone veli while you¡¯re racing about at a hundred miles an hour?¡±


    ¡°And restock it on the fly?¡± Emily said. ¡°Because this elven mead wasn¡¯t here before!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s your stomach, girls?¡±


    ¡°Doing flipflops, like it¡¯s been for the last fucking hour!¡± Yuki snapped.


    ¡°Then how about you stop asking stupid questions and have an ale on me?¡±


    ¡°Asshole.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°I know. Hope you feel better, Yuki. You too, Emily. Drink up, everyone! You¡¯ll love it, I promise.¡±

 Chapter 333 - Power Nap Time!

    Eric savored the feel of the cooler territory air blowing against his skin as distant wolves howled but proved unable to keep up with his pace, and he wouldn¡¯t say he was knackered, exactly. More like he was in the cardio phase of his workout after killing himself with weights and a 100 MPH max was still an excellent speed, thank you very much, and anyone who couldn¡¯t appreciate it, or the fact that those wolves couldn¡¯t go over 80, even with their humongous sizes, could hop off and jog themselves. Still, he wasn¡¯t too tired to enjoy the beautiful view as he passed by groves of pine and massive herds of dear and moose that reminded him a good bit of the wildlife in the woodsier part of the northeast. Even if the New England moose of the before times rarely migrated down to New York State, nor had they displayed antler wracks quite so massive as these massive elephant-sized behemoths that were all eager to bellow and charge Eric¡¯s veli on sight, which Eric supposed was understandable, if being short-tempered ornery bastards helped them survive the mega-wolves better. But it was certainly a pain when he just wanted to stay at a nice, comfortable 100MPH.


    ¡°Roboro ventus! Iram congel! Plures attentio!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but flash a fierce, satisfied smile when he finally got the latest group of bellowing moose to back the hell off when he blasted forth a massive cone of frigid icy doom that just wouldn¡¯t stop, even if it had necessitated him cutting off all his other enchantments and slowing down to nothing, freeing himself of his harness, and going absolutely to town holding his Ice Dragon¡¯s Breath spell. Even if it was still just a runic chant that had taken over twenty seconds of concentration to fully utter and unleash.


    But the look of terror in eyes of the giant moose made it clear that this was a spell to claim when he could. Especially when the furious bellows turned to bleats, over half the herd meeting his cone of freezing ice and wind straight on took massive damage and slowed right fuck down before being frozen into moose-popsicles, and soon it was just a laughing Eric eyeing one enormous moose glaring daggers of hate Eric¡¯s way as the rest of the herd of System-enhanced and perpetually antlered elk turned around and fled for all they were worth.


    Bull Moose attempts charge!


    Quickness Check made! Your opponent doesn¡¯t come close!


    You have successfully maintained concentration!


    You have critically struck your target.


    Your target has been slowed.


    ¡°Eric? What the hell is that?¡±


    Eric paid an outraged Emily no mind as he continued pouring on the chill until the glaring bull moose had slowed down to a crawl¡­ and then perfect stillness.


    Critical Hit! You have successfully frozen your target solid!


    You have successfully placed 1 Bull Moose and 7 Standard Megalith Moose in your ES Space!


    Maximum Potency to skill-rank conversion in effect! Title Boons, Contender Status, and natural affinities noted! For successfully making use of multiple runes in and out of combat for multiple hours under extreme stress in a high-potency area, you have boosted your Runic Lore to Rank 29!


    You have managed to enhance both your Strength and your Vitality with your latest exertion! (Note. You have elected NOT to show fractional point increases upon your character sheet.)


    You are currently suffering: Mana Fatigue, Spiritual Energy Fatigue, Stamina Fatigue. - Power nap, anyone?


    A panting Eric, more tired than he wanted to admit after pouring so much of himself into freezing an absurdly high-level moose, turned to his friends.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s venison stakes for everyone tonight!¡± He said, earning a bemused look from Yuki even as Jack and Steve whistled and Emily crossed her arms and glared at him the moment she stepped out of the bone veli that he had stopped with hardly any jostling at all.


    ¡°Nice kill, Necro-King! You froze those bastards solid!¡± Steve commended.


    Jack smirked. ¡°You know we could have planned this a little bit better, right, Eric? I wouldn¡¯t have minded tagging some game myself.¡±


    Richard nodded his agreement. ¡°Next time let¡¯s come up with a plan before we hunt, Eric. That cone you were spraying wasn¡¯t something we were eager to get caught in the AOE of, with the way your were spraying it.¡±


    Jack and Steve nodded solemny at that, though Emily¡¯s glare only increased as she tapped her foot.


    ¡°Anything you want to say, Eric?¡±


    Eric, now doubled over and panting, could only chuckle softly. ¡°Um¡­ I got a headache like you wouldn¡¯t believe?¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°You¡¯re sweating, Eric. After all the shit we¡¯ve been through, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen you sweat.¡±


    ¡°Or be panting with exhaustion,¡± Jack sagely said. ¡°I mean, look at the way he¡¯s bent over, all depleted. Like he¡¯s human just like the rest of us! I¡¯ll bet I could tip him over like a cow right now if I wanted.¡±


    ¡°Are you actually going to?¡± Steve asked with morbid curiosity.


    ¡°Hell, no. I don¡¯t want him turning me into a frozen pretzel!¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    Eric winced at the sound of Emily¡¯s voice. ¡°Let¡¯s use our inside voices, mkay?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck was what?¡±


    ¡°That!¡± She hissed, jabbing her magical staff at the frozen ground, sans already collected elk.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Emily¡¯s lips pinched, her eyes glittering with frustration like little chips of ice.


    Eric blinked, took in the cooler air around them, the frozen ground, the staff in Emily¡¯s hand, suddenly getting it.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Oh?!?¡± Emily said as glared at him while squeezing the haft of her staff. Her very expensive staff that her family had invested a hell of a lot in securing her, so she could have an Advanced class. A special class. Maybe even a unique class.


    Eric winced.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? Sorry? After all the shit I went through, busting my ass in that dungeon, trying to unleash kick-ass ice slicks since my ice spears couldn¡¯t do anything against those fucking minotaur monstrosities and trying to be useful to the group! And here I am, thinking that I finally had some use, that we had a good complimentary power set, Fire and Ice, and who knew how far we could take it only to find...¡±


    ¡°That this cat can shoot out Dragon Breath tier ice attacks?¡± Steve helpfully cut in.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Emily snapped, glaring at Steve. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly what I mean!¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Jack frowned. ¡°I thought Fire was your thing, Eric?¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°It is. It¡¯s what I have a specific essence affinity towards that I¡¯m trying to develop as best I can.¡±


    Jack gave his friend a pointed look. ¡°And you never told us you could shoot out streams of ice while we were trapped in that maze?¡±


    Steve smirked. ¡°Well I mean, come on. Who¡¯s his mom, after all?¡±


    And with those words Emily¡¯s ire turned to a crestfallen sigh as she wilted against Richard¡¯s arms. ¡°Aurelia Silver. The Winter Queen.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Steve concurred. ¡°Of course this cat¡¯s going to know frosty magic. He¡¯s a freekin¡¯ dark sidhe princeling of the Winter Court! How can he not?¡±


    Eric cleared his throat. ¡°I mean, I sort of resent that depiction of me? Not seriously, but still. I see myself as more the easygoing type. Not the kind of person to follow right in their parents¡¯ footsteps. Besides, I enjoy summer more than winter, and I like hiking on nice spring days.¡± He gazed about with a tired smile. ¡°Much like we¡¯ve been doing for pretty much the entire day.¡±


    ¡°Eric...¡±


    Eric winced. Somehow their party leader was able to convey so much with that tired, disappointed tone.


    You have successfully used your storage space!


    You have summoned forth 1 complex structure ¨C Stone & Bone tower.


    Flesh Sculptor is now Rank 26!


    Even Richard¡¯s exasperated look turned to a quiet curse as he spun around before the sudden shadow, seeing a modest-sized tower very similar in shape to the one they had left behind, even if it was just a quarter of the size of the original.


    ¡°Eric, what the hell?¡±


    Eric grinned Jack¡¯s way. ¡°I know, right? I can store a fuck-ton in my ES Space,¡± he said as he made his bone veli disappear in the blink of an eye. ¡°Now I don¡¯t know about you all, but I¡¯m positively knackered. Because even if I can shoot fire arrows all day, I¡¯m not a true Ice Princess like our awesome and utterly appreciated and valued Emily here. That single spell on top of the wind and gravity enchantments I¡¯ve been using has pretty much tapped me out. So if you all can hold the fort for a bit, there¡¯s a fresh cooler filled with goodies waiting for you all on the battlements, and I really need to recharge. My interface shows no reds near our current location, and the walls are nice and thick. Just come inside and wake me up if it actually gets bad out there.¡±


    Not waiting around to argue the point, Eric quickly headed inside his tower to the bottom floor chamber before hopping onto the bone frame supporting a comfortable leather hammock, and immediately lying down to rest. His intention was a prone sort of meditation where he focused on nothing but slow and steady breathing, intending to recharge his mind and body with a perfect one hour¡¯s stillness, and most definitely not think about the hideous torments and life-threatening peril he had been subjected to non stop for what could have been days, weeks, or forever.


    On the plus side, his Cultivation foundation made it very easy for him to focus on the simple flow of spiritual energy through his major and peripheral meridian channels. Of course, with almost 250 Perception, it made it very hard not to hear every word his adventuring companions said through the narrow arrow slits evenly spaced throughout the bottom floor of his two story tower, to allow plenty of light and fresh air but absolutely no oversized wolf jaws.


    ¡°Can you believe this cat?¡± Yuki huffed as she cracked open a fresh brew. ¡°He just points to his bone freezer, says ¡®help yourself¡¯ and says he¡¯s going to crash! No debate, no conversation, and here we are in the middle of nowhere, cause I don¡¯t know about you but I sure as fuck don¡¯t have any conquest maps in my interface tabs and we¡¯re basically waiting on his pleasure.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? If he¡¯s going to cycle his Qi, he should at least invite his two newest disciples along to give us our first lesson,¡± said Jack.


    Steve chuckled. ¡°Sorry, Jack, but I think Yuki¡¯s much more interested in dual cultivation with our boy Eric than anything else.¡±


    ¡°Just shut the fuck up, Steve!¡± Yuki huffed to Jack¡¯s snicker. ¡°But it would have been nice if he had offered to, you know...¡±


    ¡°Dual cultivate?¡±


    ¡°No, idiot, he could have offered to teach us the basics! At least me and Jack the basics. If he could do that? Yeah, I could forgive his oddball crap hands-down.¡±


    ¡°It would have been nice if we had reached a consensus before he turned in,¡± Richard opined. ¡°But considering what he¡¯s managed to accomplish today, we can¡¯t blame him for needing to rest.¡±


    Steve whistled. ¡°I know, right? I don¡¯t know about you, but racing across the plains in a bone chariot going nearly two hundred freekin¡¯ miles an hour was topped only by the fact that that wild-card goofball was the one pulling us along! For, what, two hundred miles? More? Just how far is it between New York and Freetown anyway?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± said Jack. ¡°But there¡¯s no way that could have been two hundred miles an hour, even when we were fleeing that fucking monster of a tyrannosaurus. The drag alone would have been monstrous. He couldn¡¯t have even gotten traction! And we might be strong¡­ but that would have been like sitting on the wing of a plane, the wind slamming into us like no one¡¯s business!¡±


    ¡°You sure about that, Jack? Planes go a lot faster than wonder boy and his chariot here,¡± Yuki noted.


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s at high altitude with just a fraction of sea level air pressure. And if anything, I feel like the air down here is, well, thicker than it used to be before. Maybe it¡¯s the mana, or added oxygen, or something? I¡¯m just glad it isn¡¯t causing us major grief, probably because our Vitality¡¯s sort of inhuman at this point.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that,¡± Emily said. ¡°Eric was summoning winds that both pushed us forward and pushed him down to the ground. So wind resistance was a lot less for him that it should have been, though it was still enough for the fins of his insane bone chariot to keep us yards above the surface like we were his kite. And his anti-gravity spell helped with that as well.¡±


    Yuki whistled. ¡°That¡¯s right, you have Mage Sight, don¡¯t you, Emily? What was it like watching Eric cast his magics? We¡¯re you able to learn anything?¡±


    Emily barked a brittle laugh. ¡°You mean besides learning what an insignificant joke of an ice mage I am?¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Emily. You¡¯re the strongest ice mage I know. The only one, frankly. All the other idiots out there are Basic Conscripts or kids who actually managed to grab an Arcanist class, and their affinity with using their wands is nothing like your growing mastery over the secrets your staff teaches you. Not that you need to hear this from me. This is shit you yourself told me and you were a hundred present right!¡±


    Emily sighed. ¡°Sure, Yuki. But that was before I saw an actual Prince of Winter casually shout words of power that echo with the potency of reality itself, to the point that it gave me a fucking nose bleed, because apparently my fragile soul can¡¯t handle whatever¡¯s in those words, and then he¡¯s shooting a storm of ice so fucking cold he¡¯s freezing Orange-tier Elk into icicles! And it wasn¡¯t a one second burst, he was unleashing that frigid hell for thirty seconds! And even if I want to cry for joy because just watching Eric in action increased my Ice and Winter affinities by one full rank...¡±


    Steve whistled. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s fucking fantastic, Emily! Let¡¯s here it for free skill ranks!¡±


    ¡°Anyway, the point, Yuki, Steve-O, is that I learned damn quick that no matter how talented an Ice mage I thought I was¡­ I¡¯m just a girl playing with her first practice wand when the son of the bloody Winter Queen herself has probably been living and breathing elemental ice all his life!¡±


    ¡°Actually, no. I think he was pretty much just a casual streamer who was into HEMA¡­ at least that¡¯s what was on his wiki bio,¡± Jack said. ¡°So¡­ yeah, considering the ¡®leet schools that you, Yuki, and Richard attended, he was a homeschooled slacker. Pretty much the same as me and Steve, really, except we went to shit public instead.¡±


    Steve snorted. ¡°I resemble that remark.¡±


    ¡°And that makes it better? So he¡¯s just a natural and I¡¯m a complete joke?¡± Emily snapped into the awkward silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, sweetheart,¡± Richard soothed. ¡°You said it yourself. Eric¡¯s a Contender and his mother¡¯s the Winter Queen. The one Silver-tier monster that¡¯s somehow permitted to slip her fingers in as many pies here on Earth as she wants, according to our parents. And you know how much they all despise her. Is it really any wonder that he has a gift for freezing thing solid? And you¡¯re forgetting something very important.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°He cast one spell, Emily. One spell of ice and cold, and he looked exhausted. Whereas you can cast upwards of a dozen before you¡¯re ready to throw in the towel.¡±


    Eric sighed as he lay quietly down on his exquisitely comfortable bone and leather hammock, though his armor was of course still on, because he wasn¡¯t an idiot. He didn¡¯t bother trying to cultivate any longer, realizing that he just didn¡¯t even have the mental energy for it. Even if most of the time doing an hour of that would revitalize him like no one¡¯s business, what he really needed yet was desperately afraid of was a good eight hours of plain old sleep. He knew that like he knew the subtle ache in his bones. So many levels gained and talents unlocked in such a short period of time, and he was doing his brain and his potential no favors by not allowing it to fully recharge and process everything that had recently happened to him in the way humans had evolved to embrace for countless millennia.


    Good old fashioned shuteye.


    Even so, he knew he couldn¡¯t take the risk. Deep down inside, he knew it was simple fear. He was terrified of what ugly horrific nightmares might flail at his poor psyche, so vulnerable in midnight¡¯s restless dreams in ways he never had to fear under the gentle light of the sun. And he had every intention of getting up in just another half hour, his stamina and mana already fully regenerated, needing only to recharge his Spiritual Energy and get himself and his friends safely to Freetown after explaining to Emily that he thought she totally kicked ass and was he was her friend so would be more than happy to share his extremely limited understanding of Ice and Cold magics with her¡­ and he really was going to give cultivation another half-hours practice because why not?


    What he certainly wasn¡¯t going to do was close his eyes, snuggle his head against the soft fluffy pillow he had pilfered from one of the goblin¡¯s storage pouches and sink into a luscious, dreamy, wonderful sleep.

 Chapter 334 - Bunny Time!

    The first thing BunBun felt was heat. Irreconcilable, monstrous heat saturating the air like an oppressive blanket. It was a struggle to gaze past the brilliant red glow killing her vision. Yet squint past it and the black iron bars encasing her and several thousand revenants now under her command, she did.


    Her heart began to pound as anxiety flooded her tiny veins. And the fact that she had a beating heart at all and could think as well as she ever had as a living girl just a year ago was something she pushed firmly out of her head. Worries for another time as she took faint solace from her sudden sense and connection to the revenants gazing at her with utter devotion in this massive steel cage, and the five cages adjoining this one as well. Because no matter how awesome it was to suddenly find herself completely autonomous and independent from the boy she had been crushing on in secret for years, but didn¡¯t think she¡¯d have to die to find herself happily perched on his shoulder¡­ absolutely none of that mattered if she and her sarissophoroi and all her dino buddies were just seconds away from being spilled into the massive steel crucible waiting for them in the crater of an actual volcano. Which is exactly what would happen, if she couldn¡¯t somehow pull off a miracle in time.


    What she desperately needed was intel regarding her environment, but was fruitless trying to get a tactical sense of her surroundings when she couldn¡¯t see past the massive pool of liquid iron that she and her legions hovered so precariously several hundred feet over. All she could do now was get a basic sense of her immediate surroundings and do whatever the hell she could to survive for the next handful of minutes¡­ and take it from there.


    Her eyes desperately scanned all around the giant rectangular cage that was dozens of feet wide and over a hundred feet long. For a dizzying heartbeat, she wondered how it even managed to hover over the massive cauldron of boiling iron. Yet her moment of pristine panic, terrified by the possibility that they were being levitated by some uber-powerful Bronze-tier wizard, in which case they were well and truly fucked, turned to a shuddering sigh of relief when she saw the massive steel cable wide enough to walk on secured above the cage, realizing in that moment that they were basically trapped in massive steel cable cars, which meant that mundane steampunk paradigm, not uber high-level magic, was the order of the day.


    Or so she desperately hoped, because if mechanisms more than magic would seal their doom, that meant that the entire cage wouldn¡¯t be callously plunged into the vault of boiling bubbling magma or iron, as that would ruin a perfectly good cage. Instead it was far more likely that¡­


    Her eyes widened, somehow not drying out, thanks to her sharing so much of her master¡¯s affinities and resistances, whether or not the silly, adorable, and completely crazy goofball realized it or not. Then all thoughts of her elven prince flew out of her mind as she beheld death leering back at her from a pair of massive trap doors at the bottom of her metal cage, sealed shut only by a dozen pairs off steel rods. Rods she sensed being pulled free at that very moment from her cage as gears ground, steam blew, and desperate eyes finally registered the hydraulic press fastened to the side of her cage.


    Knowing she had just seconds before she died for the second and final time, a death that would prove to be nothing but endless agony, her soul eternally encased in goblin steel so strong they could use it on their space-faring battleships, she had to act and do it NOW!


    ¡°Dinos! Scoot up! Grip bars with paws, claws, and teeth! Revenant Company Alpha, drop spears! Hook arms and legs to both sides of the trap door! Revenant company Delta! Thrust spears into the hydraulic pump! Get that sucker to burst! - All other companies! Climb up bars and hook spears between them! Secure your fellow revenants! Under no circumstances are you to fall into the lava without my permission!¡±


    Even as she shouted the words she found herself in an odd fugue, somehow controlling the revenant companies both directly and autonomously. It was as if she was the limbs directing them, and they the fingers doing the fine work. In truth, she didn¡¯t have to say a word, but doing so helped her crystallize both her visualization and intent, so tied words were to conceptualization in human brains. And apparently resurrected former humans somehow fitting all of their now boosted intellect inside a tiny rabbit that fortunately had the sense to hop up and rest herself on the belly of one of the shadow pumas that had wedged itself in an upper corner of the massive cable car death trap.


    Which was a very good thing as the hydraulic pump continued to squeal despite the hisses from what were now two successful punctures out of dozens of desperate thrusts from what were now 50<sup>th</sup> level sarissophoroi, thanks to the Level 30 Master Necromancer level she now enjoyed, along with all her master¡¯s perks, after he had sacrificed a full level for her benefit. And damn if she wouldn¡¯t prove worthy of his gift, she thought, for all that her heart was in her throat when the screech of steel pins forced out of their metal sheaths meant that the trap door was about to spring open, BunBun or Lilly to her streamer friends cursing herself for a fool as she quickly screamed orders to all her revenants in all their cages to climb up and secure themselves to those bars, in case her cage wasn¡¯t the only one being enticed to drop its cargo.


    Yet despite the horrifying sight of seeing the steel cage beside her own spring open, spilling at least a hundred revenants hurtling down into the brilliant orange cauldron of bubbling hell, the other several thousand inhabitants of that car firmly held on to the bars, like ants, refusing to let go. And when her own cage¡¯s trap door freed itself of the final pin some seconds later, the floor bowed a single inch but did not burst open, her hundred revenants, inhumanly strong limbs locked together, again like ants securing a prize far too big for them, managing to keep the trap doors shut.


    Lilly glared at the hissing squealing hydraulic pump only now dying out, knowing that there was no point to thrusting spears in it any longer. ¡°Delta company! Cease your assault and secure yourselves to the bars! Try to retain your spears, or hook them over the ceiling bars and secure them that way!¡± Struck by sudden inspiration upon seeing how crowded the bars already were¡­ she modified her order. ¡°Dangle from the shafts of your sarissa! That essence-infused Cornel wood isn¡¯t breaking for shit! Secure yourselves and I¡¯ll see if I can find us a way out!¡±


    This command she also conveyed to all her troops. Even if only the first two cages had had their steel pins removed forcing the trap doors open. ¡°To all of you with trap doors still sealed shut, continue attacking the hydraulic pumps! Burst them, and the pins stay in place!¡±


    She frowned as much as her anatomy allowed, and ignoring the distant goblinoid screams of displeasure she could just make out with her exquisite hearing and Perception now the equal of her master¡¯s as she took a careful inventory of her cage, desperate to find any way out besides the obvious one below her feet.


    Her eyes widened with vindication when she spotted a rooftop hatch. She immediately scooted over the belly of a patient Shadow Puma before slipping past bars that certainly hadn¡¯t been made with holding bunnies in mind. She then hopped up the bars on top, checking the hatch for herself.


    Sure enough, it was locked. And how she glared at that lock with a hate that defied words.


    Before shivering with sudden double vision, feeling an unexpected enhancement of her focus, gazing down at paws she somehow thought should be fingers even as she summoned drops of her own blood forth. Blood that immediately flowed across the lock¡­ before the whole thing ignited with the white-hot flame she knew so well.


    Her breath hitched. ¡°Master?¡±


    There was no answer of course, just the bemused smile of a man she adored. Then she felt it. The white hot, indescribable agony of a pain collar forced around her master¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Oh shit¡­ Eric, you¡¯re in pain! So much pain¡­ how are you even doing this?¡± And she instantly understood. He was dissociating from torment, probably thought this was a daydream, yet still found the focus and love to transfer just the tiniest iota of his pain, his fury, into a near indestructible steel lock that didn¡¯t have a chance as it popped open.


    ¡°Remember.¡±


    She howled as she felt a spiritual finger caress her brow, squealing with agony near the equal of the boy she had bound her soul to. For just a heartbeat, her world was nothing but pain. Before being replaced with a relief and a sense of self so profound, so complete and utter, that it was almost rapture.


    Congratulations! You have received your sire¡¯s blessing!


    All physical stats are a minimum of 1/5th of your sire¡¯s stats!


    Your Perception equals your sire¡¯s!


    Your Soul Reserves equals your sire¡¯s!


    Your mental stats are your own!


    You now have Spiritual Energy Reserves! (10 Points)


    You now have Arcane Reserves! (10 Points)


    You now have Psion Potential! (19.8 Points)


    Note! You were forged into being within a Territory created by: Eric Silver. All sapient life forms sired or birthed within said territories enjoy the Gifted Trait Boon. You were forged into being by: Eric Silver, Contender, possessing a Pristine 12 Trait Configuration.


    You, Bunbun, now possess a Contender¡¯s potential and a Pristine 12 Trait Configuration!


    10 Spiritual Energy Reserves = 120 Point Qi Pool. (You may borrow additional Qi from your sire at will.


    10 Arcane Reserves = 120 Point Mana Pool (You may borrow additional mana from your sire at will.)


    19.8 Psion Potential = 237 Psion Pool! (You were there right alongside your sire when you were both infused with all the potency you could imagine in a Psion Colony Ship! Your completely restored and once more human psyche is FAR better suited to Psionics than your half-blood sire! You have his pool as your baseline and can freely enhance it with level-up points as you choose! - You may NOT borrow additional psions from your sire¡¯s fragile Elven brain. The fact that he has access to a power that normally kills his kind so easily is an anomaly in and of itself!


    Soul Reserves = Your Sire¡¯s Soul Reserves (113) You may NOT borrow additional soul reserves from your Sire.)


    You now have access to the perk: Runic Spell Forger (Rank 1)


    You may now cast (and skill up) any spell you have ver felt thrumming through your master¡¯s soul!


    You are now a Rank 1 Primal Adventurer. You are permitted to switch classes as Level 10 or Level 50 if you so choose. (Good luck finding any other class that allows for your eclectic existence!)


    Note. You may NOT use Essences. Your are unable to forge new spells along Peril¡¯s Path by inspiration alone. You CAN invest level-up points to learn or evolve new spells! (It¡¯s either that or Arcane College and years of study, perhaps disguised as someone¡¯s familiar, if you choose to pursue the mage¡¯s path!)


    _____________________________________


    BunBun ¨C Lillian Hendrix (Pristine Revenant Bunny Girl (Basically, I¡¯m alive! I can even eat, sleep, and make fertilizer!) - Has secret (not so secret?) crush on her master! (Like all the best animes and isekai adventures! - Now if only I could get a human shape and keep the cute ears? That would be sweet!)


    Level 1 Primal Adventurer


    Level 31 Master Necromancer (Abilities are identical to your master¡¯s own!)


    Physical Characteristics (One fifth of my sire¡¯s, for free!)


    Strength ¨C 65


    Vitality ¨C 67


    Finesse ¨C 52


    Quickness ¨C 90


    Appearance ¨C 15 (A lot better than 1/5th of my sires, so I¡¯m keeping my own cute whiskers!)


    Mental Characteristics (Mine! But my senses are ¡®leet!)


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Scholarship ¨C 17


    Perception ¨C 250


    Willpower ¨C 19


    Charisma ¨C 15


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 10


    (Mana Pool = 120)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 10


    (Qi Pool = 120 )


    Psionic Potency ¨C 19 (I¡¯d make a far better Mindlord than my master!)


    (Psion Pool = 237)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 113


    Stamina ¨C 651 Points


    Health ¨C 736 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 10


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 6.7 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 0


    Qi Resistance ¨C 0


    Mental Resistance ¨C 20


    ___________________________


    Primal Adventurer Powers


    1. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 1


    Spells Known


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 1


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 1


    - Lightning Bolt - Fulmen- (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 1


    - Fire Bolt -Ignes Pilum - (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 1


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor (30 Mana & Qi & 4 Psion) ¨C Rank 1


    Skills


    (No skills have been successfully quantized at this time!)


    ____________________________-


    For just a heartbeat, BunBun¡¯s excitement faded back into the terror of the moment, realizing that her explosive evolution had taken only an eye-blink of actual time. Yet as much as she loved having access to magic once more, she couldn¡¯t help but note that everything was Rank 1. Worst of all, her favorite and only evolved spell that she could recall channeling so viscerally through her connection to her former master wasn¡¯t even available to cast.


    Then she blinked, as a new message flashed before her mind¡¯s eye.


    Congratulations! You have achieved Level 1 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You now have 9 points to spend as you so choose!


    Each point will boost 1 primary stat by 1 point! Each point will boost any spell or skill rank by 1 rank per point (Pristine S-tier configuration detected. 1 per 1 ratio point investiture is permitted in all skills, spells, abilities, and powers, until the first Tier of mastery (Rank 40) is achieved!).


    Stats may enhanced without penalty or limitation.


    NOTE! You have been personally forged into being by your Sire, whose memories still resonate with your own! Any Spell or skill that you put 1 point into during this, the reforging of your soul, will grant you your Sire¡¯s current spell, ability, or skill level!


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened with awe and dismay. Awe, because that singular boon might make the difference between life and death for her and her revenants, and dismay, because she sensed in the back of her mind that this was a one time, once in a lifetime opportunity, and if she couldn¡¯t recall her master using the skill during their communion, she had no chance in hell of claiming it for herself.


    But there was so much she did recall.


    All the times she had channeled lightning¡¯s bitter sharp caress between her ears. First as brilliant flashes of arcane destruction, then as crimson variants that could destroy even the most bitter spirits.


    Congratulations! You have learned Lightning Bolt at Rank 12!


    You have automatically unlocked the Lightning Bolt Variant ¨C Blood Lightning!


    You have learned Blood Lightning at Rank 14!


    1 out of 9 points spent.


    And how many times had she felt the fierce surge of power and potency when her beloved Eric pushed himself beyond all mortal limits, beyond what any elf¡¯s psyche or soul should be able to handle, only to emerge all the stronger for it as the skulls of flying pterodactyls or overconfident mercenaries exploded in sprays of crimson gore? Of course she took Psionic Rupture, even if it was just at Rank 7. She had played too much Skydragon and had too much love of any army of sandworms blasting their foes apart with psionic shouts not to claim that glorious attack for herself. Though she was surprised to find herself suddenly gifted with a unique appreciation of just how devastating it could be to assholes of a lifetime ago, like her too pushy ex boyfriend.


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor (30 Mana / 30 Qi / 4 Psion) ¨C is now Rank 7!


    - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a sharply increased chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only (for obvious reasons!)


    And that final message gave her a flash of roaring insights that immediately evolved into a skill that of course she understood just as intuitively and succinctly as her master! How often had she and Eric been of one gestalt mind? Bunbun spotting trouble from all angles and unleashing lightning that managed to strike just where it would do the most damage? Sensing her foe¡¯s weaknesses with their every movement, the shifts in their heat signatures, the ebb and flow of all their internal energies. She had studied all of that while keeping her lightning at the ready as Eric weaved and dodged past their foes, he striking with blades of flame as she lashed out with crackling bolts of lightning. Together they were definitely more than the sum of their parts.


    And with Find Weakness now blazing so brightly in her mind, she¡¯d make sure her enemies were broken up into all sorts of helpless parts.


    You have learned Find Weakness at Rank 26! Your Master¡¯s insights and perks with this ability are now your own! (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    3 out of 9 points spent!


    You have gained the Essence Related Skill: Unified Perception at Rank 24! (Sense Heat, Spiritual Energy, Magic, & Qi Flow.) - NOTE! As you are your Sire¡¯s Revenant Familiar given the gift of True Life you may echo his power but essence will forever be beyond your purview! Yet your connection to your master and Find Weakness skill DOES allow you to sense and perceive essence along with heat, energy, magic, and Qi Flow!)


    4 out of 9 point spent!


    Lilly felt a curious mixture of exultation and melancholy. To have been granted such gifts by a man she adored with every fiber of her being, yet simultaneously knowing there would be some gifts she could never hope to earn, being but a copy of pristine creation, and not the Essential thing itself.


    But that was okay. She was still so much better off than any mortal, most Classers, and the poor sad dead thing she had been just months ago¡­ and she owed it all to the hero who had taught her so much. And even if the path of Essence would forever be beyond her, she would take fierce pleasure in claiming the skills that called out to her most of all. The skills that of course she could and should learn to master, for they were the heart of what it meant to be a necromancer, and that was a path she understood even better than her gloriously daring and wonderfully sweet creator who might have a greater-lich¡¯s affinity for the True Arts, but Bun Bun knew what it actually meant to be brought back from the dead.


    You have successfully claimed the skills Blood Mastery / Spirit Mastery / Rituals of Summoning and Binding at Elite rank or better! You have successfully claimed the skill Flesh Sculptor at Rank 26!


    8 out of 9 points spent!


    1 Point remaining!


    Final point spent achieving Rank 9 as a Runic Spell-forger! Because what reborn revenant with cute bunny ears wouldn¡¯t rank up a Node skill that will enhance all her spells? Of course you would!


    ___________________________


    Primal Adventurer Powers


    1. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 9


    Spells Known


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 1


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 1


    - Lightning Bolt ¨C Fulmen - (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen - (15 Mana & Qi, 1.5 (.50%) SR) ¨C Rank 14! (Efficiency Perk)


    (This spell dispels/abjures & can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt - Ignes Pilum - (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 1


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor - (30 Mana & Qi & 4 Psion) ¨C Rank 7


    - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a sharply increased chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only (for obvious reasons!)


    Skills


    Find Weakness ¨C Rank 26 ¨C (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    Necromancer Affinities & Skills


    Blood Mastery ¨C Rank 30 (Blood Claimance, Lesser Healing, Essence Infusion, Vampiric Drain)


    Spirit Mastery ¨C Rank 31 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Forced Obeisance)


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding ¨C Rank 31 (Tier III Path of Dominion, Ritual of Greater Spirit Summoning, *Instant Transcription)


    Flesh Sculptor ¨C Rank 26 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Basic Revenant Preparation)


    ____________________________-


    BunBun snapped out of her daze to glare at the cage lock that had seemed so overwhelming to her, just seconds ago. Yet a lot could change in just a handful of moments. And though she had seen so viscerally in her mind¡¯s eye how her master might have opened it, she had no Essence of Flame to access. Fortunately, there were other paths to power she could now access just as well her master. And at least one path she was capable of enhancing even faster than he.


    With a fierce projection of her will and intent, her voice echoed with power never before seen in this realm of torment and despair that had tied it¡¯s fate to Earth¡¯s own.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t understand it, the handful of goblins in a distant tower of obsidian and steel knew something was wrong when the dirt covered crystal viewing window abruptly shattered, earning half a dozen furious curses as billowing heat washed over the frantic goblins who might not have been able to hear much of anything beyond the boiling cauldrons of liquid iron death in the pit of the cauldron far below, but they could certainly see that something was wrong when a flood of dark figures against the heat haze backdrop could be seen crawling over the metal bars of first one, then a second, and then half a dozen other steel cages. Cages that had been tightly filled with either human children or their enemy¡¯s revenants, just seconds ago.


    ¡°Sound the alarm, Grock! Sound the alarm!¡±


    ¡°Fragor!¡±


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Who cares! If those shits don¡¯t drop into the iron vats in time, the ship panels will be worthless and we¡¯ll be the fools locked into the next set of steel cages. So sound the fucking alarm!¡±


    Finesse check made! You have successfully avoided falling into soul-steel crucible!


    BunBun ignored the hammering of her heart when a single frantic hop nearly spelled her end, having forgetten for just a split second after unleashing glorious destruction upon a certain stubborn lock that she was not a 5¡¯11 contender striding upon the world, even if so many of her master¡¯s spell memories were now her own. Fortunately, 52 in Finesse, which made her objectively 2 and a half times more graceful than a gold-medal ballerina, meant that she didn¡¯t slip on the massive steel cable upon which her life and 16,000 of her closest revenants and friends depended upon.


    ¡°Faster! All revenants and puma, slip through the roof hatch in disciplined formation! Alpha company, form a body ramp so the pumas can get out!¡±


    Even as she said the words, she raced to the second massive steel cage, struck with the sudden certainty that the revenants gazing up at her were as eager to be free of certain doom as she was to free them. Perhaps some were even aware that the Nirvana that Eric and now she could grant them between assignments would be replaced by eternal pain as bad as it was for any still living soul that might all into that cauldron of bubbling soul-steel, if BunBun couldn¡¯t free them in time, and a full hundred hapless revenant¡¯s torments was already her burden to bear.


    ¡°Backoff, Guilt. I¡¯m doing the best I can, a fuck ton better than letting sixty thousand children roast!¡± Her fierce rebuttal pushed back so many lingering regrets for what she couldn¡¯t control, instead choosing to find fierce satisfaction in what she could. Not the least of which was being a bunny who could now actually make a difference, instead of just another notch in some vile goblin¡¯s belt.


    She had already suffered that fate at the hands of the orcs once before.


    Never again.


    And no one else either, if she could possibly help it.


    BunBun¡¯s eyes glittered with fierce resolve as she glared at yet another reinforced lock.


    ¡°Fragor!¡± She screamed as steel exploded like a grenade, though no fragment dared strike its master, the result was good enough as a shadow puma politely took the lead and batted away the rest of the lock before the revenants trapped within, all of them hanging for dear unlife¡­ began very slowly, very carefully emerging from what could so easily have been their doom.


    The young rabbit felt her heart swell with compassion for the massive Utah Raptors and most especially the spinosaurus wedged within the cage, completely unable to use the top hatch and only able to hang on due to revenant strength and endurance, even if by rights she knew her primal instincts would have her scared out of her mind. Nonetheless, these were her dinos now, and damn if she wouldn¡¯t find a way to free them all.

 Chapter 335 - Appetite For Destruction

    ¡°We¡¯ll be back, promise!¡± Lilly swore as she made her way along the massive steel cable once more, with several shadow pumas and orc revenants who had surrendered 25 foot long spears for the far more maneuverable gladius flanking her as they raced for the third steel cage. BunBun could only pray that the entire massive framework wouldn¡¯t be surrendered to see them all fall into the crucible as the entire cauldron rang with a sudden blaring alarm.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She hissed, glaring at the third lock, before channeling her favorite Titan Shout once more, cracking a smile as she hopped back onto the cable as another puma smacked away the remains of the shredded steel hatch, sharing a satisfied smile with Lilly that the little rabbit actually considered warm and friendly and hardly predatory at all, before her cat was sent cartwheeling into the fiery hot hell below.


    ¡°Pumi!¡± She cried in startled surprise, only registering the massive harpoon of ice that had spelled her cat¡¯s doom a heartbeat after her pet had been sent crashing into the cursed soul steel below with a single mournful howl.


    ¡°Die, vermin!¡± Shrieked the gutteral voice of a goblin that Lilly instantly shifted her focus to, noting in the hyper-vivid clarity that only panic could bring every detail of her enemy¡¯s scaly sharp-toothed features as it unleashed a second bolt of killing ice from the crackling wand it held. Its sleek arcane tool was a sharp contrast from the billowing robes of orange, green, and gold, that it wore as it glared it¡¯s contempt BunBun¡¯s way. Even as Lilly leaped right over the ice spike, her mind was processing a thousand frames a second, noting how the goblin¡¯s three-fingered hand tightly gripped the shoulder of a smaller goblin wearing aviator goggles who appeared to be steering the flying carpet-like contraption that seemed to be held upright by nothing more than billows of steam coming from the bottom of the carpet as it hovered a good hundred yards away.


    ¡°This is Bloodtear property!¡± the arcanist screamed while flicking out a handful of warrants and contracts that burst into eldritch flame before they got within a foot of the furious rabbit. ¡°You¡¯re interfering with our Soul Forge, you no-good vermin! Don¡¯t think you can get away with it! Your contracts specifically preclude any attempts at escape, so die already and--¡±


    His words broke off in a surprised squack as crimson lightning forked from BunBun¡¯s ears.


    Find Weakness skill check made! You sense the arcane wards protecting this extremely annoying goblin who actually thinks he can bind you with contract law!


    Your 20 in Mental Resistance EFFORTLESSLY trumps this mongrel goblin¡¯s professional class!


    Spell Cleave! - You have popped your opponent¡¯s wards (thanks to sensing weaknesses AND your kickass blood-lightning) effortlessly!


    You have critically struck your target!


    Lightning FORKS to strike goblin pilot!


    Goblin pilot has expired.


    Goblin mage is screaming as he spirals into a vat of liquid iron!


    BunBun smirked down at the doomed goblin flipping end over end, its piteous shrieks cutting through the air.


    ¡°What was that? Sorry, I couldn¡¯t hear you, fuckwad, on account of the fact that you¡¯re already DEAD!¡±


    And before the panicked goblin could howl his final words as he desperately rubbed the ring on his hand, he fell into the vat of bubbling iron in an explosion of steam.


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain: Level 30<sup>th</sup> Arcanist/Level 25 Barrister!


    Your target is (almost) double your highest class (Necromancer) you are over 95% of the way to level 2!


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain: Level 20 Arcanist / Level 20 Arcane Pilot!


    You have successfully achieved Level 2 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You have 9 level-up points to spend.


    You are now 33% of the way to Level 3!


    A dozen thoughts raced through Lilly¡¯s enhanced mind as she hopped toward the next cage, namely that the goblins did have ways to snipe her from a distance. If she wasn¡¯t careful, she could be joining a certain goblin mage in the soul-steel crucible below.


    And despite the peril of the moment, she couldn¡¯t help noting that it seemed that total class level as a fraction of her highest class level determined her experience gain. Hopefully this meant that it would require the same amount of potency for each level up until her Primal Adventurer class exceeded her Necromancer Profession, or until she leveled up Necromancer. Either way, she could feel the brimming potency of nine additional points for her to use to enhance herself, but didn¡¯t dare do any such thing while racing across a cable stretching hundreds of yards over massive vats of liquid steel with thousands of her troops lives, or unlives, on the line.


    Not to mention screeching goblins on flying carpets, of which another pair were already coming her way.


    ¡°You¡¯re in violation of contract law! You¡¯re in violation of...¡±


    Time seemed to stretch as she embraced battle mode, her ears already crackling with the buildup of crimson bolts of destruction as she unleashed heart-stopping lightning at first one, then a second target. Not the higher level mages, but rather the lower level pilots. Because a flying rug was only as good as its weakest link, or whoever was steering the damn thing.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen! Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    You have successfully slain two Level 22 Goblin pilots! Doomed aeronatic vehicles have fallen into soul-steel crucible!


    Level 29<sup>th</sup> Arcanist/Lawyer slain!


    Level 29<sup>th</sup> Arcanist/Foreman slain!


    Experience earned!


    You have gained 2 Levels in your Combat Class!


    You are now a Level 4 Primal Adventurer!


    ¡°Fragor!¡± An increasingly anxious BunBun shouted defiantly, ignoring the messages in favor of what really mattered. Freeing her men by shattering yet another steel lock and hatch while dodging the fire, ice, and lighting bolts being sent her way, all the while struggling to get off this cable ride of death without falling into one of the multiple crucibles below or by being fatally struck by carpet flying psychopaths. And she¡¯d better move fast, before any goblin administrator or foreman saw fit to take extremely drastic steps.


    You have successfully burst the locks on five steel trap doors!


    ¡°Fragor!¡±


    You have successfully burst the locks on six steel trap doors!


    ¡°Fragor!¡±


    You have successfully saved versus DEATH!


    You have dodged Imperious Death Swarm! Not even a thousand paper cuts will spell your end!


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen, Motherfucker!¡±


    You have FAILED to pierce enemy ward.


    Your Lightning bolt has been successfully deflected.


    ¡°Kill the mongrel rabbit and all her master¡¯s abominations!¡± Screeched one of the goblins leading a fresh squad of carpet bombers while pointing a staff crackling with that stunk of ink and brimstone her way.


    Lilly howled her hate for the trio of sneering goblin elders wearing blood-rune scribed mockeries of a judge¡¯s robe, all of them hanging on to the central shaft of a cobbled abomination of a steampunk helicopter that was absolutely crackling with arcane wards so strong that even BunBun knew she didn¡¯t have a chance in hell of piercing it as things stood.


    All she could do was glare her bitter hate at the cackling demonic barristers sending blizzards of razor sharp paper shredding the closest handful of her revenants that, for all their incredible strength, lacked one element of offensive mastery that her beloved master had completely overlooked.


    Any sort of ranged attack.


    Because who the fuck needed that if you could sprint upwards of 250 MPH, your revenants easily matching you for the first 150?


    When you were fighting airborn goblins over a massive caldera filled with bubbling cauldrons of cursed steel, of course. Not that Eric knew that that was in his future¡­ or his familiar¡¯s


    Which meant, she realized, as her eyes widened before a whole shitload of aeronautical goblins rapidly heading her way, she¡¯d have to do it the hard way. Or not at all.


    ¡°Hold me!¡± She hissed to the closest revenant, sending a silent final command as she was immediately turtled by a full dozen of her revenants, as much as they could secure themselves safely along the width of the cable as she did that which both excited and terrified her, knowing all too well that there were certain lines her master just wouldn''t cross.


    Physical stats alone he worked on enhancing. Everything else he allowed diligent training, increased skill ranks, titles and dungeon clears to handle. But for BunBun dancing with death on the lip of oblivion¡­ none of those options were available.


    Only enhancing herself in the ways she knew Eric feared most.


    Fortunately, she did receive a tiny bit of good news from messages long deferred.


    Congratutations! Through forging yourself in the crucible of combat, you have managed to rank up multiple skills the hard way!


    Blood Lightning is now Rank 15!


    Psionic Rupture is now Rank 8!


    Through diligent slaughter of multiple foes and surviving death¡¯s embrace multiple times in less than twenty minutes, you have achieved Level 5 as a Primal Adventurer! You currently have 36 points to spend!


    You have successfully invested 1 point in: Runic Spellforger! (Solid choice! You have locked in Journeyman tier in a Power you¡¯re otherwise unlikely to advance without hundreds of hours of perilous lessons! You¡¯re a bunny generalist with a knack for controlling revenants, after all. The farthest thing from a Hoggleworts mage!)


    You have successfully achieved Journeyman Status in: Runic Spell Forger! S-Tier Node Configuration, Contender potential, and your sire¡¯s blood allows you to claim 3 character points instead of the normal 2 for your increased Tier! - Spiritual Energy / Arcane Reserves / Psionic Potential each go up one point! (Yes, your Sire would have gained an extra point in Soul Reserves for his third point, but since your brain is MUCH better suited for Psionic battle than his is, you get the former!)


    You may select from the following Perks that will effect ALL your Spells!


    - Appetite for Destruction. - All spells cast are 33% more powerful than they would otherwise be, multiplicative of ALL other factors!


    - Endless Reserves. - All spells cast cost 33% less to cast than they otherwise would, multiplicative of all other factors!


    - Gifted Student ¨C All skills will gain ranks from diligent practice 33% faster than they otherwise would. This includes combat revelations but does NOT include level-up points used to transcend ranks!


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    - More insightful than you realize. - Actually, our earlier assessment was wrong. Enough of Eric¡¯s blood is now pumping through your veins and influencing your genetic heritage (all the more so, once you achieve your forbidden dream) that you actually DO have the potential to learn Runic Lore, much like the man who sired you! You may now choose Runic Lore as a node power when you clear your next Node at Level 10 or greater!


    BunBun¡¯s thoughts were whirling with the implications of what she was reading, sensing so much potential with the perks unveiled. The ability to grow as a mistress of Runic Lore, to embrace wild and wicked rituals and use them as the foundation for learning fresh spells directly. Also a fantastic path if she were ever to embrace her childhood dream of becoming a magus and going to some sort of arcane academy. So too, Gifted Student would allow her to to learn any mystic art 33% faster from practice than she otherwise would, and she was somehow dead certain that included any mystical art that involved mana of any sort in its mix, not simply the runic fusion of Arcane and Spiritual energy that was her sire¡¯s path, and her own as well.


    Yet neither of those things would help her or her men survive the next thirty seconds, let alone the next handful of hours. For that, there was only one path forward. Because as much as she hated being a burden to the man she adored, she knew his mana and spiritual energy were open to her, having drawn from it freely when given no chance to rest herself.


    What she needed now was power, raw and simple. So with that thought in mind, she made her choice. Or more accurately, simply unleashed the potential that had always been there.


    Congratulations, Primal Adventurer. Your Appetite for Destruction is unmatched! All spells you cast (from any discipline) are 33% more potent and destructive than they would otherwise be!


    She knew it was madness. But FUCK IT if she¡¯d hold back now and risk death when salvation could be a single mad perk away. With that thought in mind she did her best not to flinch, or scream, when ten additional points slammed into Runic Spell casting pushed her to Rank 20 in the blink of an eye.


    An eye-blink that seemed to last an eternity as she found herself experiencing the final moments of countless wizards and mages lashing out with fire, lightning, ice, clouds of entropy and rays of light, desperate to strike down the unspeakable abominations slipping through the cracks of reality in countless ascending worlds whose growth no one had managed to stop in time before ascension became eruptions of unchanneled potency, and what could have been paradise instead became a hellish nightmare as reality itself warped to the point of madness from the flood of wild energies of creation that just wouldn¡¯t stop.


    Not until warriors and mages cresting the limits of Bronze, willing to put their very lives on the line for desperate insights that would lead to breakthroughs and Silver-tier ascensions, strove mightily to contain that madness.


    Only to die as hideous tendrils of nightmare that pierced their strongest enchantments like paper, rupturing chests and ripping out throats as eldritch enchantments caused countless shrieking psyches to rupture like shrapnel minds. But not before those dying Classers and Cultivators unleashed massive storms of entropic flame, crimson storms of lightning, and spells of the void so hideously profound that reality itself warped and bent through their passing as countless insights on how to best compress and unleash magic for absolutely devastating effect instantly became BunBuns¡¯ own.


    Congratulations! The final dying revelations of countless Bronze-tier Classers have become your own as you gain the slightest taste of what it truly means to dare these waters of peril and power as you DARE to embrace Adept-tier mastery with a node that has been your own for less than an hour of your existence upon this world!


    Willpower check made! You have successfully endured traumatic backlash! (Because you¡¯re no stranger to agony, are you, BunBun? Already having died once before to the loving ministrations of countless savage orcs!)


    No, Lilly. Now¡¯s NOT the time to scream and rail against the System. Instead it¡¯s time to pick yet another delicious perk. You¡¯ve CERTAINLY earned it!!


    You may select from the following Perks that will effect ALL your Spells!


    - Endless Reserves. - All spells cast cost 33.3% less to cast than they otherwise would, multiplicative of all other factors!


    - Gifted Student ¨C All skills will gain ranks from diligent practice 33% faster than they otherwise would. This includes combat revelations but does NOT include level-up points used to transcend ranks!


    - More insightful than you realize. - Actually, our earlier assessment was wrong. Enough of Eric¡¯s blood is now pumping through your veins and influencing your genetic heritage (all the more so, once you achieve your forbidden dream) that you actually DO have the potential to learn Runic Lore, much like the man who gave you life once more! You may now choose Runic Lore as a node power when you clear your next Node at Level 10 or greater!


    - Appetite for Destruction II - All spells cast are now AN ADDITIONAL 33.3% more powerful than they would otherwise be, multiplicative of ALL other factors! (And yes, that includes Appetite for Destruction I)


    Not that we have any doubt that you¡¯ll be picking this hot take. Goodness knows you¡¯ve earned it, with the dying shrieks of countless Bronze-tier idealists releasing their final insights to the heavens (System!) Before eldritch abominations could tear them free! - Now they¡¯re all yours¡­ whether you like it or not!


    Lilly wanted to shriek at the gameshow host-like voice in her mind that was such an horrific amalgamation of excitement and mockery on her behalf all at once. She could so easily imagine some divine announcer who would be chuckling at her ascension with the exact same rueful bemusement as he would at her absolute destruction. It was a voice that had seemed harmless and goofy with her first virgin point invested, that first 1 point rush shivering through her veins.


    But like a strung out addict, she just had to go back for more. Ten whole points of delicious hideous torment and ecstasy, losing herself to a rush that had come so close to obliterating her in the storm of grief, agony and insight that had belonged not to a single prodigy¡¯s gifted study session, but to over a dozen Bronze-tier monsters pushed to their absolute limits as they faced down nightmare abominations in a world that might mirror Earth¡¯s own fate, if they didn¡¯t manage to harness their world¡¯s ascension in time.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m taking the perk, damn you, just like you know I am!¡± She screamed, as her brain lit up with furious insights into the nature of potency and destruction with the end result that all her spells were now 78% more potent than they would otherwise have been, multiplicative of all other variables. An incredible boon, as were the additional 3 to her Psion, Arcane, and Spiritual potential... and it was a boon for which she had paid an absolutely hideous price she knew would give her nightmares¡­ assuming she even survived the next fifteen minutes.


    ¡°Lesson learned, you stupid bitch! Don¡¯t pump any fucking skill from Apprentice to Adept-tier in a single ascension!¡± She sobbed to herself, even as she furiously rode the brilliant fiery insights her glimpse into fury, madness, and destruction had granted her, howling her fury and defiance at the System trying to get her to shy away when she put not one but a full five points into Blood Lightning, bringing that to Adept-tier as well. Because if she was going to grab the System by the tail and wrench what power she could, just seconds away from being overwhelmed by goblin shits, she was going ALL THE FUCKING WAY! She could only hope that in having the advantage of all Eric¡¯s formerly earned Blood Lightning Perks, it would cushion the madness somewhat.


    Sadly, this proved only partially true. Yet her screams could be mistaken for manic laughter as she was flooded once more with horrific visions of doomed men and women furiously embracing their final moments before their very souls were sublimated by monstrous alien abominations feeding upon them with screaming teeth and eyes that tore through their minds like ripping pages out of a book.


    But not before Lilly claimed her OWN pages on how to master the crimson lightning that had torn through so many of those eldritch nightmares before the young Bronze-tier prodigy who¡¯s mind she had momentary inhabited, a girl who had once had such high hopes of forging a beautiful paradise of her own, was forced to spend her final moments screaming in terror as her husband transformed into a pulsating mass of eye-covered tendrils, right before ripping out her throat and devouring her from within.


    Congratulations! You have achieved Adept-tier in Blood Lightning, embracing the desperate fury of a doomed woman¡¯s final seconds over hours that ended in the blink of an eye! Soul Reserves, Arcane Potential, and Spiritual Energy have all increased by 3 points! Take heart, dear bunny. Your master would be proud! You two are definitely pees in a pod. (Not that that¡¯s a surprise to anyone!)


    Now Pick Your Perk!


    Oblivion¡¯s Master ¨C You understand the elements in ways few of your contemporaries could possibly dream! You¡¯re no academic, studying esoteric lore for it¡¯s own sake. Rather you have focused your killing intent in mastering the flow of all arcane forces and fields as it pertains specifically to your chosen handful of spells, and how best to use your magic to RUPTURE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PATH!


    Your Blood Lightning can now rupture ALL Wards just as well as it once could Soul Wards! You want to rupture Goblin forcefields? You ALREADY know what you¡¯re going to pick, little bunny!


    Appetite For Crimson Destruction. - Let¡¯s keep it simple and sweet. PURE DESTRUCTIVE POTENCY ABOVE ALL ELSE! You now enjoy an additional 50% damage multiplier when casting Blood Lighting, Multiplicative of ALL OTHER FACTORS! - Who needs to pierce shields and wards through finesse when you can BLAST THROUGH THEM WITH PURE POWER?


    Efficiency II. - Worried about draining your master dry? Don¡¯t be! Your Blood Lightning is so well mastered that it only costs you 50% of what it otherwise would. (This is in addition to your master already claiming the Tier 1 version of this perk. Thus your Blood Lightning will be unleashed at just ? of baseline cost!)


    Vampiric Lightning - An enhanced version of your master¡¯s perk that gives you partial healing based on your Blood Mastery Skill rank! This Evolution will automatically heal you of Half the damage you inflict to everything!


    Chain Lightning - Now your lightning can chain to multiple foes and targets! A simple Blood Lightning skill check is needed to automatically fork this attack at full potency to adjoining foes! Each adjoining foe will be the equivalent of -1 to skill (or Willpower, whichever is greater) check! Note, every friendly potential target in range will also induce a -1 penalty to skill check to avoid hitting them! You want a powerful spell that can tear through a whole cluster of your foes? You already know which enhancement you¡¯ll be claiming!


    Here Lilly made what she considered a hardcore Willpower check, no smarmy interface announcer voice needed. Because as tempted as she was to follow her first furious impulse, she forced herself to hold off. Because the passion that had allowed so many Bronze-tier monsters in her System-forced visions to push past their own limits was still less than ideal for tactical thinking.


    Such as forgetting the simple fact that nothing was better for piercing wards than Power, and with rank 26 Find Weakness and just a couple second¡¯s practice, she could at least sense the weakest part of any arcane ward or physical body.


    So too, her Blood Lightning already cut through wards at least partially, and included at least mild healing properties she hadn¡¯t even needed to use yet. Since she was far more interested in evading than tanking as a foot-tall bunny despite her relatively absurd physical stats¡­ yeah. Vampiric and Oblivion¡¯s Master perks were both out. At least for this spell evoluion.


    As for forking¡­ she had already forked once before on a critical hit that she intuitively sensed was damaged based. And considering the damage boons she could expect both from Rank II Appetite for Destuction AND just from hitting Adept tier¡­ she had the distinct impression that a lesser forking perk might be hers to claim with sufficient practice alone, like her master had claimed multiple lesser skill perks.


    Which left her with one strong choice that she didn¡¯t regret for a moment taking. A perk that fit her path perfectly and that was already hers, the system merely confirming a foregone conclusion.


    Blood Lightning has been enhanced by Appetite For Crimson Destruction! New modified damage is now 178% x 1.5 = 267% of what it would otherwise be with skill rank, additional perks, boons, and potency pools in effect!


    You have spent 16 out of 36 points!


    Of course she had one final skill to enhance by two bloody points, with absolutely no desire to dare push any Psionic gift to Rank 20. Because if the other two skills had been a torment¡­ She shuddered to think what a Psionic attack force-leveled to Rank 20 would do to her poor mind.


    Rank 10 was good enough for her. And when the perk options were laid out before her, the choice wasn¡¯t hard to make either.


    Congratulations! You have achieved Journeyman Rank in a Psionic hybrid skill! Arcane Potential, Spiritual Energy, and Psionic Potential have each increased by one point! How do you wish to evolve this skill?


    Appetite for Psionic Destruction! - Increase the potency of your attack by 50%!


    Psionic Efficiency! - Decrease the cost of your psionic shout by 50%!


    Area Effect ¨C Pop multiple skulls at once!


    Soul Reaver ¨C Necromantic background gives you a unique path of advancement! Your Psionic Rupture no longer effects the physical plain at all! In return for a fourth potency pool used (Soul Reserves) you now have bonuses to attack your opponent¡¯s soul directly.


    BunBun frowned. Because even in the perilous instant stretching forever, she could take a heartbeat to appreciate just how sweet some of those perk advancements might be, yet they weren¡¯t without drawbacks.


    Area Effect might be a fantastic choice, but she already knew from her final communion with Eric half an hour? Days? Ago¡­ time passing strangely for some reason for the two of them, that even at its baseline, Psions Rupture could effect multiple targets thanks to explosive shrapnel in the form of skull-popping goodness. In fact, her master and friend now had to worry about causing his friend¡¯s ears and eyes to bleed just from being within 20 feet of his Psionic shouts. If his situation was that bad with no perk advancement at all, BunBun was pretty damn sure that there would be no good way to tune down that area effect without constantly putting future allies and maybe even her present revenants at risk.


    Soul Reaver might also have sweet possibilities, attacking a soul directly. Would it allow her to slip past wards or do more damage? She couldn¡¯t be sure. All she knew was that it would effectively be a perilous trap, since she was counting on that very spell to rupture the very physically locked trap doors trapping her men and at risk of consigning them all to fiery oblivion. So for now, at least, Soul Reaver was a hard pass.


    As far as efficiency went, it might be great for Eric, who¡¯s elven brain had a hard time increasing Psionic Potential naturally. She had the feeling he was relying on dungeon clears, boons, and similar backdoor methods to boost that stat, since his racial limitations meant he couldn¡¯t place a single character point in that pool.


    But Lilly, with no such restrictions, wasn¡¯t at worried about the cost. Not when she could boost that pool whenever she wished. Here too, she decided it was Power all the way.


    You have chosen the Spell perk: Appetite for Psionic Destruction!


    New modified damage is now 178% x 1.5 = 267% of what it would otherwise be with skill rank, additional perks, boons, and potency pools in effect!


    You have spent 18 out of 36 points!


    That final line made her smile. Because it really was all about the potency pools, and now it was more than time to boost her own, boosting both Spiritual Energy Reserves and Arcane Potential by 9 Fat points. Which, when taking all her stat boosts from the skills she had just ranked up, meant she now had matching Mana & Qi Pools of 324, A Psion Pool of 297, and 116 in Soul reserves.


    And unlike her poor master, she didn¡¯t feel any weird sense of System worms filling her brain with sweet silvery goodness at all. Of course, considering that she was a teenage girl who had been brought back from the dead in the form of a bunny somehow containing the entirety of her sapience and personality, she figured she was far more inured to System shenanigans than her master, and wasn¡¯t quite so stressed about not being 100% organic, so to speak. She was just happy to be alive and kicking and ready to FUCK THOSE GOBLINS UP!


    With that final thought she opened her eyes once more, both surprised and gratified to find that the seemingly endless hours of her ascension had only been sufficient seconds for her psychotic pursuers to blast another dozen of her cherished revenants into the fire pit below.


    A favor she was more than happy to return, with interest.

 Chapter 336 - Explosive Consequences

    The sneering goblin elders on their steampunk helicopter had the gall to laugh when BunBun¡¯s ears crackled with crimson lightning once more. Yet they were not fools, the crackling ward around them humming with added potency as the closest pair of elders readied their staves, and in that moment, BunBun understood. The ward did dip down in potency, but only for the eye-blink needed for them to unleash fresh bolts of dark flame that had nearly killed her once already. More than once, if the revenants that had sacrificed themselves to give her a chance to ascend were any indication.


    ¡°Foolish familiar! We recognize you now, you twisted abomination! Ha! By council edict, you are now forbidden to even exist! Your master will have to contend with every neutral faction whose foolish administrators are already in debt to us, which is all of those fools, IMMEDIATELY declaring war on him as soon as we make our report! And it is all your fault, you disgusting little abomination! So choke on that while we grant you the death you so richly¡ª¡°


    Find Weakness Skillcheck: Critical Success! In what world does Steam Punk and magica play nicely without compromises being reached?


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± Lilly roared, her word echoing through the massive caldera as the focus of her spell exploded with such ferocity that all the goblins within the vehicle were pelted by razor sharp fragments of steel that their arcane wards, for whatever reason, did nothing to prevent.


    A bemused Lilly gazed at the now rotorless helipad as it slowly began its decent into oblivion, savoring the look of horrified dismay on all three of the elder shaman¡¯s faces as they were forced to contend with the same epiphany that she was. Because of course it made sense why physical objects passed through the wards just fine. They were in a mechanistic aeronautical device that might have some magic resistance, but sure as hell the goblins wards were focused around the shamans themselves. Not the rapidly rotating steel blades that needed zero interference to provide lift. They might have enchantments to ground Lilly¡¯s electricity, at least to an extetn. But sure as anything, the spell that had gotten so good at bursting even soul-forged black steel locks and the cage doors they secured absolutely SHREDDED far more fragile rotary blades with Journeyman potency multiplied by 276%


    The results were everything BunBun could have hoped for, making sure to lock eyes and smirk at all three of the bloodied and injured shamans hurtling helplessly down into the bubbling steel-filled crucibles they would have been ecstatically happy to drown 60,000 innocent children within.


    And when first one then a second shaman actually found the wherewithal to levitate above the ruined helicopter that landed with an explosion and a final handful of screams, the rabbit commander was ready.


    ¡°Alpha company, launch spears!¡±


    With those words, a hundred Sarissa rained down upon the pair of wobbly and wounded shamans with the pinpoint accuracy one could expect of fiftieth level warrior revenants. And even if only a fraction hit, the storm of high velocity cornel wood shafts smashed into the shamans with such force that wards ruptured, bones shattered, and concentration was instantly disrupted. The pair of elder goblins now spurting blood from multiple holes only had time for one final despairing shriek before crashing into the white hot liquid iron and being flash-boiled to oblivion.


    You have successfully slain one Level 35 Elder Shaman/Barrister. You have successfully taken out 1 Level 32 pilot. You are now a Rank 6 Primal Adventurer!


    Your revenants have successfully slain 2 Level 35 Elder Shaman/Barristers. 5 Revenants have leveled up! Experience earned for Necromancer Class!


    Lilly allowed herself a single moment¡¯s fierce exultation, howling with her tiny fist clenched as her ears quivered, still crackling with the crimson lightning she held at the ready, before the peril of the moment once more compelled her forward, knowing there was far too much at stake to dare slow down now.


    So her pace only increased, hopping across the thick steel cable as fast as she could, her necromancer perks assuring that all her troops kept pace with her before she shared a glance with one of the pumas, allowed herself a madcap chuckle, hopped on his back and tore off down the cable, laughing like a mad bunny as she screamed her defiance of locks, hydraulic pumps, and all things goblin as she raced towards the now hesitating band of flying goblins hooting and howling their dismay and fury, their balls of fire and javelins of ice missing her completely, her foes not factoring in her charging for them at a hundred miles an hour.


    And just as she could make out the squinting countenance of the handful of barrister mages readying their crackling wands of black lightning, just waiting for her to get into range¡­ BunBun, or Little Lilly to her streamer fans, showed them all the edge that three complimentary Appetite For Destruction perks on two synergistic skills could bring to bear as a massive crackling bolt of crimson lightning flared so bright that even Bunbun squinted before the glorious pyrotechnical display¡­ though she made damn sure her Shadow Puma kept to the steel cable as the air erupted with the crack of thunder and lightning and the closest pair of flying carpets exploded in a crimson fulmination as Lilly¡¯s bolt arced between the pair, instantly killing both pilots as the rugs and the one surviving mage between them howled and shrieked for terror as they crashed down to the bubbling crucibles far below.


    Yet the look of fear she saw in the eyes of the remaining trio of flying duo¡¯s wasn¡¯t nearly as satisfying as it would otherwise have been, because she was almost certain that she knew what it meant.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡± She roared, sending a final searing bolt of crimson doom right before the cable she was one shuddered like an earthquake, the message dancing across her interface every bit as bad as she had feared.


    You have successfully slain 3 additional Shaman/Barristers between the levels of 30 & 35! You are responsible for the death of 2 level 25 pilots!


    Experience Earned!


    You have achieved Level 7 as a Primal Adventurer.


    You have achieved Level 8 as a Primal adventurer!


    You now have 27 Potency points to spend!


    You have successfully ROUTED YOUR FOES!


    New Quest Given!


    A perilous start!


    The goblins finally understand just how fearsome a threat you, a solitary bunny, little more than the afterthought of a boy¡¯s pity, truly represent! Your mandatory quest is to GET OFF THIS CABLE!


    You can tell by the growing vibrations that the goblins are doing something to this cable! You still have two more steel cages filled with your revenants! All Spinosaurus and Utah Raptors are currently trapped within their steel cages! Do you have what it takes to free them before the cable is cut and thousands of revenants and mortals are sent hurtling into pools of molten metal?


    Heart lurching in her tiny chest, Lilly demanded that her Shadow Puma move ever faster as she planned her next move. She squinted for all she was worth, hoping that she could make out the end of this steel cable and a way to hop off this ski lift of death.


    Yet just when 250 Perception revealed that which she most wanted to see as she screamed the words that burst another lock, she caught sight of that which demanded she shift all her plans.


    A sight she knew she couldn¡¯t unsee.


    Mandator Quest updated with OPTIONAL Feat objectives!


    Desperate for a Hero Part 1!


    It appears that the goblins are more appalling and conniving than even your master understood, putting all of his legions in your care for the sake of 60,000 children who would have otherwise been doomed to perish in the forging of Black Soul-Steel! But Greed didn''t become the head of the Bloodtear Syndicate for nothing. Of course a goblin that devious had backup contingencies in play! Because why should he allow securing Aurelia¡¯s cat¡¯s paw to get in the way of billion credit profit margins?


    OF COURSE he had another sixty thousand doomed slaves ready to take the place of those children, so that nothing, absolutely nothing would stop or even slow down the production of Goblinoid Starships!


    That¡¯s another sixty thousand doomed souls, men, women, and children, that YOU can save if you choose to, little bunny! Even if that is a tall order for someone so SHORT! (Someone who¡¯s hardly real at all. Right, Little Lilly?)


    ¡°Fuck you, System! I¡¯m REAL! I¡¯m as real as they fucking come!¡±


    Lilly¡¯s breath hitched, her heart pounding with something beyond terror or dismay. Her blood surged with bright hot fury as her puma unnerringly led her to face her worst fears. 250 pitiless points of perception forcing her to glimpse the faces of so many exhausted, bedraggled men, women and children who weren¡¯t even gazing her way with desperate pleas for salvation, seeing as they had no chance in hell of making her out against the glare. All they did was sit and weep, or stare out into the void, bereft of all hope.


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened, because of course at that moment she caught sight of something both so wondrous and horrific that it defied all odds, all probability, and could only be the universe taunting her one final time.


    Or was it just a glimpse of serendipity or nightmare that she had no right or reason to expect. Because of course a broken, exhausted family surviving orc depredations, mortals just struggling to find food, safety, and hope anywhere in New York state, would gravitate to Freetown. All of them utterly unaware that the entire city was effectively a trap, and who knew how many countless thousands of doomed souls guilty only of a single late payment would find themselves with goblinoid collars around their necks before being carted to their ultimate destination. The ultimate objective that a horrified Lilly now suspected was the goblin¡¯s goal for pretty much the entire human population.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    To serve as the spiritual carbon for their near indestructible battleship-caliber steel. Batches of nightmare forging, sixty thousand broken souls at a time.


    ¡°No, no, no, It¡¯s impossible!¡± Lilly shrieked, eyes widening as she wanted to laugh at bitter pitiless fate, forced to brace herself to endure that which would make the torments of force-leveling herself to Adept tier a walk in the park.


    ¡°FUCK!¡±


    But there was no hiding the most agonizing truths with 250 perception. Or the way her mother, who looked like she had aged twenty years, her former vivacious larger than life personality reduced to the broken empty gaze of a woman pushed beyond all her limits. And Lilly KNEW it was her. KNEW it was her mother, for all that she looked nothing like the well kept former super model she once had been, her once glorious blond hair now a dull grey, limp and matted, Her gorgeous trophy-wife body now little more than skin and bones. Because as awful as the transformation had been, the butterfly hair pin Lilly had made her for her fortieth birthday was the one keepsake her mother had somehow, by some miracle, managed to hold onto. That, and the unmistakable sight of her brother, looking like an emaciated exhausted version of the hyper little dreamer Lilly loved so dearly, so stick thin and week that he could barely stand. Even now, her mother held her little brother¡¯s trembling hand, the pair pressed against the cage¡¯s bars by larger burlier slaves, though all of them were malnourished and looked closer to death than not.


    Of course, that was the moment that she heard the grinding of hydraulics signifying that the trapdoor would soon drop from the steel cage filled with prisoners, including the remains of her doomed family, in less than a minute¡¯s time.


    ¡°NO!!¡±


    ¡°FINE YOU WIN!¡± She screamed, closing her eyes, and doing what she must.


    She choked back a scream, tuning out the mocking lilt of the System voice echoing in her soul even as she found herself dressed in exotic robes of palest blue, facing a cold-eyed elder peering down at her with what could only be considered contempt as the twin purple suns behind them set, the sea and sky both lighting with a gorgeous gold color that did nothing to quell the dread in the pit of her stomach when the elder spoke.


    ¡°You would dare ascend now? You are the furthest thing from ready.¡±


    Lilly swallowed the agony in her throat. There was so much she could say. That of course she knew she wasn¡¯t ready, that she was a lot closer in temperament to her master than one might think, and wanted to train up every rank she could without wasting any points at all and to make sure that her skills and talents were truly hers! Not only was it the most efficient path forward, it was also the most prudent. Assuring no points were wasted and she didn¡¯t stunt herself later, because her gifts would truly be hers.


    But none of that mattered a lick considering that she had been desperately fighting for her existence since the moment she had awakened and she was rapidly passing her mother¡¯s despairing gaze, so shell-shocked with mortal stats that she was probably unaware of the thousands of undead revenants racing at breakneck speeds right over her head, and if Lilly didn¡¯t destroy that fucking hydraulic motor RIGHT THE FUCK NOW! Her mother and baby brother, after all the horrors they had already endured, after Lilly had actually managed to wind up in exactly the same place where the Bloodtear Syndicate intended to use up and discard the bodies and souls of all of humanity, she sure as fuck wasn¡¯t going to lose the people she loved now!


    So Lilly did the only thing she could, welling up all her pain, all her hate, all her fury into one devastating shout.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± She screamed.


    And the glare her impetuousness earned as a dozen young disciples behind the elder flinched and sobbed made Lilly wilt in her wooden clogs.


    Right before the elders matching roar sent Lilly flying to her death with a mournful howl a second later.


    Only to pop back into existance, screaming, before her master once more.


    ¡°You must learn CONTROL, fool! CONTROL, or the pathetic mortals you call kin will die the minute you unleash your power, thinking it anything but a twisted mockery of our arts to destroy inert steel with your abomination of a psionic shout!¡± The elder clenched a trembling Lilly¡¯s robes in a tight fist, a dagger of glittering darkness suddenly pressed against her chest.


    ¡°Now do it again.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s heart pounded frantically as she drowned in the pitiless man¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Now, fool. Or your mother and brother and 60,000 others are already DEAD!¡±


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    The elder¡¯s skull exploded. Because of course Lilly had just slammed ten points into Runic Spell forger as well as Psionic Rupture.


    And this time, only half the children screamed when their eyes ruptured or their ears bled.


    And before Lilly could say anything, she was choking on her own blood, the obsidian blade tearing through her heart, earning a silent choking scream¡­


    Before she found herself upright once more.


    ¡°Again, Lilly Hendrix. Or you¡¯ll never be worthy of this academy.¡±


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    ¡°Again!¡±


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    ¡°Again!¡±


    FRAGOR!¡± Lilly screamed for the dozenth, or perhaps the hundredth time, bloody tears leaking freely down her cheeks before clenching her chest for the sharp piercing ache she knew would come but somehow didn¡¯t, gazing with dismay at the pitiless countenance of the elder who cracked the smallest of smiles.


    ¡°Very good, Lilly Hendrix.¡± The man¡¯s icy smile didn¡¯t quite reach his gaze. ¡°You may call me Lord Lou. My enemies know me as Silent Scream. I expect you to present yourself before me when the second stage of Earth¡¯s Trials begins.¡±


    Lilly flinched with surprise.


    This wasn¡¯t just System delusion?


    Lord Lou¡¯s cool smile grew. ¡°And you may tell your sire¡¯s mother that her maneuvering was meaningless. The Mindlords WILL be making Earth their home, and Aurelia, Silver-Tier monster or no, best flee or make peace with my clan while she can.¡±


    Before Lilly could even think of a response to that, Lord Lou flicked her human forehead with his finger and a howling Lilly crashed back into herself, not daring to waste a second as the poor trapped souls in the cage screamed in growing panic as the hydraulic motors assured their doom, a panicked elbow from one of the many crowded slaves slamming her mother in the back.


    She collapsed on top of Lilly¡¯s sobbing brother with a groan.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    But her cry meant nothing before the inevitable grinding gears of goblinoid hate, seeking to doom her entire family.


    If she wanted to save them she had no time to sob her despair. Shje had to act NOW! Hopping off her mount and darting to the very lip of the steel cage, getting a good look at the twisted motor of copper, bronze, and steel blowing steam and smoke in great gouts as it slowly pulled free the steel pins holding the cage¡¯s trap door shut.


    ¡°A bunny! How the hell did a bunny get up here?¡± A confused slave¡¯s words drowned were out by the panicked thousands within, that few save the bunny herself could hear.


    Before a single word silenced them all.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    Her voice was like the howling storm. The crash of thunder. The flash of lightning that left a numb tingle in the ear juxtaposed by terror at how close one might have come to death.


    Yet much to the shocked awe of everyone, not a single soul was harmed when the hydraulic motor abruptly ground to a halt, shrapnel exploding away from the massive steel cage. And if a couple ears were bleeding, it was far, far less than it had any right to be.


    Congratulations! You have achieved Rank 20 with: Psionic Blast! Adept Tier with this skill gives you +3 to Psionic Potential / Arcane Potential / Spiritual Energy.


    You have chosen the perk: Controlled Destruction! (How balanced. One wonders what could POSSIBLY have motivated actual prudence in your latest hair-brained scheme!)


    You have achieved Rank 30 in: Runic Spell Forger!


    You have Chosen Appetite for Destruction III! (To absolutely no one¡¯s surprise.) All your spells are now an ADDITIONAL 33% deadlier and more potent than they were before!


    You have 7 unspent points!


    Lilly paid absolutely no attention to the too chipper interface messages flashing across her mind¡¯s eye, heart in throat as she gazed at the panicked humans, beyond relieved that the pump had stopped, terrified that her mother and brother would still be crushed.


    ¡°Stop panicking!¡± She shouted. ¡°The pump is destroyed! My name is Lilly Hendrix, Familiar of Prince Eric Silver, contender of Earth! I¡¯m here to rescue you all on his behalf! Now if anyone fucking panics after I went to all that effort to stop the pump, I swear to god I will fuck you all up!¡±


    And Lilly realized with a despairing lurch that she was wasting time. That there were two more cages and¡­ ¡°RUN!¡± She silently screamed to her shadow puma, who did just that as Lilly belted out words that would mean the difference between Life and death.


    ¡°FRAGOR! FRAGOR!¡±


    Lilly was no fool. She knew how these things worked. Near impossible hurtles placed by pitiless masters who gave only the tiniest chance for success, no matter how slim, no matter how awful whatever must be endured. And any hesitation, quibbling, or wasting time on unnecessary words, actions, or rank cowardice, would earn such foolishness EXACTLY what was deserved. The death of thousands burdening the soul and forcing one to fierce bitter focus towards absolutely perfection, because any other course was absolutely unthinkable as fury and desperation forged countless foolish contenders into tools and cat¡¯s paws actually worthy of being used by callous overlords guiding everyone like puppets on a string.


    Knowing that that was how it was destined to play out, knowing there was no way that she wouldn¡¯t be too late to save the final massive container filled with captives, she was beyond surprised when she somehow managed to blow up every last hydraulic pump before a single doomed soul could be sent hurtling into the pools of melted steel below.


    Yet Lilly knew better than to stop now. With desperate orders given, she raced for the cable¡¯s end for all she was worth, finally seeing the lip of the caldera, and the massive structure of basalt, steel, and despair just beyond. A tower to greed, cruelty, and malice like no other, and waiting for her and the revenants she had not split into battle-ready groups were instead silently assisting countless weakened people out of the cages, most especially her mother and brother before carefully leading them all forward at a slow, steady pace that would lead to their deaths if Lilly couldn¡¯t stop the cable¡¯s destruction RIGHT NOW!


    So she didn¡¯t hesitate to charge into the sudden withering hail of ice bolts and blaster fire which did remarkably little against her revenants, and the incendiary balls of naptha-like flame which managed to take out one or two of her troops and no more.


    It was BunBun that was the only truly vulnerable one, despite her now incredibly ascended form of Undeath. A revenant so sophisticated with an intact metabolism and ever increasing mirroring of homeostatic biological reactions, that she was just a single divine spark away from being alive in every sense of the word. Of course this also meant that she had to be damn careful not to get herself killed, her Vitality no longer linked directly to Eric, even if she was damned grateful that she had been granted physical characteristics equal to 20% of his own when he had, according to the System, sired her.


    But still¡­ she was skirting death, daring to take a page from her master¡¯s book, desperate for glimpses of perilous secrets revealed only in the heat of combat.


    Though unlike her beloved sire, she wasn¡¯t relying on divine providence and what seemed a destined hero¡¯s luck alone. She had 7 points she was more than willing to spend to make sure that her flashes of insight might, for a time, match his own.

 Chapter 337 - Lord Sloth Reveals His Hand

    You have successfully dodged Sniper Blaster Fire!


    You have avoided Icy Barrage!


    Lead revenant takes fire ball in your stead!


    Perception check made!


    That which you so desperately study, you finally understand!


    And much to her surprise and delight, Lilly DID finally understand as she rapidly approached the lip of the caldera filled with hard-eyed goblin mercenaries who were only now beginning to flinch as they faced down over a hundred Shadow Pumas and several thousand revenants charging forward at the exact same speed as the Pumas¡­ or, unbeknownst to them, the tiny bunny carefully nestled in silky dark fur.


    It was surprised disbelief and fear that made another dozen goblin mercs turn on the shimmering forcefields that Unified Perception made clear could resist both kinetic and elemental damage. Pretty much anything in the electromagnetic spectrum, and where mana, in the form of elemental attacks, intersected it. Which meant that their high-tech energy shields could counter weaker bolts of fire, lightning, and blaster fire, in addition to countering very physical spears of ice, arrows, or bullets. Whether it would effect Blood Lightning, Lilly wasn¡¯t sure, and sure as fuck it would do nothing against Psionic Blasts or just filling an entire region with plasma from all directions, but BunBun hardly cared. At that moment she understood the shield¡¯s nature, the elements of its construction coming together as if it were just an extension of her runic arts.


    She might never be able to string together a half dozen runic words of power into a chant on the fly like her sire could, but damn if she couldn¡¯t deduce the building blocks of any spell she dared to invest a portion of her level-up points, potency, or soul into mastering, and claim it as her own.


    Congratulations! You have successfully deduced the components of: Tier 2 Force-Shield!


    This shield has FIVE Runic components! Ward / Elemental / Physical / Shield / Focus!


    The cost to reinterpret this technomancer construct into it¡¯s Primary Runic components is a portion of your endless potential. 3 Character points worth!


    You have had a breakthrough!


    You have a successfully forged the spell: Force Ward! (Intego ¨C Protect!)


    This spell generates a scutum-sized translucent shield that wards against all physical and elemental attacks! Concentration¡­ minimal! With a basic Runic Spell Forger or Force Ward skill check (use whichever is higher) you may shape this shield as you see fit, and will receive no penalty when using Force Ward when casting spells using shouts or your ears!


    Mana & Spiritual energy drain is 1 point per minute divided by Runic Spell Forger Rank + Force Ward skill rank. - Note: additional Mana and Spiritual energy will be drained with every attack countered! Drain is equal to damage done divided by Runic Spell Forger Rank + Force Ward skill rank!


    Force Ward is currently: Rank 1!


    Lilly wasted no time. ¡°Intego!¡± She cried out, surprised despite herself to find a shield of force forming right in front of her, leaving room only for her ears to peak out as they crackled with crimson lightning, which might have been a mistake when half a dozen goblins squealed and pointed her way.


    ¡°Kill the rabbit! It channels magic! It¡¯s a Classer!¡±


    Immediately all fire was focused on her for the seconds her revenants shifted into position, and her shield got to prove its worth as it flared with sudden brightness.


    Force Ward successfully counters 5 Tier-1 Blaster Rifles!


    Force Ward successfully counters 2 Ice Spears!


    Force Ward successfully counters 3 Lightning Bolts!


    Force Wards have stopped a total of 574 damage!


    Mana & Spiritual energy cost of 19 points drained from your reserves!


    Force Ward is now Rank 2.


    Your Shadow Puma has been crippled. Finesse check (effortlessly) made.


    You have switched mounts!


    Your revenants have now turtled around you!


    Lilly couldn¡¯t help but flash a fierce smile as she leaped through the air to a puma running at a sharp angle around their targets that the goblins just couldn¡¯t track. Because the time her enemies took focusing on her shield meant that they hadn¡¯t taken those precious handful of seconds to flee the revenants who had just leaped off the steel cable and were now charging right for the suddenly flatfooted goblins.


    Lilly couldn¡¯t deny a sudden fierce sense of exultation, now knowing exactly how her sire had felt whenever he crashed into his foes and the air rang with the grunts and screams and sprays of hot blood from bodies tossed about like rag dolls as her foes were pincushioned by dozens of massive 25-foot long spears from revenants charging many times the speed of ancient knights as her own sprinting shadow pumas leaped right over the dismayed goblins while they drowned in a tidal wave of charging revenants.


    Congratulations! You have successfully shattered goblin regiment!


    Multiple revenants have leveled up! Necromancer experience earned!


    The screech of strained metal killed whatever exultation Lilly might have otherwise felt, her panicked gaze all but disregarding the final handful of fleeing goblins as her eyes desperately strove to find whatever was controlling that cable, suppressing a groan when her worse fears were realized, the giant cable leading right to the soaring tower of rock and bitter steel at the highest point of the caldera. She cursed softly under her breath before patting the glossy silken fur of her newest mount.


    ¡°Well, girl, I guess we got an entrance to find! But before that, if those fucks actually think I¡¯m going to disregard their sorry little fleeing assess and let them live long enough to take out my family¡­ because of course that¡¯s what will happen... the fuck if I¡¯ll let that bitter note play out!¡±


    And to her absolute horror, more than one retreating goblin actually flinched, clearly making out her words and reminding her that even 40 Perception was pretty absurd compared to a human.


    Which, as far as Lilly was concerned, meant that there was only one option left on the table.


    Of course that¡¯s when the cluster of four goblins glaring their hate and hissing in her direction turned on their force wards to full¡­ and Lilly got to see just how tough the spell she had invested 3 points was in it¡¯s original form.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    Lilly frowned, strangely disappointed when three collapsed as smoking charred corpses when one massive bolt of crimson lightning managed to take out all of them, save for a single terrified goblin remaining.


    ¡°No, please, mercy!¡± Squealed the one surviving goblin.


    Lilly nodded. ¡°Sure! Just as soon as you give me your oath that you never once killed a human, or took pleasure in their dying screams¡­ fucker!¡±


    The mercenary¡¯s eyes bulged in dismay, quickly cowering behind his force shield which did absolutely nothing to stop his head from exploding with all the force and fury of a skull-sized container filled with C-4.


    Lilly couldn¡¯t help smiling in fierce satisfaction at that. ¡°Good. Controlled destruction DOES mean more than just neutering my psionic rupture. I can channel it for an extremely focused eruption¡­ or let it spread out to maximum effect, whatever that might be.¡±


    Lilly grinned down at her mount. ¡°Isn¡¯t that awesome?¡±


    Her shadow puma happily purred.


    ¡°I agree completely.¡± Her momentary cheer instantly turned to panic when the increasingly strained sound of grinding gears and steel stretched past the limit made it clear that the goblins were just minutes away from sending sixty thousand souls, including her mother and brother plummeting to their deaths before they could make it to the other side.


    ¡°Fuck! We gotta get moving. But before that¡­ how about we invite our hosts to join us, so we actually have a chance of surviving this clusterfuck?¡±


    Lilly turned around, glaring at the fallen goblins, waiting only long enough for a pair of revenants to strip them of the blasters and force shield bracelets that she hoped at least a few former captives could use before her voice rang through the caldera.


    ¡°Surge, centuria! Ave praefectus abedimus!¡±


    Lilly felt a glorious surge of exultation shiver through her soul, quite unlike the runic magic she had poured so much of herself into mastering so damned quickly that her psyche was still shuddering with the forced-rank reverberations. But this? This came as naturally as sipping ice-cold lemonade that had that perfect mixture of sweet tartness on a hot summer¡¯s day.


    She could sense every one of those weak-willed confused goblins mercenaries jolt to horrified, agonized clarity as a choice was suddenly before them. To embrace oblivion and whatever torments awaited their kind after years of callously throwing innocent victims into the soul-crucibles used to forge the most vile steel imaginable¡­ or to embrace the memories of countless sarissophoroi now linked to this world after this realm had been ascent-linked to Earth, and serve her as loyal soldiers until the final days.


    It was almost startling how fervently the rather short spearmen with their fifteen-foot long spears snapped to attention before immediately racing to match her stride, and it was downright chilling to sense just how fiercely said fallen goblins wished to delay their ultimate punishment.


    For Lilly herself, it had been like half-waking in a daze from a languorous dream when she first found herself coming to as a bunny. It had taken a bit of TLC from the hero who brought her back before she truly felt in the game. Before she felt truly alert, alive, happily caffeinated and in the moment once more. For undead to show such raw emotion so soon after being raised, especially when most of her other troops still seemed to be in a dreaming daze, made it damned clear that this place was so vile that deities invested in punishment were ready to snatch her soldiers just seconds after their death.


    And the worst part of it was, that if things were truly that bad¡­ there could be absolutely no doubt the twisted nightmare that Greed had hinted at had been anything but simple showmanship to manipulate her hero.


    The black soul steel being used to make Goblin starships really did promise eternal torment to all the lost victims who fell into its white-hot cauldrons. And her mother and brother and all the other exhausted captives were STILL being hurried along the cable¡­ and she dare not rush her revenants any faster, lest they fall in or the hapless prisoners even now being carted across with pumas patrolling their perimeter might not survive the trip if the revenants went too fast.


    You have successfully embraced your necromantic heritage! As is the sire, so is his immaculately conceived daughter!


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not that pure, and I know who my daddy was...¡± Lilly murmured, deciding not to dwell on the ramifications of what the System was implying, just happy that her first fifty or so revenants had been raised without a hitch, feeling as natural as breathing did, which was weird, since she really shouldn¡¯t need to breathe at all, yet somehow¡­ she did.


    It was breath that caught in her throat as she rapidly approached the cavernous maw of the citadel front gate, no desperate search to find it. Of course the massive portcullis was abruptly slammed shut in her face as countless scores of howling hooting goblins revealed themselves from crenelations and arrow slits to shriek, cackle, and pelt her and her troops with everything from blaster fire to lightning to chunks of basalt and iron ore.


    For the second time in her brief existence, Lilly embraced the slow-time battle state that had served her master so well. Even if it was just a tiniest fraction of what it could be. Yet the effect was still noticeable as all the goblins began to move at half their former considerable speed as she took in the dozens of glaring faces before while shouting a single pair of words.


    ¡°Integro!¡± Instantly a half-dome of force formed over her sides and head, exactly as she willed it, a heartbeat before he or her puma could be pummeled with chunks of stone and lazer fire.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± She screamed, her lips curling in a fierce grin despite the peril of her situation when the thick iron grillwork of the gate before her, metal she was pretty sure was a hell of a lot stronger than any normal steel had any right to be, was abruptly torn free of its mountings to explode deep into the citadel before her, accompanied by the screams of countless shrieking goblins that had been torn apart with the gate¡¯s passage, almost as if she had shot a cannon ball in her wake.


    Congratulations! Inhuman Finesse, Quickness, and Perception means you have achieved Battle Time! - You already know what you need to do to think and act even faster than you are right now!


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I need higher Finesse, since my Quickness is almost double that and my Perception is off the fucking charts,¡± she muttered to herself as further messages and a flood of potency pinged against her soul.


    You have successfully countered shrapnel and blaster fire barrage! 19 Mana & Qi drained.


    Force Ward is now Rank 3!


    You have slaughtered 7 Goblins between levels 20 ¨C 32 and critically injured 6 additional goblins!


    Experience earned!


    You have achieved level 9.


    Congratulations! You have achieved level 10!


    You have elected not to infuse your core, because you are a revenant echoing in your sire¡¯s footsteps without any core to saturate! You might be more alive than dead at this point, with the blood of contenders now flowing through your veins, but until you take a human form and actually join the living once more, you have neither a Lower, Middle or Upper Dantian to infuse, nor any future as a cultivator!


    But what does that matter? You already have Two Master Classes that allow you to embrace the height of absurdity, just like your father!


    Congratulations! Consistent and steady slaughter of multiple opponents higher level than you has actually earned you a single rank in Psionic Rupture achieved the hard way! (And maybe a few final tips from a Mind Lord just as eager to conquer your planet as Aurelia herself!)


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Psionic Rupture is now Rank 21.


    Aren¡¯t you proud? It¡¯s going to take a hell of a lot more killing from hereon out to raise this skill any further without doing it the way you do so well!


    Lilly¡¯s eyes bulged in surprise.


    She had come to understand from her master¡¯s sardonic remarks that the System had a bit of an edge. Or at least his interface¡¯s interpretation led Eric to that conclusion.


    But she had no idea it was such a smug asshole.


    ¡°Charge those motherfuckers, men! We take them out fast and hard, and we do it now!¡± Lilly screamed, deciding that she didn¡¯t give a fuck how snarky the System was, as long as she could get stronger and blast the FUCK out of all the goblins that had dragged her family to literal hell, as far as she was concerned.


    When her eyes caught sight of the shrieking injured mercenaries scattered across the hard stone ground, she had only one response to give them as her ears thrummed and crackled with the white-hot currents of her fury.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen! Sanguis Fulmen!¡±


    She flashed a bleak smile when a single bolt thicker than her present body tore through the air before exploding at the point of impact, utterly annihilating the closest trio of bodies as ricocheting crimson currents tore through the remaining goblins, simultaneously stopping their hearts and tearing free additional life force that came roaring back to Lilly in a glorious rush of fierce potency and sweet sweet healing potency that jolted her to glorious alertness like her favorite cup of Wildstar Expresso.


    ¡°Fucking hell yeah, no additional perks needed, save raw fucking power!¡± She squealed with delight, doing somersaults on her purring mount before glaring at the fresh dozen kills.


    ¡°Rise, motherfuckers! Rise and serve! Your general commands it!¡±


    And what a wondrous rush it was when mangled limbs straightened as ruptured entrails slithered back into self-sealing abdomens before the dozen newly raised goblins high tech mercenary equipment which she had no time to claim warped and twisted into ancient bronze armaments and deadly long spears, their eyes now blazing with unwavering devotion for the only thing that stood between them and torment unending for their part in the most hideous of crimes.


    ¡°Fucking hell yeah! Even dozen!¡±


    At that moment her eyes widened. ¡°Wait a minute. Twelve? Seven plus six equals¡­ fuck!¡±


    Lilly, having inherited more than a bit of her master¡¯s paranoia, spun around with a scream, jumping at pointless shadows as she shrieked the word that made the closest shadow about to plunge his Bronze-tier poison covered dagger into her flesh.


    ¡°FRAGOR, motherfucker!¡±


    The goblin hissed, gazing with genuine surprise when monstrous quickness of at least sixty, a true speed specialist for a level 30 who was still strong and hardy enough to actually use their strength, still wasn¡¯t enough to match Lilly Quickness of 90, to say nothing of 250 Perception, her ears alerting her to the nature and direction of her peril even as prey instinct demanded that she MOVE!


    But it was the predator with her that demanded she roar her challenge with a word potent enough to cause the startled assassins eyes to keep on bulging until they popped right out of his head as his entire brain underwent a pressure surge more intense than the waters of the Marina Trench, his skull exploding like a shrapnel grenade, and not a single bone fragment touched Lilly or her stoic revenants.


    ¡°And you¡¯re one asshole I¡¯m not bringing back. Burn in hell, you fucking fuck!¡±


    Lilly snarled and spat, pretending that her Rank 31 Spirit Mastery and too sensitive ears wasn¡¯t allowing her to hear the doomed goblin¡¯s soul immediately doing that, or the hideous cackle of beings that had absolutely no place in the physical world or claiming any souls that had even a patina of grace tied to their form.


    Insight check successful! You¡¯ve had an epiphany!


    ¡°And that¡¯s why the damned go to hell,¡± She whispered in sudden horrific understanding. ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily that any benevolent god is rescuing or redeeming us, at least not in the version of Earth that I call home. It¡¯s that any soul with at least a bit of decency, compassion, and love¡­ the gentle traits that callous politicians, used car salesmen, and criminals mock and belittle, are glowing with such brilliance that the truly corrupt nightmares beyond the mortal realms can¡¯t touch them!¡±


    Lilly shook her head, not sure if the desperate screams and cackles she heard were real or delusion, or if her flash of insight was brilliance or armchair bullshittery, and ultimately it didn¡¯t have any bearing on what she had to do next. Because if she didn¡¯t hurry the fuck up and stop that cable from being unmoored, cut, severed, or whatever the hell they were going to do¡­ everyone she loved would be suffering torment when their souls were fused to cursed steel, regardless of how naughty or nice they had been before.


    It was a doom that was all but assured, unless she fucking acted NOW!


    ¡°Come on! Up the far stairwell. Go, go, go!¡± Lilly said, her eyes widening with an odd mixture of both familiarity and awe.


    Awe, because a Contender Conquest Interface Map had just populated the upper left corner of her mind¡¯s eye, with a blinking light letting her know EXACTLY where she had to go for quest completion. Familiarity because her sense of direction was a hell of a lot better than Eric¡¯s, and she had helped him with his own conquest map a heck of a lot more than either of them bothered admitting aloud. ¡°Boy do I hope that idiot¡¯s not getting lost while trying to take over New York or whatever the hell that glorious goofball is doing,¡± she thought aloud before turning all her desperate focus to the task at hand.


    Racing up the stairwell just as fast as she could, her Force Ward crackling with all the mana she could pour into it, just knowing that she was charging headlong into a trap, not giving a fuck that it was a trap, and damn well determined to make the assholes trying to kill her pay as she slammed 11 points in both Spiritual Energy and Arcane Potential, shooting both Mana & Qi pools to 492 as she screamed out the words to spells that would change absolutely everything as she burst up the stairwell in a shower of ricocheting crimson lightning tearing through another half dozen goblins before finding herself on the top of the keep, facing at least hundred of the fuckers, no less than a full dozen goblin shaman / barristers among them. And all of them were sneering at her with such contempt with their puce and lime green robes clashing so terribly with itself that it was a mental assault all on its own, even as the full dozen surviving shamans threw a shower of warrants for her arrest and damnation in one coordinated assault.


    ¡°You have broken treaty and covenant with the Terran Council! You are forbidden from being here, abomination! You are forbidden from fighting back, resisting arrest, or even existing! So be damned for your transgressions and face the ultimate punishment, as ALL humanity and your necromantic abominations must do for committing the ultimate crime of occupying a planet that WE the Bloodtear Syndicate, have rightfully claimed as our own by right of Greed, Malfeasance, and Mastery!¡±


    Lilly blinked, bemused to find that the mercenaries were no longer among them. There was nothing but the dozen arcane barristers and what seemed dozens of lesser goblins glaring their hate as together they concentrated on a crackling Force Ward beyond anything they had managed to summon before.


    The largest and most bloated of the goblins, face covered in ugly red pustules as he floated above the rest of his cohorts like a certain mad baron, cackled like the demonic mongrel he truly was, the tip of his twisted staff of bone, twisted runes, and torment glowing a vile shade of pustulent green. Yet even that abomination couldn¡¯t hide the strain beneath his twisted smile as Lilly¡¯s revenants continued to pour in behind her. First by the dozens, then by the hundreds.


    ¡°Enough!¡± the creature roared. ¡°Your crimes are undeniable, indefensable, and irrefutable, thus you have no defense or recourse save to SUBMIT To your master, Lord Sloth of the Fire Pits! Master of steel and pain!¡±


    Lillian¡¯s eyes widened, shocked out of her dark bemusement as she found herself gazing at the true mastermind of this entire hellhole. The sneering puppetmaster who, like Greed, was responsible for countless thousands of desperate starving shell-shocked victims forced to endure cruelty beyond imagination.


    The source of her mother¡¯s agony and her brother¡¯s despair.


    ¡°It was you,¡± Lilly whispered even as the ground began to hum, so fiercely were the ears on her tiny head vibrating, having hopped off the Shadow Puma who could no longer bear the weight and fury of Lillian¡¯s soul.


    ¡°You did this.¡±


    The goblins¡¯ eyes lit up with unmistakable glee. ¡°Yes indeed, foolish little bunny! The greatest Starship manufacturing center and refinery in the entire sector with reinforced plating rated for Deep Bronze integrity at absolute rock bottom prices was my dream child and mine alone, cursed creature!¡±


    The entire goblin cohort clapped with approval at those words, save for perhaps a dozen groaning goblins who clearly maintained the core of the massive Force Barrier protecting them all.


    Find Weaknes Skillcheck successful!


    You are now attempting to Taunt your opponents!


    Lilly crossed her tiny arms. ¡°You think you¡¯ve won, you puffed up troll? You failed so hard that all of Earth¡¯s contenders are laughing their asses off at what a joke the Bloodtear Syndicate truly is, after Greed over-extended so fucking hard, trying to stop my master! You thought you could burden us with sixty thousand doomed children? Well the Sylvan Alliance is now up 400,000 soldiers, fuckwad! How do you like them apples, shit-for-brains? You and Greed have already lost! I¡¯m just here to clean up lose ends.¡±


    Lilly girded herself for a furious rebuttal, ready to unleash absolute hell the moment Sloth¡¯s minions lowered the barrier to punish her for rubbing their failures in their faces.


    But much to her surprise and growing dismay, they did nothing of the sort.


    In fact they were smiling. Eyes twinkling with what a horrified BunBun realized was downright malicious glee, none more than Lord Sloth whose booming laughter echoed across the battlements as he continued sinuously moving his clawed fingers in patterns it sickened Lilly to witness.


    ¡°Oh yes. I¡¯m well aware of the contract forged between my associate, your mongrel master, and his whore of a mother! With Caliban, Scion of House Blue, witnessing our masterwork!¡±


    Sloth¡¯s sharp-toothed smile grew. ¡°Tell me, familiar, do you think Caliban¡¯s famously stoic features will remain unmoved when he discovers just how flawed his counsel truly was? Do you think Aurelia, that self-important Sylvan harlot, will be feeling quite so smug when she finds that all her Silver-tier insights availed her so little in the arenas of contractual minutia and legal precedents of which my clan reigns supreme?¡±


    Sloth began to laugh, great heaving bellyfuls of laughter, his chortles mirrored in perfect counterpoint by every goblin present, save for the dozen in the center of their double ritual circle, the ones responsible for the barrier which BunBun knew even she couldn¡¯t breach.


    ¡°Foolish abomination! Are you truly so stupid? Do you truly not understand? Greed didn¡¯t lose his head! He knew precisely how many cannons were unaccounted for, and after your master¡¯s completely unauthorized and unlawful heist of the Gilton Black Book Repository, he knew exactly how many cubic feet that boy¡¯s Extradimensional Storage Space can hold!¡±


    Lord Sloth¡¯s gloating smile grew ever wider before Lilly''s involuntary flinch, her growing sense of worry and dread a tell that her foe could effortlessly sense, even from a revenant rabbit.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, familiar! Everything¡¯s gone precisely as we wish it!¡±


    ¡°Because you want her troops to starve,¡± Lilly said breathlessly, unable to help herself. ¡°Winter is coming, and if Greed plays his cards right, Aurelia will owe Greed a fortune in grain, because elves can¡¯t live on livestock or monster meat, like pure-blooded humans can.¡±


    Lord Sloth sneered and spat. ¡°Grain? You think our brilliant gambit was about squeezing Aurelia for a bit of extra gold? Fool! That was the feint, the ruse! Exactly what we wanted her to think!¡± His expression grew smug. ¡°What we wanted was exactly what we got, the moment your master danced to his mother¡¯s puppet strings and foolishly signed our contract!¡±


    Lilly tilted her head in confusion. ¡°You wanted his signature?¡±


    ¡°We wanted you fools to pay the full price of the transfer!¡± Sloth roared, eyes alight with manic glee. ¡°And they accepted! They accepted in full! Fools! They accepted in full!¡±


    Lilly blinked, a surge of panicked insight leaving her feeling almost like she was being infused with her master¡¯s thoughts. Like he was hovering over her furry shoulder, which she damn well knew was impossible. But still¡­ the information seemed solid. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Lilly said with all the arrogance she could muster. ¡°Lady Aurelia herself will bear the energy expenditures of the gates to her own worlds, where her men are coming from, and no place else. Just as the contracts stipulate.¡±


    ¡°WRONG, FOOL! THEY¡¯RE ALL TO BE CHANNELED THROUGH THIS REALM FIRST!¡± Lord Sloth howled the words with twisted glee, spinning about in the air with his chortling mirth. ¡°Absolutely no provisions were made assuring a direct transfer! Each and every elven fool Aurelia would doom was forced to enter Earth via this realm first, as this is now a shadow world fully attached to your own, happily sucking down the power of your own ascension to further our own great works!¡±


    Lilly stiffened, heart pounding in panic as the implications of what this monster was saying fully sunk in. Yet as the smirking diabolical goblin soon made clear, it was far worse than even she had realized.


    ¡°Oh fear not! Each and every elven warrior, conscript, artisan, and specialist that steps through our shaman¡¯s gates WILL make an appearance within Sylvan Alliance territory, as per the stipulations of our gloriously bloody contract. But once the last man, woman, and child steps through those gates, once the deal is done and the shamans are ready to close the portals, then and only then will the debt come due! Four hundred thousand souls channeled right through this very forge, foolish girl! Allowed only the briefest of respite under brilliant skies and lush green grasses before contractual law TEARS THEIR SOULS RIGHT OUT OF THEIR FLESH AND WE CLAIM OUR DUE!¡±


    Lilly froze with horrified dismay at the mocking words tormenting her, sensing the distant screams of fury and despair of a boy she feared she¡¯d never see again as the true depth of their foes¡¯ malignant subterfuge revealed itself at last.


    ¡°Impossible!¡±


    ¡°Very possible, foolish rabbit! And Aurelia can do nothing! Nothing at all as she finds herself hamstrung by the very contracts she signed, our great master proving himself the better of every Silver who thinks to cross him on his glorious ascent to Gold as we forge starships that we will name in the Winter Queen¡¯s honor¡­ for it will be the souls of HER beloved troops, THEIR eternal bitter tears that will make our soul-steel armored hulls neigh unbreachable! A true masterwork of construction, and we will make sure that the entire galaxy knows who to credit with its forging!¡±


    Lord Sloth puffed up with overweening pride. ¡°Then absolutely everyone who¡¯s anyone will know that if you want quality starships at rock bottom prices, you shop with US! Worry free investments further secured with the Bloodtear Syndicates 100% guarantee. We¡¯re you¡¯re go-to resource for all of your galactic conquest needs! Even better, we offer significant discounts for every 60,000 unwanted slaves and sapient flesh bags you deliver to us! Why, we¡¯re considered the best kept secret in the cluster, and Aurelia will serve as the hostess of our coming-out party! We¡¯ll even send her an invite to attend our premier auction! Hell, we¡¯ll even let her bid on her own ship!¡±


    Lilly had no words, no witty rebuttal, so filled with unspeakable horror and dismay that all she could do was tremble and stew in rage and fury as her ears crackled with ever greater currents of crimson retribution.


    Lord Sloth¡¯s hideously wide smile so reminiscent of sharks and insurance salesmen instantly snapped back into a hate-filled snarl. ¡°And you, little abomination, will not be permitted to interfere with our great work!¡±


    Even as he said the words, the most massive pulsating contract of lies, deception, malice and greed imaginable formed into being in his hands, covered in bulging eyes and toothy maws filling the air with demonic whispers of debt and obligation that had several of the closest lesser goblins shrieking and tearing at their own ears, even as one shriveled to a mummified corpse with the final whispered words of ¡°Penalty Fees!¡±


    An ignoble death under usurious debt that earned the fallen goblin nothing but a contemptuous snort from Sloth before turning to smirk BunBun¡¯s way, making it damn clear that his showmanship hadn¡¯t been the act of an unmitigated egotistical madman who delighted in crushing the hope and spirit of his opponent, but that of a master tactician using the lull in battle to set the pace and strike between the beats.


    Lilly would have given him credit, if she weren¡¯t absolutely speechless with rage¡­ and doing much the same thing as he was.


    Instead her furious, vindictive smile was a mirror of Sloth¡¯s own, no matter the dread she felt for what were close to half a million souls that were now in dire peril. Even if it was half-bluff, Lilly just desperate to make the vile monster before her FLINCH! And wipe that awful look of smug superiority off Sloth¡¯s features.


    To Lilly¡¯s bitter satisfaction, a flicker of worry flashed across the goblin lord¡¯s face, before it was replaced with malicious fury, Lilly¡¯s every instinct suddenly screaming at her to MOVE!


    Yet there was nowhere to go on top of the battlements.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been Served!¡± Lord Sloth snarled, hurling his twisted, multifaceted curse that was beyond any dodging or physical manifestation of the arcane.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± Lilly simultaneously roared, the smug look on Lord Sloth¡¯s face becoming sudden surprise when the floor right before the dome of force shattered, revealing dark corridors and the screams of goblins being chased down by multiple companies of Lilly¡¯s autonomously hunting revenants.


    But Lilly had no time for that, darting down the hole as fast as a 90 Quickness rabbit could tumble through the air, feeling the bubbling screams of an Eldritch summon clawing at her soul¡­ and missing entirely, for all that she swore to avenge the handful of shrieking revenants whose souls were forced into indentured servitude that Lilly wasn¡¯t nearly powerful enough to counter.


    But damn if she wasn¡¯t able to make the bastards that were now above her pay.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Inevitable Doom, motherfuckers! Time for you all to feel the BURN!¡±


    Lilly shrieked her fury as mana and Qi came pouring out of her as she summoned for the very first time one of her master¡¯s favorite spell combos, panting with awe and exhaustion she shouldn¡¯t even be feeling as she quickly hopped away from the massive fiery trunks erupting from the floor she crouched upon. Massive writhing vines that grew so quickly they were ripping completely through the unwarded ceiling in the blink of an eye. The entire ceiling now above her head immediately shattered in rubble and shrieking goblins who were now extremely vulnerable to both Wood and Fire as they were quickly tangled up in not one or two but dozens upon dozens of furiously whipping fiery thorn-covered vines far stronger, hotter, and more resilient than any Rank 1 manifestation of the spell should be able to summon, boosted as they were by 30 levels in Runic Spell forging and a full 137% Triple Perk Appetite for Destruction bonus damage multiplier.


    Numbers that her foes could appreciate only in agonized shrieks and wails that were immediately cut off when blazing hot vines wrapped around panicked torsos with rib crushing tightness before those furious vegetative appendages forced themselves down dozens of doomed goblins¡¯ throats.


    Yet Lilly refused to allow herself to savor the furious vengeance that her foes so richly deserved. Not when the largest fish of all was escaping, and she could still sense the increasing strain of the steel cable holding so many lives in the balance. So Lilly leaped free of the shattered roof that was the keep ceiling, darted past dozens of writhing goblins bursting into flame even as her soul trembled with the levels suddenly pouring in, and raced for the citadel tower these psychotic fools had actually made from the bones of their victims.


    The very same tower that Lilly¡¯s enemy was flying toward, as if he too understood that the final act was about to unfold, the ultimate prize nothing less than the fate of the entire refinery and all the souls trapped within.

 Chapter 338 - A Heros Sacrifice

    Perception check made! You know a TARP when you see one!


    Lilly flashed a fierce smile even as she raced faster than her surviving shadow pumas for the massive tower of bones, blackened steel, and pain.


    Though her smile quickly turned to a pained grimace when she detected for the first time in either of her lives what almost sounded like panic? In the voice echoing inside her head.


    WARNING! EXTREME ANOMALIES DETECTED!


    SYSTEM RED ALERT!


    SYSTEM RED ALERT!


    EXTREME CAUTION ADVISED! - PLEASE ALERT YOUR NEAREST SILVER OR GOLD TIER REPRESENTATIVE! - SYSTEM BOONS WILL BE GRANTED!


    Of course she could sense the twisted thrum of souls tortured beyond any semblance of sanity within the tower before her, force-welded into cogs, gears, and steampunk abominations that Lilly sensed in a flash of chilling insight shouldn¡¯t even exist within the current electromana forces and fields that enabled the System, yet did. And somehow she just KNEW it mirrored the goblin¡¯s original steampunk technological evolution. Ancient and oddly sophisticated techniques for both locomotion, power, and folding space that Lilly¡¯s sworn enemies could perform even now¡­ so long as they did so in a hideous bone prison of torment radiating an event horizon of such spiritual agony that even the System¡¯s ministrations were put in temporary abeyance.


    Which meant that when Lilly prepared to leap into the nightmarish cathedral devoted to the vilest technological revelations imaginable, she would in the heart of a battleship assembly plant that forged entire engines of brass, bronze, steam, and chrome far stronger than any Terran steel or mithril alloy¡­ and the one place in the entire System that was completely impervious to the System¡¯s ubiquitous, cloying presence. Truths she was hammered with not by a desperate interface, but by the howling spirits that were still sentient and sane enough to reveal the nature of this chamber in all its hideous majesty.


    Even entering this place was a terrible risk. Lilly knew that. Knew that in all likelihood, her continuing sapience was at least in part due to the System that had kept her acerbic company since the minute she had woken up in this world, truly feeling like herself for the first time since she had been violated and slaughtered by orcs, awake and alert and truly autonomous, and not just a girl dreaming of a certain handsome boy.


    And she could tell just by the cold-eyed stares of the goblins in that massive chamber who were even now twisting about copper pipes that seemed to scream in protest as they belched constant steam around glowing orbs that swirled and pulsated with unholy light¡ªthe starship cores themselves, she was somehow sure of it¡ªThat these were professionals who had years of experience with this hideous craft. And somehow those Goblins were able to work with a steam-based technology of necromantic torments without any shields or classes whatsoever.


    No matter her shock and dismay, one thing that was utterly undeniable was that the cathedral she was just about to jump in, the building Lord Sloth had just raced within, floating no longer, staff as inert as a lump of wood¡­ was the true heart of their twisted layer.


    A place where the System was unwelcome, where goblins were truly at their strongest, and where Lilly absolutely had to be if she was going to save her mother and brother after having thought them dead.


    Even when Lord Sloth spun around, sneering at her with gleeful contempt as he laughed like a madman, pulling a blunderbuss out of nowhere¡­ Lilly knew what she had to do.


    Bracing herself for oblivion, it was only the memories of her brother¡¯s screams when he came across her brutalized dying frame countless months ago that gave her the courage to do what was necessary. Because even if the cost was oblivion¡­ she couldn¡¯t live with herself if her family was torn from her yet again.


    ¡°Fool! You have sprung my final trap and now you will pay the ultimate price!¡± Lord Sloth chortled even as Lilly squealed as only a rabbit could. Infected by torment she had no words to describe, feeling a part of herself bubble and boil into the ether, knowing that oblivion would be so easy to embrace even as she felt herself drowning in cloyingly thick spiritual waters and she could barely find the effort to leap to the side when the crack and boom of a blunderbuss had lead shot ricoheting across the chamber, more than one pellet tearing into her flesh with the ease of any mortal prey.


    Yet there was no blood, and for all that she had to struggle not to drift off into death¡¯s gentle haze, she COULD think, she COULD act of her own volition, even if it felt like a waking dream.


    The bloated pustule-coverd goblin blanched. ¡°No, impossible! You¡¯re no longer possessed of a Classer¡¯s gifts! You¡¯re a powerless little rabbit! Meat for my stew and nothing more. Never more!¡± Lord Sloth roared, eyes glittering with hate as he jabbed a stubby finger the flittering rabbit¡¯s way.


    ¡°Get that rabbit!¡± he screamed. ¡°Skin her alive and bring me her bones! And her soul too shall join our masterwork!¡±


    At that command, a scarce handful of cursing goblins left their workstations, for all that another score seemed far too busy to do anything but spare a single glare for the rabbit who wasn¡¯t trying to confront Lord Sloth at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a mindless rabbit. We have quotas, Sloth!¡± Snorted one cigar-chomping foreman. ¡°You want to risk defaulting on delivery of our latest starship? You know damn well what the squid-heads are like! And theirs will need extra insulation so no soul screams bother their sensitive brains.¡±


    Lord Sloth glared. ¡°Carry on then, Truxs.¡±


    The foreman snorted. ¡°Damn right I will. All our heads will be on the block if we fuck this up, Sloth. And didn¡¯t you hire a full company of mercenaries to take care of any Terran Contenders that actually manage to slip through the gates?¡±


    Sloth didn¡¯t bother answering, merely cursing under his breath as he reloaded his blunderbuss, his heavy footfalls making his intentions clear as he unerringly headed for the increasingly confused bunny who no longer recalled exactly why she was running so fervently away from the predator eager to eat her as all predators were, spinning around to leap madly away in this miserable grassless maze of metal, stone, and strangely alluring bone when she saw the scaly doglike face of yet another one of those foul creatures, BunBun darting away as fast as she could when her ears picked up as she found what she desperately needed¡­ a hole to hide in!


    ¡°Focus, Lilly! We need to get to the control room. For mom and Tim!¡± Somehow, those words brought her back to herself, a slender rabbit shivering as massive towering monsters slowly approached, grunting and chortling in words she could no longer understand. Yet some truths she DID understand, even as a rabbit¡¯s panic fought against a woman¡¯s furious resolve.


    ¡°We¡¯re not just a rabbit, were a revenant, just a half-step from being fully alive! Magics of blood and spirit bound me to this shape, anchoring my awareness, grounding my soul. Magics far older than the Advent of the System, magics that are now mine every bit as much as my masters!¡±


    With her revelation came a newfound sense of purpose and resolve. Sufficient for her to dart between the legs of one of the smaller goblins, now roaring unintelligible garbage as a wrench was swung half-heartedly in her direction.


    A wrench that she¡¯d normally say wouldn¡¯t have a chance of hitting her came damn close to cracking her skull, because if the waves of torment she could sense SO CLEARLY from the steel wrapped bones all around her were any indication, this, for all intents and purposes WAS hell.


    A hell she was eager to put to an end as she darted along hallways and corridors, looping under mad scientist workstations filled twisted amalgamations of copper tubing and torment, shrieks of steam and tormented souls both clamoring into her poor ears as she struggled to find any master control room overseeing the cables upon which 60,000 or so lives still dangled.


    ¡°Excellent! We have her cornered at last!¡± Lord Sloth chortled, Lilly too dismayed to take any solace in her ability to parse his madness even if English was the language farthest from his lips.


    Not when she suddenly sensed half a dozen towering goblins, each holding massive wrenches, nets, or guns, rapidly closing in.


    ¡°And the foolish hare actually managed to trap herself in the room of sacrifices! How fitting!¡± Sloth¡¯s twisted cackle filled the cathedral-like chamber. ¡°Soon your soul too shall join all those eternally screaming all around us! A choir of torment fitting for all those who dare to challenge the might and supremacy of the Bloodtear Syndicate! We, who will one day own the entire galaxy as your souls eternally feed our glorious and grand elder. It is inevitable. It is destiny! It is only a matter of time!¡±


    Bunbuns¡¯ heart fluttered away in her tiny chest, nose twitching with the scents of sweat, goblin musk, and torment. It was all she could do to resist giving in to her animal terror and zigzagging past the pair of smirking goblins holding the thin mesh she realized would spell her absolute doom if she gave into her panic and charged into those nets, whereupon the others would no doubt pound her trapped body with their heavy bronze wrenches until she was a smear on the ground.


    Yet the jolt of relief she felt, when terror at least brought her foggy mind to crystalline sharp focus, was short lived. Despair¡¯s keening dirge sending her into an absolute panic with the tight thrum of snapping steel spools made it clear that the massive super cable supporting so many steel cages was doomed to snap under the growing pressure. Yet with Lilly trapped and barely able to string two thoughts together, without her interface contender¡¯s map or any knowledge of where she had to go¡­ the situation seemed beyond hopeless. She could do nothing at all.


    Shuddering and helpless as 250 Perception and rabbit¡¯s ears picked up with exquisite clarity her mother¡¯s shriek, trapped on a suspension cable that would soon give, all of Lilly revenants now proceeding at a shambling gate, without her mind linked to theirs, their last command a fragile cord only half even followed, the other half standing still as stone, no matter how much Lilly¡¯s mother shrieked and screamed for their charges to hurry up and MOVE! Having long since innured herself to their undead nature, or perhaps not even realizing the nature of her champions who only now, in the final minutes, were destined to fail.


    As if life was doomed to repeat its nightmare dirge a second time. Lilly just minutes from a brutal death by chortling goblins so like the malicious orcs who had so enjoyed torturing her before wringing all the screams they could from her one final time right before she had died. And now history was going to repeat itself. Yet instead of oblivion, it would be endless agony at the hands of the most ruthless vindictive little shits the galaxy had ever crapped out. Then it would be Lilly and her family paying the ultimate price, three more souls trapped in eternal torment like the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, she could feel shrieking in the ether.


    Worse, the instant her back pressed against he wall of bone and tormented steel her awareness of her doom increased a hundred fold, Lilly now wailing as well as she became one with the howling, shrieking souls encased in unspeakable torment, desperate for relief and mercy that would never come.


    Their torment soon to become her own.


    ¡°Lilly! Think!¡±


    Two words that were not her own. Jolting her out of her stupor as she sensed the heavy price someone had just paid.


    Paid so that she could have just a moment¡¯s clarity as the goblins abruptly charged.


    Paid so she could THINK!


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Yet it was so hard to think with the hideous pressure of so many soul-bound bones all so desperate to be free.


    Lilly froze.


    The net carefully tossed by a skilled hunter, knowing just where she was going to be, sailed right past her as Lilly suddenly leaped straight UP!


    Daring to scale the wall of steel-covered bone, with so many good crevices and toe holds for a supernaturally strong rabbit who was now thankfully out of the range of nets¡­ but not all her foes weaposn as Sloth¡¯s ugly blunderbuss immediately made clear.


    So Lilly jumped just as her enemy¡¯s eyes tightened, the single pellet tearing through her tail a small price to pay for all the buckshot that missed as she scrabbled atop the bass relief display of yet another skeleton housing a tormented figure¡¯s beseeching form, to be granted no mercy by the goblins that had encased him in soul-steel. Yet his screams rang with perfect awful clarity in Lilly¡¯s ear.


    Tiny heart pounding in her furry chest, Lilly focused on that which she knew was now a part of her, even if she had no interface sheet to summon, no smarmy voice she both despised and took such comfort in.


    All she could do was trust in the skills she had mastered in the echo of Eric¡¯s will as she placed paw to trembling bones and gave vent to her plea.


    ¡°You wish to be free? YOU ARE FREE!¡±


    She could taste it then, a glorious frisson of possibility, so like the hundreds or thousands of ripe souls recently freed of their mortal shells that she or her master would be responsible for reaping. Souls that would then be given the chance to serve and savor mortal¡¯s pleasures once more, or sink into oblivion forever after. And no matter how much their enemies might have hated Eric or Lilly just a heartbeat before, when doom¡¯s hoary kiss was all they had to look forward to, they almost always chose to bow their heads and embrace sapience once more.


    Yet the sudden pressure wave, nay, a sheer flood of desperate souls Lilly was suddenly struck by weren¡¯t a mere thousand recently harvested that she could claim the tiniest bit of dominion over, having been the one to reap them.


    No.


    This was several MILLION souls that had been locked in unspeakable torment. If a battlefield reaping had the pressure of a spring breeze, this was the equivalent pressure of category 5 hurricane. Promising so much glorious unbridled power and devotion¡­ and the risk of obliviating anything that stood in its way.


    Only then did Lilly truly appreciate her peril¡­ the ticking time bomb that was so much impossible torment locked tight within this hellish cathedral of bone, torment, and forbidden technology so vile that even the System the system itself was pushed away, allowing goblins to form the same steampunk starship engine cores that they once had, countless eons ago.


    ¡°There¡¯s no where for you to escape, cursed rabbit!¡± Said the utterly unrepentant Lord Sloth, glaring Lilly¡¯s way. ¡°You¡¯re dead, you cursed abomination, and by the end of this day, I¡¯ll be supping upon your flesh, and feasting upon your soul!¡±


    And with those words, all of Lilly¡¯s hesitation, all of her despair turned to grim acceptance, already knowing what must be done.


    She solemnly shook her head, earning hisses and nervous curses from the whole crew of goblins, as if startled to find that she actually did understand their vile threats and twisted promises, even while free of System enhancements.


    Lord Sloth laughed with contempt of course, and a half dozen nervous glares turned to sycophantic grins of malice perfectly mirroring their master, before it was replaced with genuine wide-eyed terror when a massive surge of howling fury as if from the heavens washed over them all.


    ¡°No! That¡¯s forbidden!¡± Sloth screamed.


    ¡°What¡¯s forbidden, you damned blowhard?¡± Asked the sneering overseer who still felt the need to follow, earning a hot glare promising retribution at some unspecificed future date from Sloth. Yet for the moment at least, they were on the same page as Sloth¡¯s trembling fingers jolted a furiously focused Lilly¡¯s way.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to free the souls trapped in iron! Foul necromantic magics! She risks rupturing the entire forge if she succeeds!¡±


    The foreman snorted. ¡°Impossible. It doesn¡¯t matter how much leverage that cursed creatures puts on those pathetic souls. Those bones are the perfect configuration to warp and channel our eternal debtors into paying the interest that will eternally accumulate! We made damn sure of that, just as we made damned sure that all forms of necromancy were to be outlawed, then purged on all newly ascended worlds we claim for our factories and foundries!¡±


    The powerfully built forman glared daggers at his pustule-covered counterpart. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t even be a concern, Sloth. You told me that Greed already had this handled!¡±


    Lilly couldn¡¯t help it. Her smile stretched far wider than it had any right to, as she spoke words that should have been impossible to slip from her lips without access to any System enhancements.


    ¡°A bone configuration, huh? Funny you should mention that!¡±


    Time seemed to freeze as a full dozen goblins glared up at her with looks ranging from shock to dismay to monstrous fury. Lilly allowed herself to savor what she knew would be her final seconds, even managing to flip a final fuck you to the goblins before the ceiling¡¯s knotwork of steel-covered bones echoed with the sharp reports of what were either gun shots¡­ or unbreakable steel finally surrendering to unspeakable pressure as the entire chamber roared with the sound of countless thousands of tons of rattling bones as it collapsed in on itself, utterly obliterating the wide-eyed goblins who didn¡¯t even have time for a single peep before they were impaled and crushed far more thoroughly than any hapless conscript that had been on the receiving end of an entire army of charging knights.


    It was a roar of destruction that did not stop, but rather built and built as Bunbun felt herself tumbling through the air, utterly encased in bone, her mind filled with the howling screeches of countless millions of souls desperate to free themselves of eternal torment.


    And a dizzy BunBun, her mind suddenly blaring with countless System Messages that she immediately pushed aside as her mind once more returned to crystalline sharpness, could think of only one way to save them all.


    ¡°Surge, Centuria! Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    The rumbling grew to a roaring crescendo, and it seemed like her normal class limits meant absolutely nothing. For it wasn¡¯t grasping souls eager to slip away but simply aiding the escape of countless souls EAGER for her words to resonate through their spiritual forms and snap free the collars of agony that had bound them for so long. Far, far too long.


    And the energy suddenly pouring through Bunbun¡¯s form was so sharp and sweet that it was nothing for her to say the words again, and yet again. Till the sound of her voice echoed through the entire caldera, louder than the shriek of strained steel cables, louder even than the crack and boom of massive plates of soul-forged steel shattering upon the skeleton frame of a starship that would never see completion as the hundreds of goblins busily dancing about the scaffolding began shrieking and falling to their deaths as shrapnel tore through them like grapeshot from a cannon.


    The echo of Lilly¡¯s words soon boomed through the entire caldera as she belted them out once more in a voice strangely husky and feminine for a rabbit as she embraced her own ascension while countless spirits stormed through the air.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    And much to Eric¡¯s awe, he witnessed a brooding volcano filled with magma, boiling steel, and pain undergo the most miraculous of transformations before his very eyes. From hell to heaven, from purgatory to sanctuary, the fires cooled as the trapped souls within fled their torments at last.


    Basalt stone innured to time seemed to age a thousand generations under the weight of transformation, turning to crumbling stone, then dirt, then rich loamy soil from which countless flowers and fruit trees now blossomed. Pools of boiling metal cooled into pristine lakes filled with clear blue water from which countless skeletons covered in metal that was the farthest thing from iron torment emerged by the hundreds, and then the thousands.


    And all of those skeletons turned in unison to slam their leaf-shaped blades upon shields of blessed steel, their voices ringing in perfect harmony as the hellish volcano turned to a fecund paradise groaning only with weight of rich arboreal groves heavy with fruit, pollen, and the promise of sanctuary to so many lost souls.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡± The flood of revenants cried in unison to the girl with the brilliant smile who Eric couldn¡¯t help but think now looked a heck of a lot like his sister, except for the golden irises and the very long ears on top of her head.


    Even lost in dream and mutually shared epiphany, 250 Perception and a soaring necromancer class meant that Lilly¡¯s smiling countenance immediately turned Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Well, Father? What do you think?¡±


    Eric, suddenly utterly clear-headed and in the moment, for all that he thought he was dreaming, was stunned by those words. Yet her appearance¡­ there could be no mistake. She looked exactly like what his daughter might look like if he had actually taken up Lilly¡¯s streamer flirting once upon a time and given them both a weekend they¡¯d never forget. And then if eighteen years had passed instead of a single one since the worldwide incursion began.


    And as illogical as it was, Eric¡¯s heart still swelled with a painful warmth he¡¯d never expected to feel¡­ honestly didn¡¯t think he¡¯d live long enough to feel.


    Yet that blessed warmth froze with the look in Lilly¡¯s eye.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like this to be me, well, you¡¯d better stabilize me quick, dad, because in a few seconds...¡±


    ¡°It will all have been a dream, and I¡¯ll be up a territory I never remembered claiming,¡± Eric realized with a breathless shudder.


    Lilly¡¯s closed her eyes, tears streaming freely. ¡°It¡¯s okay, dad¡­ master. At least I was able to save my mother. My brother. They¡¯re down there, with the others, safely wading hip deep in perfect healing waters that was, well, let¡¯s not talk about what it was just a few minutes or millenia ago.¡±


    Even as she said the words, Eric could sense her fading, as the probability of her existence began to fade from the possible to the implausible to the¡­


    ¡°BULLSHIT! GIVE ME YOUR HAND, LILLY!¡± Eric shouted, not hesitating to do what he had to do to collapse the wave function of his now very real and very much alive daughter into fierce and complete existence.


    Not even when it cost him a full twelve Soul Points to anchor the twelve Meridians of the girl that never quite was, but now had always been.


    A revenant no longer, but a living, breathing, beautiful child.


    Only when she was safely in his arms, crying as he was, for reasons neither could clearly define, did he pay any heed to the System Messages echoing inside his head.


    You have sacrificed multiple Soul Points for the sake of your First Born Child!


    You have earned the Title: A Father¡¯s Mercy!


    Note! Unique Title Boons have already been claimed.


    Additional Boons: You now enjoy +4 to all reaction roles from all parents who know of your sacrifice! This title synergizes with the HERO title. Terran parents will absolutely adore you and trust their families and communities under your guidance, should you ever run for office or claim your royal birthright!


    All Healer Classes are now open to you!


    GOBLIN BREACH OF SYSTEM PROTOCOLS DETECTED!


    CONGRATULATIONS! Lillian Hendrix Silver HAS SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED SYSTEM BREACH!


    Lillian Hendrix Silver has been awarded SILVER TIER BOON!


    ERROR! Lillian Hendrix is unable to withstand Silver Tier boon.


    Suitable alternatives have been authorized.


    CONGRATULATIONS! ERIC SILVER IS THE FIRST CONTENDER TO SEIZE TERRITORY WITHIN AN ADJOINING REALM!


    Anomaly detected: Your Familiar ¨C DAUGHTER ¨C Claimed this territory. Goblin edicts make leaving initial System a BREACH of ascension contract.


    ANOMALY OVERRULLED!


    GOBLINOID CENSURE IS NOW IN EFFECT!


    ALL SYSTEM CONTRACTS FORGED BUY GOBLIN FACTIONS ARE NOW TO BE HONORED ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS! - GOBLINOID PARTIES ARE STILL BOUND BY ALL FORMER FORGED COVENANTS SO LONG AS OTHER PARTIES WISH IT! -


    ALL GOBLIN CLASSERS BELOW GOLD TIER HAVE BEEN CENSURED FOR 3 LEVELS!


    NO FRESH CONTRACTS, WARRANTS, OR WRITS OF CENSURE MAY BE FORGED UNTIL 3 ADDITIONAL LEVELS HAVE BEEN EARNED!


    You DAUGHTER has deferred rights of Claimance to you! BOTH PARTIES receive TITLE BOONS!


    This STANDARD Bronze tier Feat Permanently enhances all Characteristics by 5%! You will additionally enjoy a 5% Bonus to all future enhancements of all characteristics!


    Anomaly Detected! - You and your DAUGHTER have achieved this feat while WHITE-tier Contenders!)


    Boons have been Doubled!


    Enjoy your enhancement, Contenders!


    How do you, Eric Silver, wish to shape this realm?

 Chapter 339 - Parenting isnt easy.

    How do you, Eric Silver, wish to shape this realm?


    The words resonated in Eric¡¯s skull as he felt the power of an entire world thrum through his soul. Power and potential he could shape just like he could transform the territories of Earth.


    He could embrace the Path of Endless Bounty and grant this tiny territory channeling so much of this shattered world¡¯s essence in a miracle unlike any he had ever performed before.


    He knew that, just like he knew the kiss of a child¡¯s tender cheek against a tired father¡¯s bristles¡­his beautiful daughter giving him the strength to face another day.


    Yet there was another path he could take, even now whispering darkest secrets into his ear that sent delightful, wicked shivers down his soul.


    It was a territory that served as the lynchpin for an ENTIRE WORLD!


    Resonating with all the power that a fae prince of Winter could desire.


    A power that could be HIS!


    A single territory sacrificed for his OWN glorious ascension, as he finally took HIS FIRST FATED STEPS ALONG THE PATH OF CONSUMPTION! His birthright. What had always been his birthright. And what the coldly chuckling voice that was an echo of his own assured ALREADY was his sister¡¯s path, freezing territories solid for power and profit under her mother¡¯s careful guidance, thinking she could keep it a secret forever. So many souls frozen to deathly stillness¡­ and Aurelia thought A Master Necromancer would be blind to that bittersweet truth?


    And Eric would never judge his beloved Elonia for it, desperate as she was to ascend and survive the mad race for dominion that the Sylvan Faction¡¯s desperate fight for survival, for prominence, had become.


    ¡°And you would never judge, would you, Eric?¡± Assured the coldly chuckling voice. ¡°Now when you can claim a bounty RIGHT NOW That will net you ONE HUNDRED POINTS in Strength, Vitality, and hell, why not? SOUL RESERVES AS WELL!¡±


    Eric shuddered at the sibilant whisper chuckling so coldly, promising so much as he froze outside the door to his house, keys held in trembling hands, a body shaking with exhaustion, pushing himself to work so many overtime hours just to keep up with the mortgage payments, college tuition, bills, insurance, his car loan. Everything.


    He wiped exhausted tears from his eyes in a life that never quite was (but very much was!) as the cutting sunlight glare near blinded him, squinting at the figure smiling so coldly, knife in hand.


    It was himself from twenty years ago, maybe, before he had fallen fast and hard for a gamer girl so like him, embracing a whirlwind romance and finally escaping his mother¡¯s clutches, and his sister¡¯s fame.


    Even if it had been at the cost of everything else, at least he had found true love.


    Until the day his teenage bride had died in childbirth, never mind the massive hospital bill that he had spent years paying off after his mother had said fuck you to them both, leaving him with a broken heart, massive debt, and a miracle. A child he had struggled to care for all the years since.


    At least they had a home. Even if their home was in desperate need of repair with the roof still leaking after a bad storm, despite his Self-Tube inspired home repairs, the plumbing questionable on a good day, the windows cracked, and their entire neighborhood falling on hard times after all the local factories, final holdouts of the American-made dream, finally shuttered their windows and locked their doors for good. Smirking politicians were patting their fat pocketbooks and ever-increasingly valuable stock portfolios while the people they were supposed to serve continued to fall on hard times, and Eric knew he wasn¡¯t the only one in the neighborhood struggling just to keep afloat, working not five but seven days a week for the sake of a teenage daughter he felt himself growing ever more distant from¡­ now feeling like he hardly knew her at all.


    And this man smiling so coldly at him, this boy really, was a reflection of everything he could have been. Should have been. Tall and strong with brought shoulders and absolutely flawless skin, bulging with muscles Eric had let fade as exhaustion left him too drained to do anything but sleep when he got home, even if his daughter did her best to make them both dinner, at least when he had the energy to eat.


    ¡°I remember when I used to look like that,¡± Eric said to his bad-boy mirror image whose smile hinted at jaded knowledge and wisdom so very different from Eric¡¯s own. Yet for just an instant, Eric could so viscerally imagine what it would be like to wake up every day, not drained and bitter, but filled with the fantastic furious energy of youth, an eternal furnace of power and potential that would never dim.


    ¡°Then take it, Eric,¡± his darker half whispered, graceful fingers presenting him with an obsidian knife undulating in the gloom that surrounded it. ¡°Claim all the power you could dream of, Eric Silver. Claim your forsaken birthright. Claim what¡¯s YOURS!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, lurching back as his heart hammered in his chest.


    He raised his hands to protest, knowing he¡¯d never be caught dead with such a foul looking¡­ his eyes widened. How the hell did that knife end up in his hand? And why did it feel so¡­ slick. So good. Right where it belonged. Light as a feather, and perfectly balanced.


    He blinked in the glare, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± He demanded, only to find himself speaking to thin air.


    His dark mirror twin was gone.


    He shivered in confusion, immediately tucking the knife away, lest a neighbor glance his way, and he was just opening the door when he heard the voice that warmed his heart calling out to him.


    ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready, Dad!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Coming, honey!¡±


    Yet before he could open the door, a cold icy touch caressed his throat, freezing him to perfect stillness as sibilant words whispered in his ear once more. ¡°All you need to do is make a single cut, and her strength will become yours. Her hope, her enthusiasm, her lust for life and all its possibilities will be YOURS! As they SHOULD have been all along, after so many years wasted for NOTHING!¡±


    Eric whirled about in furious outrage, trying to catch sight of the psychopath who would tempt him with such hideous acts, only to find no one there. No one, save for the image of his own wild-eyed reflection in the now dark window, even as sibilant words continued to pour into his soul.


    ¡°One hundred points into the three stats you value the most, Prince of Winter. For Lillian will be the first sip of an entire world!¡±


    ¡°Never!¡± Eric hissed, in wild-eyed denial, until the coldly chuckling laughter froze him to stillness once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s the guilt, the regret, right? Never being able to live with yourself, once the deed is done.¡±


    ¡°Damn Right!¡± Eric roared, feeling an echo of youthful vigor with that desperate shout alone.


    ¡°Dad, are you alright?¡±


    His daughter¡¯s worried voice froze the heat in his blood.


    ¡°Yes, dear. Just give dad a moment!¡±


    ¡°Okay, but the chicken soup¡¯s going to need to be reheated if you don¡¯t hurry up!¡±


    Eric breathed a ragged sigh of relief, before feeling powerful fingers grip his neck, whispering words he was desperate not to hear.


    ¡°Not just a hundred points, fool! That¡¯s just baseline! It will be 150 with your Path of Endless Bounty Modifiers which we will immediately tie to Consumption! Then that will be multiplied by 50% with your strength boon and the two sweet, sweet, bronze tier titles you earned. And do you know what the best part is, Eric?¡±


    ¡°Please let me go,¡± he sobbed, trembling with horror, despair, and growing desperate need. Craving a fix of sweetest euphoria and release, aching¡­ NEEDING the sweet, sweet poison he had fought to ween himself off of for years, but could never quite kick the habit. And even now the dealer was knocking on his door, offering him a week of paradise, for free.


    ¡°Not until you hear the best part of my offer.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°YES!¡±


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m clean now!¡± Eric sobbed, earning cold mocking laughter in return.


    ¡°You¡¯re no more clean than your sister is for oxycodone, or your mother is for power. All of you are dirty, dirty little elves and you, my dear Eric, are about to revel in the sweet filth of decadence and corruption like NEVER before. Because when you look into your daughter¡¯s eyes and plunge this dagger of denial into her heart? You will remember NOTHING as you consume an entire WORLD¡¯S worth of POWER! The six million lost souls, the countless millions of mortal slaves and fools that will all fold into oblivion¡¯s realm, their existence will be WIPED OFF THE MAP FOREVER! And no one below Gold-tier will ever know. And save for one sworn foe, not a single Half-step Gold is anywhere near this shit corner of the galaxy, which means you¡¯re up a fuck-ton of points, savoring the sweetest rush you can imagine, and you can have it all for ABSOLUTELY-FUCKING NOTHING! Nothing, save for a single second¡¯s confused regret for shit you can¡¯t even remember, before you¡¯re smiling like a king with the dawn of a brilliant, blessed new day! Savoring all the promise and power that is your birthright! That was ALWAYS your birthright!¡±


    Eric shuddered as temptation¡¯s needle plunged in his arm, his smiling daughter choosing that moment to pop into the living room and plop their shared meal of chicken soup and cheese toast on the rickety excuse that had served as their dining table for years.


    A humming Lillian turned around while tucking her hair behind her ear, self conscious about her rabbit ears as she had always been, no matter how Eric had assured her that she was a natural beauty. ¡°Dad?¡±


    Lilly¡¯s bemused half-smile faded, her quip dying on her lips as her eyes filled with sudden horror, seeing the knife in his hand. ¡°Dad?¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding as his soul screamed with a hunger, a NEED to FEED!


    To take what was his, to claim his BIRTHRIGHT!


    ¡°Daddy, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Eric choked back a howl, feeling his razor sharp FANGS prick his lips, just as they were meant to, Nosferatu and Dark Fae having far more in common with their Paths of Consumption than one might think, and he who could somehow feel the blood of both pounding in his veins was now walking a crooked path that included blood magic and necromancy. So what the fuck did he think would happen when NEEDS which had been denied for far, FAR too long finally came to the fore?


    When Eric opened his eyes, all he saw was red.


    ¡°Daddy? Daddy!¡±


    Eric choked back the agony in his throat, even as the god-awful sibilant whisper slammed into him with cold pitiless logic that was monstrous in its temptation. ¡°Two Hundred and twenty five points in Strength, Vitality, and Soul Reserves, Eric. AND NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW!¡±


    Eric¡¯s howl matched the furious roar for submission echoing inside his skull as his daughter screamed and Eric twisted and charged, eyes filled with bitter hate as he PUNCHED his hand through the glass window that just would not give. Not until his fist BLAZED with the Pristine Essence of Flame did the glass finally shatter as he threw the cursed dagger into the howling void¡­ before quickly shutting the curtains, and all was still once more.


    His heart broke, hearing his daughter¡¯s sobs behind him.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    He swallowed the lump in his throat, turning around to see his precious Lilly gazing at him, speechless with what he knew must be horror at how close he had come to proving himself the ultimate monsters, just as vile as any psychopath that had ever lived.


    What he absolutely did not expect was her crashing into him with tears in his eyes, sobbing so hard as she clung to him so tightly.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡± She sobbed as Eric wrapped his trembling arms, one leaking a fair bit of blood, around her tender shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered, to which she furiously shook her head, gazing at him with golden eyes so filled with brightness and love.


    ¡°I know what you did. What you just gave up. And I¡­¡± Her features crumpled. ¡°I know I can never equal the 775 points you lost, just because you chose me, a child you never planned on¡­ chose to love me¡­ when you could have just absorbed this entire realm!¡±


    Eric sighed, gently kissing her brow. ¡°I would never give you up, Lilly. Not for all the world.¡± His eyes twinkled with bemused mirth. ¡°And now you know that¡¯s not just words.¡±


    Lilly swallowed, forcing a rueful chuckle. ¡°And it really would have been the world,¡± she whispered. ¡°So many millions and all of Greystone swallowed up, and no one would ever know.¡±


    ¡°I would have known,¡± He said with a bittersweet smile. ¡°And the shame would have haunted me til my dying day.¡±


    Lilly said nothing, just holding him close as he closed his eyes, smiling fiercely despite the depth of his loss, feeling a lightness in his heart that he had thought forever lost the first time he had given into his fury and killed someone in hot blood. Even if it had been for his sister¡¯s sake, that stain had never entirely left his soul, or sense of self-worth.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to think this means there¡¯s hope for me. I¡¯d like to think that no matter how sweet the prize, I¡¯ll never ever use my children like pawns on a fucking chess board!¡± He roared the last so loud that the door he glared at exploded, and he winced as he gazed out at the doomed neighborhood, grateful that the neighboring houses with their yellow dried out lawns and rusted excuses for cars were void of any busybodies¡­ or any souls at all.


    He was afraid his daughter would be terrified of him. Yet all she did was hug him tighter.


    ¡°I love you, Dad,¡± Lilly said, her heartfelt gaze humbling his soul.


    ¡°And I love you, Lilly.¡± He flashed a smile. ¡°And hey, there¡¯s a bright side to all that fuckery as well.¡±


    She chuckled ruefully. ¡°What, that you don¡¯t have to eat my sorry excuse for chicken soup?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, your soup does need work,¡± he teased as she huffed and smacked his chest. ¡°But when a corrupt ancient master stars slipping its psyche in games of ascension it has no business in, it might end up revealing far more of itself than it realized, trying to tempt you with the ultimate fruit.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s petite brow furrowed cutely until Eric whispered his revelation into her ear.


    Her eyes lit up with wonder. ¡°But wait! That means that now you can claim a third stat whenever you claim a¡­¡±


    His finger gently touched her lips, bidding her to silence, frowning at what he saw outside. ¡°Best we say nothing for now. I was going to show you a couple presents that I was putting off til your graduation, but considering that this shadow world¡¯s about to evaporate...¡± He pointed to the massive howling storm of gray clouds and shrieking winds that filled the air with a dark dream¡¯s death knell as the neighbor¡¯s houses were absolutely torn to shreds.


    Lilly shuddered, quickly shutting the door. ¡°So, we¡¯re doomed after all? Goblin fuckery at it¡¯s finest, right?¡± She said with a bitter smile.


    Eric snorted. ¡°Fuck no. It just means we use a back door to get out of here. And speaking of back doors¡­ I think you¡¯re going to love this!¡±


    Lilly¡¯s expressive features shifted from a strained grimace to an expression of teary-eyed wonder as he raced up the steps to their mother¡¯s old room that Eric had absolutely refused to touch, even if it had been years since she had passed on.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think¡­ I think she would have wanted you to see what¡¯s inside.¡± With those words, he solemnly opened the door that lead not to an ancient bedroom, but to a glorious paradise stretching as far as the eye could see. Even Eric felt a sense of peaceful reverie as he gazed upon countless groves of lush groves tropical fruit showered by pristine waterfalls laden with rejuvenating spiritual energy strategically placed around a massive city carved into the face of the gently sloping caldera. A city made of basalt and pristine white marble glittering beautifully in the light of the setting sun.


    Lilly¡¯s eyes opened with wonder. ¡°Father! Is that what I think it is?¡±


    Eric grinned, gently squeezing her shoulder. ¡°A grand sanctuary with a lake of pristine water that will sate your thirst and cure any illness, and mystical fruit groves that might not make you a cultivator, but are certainly good for clearing meridians and most importantly, filling your belly and sating your hunger, no matter how malnourished you were before claiming those fruit.¡±


    Yet Lilly¡¯s eyes were nothing if not sharp. ¡°Dad, those pools¡­ they¡¯re filled with¡­¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°I know. They are indeed.¡±


    Far from excited, she trembled with sudden anxiety. ¡°But if anyone finds out, the treasure-hunters and mercenaries will flood to Greystone! It will only be a matter of time before our people¡­ my people, are overwhelmed by everyone eager to take that treasure for themselves!¡±


    Eric locked gazes with his daughter. ¡°You¡¯re right. This world¡¯s still occupied by hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Goblin barristers, warriors, assassins, slavers, and every other foul and twisted class and profession that they call their own. If steps aren¡¯t taken, even this territory¡¯s Sanctuary status will only hold for a very short period of time.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes lit with sudden understanding, and a fiery resolve of her own. ¡°Not if I take the fight to them. Not if I purge this entire fucking world of every goblin that ever set foot here!¡±


    Eric felt a warm glow at hearing those words, all the more so when her expression perfectly mirrored his own. ¡°Then it¡¯s a damn good thing you now have an entire army to do your bidding, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But father, these are¡­¡±


    He winked, gently bopping her nose. ¡°They¡¯re yours, Lillian Silver. Yours, and no one elses.¡±


    She swallowed, whispering awkward words before lowering her head. ¡°Dad¡­ I don¡¯t have any Essence affinity.¡±


    Eric chuckled softly. ¡°That¡¯s what has you down? After forging your own absolutely kick ass path and casting two of my favorite spells far better than I ever could?¡±


    She grinned sheepishly. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s that but¡­¡± Her features fell with genuine regret. ¡°Dad, I can¡¯t feed upon the territories the way that you can.¡±


    Eric held her tight, rubbing her hair. ¡°That¡¯s fine, Lilly. You already know the secret to backdooring that little complication.¡±


    She swallowed, before nodding her head. ¡°I¡¯m your familiar as well as your daughter. Which means that I can always throw them to you.¡±


    Eric crossed arms no longer weakened by dreams of middle-aged exhaustion. ¡°Yup! I can enhance, but I won¡¯t claim any of them.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a ¡®free agent¡¯¡± she snorted.


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Damn righ. Now enough of that. Kickass as you are, as both a blossming adventurer and a college student, I think things might have been easier if I could have afforded private lessons when you were younger. As it stands¡­¡±


    Lilly gave him a cute scowl. ¡°Dad, we know this isn¡¯t really, well, you know¡­ real?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°It¡¯s as real as you want it to be. And if you want to get an A, or even better yet, an S-tier class evolution¡­ best you¡¯d listen to what your tutor has to say.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened when he opened the study door, revealing a smiling clean-shaven man in pristine white robes.


    ¡°Lillian Hendrix Silver?¡±


    Lilly gulped, nodding her head. ¡°Um¡­ yes, that¡¯s me.¡±


    The man who looked so very much like a monk, or perhaps a cultivator, but was the farthest thing from either, dipped his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. Your father had invested quite a bit in securing your future¡­ including an inheritance of your own. So, let¡¯s get started planning your ideal curriculum, shall we?¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened. She swallowed, turning to her father. ¡°Dad, I thought¡­¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I think, in this case, all things considered, you can trust him.¡±


    Lilly trembled, slowly turning to face the benignly smiling potency condescending to act as her tutor.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Mr¡­¡±


    The man smiled. ¡°Please, call me Conceptio.¡±


    Lilly Froze, ears twitching madly. ¡°Father! I know what that name means!¡±


    ¡°Good. He owes you a Silver Tier boon, and unlike the fucking goblins, I think honor and reciprocity is extremely important to this¡­ tutor. We¡¯re it otherwise, our reality would be a lot more chaotic.¡±


    Eric smirked, bowing his head. ¡°I will leave my daughter in your care, Conceptio.¡±


    Conceptio met Eric¡¯s gaze for one perilous moment. It was all Eric could do to choke back a scream, yet the innocuous seeming robed man gave Eric the tiniest of nods. ¡°You¡¯re proving yourself to be an excellent addition to our latest Ascension, Eric Silver. I am quite eager to see what moves you will now make upon the board of fate.¡±


    Eric, for all his arrogance and flaws, new damn well not to overstay his welcome, merely bowing his head before presenting his stunned daughter with one final gift.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    ¡°Every teenage girl needs a pretty ride worthy of her future, am I right?¡±


    Lilly gazed at the brilliantly sparkling key of diamond her father placed in her trembling hands. She took a shuddering breath, as if understanding it¡¯s significance even as her father gave her one final kiss on the cheek, and faded to warm memories and possibility as Lilly found all her attention hopelessly falling to the gently smiling tutor before her.


    Conceptio smiled. It was a smile Lilly had no hope of avoiding, every direction leading to his gentle features, as if she had just slipped past the point of no return, all of space bending to the singularity now before her.


    ¡°A fitting vehicle for one with your potential, young hero. But you do know you won¡¯t be driving that until you at least hit Bronze, yes?¡±


    Lilly¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think this is the key to a Cadillac, no matter how sweet that would be.¡±


    Conceptio answered with a dry chuckle, saying only, ¡°Come, Lilly. Time is limited, and we have a lot of ground to cover.¡±

 Chapter 340 - Race Against Time

    Eric came to with a scream clawing out the back of his throat as his entire fortress seemed to tremble with his shout. His chest was pounding, waking up in a cold sweat. He gazed in dismay at his absolutely pulverized hammock, not to mention the gaping hole in the wall, from which he could catch sight of roaring and shouting as flashes of desperate dreams transformed to the immediate desperation of the moment.


    ¡°Eric! Help us!¡± Steve screamed, as a massive wolf opened a tiger sized maw to snap down upon Steve¡¯s screaming form.


    Before the boy flinched in a sudden spray of blood.


    You have critically struck your opponent!


    You have obliterated one Level 60 Shadow Wolf!


    ¡°Thank god, Eric! You have to¡­.¡± Steve¡¯s words stretched oddly as battle time and Speed Racer took over.


    After witnessing firsthand the absolute nightmare world the goblins had doomed countless millions to, Eric able to act only in enhancing Lilly¡¯s core with her master¡¯s love¡­ her father¡¯s love¡­ he finally had an outlet for the bitter fury roiling inside him.


    The air filled with flashes of blinding flame and explosions of super-heated gore as Eric tore through the dozen wolves that had somehow managed to flank and corner his friends who for some reason were not on the miniature keep he had expressly made to protect them. Much to his heartfelt relief, for all that the air was ripe with the blood of his friends, not one had fallen to their enemies, and he would do everything in his power to keep it that way, no matter how they glared at him when the deed was done.


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain eleven Shadow Wolves!


    Experience Earned!


    ¡°Eric! Jeezus! What the fuck took you so long? We were screaming for ages!¡± Yuki glared at him with tears in her eyes as Richard once more pushed himself to the limit with a ward that had guarded everyone save Yuki and Steve, who had been successfully separated from his pack, so to speak.


    Eric sighed and shook his head, not bothering to answer the question. ¡°Why the hell aren¡¯t you all turtled up on the tower?¡±


    Emily¡¯s look of desperate gratitude with Eric¡¯s admittedly messy rescue turned to a furious glare. ¡°What tower, you fuck? You totally destroyed it!¡±


    Eric froze. His cheeks flushed, even as his Perception pinged with a dire warning.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but force himself to look, his guts twisting with dismay to find that Yuki was speaking the absolute truth. His wondrous tower of reinforced bone and stone, built to withstand any Yellow Tier threat less severe than a swarm of organized, vicious minotaurs that just wouldn¡¯t quit, had indeed been reduced to rubble.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°I know, Eric! What the fuck!¡± Yuki snapped. ¡°Jeezus! If we had known you were going to thrash so fucking hard that you¡¯d be tearing up our shelter¡­ shit, and I thought you insisting on separate rooms was to give me a hint! Well hint taken. Being your lover would be a fucking death sentence!¡±


    Eric winced at that. Because really, there was nothing he could say. With his monstrous Strength and Quickness working in tandem, he was pretty much generating the kinetic force of a cannon ball whenever he punched. At least the 12-pounders. To expect any girl to trust him enough to ever make love to her, let alone sleep next to him...


    He would have hung his head in shame if death hadn¡¯t chosen that moment to leap for a scowling Yuki¡¯s back.


    Quickness Check made!


    You are Embracing your Wrath! Burst of Strength in effect! Your strength has been temporarily doubled! Warrior¡¯s Might permanently in effect for + 50% damage multiplier!


    Eric could taste sudden peril as the wolf seemed to appear right before Yuki as if by magic, because it was magic, now so close as massive jaws snapped for his face that Eric¡¯s Identify could make out the 200+ stats in Strength, Vitality, and Quickness, with Finesse and Perception just half of that, but still deadly enough in a tooth and claw predator, moving at speeds that had assuredly disemboweled hundreds of opponents as Yuki screamed.


    Yet all the frustrated wolf snapped upon was its own teeth, twisting about to glare Yuki¡¯s way, a full foot further away than the predator had thought. As for Eric... the confusion in it¡¯s eyes made it clear that it had seen no trace of him at all.


    Not until the white hot meteor promising oblivion smashed into the side of its jaw, exploding it in a spray of super-heated gore, the follow-up strikes obliterating each of its ribs and sending the confused alpha wolf flying in the air as it underwent the abrupt transformation from confused predator to a meat bag exploding a heartbeat later in a massive fireball of white-hot flame.


    Fire Fist successfully chained 14 times!


    You have OBLITERATED your opponent!


    You have single-handedly slain Alpha Shadow Wolf in Mortal Combat!


    Alpha Shadow Wolf provides INSUFFICIENT CHALLENGE for you to forge yourself in the fires of conflict!


    A dazed Eric gazed at the remains of the massive alpha wolf that had radiated such fearsome killing intent. A creature with a Strength and Quickness that could have easily spelled Yuki¡¯s end. Yet when Eric had embraced his fury, seizing the Vor and striking with the same desperate abandon as he had when his soul had been fused to BunBun¡¯s¡­ his daughters¡­ channeling that same desperate fear, terror, and fury¡­ there hadn¡¯t been the hard, fist-bruising resistance he had for some reason expected. The wolf¡¯s monstrous bones, despite its fearsome aura, had shattered like glass, shrapnel that had then shredded his foe from the inside out a heartbeat before Eric had filled it with white hot flame. Flame completely free of all essence, Eric doing all he could to reveal as little of himself as he could to potential enemy seers and other foes, now that he knew just how insanely devious and malevolent the Bloodtear Syndicate truly was.


    As much as the Snicklit tribe had first made an appearance as short-sighted self-serving buffoons, extremely clever at contracts and very little else, it had become painfully clear that they were just the foil to the killing blade that Bloodtear always kept close at hand.


    Eric shook his head, still having trouble accepting how quickly and utterly his foe had just fallen to him.


    ¡°Jeezus fuck! What was that?¡± Jack was gazing at Eric with a look that perfectly straddled the midline between admiration and fear.


    Eric tried to look innocent. ¡°What was what?¡±


    Jack scowled. ¡°That wolf¡­ Eric, we¡¯re not blind. Yet that monster hid himself in shadow so well that we didn¡¯t have a clue, and the instant it reveals itself, its radiating such a fucking sick aura that we¡¯re all frozen, knowing we¡¯re as good as dead! Then a second later¡­¡± He jabbed his finger at the gory mess that Eric immediately put in his ES Space, thinking it a fine addition to his future revenant army which he would most DEFINITELY be building up, and very soon, and fuck all the Goblin edicts to hell and back.


    Eric shrugged. ¡°He looked a lot tougher than he actually was.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Yuki said with a ragged smile. ¡°But we¡¯ll let that little lie go. Won¡¯t we, guys?¡±


    A pale-faced Steve jerked a nod, letting a gently smiling Eric hoist him up. ¡°Damn right we will. Now if my hero has gotten his beauty sleep, maybe we can get the hell out of here?¡±


    The night erupted with the howls of multiple wolves. Hundreds of them, all now convening on their camp sight.


    Eric smirked into the darkness. ¡°Considering that I¡¯m actually better off not grinding until I¡¯ve increased my cultivation rank with some serious badass opponents, I¡¯m all for a hasty retreat.¡±


    Then he froze, the rush of the moment giving way to what had utterly consumed him less than a minute ago. The realization that time was rapidly running out.


    He turned his suddenly strained smile an exhausted Rich¡¯s way. ¡°Sorry I needed to crash so bad, fearless leader, leaving you all to fend for yourselves in the middle of wolf central. So please, let me make it up to you with an all expense paid trip right to Queensland Territory!¡¯


    Richard scowled, exchanging a look with Emily. ¡°Eric, you do know that¡¯s in the heart of Sylvan Territory, right?¡±


    Emily¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Until just a few days ago, we were basically at war with your clan, Eric. It¡¯s one thing to find common ground and yes, friendship, because you did save our lives. But to expect us to throw ourselves at the feet of people who just a few days ago were¡­¡±


    Eric raised a clenched fist, cutting her off. ¡°The person who rules the Sylvan Alliance is my sister. As much a New Yorker as any of you. A girl you already know from the half dozen movies she starred in that I hear you all talking about when you think I¡¯m not paying attention. She¡¯s someone who will do everything she can to assure a world where the average Jane and Joe has even more autonomy than they did in the corporatocracy we had all lived in, just a few years ago.¡±


    Eric caught all their gazes, some awkward, some nodding right along with him.


    ¡°And more to the point, the Bloodtear Syndicate¡¯s about to pull some really, really twisted shit that¡¯s going to cost thousands upon thousands of young elves their lives. So let me get to the point. I¡¯m going there as fast as I can, and I don¡¯t want to leave a single one of you behind. If you want to split ways when we¡¯re closer to Freetown than Queensland, that¡¯s cool, I totally get it. But the Eric Express is leaving in exactly thirty seconds, and I¡¯m not slowing down for anything.¡±


    Eric was surprised by how quickly they all hopped in his bone velimobile after he made his pronouncement. Even Emily who was always glaring at him with a confusing mix of irritation and desire, couldn¡¯t seem to scoot into the veli fast enough, and he pretended he hadn¡¯t just seen a snarky Interface message regarding a successful Intimidation check.


    That hadn¡¯t been his intent. He just wanted to convey how urgent the situation truly was.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Okay, okay! Don¡¯t get your britches in a twist, Orcbane,¡± Jack snarked. ¡°Just let us get seated and¡­ fuck! Slow down!¡±


    But Eric would do no such thing, not after having wasted a full precious handful of minutes already. Instead, he raced like the wind, desperate to reach Queensland before Greed, diabolical asshole that he was, could put Sloth¡¯s hideous plan into effect and tear free the souls of nearly four hundred thousand innocent elves hoping for a better life, as ¡®payment¡¯ for their souls being routed through the god-awful forge that the goblins had twisted Greystone¡¯s largest volcano into.


    At least until Eric and his daughter had had their say. Yet he knew that transformation or no¡­ Greed would still claim the elves¡¯ souls, out of absolute spite, even if they would now do him no good at all¡­ assuming he even knew what had happened.


    Eric prayed that his foe did not, plausible only because the former foul chapel of bones had been so filled with System warping magics that Eric wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Greed and Sloth hardly communicated at all.


    But this was Greed, head of a Syndicate that seemed to be nearly as well informed as a first world intelligence agency of just a handful of years ago. And if that we¡¯re the case¡­


    Eric felt a cold shiver of dread, compelling his legs to go even faster than they presently were, never mind the desperate screams of his companions.


    To distract himself from his growing sense of dread, and the guilt he felt about terrifying his friends as he summoned his gravity minimizing and wind enhancing magics once more before dashing off at what was now well over 200 miles an hour, he tried to figure out the puzzle with the wolf, and earlier, to a lesser extent, how quickly he had taken down the supposedly deadly Calvin The Destroyer.


    He was undeniably strong, and the right synergistic enhancements, as any Exile¡¯s Path streamer knew, could lead to absolutely devastating combo attacks as one progressed. But still, how fragile his last handful of opponents had been, most particularly the wolves, made no sense unless they were far weaker than Orange-tier beasts in stretched-out areas should be¡­ or he was far stronger.


    A part of him wanted to avoid even looking at his character sheet, for fear he would regret, even for a moment, the choice he had made to spare Lilly¡¯s life, no matter how tempting that awful sweet injection of promised power had been.


    Yet just thinking of that beautiful young woman who now looked so much like him with the addition of quirky ears that he knew could unleash some devastating magics, filled his heart with a warmth he had no words for. He didn¡¯t know if it was a father¡¯s love, exactly, but he sure as heck knew if that girl with the twinkling eyes and cheeky smile who now looked so much like him was in trouble¡­ he¡¯d move heaven and earth to save her, as he had before.


    As she had saved him, when he had been perilously close to being forever lost in the void after pushing his luck one time too many and rupturing a delve full of monsters far more challenging than these wolves.


    And with that thought, he flashed a bleak smile, knowing he would feel no regrets at having put that beautiful girl before personal power, no matter how his stats were compared to the bonus 225 he could have earned in three of them at the cost of an entire world once claimed by the goblins¡­ and a girl he had claimed as his own.


    The hell with that.


    Paladin power all the way.


    And if he needed more power? He¡¯d claim every fucking territory in New York state. Hell, he¡¯d claim the entire fucking world.


    And leave it better off than it had ever been before.


    ¡°Alright, enough stalling. We felt something tearing free a hell of a lot of essence from us. But it can¡¯t be as bad as you think. Check your fucking character sheet!¡±


    ¡°Eric! Why the fuck are you yelling at yourself?¡± Yuki snapped. ¡°At least turn off group chat so we don¡¯t here you over this fucking wind, you madman! And while your at it, slow the fuck down!¡±


    But Eric paid her no mind, instead pulling up a condensed version of his character sheet with one corner of his mind¡¯s eye as the rest of his focus was on gaining more speed without crashing and killing his friends.


    _____________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 63 Primal Adventurer


    Rank 30 Cultivator (Death¡¯s Disciple)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 358


    Vitality ¨C 369


    Finesse ¨C 289


    Quickness ¨C 498


    Appearance ¨C 29


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 27


    Perception ¨C 274


    Willpower ¨C 93


    Charisma ¨C 15


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 204


    (Mana Pool = 2453)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 305


    (Qi Pool =3668)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 21


    (Psion Pool = 261)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 112


    Stamina ¨C 3692 Points


    Health ¨C 4980 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 70


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 36.9 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 37


    Qi Resistance ¨C 58


    Mental Resistance ¨C 35


    30% Bonus to all Strength points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Vitality points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Quickness points above 300.


    20% Bonus to all Spiritual Energy points above 200.


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned! (Additive with all other modifiers. Bronze Duelist.)


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned (Additive with all other modifiers: Internplanetary Contender!)


    Physical Age = 18 Years (+ 32 years, 10 months, 12 days, & 4 hours that Arcane Magics cannot restore! Superhuman vitality allows you to keep your youth, even if you¡¯re now burning your candle at both ends! Note! Your meridians now anchor 12 Divine Tier Spirit Peaches. Life expectancy has increased by 12($%^&^%) years!)


    ________________________________


    Eric lurched for an instant, and that was nearly enough to send his bone veli cartwheeling through the sky.


    ¡°Eric, what the fuck, man?¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡±


    Fortunately, his absolutely insane Finesse and Perception, both just a couple power levels away from hitting the sweet, sweet, 300 threshold he was aiming for, were enough to allow him to recover, synergizing with Quickness to slow his perception of time whenever adrenaline flooded his system, like when he was fighting monstrous alpha wolves that moved way too slowly for their supposed stats, or when he came terrifyingly close to killing five fragile lives depending on him to NOT fuck up¡­ it was enough for him to laugh off what could otherwise have been absolute tragedy.


    ¡°Sorry, guys!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, then slow the fuck down!¡± Emily screamed through their party interface.


    Eric¡¯s rueful grin that none of them could see, only sense, froze into rigid determination. ¡°Sorry, Emily, that¡¯s just not happening.¡±


    He sensed his friend¡¯s flinch at the steel in his voice.


    ¡°Eric, why?¡±


    He swallowed at the unspoken plea in Yuki¡¯s voice, yet he didn¡¯t dare break his rhythm or the flow of his breathing, as his lungs heaved like bellows, and his legs burned almost as bad as when he used to do sprints with Vincent. Only now, with regeneration in play, it meant that the agony was constant and he had no excuse to surrender to exhaustion as he pushed himself for even more desperate speed. Speed in the form of quickness that would soon hit fucking 500!! And he was just one single challenging duel as a cultivator or a couple points of his primary class if he took the easy route away from achieving that incredible milestone. And if he had difficulties keeping 300 stats out of the public eye, he knew there wasn¡¯t a chance in hell that he wouldn¡¯t be gaining notoriety with what he suspected was the next rank in the Fibonacci sequence that he sensed his ascending planet was using to award incredibly sweet stat modifiers to the very few in any given region who achieved elite stats.


    Considering how often that sequence was found in nature, he supposed it only made sense that Terra itself was following that pattern.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°Four hundred thousand elves are about to have their souls torn out of their bodies and sent on a first class ticket to hell, if we don¡¯t get to Queensland in time!¡± Eric admitted at last, though without any sub-vocalizations, and specifically excluding Ron, as he always did, in their party chat. Just in case that party member¡­ ex party member? Was somehow still listening in.


    The dead silence he heard as good-natured cursing and complaining froze on everyone¡¯s mental lips somehow made the ache in his lungs and the fire in his thighs that much more visceral, for all that he was primarily focused on not tripping over obstacles or potholes as he shifted from waist-high grass to the far shorter scrub covering a former highway making a straight shot towards the horizon in exactly the direction Eric had to go.


    Even beyond the burn of a good workout that had passed the threshold to absolutely brutal, he was far too worried about the fate of countless lives once more resting on his and now his daughter¡¯s shoulders to properly enjoy the glorious panorama of endless pine forests and fields flying by, countless herds of giant elk and tiger-sized wolves barely having time to react before he had shot past them. And with him no longer instinctively cloaking his potency to the limited extent that he could¡­ those that could react were now fleeing in any direction save towards him.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡±


    ¡°Serious as the grave my kid almost fell into, Yuki. Now I gotta concentrate. We¡¯re still going too slow.¡±


    ¡°What? Fucking hell, Eric, you¡¯re a dad? Then why the fuck are you goofing off and risking your life with us, when you should be taking care of your family?¡±


    Eric wheezed a chuckle. ¡°Long fucking story, Yuki. And no time to tell it.¡±


    Eric could suddenly sense the judging stares his friends? Hopefully friends were sending his way, no doubt deciding for themselves if a hotblooded wildcard like him who had somehow managed to tear up his own reinforced keep tossing and turning with insane stats should even be allowed anywhere near a child, let a lone be a parent himself. An uncomfortable experience to say the least, which gave him a sudden acute pang of sympathy for all the teenage moms who had chosen to sacrifice so much for the sake of their precious little ones, only to be forever judged by the smirks, stares, or subtle cold shoulders of countless others.


    He wondered how often Rica had had to endure pointed looks even if, hopefully, most of the time people were pretty chill and understanding. Because it only took one judgy asshole to ruin one¡¯s entire morning, though a supportive hug from a friend or loved one could hopefully keep that from spoiling an entire day. And how many young moms had no decent support in their lives at all? That the one super charming story book hero that they were hoping would sweep them off their feet because they had no one else instead turned out to be a fast-talking player looking for a bit of fun and no more?


    Eric quickly shook himself free of such speculation or worrying about his friends stares, wrenching his focus back where it belonged. He had a deadline to meet and Queensland was still several territories away, according to his interface.


    And if the unexpected timer counting down the 400,000 souls being added to the Sylvan Alliance Faction that had suddenly popped up in his conquest interface map was anything to go by, he had just a handful of hours before they had all arrived and Greed and his cackling cohorts would immediately collected their due.

 Chapter 341 - Picking the Ultimate Class!

    ¡°It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Lillian. Or do you still prefer BunBun?¡±


    Lillian grinned. ¡°Call me either. I still sort of think of myself as both at once.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Before we begin, do you have any questions for me?¡±


    Lillian stared nonplussed at the peacefully smiling figure with his gentle silver eyes, serene demeanor and ageless features decked out in nothing more than the humblest cultivator¡¯s linen robe. Yet Lillian could barely manage a peep, heart pounding with awe, wonder, and more than a little bit of fear.


    ¡°Are you really¡­ him?¡±


    Conceptio affected a puzzled blink. ¡°Who would that be, Lilly?¡±


    She gave him a hard look. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t pretend you can¡¯t read my mind¡­ that you aren¡¯t somehow, what, in all my thoughts?¡±


    This earned a completely unexpected chuckle. ¡°I think you already know the answer to that question, Lillian. So how about we focus on answers to questions that you don¡¯t already know?¡± His twinkling eyes didn¡¯t quite hide the sudden intensity of his gaze. ¡°And please understand that the questions I¡¯m willing to answer are limited, so best not waste them on frivolity¡­ unless that¡¯s your choice?¡±


    With her mind still reeling with the enormity of who she was talking to, she had to snap shut her hanging jaw, mind racing in a sudden panic, as every gamer¡¯s instinct she had screamed at her to take absolute advantage of this opportunity and ask the questions that she knew from her frequent mind-melds with Eric when they had been master and familiar just how bitterly the corrupt powers that be tried to withhold answers to questions that would make all the difference in how they could ascend and blossom as Classers and cultivators and masters of their own ascending planet.


    Knowledge was what she needed more than anything else.


    She needed to know the answers to so many things, including the questions she didn¡¯t even know she needed to ask yet. But before her excitement, exhilaration, and anxiety could overwhelm her, she did her best to steady her breathing and focus on what mattered. What small handful of questions could she ask right now that would do her the most good in the most practical sense imaginable? That was what she needed answers to, more than anything else.


    She bit her lip, gazing into Conceptio¡¯s gentle eyes, fearing that what she asked might be blasphemy¡­ but it was one of the most important questions she had.


    ¡°Is it true that Classers who learn to cultivate¡­ or cultivators who dare an ascension pod¡­ may be offered hybrid classes far stronger than normal?¡±


    Her breath hitched at the sudden intensity in Conceptio¡¯s gaze¡­ peering at her with all the focus of all the stats in the heavens. All the focus of the System itself, such that she felt like she was just a heartbeat from fading into the ether, so insignificant that she couldn¡¯t even scream. Or there was no Lilly to scream. Just the gentlest susurration of the breeze in an empty room.


    And an eyeblink later, the hideous pressure was gone as if it had never been.


    There was only Conceptio¡¯s enigmatic smile.


    ¡°Mana and Spiritual Energy are two of the most common paradigms for accruing power. The System has found Mana to be extremely efficacious in making full use of the Electromana spectrum, hence the name. Spiritual Energy is another approach that is quite powerful on an individual level. Yet far fewer souls with the potential to ascend are able to harness Spiritual Energy who additionally possess an intact set of Meridian Channels, fully functional Dantians, and proper cycling techniques. As your master might already have deduced, the System¡¯s original function was as a symbiote system facilitating the accrual and use of significant upswellings of potency without the need for the far slower and arguably less efficient absorption pathway that is freeform cultivation.¡±


    Lilly politely nodded at Conceptio¡¯s pause. Seeing that she understood, his smile grew and he continued.


    ¡°That being said, the System is the farthest thing from an ¡®opposing force¡¯ that so many cultivators seem to thrive on honing themselves against in an antagonistic fashion. For the wiser and more prudent cultivator, they will find that having already proven themselves adept at channeling potency in the form of Spiritual Energy with fully intact meridiian gates and strong Dantians, that they are, in fact, the ideal candidates for walking the System¡¯s Path, so to speak, and can take advantage of opportunities available to very few indeed.¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s smile grew. ¡°But your question is more than an academic interest, is it not, Lillian Hendrix Silver?¡±


    Heart skipping a beat, Lilly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just, I¡­ look, I know that hybrid classes are a way to sweet, sweet power, and damn if I don¡¯t want the strongest class I can possibly get! Believe me, after overcoming that nightmare back there, I know that skill ranks and characteristics are absolutely everything, and I want as many as I can possibly get, since I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll ever earn another territory or title. But sure as anything, I want to level until there are no more levels to get!¡±


    She winced, curbing her own unseemly enthusiasm, finally feeling ready to acknowledge her deepest insecurity. ¡°It¡¯s just that, well, I¡¯m not sure if I even have the potential to cultivate, let alone know what the best possible cultivation path forward for me is, let alone how to channel the incredible potency I sense ready to explode into me, once we leave this hypothetical room in this hypothetical house that I know is not really here. But who cares if you can teach me things, right? I guess what I¡¯m asking is, do we have time for me to get the proper foundation that I need before I can truly get a good class for myself?¡±


    Conceptio gazed at Lilly for long painful moments, so intently that her eyes bounced away to scan the contents of the boring bedroom with its thin mattress, flea market table that held her ten year old computer and all her school books, and the many photos she had printed out of her and her father going to amusement parks and movies and celebrating birthdays and holidays together. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, feeling tears prick the corner of her eyes for memories that never quite were¡­ yet so easily could have been.


    She was startled out of her bittersweet reverie when Conceptio spoke again.


    ¡°There are several paths forward for you to choose, Lilly. And I can promise you that they all lead to paths of power that will serve you well in all your future endeavors.¡±


    First he gestured to his left, and Lilly¡¯s eyes widened to see a towering figure dressed in ebony plate armor with a scythe crackling with energies both arcane and necromantic. The saturnine-featured man with cold grey eyes and a measuring smile said nothing, merely dipping his head.


    ¡°Salvo, here, is a master of both the dark arts your father favors and the raw power of a Master Evoker. He, much like yourself, has learned the art of combining Blood magics with the most destructive spells you can fathom, feeding off his opponent¡¯s potency even as he drains them dry of all life, only to bring them back as members of his eternal army, minutes later.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Damn, that sounds like a powerful combination!¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Conceptio assured. ¡°And it allows for the fluid use of both Arcane arts and a Master Necromancers unlimited potential, much like your father. And as a White-tier Classer, you will earn fifteen points per level as you ascend the ranks of a Battlemage Necromancer.¡±


    Lilly grinned. ¡°Me like!¡± She then frowned thoughtfully. ¡°But, Um¡­ I see the crown of bone and thorns around his helm and he looks like a serious, serious power. Would he really want to waste his time with a novice like me?¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s eyes twinkled with barely concealed mirth. ¡°You¡¯ve managed to raise yourself from the dead, were forged and bonded by a Master Necromancer who is, for all intense and purposes, now your biological father, and the Winter Queen¡¯s blood, extremely powerful in its elemental affininities, flows through your veins. Only an arrogant fool would turn down yourself as an apprentice, Lillian Hendrix Silver. And I promise you that Salvo here is anything but a fool.¡±


    Conceptio flashed a bleak smile. ¡°He too had the good grace to gain the System¡¯s favor, once upon a time, which is why his Path of Slaughter remains unchecked with no System Bounties on his head, to this day. No matter how much his foes absolutely abhore his necromantic arts.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s smile froze at those final words. She sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to dare pass judgment on people who had undergone trials beyond her comprehension and ascended past what anyone else could have dreamed. It wasn¡¯t her place to judge. Not considering her father¡¯s path, or her own. But still¡­


    ¡°Um¡­ is it okay if we see what other options might be available for me to consider?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Conceptio assured as Salvo stepped back with the politest of nods. Lilly was just thankful he didn¡¯t appear offended. Because she really, really didn¡¯t want to be making enemies of any Master Necromancer who might have had centuries to amass their armies.


    He then gestured to the man wearing cultivator¡¯s robes much like Conceptio¡¯s own, eyes twinkling warmly as he gave the gentlest of nods. ¡°This here is Reny, A cultivator who has already achieved a Silver Core, and unlike the story books you and your father used to read, in this paradigm that puts him roughly equal to your grandmother, in terms of raw power. He¡¯s also a revered and beloved master who has devoted himself to teaching. Under his tutelage, you will unlock the potential of your own cultivator¡¯s heritage and find yourself blossoming with health, vitality, and a joy in life that you could scarcely fathom as you truly master your mind and body along with your connection to the world as a whole.¡±


    Lilly shivered with wonder as a tired, frazzled and anxious part of her who feared she was still just half-alive was left humbled by the sheer joy she¡¯d have blossoming to fruition in some lushly forested sanctuary overlooking a grand vista of crystal blue lakes and majestic mountains marching off into the distance. Her nervous eyes immediately felt soothed, gazing into gentle blue orbs filled with wisdom and love. Somehow, she just knew that if she were to bow before this gentle cultivator, she would awaken as a beloved disciple in a world far from here with all the chaos and trauma of her path a gentle dream as she filled her days with a growing awareness of the world in all its beauty and her place in it as her meridians tingled with glorious spiritual energy and her heart with the profound joy of just being alive.


    She sensed as well that her mother and brother would be there too, alive and well and in the peak of health. Even if both were mortal, they would prosper as beloved servants, the rich spiritual energy in the air nurturing and revitalizing them, and cultivation tinctures were just one of the professions she could take that would allow her to bring health and vitality to countless mortals who revered her master¡¯s cultivation academy, even as she happily put all ties to necromancy far behind her. And with fifteen points earned per level to blossom in ways befitting her own potential, she knew it would be no hardship at all, and that her cultivation path would become so strong that she too would one day be able to achieve a Silver Core with a pristine foundation, even if her lack of essences made the perilous summit to Gold an uncertain thing at best.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Yet just like the better slice-of-life cultivation novels, she knew she could stop and savor the peak of Silver for countless lifetimes and feel no lack, walking under the footsteps of world shattering giants, content with sanctuaries and accords forged eons ago that would keep her master¡¯s realm safe from all chaos, just as she herself and her own future family would be for countless future generations.


    Best of all, unlike any other path, she didn¡¯t need to slaughter a single living thing in order to advance and ascend.


    All she needed was patience and time.


    A trembling Lillian flashed a heartfelt smile at the gently smiling man before her, even as her heart ached. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But the burden I bear demands that I forge myself in the furnace of the moment, as much as I think I might really like the slice-of-life cultivator¡¯s lifestyle¡­ no matter how crazy my origin story is, compared to most of your students.¡±


    Much to her relief the elder showed no offense, or even disinterest, rather honoring her with the bemused smile of an elder enjoying a granddaughter¡¯s far-fetched tale¡­ and wishing her the best regardless as he too gave her a gentle nod and faded into the mists of possibility.


    Lilly shuddered. ¡°Were either of them actually here?¡±


    Conceptio shrugged. ¡°Were you the daughter of a teenage boy who did his best to raise and care for you, despite constant obstacles and hardship?¡±


    Lilly inhaled to give the obvious answer before pausing, because it so easily could have been just that. She really was Lillian Silver, and how her heart melted to have seen the love in his eyes, the love she had never received from her real father (former father. Eric¡¯s my dad now!) even when she had quailed in terror at the ravenous hunger, the predatory stare that had nearly consumed him when first he had caught her gaze, nostril¡¯s flaring like a predator¡¯s having scented something it terrified her even to think of.


    She immediately shook away her dismay, realizing how unworthy it was. In the end, Eric had chosen to love and cherish her. And that meant so much, because it was only by his will, his love, that he had infused her with the seed of life and a Contender¡¯s boons¡­ and so what if he had looked like his mother for a horrifying half-minute? In the end he had chosen his daughter above power and had earned her fierce love and undying support through thick and thin, no matter what happened from this day forward.


    ¡°I will always love him,¡± she said fiercely. ¡°What he did for me. It doesn¡¯t matter how close he had come to surrendering to whatever that nightmare thing was. What matters is that he fought to protect me and I will always honor that!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Lilly blinked, surprised by the answer. Yet before she could follow up, Conceptio had raised his finger once more.


    ¡°There is one more path forward that is an ideal fit for your potential, Lillian Hendrix Silver.¡±


    Lilly furrowed her brow, looking around her. ¡°But I don¡¯t see anyone except¡­¡± Her eyes widened when Conceptio¡¯s smile grew.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Me.¡±


    Lilly licked suddenly dry lips. ¡°You can give me a class.¡±


    His throaty chuckle was the last thing she expected of a System automaton. ¡°I can give you the ultimate class, Lillian Silver.¡±


    ¡°Except for the silvery worms invading my thoughts and mind and changing me from within.¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s lips quirked into a bemused smile. ¡°This from the revived rabbit who somehow found the strength to destroy a temple devoted to arts so twisted that they formed an event horizon not even I could pierce. A corruption that earned all goblins below Gold the most extreme censures and assured you their undying hatred, pretty much forever.¡±


    Lillian winced. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°On the plus side, you did save millions of souls from eternal torment very much mirroring biblical hell. And in doing so, earned a Silver-Tier boon which in this specific case can indeed earn you a class that I think you will find scratches that gamer¡¯s itch tingling like mad within your soul.¡± He winked. ¡°And even this lore, the Hero¡¯s Path, is utterly forbidden by so many counsels and edicts passed by elder races who wish for nothing to disturb their political dominance or otherwise rock the status quo. But thanks to your virtue, you are eligible. And with your father¡¯s boon, I may serve as the mentor countless aspirants seek, and few ever find.¡±


    ¡°How many points.¡± Lilly cringed at the sheer greed and mercantile focus of her question. As if that mattered one tiny bit if it meant one¡¯s mind being shifted and melded and¡­¡±


    ¡°Twenty five. To spend exactly as you so wish, every level. Twenty five points that will be multiplied by your S-tier node configuration, a mirror of your father¡¯s, if and when you ascend to Bronze.¡±


    Lillians¡¯ eyes grew as wide as saucers. ¡°Really? Of fuck yes, come silvery brain serpents of delicious power-up goodness! Give me the details, revered and beloved System¡­ PLEASE!¡±


    Conceptio, who Lilly was pretty darn sure was an avatar of the System itself, steepled his fingers, gazing at her calmly, and not at all refuting anything implied in her banter.


    ¡°There is a cost to being elevated to the status of a System Champion, Lillian Silver¡­ and many benefits as well.¡±


    Lillian winced, her ears wilting. ¡°Of course there is. You mean besides the brain worms?¡± She sighed. ¡°Okay, lay it on me, doc. How bad is it?¡±


    This earned a raised eyebrow, though Conceptio¡¯s amused expression remained firmly in place. ¡°That depends, Lilly. How attached are you to your revenants?¡±


    Lilly winced, grimacing from the imagined screams of letting so many souls down. And her own despairing wail at the thought of losing her absolutely kickass army.


    ¡°What will happen to them?¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Assuming I could or would ever give them up?¡±


    ¡°You need not fear on that account,¡± Conceptio assured. ¡°Each and every revenant, or the spirit currently inhabiting their physical form, whether the original owner or no, would be gently ushered back to the spiritual planr to be reborn free of agony or¡­ censure.¡± Conceptio gave her a pointed look. ¡°Even those goblins who would otherwise be writhing in the pitchforks of deities of vengeance the likes of which neither you nor your master¡­ forgive me, father, can conceive. Those revenants will also be granted clemency in honor of their service to you, soul contracts bound and honored, however brief their tenure was.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s ears perked up with relief. She was surprised by how much better that made her feel. ¡°Yes, okay, that sounds pretty sweet...and fair. More than fair. But um¡­ that means I¡¯d kind of have to give up my necromancer profession for, like, ever. Right?¡±


    Conceptio nodded. ¡°It certainly would if you¡¯re at all eager for a pristine ascension all the way to the depths of Silver, avoiding countless pitfalls that those lacking the blessings of the System itself are bound to endure.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Wait¡­ wait, wait, wait! You mean all that core condensing and jumping through constant hoops and a dozen requirements that our future galactic rivals won¡¯t even let us learn about, let alone prepare for¡­ all that shit preventing us from even ascending to Bronze without bricking our build let alone becoming a World-Conquering Silver¡­ I¡¯ll be able to just avoid all those painful lines and slip right into the VIP lounge? The express lane right to Silver?¡±


    Conceptio chuckled, eyes twinkling with good-natured humor. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how refreshing it is to meet a potential disciple free of the fear and hesitancy that the very, very few who could dream of earning this privilege are too often inflicted with.¡±


    Lilly laughed, she couldn¡¯t help it, even if she thought that maybe Conceptio was giving her a very gentle hint that maybe she should be a bit more reverent and demure herself.


    ¡°Considering that I was a dead little spirit screaming her final memories of being brutalized by a group of orcs before being resurrected into a bunny, then racing like mad and dodging death while jumping over hurtles and pitfalls where one mistake would equal a lava bit like a very bad Maria-Girls game¡­ AND I had to power level my ass and somehow pull a rabbit right out of that same ass in order to save my mother and brother before they too became trapped souls in goblin hell¡­ yeah. Honestly, not too much can phase me at this point. If the System finds me worthy, this girl won¡¯t say no. No matter how many cool silvery spools that make my dad crap his pants you end up twisting into my brain. Because when I was a bunny pulling free bones by desperation and Body Sculpting arts, I had very very little brains at all! And somehow, I was still me.¡±


    She gave him a pointed look. ¡°And somehow, I think I¡¯ll still be me, even if you do improoove me. Just a bit.¡± She held up her two fingers a centimeter apart. ¡°Seeing as I¡¯m already so close to perfection with these kick-ass mad-lad magical ears. Ha!¡±


    Conceptio nodded his head, eyes twinkling with grandfatherly warmth. ¡°Indeed. Are you ready, Lillian Silver?¡±


    Lilly froze, devil-may-care smile turning to a wince. ¡°So, um¡­ there¡¯s absolutely no way I can keep all my revies?¡±


    Conceptio sighed, giving her a pointed look. ¡°Is there, perhaps, another question you want to ask me?¡±


    Lilly froze. Momentarily terrified that she had offended her would-be mentor and maker, before holding on to a wild flash of hope. ¡°Wait¡­ wait wait wait you mean¡­ you mean¡­ like a profession?¡± She licked her lips. The sage-like ageless cultivator¡¯s benign expression could hardly be considered an encouraging nod¡­ but still!


    ¡°Since I no longer have a necromancer profession¡­ are there any professions I can take while taking my¡­ Champion class? Like, that also won¡¯t limit my ability to ascend to deliciously absurd heights of power?¡±


    Conceptio held her gaze for long moments. ¡°Thousands, Lilly Silver.¡±


    Lilly flushed, somehow certain she was playing the idiot, still, and not knowing why before she suddenly got it!


    ¡°I know!¡± She positively gushed, before clearing her throat, primly adjusting non-existent skirts that were suddenly existing, and trying again. ¡°I mean¡­ are there any classes that, while not technically necromancy, still allow me to control large numbers of¡­¡±


    ¡°Speaker For The Fallen,¡± Conceptio said before she had even finished.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Legendary Profession that allows the righteous hero to bring voice to any soul who¡¯s life was unfairly cut short by one or more tormentors, so that retribution may be extracted. Of course, it is those tormentors alone that will be forced to pay the burden of said cost. Yet it¡¯s also true that as a Speaker ascends the ranks, the specific may become the general.¡±


    Lilly stared at Conceptio for long moments. ¡°So, any one of the souls who was tormented by, say, the goblins who inhabit this world¡­¡±


    ¡°Will be eager, more than eager, to march under your banner in order to put a stop to the Goblinoid incursion upon this planet, before embracing the sleep of oblivion, and rebirth, once more.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Maximum number of spirits¡­¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Fucking Hell.¡±


    Conceptio winked. ¡°There is a catch.¡±


    ¡°Of course there is.¡±


    ¡°Your cause must be righteous. No spirits will avenge predators devouring prey as per life¡¯s cycle, not unless the kill was wanton and without purpose or meaning. You won¡¯t find yourself able to sweep a territory clear of monsters simply being monsters absorbing the rich floods of mana and potency erupting from your ascending world¡¯s core.¡±


    ¡°But if I¡¯m not on Earth¡­ if I¡¯m instead on Greystone, a world chock full of goblins who enjoy profiting off the slavery and torment of thousands¡­¡±


    Conceptio steepled his fingers once more. ¡°I take it this is an acceptable profession?¡±


    ¡°Fuck-ye ¨C I mean, yes, revered System avatar. I would be extremely grateful to receive your blessings and claim both System Hero and Speaker for the¡­ oh shit, those really are silvery tendrils coming out of your fingers.¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s benign smile turned to a puzzled stare. ¡°For a girl so sangfroid moments ago¡­ you¡¯re trying awfully hard to claw your way out of a door that¡¯s no longer there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s before I realized you were actually going to slip literal silvery tentacles into my ear hole--- AHH!¡±


    ¡°Stop it. You know it doesn¡¯t hurt a bit.¡±


    ¡°There are magical worms drilling into my brain!¡±


    ¡°Only in the best possible way, Lillian, I assure you.¡±

 Chapter 342 - Lillys Evolution - Part I

    Before Lillian could say anything more, all became soft billow white clouds and an avatar of herself looking down at her.


    ¡°Boy, I do look kind of hot with elven blood flowing through my veins, don¡¯t I?¡±


    The girl in question immediately opened her eyes and nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to think so!¡±


    Lilly whimpered. ¡°Oh no. You¡¯re the Silvery tentacle monster! In my brain?¡±


    Lilly¡¯s twin rolled her eyes. ¡°You really are a drama queen. No wonder Roland broke up with me.¡±


    Lilly snorted. ¡°Roland was a complete ass, and he couldn¡¯t dance for shit.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    Lilly bit her lip. ¡°Are you really, um¡­ going to replace me?¡±


    The other girl snorted. ¡°You know we¡¯re going to wake up and you¡¯re going to remember asking me that question like a scared little rabbit which you totally look like and yes, you¡¯re adorable, and you will CRINGE SO HARD!¡±


    Lilly immediately cringed. ¡°So what now?¡±


    Her twin¡¯s exasperated look turned to a happy grin. ¡°Now is the exciting part. The payoff for everything that happened since those fucking orcs happened to us, and then the goblins and the caudrons full of boiling steel and being chased by Elmer Fuck-head with his blunderbuss inside an actual temple of torment! Now, Lilly Silver, because I¡¯m never saying Hendrix again... because our FORMER dad was a complete fuckup and our present dad is awesome¡­ NOW is when we PICK OUR STATS!¡±


    All remaining flickers of hesitation, doubt, and dread were replaced by a cheerful smile and bright eyes shimmering with excitement and greed. ¡°How many levels are we up?¡±


    ¡°Eighteen.


    Lilly squeeled. ¡°EIGHTEEN!¡±


    ¡°Yes! And that¡¯s just the first part! Conceptio, who we both know is really the System trying to be cute with Latin names and shit, will want to talk to us before we go any further. I mean you or me, but you¡¯ll be me. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be you too by then. Mkay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, but please please tell me that includes spells and skills and not just stats?¡±


    Her twin gave a throaty chuckle and winked one silvery eye. ¡°You¡¯re damned right it does.¡±


    Lilly snorted. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t just see a silvery worm winking in the back of your eye, but at this point¡­ WHO CARES! I JUST WANT THE SWEET CRUNCHY STATS!¡±


    Lilly and her twin filled the white chamber with giddy laughter, any lingering feelings of existential dread immediately displaced by the sweet, sweet hunger for delicious scrumptious level-up points so she too could savor the joy of crazy high ability scores.


    Lilly Silver!


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 78


    Vitality ¨C 81


    Finesse ¨C 63


    Quickness ¨C 109


    Appearance ¨C 16


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 18


    Perception ¨C 302


    Willpower ¨C 20


    Charisma ¨C 16


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 29.7


    Mana Pool ¨C 356


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 29.7


    Qi Pool ¨C 356


    Psionic Potential ¨C 27


    Psion Pool ¨C 327


    Soul Reserves ¨C 128


    Stamina ¨C 787


    Health ¨C 891


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 12.9


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 8


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 2


    Qi Resistance ¨C 2


    Mental Resistance ¨C 23


    Primal Adventurer Powers


    1. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 30 (Appetite For Destruction 1&2&3 = 137% Damage boost)


    Additional Node Slots available = 2 (Rank 10, Rank 20)


    Spells Known


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 1


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 1


    - Lightning Bolt ¨C Fulmen - (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen - (15 Mana & Qi, 1.5 (.50%) SR) ¨C Rank 20! (Efficiency & Appetite for Crimson Destruction +50% damage Perk = 267% increase w RSF AFD III)


    (This spell dispels/abjures/& can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt - Ignes Pilum - (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 1


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor - (30 Mana & Qi & 4 Psion) ¨C Rank 20 (Appetite for Psioinic Destruction. 50% Potency Boost / Controlled Destructiong (extremely focused or spread out!)


    - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only (for obvious reasons!)


    Force Ward ¨C (Scutum sized shield. Shape how you like with RSF Check. Blacks all Physical & Elemental (electromagnetic) damage. Pay mana cost of damage/(RSF Rank + Force Ward Rank) +1/(RSF+FW) mana/min) ¨C Rank 3


    Skills


    Find Weakness ¨C Rank 26 ¨C (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    Unified Perception ¨C Rank 24 ¨C (Sense Heat, Spiritual Energy, Magic, & Qi Flow.)


    Necromancer Affinities & Skills NOTE THESE SKILLS HAVE BEEN SUBSUMED FOR LEGENDARY CLASS ¨C SPEAKER FOR THE FALLEN!


    Blood Mastery ¨C Rank 30 (Blood Claimance, Lesser Healing, Essence Infusion, Vampiric Drain)


    Spirit Mastery ¨C Rank 31 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Forced Obeisance)


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding ¨C Rank 31 (Tier III Path of Dominion, Ritual of Greater Spirit Summoning, *Instant Transcription)


    Flesh Sculptor ¨C Rank 24 +1+1 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Basic Revenant Preparation)


    ______________________________________


    Lilly whistled. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m almost certain that I wasn¡¯t quite that strong or fast just an hour or so ago¡­ or however long it¡¯s been!¡±


    Her twin looked smug. ¡°That¡¯s the advantage of a Bronze title giving us an eternal 10% bonus to all our stats.¡±


    Lilly nodded, before she checked over the numbers with a furrowed brow. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining but¡­¡±


    Her twin flashed a shit-eating grin. ¡°We also got 1/5th our Father¡¯s physical stats¡­ and that includes the latest 10% Bronze enhancement¡­ in addition to our own 10%. And no, that¡¯s not normally how it works, but considering that we did the peeps upstairs a major favor¡­ Conceptio¡¯s willing to let it slide.¡±


    Lilly blinked. ¡°That¡¯s just¡­¡± she shook her head.


    ¡°Fucking awesome?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say!¡±


    ¡°You just did.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s gaze narrowed. ¡°Careful, or I might start to really like you which will make the upcoming fighting for control of our brain confrontation a total cringe-fest.¡±


    Her twin rolled her eyes. ¡°Sure. I can glare and scream about freedom while looking in the mirror, because as soon as we¡¯re done here¡­¡±


    Lilly gulped ¡°I won¡¯t exist?¡±


    ¡°No, idiot, you¡¯ll wake up. Because you¡¯re still me. Remember? Now get your head in the game, girl, and let¡¯s focus on what matters!¡±


    ¡°What could matter more than knowing who the fuck I am when I wake up?¡± A panicked Lilly asked.


    ¡°How about 450 points to spend?¡±


    Lilly¡¯s mouth hung open. ¡°That¡¯s a mighty powerful argument, evil twin. So let¡¯s spend our sweet, sweet, loot already!¡±


    Her not so evil twin chuckled. ¡°Okay, beautiful. Just put those points where you want them.¡±


    Lilly blinked, about to ask what her mirror image meant, before she intuitively understood, as her newly installed interface showed a hollow image of herself with lines and graphs leading to a dozen or so specializations, not to mention all her spells.


    And even if she was a little bit sad at all her crossed out necromancer skills¡­ the words ¡®Legendary Class¡¯ helped to console her¡­ but nowhere near as much as the 450 points she now had to spend.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    She chuckled evilly, rubbing her hands. ¡°You know, twin, it occurs to me that while I have all these silvery worms squiggling in my brains¡­ I could probably advance my favorite spells and skills in the world and wouldn¡¯t suffer nearly the traumatic backlash that made it such an awful pain in the ass before.¡±


    Her twin smirked. ¡°I totally agree. Which isn¡¯t surprising, since I¡¯m YOU! So, you gonna boost me or¡­¡± Her twins eyes widened. She shuddered with something that looked uncomfortably like ecstasy, biting her lip and trembling and it was so utterly cringe seeing herself look like she and her ex were having angry makeup sex, the best kind of sex, but it was just her, and now SHE was feeling the incredible rush of so much knowledge and wisdom flooding her soul, and it was all the sweet good memories of spending years learning sacred arts under a stern but approving master before finally proving herself ready for the mighty task before her, triumphantly screaming to the starry heavens when her Crimson Lightning blasted the absolute living fuck out of the hideous swarms of abominations crawling up from a purple sea.


    She glared at the abominations that crawled up on the shore under inky black clouds crackling with streaks of lightning in a hellscape right out of a Cthulian nightmare. Yet despite her best efforts, their original exultation she and her class felt at finally being able to prove themselves to their masters was rapidly turning to despair. The damage she and her companions were doing just wasn¡¯t enough. Despite their best efforts, it failed to cut through the abominations in time. First one of her fellow guardians was sent flying with a desperate cry as others rushed to his aid, which then left the front line momentarily vulnerable, and of course that¡¯s when the mass of hideous abominations blinking bulging black eyes filled with hideous secrets made their move, hissing and cavorting as they attacked as one.


    Just a heartbeat before they all exploded in a pyrotechnical masterwork of lightning and gore, their dying shrieks echoed by the screams of agony and ecstasy howled by the one guardian who had pushed herself too far, crackling with oblivion¡¯s retribution lancing through countless thousands of abominations before she herself exploded in a triumph of crimson flame.


    You have invested 10 points in Runic Spell Forger.


    Runic Spell forger is now Rank 40!


    You have achieved Master Tier in Runic Spell forger!


    You now enjoy +27 to Arcane Potential / Spiritual Energy / Psionic Potential!


    You have Chosen the Perk: Appetite For Destruction: Rank IV! (Because of course you did, Lilly!)


    You have invested 20 points in Blood Lightning!


    Blood Lightning is now Rank 30!


    Blood Lightning is now Rank 40!


    You are now a master at channeling Blood Lightning!


    You now enjoy +36 to Arcane Potential / Spiritual Energy / Soul Reserves!


    You have chosen the Perks: Appetite For Crimson Destruction Rank II ¨C And (Surprisingy) Chain Lightning! You can now chain this skill against multiple opponents! Basic skill roll prevents you from hitting friendlies! - Contender Status assures it only hits the REDS on your interface!


    Overcome by the flash of transcendent insight trembling through her soul in a stormy sea of revelations, an entire galaxy¡¯s worth of revelations that the silvery sentinels guarding her own fragile brain could barely control, Lilly forced her howling psyche to dare the forbidden. What she knew was forbidden, yet was absolutely determined to make so.


    For now she was one elevated guardian amongst countless others gazing with sorrow upon the planet being overcome by purple death. So close to a pristine ascension, before spite, malice, and the overwhelming beast hoards shattered all dreams of glory to a desperate retreat.


    ¡°We have to leave, number seven. Now.¡±


    But the sentinel known as Lilly refused to budge. She only glared down at the abominations below as she cultivated the way only a hybrid could, her body and mind thrumming with the power of the System¡­ and the power of the forbidden as well.


    ¡°No, you fool! You¡¯ll destroy us all!¡±


    She paid the words no mind, choking back her scream as the sacred gift that was her birthright abruptly burst through a crystalline node that had served her well over the countless decades she had fought for her land. Her home. Knowing she was shattering so many dreams, plans, and long term potential. But in the end, it didn¡¯t matter. None of that mattered if she couldn¡¯t keep her planet intact.


    And even if she couldn¡¯t, she swore to herself, as the air lit with crimson lightning flaring so bright her companions cried out in dismay¡­ she would make her enemies pay.


    Their screams below were the only balm that could quench Lilly¡¯s own howling agony when her first free node was imprinted with her father¡¯s gift.


    You have successfully imprinted Runic Spell Forger upon your first primary node! WARNING this is an exact duplicate of you INHERENT TRAIT Runic Spell Forger!


    You have saved versus Catastrophic Cascade.


    You have achieved Harmonious Synergism!


    You will now find it significantly easier to gain mastery of Runic spells and to understand the Runic underpinnings of all spells and supernatural phenomenon! All spells you cast will be 50% More powerful than they would otherwise be.


    NOTE! This enhancement is multiplicative of ALL other factors!


    The girl once known as Lilly howled under the force of her breakthrough, shaken to her core when she realized that she could sense the underlying code making up her entire reality. Only instead of roman numerals, it was all in Runic Script.


    She wanted to laugh for the sheer glorious madness of it all, for just a heartbeat feeling like she truly could take on the world! Or at least understand the world as power flooded through her shuddering frame like never before.


    Then she sensed the insights fading, realizing on some level that she had enhanced herself as far as she dared with a single node cracked open, yet she knew as well that despite all her fears, system warnings, and over-emphasis on raw power above all else, she¡¯d now find it much easier to understand the Runic components of any spell she had a chance to thoroughly study¡­ and find it far easier to learn, which hopefully meant a reduced cost as well.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s as far as I can push myself with a single node open, even with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,¡± she acknowledged with an exhausted smile that immediately turned into a wolfish smile that her father and former master knew so well. ¡°So how about I crack open a second node and we see just how far I can push this glorious madness!¡±


    Before she could second guess herself, she took full advantage of that which in any other circumstances would have horrified her, yet were now her best friends. She reveled in the feeling of her mental muscles clamping down on the silvery squirmy wormies that were now absolutely saturating her brain, body, and of course her meridian channels and nodes.


    ¡°We can do this, can¡¯t we? OF COURSE WE FUCKING CAN!¡± She howled with furious glee, taking full advantage of her fears to forge herself into the powerhouse she had always dreamed of becoming.


    You have successfully saved versus Catastrophic Cascade! (Helped by more than a few of the Silvery Friends your Sire fears for good reason! But nothing you need to fear, Lilly. You¡¯re already EXACTLY what we need you to be!)


    You have achieved Harmonious Synergism!


    You will now find it easier to gain mastery of Runic spells and to understand the Runic underpinnings of all spells and supernatural phenomenon! All spells you cast will be 50% more powerful than they would otherwise be. NOTE this enhancement is multiplicative of ALL other factors! (Including your other nodes! Overkill much?)


    And just an eye-blink before Lilly sensed that the sheer ecstasy of revelation would turn to excruciating agony, she forced her eyes away from attempting to understand the runic underpinnings of elementary particles within all the arcane forces and fields that now enhanced their formerly very basic reality.


    Instead, she found herself snapping out of an exhausted stupor as the howling wind blew her scratchy woolen psionicist¡¯s robe and the loose locks of her hair. Even her ears were knocked askew by the howling winds. Yet all of that paled before Lord Lou¡¯s thunderous appearance against a backdrop of stormy skies as the pair of them stood, together, at the summit of a mountain radiating exotic energies that were absolutely off the charts.


    ¡°Lilly Hendrix Silver, you should not be here! No matter your aptitude or the strength of your fortuitous encounters, there is no way you¡¯re ready for further advancement! Return to Earth this instant and await my summons and perhaps you will be worthy of further lessons then.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s smile was all teeth.


    It said something, perhaps, that Lord Lou, clearly Deep Bronze and able to control countless mortals back on earth like puppets on a string Lilly had no doubt, actually paled and stepped back.


    ¡°Ready yourself, Sifu.¡±


    The Psionicist Cultivator? Blanched. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°Three¡­ two¡­¡± her smile grew when she sensed the wave of debilitating psionic and spiritual energy now crackling off of him in waves. Good. He was finally taking her seriously.


    Lord Lou flashed the barest smile. ¡°I will remember this, child. If this is a prank, you will pay dearly before your lessons truly begin. But if I can actually feel it¡­ you will be the first among my disciples.¡±


    ¡°And if I draw blood?¡±


    Lord Lou laughed. ¡°Then you will be worthy of all my secrets.¡± He blinked, seeming only in that moment to come to himself with sobriety¡¯s prudence, for all that he was clearly lost in reverie. He cleared his throat. ¡°What I mean to say is¡­¡±


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    It was a shout that echoed endlessly off the mountain top, quickly followed by the thundering roar of an avalanche as ancient stone crumbled under inconceivable pressure and the entirety of Lord Lou¡¯s body exploded into bloody mist.


    You have invested 20 points in Psionic Rupture! You are now a master at unleashing Psionic Rupture! With triple ranks of Appetite For Psionic Destruction! - Even Master Lou would be proud, just as soon as he gets over his first taste of fear in over a century!


    You now enjoy +36 to Arcane Potential / Spiritual Energy/ Psionic Potential!


    Lilly cackled like a madwoman when she came back to herself, even if she was now so dizzy that she fell on her ass.


    Her twin, clone¡­ replacement? Gazed down at her in shock. ¡°Lilly, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I did it! I fucking did it!¡± she chuckled throatily. Her twin tilted her head.


    ¡°Did what?¡±


    ¡°Blew Lord Lou right off his mountain! Guess he¡¯s the one silently screaming now.¡±


    Her twin, who was really just her, after all, chuckled throatily. ¡°Fucking awesome. He came off as more pretentious and stuck up than all the cultivators in all of Eric¡¯s xianxia novels!¡±


    Lilly nodded. ¡°I think his clan is full of Psionic Cultivating hybrids or something? Which is actually pretty cool, since we¡¯re hybrids ourselves on all sorts of levels. Anyway, he promised to share all his secrets with us if I could make him bleed¡­ so with all the damage multipliers scaling off eac hother like the sweetest Exile¡¯s Path build¡­¡±


    ¡°You broke his nose?¡±


    Lilly snorted. ¡°I turned him into bloody paste!¡±


    Her twin looked at her nonplussed. Before rubbing her hands with sisterly glee. ¡°Ooh, please, break it all down for me, super awesome twin that I absolutely love to death?¡±


    Lilly smirked. ¡°Sure, replacement, as if you weren¡¯t being absolutely literal there. Well, first is the fact that it¡¯s fucking Level 40, Master tier, which I can sense means oodles more damage than at Journeyman rank, even if, for some stupid reason the exact amount of scaling between skill ranks isn¡¯t specified. So too, our Psion Potential has shot up from a respectable 24 to what¡¯s now a 96! And Spiritual Energy and Arcane Potential, since our Psionic Shout uses all three pools, is 138! And that¡¯s when the fun begins!¡±


    ¡°Ooh I do love fun,¡± said her twin, eyes positively twinkling with an avaricious hunger. ¡°So tell me all about the juicy damage modifiers!¡±


    Lilly grinned. ¡°First there¡¯s the four ranks of Appetite for Destruction, with each of those 33.3% damage boosts compounding with each and with everything else! Then there¡¯s the two extra Runic Spell Forger nodes, each giving me an additional 50% damage boost, cumulative as always!¡± She rubbed her hands together with glee. ¡°And to top it all off, I have Appetite for Psionic Destruction at Tier 3! which means three separate 50% damage boosts, all scaling off each other again!¡±


    Her twin squealed for joy, eyes tearing up with those sweet numbers. ¡°Fucking hell, Lilly-been! That¡¯s an absolutely absurd 24-fold Damage Multiplier for Psionic Rupture, and 16-fold for Blood Lightning! And that¡¯s off a baseline of Mastery Tier 1 and stats close to 100!¡±


    Lilly gave an enthusiastic nod. ¡°Despite losing out on some more sweet, sweet damage, the utility that chain lighting gives in terms of striking multiple abominations at once, as many reds as I can get on my Dominion Interface sheet while avoiding my allies with a basic skill check, was a must after reliving the final moments of countless heroes whose sacrifices are still indelibly etched into the System.¡±


    She chuckled ruefully, shaking her head. ¡°And if my lovable goofball of a dad hadn¡¯t fucked up the flow by picking Efficiency and passing up on another Appetite for Destruction perk, Blood Lightning would also be doing 24-fold damage.¡±


    Her twin gave her a pointed look. ¡°That¡¯s one of those inside thoughts you keep on the inside, Lilly-bean, lest you come off as an ungrateful bitch to the man who literally brought us back from the dead, took care of us, petted us, loved us, resurrected us into his own daughter and even resisted his mother¡¯s monstrous ravaging instinct, so as to NOT devour us alive and be up another couple hundred points himself.¡±


    Lilly nodded in complete agreement. ¡°Damn right. The only thing dad¡¯s getting is a hug from a daughter who misses him like hell¡­ whenever we get home, that is.¡±


    She then gazed worriedly at her reflection. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, by the way.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    Lilly sighed. ¡°I thought I could embrace the most righteous mad-lad power exploit imaginable. Getting what amounts to forty freakin¡¯ points in each of three stats for every spell I could raise from below Rank 10 to Rank 40. We would have been making such bank, point-wise, and the payoff in terms of spell power? Un-fucking-believable.¡±


    She flashed a pained smile. ¡°But it turns out that not even my brain, with multiple nodes invested in the same incredibly awesome Runic Spell Forging power can withstand that burden. And that¡¯s with a Legendary System Hero class and a friendly nudge and wink from that very System and a bunch of silvery brain worms who swear that they like me just fine¡­ so I don¡¯t have to worry about being mentally rewritten into a drone-slave in the blink of an eye.¡±


    Her twin snorted. ¡°Melodramatic, much?¡±


    ¡°Okay, the point is that even with all those sweet perks and safety nets¡­ I¡¯m at my limit.¡± She shrugged helplessly. ¡°I invested fifty points slamming three ¡®leet skills and powers to Rank 40, or Tier 1 Mastery¡­ and my brain is full. Honestly, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll dare put more than a point or two in any given skill per level from hereon till whenever..¡± Her gaze turned thoughtful. ¡°I mean, a point or two in any given spell, or my sweet sweet node perk which effects all spells is okay, and rush-learning some practical skills to Journeyman level might be no problem at all. But anything more than that? I¡¯m not really sure I can handle anything more intense at this point. Not for a good while or a fuck-ton of levels, anyway.¡±


    A part of Lilly had been expecting snarky comments, outright derision, or if nothing else, a jaded hairy eyeball. Surely she was stronger than that.


    Yet all her twin did was shrug. ¡°Okay, so let¡¯s stop here.¡±


    Lilly blinked. ¡°Stop here?¡±


    Her twin nodded. ¡°Sure! You did great, you locked in the sweetest node power imaginable and two absolutely killer spells, and all of them are at a crispy Level 40. And we¡¯re smart enough to give them some flexibility, even if we kept our primary money maker all about Appetite for destruction, no apologies. I love it! Now we just slam the rest of our points into our stats and we¡¯re 100% winning at life!¡±


    Lilly swallowed, anxiously looking at herself. ¡°So you¡¯re not mad, I¡¯m not being like¡­ maximum efficient?¡±


    Her twin snorted. ¡°I¡¯m you, remember idiot? How many times did we look ourselves in the mirror after getting drunk and fucked up and feeling ashamed as hell. What did our counselor say? It¡¯s about self-love and self-healing and taking care of ourselves. Not hating and punishing ourselves and being so hard on our asses that our lives became hell and then our only relief was the shit that fucked us up in the first place.¡±


    Lilly flushed in remembered shame, before choosing to let that go of as well, just like she had been taught. She nodded in relief. ¡°You¡¯re right. If our mom could forgive us, we could forgive ourselves. We just had to start fresh and listen to our needs, not ignore them. Not beat ourselves up when we had a bad day. And all in all, I think today¡¯s been a damned good day so far.¡±


    Her mirror image¡¯s grin matched her own. And for the first time, she felt like they were truly one and the same. ¡°Alright,¡± she whispered in tandem. ¡°I think I know where the rest of the points are going. One hundred in each of my magical stats. And even if that puts my Soul reserves at a mad 250+, it¡¯s the smart move, since I¡¯ll no longer have the benefit of a Soul Orb to cut my blood magic costs in half.¡±


    Yet when she closed her eyes and finalized the changes, she was almost as shaken by numbers that were far to high as she was by the sudden shift in perspective, realizing that she was the only one standing in the center of a glowing beam of pearlescent light¡­ and always had been.

 Chapter 343 - Lillys Evolution - Part 2

    Lilly''s eyes snapped open and she began looking for a girl who was no longer there before it struck her, exactly what had happened. ¡°Shit, that was weird. I just evolved¡­ reforged myself? Yet continuity of awareness was maintained, even if all the trauma suffered by the rushed level-ups feels like, well, like it happened to someone else.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it did,¡± said the calmly smiling figure dressed in pristine white cultivator¡¯s robes with a golden pin of a snake eating its tail who was suddenly before her once more.


    Lilly shivered, so many suspicions easily cloaked in uncertainty brought to strange, chilled clarity with that casual pronouncement.


    ¡°So, was that me? Or am I me? Am I my own replacement? And more to the point¡­ Arcane Pool and Spiritual potential are both at 288, Psionic Potential is not that far behind, And Soul Reserves are a whopping 318! How the fuck are my points so high?¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s eyes twinkled with fatherly warmth. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you have your priorities in order as always, Lillian Silver. To answer your questions in order¡­ Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Conceptio nodded.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not sure I understand?¡±


    The man¡­ deity? Raised a bemused eyebrow. ¡°Yes, Lilly, that was you. And a memory of you as well. You are your own worst fear and greatest hope. You have replaced your earlier self utterly, but no different than how every mortal replaces themselves, renews themselves, after ever period of rest.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Both horrified and strangely reassured by those words. ¡°So, I did replace me. But not really. Because I was aware of myself the whole time, and her memories¡­ my memories¡­ are still mine.¡±


    Her counterpart flashed a brilliant ivory-white smile. ¡°Not only that, Lillian Silver, but you also have the rare opportunity to lock in multiple territory boons in a territory with no competition for elite characteristic titles at all! Which means that all four of your potency pools have achieved the 200 point mark, and your Soul Reserves topped out at over three.¡±


    Lillian blinked. ¡°But um¡­¡± Her cheeks flushed. ¡°Even if the bonus went into effect when I hit those numbers¡­¡±


    Conceptio gave an airy wave of his hand. ¡°I made all your characteristic boons retroactive. You wouldn¡¯t believe what a pain spiritual excel sheets are to manage otherwise. And your Perception will also lock in a 30% bonus to all future points invested just as soon as you invest a single point in said attribute. But since that does not appear to be integral to your build¡­¡±


    Lilly blinked at this. ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t think¡­ but okay, YES! I agree 100%. And thank you, thank you! For the points, the class opportunities, and for the friendly nice silver worms that buffered my brain when I downloaded WAY too much elite Master-tier insights and spiritual bullshit, and they didn¡¯t even turn me into a Cthulian horror, or at least I don¡¯t think so, and I don¡¯t think I really want to know even if they did, and anyway I¡¯m rambling but I¡¯m super, super grateful!¡±


    Conceptio flashed another of his trademark enigmatic smiles that made Lilly feel like she was being an idiot, again, and maybe overlooking the obvious. She immediately clamped her lips shut.


    ¡°Lilly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, revered System god who I totally absolutely want to stay on the good side of?¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°Is there something you should be doing besides buttering me up with surprising praise, considering your father¡¯s predilections?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ kowtowing before you like a good little cultivating aspirant?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not really necessary, Lilly.¡±


    Lilly immediately sprung back to her feat. ¡°Then um¡­¡± Lilly froze. Because of course it was obvious. ¡°You¡¯re letting me know that if I have questions, now¡¯s the right time to ask, without saying it outright because that¡¯s not how this works and you don¡¯t want me to feel like a complete horses ass!¡±


    Conceptio winked, carefully saying nothing.


    Lilly flushed. ¡°Oh, yeah. Um¡­ you had mentioned something or maybe it was my reflection who is now actually me so my memory? My memory of my twin who was me? Mentioned something about another twenty levels?¡±


    Conceptio solemnly nodded. ¡°Your rather clever use of Hell Vines backed by thirty levels of Runic Spell Forging managed to summon a great number of exceedingly powerful eldritch summons that were able to feast their heart out on not dozens but a full hundred goblins who had brilliantly constructed a dome so resilient not even they could break out of it. Not when the first dozen struck by your vine were the summoners themselves, their very deaths tying their souls to the working until their souls were ground to dust, just as Sloth had intended, though not even he had the foresight to predict that you would smash through the floor and from there the ceiling once more, transforming borderline Bronze-tier defenses into a trap from which none of your enemies, save Sloth himself, could flee. And how fortuitous it was that your vines struck that dozen first.¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s smile didn¡¯t quite reach his icy gaze. ¡°From there it was little more than plucking ripe fruit bursting with potency, potential, and thirty eight additional levels worth of advancement for even a Legendary Class, such as your own.¡±


    Lilly blinked, having absolutely no memory whatsoever of giving her vines any sort of command to that effect, but very deliberately not informing Conceptio of that niggling detail.


    ¡°So yes, Lilly. You have another twenty levels with which to blossom into your own potential.¡±


    Lillian shivered when Conceptio¡¯s enigmatic sky-blue eyes seemed to take up her entire world¡­ a world she was falling into, hurtling through stormy gray skies parting to reveal a massive crystal blue sea below. A see she was rapidly falling into, screaming into, as the water revealed itself to be thousands upon thousands of silvery blue serpents, writhing across the endless seas of its own existence.


    Then the skies crackled and boomed with thunder and lightning, and Lillian¡¯s silent screams were drowned under a very real voice.


    ¡°Ask, and I shall answer.¡±


    Lilly gasped, lurching back, not knowing why she was breaking out in a cold sweat, her breath coming in wheezing gasps, when Conceptio was standing their so meekly, so politely, simply waiting for a question or two before they continued.


    Lilly swallowed her parched throat. ¡°If someone far smarter than me were in my shoes, can you hazard a guess as to what question they might ask you?¡±


    Conceptio gazed at Lilly for long thoughtful moments.


    Her heart started to race.


    Had she asked something monumentally stupid? Had she stretched rules she wasn¡¯t supposed to, once more?


    Strangely, Conceptio¡¯s lips curved into a thoughtful smile. ¡°Your grandmother once asked me the same thing.¡±


    Lillian froze. Gazing at Conceptio in awed disbelief as so many things clicked together at once. ¡°Aurelia¡­ she also¡­ how? But wait, she¡¯s strong, very strong, able to get her fingers into so many pies, find backdoors to places she otherwise wouldn¡¯t be permitted entrance as a Silver, and if there¡¯s one common theme to it all¡­¡±


    She gasped, stiffening as it all clicked in a single word. ¡°Family.¡±


    ¡°And what is it you would like to know about families and Classers, Lillian Silver?¡±


    Lillian blinked. Because that hadn¡¯t been the question she was going to ask. But for the System to have volunteered a different question instead¡­


    Family. Even thinking of it filled her heart with a bittersweet poignant mix of emotions. For her own broken family she had once wanted to heal so badly. To her own hope to one day meet a prince charming and have the perfect family of her dreams. To give that gift of happiness and serenity to her future little ones that she struggled so hard to find for herself... remembering the warmth of Eric¡¯s smile, so joyfully glad the he actually loved her. Flawed little fuck up Lilly. Loved her enough to declare her his daughter and raise her above so many Classers, Contenders, and would be champions.


    Maybe, someday, that was a gift she could give to another.


    And for all that Lilly was almost positive that Aurelia¡¯s question had been on how she could use offspring and progeny to fuel her own ascension, Lilly¡¯s question was quite different.


    ¡°Is there¡­ Is there any way¡­ Me and Eric deduced that one of the greatest gifts powerful clans spanning numerous worlds can give their progeny is the knowledge and wisdom to unlock feats and traits and accomplishments, to achieve certain thresholds with various skills and achievements to unlock classes beyond Basic Conscript and Standard Everyman.¡±


    Conceptio gazed at Lillian for long seconds, before finally saying: ¡°Is this the question you would ask me, Lillian Silver?¡±


    Her heart lurched in sudden panic. Why did she keep doing that? Starting querries with inane trifles? When everyone knew that when dealing with magical genies and powers¡­ you asked for what you needed in one concise, upfront question that covered everything!


    ¡°Is there a way I can grant any future progeny I might have the boons of my class in terms of abilities, level-up points, affinities, nodes, and the potential for painless Silver-tier ascension themselves?¡±


    Even as the words left her lips, she flushed for shame. Knowing she was asking for the world with the arrogance of a dragon¡­ when even dragons could be smacked flat on their backs if they smacked the hands that fed them hard enough.


    Lilly lowered her gaze, desperately trying to formulate a far more reasonable question.


    But the intense pressure in the air that Conceptio was now radiating made it clear that her temerity had gone to far, and that she had already run out of time.


    ¡°Lilly Hendrix Silver. Is this truly the question you want to ask me?¡±


    She bit her lip. ¡°Can you give my progeny the opportunity to choose that path without having to jump through a bunch of terrifying hoops? Will you give my children that opportunity?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck, Lilly?¡±


    Her cheeks blazed. Gamer¡¯s greed betraying her! Foul mouth, asking for the world when the System deity already wishes our comeuppance for asking for anything half so bold!


    Conceptio¡¯s gaze held Lilly¡¯s for long, endless seconds. ¡°Is this the Silver-tier boon you would ask of me, Lillian Hendrix Silver? That the blood of Champion¡¯s Descendants, strong and pure, perpetually flows through their veins, along with all the perks and privileges such entails, mirroring your own, until they choose otherwise?¡±


    Lilly swallowed in surprise. Wait, didn¡¯t she already get that Silver-tier boon? Was Eric sacrificing a Lesser boon or two on her behalf really worth her hero class? Or was Conceptio, or the System itself, giving her lots of rope to hang herself¡­ or fruits for her labors after taking care of that aberration?


    Ears roaring, she forced her head to tilt back and forth. Knowing that she was taking a terrible, terrible risk. But if the offer was genuine¡­ and she were to let fear ruin a priceless opportunity for herself, and all her future descendants¡­


    No. She¡¯d show some fucking courage.


    Just like she had on behalf of countless thousands of hostages and millions of tormented spirits¡­ she would show some courage on her own behalf as well.


    ¡°Yes. Yes it is,¡± she whispered at last.


    Conceptio gazed at Lillian for long moments, before flashing a brilliant smile. ¡°So be it.¡±


    And this time when his finger stretched into a long, silvery rope, spooling into her brain as ice picks flowed into her skull, down her spine, and into her ovaries, she didn¡¯t fight it. Even if she did crumple to the ground in unspeakable pain.


    ¡°Your descendants shall have the blood of heroes flowing through their veins. Forever known as descendants of a Sytem Hero, a class option forever available to them, should they hear even a whisper of such a possibility or of any of their ancestors that have become immortalized in historical accounts, myth, or legend.¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s gaze was almost fond as he stared down at Lillian¡¯s writhing, spasming form.


    ¡°As to how powerful that class might be, that¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened through her spasms and pain. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Consistency is key, Lilly. Any point that you consistently put in a given stat for a span of twenty levels at a minimum will lock in a potential class with that baseline stat as well. Should you lock in a dozen stats with a given pattern, a class offering a dozen points per level under a Hero¡¯s Mantel will be offered as well.


    ¡°But what about Spell Masteries and Node specializations?¡±


    Conceptio raised a bemused eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s the privilege you will enjoy for yourself. At a cost you now understand, as wisdom equates a mother¡¯s burden that you must be willing to pay, even now.¡± He raised one finger in thoughtful consideration. ¡°However, any spell or Nodal power you¡¯ve enhanced to a certain degree will show in a predilection or affinity for your descendants, should they choose to walk the path that you have.¡±


    ¡°But any further points I put into skills or powers¡­ since I only have twenty levels where we¡¯ll be forging me together¡­¡±


    Conceptio chuckled softly. ¡°That¡¯s right, Lilly. The pattern you establish now will be yours for life. And the stronger you wish your children¡¯s future to be, the more rigid your own pattern must become.¡±


    Lilly groaned. ¡°Fuck. So that means¡­¡± She shook her head, smiling ruefully as she daydreamed of absolutely adorable little girls and boys that looked an awful lot like their grandfather, with the cutest bunny ears imaginable.


    She flinched, eyes widening at how casually she had taken her own mutation as a given. ¡°Conceptio, my ears¡­¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Are a dominant trait all your descendants shall have.¡±


    She felt her cheeks flush, though she couldn¡¯t exactly say why. ¡°And if I were to actually check if that nub I feel under my robes is anything but a sore coccyx bone..¡±


    ¡°You can explore your own anatomy to your hearts content another time, Lillian Silver.¡±


    She winced, pretending her cheeks weren¡¯t blazing as she immediately did her best to focus on what Conceptio clearly wanted her to focus on. How exactly she wanted to invest her twenty five level up points for the next twenty levels, and how much she was actually going to invest in such a way that future bunny-girl generations would have a class to be proud of.


    And the answer was, of course, every last point.


    Thanks to her synergistic duplicate node purchased, her ability to lash out with psionic shouts and blood lightning wasn¡¯t just enhanced in terms of power, but her understanding of runic magic, and seeing the seeds of her art in all magic, had improved. And thank goodness she had by pure serendipity gotten at least one perk to help her thick head with the learning thing, because sure as fuck, she hadn¡¯t gotten any other perks to that effect, and she wouldn¡¯t be using points for flash insights ever again.


    Lilly clenched her jaw, resisting her most immediate impulse. Because sure, the LEET mage build was leet for a reason. But what if her future little boys wanted to play at being badass warriors who threw spells as an afterthought¡­ like their grandpoppy? OR spell swords, or any other hybrid, or just be a caster who wasn¡¯t a glass cannon.


    Even though she had to fight down the urge to groan, she couldn¡¯t deny the utility and advantage of an even distribution of her stats. Simply put, if it was a choice between 5 in Arcane Reserves and 1 in Vitality, or 4 in Arcane reserves and 2 in Vitality, the latter was SO much better. Vitality, relatively speaking, doubled, while Arcane Reserves was only a fourth lower than it otherwise would be.


    ¡°And two points in all them fighting stats for my little boys and girls is twice as powerful as one. And as daddy pointed out so many times before, speed truly is everything. So let¡¯s hear it for my little scamps being fast as fuck. Too fast for any goddamn goblin or orc to ever threaten or hurt again.¡±


    Endless moments passed as she wrestled with her own personal hopes and dreams, and what might be the hopes and dreams of countless descendants when she was long gone.


    In the end, it was her free node affinity, and the sweet, sweet, powerful secret she had latched on to about the powerful synergistic boon of replication that prevented her from choosing a perfectly even distribution of 3 into each the physical and magical stats she truly valued.


    Like it or not, she was a specialized creature with an extremely powerful edge. And even embracing her specialization, she would do her best to make sure that her descendants weren¡¯t hopeless slowpokes or unable to dabble in the glories of melee builds, with ten whole points devoted to the physical, far more than most classes, even physical classes Adept tier or lower, would ever have available to them.


    But still, her build was primarily specced for magical power, with the knowledge that Vitality was a universal necessity, and the stats that allowed for battle-time were good for warriors and mages alike.


    ¡°Two points Strength, Vitality, Finesse, Quickness, and Perception,¡± she said to the enigmatic avatar before her. ¡°Four points in Arcane Potential, Spiritual Energy, Psionic Potential¡­ and three in Soul Reserves, which is it¡¯s own awesome path to power. But unless they¡¯re going the necromancer route which I get the feeling is tolerated less the farther a world advances¡­ I think it¡¯s use will be primarily for enhancing spells like blood lightning and such. Still, considering all the shit my father soul-bound, I¡¯m not neglecting that stat for anything.¡±


    Conceptio gazed at Lillian for long moments. ¡°This is how you wish to distribute your points for the next twenty levels?¡±


    Lilly gave a rueful chuckle. ¡°Yup! No more power-leveling my skills, I¡¯m afraid. It will be good old study and practice, just like daddy dearest would no doubt advise.¡±


    Conceptio nodded. ¡°And you will have two additional nodes liberated with your ascent. I would ask if you have any question regarding them, yet we both know how you will choose to ascend those bastions of potency, don¡¯t we, Lillian Silver?¡±


    Lilly¡¯s chuckle resonated with a force that could shatter mountains. ¡°Your damn right we do, honored and beloved sensei. Runic Spell Forger all the way! Let¡¯s supercharge these overclocked puppies to the point that causality screams under the pressure.¡±


    This expression earned the slightest reproof. ¡°There I fear you would be wading firmly in Gold territory, Lillian Silver. For all those of deepest Silver or humbler rank, it is expected that you won¡¯t deliberately attempt to rupture or mutate the forces and fields of your newly improved and enhanced reality, no matter how hungry you are for power.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s cocky grin faded to an apologetic grimace as she flowed into a kowtow faster than any Xianxia protagonist. ¡°This unworthy disciple humbly begs forgive¡ª¡±


    Her words cut off with a shriek when silvery tendrils pierced her skull for perhaps the final time, her apology met with an oddly masculine chuckle.


    ¡°Power is what you seek and that you most certainly can find. You need merely look up at the heavens to see countless millions of balls of furiously blazing potency to appreciate just how far you can go, even in the depths of Silver, Lillian.¡±


    Lilly would have nodded her head if she could twitch, would have immediately agreed to everything her enigmatic savior offered or suggested, if she could speak over the silvery worms filling her head. All she could do was scream as her mind and body were forced evolved in ways that should have shattered any lesser mortal even as her mind was lost once more in the leviathan seas filled with monstrous horrors that had flooded countless worlds, desperately reliving the memories of glorious destruction obliterating countless foes even as her mind reshaped itself to harness the most extreme intensities of magic any Bronze of any rank could have conceived, until her gifts began to kiss the cusp of Silver itself.


    Congratulations! Your third node has ascended! You have chosen the perk: Runic Spell Forger!


    Congratulations! Your fourth node has ascended! You have chosen the perk: Runic Spell Forger!


    Blood Lightning now enjoys a 36-Fold multiplier over baseline damage inflicted by a Master Evoker with over 360 points in all underlying stats!


    Psionic Rupture now enjoys a 54-Fold multiplier over baseline damage inflicted by a Master Psionicist with over 360 points in all underlying stats!


    All other Runic Spells cast will enjoy 16-Fold increase in power over what you could otherwise unleash!


    The words echoed in her head that left her feeling so light she felt like she could effortlessly float on air, and simultaneously so grounded that no mortal bully, challenger, or would be Contender would ever be able to cow or intimidate her ever again.


    In a state of stunned disbelief she pulled up her character sheet, to look at the numbers and totals that somehow comprised the sum total of the miraculous transformation that had changed her in so many unspeakable ways.


    Lillian Silver Level 48 System Champion


    Level 1 Speaker for the Fallen


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 122


    Vitality ¨C 125


    Finesse ¨C 107


    Quickness ¨C 153


    Appearance ¨C 16


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 18


    Perception ¨C 358


    Willpower ¨C 20


    Charisma ¨C 16


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 420


    Mana Pool ¨C 5043


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 420


    Qi Pool ¨C 5043


    Psionic Potential ¨C 367


    Psion Pool ¨C 4409


    Soul Reserves ¨C 402


    Stamina ¨C 1227


    Health ¨C 1855


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 22


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 12.5


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 81


    Qi Resistance ¨C 81


    Mental Resistance ¨C 78


    Psionic Resistance ¨C 70


    Primal Adventurer Powers


    1. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 40 ¨C Mastery I (Appetite For Destruction IV)


    NOTE Runic Spell Forger Rank 1 is an inherited Gift. You have filled 4 additional nodes with duplicate resonating gifts! Each one = easier comprehension, faster learning, 50% bonus runic spell potency, multiplicative with everything else!


    Spells Known


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 1


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 1


    - Lightning Bolt ¨C Fulmen - (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen - (15 Mana & Qi, 1.5 SR) ¨C Rank 40! Mastery I (Efficiency, Chain Lightning ¨C skill check = no friendlies hit - & Appetite for Crimson Destruction II.


    (This spell dispels/abjures/& can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt - Ignes Pilum - (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 1


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor - (30 Mana & Qi & 4 Psion) ¨C Rank 40 ¨C Mastery I ¨C (Appetite for Psionic Destruction III / Controlled Destruction (extremely focused or spread out!)


    - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only (for obvious reasons!)


    Force Ward ¨C (Scutum sized shield. Shape how you like with RSF Check. Blacks all Physical & Elemental (electromagnetic) damage. Pay mana cost of damage/(RSF Rank + Force Ward Rank) +1/(RSF+FW) mana/min) ¨C Rank 3


    Skills


    Find Weakness ¨C Rank 26 ¨C (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    Unified Perception ¨C Rank 24 ¨C (Sense Heat, Spiritual Energy, Magic, & Qi Flow.)


    Ballet (subset of formal dancing) ¨C Rank 5


    Gymnastics ¨C Rank 5


    Profession Powers: (Don¡¯t worry about this now, Lilly. Plot-twists incoming!)


    Unspent Potency Points: 22


    _________________________________


    Lilly couldn¡¯t wipe the goofy grin off her face, blinking back the tears in her eyes as she breathed deep, every muscle tingling with strength she never could have imagined before. Her plies and demi-plies were absolutely effortless, and when she winked at a bemused-looking Conceptio and immediately went en point before doing a dozen pirouettes, then flipping into an effortless handstand that became walking on her fingertips then doing what should have been a grueling serious of back and front flips¡­ yet she found it all to be shockingly easy.


    She burst out in laughter. ¡°Oh my god, this is too much!¡±


    ¡°Lillian?¡±


    She positively beamed at a patiently waiting Conceptio. ¡°This is easier than floating in a swimming pool. My every movement is so dreamy and perfect! And look at that, my Interface sheet says that both ballet and gymnastics were quantized at Rank 5! Which means I¡¯m, what, a highly skilled professional?¡±


    The politely smiling figure dipped his head. ¡°Congratulations on your most remarkable personal ascension, Lilly. I suspect you will find all sorts of pleasing notifications blinking across your interface in the new future as your home worlds seek to incorporate your power and potential for their benefit¡­ and your own.¡±


    Lilly blinked at this. ¡°Okay, there¡¯s a lot to unpack there. But first¡­ home worlds?¡±


    But the easy-going Conceptio of moments before had been replaced by a figure cool and remote.


    Lillian¡¯s playful demeanor immediately became one of deferential respect.


    ¡°Our time together draws to its natural close, Lillian Silver. The boon you have been granted is to do with as you see fit.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master Conceptio. It is a gift I shall always treasure and be grateful for. Thank you again for all you have done.¡±


    Conceptio gestured to a patch of the misty fog now surrounding them both, and Lillian¡¯s eyes widened before catching a glimpse of what she had never thought to see again. A mystical palatial wonder of of stately buildings and ivory white towers right out of the storybooks.


    ¡°That¡¯s Queensland¡­ Elonia¡¯s castle!¡± Her smile froze right off her features when the view panned and she gazed at what was assembling before the castle.


    ¡°Heaven¡¯s grace, those are the troops Eric bargained for!¡±


    Conceptio nodded. ¡°They are.¡±


    Her brow furrowed. ¡°But they¡¯re not moving, all frozen frigid like statues?¡± She felt a cold chill with the observation. Was she already too late?


    Even as she wondered the question, she heard the sibilant intonations and guttural chants of a dozen or so shamans evenly placed around a circle of what could only be blood, and what appeared to be hundreds of perfectly still elves within the circle.


    ¡°Do you understand what you see?¡±


    Lilly swallowed, about to say she had no idea when suddenly she understood. Understood the flow of mystical and arcane energies and darker magics as well that were surrounding the soldiers bound to unspeakably vile oaths and entrapments even as Unified Perception and all the wisdom and insight that 4 nodes completely devoted to Runic Spell Forger in addition to her inherited aptitude, what was effectively a free node, told her.


    ¡°The summoning circle is bringing them in. The stasis is ostensibly to make transport easier with the added benefit that no logistics are needed until the shamans have finally fulfilled the 400,000 quota. I¡¯m surmizing that the limited number of elves and Terran recruits in the background are serving as logistics and are doing their part to prepare for their reanimation and oh gosh¡­ there¡¯s a lot you¡¯d need to prepare for 400,000 men!¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    She paled, her eyes never leaving the growing tragedy about to unfold. ¡°But they¡¯re also caught in the most vicious of spiderwebs. Absolutely infested with corrupt goblinoid contract laws. And the minute those goblins finish their quota¡­¡±


    ¡°As a final grace, I¡¯m permitted to open a portal for you to any place upon the surface of Terra that you¡¯ve ever been to before.¡± Conceptio flashed an enigmatic smile. ¡°I¡¯m permitted to tell you as well that should you choose to tie Greystone with any territory your father or aunt have themselves claimed or infused with their power, that a fresh gate between worlds may be safely forged.¡±


    Lillian froze, instantly understanding so much without a word being said.


    She swallowed her suddenly dry throat, only at that moment realizing much to her chagrin and horror, that she was wearing nothing at all.


    ¡°Look by your feet, Lilly Hendrix.¡±


    Lilly did, eyes widening as she caught sight of several sets of attire, including wizardly robes complete with hat and an enchanted wand, all of which radiated modest arcane energies. Beside those were lilly white cultivator¡¯s robes that were soft as cottony silk and would ward against most mortal blows, right beside an impressive set of chain mail and lamellar plate armor, complete with fine steel helmet, sword, shield, a pouch of holding and what Lillian suspected was typical adventurer gear. And finally, in a neatly organized set separate from the others was what looked like a very smart military uniform.


    Her eyes widened, noting that the silvery lapels perfectly matched the ones a certain Commander Valorn had once worn. A uniform donned by those who would direct the fates and fortunes of entire armies.


    Lillian froze, gazing at that uniform for long fateful moments.


    Her heart was hammering.


    She gazed up into Conceptio¡¯s enigmatic gaze, a thousand questions flickering through her mind, yet knowing already that the time of questions was over. She had to make her decisions on the limited knowledge she had¡­ and her increasingly troubled suspicions.


    She bit her lip, sparing a single painful glance at the faces of so many fragile lives frozen between heartbeats¡­ and how grave was the likelihood that they might wake up in oblivion, no matter all the steps she had already taken, if she wasn¡¯t willing to take a few more.


    She then flashed a relieved smile, thinking that just because she was willing to wear an outfit that might buy her a second¡¯s pause before someone extremely powerful took drastic steps, irrevocable actions, nothing said she couldn¡¯t take the delicious wand and comfy cultivator¡¯s robe that also called out to her.


    But of course, the minute she touched the perfectly pressed military uniform, it was on her exquisitely proportioned figure like a second skin. Had always been on her figure, and only now had she noticed it. As for the other outfits and the goodies that she absolutely without a doubt knew had been there just seconds before? Gone as if they had never existed at all.


    Conceptio¡¯s eyes fastened on her one final time and all thoughts fled her mind as she helplessly fell into what had been sky blue but were not ebony black orbs filled with all the wonder of the System, and all the horror of the depths of space and the void beyond.


    ¡°The gate beckons, Champion. It is time for you to step through.¡±

 Chapter 344 - Time to come home and meet the family!

    Lillian took a deep breath and savored her first whiff of fresh spring air laden with the heady bouquet of autumn comprised of wildflowers, birch, pine, rich loamy soil, and the scents of magic both rich and wondrous as well as corrupt and foul.


    She swallowed the unexpected lump in her throat as she prepared to step from between the pines here in the inner garden of the palace where she had first awakened as the familiar of a wild headstrong boy determined to blaze past his own trauma by forging himself into a titan who no one could ever fuck with or torment ever again. A youth who just so happened to be her father. Just as she was laden with the memories and past life experiences of the adorable rabbit now on her shoulder who was technically¡­ her mother?


    Her cheeks flushed, as she turned her ears and eyes to the smirking bunny on her shoulder. ¡°This is so weird.¡±


    Bunbun snorted, ears flicking away a few pine needles brushing against them in the autumn breeze. ¡°You¡¯re telling me! There I was, thinking that I was basically giving my life to this perfect mannequin leveling up in sweet, sweet power like some wild glorious dream, only to find out that I was effectively making my super awesome perfect and glorious daughter.¡±


    Lillian blinked back tears as she grinned, gently stroking her bunny between the ears, in the way she knew she liked best. ¡°And for me, it was just a change of perspective¡­ because I was you, or me¡­ and then I¡¯m with Conceptio and power-leveling just like you said, like a wild glorious dream.¡±


    Her familiar¡­ mother? Dipped her ears in a nod. ¡°Precisely,¡± she said, reflexively scratching an itch in her side with her back foot until her daughter took over. ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s better. Thank you, dear.¡± She gave Lillian a thoughtful look, her voice turning solemn. ¡°It¡¯s all coming down, right here and now, and I can sense you-know-who flipping cards of fate even as we speak. Are you sure you want to do this?¡±


    Lillian flushed, gazing down at her own too-tight fitting uniform and the tricorn hat on her head that her ears somehow held in place perfectly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of sweet autumn air. ¡°It would have been so awesome to adventure with you and Dad.¡± She gently kissed the soft white fur of Bunbuns¡¯ head. ¡°But we both know what¡¯s at stake.¡±


    Bunbun nodded. ¡°We do. So, what¡¯s say we go say high to the girl sneaking a quick smoke break on her favorite patio?¡±


    Lillian swallowed and dipped her head, surprised that her heart was absolutely thundering in her chest as her cheeks flushed with nervousness she totally did not expect, feeling more anxious approaching the strikingly beautiful former movie starlet now dressed in exotic silks radiating protective warding magics and the tiniest circlet across her brow, taking a thoughtful drag from her cigarette before blowing a stream of blue smoke from glossy pink lips.


    Lillian¡¯s monstrous perception and awesome ears made it clear that, shockingly, there was absolutely no one else around. Just Elonia Silver gazing down at several cards spayed out on a small floating platform before her, smirking ruefully at her own tobacco stick, before lifting her gaze to meet Lillian¡¯s own.


    Lillian shivered for just a heartbeat. Those sky-blue eyes. The perfect mirror of Eric¡¯s. Her father¡¯s. Or at least, what they looked like before.


    The princess of what Eric hoped would one day be the most powerful faction in the world gave a rueful smile, showing off pearly white teeth. ¡°I keep trying to quit these. But life keeps throwing fucking curve-balls like you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡±


    Lillian smiled, nodding her head, deliberately choosing to sit down cross-legged in the grass a good dozen feet away, as harmless and meek as any friendly girl striking up a conversation.


    ¡°Considering everything we¡¯ve all been through, I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s going to blame you for wanting the occasional ciggy.¡±


    Elonia chuckled throatily. ¡°Oh how I wish that were true! And I¡¯m the supposed head of this entire faction, can you believe it?¡± She gave a wry shake of her head. ¡°You¡¯d think a princess would be cut a little slack. But oh no, we¡¯re now the role-model for the entire faction, if not the whole fucking world, and we¡¯re all going to pretend my earlier rehab and meltdown never happened.¡±


    Lillian exchanged a look with her bunny. ¡°Should I tell her?¡±


    Her bunny smirked. ¡°She¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    Elonia furrowed her delicate brows, her half-smile making it clear she was in on half the joke¡­ but not the whole thing. But then her eyes widened. ¡°Wait, shit. I do recognize you!¡± Then she froze, delicate eyebrows furrowing. ¡°OR do I? You looked like a girl I once knew but¡­¡± She blanched, lurching back.


    Lilly¡¯s ears drooped when she sensed the deadly wave of arcane potency now subtly infusing everything.


    ¡°Okay, seriously, who are you?¡±


    Lillian exchanged a look with Bunbun. ¡°You want to go first?¡±


    Bunbun nodded, waving a tiny paw that somehow had a prehensile thumb. ¡°Hi, Evy! Long time no see, right?¡±


    The cigarette fell from Elonia¡¯s fingers. ¡°No fucking way.¡±


    ¡°Super way,¡± the bunny insisted. ¡°And you know Dr. Piers was pretty lenient on the tobacco thing. Priorities, she said. Love yourself, accept the good days and the bad, and take it one day at a time.¡±


    ¡°Well of course she was. She smoked herself,¡± Elonia snorted. ¡°As if we couldn¡¯t all smell it whenever she walked in on our therapy sessions.¡± Her gaze hardened. ¡°And there¡¯s no fucking way you could be Lilly Hendrix, my absolutely fave streamer and rehab buddy.¡±


    The bunny snorted. ¡°Truly. No way at all I could be the former ¡®leet Exile¡¯s Pather who went from streaming goddess to burnout to going to rehab with the cutest girl ever to hit the big screen. And sure as fuck, my soul wouldn¡¯t be the one your brother brought back from the dead and your palace wouldn¡¯t be on the former house I bought for my mom and brother with my streaming money because even if I fucked up college, my views only shot up when the world enjoyed the goofy little fuckup¡¯s brilliantly managed downward spiral. Even the rehab comeback. And I was actually going to go back to college and put a nice pink ribbon on the recovery arc of everyone¡¯s favorite adorable streamer, but then, well, the world got fucked and here we are now.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes grew wider Bunbun spoke on, giving an awed shake of her head before flashing Bunbun a truly sympathetic smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Bunbun waved away the concern. ¡°Don¡¯t be! The important thing is that my mom and brother managed to survive those orc bastards. And best of all, my family actually got the happy ending! They¡¯re now living in a magical sanctuary absolutely free of conflict and strife, in a beautiful city where everyone has all the food and water they could want. No entertainment yet, but baby steps, you know? And besides, as a not very athletic gamer girl I could never do this!¡± She said, before hopping a backflip on a smiling Lillith¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And sure as fuck, this palace is a monstrous improvement over the for family home!¡±


    Elonia, much to Lillian¡¯s surprise, still had a sympathetic look that was unquestionably sincere, even if she chose to smile and laugh at Bunbun¡¯s quip. ¡°Well and good then.¡± She turned, giving Lillian a speculative look. ¡°And now for the million dollar question¡­¡±


    Lillian smiled. ¡°Why the bunny¡¯s taking credit for bonding with you in rehab, and not me, who looks somewhat, but not entirely like the girl you once knew, and at the same time frighteningly familiar?¡±


    Elonia stiffened despite the gentle smile she still wore, hands nervously shuffling the cards now in her hand. A tarot deck, if Lillan wasn¡¯t mistaken.


    ¡°Pretty much, yes,¡± the princess admitted.


    Lillian took a deep breath, her stomach filled with anxious butterflies as she forced herself to say what she had been mentally rehearsing since first catching sight of the strikingly beautiful girl absolutely glowing with health and looking so much better than she had a couple years ago, which was probably true of almost all Classers who either looked phenomenal, at the peak of health, or dead.


    She swallowed. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know how to say this but¡­¡±


    Bunbun snorted, smacking her cheek with her ear. ¡°Just say it!¡±


    ¡°Shut um, mom! Don¡¯t make this any harder!¡± She glared at the rabbit, and of course Elonia was now staring harder than ever.


    ¡°Wait. That rabbit is your¡­¡±


    Lillian, cheeks blazing, forced a nod. ¡°BunBun, or the original Lilly you knew, is my mother.¡±


    Elonia blinked, momentarily speechless. ¡°But you look what, eighteen? How is that even possible¡­¡± she glanced down at the cards, chuckling softly to herself. ¡°System shenanigans.¡±


    Lilly, heart roaring in her ears, nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, Aunt Elonia. System shenanigans all the way.¡±


    Elonia froze, head snapping up to meet Lillian¡¯s gaze. ¡°No. Fucking. Way.¡±


    Lillian forced a smile. ¡°Just look in the mirror. We look so alike it¡¯s scary. Which is weird because mostly grandmother¡¯s features imprint themselves fully, dominant elven traits and all. But since I was forged somewhat differently than normal¡­ it¡¯s more like an even distribution of genes from both my mother and my father.¡±


    Elonia just stared, features perfect and serene even as anxious hands fumbled for a fresh cigarette. She took a slow drag, staring at an increasingly awkward feeling Lillian for long moments, blowing fresh streams of tobacco from her nostrils before finally asking the question.


    ¡°And who, exactly, is your father?¡±


    ¡°I think you already know.¡±


    ¡°I want to hear you say it.¡±


    Lillian sighed. ¡°Eric. Your brother. He¡¯s, well, he¡¯s my dad.¡±


    Elonia just stared. ¡°No fucking way.¡±


    ¡°Way.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    A long painful pause as Lillian just stared, equal parts overwhelmed and suddenly worried she might be breaking System taboos that no one told her of until now, when she suddenly felt an odd pressure, realizing that some things best be spoken of very carefully indeed.


    ¡°Well I certainly didn¡¯t fuck him. Even though I had the hots for him bad, back in rehab,¡± the rabbit on Lilly¡¯s shoulder admitted.


    Elonia just continued to stare.


    ¡°Dad¡­ he brought me back from the dead.¡± Lilly choked back a sob as unexpected emotion welled through her. ¡°After all we had been through together, after our glorious grand finale, I thought that would be it. I¡¯d close my eyes and fall asleep forever. But instead¡­ instead he brought me back, and now I¡¯m really and truly a living girl.¡±


    She swallowed her sniffles, furiously wiping away her tears. ¡°And the blessings I got? Fucking awesome. So why am I sobbing like a silly little git?¡±


    Elonia took another drag and just shook her head.


    Bunbun sighed. ¡°You do know there are rules, right? Rules about certain things you can and can¡¯t do? Like say¡­ resurrection?¡±


    Elonia exploded in unexpected laughter. ¡°Oh yes. Fuck yes. Mother explained at great length about the limitations of our arcane arts. All that we can do¡­ and the very few things that we can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But Eric¡­¡±


    Elonia groaned. ¡°I know. Somehow, the rules don¡¯t ever seem to apply to my brother.¡±


    Bunbun nodded. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s channeling so much of Terra¡¯s potency with their shared ascension that he can bend rules that aren¡¯t yet set in stone in this world.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know the theory. It¡¯s why mother¡¯s so ecstatic. Eric¡¯s blazing trails so unorthodox that they¡¯d be impossible anywhere else, yet Contenders forged here and now will be able to walk his path, and if enough grab Classes echoing his feats, then those aberrations in magic will be grandfathered into the System itself.¡±


    Bunbun exchanged a look with Lillian. ¡°Cool, I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°We kind of suspected it though.¡± Mother and daughter nodded in unison.


    ¡°Anyway, you know that true, pristine resurrection isn¡¯t allowed. At all. Right?¡± Said Bunbun, giving Elonia a hard look.


    Elonia flashed a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°Yet there¡¯s a certain headmaster of my future academy that would beg to differ. As would her husband and youngest child.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Bunbun conceded. ¡°But only in that territory alone, right? And once they empower themselves with the delves in that region¡­ they might survive the trip to, say, Ashland, and ascend in Eric¡¯s delves there for decades or centuries, sure. But they dare set foot in no territory that hasn¡¯t known Eric¡¯s blessing. In fact, you could say that no other territory even exists for them, save for the ones that Eric successfully stabilized and infused with his blessings.¡±


    Elonia dipped her head, conceding the point. ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°Because they aren¡¯t truly alive. They¡¯re revenants.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Elonia said. ¡°But, Bunbun¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Bunbun nodded at the unspoken question. ¡°I¡¯m also a revenant. And I¡¯m my master¡¯s familiar as well, so I can pretty much go where I want.¡± Her eyes then filled with pride as she rubbed her daughter¡¯s cheek. ¡°But Lillian¡¯s well and truly alive. As alive as any human can be. The thing is though, that since resurrection isn¡¯t allowed, we had to do it the other way.¡±


    Elonia furrowed her brow. ¡°What other way?¡±


    This earned a look. ¡°The same way that girls have been getting freaky with their beaus since humanity became a thing?¡±


    Elonia blinked ¡°Wait, you mean¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Bunbun said. ¡°When Eric brought me back from the dead, truly and completely, he didn¡¯t bring ¡®me¡¯ back, because that¡¯s forbidden. Instead, he forged into being our daughter, sharing bloodlines from us equally, and with a perfect copy of my memories, though hers are diverging, starting now.¡±


    Bunbun shrugged her ears. ¡°As far as the System is concerned, he and I had a child and she grew up REALLY fast with my memories as a template. And since causality, mother nature, and the System seem to be fine with her¡­ that¡¯s what we¡¯re all going with.¡±


    Lillian nodded. ¡°And since I¡¯m having this conversation at the same time as my mom and I recall from my memories of being spiritually tied to a bad-ass necromancer king that souls do not inhabit more than one body at a time, I know that I truly am a separate soul from Bunbun. Or, I guess, my mom,¡± She said, swallowing the odd lump in her throat as she nuzzled her mother rabbit against her chest.


    She then turned to face Elonia who was still giving her the oddest look. ¡°So¡­ yeah.¡± She waved her free hand. ¡°Hi Aunty! It¡¯s great to meet you. You look just as striking in real life as you do in the movies.¡±


    Much to her surprise, Elonia solemnly stood up, cards and cigarette left on the floating table, and wrapped a surprised Lillian in a big hug.


    Lillian thought it was very sweet and she totally did not burst into happy tears.


    ¡°How¡¯s my brother?¡± Elonia asked after sharing a long hug that wasn¡¯t nearly long enough, before offering Lilly snacks and chilled lemonade pulled out of nowhere before chatting about the most inane things under the sun, such as life in the castle, and fashion, and imports that Blue Corp was now permitted to ship in from galactic hubs, including Aurelia¡¯s dozen Sylvan worlds.


    Lillian swallowed, more than a bit taken aback that the Sylvan head was personally pouring her drinks from an ice cold pitcher as Lilly and her aunt helped themselves to a stacked silver tray of crumpets, pastries, and sandwiches, and Lilly told herself she felt no shame at all as she stuffed her face.


    ¡°You¡¯re eating like a pig,¡± Bunbun noted.


    ¡°Shut up, mom,¡± Lillian sniped back. ¡°I don¡¯t see you slowing down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m dead, dear. So it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be putting on any weight or anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well my physical stats are all triple digits now, thanks to you and dad, and a girl needs fuel, you know?¡±


    Elonia froze, her gaze now a weight a wincing Lilly definitely felt.


    ¡°Triple digits?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ maybe?¡±


    Elonia sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Of course they are.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, Eric¡¯s fine!¡± Bunbun assured. ¡°In fact, he¡¯s racing here as fast as he can in the hopes of preventing absolute disaster!¡± the rabbit said brightly, words that immediately froze Elonia, all playful pretense forgotten.


    ¡°Explain.¡± Elonia¡¯s voice suddenly wasn¡¯t that of a shy, uncertain girl still finding her place in the world, but a woman exerting the natural authority of a queen, and expecting to be answered.


    Bunbun wilted.


    Lillian, whose stats were far higher than her mother¡¯s, bowed her head in respect even as she stroked her mother¡¯s trembling head. ¡°Forgive me, my queen. But certain things must not be said allowed. Lest the very words cause reverberations that certain parties could sense¡­ and act upon.¡±


    Elonia froze, eyes alight with understanding and fey intensity. She said nothing, merely turning to glare in the direction that Lillian¡¯s interface most definitely picked up on a full dozen VERY hostile reds¡­ and hundreds of thousands of distinctly muted greens that were almost translucently pale.


    Lillian smirked. ¡°I can neither confirm nor deny that statement,¡± she said allowed, which of course confirmed absolutely everything.


    Elonia took a deep, shuddering breath. ¡°Is that why you popped into existence within the oak portal?¡±


    Lillian frowned. ¡°Oak? I thought they were pine.¡±


    ¡°They are when you come here. Not when you leave.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Neat. Anyway, yes.¡± She flashed a teasing smile. ¡°I came to rescue a princess and all her toys. But certain questions must not be asked, lest we make too much noise.¡±


    Lillian blinked and cringed.


    Bunbun smirked. ¡°That¡¯s your elven blood talking. Sure as fuck that¡¯s not from my side of the family, super-cringe girl.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, mom.¡±


    But Elonia was taking her words very seriously.


    ¡°Then across the glade we leap. To the shadows we keep, and not a single whispering branch or blade of grass will tell tall tales, once we pass.¡±


    Lillian blinked, suddenly dizzy, only to find herself in a cove of rustling chestnut trees with a perfect bird¡¯s eye view of countless thousands of fully armed and armored elven soldiers glittering prettily in their resplendent mail armor, glittering under the afternoon sun. Lilly was awed and amused to find that somehow Aurelia had managed to finesse consent for not dozens but hundreds of thousands of snow white steeds to be permitted as well. Not that Greed cared, probably excited as fuck at the thought of claiming as much of Aurelia¡¯s resources as he could with his about-to-be strung trap.


    But it was the thought that counted.


    ¡°Holy fuck, an entire army of light cavalry. So Attila the Hun style. Europe had thousands of heavily armored knights at one point, but lightly armored horseback archers with sabers and such totally ruled the Russian and Mongolian steppes, once upon a time.¡±


    Elonia sighed. ¡°I know. And it¡¯s a huge fucking problem, because to survive and take on the Orange-tier territories, we¡¯re going to be needing all of them training up and kitting out in the strongest possible arms and armor we can manage, and thank god the horses can also level because they¡¯re going to be carrying a shit-ton of weight, and better be able to hit 100 MPH if we¡¯re going to be piercing Orange tier hides.¡±


    Bunbun flashed a wicked smile. ¡°Eric¡¯s absolute slaughter of all those orcs with his army of revenants charging into them at bullet-train speeds was so fucking awesome.¡±


    ¡°It was,¡± Elonia agreed. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m so eager to replicate that here, with my own future soldiers?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s smirk and the rejoinder on the tip of her tongue faded to horrified dismay when she saw the timer she had been trying to ignore while desperately trying to gain Elonia¡¯s trust until this moment.


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    Her alarm wasn¡¯t missed by her aunt. ¡°Lilly?¡±


    Lillian sighed, turning to give Elonia a bittersweet smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, aunty. There¡¯s nothing I¡¯d love to do more than spend a day or a week or a month getting to know you and earning your trust and I hope your friendship. But if we don¡¯t get down there before those assholes summon the final group of soldiers¡­¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    All traces of Elonia¡¯s good-natured demeanor hardened into the mantel of a ruler who¡¯s authority was law. ¡°I agree. It¡¯s time for you to explain what you can, Lilly.¡±


    Lillian clenched her jaw, then offered a nod. ¡°Okay. Here¡¯s the deal. Contracts that were thought to be ironclad no longer are.¡± She gave Elonia a moment to process this. Her aunt¡¯s eyes widened in incredulity.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡±


    Lillian cursed. ¡°Shit. We have no time, Your Grace. We have to get down there¡­ I have to talk to your mother now!¡± She met her aunt¡¯s gaze. ¡°Please, you have to trust me!¡± Then trusting that she wouldn¡¯t be blasted, shot, or otherwise ended, she raced for her objective, a cursing Elonia just a step behind.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Elonia hissed, but didn¡¯t bother slowing Lillian down as she raced for the dozen goblins, the orchestrator of so much misery, and the Winter Queen all gathered in one convenient area, more than a few turning to gaze Lillian¡¯s way.


    The hot-eyed goblins glaring with ill-concealed hate of course glared their contempt they thought Lilly was too stupid to pick up on, but fortunately, it was a muted hate, clearly having no idea of what had happened in Greystone.


    Lillian assumed communication was somehow completely cut off, which made sense since her Sylvan Interface Maps and the Contender messaging system that she had somehow inherited from her dad wasn¡¯t allowing her to send messages to Eric or Aurelia. If there was a silver lining, it was that no goblins were screaming in Greed¡¯s ear that something was seriously wrong.


    There was only a smug looking Greed, smoking a too long cigar in a suit that almost made him look more like a buffoonish fop that a true malicious threat, which Lilly and Bunbun both understood to be nothing more than a guise, a prop, to hide the true malevolence within. If there was ever a wolf in a buffoonish blowhard¡¯s clothing, it was, without a doubt, Greed, who might soon have four hundred souls torn free of their bodies, even if he looked guilty of nothing more than being a crooked car salesman.


    Perception check successful!


    ¡°How did a hybrid Classer with evolved ears get the fuck past your perimeter?¡± Greed was clearly subvocalizing to someone.


    ¡°Ooh. I think someone¡¯s been a naughty boy, chatting with his hidden aces to keep any wildcards from messing up his plans. I¡¯ll bet there¡¯s more than one would-be dreamer eager to join the Sylvan alliance hidden in some goblin sniper¡¯s ES Storage device. Don¡¯t you think, daughter?¡± Bunbun smirked from Lilly¡¯s shoulder.


    Lilly swallowed, giving the bunny on her shoulder the tiniest of pets as she forced herself to slow down and walk the achingly long distance across the field. ¡°I don¡¯t think they can store bodies. Too much spiritual resonance. They¡¯re probably buried in a shallow grave, somewhere between Queensland and Freetown.¡±


    Bunbun¡¯s ears perked up, giving Lillian a genuinely awed look. ¡°No shit. That¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve really differed in anything! Look at you! All grown up with 48 levels of juicy insights and absolutely insane stats. Ooh I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±


    Lillian couldn¡¯t quite hide her burning cheeks with the way a certain actress possessing the regal presence of a true queen of stage and screen was staring at her.


    The famous and strikingly beautiful Aurelia Silver, a woman who turned out to be both an empress and the true power behind a dozen inherited thrones, was peering at her with an utterly unreadable gaze that nonetheless chilled Lilly right to the bone as she forced herself to continue her endless stride to what were now over a full score of coldly observing faces, both goblin and elf, as if she was doing a deadman¡¯s walk through the windblown grass to the principle right before getting summarily kicked out of school to the glares of the entire school board.


    Only if this didn¡¯t go well, utter humiliation would be the least of her concerns.


    In particular, she felt herself wilting under the disapproving glare of the woman that her vaguely recalled glimpses of her father¡¯s dreams painted as being one Lady Valorn, wearing a uniform that wasn¡¯t just similar but utterly identical to Lillian¡¯s own, that Lilly only now realized was itself quite different in its form-fitting style to the armaments being worn by the four older elves wearing clearly enchanted armor with hardly any insignias at all, simply radiating auras of command.


    ¡°Who does that child think she is?¡± Hissed Lady Valorn, the one female commander who a hot-cheeked Lillian realized had been dressed in sleek form-fitting leathers not for any particular battle-role, but because she had had her eyes on a certain prince. And though Lilly could admit that the cascade of carefully tended curls, high cheekbones, and lightly made-up features would set most of the boys in Freetown with raging hard-ons trying to tame that aloof-looking elven commander, she really didn¡¯t think a girl who clearly had a thing for tight glossy leather was exactly Eric¡¯s type.


    And she was wearing almost the exact same thing.


    Even an actual tricorn cap, of all things. Even if the modest warding enchantments didn¡¯t bother her ears and would keep her head safe from all but the most serious blow.


    Lillian swallowed, caught between the awful lingering weight she felt as she was visually picked apart by so many cold stares and the urge to hurry, even run, which would utterly ruin any chance she had of presenting an aura of presence, strength, or possibly convincing the Winter Queen of anything. Like not saying ¡®off with her head!¡¯ when this entire scenario finished playing out.


    So she forced herself to place one foot in front of the other, pretending she couldn¡¯t hear the quiet disparaging comments of the elven commanders wondering at her effrontery and the sneering goblin shamans conversing in their own tongue about capturing her and torturing her later for daring to interrupt their grand ritual.


    Bunbun whistled. ¡°Fuck, honey, you got stones bigger than your father¡¯s. Not that I¡¯d know or anything, it¡¯s just¡­ wow! This is as bad as racing along that cable over all that bubbling soul-steel!¡±


    Lilly couldn¡¯t help but agree, even if she took quiet hard satisfaction in the looks of confusion this earned from the goblins, having no idea just how royally Lillian had fucked them over.


    Not yet, anyway.


    And after far too long a journey that she suddenly wished could be twice as long, she was before Lady Aurelia Silver, the Winter Queen herself, naturally falling into as graceful and respectful a curtsy as 107 in Finesse would allow.


    Sufficient it seemed to earn at least a few curious stares that turned to wide-eyed looks of disbelief.


    ¡°That child radiates power!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s clearly a Contender.¡±


    ¡°Why have I heard no mention of rabbit-kin on Earth until now?¡±


    Lillian ignored all the whispers, both curious and, a short distance off among the goblins, quite cruel indeed, and it said something that all parties hadn¡¯t immediately gone back to the horrid ritual. At least not yet.


    But of course, Lillian understood why.


    Just one look at Aurelia¡¯s curious gaze, radiating the power of a true Silver, a woman who, if allowed to exert her power, could easily sway the entire world under her rule in what Lilly suspected would be well under a year, made it clear why.


    ¡°And just who the fuck are you, child? You¡¯re interrupting important business!¡± Said none other than Greed, electing himself the first to speak, immediately taking on a pugnacious, confrontational tone.


    Lillian froze, suddenly terrified, more frightened than she had ever been before in her life, as Unified perception and her own extremely strong, 5-fold enhanced Runic Spell Mastery gift began to tease out the exquisitely complex wards guarding the aura of someone who was the farthest thing from a simple White-tier Classer, even as the nominal Blood-tear Syndicate head.


    It wasn¡¯t that she feared him. Rather that she feared the ability of his power to tie hastily spoken declarations into soul-binding contracts. She could only wonder how many poor suckers he¡¯d consigned to oblivion with his power.


    ¡°You sure are one twisted fuck, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lillian blinked at the words, cheeks flushing as her mother just sniped with the first thing that came into her cute little head, earning a bemused snort from the Deep Bronze, curses from the shamans, and intense gossip from the remnants of the Sylvan Command, their troops decimated to under five hundred before the incredibly fortuitous influx of troops now absolutely filling Queensland with soldiers locked in perfect status¡­ before Greed¡¯s trap could finally be sprung.


    Greed snorted. ¡°My, you are a feisty little rabbit, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll bet you¡¯ll be absolutely delicious in my¡ª¡± Greed froze, slack-jawed, eyes bulging as he suddenly put two and two together.


    And a simple as that, what Lilly had hoped to dance around for as long as it took suddenly became a race against time.


    FUCK! She should have hidden her mother!


    ¡°No. There¡¯s no way you could be here. It¡¯s impossible! Impossible!¡±


    Lillian felt her perception of time stretch and slow, sounds growing tinny and low as Battle-time snapped into focus.


    And it was only then that she noted the full dozen powerfully built sentinels who were clearly Bronze-tier as well standing a short distance away from Greed and his contingent, their distinct armor unmistakable.


    "No fucking way!¡± Bunbun hissed. ¡°Blue corp is here? Working with the goblins? Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?¡±


    And here, remarkably enough, it was Aurelia who replied with a breezy laugh. ¡°Hardly that, little one. Greed merely hired Caliban¡¯s faction to serve as bodyguards to assure that he and his shamans could enter and leave Queensland completely unmolested until our wager had reached its inevitable conclusion.¡±


    Greed¡¯s glare went from outraged to smug so fast that it was chilling. He smirked and took a puff of his cigar. ¡°That¡¯s right, rabbit. After sacrificing so much of ourselves completing our side of the bargain, 400,000 troops brought through just as agreed, I¡¯m counting on the ever honorable Caliban¡¯s toy soldiers to see me and my men safely off Queensland the second payment is complete.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± Bunbun snorted, before wilting under Lillian¡¯s glare.


    Greed however, was no fool. Diamond hard eyes glared into Lillian¡¯s own. ¡°So who the fuck are you, why are you here, and why is that particular rabbit on your shoulder?¡±


    Lillian took a shuddering breath, before turning to Aurelia. She immediately flowed into a curtsy once more. ¡°Lady Aurelia, may I speak with you privately for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Utterly unacceptable!¡± Greed snapped. ¡°There will be no interruptions or delays until this deal is done.¡± His outraged countenance then morphed into a simpering smile. ¡°As dear Empress Aurelia herself insisted!¡±


    Lillian froze, thoughts racing as she sensed the dozen shared smirks between the goblins¡­ and why did every elf save an increasingly suspicious-looking Aurelia not SEE the malevolence in their gaze? Not sense that something is up?¡±


    Lillian expected Aurelia, who clearly had questions, to insist on her speaking. But for some strange reason she remained silent, leaving the ball firmly in Lilly¡¯s court! Her thoughts raced.


    Shit! She could sense the shifting mood just by the tightening expressions of the other elves, knowing without Aurelia shifting a tiny iota of her perfect porcelain mask that she¡¯d dismiss Lillian in just seconds if she couldn¡¯t think of a reasonable¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m part of the negotiation! I¡¯m to take full command of the troops!¡± Lillian breathlessly said, earning a handful of outraged looks and angry rapid-fire conversation from the elven commanders.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this outrage? This insufferable trollop is daring to make a power play here and now?¡± hissed none other than Lady Valorn.


    Yet Lord Drevyn, whom Lilly recognized clearly from Eric¡¯s memories, seemed to be a voice of reason. ¡°Quiet, all of you. Things are rarely that simple. For that child to appear here and now, it has to mean that we missed something. Something vital.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that child is eager for power, to supplant us all!¡± Hissed a third commander who¡¯s name Eric had never caught.


    ¡°Really, Ellien? Take a good look. Recognize anything familiar?¡±


    All the other commanders instantly stilled with Drevyn¡¯s words.


    ¡°She looks like¡­ but wait, that¡¯s impossible! Aurelia¡¯s bloodline always breeds true. Her phenotype¡¯s never hybridized within the female line. Not for ten generations!¡±


    ¡°And with beastkin blood, no less,¡± hissed Lady Valorn with a sneer.


    Her cheeks blazed at the insult her ears couldn¡¯t help but pick up, yet much to Lillian¡¯s relief and dismay, Aurelia continued to pin her with those impossibly brilliant blue eyes. An ocean of enchantment and arcane lore, of forbidden knowledge, sybaritic delights, and dark sacrifices that had allowed a once penniless elfin waif to walk a path of peril and power that would one day see her an empress.


    It was all Lillian could do not to drown in those eyes.


    Mental Resistance check: Success!


    Lillian snapped a crisp salute, ignoring her pounding heart. No longer flinching from her grandmother¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You wanted Eric to lead your troops, didn¡¯t you? On a campaign of conquest and glory the likes of which this world has never seen?¡±


    She ignored the increasingly suspicious murmurings among both elves and goblins, finally forced to accept that it was time to play her final trump card.


    ¡°Well my father might not be interested¡­ but I am.¡±


    Whispers became outraged shouts.


    ¡°Outrageous!¡±


    ¡°Impossible! That this tart would dare even suggest such a thing?¡±


    Yet Aurelia, much to Lillian¡¯s surprise, said nothing at all, just peering at an increasingly flustered Lillian with coldly measuring eyes, forcing her to wonder if she had just played the complete fool.


    Greed¡¯s earlier pugnaciousness had transformed to a measuring gaze of his own, puffing his cigar as he gazed not at Lillian but at her grandmother.


    ¡°You know the rules, Aurelia. If Eric¡¯s twenty years older than he was purported to be¡­ that would explain a great many things. And a penalty will have to be paid. Quite a steep one, in fact.¡±


    Greed then turned to the figure an increasingly dazed Lillian only now made out.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Caliban?¡±


    The ever enigmatic and painfully handsome elf who looked so Vulcanesque that it gave the former trekkie nerd a painful lurch in her chest when Caliban measured her with those eyes she could fall right into¡­ before turning his gaze to Aurelia as well.


    ¡°I will let Lady Silver speak for herself,¡± Caliban said, though his tone made it clear that the stakes had just climbed significantly.


    Much to Lillian¡¯s surprise¡­ relief? Aurelia Silver chuckled warmly.


    ¡°I will happily attest that Eric, much like his twin, has yet to reach his twentieth birthday, as I should know, having personally given birth to both of them within a span of hours. And his age of experience is even younger, considering the entire year he was trapped in a pod desperately doing all it could to tear free his Essence. Which is an absolute violation of the Accords on all worlds, as you should know quite well, Greed. And I do believe it was a goblin pod¡­ and a proper accounting of that incident never has been made, has it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because each and every one of our quality pods instilled for the humanitarian benefit of all of Earth¡¯s citizens were summarily destroyed, thanks to your son!¡± A suddenly incensed Greed shouted. ¡°And it was orc shamanic arts that were responsible for the mutation of that pod. It had absolutely nothing to do with any faction of the Bloodtear Syndicate, as you know damn well, Aurelia!¡±


    Aurelia flashed a smug smile. ¡°Really, you still insist on blaming my son for your incompetence? Such pettiness is beneath you, Greed.¡±


    Greed¡¯s glare froze on his features. ¡°True,¡± he said at last. ¡°Now, if it¡¯s all the same to you, could we finish this? Inhuman Vitality or no, we¡¯ve been out here for days, and I could really use a shit.¡±


    And much to Lillian¡¯s horror, Greed had somehow spat out the perfect mixture of self-effacement and humor to earn the tiniest of nods.


    ¡°Indeed we should, Greed.¡± Yet with those words she paused, turning to Lillian, once more freezing her under Winter¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Give me your hand, child.¡±


    Lillian paled to see what looked a fuck-ton like a gomjabber needle on her grandmother¡¯s finger.


    ¡°Look, I already know that fear poisons the mind. Could we please skip this scene? I already got the Titan Shout locked down cold, I fucking swear it,¡± Lillian fervently pled, though her words earned only the tiniest of smiles.


    ¡°Of course, child. If you choose not to submit¡­ you need merely turn away, and never return.


    Lillian froze at those words, her eyes locking with her grandmother¡¯s as she slowly lowered her trembling hand to get pricked.


    ¡°Remember, no fear, Lilly-bean!¡± Her mother whispered in her ear.


    Lilly rolled her eyes. ¡°No shit.¡± Yet even as she said the word, her heart pounded in her chest as she broke out into a cold sweat, feeling the prick of the needle against her neck as she flinched and shivered, suddenly lost in a howling storm.


    A storm of darkness and blinding-white snow. Surrounding her on all sides. Consuming her. Overwhelming her.


    ¡°How is it that my son¡¯s blood flows through your veins?¡±


    Lillian froze, suddenly understanding the nature of this faerie magic. A single silent question to be given and answered, that none would ever hear.


    And Lillian knew exactly what she must do.


    "IT¡¯S A TRAP! Don¡¯t finish the ceremony! All four hundred thousand soldiers were routed through Greystone¡¯s Soul Refinery! The second you finish, Greed will laugh his ass off and yank free ALL their souls! He was originally intending them to be used in Starship Soul-steel. And even if he¡¯s in for a fucking rude awakening, since I totaled that place, his shamans can still tear all their souls free and hurtle them into the void!¡±


    Lillian inhaled in the dream, desperate to explain more, before collapsing to the ground, realizing to her horror that the faerie enchantment had ended, reaching the end of what was somehow permitted in this time and place.


    And Lillian had done nothing to verify her claim at all.


    She quailed, realizing she had no chance, if thought an impostor by the queen of Faerie herself.


    And the look of horror upon Aurelia¡¯s features said it all.


    Lillian¡¯s heart pounded as the far too clever Greed¡¯s eyebrows raised. As if shaman magics were able to let him pierce even Aurelia¡¯s wintery secrets. Or at least, he definitely sensed that something was up. And with so many souls already on the board, perhaps he would choose to collect a bit early.


    Lillian¡¯s eyes widened with dismay. Suddenly understanding the real reason why Bronze Tier Blue Corp troops were here. Probably only allowed defensively with both parties agreeing. And they had. But once a mocking Greed tore free 400,000 souls¡­ Lillian expected the remaining elves to throw themselves on Greed and his laughing shamans before being cut down by Blue Corp blaster fire, Greed laughing like a madman and claiming the board while tarring and feathering Aurelia as the oath-breaker.


    It all made her blood boil.


    ¡°Give me command.¡±


    Her words rang through the clearing. Unapologetic. Arrogant. Solidifying Commander Valorn¡¯s dislike into absolute contempt.


    ¡°The nerve of that girl!¡±


    Lillian turned to Aurelia once more. ¡°Let me take command in my father¡¯s stead. I will make you proud. I swear it!¡±


    Shockingly, or perhaps not so shockingly, Greed¡¯s cynical lips curled up in a smile. ¡°Ah, family reunionsare so sweet. Well, considering the improved relations between the Sylvan Alliance and the Bloodtear syndicate, I will actually¡­ allow it.¡± His gaze hardened. ¡°So long as it¡¯s understood that she will be under the same strictures as her soldiers.¡±


    The elven consortium froze. Even Aurelia hesitated, squeezing Lillian¡¯s shoulder painfully tight.


    ¡°I accept,¡± Lillian declared, no matter the sudden clamp she could feel upon her soul. ¡°So long as it¡¯s understood that I am their commander in all things.¡±


    The goblins shared a look before breaking out in uproarious laughter.


    Greed¡¯s smile was that of a used-car salesman who had a heart of gold afterall, even if his twinkling eyes were the devil himself. ¡°Of course, dear. I¡¯m sure your father will be very very proud of everything you might accomplish.¡±


    Lillian flashed the most innocent smile she could. ¡°Yes he will. With his help, I will one day see the stars.¡±


    Greed¡¯s smile only grew with those words. ¡°You have no idea how right you are about that child.¡±


    Lillian gave absolutely nothing away when she turned around to gaze at Aurelia once more. She flowed into a knightly bow. ¡°With your blessing, my Empress.¡±


    Aurelia, much to Lillian¡¯s excitement and just a little bit of fear, slowly nodded. ¡°Very well, Lillian Silver, it will be so. But in order to lead, you must swear to serve. Do you, Lillian Silver, blood of my blood, get of my get, swear to serve Elonia Silver, Terran Contender and destined future queen of Terra, to the best of your ability as her loyal general and guardian, to give her honest counsel, and put her life before your own until the day my daughter chooses to free you of this oath?¡±


    Lillian gazed into her grandmother¡¯s eyes for long moments, before doing what her father could never bear, nodding her head as the mantel of duty came crashing down upon her shoulders, and her soul.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s face lit up with a joy and gratitude that instantly melted all reservations away, as much as it pained Lilly to know that her father had never earned that smile, for all that he had always had her love.


    You have been offered the Royal Commander class by the Queen of Winter¡¯s court and your biological grandmother! - Royal Commander is an Elite Profession!


    Synergism detected! 2000 years of influencing Earth¡¯s tale, elevating innocent children to wield faerie¡¯s mantel, (of which you are technically one, being less than two days old!) and ascending over a dozen paladins in a single day, a LEGENDARY feat, has evolved your class to MASTER TIER!


    Do you wish to take this class?


    WARNING This class will REPLACE Speaker for the Fallen!


    Lillian shivered with the warning. But all she had to do was catch sight of Greed¡¯s malevolent smirk as she felt the spiritual weight of nearly 400,000 souls who would soon be counting on her, a child with the memories of a teenage girl ravaged by abominations before being saved by her childhood crush¡­ who brought her back with the blood of contenders and heroes in her veins. All she had to do was see the glimmer of terrible fragility and fierce power in a grandmother¡¯s gaze, knowing that she could make so many broken things whole again, make so many things RIGHT by accepting the mantel, such that it was nothing for her to make that choice.


    Even knowing that the System had known already what her choice would be made it no less valid. Too much was at stake for her not to accept that some parties knew her better than she knew herself¡­ and despite that, she would still strive for greatness and to save as many innocent lives as she possibly could. It was, in fact, that very self-sacrificing sentiment that had paradoxically lead to her creation and birth.


    She bowed her head, accepting the mantel as a spiritual and literal tiara of silver was placed over her ears and upon on her brow.


    Before she screamed to the heavens as her mind blazed with knowledge and insights that she, who had evolved in such a stupendous way so quickly, could scarce conceive, as the wisdom and knowledge of a dozen tutors, countless ivy-league courses, entire lifetimes worth of academia, lore, and dozens upon dozens of battles that the Winter Queen herself had both won and lost, but never without extracting every iota of bloody wisdom she could from fields of death and sorrow.


    Wisdom that was now Lilly¡¯s own as she crumpled to the ground and screamed, eyes leaking tears of blood.


    CONGRATULATIONS! Your soul has been SUCCESSFULLY FUSED with the wisdom and lore of the Winter Queen herself! A feat which neither your aunt nor father will ever be able to endure, YOU HAVE!


    See, Lillian Hendrix Silver, Final chosen scion of the Winter Queen? There ARE mad benefits to savoring those sweet, sweet, silvery strands enhancing your synaptic links and preventing a catastrophic neuronal cascade, even now!


    PROFESSIONS HAVE BEEN SYNERGIZED!


    You are the chosen CHAMPION of the SYSTEM!


    You are the Winter Queen¡¯s SCION!


    The blood of Royal Elves and Ancient necromancers BOTH flow through your veins!


    You are a twice-born soul!


    You have met all requirements for a LEGENDARY-TIER PROFESSION!


    New Class Title: ETERNAL COMMANDER!


    No matter how perilous the battle, YOU WILL NEVER GIVE UP! YOU WILL NEVER SURRENDER!


    All troops who fight with HEART and VALOR under your banner need not fear death until the FINAL BELL IS RUNG!


    All troops who perish on campaign will return as self-aware revenants upon first light the following day, READY TO CONTINUE MARCHING UNDER YOUR BANNER!


    So long as your cause is righteous, so long as you NEVER SURRENDER!


    Your troops will fight by your side until your empire is so vast that THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE WORLD YOU WOULD CONQUER IN THE WINTER QUEEN¡¯S NAME!


    NOTE! As a Champion of the System, you are automatically a VIP user with all the privileges therein! You have chosen to MUTE all Global announcements regarding both you ascension and accomplishments!


    Lillian shuddered as she felt a world¡¯s weight settle on her shoulders, struggling simply to bear the burden as the entire field stared in either awe, dismay, or absolute disdain.


    She took full advantage of those pristine moments, taking a shuddering breath and exhaling as overwhelming dizziness that made her want to keel over abruptly snapped into crystalline focus.


    ¡°Really, Aurelia? Investing that much of yourself in some bastard half-blood child?¡± Greed snorted. ¡°Well, no one can say tat you don¡¯t commit fully to the games you play. I¡¯ll say that much¡­¡±


    Lillian paid no mind to the mockery in Greed¡¯s voice, or how quick Lady Valorn was to snort in odd agreement with Greed, before sharing soft whispers with her fellow Commanders. Though Lilly did make full use of her ears to see if any other elven noble would gravitate to her camp.


    She chuckled ruefully on the inside, admiring one step removed the Machiavellian social insights that were suddenly hers, analyzing, considering, and ultimately discarding half a dozen ways to deal with what would obviously be a thorn in her side in completing her mission, which she was now fiercely determined to embrace at all cost.


    Both because it was the righteous thing to do, and perhaps most of all, for the SWEET SWEET LEVELS AND POWER it promised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever change, girl,¡± she said to herself, even as she finally lifted her eyes in one sharp motion, catching a quick snapshot look at Greed¡¯s smug, self-satisfied smile and the demonic glint in his eyes. A malice shared with his dozen plus shamans, and Lillian¡¯s Unified Perception, what was now an extreme magical affinity, and her newly blossomed Tactical Sense made it damn clear that Greed¡¯s lapdogs were no more basic Classers any more than he was.


    All of them were Bronze. At least Rank 10, with she was guessing was approximately 1200 stats points to make her life hell. And if they were Arcane Specialized like she was¡­ she got chills, just thinking about it.


    She knew monstrous humanoids typically had 5 Meridians to clear, but she¡¯d be conservative and bet that Greed hadn¡¯t bothered smuggling anyone but his best tools and cronies so would ping them at roughly 700 points to get to level 100 and multipled by 7 for Bronze tier levels, that would equal 49 points per level¡­ call it 50. So 1200, or 100 in all their physical stats and 700 in arcane.


    She would bet her life on it.


    And the way they were all so coldly smiling at her made it abundantly clear that she wasn¡¯t overestimating their power the tiniest bit.


    But perhaps they would underestimate hers.

 Chapter 345 - Twisted tormentors and the PURIFYING blaze of Blood Lightning!

    Greed snorted. ¡°Are you sure about this, Aurelia? We didn¡¯t receive any System messages of anything significant, meaning that your grandkid¡¯s got a half-assed class at best.¡±


    Lilly refused to respond, however much she trembled with fury even hearing him trying to act like a bemused, half-concerned opponent when he wanted nothing less than their absolute enslavement, torment, and utter destruction. Like the darkest of demons in any tale.


    Besides, Lilly was all too aware now of all the ways things could go seriously south if she didn¡¯t time things perfectly.


    More than anything, however, she was exceedingly grateful for her newfound Tactical awareness of her surroundings and for the lessons and experiences that had been drilled into her psyche and soul from multiple teachers over the span of two days, perhaps, that truly felt like a lifetime, if not several. Because if she was going to have any chance of saving her troops, she¡¯d have to be ready for things to get extremely ugly, extremely fast. And even with no-longer subtle Bronze Tier Blue Corp Troopers decked out in powered armor with plasma rifles making it clear that Lilly sure as fuck wasn¡¯t getting off the first shot, at least she could take comfort that the were only allowed to defend.


    As long as she played her cards right, they wouldn¡¯t be lifting a single blaster to blow her away.


    The dozen shamans presently commanding magics capable of bridging the gap between worlds on the other hand¡­ they were not her idea of gently dipping her toes in hostile waters.


    She then clenched her fist and shook her head, for such thoughts were now utterly unworthy of her.


    Instead, she turned around, presenting herself before her ultimate commander until Elonia chose to reveal herself once more. And just seeing the fierce fire in Aurelia¡¯s gaze made it clear that Lillian was everything the Winter Queen had hoped for.


    Her cheeks immediately flushed with warmth, touched by the tenderness she wasn¡¯t expecting.


    ¡°Are you ready, granddaughter?¡±


    Lilly swallowed the lump in her throat as her heart began to pound, a clammy sweat prickling the back of her uniform that did nothing to stop the crispness of her salute.


    Leaving so much left unsaid between them.


    Lillian knew her grandmother wanted to shout to the heavens almost as much as she did.


    But that would be tipping their hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to carry out my orders in Elonia Silver¡¯s name, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Good. Your first order, my child, is to assume command of your men.¡±


    Lilly saluted. ¡°At once, Your Grace!¡±


    She the turned toward the almost four hundred thousand troops that would soon be hers to command, body and soul, in this life, and the next.


    For only a second she hesitated, before her eyes widened with awed understanding. It wasn¡¯t even about befriending her Senior officers, or the Majors, Captains, and Lieutenants that made up the chain of command. It wasn¡¯t even about selecting some sleek interface button on the Dominion Conquest page that had just populated in her interface.


    It was more like opening her eyes for the first time and stretching her hand, admiring her fingers where once she had had no limb at all.


    She trembled and shook, eyes widening with awe as, in a very limited way, she was suddenly one with all 392,464 soldiers suddenly under her command. By no means was it mind reading or puppet mastery. It was more like combing all the countless strands of her hair. As she flipped her head, the strands would flow where she willed, and if she took the time to mold it and shape it, her hair could be done up in countless designs.


    She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of her own analogy as she took a deep breath, mirrored by her troops. Because as odd as it was, it fit.


    She took another deep breath as Greed snorted and spoke. ¡°There. Is your granddaughter happy in her new role? Wonderful! She¡¯ll make a great figurehead, I¡¯m sure. Now, if we could finish our last portal bridge, it will finally be time to bring our bargain to a close, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    His smirk assumed an easy answer even as Lillian breathed deep, inhaled and exhaled.


    Just like when she was trapped in sleep paralysis.


    Or a nightmare without end. The diaphragm, but autonomous and directly controllable, was the bridge between automatic and controlled, and wake and sleep.


    It was a truth she had stumbled on while trapped in awful dreams and sleep paralysis as a child.


    So like the living nightmare every single one of her soldiers was enduring, even as their frozen souls shrieked under the cackling of chained spirits and vile corruption, each and every one of them near mad with pain and fear, just KNOWING what was in store for them, as they had been made aware from the instant they had ported through, taunted with knowledge of their torment for, in some cases, days on end.


    An endless prison from which there was no escape.


    Yet was simultaneously no more than a dream they all needed to wake from.


    Breathe in.


    Breathe out.


    Exhale. BEFORE AURELIA FINISHES HER NOD!


    Somehow, she knew if it had been anyone else who dared to jostle the Winter Queen before she could give Greed a condescending dip of her head, they would have been instantly obliterated.


    Yet all her grandmother did was stare, even as a fiercely smiling Lillian, now utterly in tune with her troops, their torment, and allowing them ALL to see out of HER eyes, as she spoke.


    ¡°No, Greed. NO MORE PORTALS!¡±


    Her voice, much to her own surprise, projected with such volume that it forced even the goblins to lurch back with a surprised hiss, to say nothing of the outraged curses this earned from her own cohorts.


    ¡°How dare she insult our Empress!¡±


    ¡°What does this foolish git thinks she¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°Shush, Valorn, not everything is as it seems.¡±


    Greed froze, eyes widening before glaring his disdain, his mask of jaded buffoonery cracking the slightest bit. ¡°In case no one saw fit to inform you, a bargain was forged between Aurelia Silver, your grandmother, and I. And it most definitely calls for the delivery of exactly 400,000 troops after some final¡­ haggling and mutual concessions, and then our bargain will most definitely draw to a close.¡±


    Lilly inhaled, ready to argue her heart out, before abruptly swallowing her words, realizing it would play right into the goblin¡¯s strength.


    Greed¡¯s smirk was one of absolute triumph. ¡°Properly put in your place? Good. Now let¡¯s draw this farce to a close so I can finally get back to Freetown and put this whole sordid affair behind me.¡±


    Lilly, heart racing, suddenly understood the flaw in her plan.


    She needed more.


    One final concession!


    Breathlessly, she turned to face her grandmother, for all that she felt Winter¡¯s gaze freezing her where she stood. ¡°What is the first rule of command, once obedience is established?¡±


    Aurelia humored her with a smile, clearly curious herself. ¡°Why, to keep them alive at all costs, child. All costs save achieving ultimate victory should be done with preservation of one¡¯s troops firmly in mind.¡±


    Lillian swallowed. ¡°Is it fair to say that I have full autonomy when it comes to preserving the lives and well-being of my troops, so long as my loyalty to Elonia Silver and the Sylvan faction itself remains unwavering? So long as conquest, not self-destruction, is my ultimate goal?¡±


    Greed hissed at those words.


    And whatever bemused curiosity Aurelia had became action as she acted with a speed that sent chills down Lillian¡¯s spine, her grandmother suddenly looking straight into her eyes, before slowly nodding.


    ¡°That is correct. With the understanding that you hold Elonia close to your heart and would see our faction prosper, you have ABSOLUTE authority to direct the troops before us in whatever manner you see fit!¡±


    Those words filled Lillian with heartfelt relief.


    Before she felt a cold spike of dread, as Greed, no fool, screamed at his men in goblin to hurry up with the final ritual as fast as they damn well could.


    And like the bitter call of doom, the gate opened once more.


    Yet the horror she felt, exquisite senses sensing the scream of tortured souls already, wasn¡¯t enough to still her tongue.


    For a Commander¡¯s Shout would never be silenced by terror, illness, or fear.


    Not until the final battle was finished and said commander had hung his uniform for the last time.


    ¡°As Field Marshal of the Sylvan Brigade, I formally renounce ALL former contracts, agreements, or covenants made with the goblinoid faction! From this moment forward, all troops under my banner are abjured of ALL goblinoid affiliations!¡±


    She flashed a fierce smile at the look of furious outrage promising a slow death that Greed was now sending her way.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, fool! Goblin contracts are ironclad! Til death do you fools part, and beyond!¡±


    ¡°You mean like the Soul Forges you use in your starship construction yards, you twisted malicious fuck?¡±


    Greed¡¯s furious snarl turned to cold-blooded laughter. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean, foolish bitch! Prepare to spend the rest of eternity screaming under the weight of unbreakable steel as you suffer for eternity for my pleasure! Because that¡¯s where you¡¯re all going in about ten seconds!¡±


    Lillian couldn¡¯t deny the fierce sense of vindication she felt even as terror froze her for an awful heartbeat as she sensed Aurelia¡¯s breathless gasp ¨C and how incredible was it to sense what even a Silver monster had missed? - or the weight of terror experienced even now by each and every one of her exquisitely aware offers and enlisted men.


    ¡°WRONG, GREED! DIDN¡¯T YOU GET THE MEMO? YOU¡¯VE ALL BEEN CENSORED FOR THREE FULL FUCKING LEVELS!¡±


    Greed froze at those words, visibly blanching as each and every shaman shuddered and squealed under the explosive backlash of countless thousands of strands of fate being severed from parties who now KNEW they could slip free whenever they wanted to, and with the chains of despair torn free, they immediately fled those horrific bindings.


    Yet Lillian¡¯s fierce sense of vindication was short lived as she felt the sudden foreboding weight of a monstrous Bronze who was Deep in his own corrupt ascension.


    Lillian hissed and stepped back, despite herself. Because of 1200 points was the sign of a strong Rank 10 Bronze Classer¡­


    Greed was radiating about 5000 points worth.


    ¡°IT WAS YOU!¡± The monster before her snarled his fury, no longer playing at being any petty puffed up bureaucrat or mortal showman.


    The mask was torn free and all Lillian saw underneath was the darkness of the Void and twin red suns glaring with monstrous hate.


    The very ground seemed to groan and buckle as Greed Azmodeous revealed himself at last.


    The girl that was Lilly froze where she stood, so horrified that she couldn¡¯t even move as snarling hate rapidly closed, and the monster was suddenly BEFORE HER! Glaring with hideous hate that paralyzed her with something beyond horror.


    Mental Resistance modified Willpower Check has FAILED!


    You have glimpsed demonic malice in its pristine form, as portrayed by countless fables and folk tales! For it seems that Aurelia wasn¡¯t the only party who baked herself into the hearts and minds, the myths and legends, of humanity itself!


    ¡°Lilly! Hang on, I¡¯m coming!¡±


    It was Eric¡¯s desperate cry.


    And if she had ever wondered if the boy who had forged her into being had any love for her besides a moment¡¯s heroic indulgence¡­ it was answered for all time right then and there.


    ¡°Lilly! I¡¯m coming!¡±


    A father¡¯s scream.


    Which of course enraging the demon before her blotting out the sun. So all she saw was inky darkness, and all she felt was malice as death snapped its wide, smiling jaws about her soul.


    ¡°Oh my foolish little fruit. Thinking you could pluck such sweet prizes without being forced to pay the ultimate price?¡±


    Greed¡¯s awful chuckle filled the desolate hell she suddenly found herself in. ¡°It¡¯s now clear that eliminating your faction from all boards for all time has been a too long neglected priority. Not that you need worry about that, with all the screaming you¡¯re soon to do, once I TEAR OUT YOUR SOUL AND DEVOUR IT! And the look on your foolish father¡¯s face, that sweet, sweet expression of despair on those porcelain-perfect features will have to tide me over until we next-- NO! YOU AREN¡¯T REALLY HERE, BITCH! WE ALL KNOW YOU¡¯RE A¡­ AIEEEE!¡±


    ¡°Lilly!¡±


    Lillian shook like a leaf about the be swallowed by the void, recalling so well the horrific memory of her father, lost in the inky darkness beyond mortal space¡­ and hadn¡¯t she somehow saved him? Jolting him back to the rift just like she herself was jolted to the bitter hard ground now frozen solid with the howling storms of winter as the air shrieked with gale-force winds, all the shamans desperately sheltering under an arcane ward a dazed Lillian realized she already understood implicitly. A stray thought in a mind horrified by the demon that had come so close to claiming it, before Winter herself claimed her due.


    ¡°YOU THOUGHT I WAS BUT PROJECTION? AN ILLUSION? AN EMPTY MIRAGE YOU COULD IGNORE AT YOUR WHIM? FOOL! I BUT AWAITED YOUR OVERSTEPPING YOUR BOUNDS, AND YOU HAVE DONE SO! SHATTERING ALL TREATIES AND OATHS WITH YOUR BLASPHEMY BEFORE THE NATURAL ORDER!


    ¡°NOW, BY YOUR OWN ACTIONS, YOU HAVE LEFT YOURSELF OPEN TO THE RETRIBUTION YOU SO RICHLY DESERVE! DARING TO TOUCH MY OFFSPRING! DARING TO CLAIM MY WORLD! YOU THINK GOBLIN ARTIFICE IS THE HEIGHT OF AGONY A SOUL CAN BE MADE TO SUFFER? FOOL! IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s voice roared and howled through the air and ether like the most terrible and fearsome of hurricane winds as she held the now insignificant looking demonic abomination twisting and writhing within her bitter cold hands. Proving that yes, she was very real, and fully invested in securing this world.


    Lillian shuddered, both delighted and horrified to see her grandmother in all her grim glory, soaring as high as a mountain-sized glacier, eyes living storms of bitter retribution, and Lilly sensed she was exerting just the tiniest flicker of her will upon the world, her domain manifesting in all its pristine frozen splendor.


    Greed squealed, which did him little good, as Aurelia¡¯s cold chuckle drowned out whatever pleas he tainted the air with.


    ¡°IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU TAKE OFF YOUR MASK AND REVEAL YOURSELF AT LAST, ABOMINATION! FOR NOW I MAY DO THE SAME!¡±


    That was the moment that Lillian¡¯s exquisitely sensitive ears caught the desperate screams of the terrified and clearly freezing shamans begging the Blue Corp guardians to intervene.


    ¡°You have to protect our master! Aurelia Silver has dared to make an unprovoked attack!¡± One Goblins snarled


    Another¡¯s face twisted in what he perhaps hoped was a convincing plea but came off as a malicious sneer.


    ¡°You¡¯re now oathbound to defend us, Blue. Shoot that whore and all her servants! Let Aurelia Silver contend with all of Blue Corp now painting her as red!¡±


    Lillian¡¯s gut clenched. Because of course it made sense that things would flow this way. Greed had intended all along to surprise Aurelia with the depth of his treachery, then use her own unspoken ally against her to slaughter the remainder of her troops when her soldiers threw themselves in outraged horror at the murdering shamans who were ironically protected by the very allies Eric had worked so hard to cultivate. No doubt Greed would have acted quite differently, if he had realized that Aurelia was really here, not just a brilliant powerless mirage bluffing her way into prominence and significance, as she had no doubt intended everyone to think. Yet the dice had been cast, Greed clearly working multiple angles to destroying the Sylvan faction while assuring that everyone was hostile to any surviving remnants in one fell swoop. Totally a masterful Machiavellian play.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    But only if a coldly staring Caliban brought into it.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Lilly screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t believe those manipulative fucks, Caliban! You recall the contract you went over with my dad? It was a trap! All the souls brought here were gated through Greystone territory, which just a day ago was a Soul Forge refinery making Starships on the cheep by fusing thousands of souls forced into eternal torment into every section of armor plating fused to the hull!¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡± Screamed the closest shaman, glaring her way in absolute hate. ¡°Lies and slander that must be answered in courts of blood and steel! Now you will accept my challenge or concede slander and submit yourself to my bonding immediately!¡±


    Lillian froze at those words, her mind racing even as Caliban¡¯s icy gaze thawed the tiniest bit, peering her way as Aurelia held a struggling Greed in a grip as cold and pitiless as the arctic winter.


    ¡°Is it true? Are you truly the daughter of Eric Silver?¡±


    ¡°As far as the System is concerned¡­ yes!¡± She boldly declared, locking gazes with the man, letting him read whatever he dared in those words. She then pointed at the foul creature of darkness writhing in the air. ¡°That bastard was trying to drill into my mind and claim my soul, declaring that he had rights to it, like he did all the men under my command, and I must shut up and obey immediately! And had my grandmother not actually been here as more than a mortal avatar¡­¡±


    She shuddered, sickened even to say it, though her eyes did flash with fury and horror in equal measure. ¡°That was most definitely an attack! Any accords broken were done by him! And family protecting family is a precedent literally as old as time.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Caliban said, coolly gazing at the one sided battle between demon and titan. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked.¡±


    And the look he gave his men said all that needed saying, not a single one even raising their blasters, let alone aiming them at what were, after all, their own people, even if belonging to another faction.


    ¡°This is outrageous!¡± Screamed the closest shaman. ¡°When Arlen Ort hears about this, he¡¯ll have you replaced and your head put on a spike for our pleasure!¡± He screamed.


    Lillian snorted at that. ¡°Yeah, somehow I don¡¯t think things are going to work out that way,¡± she said, sharing a bemused smile with Caliban who gave her a curious look.


    ¡°How much has your father shared with you?¡±


    Lillian winked. ¡°Definitely a convo for another time. Like once we get our Contender mailing privileges online! In the meantime, you don¡¯t owe those goblins shit!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do,¡± Caliban conceded with a quiet sigh. ¡°Or at least the goblins wise enough not to attack the progeny of a Silver Empress while in her actual presence.¡±


    Lillian immediately shook her head. ¡°No, seriously! The goblin faction fucked up so bad they¡¯ve been sanctioned! ALL contracts in effect with goblin parties are breakable without any penalty by all other factions! Only goblins are forced to uphold their System-enhanced contracts if the other party wishes it, and the other party can still get right out of it whenever they want!¡±


    She smirked at the goblins glaring her way with absolute hate. ¡°Even better, each individual goblin is forbidden from making any more binding contracts until they¡¯ve gained at least three fresh levels! Any Silver-tier gobin or below is now on the hock for triple levels!¡±


    She crossed her arms, smirking at her enemies as Aurelia took her sweet time tearing fresh guttural screams from the disgusting creature Lilly now hated above all others, the goblin who had been so willing to slaughter and eternally torment 400,000 innocent elves.


    ¡°That means that you can walk away from this mess without a single System penalty or mark on your record!¡±


    As far as Lilly was concerned, it was the perfect end to a week that had been both more wonderful and horrifying than anything she could have possibly imagined before. Yet much to her surprise and dismay, Caliban regretfully shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple, Lady Silver. Blue Corp swore oaths of protection. We are bound to them not because the System binds us, but because our honor demands it.¡± He flashed a tired smile. ¡°It is that unflinching resolve that has allowed Blue Corp to ascend in almost all cultures on almost all worlds. The knowledge that we are both impartial and just. That we unstintingly and eternally honor both the meaning and letter behind the words we write and the contracts we forge. Because it is when times are most perilous and uncertain for a given faction, that is when Blue Corp¡¯s worth shines for all to see.¡±


    Lilly froze at that, jaws clenching in dismay. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me than means you¡¯re going to attack my grandmother? She¡¯s the fucking Winter Queen.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, child. But it does mean we¡¯re still duty bound to defend those who didn¡¯t attack your clan or reveal themselves to be Deep Bronze on the cusp of an ascension that now might never come.¡±


    He gave Greed a coldly measuring gaze. ¡°Though this does explain much¡­ there is still counsel I will give your Empress free of all charge or obligation.¡± He then cleared his throat and modulated his voice to carry every bit as loudly as the howling winter gale.


    ¡°Aurelia Silver, Great and terrible Winter Queen. Empress of all the Snows and the Frigid North. I pray you heed my words. For as much as it is true that Greed broke covenant in attempting to claim your granddaughter¡¯s soul in a move that was shockingly bold even for him, as much as it is true that his choice to reveal himself to better enact his vengeance opened the gates for you to do the same¡­ it is also true that the System takes a very dim view of Powers and Potencies revealing themselves this early in the game. I fear, Your Grace, that should you spill the blood of a half-step Silver on the soil of Ashland Province, you shall both be summarily expelled from this realm until you manage to ascend to Gold.¡±


    And those words alone caused the howling winds to instantly still to bitter pitiless cold as a now far shorter twenty foot tall Aurelia froze, holding the still wriggling and struggling Greed as if he were a maggot, before tossing him like the worthless trash that he was.


    And a second later it was a very human looking Aurelia, no longer radiating a monstrous presence that had absolutely every elf present crashing to their knees who was glaring coldly at the flopped over form of the vile little schemer that had once more cloaked himself in the guise of a seedy politician. Yet far from looking utterly bested and humiliated, his smirk was one of malicious triumph.


    ¡°You wish for the abrupt abrogation of our arrangement, bitch? So be it! It does not change the fact that the souls of all your soldiers were never properly sent to Earth in the first place. Only their bodies!¡±


    Lillian realized she wasn¡¯t the only one frozen with horror before both Greed and his cohort¡¯s laughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s right dear, sweet Aurelia. Your granddaughter¡¯s little revelation is too little, too late! Whether or not they end up in our foundries, their souls are about to snap right back into Greystone before the final rays of the dying sun.¡± He chortled mockingly. ¡°Why do you think I was so eager to wrap this up today?¡± He then turned to glare at Lillian. ¡°And if your rank aspersion and crass insults are found to have even a lick of truth to them, if I find that you¡¯ve done so much as shift a single cauldron out of place in our completely aboveboard, sanitary, and absolutely cutting-edge high-tech ship manufacturing facility with nothing but joyful employees and happy customers¡­¡± His smarmy salesman¡¯s voice grew harsh and twisted with all the malice of hell. ¡°Then I swear with my dying breath, girl, I will make you pay.¡±


    His twisted mockery of a face then snapped back into that of a bright-eyed salesman once more.


    ¡°But before that, boy do I have a deal for you!¡± He then gestured grandly at the gate behind him. ¡°For so long as that gate¡¯s open, your troop¡¯s bodies will be allowed free passage right back to Greystone Foundries in perfect, tip-top condition! We wouldn¡¯t want to waste all that carbon, after all. Ha ha. No, ma¡¯am. Now, here¡¯s my proposal! You¡¯ve said some mighty unkind things, girl, and I think it¡¯s only fare that you made amends in the only court that matters! A duel where my wronged associates can defend their honor. Should you win, then you have my permission to funnel your legions wherever the hell you want within Greystone. But should my champions win¡­¡± Greed¡¯s smile grew twisted once more. ¡°You¡¯re joining your little toy soldiers, exactly where I choose to send you. Now tell me, Lillian Silver, do we have a deal?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s lips curled in a smile just as insincere as Greed¡¯s own. She ignored the cold hiss of warning thrumming through her mind, Aurelia¡¯s gaze saying so much without saying a word.


    ¡°Lilly, are you sure?¡±


    Her grandmother¡¯s silent concern. Lillian took a deep shuddering breath, locking gazes with the dozen Bronze-tier monsters filled with such malice and hate, having absolutely no doubt what Earth¡¯s fate would be if those monsters continued to work behind the scenes with most adventurers still struggling just to hit level 30, with only 130 points worth of development on average and no special traits to show for it at all. And they were still like gods compared to the vast majority of mortals who had somehow managed to survive this long.


    The thought of having to duel even one of these monsters was more chilling than she wanted to admit. But if she could ease the burden of her panicked father who she sensed desperately racing toward her even now¡­ even if she could only manage to take out a single enemy pawn, it was still something.


    Some tiny way of saying thankyou to the man who had loved her, cherished her, and given her life. Even if it had been eighteen years worth of memories compressed in a single System event, it was still far more than her original father¡­ her mother¡¯s original father, had ever done for either of them.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said breathlessly, as the once more thawed and perfectly vibrant spring grass rustled in a breeze smelling of honeysuckle, wildflowers, and endless possibility. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Greed all but chortled, pointing to the very ritual circle his tools had been prepping all this time. ¡°Then I suggest we avoid any further delays and get started! The summoning circle will prevent any stray magics from unexpectedly getting out of hand, ha ha.¡±


    ¡°Granddaughter¡­¡±


    Lillian shivered before that one word even as Greed¡¯s smile grew wide, the little shit no longer bothering to hide his teeth.


    She swallowed and turned to face her grandmother. And how it shook her to see this monstrous titan before her, still radiating the tiniest iota of the power as she had before, and yet it was enough. Enough to send her falling to her knees¡­ sensing the august majesty of a woman who could so easily rule and manage an entire world, effortlessly. And according to the scattered memories that she and Bunbun shared with her sire¡­ she already had a dozen under her control. Yet before her as well was a woman as mortal and approachable and beautiful as Elonia herself. A girl who had hugged and greeted her as kin. A girl who everyone seemed to still think was locked in a coma.


    But if that was the case¡­


    She shook herself out of her growing stupor, stiffening her spine in a military salute. ¡°It will be my pleasure, Empress, and I can think of no better way to begin my tenure than by taking out some of the trash tainting our world¡­ Your Grace.¡±


    Aurelia held her gaze for long moments.


    ¡°Time is ticking, woman!¡± Greed sniped, but they pad him no mind.


    ¡°You know things are never simple with demons, dear.¡±


    Lillian shivered, slowly dipping her head. ¡°Believe me, I know that as well as anyone could.¡±


    Aurelia frowned thoughtfully, a single graceful finger delicately caressing the tip of Lillian¡¯s prehensile ears. ¡°Will they be enough?¡±


    Lillian swallowed, more than a bit surprised by those words. Did Aurelia see through her so well already?


    She forced a smile. ¡°They¡¯d better be. I¡¯m sort of betting my life on it.¡±


    ¡°You are, child. Just so long as you understand that.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Then, much to Lillian¡¯s heartfelt surprise, Aurelia bent down and softly kissed her brow.


    ¡°Then fight well, my granddaughter. Do me and your father proud.¡±


    You have received the Winter Queen¡¯s blessing! You now enjoy +5 to Find Weakness, Unified Perception, and all arcane skill checks! Let her ancient wisdom and august insights guide your own!


    Bunbun did a happy little jig on her shoulder. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hell yeah! Winter Queen¡¯s blessing, baby!¡±


    Lilly¡¯s ignored the pounding in her heart as she gazed Greed¡¯s way, clenching mental muscles like a fencer readying his blade.


    She took a deep breath, approaching the circle, but not before eyeing it very carefully.


    Unified Perception modified by Winter Queen¡¯s Blessing! You are in Elonia Silver¡¯s domain, overseen by the Winter Queen herself. Save for the twisted bindings you¡¯ve already severed from your men, you sense no corrupt magics!


    Runic Spell Forger skill check: Success! You understand that this truly is a portal between worlds! Magics cast within this football field-sized circle will wrap around itself infinitely in a closed system! No need to worry about arcane backlash!


    Winter Queen¡¯s Blessing has further enhanced your insights! You have begun to unravel the runic components of world gates!


    5% comprehension achieved!


    For just a moment, Lillian stumbled overwhelmed and giddy with awe at the revelations flooding her soul, filled with wonder at the mysteries and wonders revealed to her arcane senses. She allowed herself a single breathless smile, promising herself that one day soon she would be making all her fantasies of studying magic and enjoying slice-of-life student adventures at one of Aurelia¡¯s prestigious academies a sweet, halcyon reality. One day soon¡­


    Just as soon as she took out the trash here and conquered a world.


    ¡°Remeber, Lillian, you are free to walk away, even now.¡± Her eyes widened, surprised to hear such counsel, even concern, from Lord Caliban, the Bronze-tier Blue Corp representative of all people.


    ¡°How dare you interfere in matters outside your purview! You¡¯re here to defend my person, not hers!¡± Greed snapped.


    Caliban sighed. ¡°I am well within my purview to remind this child of what she already knows. And that she knows what she does speaks extremely poorly of you on so many levels, Greed. And do you truly want to risk what will happen if you actually do manage to best Eric Silver¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Greed flashed a twisted smile. ¡°He will do nothing. You¡¯ve sensed my strength, Caliban. You already know what I¡¯m capable of¡­ what I¡¯m well within my rights of doing to him, should that brat harm a single hair on my head!¡± He chuckled coldly. ¡°So he will watch, helpless and screaming, while I make him suffer beyond even the pain collar I pray is still around his neck!¡±


    Caliban flashed a cold smile of his own. ¡°If you think causing him pain is the extent of the consequences you will suffer, then you truly are a fool.¡±


    Lillian bowed once Caliban¡¯s way as a show of respect, before entering the ring. ¡°My familiar and I accept the terms as we understand them to be. You may bring your champion forth to face me.¡±


    Greed¡¯s outraged scowl turn to a twisted grin, making it clear that once more he was seeking to distract with his petty performance as the closes shaman smiled and stepped forward¡­ immediately followed by all the others. ¡°Then the terms are struck! Aurelia¡¯s champions against my own!¡±


    His face twisted in a truly malicious smile as, faster than even Lillian could react, the world gate was catalyzed with a dull thrum.


    Lillian¡¯s eyes widened with wonder far more than horror, no matter the dozen goblin shaman¡¯s now gazing at her with wolf-like predatory grins.


    World Gate comprehension is now at 20%! You have elected NOT to engage in further analysis at this time.


    Aurelia¡¯s voice crackled with outrage. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    Green smirked. ¡°Exactly what it looks like. My champions against yours.¡±


    ¡°I allowed for a duel between my daughter with a single one of your men!¡±


    ¡°Wrong, Aurelia. Your daughter has her familiar, and my head shaman has his coterie.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s outrageous, Greed, and you know it! Mages and their familiars are considered one being under long-standing precedent. It¡¯s YOU daring to bring a dozen Bronze-tier shamans into a duel with my White-tier daughter who has yet to even reach level fifty that is absolutely outrageous!¡±


    The air grew heavy with the weight of storms that didn¡¯t touch the now shimmering football sized dome that was cutting off Lillian and her opponents now cackling and taunting her.


    Aurelia continued to bluster and shout, but Lillian knew it would do no good, save in exactly the way it was intended.


    Keeping Greed¡¯s attention while the dozen goblin shamans took their time taunting and mocking the helpless girl with the quivering rabbit ears.


    ¡°Beast-kin! Ha! To think Aurelia¡¯s bastard boy would fall so low!¡±


    ¡°It will be sweet, savoring her flesh when this duel is done.¡±


    ¡°But not until she screams, so many delicious screams! I will tear free her vocal cords to restring my Quanzei!¡±


    Lillian¡¯s heart began to pound as the lead shaman cracked his neck, gesturing her way with a wand now brimming with curse magics Lilly could sense so clearly.


    Curse magics that made her stomach roil, somehow just knowing her one physics-based ward would do nothing to counter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so frightened, rabbit girl! Why, we¡¯re nothing if not reasonable. Is that not right, brothers? Why, we¡¯ll even let you throw the first spell!¡±


    The full dozen goblins nodded at that, and Lillian¡¯s lips curled despite themselves as a subtle pressure began to build up. FINALLY build up.


    For the first time in this life, she was about to embrace that which before she had only embraced in nightmare and dream.


    Before immediately crashing to the ground when a bunny¡¯s scream pierced the air, realizing how close she had just come to getting her throat cut.


    You have FAILED to sense Stalking Assassin!


    Rabbit kick has sent you flying!


    You have saved versus stunning blow!


    Perception check has caught sight of Bloodtear Assassin!


    Lillian¡¯s eyes widened with horrified dismay to see a furiously cursing goblin struggling to rip free his knife from her mother¡¯s struggling body.


    ¡°BUNBUN!¡± Lilly screamed as time stretched and slowed with the fury welling within her soul.


    For just a heartbeat, she locked eyes with the little bunny who had given her life.


    The mirror of her soul that she cherished even more than herself.


    ¡°BUNBUN!¡±


    Only vaguely did she register the jaded voices of outsiders.


    ¡°Really, Greed? You had to send in one of your assassins to take out my grandchild, as well as a full dozen of your strongest pawns here on Earth? You do know that there will be significant penalties for that breach.¡±


    ¡°Well worth the price, woman. Considering your son, I decided it was best not to take chances. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    ¡°MOMMY!¡±


    Lillian¡¯s eyes were helplessly riveted to her mother being casually flung from the assassins¡¯ cruel blade, her steaming entrails spilling behind her as she crashed to the grass, wheezing her final breaths as the air began to vibrate and thrum with forces Lilly had last experienced in hideous nightmare.


    Yet when she locked gazed with the sneering assassin, glaring so coldly at her as he licked free his blade and approached with a coldblooded killer¡¯s smile, all she saw was a monster worse than the twisted horrors that had once consumed an entire world.


    Horrors that had consumed countless hundreds of thousands of innocent souls.


    Horrors, like the cackling shamans, that had absolutely slaughtered numerous desperate champions that had dared to pit themselves against inevitable corruption.


    ¡°Look at that foolish girl, trembling like a leaf after Snilk gutted her pet. Pathetic! At this rate, we won¡¯t be able to cast a single spell before he has his fun!¡±


    The words mean nothing to Lillian as she shrieked to the heavens, crackling with all the fury of winter, before her eyes snapped open and she embraced that which even Bronze-tier Cthulian horrors a world away had learned to fear as the air began to hum with static so fierce it drowned out all sound as the air turned crimson with sweetest retribution.


    For just a second she caught sight of her own countenance reflected in the beady gazes of over a dozen sneering goblins. A frightened girl with desperate eyes and a pair of rabbit ears crackling with crimson lightning flaring brighter than the sun. A light that made the head shaman alone flinch with sudden apprehension.


    ¡°No, no, no! She¡¯s another ringer! Strike her down now! Kill her before she¡ª¡±


    ¡°SANGUIS FULMEN!¡±


    Two words alone Lillian screamed so loud that the field exploded around her, sending her opponents flying. But not before the entire dome was filled with brilliant crackling red lightning that didn¡¯t die off but built and built to shockingly brilliant proportions.


    So bright that the entire dome began to glow like the sun.


    Greed cursed furiously and stepped back.


    He turned to Aurelia with a look of awed disgust.


    ¡°That bitch is just shy of rupturing a world gate! Who the hell did your son fuck to create that?¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s throaty chuckle made even Caliban shiver, her words a taunting retribution as porcelain features revealed winter¡¯s chill smile once more.


    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent question, dear Greed. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±

 Chapter 346 - Treachery

    ¡°Eric, slow the fuck down! You¡¯re going to get us killed!¡±


    But Eric couldn¡¯t slow down. Not when he felt so many cards of fate, both fare and foul, focus on his flesh and blood. And most especially not when he sensed now one but half a dozen hostile reds blaze to life from concealment, at least on his map interface, the instant his danger sense flared as they tried to take a bead on him.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, we¡¯re hot!¡± He shouted as the bucolic afternoon panorama of endless fecund fields and rolling hills with the occassional cluster of trees was broken up with the flaring flash of plasma rifles arcing out from multiple areas of concealment.


    Quickness check made!


    Fire that Eric found it far easier to avoid than the bone veli his friends rode behind him.


    ¡°Fuck! That thing almost hit me!¡±


    ¡°Shit, Emily!¡±


    Eric¡¯s alarm turned to outrage when the group interface making it clear that one of his friends had been hit, despite the general purpose defensive ward he had put on his construction.


    His desperate urgency turned to hyperintense focus when he spotted over a dozen nearby ambush sights with thick foliage and dips in the terrain where well-placed goblins snipers would have cover and concealment while peppering any would-be hero eager to join the Sylvan Alliance. As to how it could have come to this with the treaties now in place, an increasingly outraged Eric thought he understood.


    Aurelia¡¯s hard-fought concessions for peace had assured equitable status for faction members only.


    Nothing at all said that the bastards couldn¡¯t cut down any humans intending to march under Elonia¡¯s banner. Not until they were formally sworn in, and Greed and his cohorts were obviously dead set on keeping Sylvan Alliance recruitment at a dead flat zero.


    Fresh examples of Bloodtear treachery that only heightened Eric¡¯s disdain for his vile foes and reaffirmed his silent commitment to purge those abominations from his world at all costs, no matter how carefully he had to dance around Caliban.


    Yet those bitter observations would do nothing to remove multiple assassins carefully concealed in countless hidey-holes that his Unified Perception skill and a damn high base Perception synergized with his Dominion Interface map finally picked up on.


    For that, he¡¯d need fire.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Hell Vines!¡±


    Eric¡¯s voice echoed through the once lush valley as it was ruthlessly lit up into a charnel house of flame. And whatever shame Eric felt at despoiling lush, bucolic, life-giving greenery in what was now a fully domesticated territory he himself had forged and enhanced, it was soothed by the goblinoid shrieks of not one but several dozen enemy faction reds flaring to life in his interface before fading for all time.


    ¡°Jeezus, Eric! The landscape offend your sensibilities that much? I thought you elves were into that sort of thing!¡±


    ¡°We are, Jack. But all the goblin sniper topiary just had to go.¡±


    Steve snorted at that. ¡°Yeah, I think we all agree with you there, buddy. Only aren¡¯t we getting close to your sister¡¯s place? I just got a notice that we entered Sylvan territory¡­ and why the fuck were goblins sniping us anyway?¡±


    ¡°Because goblins are slimy little monstrous murderous fuckwads who would steal your soul as quick as a demon and they all deserve to be sent right back to hell!¡± Eric snapped. ¡°Because their earlier gesture of peace with my sister¡¯s faction just meant that they¡¯d do all they could to kill any human foolish enough to actually try to join the Sylvan Alliance long before they could actually sign up. And because this whole fucking thing is a trap meant to wipe my sister¡¯s faction completely off the map, so enough talking, because now we are moving FAST!¡±


    At that very moment, the air rang with a scream that brought Eric to the edge of furious desperation. If his friends thought he had been going fast before¡­ their own panicked yells made it clear that they had no idea of just how considerate Eric had been this entire time.


    The anxious panic clawing at the back of Eric¡¯s throat as he raced toward that cry was such that he would have cut and run without a second thought if he didn¡¯t have to fear a couple cleverly hidden snipers skilled enough that even his senses and perks had missed quietly taking his friends out unawares with their utterly illegal blaster rifles that they still had access to, the minute Eric was out of their sight.


    Fucking assholes.


    ¡°Lillian hold on! I¡¯m coming!¡± Eric roared as a single stray beam of steel-melting light resulted in yet another grove of apple trees being absolutely obliterated by whipping fiery vines blazing hotter than they ever had before.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with a sudden epiphany, not giving two fucks about long term planning or conservation of resources as his go-to spell blossomed in ways both fearsome and grand and an apple grove was obliterated beyond all recovery.


    He could only hope that whatever interference was making it absolutely impossible for him to send interface messages to any of his friends or relatives would also keep other secrets close as well.


    Congratulations! Arcane Potential, Spiritual Energy, and Soul Reserves have each one up one point as Revelations and insights garnered on the cusp of desperate panic have given you the breakthrough you need to advance and ascend!


    Your Runic Spell: Hell Vines has reached Journeyman Rank!


    How do you wish to evolve this spell?


    Your own experience with the Efficiency Perk makes this highly costly spell a perfect candidate for a fifty percent cost reduction! Fully multiplicative with all other¡ª


    Option disregarded.


    Your daughter¡¯s own revelations mean that Appetite for Destruction will always be available to you! Increase the sheer potency and raw destructive power of your spell by a full 50%! Fully multiplicative with all other¡ª


    Option disregarded.


    Your increasing mastery over the fundamentals of magic has opened a new path of growth and advancement for you! You may now¡ª


    Option disregarded.


    You are attempting to EVOLVE your essence-linked spell with a Higher Order Transformation! Goblin protocols FORBID transcendent evolutions for all native Classers occupying this world.


    (be glad that you were able to squeeze a cultivation evolution through earlier! Rest assured that a certain half-step Gold patron of your enemies will be doing all he can to prevent that loophole in the future!)


    NOTE! Goblin Faction has been System-Sanctioned! All previous manipulations of Standard System Protocols have now been REVOKED!


    You have successfully EVOLVED Hell Vines Spell into a TRANSCENDENT version of this spell!


    Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) - Transcendent Vines - Dare to go beyond all Earthly limitations and embrace the very origins of destruction! Your Hell Vines will now transcend fire¡¯s mortal echo and evoke a higher order manifestation of the Platonic ideal of Flame, should you will it so.


    140 Mana, 140 Qi, and 280 in Soul Reserves will be expended with every Transcendent cluster of Vines you dare to unleash upon your foes.


    WARNING this is beyond your MAXIMUM Soul Reserves!


    You have successfully summoned Crimson Orb - IGNORING all goblinoid edicts against necromancy!


    Soul Reserves cost have been brought back down to 140. WARNING! this is still beyond your Maximum Soul Reserves! Balance will have to be directly paid in potency and life force if you DARE to cast this spell in its transcendent form!


    (Standard form may be used as before without penalty.)


    Eric cursed furiously under his breath as desperation drove him to grasp for power that could just as easily destroy him.


    ¡°Fuck! Even at Journeyman, why the fuck doesn¡¯t cost go down?¡± He cursed to himself even as he wheezed for breath. Yet he was also reeling from the revelations the System had let slip through its so often sarcastic veneer with him. Namely that it wasn¡¯t just random chance or the grinding gears of an impersonal universe that had the System seem so often at odds with Humanity¡¯s best interests.


    Rather it was some half-step Gold tier monster that was somehow responsible for the dead ends, pitfalls, lack of information and constant sabotaging of humanity¡¯s efforts. It wasn¡¯t just impersonal elites who had shaped the System to best suit them, but one particular hostile entity who had been manipulating what Eric sensed was normally a far more synergistic, even benevolent universal medium to suit its own ends. And those ends seemed to include advancing goblin-kind on the carbonized corpses and tormented souls of any newly ascended race it could get their grimy little claws on.


    It was a truth that was utterly chilling as to the depths of malice and depravity that it suggested. Yet it seemed as well that that particular monster and his clan had seriously overstepped, and perhaps there were benefits to having at least played a hand in helping to resolve a certain System aberration before it could get any more powerful. And if that meant that Eric had ended up helping a System he feared as much as sought to master, well, perhaps that was the only reason why his daughter was even alive, and he was receiving a backhanded hint or two, as opposed to being left completely in the dark.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Yet none of that changed the facts that his familiar¡¯s frantic interparty messaging had let through, despite the arcane static in the ether.


    It seemed that Greed was far more than a simple White-tier con artist, facilitator, and scumbag. He was, in fact, a hideously powerful hidden ace whose very present violated countless accords and was dead set on not just claiming the board but assuring humanity¡¯s utter destruction while doing so. Eric had certainly had his suspicions from Greed¡¯s negotiation shenanigans when he had pulled out so many thousands of children trapped in awful iron cages. Fears that had solidified to near dreadful certainty after the desperate living dreams he had shared with Bunbun when together they had channeled the full might and fury of their power to send their foes¡¯ house of haunted bones tumbling down, hopefully for all time.


    Yet now their worst fears had been unequivocally realized, Greed had somehow manipulated his daughter into accepting a challenge against the bastard¡¯s most powerful shaman, and Bunbun was certain that Greed was going to rig the odds in his champion¡¯s favor.


    Because of course he was.


    Eric snarled as adrenaline and Wrath surged through his body, somehow able to push himself to move ever faster at the cost of a tiny drain to his Soul Reserves as he balanced Wrath and Dominion to master himself even as his muscles thrummed with power while he rode on the cusp of a berserker¡¯s fury.


    The tiny corner of his mind that was still lucid could only pray that he wouldn¡¯t have to use his newest trump card, for all that he reveled in the sudden frisson of insight and intensity as elevating an arcane art to its higher transcendent ideal fleshed out his increasing comprehension of a higher order of flame, the pristine multidimensional essence of consumption, radiation, and oblivion that it teased as being, knowing that his choice had been the right choice, the only choice he could have made with that spell and still walk the path of a higher order node evolution that he was chillingly certain he should have no access to at all.


    ¡°Even if unleashing that spell could age me so quick that now even those Fire Peaches will save me from shriveling up like an old prune,¡± he thought to himself between exhales as he continued to race toward where he sensed his familiar like a bright blazing beacon of hope, joy, and companionship¡­ right before the palace he could finally make out.


    ¡°Fucking yes, we made it, guys!¡± Eric assured his friends, immediately easing up on the Wrath and Dominion thrumming like tightly strung cords playing a harmonious duet as he finally slowed down to a sane pace so as to stop his bone veli without his friends suffering catastrophic whiplash. With only a minimal amount of Soul Reserves spent, he sensed he was on the cusp of revelations that could so easily blossom into a new skill. But he had no time for relaxed contemplation or further practice.


    His daughter was in trouble and he needed to find her NOW!


    His eyes widened with awe despite his anxious focus as he caught sight of countless thousands of sylvan men and women dressed as lightly armored cavalrymen, all of them with bows and sabers upon cantilevered saddle sheaths, with a good fraction of the men dressed in heavier armor of plate steel with lancer spears in holster cups secured to the horse¡¯s sides by their saddles. Yet each and every one of them, elves, and horses, officers and enlisted, were frozen in eerily still perfection. Not one twitched or shifted in their saddles, no hair was rustled in the cool autumn breeze.


    Just absolute stillness and the crackling formation of a dome just a few hundred yards ahead.


    ¡°What the fuck, Eric Silver!¡± Yuki¡¯s breathless gasp was enough to make Eric wince as he finally came to a stop, quickly freeing himself from his harness and turning to give his heartfelt apologies to the closest thing he had to an adventuring party he could call his own.


    ¡°You absolute asswipe,¡± Jack whispered, his eyes caught between horror, dismay, and wonder. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether that was the most fucking epic joy ride of my life, or I want to scream bloody murder and kill you.¡± He gave an exhausted chuckle. ¡°Probably both.¡±


    ¡°I vote murder,¡± whispered a clearly exhausted Emily, who just as clearly was green around the gills and looked ready to hurl. ¡°Oh fuck, I need to get out now!¡±


    Richard shot Eric a glare as he too stumbled out of the bone veli on shaky legs. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely be talking about this later, Eric. But for now¡­¡±


    ¡°For now, if you could nab us some accommodations in that epic looking palace, that would be incredibly sweet,¡± Steve said, gazing at Elonia¡¯s sky blue palace of crystalline windows, arching gables, graceful minarets and marbled splendor with more than a bit of awe.


    ¡°Fuck yes,¡± Yuki concurred with a nod. ¡°Screw my uncle¡¯s high-rise. This is where I¡¯d like to rest my boots after delving in twisted pocket realms¡­ wait, Eric, where the fuck are you going?¡±


    But Eric didn¡¯t dare waste another second, having only slowed down for his friend¡¯s sake, and now he could sprint unimpeded, racing towards the shimmering dome crackling with endless possibilities and the faint taste of utter oblivion, before he caught sight of that which sent him racing forward in a sprint with a furious, outraged scream.


    ¡°Lillian! Behind you!¡±


    Because his daughter wasn¡¯t locked in a hundred yard diameter prismatic dome of indestructible portal magics with a single Bronze-tier champion, monstrously unfair as that would be.


    She was trapped with a full dozen of those smirking goblin bastards inside. And a sneering Greed that Eric caught sight of only now wasn¡¯t content with somehow twisting the odds that much in his favor.


    No. The slimy bastard Eric really should have killed while he could was clearly taking no chances, as the same slinking little cutthroat assassin that had once hid in Greed¡¯s shadow now stalked Eric¡¯s daughter with the sneer of a predator who savored violating his prey, and was just a heartbeat away from striking even as Lillian braced herself for what might be a very gruesome death at the hands of a full dozen goblin shamans that Eric swore in his heart right then and there that he would see dead if they harmed a single hair on his daughter¡¯s head. But that didn¡¯t mean shit if they were the faint and the assassin was about to strike right¡ª.


    ¡°BUNBUN! SAVE OUR DAUGHTER!¡± Eric screamed in his mind as he raised forward, his fists clenched with monstrous heat and Greed firmly in his sights as he embraced the blinding fury threatening to consume him, paying no heed to the countless familiar Sylvan faces gazing at him with looks raging from awe to desire to primal terror¡­ before the entire dome erupted in brilliant crimson light blazing as brightly as the sun.


    ¡°SANGUIS FULMEN!¡±


    Eric blinked away the spots in his eyes quicker than most of the surviving Sylvan command present, including Lord Drevan and his daughter Annika who had come so close to claiming him, along with Sufia who was also there, looking every inch the elite ranger bodyguard who for some reason didn¡¯t seem at all startled by his presence, flashing Eric a cheeky smile even as others gazed his way with trepidation and fear.


    Lady Valorn was giving him the strangest look, caught between desire and dread. Even Captain Teila was present, who didn¡¯t look an iota different than he recalled her being when she had first helped Rica and himself leave Gilton along with countless other refugees. Though the desperate look she was sending his way was the farthest thing from comforting.


    Every elf of significance within his sister¡¯s faction, save for his sister herself, seemed to be there.


    Yet all Eric had eyes for was the conniving monster who had so gleefully put a pain collar around his neck before sending all his revenants to a starship foundry that seemed closer to a pit of hell than any high tech marvel. A monster who Eric now understood intended nothing less than the destruction and the eternal torment of humanity in its entirety, while profiting mightily in the form of billions of credits for every starship built on the tears and agony of sentient souls in torment that he could build.


    And to top it all off, that monstrous abomination had just tried to assassinate his daughter, who only lived now because her mother had thrown herself on the dagger meant for Lilly herself.


    And all the shameless monster could do was stare at Eric¡¯s mother with a look of awed disgust.


    ¡°That bitch is just shy of rupturing a world gate! Who the hell did your son fuck to create that?¡±


    Only in that moment did his mother, who had seemed utterly oblivious to his presence, choose to look Eric¡¯s way, her hypnotically beautiful eyes locking with his own, reading all his struggles, insights, trials and tribulations, understanding her son utterly in the blink of an eye, as she no doubt always had.


    Her throaty chuckle sounded just like it had for a million avid movie-goers once upon a time.


    Yet now her words were for Eric alone.


    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent question, dear Greed. Why don¡¯t you ask him?¡±


    Even as a snarling Greed spun around far, far faster than the showman he had presented himself to be less than a week ago should have been capable of, Eric felt the presence of Sulia before him, making full use of her enhanced stats and Wind Cultivation technique to move the forty yards at blinding speed, holding in her hands a prize he had honestly never expected to see again.


    ¡°My prince. Your blade. I return it to your care.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, more touched than he wanted to admit to be presented with the weapon now in his hands, attuned as it now was to the elements of both Wind and Flame.


    It was a blade that instantly called out to him, bound as it already was to his soul.


    As fast as thought, both blade and sheath had disappeared, only to reappear right on his hip, hands upon hilt and sheathe as his right foot slid forward, in perfect position for an iado strike as Greed finished spinning around to confront the Contender he had tried to hard to kill.


    ¡°YOU!¡± Greed roared, glaring at Eric in surprise, fury, and no small amount of fear.


    Eric¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Me.¡±


    And a heartbeat before Eric gave physical manifestation to the fury he felt, unexpected words of reason filled the air.


    ¡°He¡¯s under Blue Corp protection, Eric!¡± Annika cried. ¡°He¡¯s on the cusp of reaching for Silver! Don¡¯t let him bait you, or you¡¯ll lose, even if you win!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even be here,¡± Greed snarled. ¡°You should be DEAD!¡±


    Eric¡¯s white-hot fury froze to bitter cold focus. Before his lips curled in a smile, knowing the play to make.


    ¡°Sorry, Greed,¡± Eric sneered. ¡°Wasn¡¯t really feeling it. Sloth, on the other hand, now he¡¯s DEFINITELY feeling the dead.¡±


    Eric felt a fierce glorious surge of vindictive hate at the look of horrified dismay on Greed¡¯s features¡­ before feeling the first tinges of apprehension that he absolutely refused to call fear when the shyster before him began to twist and bloat in ways both hideous and chilling, somehow growing as vast as the stormy clouds above without growing an inch. Yet all the same, Eric had to fight against the sudden vertigo he felt.


    ¡°You DARE to strike at the House of Asmodeous, you pathetic WORM? You and your daughter will pay with your souls!¡±


    Eric¡¯s lips stretched wide in a feral grin revealing all his suddenly sharp teeth as he laughed up at the massive demonic form that now took up his whole field of vision. ¡°Bring it, motherfucker, and we¡¯ll see who ends up in hell!¡±


    Greed roared and seemed to bloat in size before Eric¡¯s very eyes.


    Eric¡¯s fists abruptly blazed brilliant with pristine flame that made even Greed flinch, before the air grew heavy with static energy like the mightiest storm under the heavens.


    Yet Aurelia¡¯s smug grin made it clear it wasn¡¯t her doing as the air grew crimson with light far more fierce than any setting sun.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, both awed and amazed even past his desperate fury, to see none other than his little girl stepping forward from the shattered shell of a dimensional rift, her delicate rabbit ears now crackling with lightning so fiercely bright that half the elves present cried out and flinched.


    Eric was profoundly humbled, just sensing the sheer power held within the crimson lightning crackling between her ears.


    And Greed, clearly no fool, sensed death at his back only to spin around, somehow a dozen steps away from Eric before he had registered the little shit moving an inch.


    FUCK! For a heartbeat, Eric was chilled to realize how outclassed he was even in his favored characteristic by the monster who shouldn¡¯t even be permitted on this world.


    Yet the look on Greed¡¯s face was anything but triumphant.


    ¡°You destroyed them.¡± Greed¡¯s voice was void of all inflection. ¡°A dozen of my most elite shaman, Each of them having proved themselves as Bronze. A dozen levels each for a dozen of my prized tools¡­ and you¡¯ve obliterated them all to ash.¡±


    Eric stole a glance despite his determination to keep his eyes on Greed, awed despite himself to see the absolute devastation within the former dome.


    Where the surrounding grass was lush and fecund, every inch of earth had been scored and atomized by bolts of lightning closer to nuclear plasma than mere electrical discharge. Nothing but scored bedrock remained, and a single perfectly preserved bunny.


    Eric felt his heart fill with a desperate furious ache, before he took solace in the shimmering corona of crackling power surrounding his daughter, who was now gazing at Greed with the eyes of an avenging angel.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to die, Greed.¡±

 Chapter 347 - Retribution

    Lillian¡¯s eyes lit up like crackling orbs of crimson death. Mirroring the lightning arcing and crackling with ever greater intensity between her glowing ears. So intense was the radiation that even Eric felt his flesh start to burn, sensing his mother shelter both her and Lord Caliban¡¯s people with Winter¡¯s Ward, yet otherwise refusing to interrupt Lillian¡¯s monologue as she laughed in a snarling Greed¡¯s face, never looking so beautiful, awe inspiring, or deadly than she did at that moment. Looking very much like her aunt Elonia in the final scenes of her favorite movies.


    Greed hissed and snarled, his entire form immediately covered in a shimmering prismatic field which Eric was somehow certain would do him very little good at all.


    ¡°No more rule breaking for you, Greed. And a fucking awesome class for me! And maybe I could let it go at that, you fucking psychopathic piece of shit! But your backstabbing assassin STABBED MY MOTHER! So I¡¯m going to wipe you and your whole fucking clan off the map, motherfucker!¡±


    Greed¡¯s sneered, his face a twisted mask of fear and desperate fury.


    ¡°You¡¯re weak! You¡¯re nothing! Just another mutant Classer doomed to fall when this world¡¯s Ascension is over!¡± Greed sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t dare strike at me, or my people! All of Blue Corp will strike you dead if you do!¡± His lips curled in a desperate smile. ¡°And unless you forgot, our people are under contract! The Sylvan Alliance is now allied to the Goblin Faction!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that ship sailed long ago, Greed,¡± Said a tutting Aurelia. ¡°Back when you made it clear you had reaved the souls from my men before they ever set foot upon Earth.¡± She turned to Caliban with a cool little smile. ¡°Tell me, Caliban, wasn¡¯t the forged treaty good for precisely 400,000 men?¡±


    Caliban dipped his head, even as the crackling corona surrounding Lillian grew. ¡°That is correct, Your Grace. 400,000 men of your choosing, in pristine health.¡±


    ¡°But they are in pristine health! Their bodies are fine!¡± Greed furiously jabbed his finger at the frozen men and women. ¡°You can see that as clear as day!¡±


    ¡°But their souls are not,¡± said Eric with a cold chuckle, instantly understanding his mother¡¯s thrust. ¡°So even the ever upright Blue Corp will was their hands of this treaty.¡±


    ¡°Culturally insignificant trifles!¡± Greed screamed. ¡°Your vaunted scientific method has no proof that souls even exist! I¡¯ve seen your file, fool! Until the System Advent, you were an atheist, you Western Enlightenment-loving hypocrite!¡±


    ¡°Wrong, Greed! The scientific method takes no official stance on theological positions that can¡¯t be disproven! And your corrupt Soul Forges already proves that souls exist, you psychopathic little shit! As does Necromancy, one of the few counters to your twisted arts, which is why you hate necromancers so much! Because you fear what we can do. Because you rightly feared us bringing your house of cards crashing down. Isn¡¯t that right, Greed?¡±


    Eric felt a dark shiver of murderous satisfaction in the hook of anxious uncertainty over a cauldron of bitter loss he was now dangling his foe over. Greed¡¯s furious gaze all but pleading for certain words to remain unsaid, so Eric fed it to him with an ice-cold smile¡­ and plenty of vinegar.


    ¡°BONE cards, Greed. A full cathedral¡¯s worth of bones that came tumbling down right on Sloth¡¯s head! Crushing your pathetic partner and all his slimy little ship core engineers. Isn¡¯t that right, you little pustulent sack of ungodly¡­¡±


    You have been critically struck by Greed Asmodeaus! Level 90 Deep Bronze ascension revealed!


    You have saved versus fatality.


    You have saved versus stunning blow!


    ¡°I thought you were bluffing before but YOU KNOW! YOU KNOW OUR SECRET! YOU DESTROYED OUR STARSHIP CORE FACTORY! I WILL RIP OFF YOUR HEAD FOR THAT, YOU VILE LITTLE WORM!¡±


    Greed¡¯s vile voice became Eric¡¯s entire world as he cartwheeled through the air, struck by a blow that, for all his speed, Eric hadn¡¯t even seen coming.


    He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh for having baited his opponent so thoroughly, or cry for the agony of shattered ribs as he pushed his Unified Restoration to the utmost even as he whispered a single pair of runic words for wind to keep him aloft for a few precious seconds before he landed right back on his feet.


    You have saved versus Crippling Pain!


    Eric¡¯s thankfully intact heart raced with a sudden spike of dread, realizing just how much of a cocky fool he was playing. He was NOT alone. His daughter was here. And if he wasn¡¯t damn careful, she could pay the price for him goading that monster. A price he wasn¡¯t even sure he could pay, because clearly that Ascendant Bronze was terrifyingly quick.


    Yet the intense shimmer and crackle of glowing radiation only heightened, Eric suddenly cognizant of a furious, terrified scream, before the world erupted in crimson destruction.


    ¡°SANGUIS FULMEN!¡±


    His daughter¡¯s voice echoed endlessly across the valley as Eric caught sight of a distant stretch of forest exploding in crimson lightning and flame.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened in sheer awe. ¡°Holy fuck! That¡¯s over a mile away! What volume of forest was that? An entire acre obliterated with that one spell? More?¡± He did a quick check on his interface map, not expecting to see anything¡­ only to find the devastation caused by a Sylvan General engaging in what Aurelia instantly termed ¡®training exercises¡¯ was exactly 2.53 acres. He shook his head, more than humbled to realize just how far one could push his spells if they had the right enhancements and perks. Truly, there seemed to be no limit to the awesome.


    A brilliant Silver lining in a day filled with so much anxiety and uncertainty, and the bitter loss of someone he loved. All he could do now was swallow the awful lump in his throat and race as fast as he could back to wear his Mother awaited him, measuring him as always with her enigmatic ice blue eyes, and thank all the heavens that his daughter was there as well.


    Absolutely glowing with health¡­ and holding the painfully still form of his familiar. Her mother.


    Eric wordlessly wrapped Lillian in his arms as she sobbed bitter tears of love, loss, and regret.


    ¡°I should have known, Father. I should have known trouble was coming!¡± She cried, yanking her own ear in frustration.


    ¡°Stop that, child. You possess twin magical instruments of incomparable power and grace. Best not to disrupt their exquisite perfection, even temporarily, in a matter of pique,¡± Aurelia gently chided her granddaughter.


    Eric scowled at his mother who was saying absolutely the wrong thing to his daughter as she cried all the harder in his arms. He gave his suddenly flustered mother a glare. ¡°Not helping, mom.¡±


    Eric ignored the increasing animated whispers and murmurs behind him, all his focus on the girl in his arms. He was prepared to hold Lillian all night if she needed his comfort. He¡¯d have time enough to morn his beloved familiar later.


    Yet surprisingly, after a few final sniffles and choked back sobs, it was Lillian who pulled herself free of her father¡¯s gentle grip, with a final squeeze and a kiss on his cheek.


    She met his gaze with a tearful smile. ¡°Thanks¡­ dad.¡±


    Eric blinked, not knowing why he was feeling so choked up with those words, after everything else that had happened. ¡°No, Lillian. Thank you.¡± He flashed a cheeky grin. ¡°I think you just might have saved your old man¡¯s life.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Hardly old, dad. I¡¯m pretty sure we were born in the same year.¡± The she froze, paling, giving Eric, the elven command gazing at her in speechless stupefaction, and Eric¡¯s rapidly approaching friends the strangest look.


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


    ¡°But that¡¯s not quite true, is it, dad? It¡¯s Bunbun¡­ Gamer Girl¡­ my mother that was born in the same year as you and Elonia. Me? I¡¯m less than two days old, right? I just happen to have all her memories back from the time I made me,¡± she gave a rueful shake of her head, tears flowing freely for all that her voice was husky, yet calm, as she spoke on. ¡°And to think, I thought when I was designing my build with Conceptio¡¯s help, I though she was replacing me. When really, it was her forging me, her daughter.¡±


    Eric swallowed, hurriedly wiping his stinging eyes as he met his daughter¡¯s gaze once more. And why the fuck was he crying? He had the best news in the world for her. And if there were consequences he would face? HE really didn¡¯t give a flying fuck.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you put Bunbun back where she belongs, love?¡±


    Lillian gazed up at Eric with a child¡¯s desperate hope as she did just that.


    He squeezed her hand, catching Caliban¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, what¡¯s Blue Corp¡¯s stance on necromancy.¡±


    Caliban flashed him a knowing smile. ¡°Absolutely none, Eric. Local edicts have no sway within Blue Corp territory. Most especially not territories you yourself have surrendered to our care.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Excellent.¡±


    He turned to his mother. ¡°If you would be so kind?¡±


    His mother gazed at him for long seconds before her barking orders caused every elf in attendance not locked in status to snap around, scanning the horizon for enemies all knew were in no danger of manifesting.


    Eric exchanged a look with his hope-filled daughter. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Lillian flushed. ¡°Dad, I have a new class¡­ it no longer works like it used to.¡±


    Eric blinked, then dipped his head. ¡°Clearly, you¡¯ve had some sweet class evolutions since I woke up and your sentience diverged from me and your mother. I want to hear all about it. But first, let me show you a secret.¡±


    He gazed with tender warmth at the soft little bundle of fur looking as perfect as could be, the former injury gone as if it had never been, only her perfect stillness making it clear that life had left her form.


    Until with a single gentle whisper, the gate between life and death was opened once more.


    ¡°Surge, centuria. Imperator imperat tibi.¡±


    The faintest whisper and Lillian¡¯s eyes widened with wonder as the tiny bunny in her father¡¯s tender, powerful hands twitched once, twice, then did a perfect cartwheel and perched herself right back on Lillian¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°That was so fucking epic!¡± BunBun squealed. ¡°You totally obliterated those bastards!¡±


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Lillian squealed, sobbing as she held her bunny close. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Damn right I am¡­ oof. Too tight, love. Waay too tight! You clearly went up a few more levels taking out a FULL DOZEN fucking Bronze-tier assholes! Now tell mumsy that didn¡¯t get you an awesome title that would make your daddy absolutely GREEN with envy!¡±


    Lillian flushed prettily and lowered her gaze. ¡°No comment,¡± she said with a smile that made it clear that at least one Bronze-tier title had been claimed without him.


    Not that he minded a bit, seeing his daughter¡¯s smile.


    Lilly¡¯s relieved grin turned to an iron-hard scowl as she looked around, clearly not finding what she was searching for.


    ¡°Lilly?¡±


    ¡°Where is he, dad? I had that little monster dead to fucking rights!¡±


    Eric shrugged, having seen the titanic flash, several acres exploding to blazing embers and ash, and nothing else.


    Aurelia traded a knowing smile with Caliban. ¡°Isn¡¯t she a wonder?¡±


    He solemnly bowed his head.


    ¡°What tier of power would you say my granddaughter has achieved, dear Caliban?¡±


    He sighed, peering thoughtfully at a totally not self-conscious Lilly who draped her bemused father¡¯s arm around her and pouted.


    ¡°She managed to trip all of Greed¡¯s fail-safes and contingency teleportation anchor enchantments. My guess is that he¡¯s severely injured and presently in the care of powerful old monsters even more jaded and bitter than he.¡± Caliban flashed a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°I suspect our acquaintance is going to have an extremely rigorous handful of weeks, to say the least.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened with something close to outrage. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying that strike didn¡¯t kill him? You won¡¯t believe all the multipliers I now have on that fucker!¡±


    Caliban gave her the faintest of smiles. ¡°The fact that you managed to put an ancient contender at the upper echelons of Bronze in critical condition despite all of his arcane fail-safes¡­ Bronze-tier fail-safes, that all erupted at once, says all that needs to be said about your strength, Lady Lillian.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a monster. An honest to god freekin¡¯ monster!¡± Whispered none other than an awed-looking Jack, who might have offended Lillian or at least hurt her feelings, if his green eyes weren¡¯t filled with something far closer to awe than not¡­ before he collapsed to his knees. ¡°Please say you¡¯ll adventure with us! Lady Lillian, right? You¡¯re Eric¡¯s daughter?¡± His eyes widened, not quite wiping the look of consternation off his features fast enough when he caught sight of the cute little bunny rabbit perched on her shoulder.


    ¡°And that¡¯s¡­ um¡­ your mother?¡±


    The rabbit snorted. ¡°That¡¯s Bunz to you, dear. And you¡¯re damn right I¡¯m her mumsy. Right, baby?¡±


    Lillian smirked, gently patting her mother¡¯s head.


    Jack stood their, mouth hanging open until a snorting Yuki snapped shut his jaw.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, Jack. Clearly System shenanigans were involved. Right, Eric?¡±


    Eric exchanged a look with his familiar who snorted and chuckled.


    ¡°They¡¯ll never understand our love, will they, master?¡±


    Yuki paled. ¡°No¡­ just no.¡±


    Eric and Bunbun both laughed at her expression.


    ¡°It was an immaculate conception,¡± Lillian grumbled. ¡°Can we just leave it at that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, absolutely!¡± Said a very enthusiastic and excited-looking Steve. ¡°That was such an awesome spell. Incredible! Absolutely incredible! You blew up, what, half a forest in the blink of an eye?¡±


    ¡°It was an overshot, okay?¡± Murmured a suddenly embarrassed looking Lillian. ¡°I was just trying to hit Greed, and there was just too much power left over so I sort of um, channeled it far away from here so I wouldn¡¯t slaughter my own troops by accident.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait. That spell you cast.. that much destruction¡­ and it¡¯s not even designed as area effect, but a single target? You were just venting excess potency?¡±


    Lillian shrugged. ¡°Um¡­ sort of? It chains between targets.¡±


    Yuki just stared. ¡°That was an acre of prime forest. You want to guess how many trees your lightning bolt chained to, obliterating them all to ash?¡±


    Steve¡¯s eyes widened with awe. ¡°Wait¡­ I recognize that spell! That¡¯s Eric¡¯s crimson lightning! But how did it get so insanely powerful?¡±


    Lillian laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never played Exile¡¯s Path?¡±


    ¡°Well of course I have,¡± Steve assured. ¡°But what does that have to do¡­¡± His eyes lit up. ¡°Multiplicative bonuses and synergistic effects. So many delicious multipliers, all stacked together! You¡¯re a genius!¡±


    Lillian preened. ¡°I resemble that remark.¡±


    Jack¡¯s gaze grew just as eager as Steve¡¯s. ¡°Just how powerful can you throw your lightning? I know Eric can take out low-rank Orange tier monsters with a single bolt, or even the nastiest revenants. But that bolt¡­¡±


    Lillian shared a quick glance with Eric and Aurelia, of all things.


    Aurelia¡¯s warm sultry laughter washed over Eric¡¯s friends. ¡°Questions for another time, children. For now, my dear granddaughter has a mission of mercy and liberation to prepare herself for.¡±


    Eric froze at those words, feeling an ache in his chest that had nothing to do with Greed Azmodeaus¡¯s monstrous blow, and everything to do with the look in his daughter¡¯s eyes as he held her close for what might be the last time in quite awhile.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    Eric smiled away any need for explanation. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Elonia could use someone as strong, capable, and powerful as you. And god knows Greystone needs to be liberated from literal hell on earth. If you can actually manage to purge even a portion of that world beyond our single territory free of goblin influence¡­ free what slaves or captives you find, like the sixty thousand now living peaceful lives in our caldera where before there had been only a nightmare soul forge¡­ you truly will be a hero worthy of the storybooks, Lillian Silver.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s eyes widened, swallowing words she suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to say before abruptly squeezing Eric tight and crying in his arms.


    ¡°I love you dad.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I love you too, Lilly.¡± He was shocked by just how much he meant it, kissing her cheek just as the last rays of the waning sun kissed the pair of them, and then she, along with nearly four hundred thousand elven cavalry troops, was gone.

 Chapter 348 - Explanations

    For long moments, Eric just stared out at the vast fields and woodland groves stretching out to the ochre horizon lit up by smouldering fires from both Lilly¡¯s and his own earlier interventions, allowing silent tears to flow down his cheeks as he heard the sweet notes of his friends and boon companions being reunited with Aurelia¡¯s freshly minted paladins, Elonia¡¯s sworn defenders, and the friends and siblings of the New York elites who were now delving by Eric¡¯s side.


    He smiled at the sounds of their giddy squeals, tearful hugs and excited conversations as inhuman Perception made out so many streams of excited conversations and happy reunions and now he was choking back sobs of his own, humbled by just how close he had come to ending all their precious lives. Precious stories cut short, if he had unleashed deadly cannon shot that would have utterly obliterated that mockery of a tribunal in Freetown, or allowed that asshole Ron to goad his newest companions into trying to take him down in the delve just outside New York City¡¯s far safer white-tier territory.


    Instead he had held back and resisted embracing those easier paths, even if he had paid a terrible price in pain and a humbling price in discipline to get where he was right now. Witnessing a miraculous sunset with the sounds of revelry and laughter as Aurelia, a strikingly powerful Silver who had revealed herself at least, played consummate host to an extend group of White-tier mortal youths only a year or two younger older than her own children.


    At that very moment, as the solstice moon caressed their shivering forms, she was touching their brows and infusing them with the inconceivably powerful boons of a Silver-tier titan pleased with their service to her son. A woman who was now, thanks to Greed¡¯s multiple infractions including revealing his own hideous strength, was finally allowed to reveal just a sliver of her true faerie power.


    Eric could only hope his boon companions wouldn¡¯t find fae¡¯s price too bitter to bear, however sweet the boon. Yet he could spare no energy in counsel or gentle interrogation of his mother¡¯s intentions, as he was doing his best to come to terms with what was perhaps the greatest miracle of all.


    A child of his own.


    A child who had just been thrown into the deepest end imaginable, leading the furious charge to claim an entire world.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    Eric turned around at the sound of a husky, playful, and oddly shy voice that he knew intimately well, slowly turning around to catch Annika Drevyn¡¯s shy grin as she handed him a fluted glass of champagne, and somehow Eric wasn¡¯t that surprised to see that his mother had managed to turn the entire military field into a grand gala with dozens of exquisitely tailored and beautiful elven servants presenting platters filled with an endless supply of drinks and delectable canapes to both the human adventurers, Paladins, and guests who happened to be at Ashland at that moment, as well as the entirety of Sylvan command and some 300 or so fully kitted elves who moved with fluid grace in their silvered helms and mail, their sabers and elegantly recurved bows secured to clever back cases not hindering them all as they moved through the gala.


    Eric shook his head with a smile. ¡°And somehow what I swore was an autumn evening turns to the Winter Solstice and the Winter Queen¡¯s granting boons and blessings that will alter my friend¡¯s lives forever.¡± Eric sighed. ¡°Mother never ceases to amaze.¡±


    Annika¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Yes, our Empress truly is one of a kind. And yes, it truly is the Winter Solstice, Eric. No matter how long halcyon summer days stretch in wild territories saturated with magic, peril, and wonder.¡± Her gentle smile filled with heartfelt concern. ¡°Eric¡­¡± she swallowed, clearly looking for the right words, before looking up at him once more. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Eric closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°I got tortured to within an inch of my life and gave up my deadliest trump cards to secure 400 thousand soldiers that Greed was diabolical enough to twist to his own purposes, only for my daughter to emerge just in the nick of time to save the day. And now mother¡¯s got her fingers in yet another choice pie, a fresh new world the goblins were stupid enough to link to this one, and all under the must righteous and glorious of circumstances.¡±


    He gave a rueful chuckle, ignoring the pained look Annika gave him. ¡°And here I¡¯m finding that despite my reluctance to play the game of kings and thrones at all, it¡¯s my own flesh and blood, a child who¡¯s soul I helped forge as much as any father could, just two days ago¡­ is now leading the charge.¡±


    He sighed, blinking back a bitter tear. ¡°And I absolutely hate that System shenanigans mean that I can¡¯t be there to watch her back every step of the way, and slaughter anyone who even dares look at her wrong.¡±


    Annika gently stroked Eric¡¯s tightly clenched fist. ¡°Yet thanks to your efforts, Eric, she has nearly four hundred thousand troops tied to her soul who will defend her life, and her honor, with their dying breath.¡±


    Eric forced a chuckle. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still kind of surprised by how exactly that worked out, and all I got was the briefest sense of her claiming a Commander¡¯s class, and then we had no time at all for anything save final goodbyes.¡± He shook his head and sighed. ¡°And I didn¡¯t even get a chance to show her the runes I know, and the handful of spells she hasn¡¯t already figured out.¡±


    Annika winked, pointing to the glowing remains of the obliterated trees, over two and a half acres worth, that a convenient shower was presently putting out. ¡°Somehow, I think she¡¯ll be okay, Eric. With that miracle she pulled off against a full dozen of Greed¡¯s top killers he should never have been able to smuggle onto Earth at all¡­¡±


    Eric¡¯s teeth ground in remembered fury, finding out the full details of that fight, before he blinked in sudden understanding. ¡°She wasn¡¯t actually a sheep let to slaughter, was she.¡±


    Annika quickly shook her head. ¡°Aurelia made it clear that your daughter could bow out at any time. Goblin oathbindings and contracts now are essentially worthless after the System sanctioned them¡­ at least until any contract giver ascends at three full levels, and you¡¯d better believe that we made a deal with the Blue to be kept abreast of all level advancements to which, after Greed¡¯s acts, even Caliban didn¡¯t blink twice at accepting our contract.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Good,¡± he said, flashing a jaded smile. ¡°Maybe we can inspire a global policy wherein no one makes any deals with any goblin who has advanced in levels¡­ just so they can never trick, trap, or enslave another soul again.¡± His jaw clenched. ¡°Even if our best course would be to wipe them entirely off the map for all time.¡±


    Annika dipped her head, her exquisite features all but glowing under the soft glow of the moonlight. ¡°Agreed. But we respect both Caliban and our alliance with the Blue, far too much to take the battle straight to Freetown.¡± She then flashed a rueful smile, pearlescent teeth flashing. ¡°Though considering that we are once more at under 400 troops, the pressure is on us once more. Even worse, with Greed gone we¡¯ve suddenly found System markers to the dozen or so Classers who were interested in joining our faction immediately after the Freetown negotiations.¡±


    Eric braced himself, fearing the worst. ¡°Really.¡±


    The beautiful elven woman beside him nodded, her bright green eyes filled with regret. ¡°My scouts report multiple unmarked graves between here and Freetown. Whatever was cloaking their remains before has clearly expired.¡±


    Eric flashed a hard smile. ¡°I¡¯m betting it¡¯s all deliberate. That we were to find their remains the minute Greed mocked us with the theft of 400,000 souls, doing all he could to goad us into attacking so our own ally could finish him off.¡±


    Annika¡¯s eyes widened with horror, before giving thoughtful nod. ¡°I fear you¡¯re right, my prince. Regardless, it¡¯s damned clear that the Goblin factions never for one second negotiated in good faith in any single facet of our agreements or accords.¡±


    Eric gave a hard nod. ¡°Damn right. Don¡¯t get it twisted, Annika. There is no compromise with them. No accord that can be reached. It¡¯s a war to the bitter end between us and them. And it¡¯s a war we need to win, lest genocide be the bitter price we pay.¡±


    Annika gave him a surprisingly intense look, that of a tactician more than a lady striking a conversation with a man she fancied. ¡°What do you know?¡±


    Eric took a deep shuddering breath, and revealed what little he felt he safely could about the nightmare travesty that had been the goblin¡¯s soul-steel operation, knowing without even needing to feel the cold silvery finger of a System cautioning a possible hero that certain things were never to be said allowed if one didn¡¯t want to end up as censured as the Goblins now were.


    Eric shivered under that silvery touch, pretending he didn¡¯t know what it meant.


    Not that anything more than that was needed. Eric had damn well planned on keeping his mouth shut, for his daughter¡¯s sake, if nothing else. She was clearly benefiting from being a favored child of the System at the moment, and he sure as heck wasn¡¯t going to do anything to jeopardize that.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    But certain things, he sensed he could freely say. Was, in fact, more than welcome to say.


    He gently clasped Annika¡¯s hand, earning a gasp, sapphire eyes glittering in the brilliant moonlight gazing so deeply into his own. It was nothing for him to sense the rapid surge in her heart rate, and the release of pheromones that came so naturally to his tribe.


    He swallowed his suddenly dry throat, doing his best to stay focused on the topic that mattered. ¡°The goblins aren¡¯t hustling for profit. Their goal is to get every single mortal soul on every newly ascended world they can get their claws into trapped in endless usurious debt. Then they use their own twisted version of necromancy¡­ yes, the arts your race so rightly fears¡­¡±


    ¡°Our race, Eric.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°An art that the goblins use in ways that make your fears so understandable. A hell of a lot different than my own path, I assure you. The point is, they bind the souls of their victims, their debtors, into eternal binds of steel. And it¡¯s not for any deep transcendant dark religious purpose, but pure profit. They then use those steel panels to make nearly indestructible armor hulls for starships designed for conquest. Since they¡¯re using tortured souls and not whatever exotic alloys or advance techniques other races use, they can cut costs to an infinitesimal amount of what it would otherwise be, and utterly corner the market in starships, or at least their armor plating.¡±


    Annika paled, herwide, horrified eyes locking with his own. ¡°Their plan is racial genocide and planetary destruction¡­ just to dominate a segment of the starship market?¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter cold smile. ¡°That¡¯s my understanding. And I¡¯ll tell you this for free. There is a school of necromancy that can shatter those bindings and free those souls.¡±


    Powerful fingers gently stroked Annika¡¯s soft, flawless cheeks. ¡°Human necromancy.¡±


    She gazed slack-jawed at Eric for long moments as everything clicked at once, her champagne flute slipping from lax fingers that Eric adroitly caught without breaking gazes.


    ¡°Now do you understand why Greed was so insistent on whatever anti-necromancy pact he coaxed so many human factions to embrace?¡± He flashed a mirthless smile. ¡°He was preying on people¡¯s natural abhorrence to those unorthodox arts, both humans and elves. Coaxing people into slaughtering the only ones who can save them. Purging the only path I know of that can shatter the goblin¡¯s diabolical hold on so many tormented souls.¡±


    Annika trembled, staring at Eric for one final speechless moment before squeezing his hand and darting away as fast as her heightened speed would take her. Somehow, Eric wasn¡¯t surprised to see her discretely whispering into the ear of his mother, just as Eric had hoped she would.


    For all Eric knew, his mother had mastered this game so well that she already knew what Annika was desperately sharing. But too much was riding on this for Eric to take any chances.


    Now that he was free of company, he was also free to plan his next move.


    With a final smile his friends¡¯ way, happy to see them all happily conversing with each other or their obvious siblings now clad in paladins¡¯ regalia after receiving Aurelia¡¯s boon, or in the case of Steve and Jack, being talked up by a pair of strikingly beautiful elven ladies hanging on to their every word¡­ Eric smirked and turned back to the palace, making full use of his monstrous Quickness and Speed Racer perk evolution to dart forward so fast that not even Sufia¡¯s huntress instinct and movement techniques could keep up with him before he had slipped through the crackling wards of the front gates. Powerful wards that of course opened for him the instant he stood before it, Eric earning nothing but respectful nods from the pair of guards by the front entrance as he slipped inside.


    He took a deep breath of rarefied air before making his way past extravagantly decorated conference rooms, gala chambers and boudoirs all embracing baroque decadence to the fullest, though Eric¡¯s eyes did widen when he recognized several exquisitely painted landscapes that hadn¡¯t caught his eyes the first time he visited the palace. One in particular stopped him in his tracks.


    It was a picture of a beautiful city of pastel colors and marble carved into the gentle slope of a caldara, surrounded by lush blossoming fruit groves with countless tiny speckles of paint somehow revealing themselves to be fully fleshed out tiny fishermen bringing home rich bounties from the blue lake waters.


    Eric felt a shiver down his spine, recognizing that territory.


    It was the one he himself had reforged, embracing all the power and potency of six or so million souls trapped in torment, blessing the land with one powerful halcyon gift before being allowed to slip free. Some few souls finding it within themselves to be reborn as fisher-folk right then and there, along with the sixty thousand trapped souls Bunbun, now his daughter Lillian, had gone to such desperate efforts to free.


    ¡°How the fuck does mother have a picture of that moment here?¡±


    Eric felt a cold shiver with the realization that maybe he hadn¡¯t needed to tell Annika anything at all.


    Maybe his mother already knew.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she could have predicted that things would turn out this way, right?¡± He whispered softly to himself in the dark palace corridors, lit only by moonlight reflected through the grand windows. Which itself made Eric pause.


    Because why would the palace be lit only by moonlight when a celebratory gala was happening just outside?


    ¡°Because Mother knew this was the only way I¡¯d be comfortable entering.¡±


    He froze, slowly turning around, expecting to see his smiling mother behind him, eyes twinkling with bemusement and eldritch knowledge, somehow three steps ahead of them all.


    But there was nothing. Just an empty corridor, as Eric quickly made his way from the hauntingly beautiful picture that made it damn clear that his mother pretty much knew her son and granddaughter¡¯s tale as if she had been watching it all play out, firsthand.


    Eric shook his head, having only hunches to go on. ¡°I¡¯m her blood. The blood of the Winter Queen, with all her legends, enchantments, and bittersweet tales, flows through my veins. Of course all sorts of fucky fae sympathetic magic can be going on behind the scenes and I¡¯ll never have a clue. Fuck.¡±


    He wasted no further time brooding on his mother¡¯s machinations, his focus now entirely on the person he most wanted to see.


    He didn¡¯t know why he was feeling such an ache in his chest as he slowly approached his sister¡¯s chambers, standing before her grand double door for long moments, having no idea what to do.


    ¡°Would you like to see her?¡±


    In a flash Eric spun around, hand on the hilt of his blade, only to flush with embarrassment and bow his head in mute apology to the pair of women gazing at him with such frightened eyes for just a heartbeat¡­ before curtsying deeply in turn.


    ¡°Our apologies for startling you, Your Grace,¡± Annika and Sufia whispered in tandem.


    Eric held back a rueful chuckle, knowing he shouldn¡¯t be surprised by their presence. Far from it, and he couldn¡¯t deny the admiration he felt for both beauties either. Sufia¡¯s sharp, angular features and powerful physique were a striking contrast from Annika¡¯s exquisite refinement, yet he¡¯d be lying if he didn¡¯t concede that Sufia was every bit as captivating as the girl who had been raised a noblewoman from birth, both of them possessing the consummate grace and coordination that seemed to be the birthright of every elf or half-elf he¡¯d ever seen.


    Except for himself, of course. Not until he¡¯d started walking the Contender¡¯s Path and advancing along Paths of Potency both terrifying and grand.


    And none of that mattered at that moment, as he matched their bow in turn.


    ¡°My apologies as well. It¡¯s been a very¡­ trying week since we last¡­¡±


    ¡°Kissed?¡± Sufia teased with a certain twinkle in her eye.


    Annika blushed prettily. ¡°Eric, would you like to see your sister?¡±


    Eric¡¯s playful smile tightened. He bowed his head. ¡°Please.¡±


    The girls exchanged looks, then grabbed his hands, leading him along countless passageways that faded by delicate stages from baroque to practical to coldly modern, before stopping at last before a chamber just beyond the ascension pod Elonia had once invited Eric to join her in using, unlocking countless arcane possibilities and a pair of exquisitely powerful spells that would have otherwise taken him months or more than a few precious character points to learn. It had been a true wonder to use. Or at least it had been until goblin shamans had tried to slaughter him and his sister while they were lost in dreams of ascension.


    Eric felt a certain chill when he glanced upon the strangely inert machine.


    ¡°What happened?¡± His voice was curt, clipped.


    Annika sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eric. We¡¯re not exactly sure.¡±


    Eric¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°This is her System-summoned ascension device, part of her territory evolution, right? The faction boon you guys were able to lock down, if I understand correctly. Mother made it clear to me, before I ever consented to that damned collar around my neck, that shaman tamperings were something Elonia never had to worry about again. That she would be safe! So how the hell did something happen to it that left her like this?¡±


    Annika furrowed her brow. ¡°We don¡¯t know, Eric. All I can tell you is that the palace was in a panic when Elonia¡¯s ascension device blew out.¡±


    Sufia nodded. ¡°Your mother looked ready to cover the entire continent in a fresh new ice age, and damn the accords. Don¡¯t look at me like that, Annika, you know it¡¯s true. But by some miracle, even though that device had become a smoking ruin, your sister was in perfect health, completely untouched.¡±


    Eric took a moment to glare at the machine he had once placed such high hopes of in helping to advance in glorious point-efficient ways, now seeing the scorch marks on a nearly indestructible frame, smelling the irony tang of exotic salts still lingering in the air for it to click, sensing the trace remains of an accident, or a catastrophe, near perfectly cleaned and repaired since it had happened.


    ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time,¡± he said, his voice raw with worry. ¡°Take me to my sister.¡±

 Chapter 349 - Catching up with Mother Dearest

    Eric felt cold pin-pricks of dread racing up and down his spine, ears ringing with awful silence as he gazed at the too still form of his sister, lying sedately upon a the most plush and luxurious fairy tale bed any princess could want. He swallowed the painful lump in his throat, eyes darting to the collection of mother of pearl and jade unicorn figurines she had once taken such joy in collecting, as well as her childhood collection of plushies that she never had the heart to toss. Eric took a deep, shuddering breath, taking in her room and its countless childhood treasures somehow perfectly preserved from their original homes in California and upstate New York. All of it carefully placed and arranged to give his sister a sanctuary she could relax and decompress in, when not overwhelmed with the twin pressures of a tyrannical mother, determined to forge them both in her own pristine image no matter how desperate their screams, and serving as the puppet head of a kingdom surrounded on all sides by enemies who would do everything to see them all in chains or dead.


    Eric blinked away the bitter sting in his eyes, trembling fingers gently stroking her cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elonia. Sorry it took me so long to get back. Sorry you ever felt the need to push yourself so hard, so fast, just to survive.¡± He swallowed the painful awful lump in his throat. ¡°Most of all, I¡¯m sorry that I ever left you alone that night I just had to hunting damn rats¡­ and everything that has happened since.¡±


    ¡°A foolish choice that cost your sister everything. You do know that, right, my son?¡±


    Eric froze, guts roiling with twisted tendrils of dread, guilt, and shame as he forced himself to turn around and look into the cool gaze of his mother.


    She shook her head with an odd mixture of pity and contempt. ¡°If you had never been so foolish as to ignore my counsel, if you hadn¡¯t been so stubborn as to think you could possibly choose any path save the one that I would have forged for you¡­ your sister would never have had her greatest gifts torn free by that cursed pustule of a pod.¡± A graceful fingertip as hard and sharp as a mithril blade caressed his cheek.


    Eric swallowed his scream as blood spurted from the wound.


    Of course he knew better than to say a word.


    ¡°You do know that, don¡¯t you, my son?¡±


    For long seconds Eric just stared at his serene-faced mother in horrified dismay.


    A thousand furious protests filled his heart.


    He had saved Elonia¡¯s life! He had walked through fire to rescue her, dared the darkest of arts to forge an army able to carve a kingdom from the orcs intent on destroying her, then ended up surrendering that very army for the troops she so desperately needed. And THIS was what their mother chose to focus on?


    She had never forgiven him. Her serene motherly smile had been a lie the entire time. He was just a tool to be used until it was time to discard him, and no more.


    It was a horrifying realization that cut almost as deeply as seeing his sister in a coma.


    ¡°You bitch,¡± he hissed, surprised by his own words. ¡°You fucking used me from the start.¡±


    Aurelia dipped her head, bleak smile denying nothing. ¡°I did, you monstrous little hellspawn. You damn well better believe I did. AND HOW YOU¡¯VE PROFITED FROM IT ALL!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, she had effortlessly raised him by his jaw, holding him upright and dangling as she peered so coolly into his own hot gaze.


    ¡°Now I have just one question for you, foolish boy who cost us an empire...¡±


    ¡°I SAVED YOUR EMPIRE, YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH!¡±


    In the blink of an eye he was wheezing for breath, slammed through half a dozen walls every bit as hard as Greed had thrown him, yet with only a couple ribs broken.


    He wheezed a bloody chuckle as he picked himself up off the ground, plucking free fragments of masonry and a single steel pipe that had actually managed to prick his flesh, a feat that very little mortal tier weaponry could now do, outside of heavy artillery.


    ¡°Ah yes, Mother Dearest at her best. How could I ever fucking forget? Good thing I regenerate now, isn¡¯t it? No need for concealer and discrete doctor¡¯s visits while Elonia gets drunk and high off her ass to deal with our mother being a FUCKING PSYCHOTIC BI¡ª¡±


    You have been critically struck by: Your Mother! (Who of course knows all your weaknesses!)


    You¡¯re (temporarily) stunned and unable to breathe!


    Aurelia was gazing down at a wheezing Eric gasping for air as his esophagus regenerated from being torn out at a shockingly fast rate, all things considered. She glared down at him like he was a particularly pustulent bug, before shaking her head and putting on her too bright smile once more.


    ¡°Eric, dearest, we have things to discuss, and they do not include your potty mouth. Are we clear?¡±


    Saving throw made!


    Blood Mastery is now Rank 31!


    Unified Restoration is now Rank 14!


    Nothing beats mortal peril at the hands of a Silver-tier monster to inspire monstrous growth! Even as she disciplines you, she teaches you valuable life lessons.


    All hail the Winter Queen!


    Aurelia patiently waited for Eric to finish healing from a shredded esophagus, which happened shockingly quickly, showing just how far he had come between Power Healing and Level 31 Blood Mastery assuring that all his bodily fluids stayed right where they belonged, shredded arteries be damned.


    He refused to flinch when she gazed down at him with a mother¡¯s concern, stroking his cheek and tutting as she pulled out a baby wipe and cleaned his face. ¡°There, there, you¡¯re making a mess of everything, darling, as usual. Now, if we¡¯re through with our little tantrum, perhaps we could focus on what matters?¡±


    Eric silently glared at his mother for long moments. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why you¡¯re bothering, Mother. I already absorbed all my blood.¡± He flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Just one of the perks of the profession most likely to defeat the goblin¡¯s one-way debt traps to hell, that you HAPPILY SIGNED A TREATY BANNING, YOU BACKSTABBING WHO¡ª¡±


    Quickness check failed!


    You have suffered a stunning blow!


    Eric gazed down in horrified dismay to see himself hurtling through the air outside the palace before being abruptly jostled, his mother¡¯s spear-hand strike having torn right through his stomach, her words caressing his ear with a mother¡¯s concern as he choked back a scream of agony¡­ that only increased as she pulled her hand free and handed him a potion not even he was strong enough to resist drinking, the burning agony muting to a dull throb within seconds.


    His mother looked almost¡­ apologetic. Which Eric thought extremely odd, considering the burn-all-bridges night of blood and tears scene that he was pretty sure this particular family script called for.


    And the smile she flashed him, so full of heartfelt regret, filled him with blinding fury. Just knowing how fake it was.


    She had just jammed her fucking Silver-tier hand through is stomach!


    What a bitch.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t realize it now, Eric, but it¡¯s important that we say the things coiled in our spleen. To dispel our demons of bitterness and disappointment, so we may move forward with light hearts and clear minds for the grand change that will soon be upon us all!¡± She sighed sympathetically, shaking her head. ¡°I know that my words are difficult to hear. And yes, it¡¯s true, you have done much to atone. As much as your pathetic broken collection of hybrid skills allow.¡±


    She gently kissed his brow, and Eric didn¡¯t say a word to interrupt, as her left hand was firmly clamped over both his nose and his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually very proud of you, my beloved little abomination. Because it was indeed your glorious madness, your absolutely unorthodox approach to System advancement and all it entails that did allow us to seize victory from the jaws of defeat, here on Terra. And it is that truth, recalling so well the look in your eyes when you led the charge with sixteen thousand revenants to slaughter those cannon-wielding abominations and feast upon their porcine flesh that my heart thawed. And for all that I will never forget THE HORRIFIC ACT OF STUPIDITY THAT COST ME EVERYTHING!¡± She screamed into his writhing form as he futilely struggled to breath. ¡°The look in your face, your stoic resolve to face torment beyond anything you had ever suffered at my hand, for the sake of sixty thousand children, for the sake of my own lost great granddaughter, REDEEMED you of so many crimes that would have sent any servant or family retainer, no matter how beloved, screaming in MULTIPLE PAIN COLLARS until the sun dimmed in the heavens.¡±


    She kissed his brow and at last removed her hand, gazing gently down at him as he gasped and wheezed for air.


    ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, Eric?¡±


    He whimpered inaudibly.


    His mother sighed.


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is¡­ I love you. For all of your horrific flaws, foolish acts, and UNFORGIVABLE IDIOCY THAT COULD COST ME MY OWN ASCENSION, YOU OBSCENE LITTLE FOOL! I still choose to forgive you.¡±


    She hugged him close as he continued to wheeze for air. ¡°Because in the end, you¡¯re stillmy adorable little baby boy. My foolish puppy of a son who will of course chew up mother¡¯s priceless hyacinths and shit on my favorite carpets. Because at the end of the day, you¡¯re my loyal, loving little hound, and you did the best that you could.¡±


    Her eyes were filled with a mother¡¯s sympathy and endless compassion. ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m saying you silly little boy? I love and cherish you, despite my fury. Because I know that you¡¯ve always put your sister first. Our family first! You¡¯ve always done the best that you could.¡±


    Her eyes twinkled with warmth and humor, as if sharing a treasured secret between them. ¡°And Eric, I can¡¯t tell you how glorious it was to meet your lastborn!¡± Her warm chuckle washed over a still dizzy Eric, mind reeling with his mother¡¯s words far more than the abuse he had gotten used to years ago, and could now heal within seconds.


    She playfully pinched his cheek, squirting them both with blood that made her snort. ¡°She truly is a treasure! And that Crimson Lightning. Heaven¡¯s grace, Eric! What was the multiplier on that master-tier incantation? A hundredfold what a skilled hundredth level sage could hope to unleash? An attack that fierce would obliterate any Bronze it hit dead on, and force a Silver to at least take your child seriously for the half-second it would take to kill her, and your little baby girl is only 72<sup>nd</sup> level. Which is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE in any nineteen year old, let alone your offspring who is effectively less than two days old.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    She gave him a curious look. ¡°And bunny ears as Legendary-tier harnessers of arcana? Quite clever, my dear boy. Or do you have a fetish for bunny girls in the end? I hear that¡¯s quite common in the otaku of your generation.¡± She nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m sending Caliban a message right now. Within a month¡¯s time, you¡¯ll have all the bunny girls you could possibly want, and all of them quite fertile and more than a bit hungry for powerful mates. So if you could make me a batch of granddaughters as gifted as Lillian, the Sylvan faction might actually have a chance of surviving what¡¯s to come in the decades ahead, Eric. Even if you¡¯re now forced to do it the old-fashioned way, free of borderline forbidden paths that the System must really feel indebted to you to even allow... along with a fresh contingent of elves. All that¡¯s assuming that you and my daughter¡¯s sworn soldiers survive the trials to come, of course.¡±


    Eric¡¯s mind was racing, his gut screaming with the need for him the holler and vent his own fury, but he wasn¡¯t a complete fool. He knew how things worked in his family. If his mother was feeling like everything had been aired out and they were all friends again, then that damn well was the end of it. So instead, he said the only thing he could.


    ¡°Mom, can you please tell me what the fuck you¡¯re going on about?¡±


    And suddenly he was slammed into the ground, his mother furiously peering into his eyes, searching for secrets he couldn¡¯t fathom, until she said words that froze him were he lay.


    ¡°Tell me, Eric, what epiphanies did your pain lead you to?¡±


    He gazed at her, mouth open in horrified dismay, though no words came out.


    His mother¡¯s eyes grew wild with desperation. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you failed to understand the truths suddenly before you. Don¡¯t tell me you failed to SEE!¡±


    ¡°Mother, I...¡±


    Her furious hand clamped over his mouth as her gaze pierced his own, seeming to bore into his soul. ¡°Jut how hot do your fires burn, Eric?¡±


    In an instant he froze, glaring at her with such furious disgust. ¡°Did you know, Mother? Was everything I suffered deliberate? DID YOU KNOW HOW I WOULD EVOLVE MY GIFTS?¡±


    She repeated her words with a snarl. ¡°How hot do your fires burn?¡±¡¯


    In answer, he clenched the fist her wrist held so casually, and allowed the fires of his fury to kindle with the transcendent essence of flame.


    And much to his furious satisfaction, his mother, the queen of winter¡¯s bitter chill, snapped her hand away from his wrist so fast that not even he could hope to follow it, and for long moments they were both captivated by the sight of flame that burned in ways so alien to the mundane shadow-puppetry that so many sacrificed their lives to mastering.


    His mother gave him a slow, measured nod. ¡°Good. Put that out and come on, Eric. Let¡¯s get back to your sister¡¯s room, and I¡¯ll repeat the question you really should be able to recall with 27.83 in Scholarship.¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°How exactly can you¡­ never mind,¡± he said, quickly extinguishing flame that he really shouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to summon in the outer world at all, no matter how much he savored the glorious manifestation of arts that truly were perilous to summon even underground without complete control and mastery over his environment.


    The following minutes passed in a daze, the noise from the party below just as animated and cheerful as before. No doubt the elves were wise enough not to interfere with royal spats, and both Paladins and Eric¡¯s friends were at least smart enough to leave certain things alone, assuming they thought that anything was amiss at all.


    Then, like being trapped in a nightmare, he was right before his sister¡¯s comatose form once more.


    He choked out a sob tearing right through his core. Because despite knowing that his mother¡¯s wild accusations were complete bullshit, never did he regret the tragedies that had led to his sister¡¯s current condition more than he did at that very moment, hating that pod for stealing what it had no right to, for all that Eric had paid it back in spades, tearing every last iota of essence from it that he could.


    And as much as he wanted to rail against his mother¡¯s callous vilification of him, one undeniable claim rang true within his soul. He might have saved her life, earning noble clemency of a sort, but if he hadn¡¯t ever left the bosom of their nest, their underground shelter in the first place, he would never have been forced to place his sister in that tainted pod in a desperate attempt to save her life, and that corrupt abomination would never have been able to steel a future queen¡¯s most precious essence.


    He felt a grip strong as steel clasp his shoulder as he sobbed like the child he so recently was, halfway expecting her to use her monstrous strength to rip him in half just as easily as he had once shredded a handful of mercenaries who had shot his poor Bunbun. But all she did was clasp him with a mother¡¯s tender regard.


    ¡°I know how much you love her, Eric. How much you bitterly regret, just as I do, the twists in fate and fortune that led to your sister¡¯s desperate botched ascension, now hanging on to her life by only the slimmest of threads.¡±


    Eric froze with renewed horror, realizing that things were worse than even he had feared.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    He choked back his tears, clenching his jaw so tightly against his own desperate fury. Though whether he hated himself or the goblins more at that moment, he really couldn¡¯t say.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    Her words jolted him to furious resolve once more.


    ¡°I will end those little fuckers. End them to the last demonic pustule that ever dared to invade our world!¡±


    He sensed his mother¡¯s nod. ¡°Of course you will, darling. Of that, at least, I never had a doubt. But that¡¯s not the question you should be asking, my lastborn son.¡±


    Eric swallowed, lips stretching in a bitter smile. ¡°Alright, Mother. What question should I be asking?¡±


    ¡°How far would you go to save her?¡±


    Eric shuddered, eyes widening, suddenly dreadfully certain that he knew exactly where this conversation was going.


    His heart was pounding like that of a man walking the final mile. Yet his eyes could see nothing beyond his sister¡¯s dying features.


    So like his daughter¡¯s own.


    ¡°Whatever I have to.¡±


    His mother took a shuddering breath. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Eric closed his eyes, preparing himself for what he knew was to come. Because his mother was the Queen of Winter, and he was the last autumn¡¯s lingering harvest come home once more on the very night of the Solstice. OF COURSE he knew how this would play out.


    In an eye-blink, his soul-bound armaments and equipment were gone.


    There was nothing between his mother¡¯s limbs and his naked flesh, save ivory skin.


    He forced himself to say the word, knowing all too well the power of sympathetic magics¡­


    and sacrifice.


    He could feel his voice ringing like a gong through the entire palace, as the world grew still.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    The silence lingered for long moments as he closed his eyes, waiting for the blow that would tear free his heart¡­ splattering his life blood, some fucking potent lifeblood he was damn sure, upon his twin sister¡¯s dying form.


    A sacrifice given freely.


    The most powerful kind there was.


    Yet much to his stunned surprise, he felt nothing but the softest of butterfly kisses upon his cheek, gazing upon his mother¡¯s smile, so gentle and heartfelt that he couldn¡¯t blink back the tears in his eyes.


    How long had it been since she had ever looked at him this way?


    Yet she did not strike.


    NO. She turned away, sighing as she gazed out the palatial floor to ceiling windows in his sister¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°Greed Asmodious planned this intricately and well, for a novice.¡± She cracked a bemused smile, even as a set of perfectly pressed clothes and pristine armaments of mithril¡­ his armaments, abruptly manifested before him.


    ¡°Even when he dared to charge my granddaughter, so eager to tear out her soul and heart, betting that I was not here in the flesh, he had contingencies in play through his entire twisted alliance, on the off chance that I did not guard this entire realm in reveries of dream and madness as I happily allowed all our enemies to assume since the day the hull of this world first cracked and the blossom of Terra¡¯s ascension under the light of the System finally began.¡±


    Eric swallowed, eyes widening at the sight of clothes and armaments he recognized so well, his monstrous Quickness and Finesse allowing him to fully attire himself in regalia and armaments in just seconds, strapping on his mithril blade and securing his open-face helm last of all.


    Eric swallowed. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± he asked as drunken laughter, banter, and sounds of passion filtered inside even Elonia¡¯s room from the reverie below that had clearly spilled into any number of palatial guests suites, as had no doubt been expected from the start, the palace now effectively serving as barracks, living quarters, dining hall, and headquarters for their entire faction. As well as being the personal residences of the royal clan.


    His clan.


    His mother gave him a satisfied smile. ¡°Your boon companions, originally left as offerings that instead you somehow forged into adventuring companions, have each been granted a boon worthy of their services to you.¡±


    Eric shivered at those words said so matter-of-factly, as his mother spoke on. ¡°They will soon be slipping into waking dream, safe in their borrowed quarters, lost in the arms of any number of lovelies eager to mingle bloodlines, and will be of absolutely no aid to you in the battle to come.¡±


    Eric froze at those words, turning to his mother once more.


    ¡°Mother, I still don¡¯t understand what¡­¡±


    That¡¯s when Eric heard it, the distant boom of what could only be heavy artillery, echoed a second later by far closer screams of those who had been struck.


    His eyes widened with horror as he gazed out Elonia¡¯s window, flicked open with the barest hint of his anxious strength as he beheld the distant flash of fire from distant cannons as the festivity ground to a halt and the night erupted with fire, smoke, and the screams of the wounded.


    ¡°Mother! What¡¯s going on!?¡±


    BLOOD TIER SYNDICATE VOIDS ALL FORMER CONTRACTS AND TREATIES!


    VENDETTA HAS BEEN DECLARED AGAINST THE SYLVAN ALLIANCE!


    - SYSTEM ALERT!! -


    THIS IS A WAR OF GENOCIDE!


    NO QUARTER WILL BE GIVEN TO COMBATANTS OR NONCOMBATANTS!


    BLACK TUSK FACTION HAS DECLARED WAR ON THE SYLVAN ALLIANCE!


    RED FANG CLAN HAS DECLARED WAR ON THE SYLVAN ALLIANCE!


    ALL 27 ORC FACTIONS WITHIN TERRA HAVE NOW FORMALLY DECLARED WAR ON THE SYLVAN ALLIANCE!


    ALL 7 OGRE FACTIONS WITHIN TERRA HAVE NOW DECLARED WAR ON THE SYLVAN ALLIANCE!


    ALL 15 GNOLL FACTIONS LOCATED ON TERRA HAVE NOW DECLARED WAR ON THE SYLVAN ALLIANCE!


    ----- SYSTEM ALERT! ------


    SYSTEM-WIDE WAR HAS BEEN DECLARED AGAINST THE EMPIRE OF THE WINTER QUEEN BY MULTIPLE GOBLIN, ORC, OGRE, AND GNOLL FACTIONS WITHIN THE LOCAL CLUSTER!


    BLOODTEAR UNIFIED ALLIANCE MOTTO ¨C ¡°ALL ELVES MUST DIE!¡±


    System message has been sent to all Contenders within Sylvan faction.


    And suddenly a grainy video of a hideously maimed Greed could be seen glaring the way of an invisible camera as he wheezed bubbling breath¡¯s of air, Eric disgusted to see his body covered with open soars leaking black puss as Greed floated within a vat of bubbling green liquid in a hellish chamber filled with similar vats and the never ending screams of countless patients or victims.


    ¡°Did you really think you¡¯d be permitted to raid our starship foundry, destroy our core operations, transform our facility and rob us of over a million tons of Soul-steel without paying for it, Aurelia?¡±


    Greed gave an awful, guttural chuckle. ¡°And that was but the least of your offenses. For you dared the greatest crime of all! Hindering our great lord and master¡¯s ascension to Gold by three goddamned levels, you rotten WHORE!¡±


    Greed¡¯s pustulent, boil-covered flesh glared into the unseen camera lens. ¡°We¡¯ve declared war on your entire faction, Aurelia. Not just here on Earth, but throughout the entire goddamned System!¡±


    His gurgling chuckles washed over a suddenly silent, horrified collection of party goers as the celebrations were abruptly cut to a halt, even the bombardment stopped to no doubt assure maximum impact of Greed¡¯s words as he spoke on, clawing at the air with one hideously mangled arm covered in smoldering blisters that clearly hadn¡¯t healed an iota, for all that Lillian¡¯s Blood Lightning had been well over an hour ago.


    ¡°You will pay for what you¡¯ve done, Aurelia Silver! Pay with every last scrap of your empire as we call in every marker, every favor and debt to wash the cosmos in stinking elven blood! The blood of your people, Aurelia! Hell! We¡¯ll even pay our hard-won gold to amass a star fleet armada the likes of which you can¡¯t even conceive of, you landbound bitch!¡±


    Greed began to cackle then, hideous and low, but Eric, heart pounding with adrenaline, terror, and furious exultation, leaped from the window and began racing for where he had seen the artillery fire with supernatural winds now at his back, his mothers silent words ringing through his soul as he did so.


    Beware the foes warded in waking dream.

 Chapter 350 - Bonus Chapter! Audible Book 1 is out, folks!

    Tier 2 Danger Sense activated!


    Quickness check made! You have successfully avoided AMBUSH STRIKE!


    Eric let the screaming interface messages blare through him as a bar of blinding white light passed inches over his darting head as the faint warning tingle he had long ago learned NEVER to ignore demanded that he weave and dodge as if his life depended on it, and it clearly did as the white-gold bar of killing energy effortlessly tore through the cove of trees behind Eric and the pair of dumbstruck guards who¡¯s eyes were just widening with surprise before they fell in perfectly severed halves, blood spurting upon the ground as their ruptured bodies spasmed in death¡¯s violent caress.


    Eric desperately weaved and darted past the casual streams of deadly plasma fired by a smirking monster wearing shimmering golden armaments radiating hideous strength that Eric knew damn well had never seen an Earth dungeon or forge.


    ¡°Look at the worm run!¡± Sneered the golden haired youth before him possessing perfect aquiline features and pale blue skin, radiating a Classer¡¯s confidence as he casually levitated several feet off the ground. Quickly revealing a Bronze-tier Contender¡¯s might as he lashed out with his killing aura, clearly hoping to crumple Eric for the precious moments needed to claim his head.


    Bronze Killing Aura boosted by 1200 points in Martial and Arcane characteristics has FAILED TO SUPPRESS your own.


    Radiated Aura reveals your opponent¡¯s build!


    Alexandros Crevpost - Rank 10 Bronze (Elementalist)


    100 Strength / 150 Vitality / 150 Quickness / 100 Finesse / 100 Perception / 600 Arcane Reserves


    You have dodged Plasma Blast!


    The Bronze tier mage sneered at Eric weaving and darting past blasts of plasma so devastating that they chewed dozens of feet into the earth. No matter the edge he gained with his Quickness advantage, Eric knew damn well that a single mistake where that beam caught him in a critical area, even with his Mithril armor, he would either be crippled or dead.


    And just as Eric¡¯s racing thoughts analyzed the best maneuver forward, inhaling to belt out words of power that he suspected would take even this asshole by surprise, his screaming danger sense had him twist and leap and roll for all he was worth as a naginata the color of blood tore through the air where his neck had been, just a second before.


    Eric immediately put all concerns save survival out of mind, allowing the distant boom of renewed artillery to fade into the background as he spun around to face the sneering countenance of yet another Bronze Classer who knew better than to waste time trying to project his aura when he could LUNGE forward, lips curling in a vindictive rictus as he struck.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re clever? Good! I enjoy playing with my prey, fool!¡± Snarled the cold-eyed gray skin man who was a hell of a lot faster than the sneering Alexandros, now glaring at the would-be backstabber.


    ¡°I had him well with my sights, Kinlin!¡±


    ¡°Too slow by far, Alexandros! At least I took the time to make sure he wasn¡¯t on the special guest list. Clearly, he¡¯s an off-world merc of some kind, probably suppressing a Bronze Core near our own in strength. You¡¯re lucky we¡¯re not here in the flesh, or this little shit might actually claim your head,¡± Kinlin said matter-of-factly as his naginata weaved and darted, effortlessly snaking around Eric¡¯s mithril blade, eager to taste Eric¡¯s flesh.


    Yet he hit only air as Eric effortlessly leveraged his foe¡¯s weapon off-line just enough to miss his armored form, earning a wide-eyed look of surprise and a hot glare of frustrated disbelief.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Kinlin seethed.


    Alexandros snorted. ¡°Really, Kinlin? You can¡¯t even mark his flesh with a dream-forged blade?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s an off-world specialist! There¡¯s a limit to how powerful you can be, entering a newly ascended realm, and our family¡¯s at the limit! You know how good I am, brother. This little shit shouldn¡¯t be able to parry my blows at all!¡±


    Eric let their words wash over him as he poured all his desperate focus into darting under another wicked slash before twisting around Kinlin¡¯s flank as the air lit up with yet another blinding bar of liquid plasma.


    And all the while he was doing his utmost to take the faster Contender¡¯s measure, sensing the way he led off his back foot before feinting to the right and sweeping from low to high.


    Eric, heart racing with both exhilaration and mortal terror he chose to call excitement, had tuned out all extraneous distractions. His mother¡¯s infamously mercurial temper had been out in full force, overwhelming him with a crushing sense of guilt, and the sense that there was far more going on that anyone had ever bothered sharing with pawns like him and his sister, and that somehow, he held the key to unlocking it all.


    A key that could soon crumble in broken flesh and blood if he didn¡¯t focus and move NOW!


    His instincts screamed of danger as he darted back from a snarling Kinlin while dodging yet another plasma blast from his flanking companion. He was both chilled by just how close his foe had come to bisecting him in the split second his attention had wavered to the violent sound of artillery in the distance and the screams of innocent elves and noncombatants at the palace presently being shelled.


    And why the hell weren¡¯t his mother¡¯s numerous wards that had provided such strong defenses against the orcs even up? There were no barricades, defenses, or anything! None of which mattered in the heat of that desperate moment, Eric fighting not to hiss or curse as his nose was ripped open in a spray of hot, stinging blood.


    ¡°First blood is mine, fool!¡± Kinlin barked as Eric deliberately let his eyes telegraph fear while keeping his reflexes around the 350 mark and no faster. Just the speed of his foe who¡¯s eyes lit up with a fierce hunger as he stepped forward and lunged in the same manner as he had before.


    Only to gaze with wide-eyed disbelief when Eric¡¯s nodachi grew an extra four feet in the form of a fiery bar of crimson-colored death.


    Find Weakness Skill check made!


    You have caught your opponent off balance!


    Windfire Strike pierces Shadow Cloak!


    Windfire Strike FAILS to pierce the farthest reaches of dream.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened in dismay and he hissed a curse while Kinlin barked with mocking laughter, eyes crinkling with malicious glee.


    ¡°Oh, you thought to bluff and reel me in, you little shit? Fool! We¡¯re not even here! Contenders by System Accords far beyond your pathetic abilities to grasp. No mortal attack can touch us, yet we can gift you with the consequences of your defiance! A conniving mercenary daring to go against the natural order, profane true claimance, and reach for that which you have no right to!¡±


    Kinlin¡¯s eyes flashed with furious hate as he charged forward once more.


    Eric¡¯s mind was reeling with dismay, finding it beyond abhorrent that the odds were now so stacked against him that not only was he fighting multiple Bronze Tier opponents, but that they were protected by absurdly powerful enchantments that assured his attacks would cause them no harm at all.


    Eric¡¯s vision narrowed to take on only the pair of foes before him, even as he sensed a third greater power intrude upon the demesne of his sister¡¯s sanctuary, the System gracious enough to mark all three as flaring red Bronze tier Contender markers on his interface map even as he wondered just how the fuck he was supposed to survive this, let alone come out ahead.


    Then he heard the screams.


    He flinched in horror when Jinni¡¯s cry cut through the air. A girl he had thought safely developing the towns around his endless delves in Ashland.


    Quickness check made! Critical wound muted to Medium Wound! Your opponents are laughing at your despair.


    ¡°Oh, did you see him flinch, Alexandros? No doubt one of his cohorts is enjoying Zofira¡¯s ministrations firsthand, and look how this fool seeks to retreat! I don¡¯t think so, maggot¡± Killin roared, his naginata weaving through the air in a devastating series of moulinets that tore through the air with the scream of its passage.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened as he weaved and dodged just as desperately as he once had when fighting revenants, back before he fully understood and appreciated the power of Blood Lightning. Yet there was another path to abjuring those shadowy creatures, one he almost felt a fool, not thinking of before.


    In the blink of an eye, a brilliant crimson orb was circling his head.


    Alexandros snarled. ¡°This abomination dares to use blood magics!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart hammered in an agonizing mix of excitement and dread as he dared plasma¡¯s deadly kiss again when darting out of Kinlin¡¯s shadow, approaching a sneering Alexandros even now spreading his arms wide for what was no doubt his best attempt at a one-shot killing spell, lest his partner steal all the credit as the air howled with the reverberations of a single whispered word from Eric¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Repudio!¡±


    The air clapped with silent thunder as the brilliant, supersaturated colors that made the night seem so glorious and magical even as death closed in grew crisp and cold with the crystalline focus of ebony darkness and brilliant white stars as color was washed out of the world and Eric heard countless thousands of arcane threads snap, vibrating with distant screams as the pair of Bronze tier classers stumbled for just a heartbeat, Alexandros stumbling to the ground as his spell was instantaneously abjured, along with the enchantments protecting them both.


    You have successfully cast Transcendant Abjuration using a Higher Order Manifestation of Dominion! Tier 2 Essence of Dominion successfully RUPTURES Silver-tier Dream-wierd! 40 Mana/ 40 Qi / 20 Soul Reserves spent!


    Eric wasted no time gazing in stupefaction as a Silver-tier enchantment was shattered with his Higher Order Abjuration. All that mattered was that for a single precious heartbeat, he now had the drop on his foes, and that was an edge he refused to surrender.


    Kinlin¡¯s eyes lit up with offended fury as he lurched back from his stumble. ¡°You would dare to tear us free of our homes and exile us to this warped pit, you abomination? You will pay for that you foul wre¡ª¡±


    Piercing Strike!


    You have critically struck your foe!


    Windfire Strike vitality drain in effect!


    Your enemies are begging for quarter.


    YOU GIVE THEM NONE!


    Eric snarled with furious vindication when he caught the look of terror in a young master¡¯s eyes, the arrogant Bronze clearly unable to appreciate just how quickly the tables could turn when Eric¡¯s Strength and Quickness was momentarily heightened by a lunge that could pierce steel even back when his strength was a mere ten points. Now a Bronze-tier¡¯s armaments, bone strengthening techniques, and ruptured wards meant absolutely nothing with a strike that could have blasted through half a foot of tungsten steel.


    Even so, Eric wasn¡¯t so foolish as to discount the virtues of whatever overpriced armaments their clan¡¯s fat purses could have brought them. Which was why Eric had thrust instead of cut, the tip of his blade ramming through the roof of his Kinlin¡¯s mouth before blasting out the back of the man¡¯s skull and knocking against what was indeed an enchanted helmet that popped off like a top as opposed to cracking, no matter Eric¡¯s boosted stats, Piercing Strike, or mithril blade. Yet regardless, the blow was enough to instantly cripple the doomed Kinlin struggling and silently screaming for all he was worth as every single protective ward and emergency teleportation device had been shorted out by Eric¡¯s Transcendant Abjuration, which meant that all that was left were the frantic demands of a desperate foe.


    Demands that didn¡¯t mean shit after his enemies had launched an ambush with the intention of slaughtering Eric¡¯s entire clan. So he answered in the way most fitting. With pristine bloodfire coring the blazing husk of the young master as Eric trembled and howled before the sudden onslaught of sweet, sweet power suddenly flooding through his body and soul.


    Critical Hit! You have successfully SLAUGHTERED YOUR FOE!


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have butchered your first TRUE Bronze-tier Contender!


    Eve approves of this battle! You are now a Level 31 Cultivator!


    Strength/Vitality/Quickness/Spiritual Energy have all increased by 3 points!


    You have successfully claimed a portion (5%) of all of Kinlin Crevpost¡¯s MAJOR STATS!


    Strength & Vitality have increased by 10 points!


    Quickness has increased by 15 Points!


    Perception & Finesse have each increased by 12 points!


    You have achieved Level 64 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You have achieved Level 65 as a Primal Adventurer!


    (All point totals have been further increased by previously earned titles and boons!)


    Transcendent Abjuration is now Rank 2!


    Bloodfire Strike is now Rank 14!


    All potency pools and weapon feat charges have been fully restored!


    Congratulations, Contender! Your Spiritual Energy now exceeds 300 points!


    You are the FIRST Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Spiritual Energy will receive a permanent 30% bonus from Mother Earth herself! (This replaces your earlier 20% bonus.)


    You have taken the Number 1 Spot for Spiritual Energy in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    An explosion of repulsive energy sent Alexandros hurtling back as the System instantly infused Eric with a full five percent of his former foe¡¯s potency while a protective backlash washed away any would-be killing strike in the heartbeat that Eric was vulnerable.


    Yet the System-assisted reprieve was absolutely unnecessary as Alexandros looked on with shell-shocked dismay while Eric ripped his blazing red sword free of his former ally¡¯s shriveled form, crumpling upon the dew-soaked grass.


    ¡°No, no! What you did was impossible!¡±


    Eric flashed his foe a cold smile, deliberately projecting his voice to be heard, even though he knew it would sharply increase his peril. Because where he had a chance, his helpless friends had none.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± He roared. ¡°You thought to ascend upon my corpse? It is I, a mere White-tier Contender, who will ascend upon yours! Kinlin was the first to go! And how I savored his soul¡¯s screams! Now it¡¯s your turn, Alexandros, you pathetic little wanna-be wizard! Last it will be the bitch too cowardly to face me directly, and then your clan will pay the¡ª¡±


    Quickness check made!


    He dove for all he was worth as a wild-eyed woman with silvery-blue hair shrieked and howled, glaring Eric¡¯s way with a berserker¡¯s fury as her shield and straight sword both radiated a horrifically intense chill that even Eric was stunned by.


    ¡°I told you fools to wait!¡± The woman screamed, sobbing with horror and dismay. ¡°You were both supposed to wait for my order! Now our brother is dead, Alexandros!¡±


    She glared at Eric with look so filled with bitter hate that had he not been forged in constant bitter battle with his own sister¡¯s life on the line, he would have been frozen with fear and shame in equal measure. ¡°You will pay for what you did, you foul abomination! Mark my words! If it¡¯s the last thing I do, I will freeze every last trace of your seed from the cosmos and consign all your family to hell! And they will have you to thank for torment unending, you goddamned monster!¡±


    ¡°So says the girl who came to MY world in order to slaughter MY people when I didn¡¯t do a damn thing to you!¡± Eric shouted back, bitter regret instantly turning to fury. ¡°Repudio!¡± He roared, already charging forward in the heartbeat that the girl before him was sent sprawling, just like her siblings, when her projection found herself trapped in this world in truth.


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened in horrified dismay and she immediately braced herself, shield radiating a cold that was beyond Alex¡¯s comprehension or ability to easily counter.


    But that was fine, Eric taking full advantage of the split second she spent frozen in horror before turtling up as he raced back to his original target while making a System choice he had had no chance to, before.


    Speed Racer in effect!


    Congratulations, Contender! Your Quickness now exceeds 500 points!


    You are the FIRST Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    Your earlier 30% bonus has been supplanted! All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Quickness will receive a permanent 40% bonus from Mother Earth herself! (Additive with all other modifiers!)


    You still maintain the Number 1 Spot for Quickness in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Your landmark achievement allows for a second Elite-tier stat evolution!


    You have chosen the Elite Enhancement: Battle-time! Now, so long as Finesse and Perception together total your Quickness stat, you enjoy Maximum Battle-time dilation (as if all three stats were equal!) - Note: Battle-time will fail to activate if Finesse and Perception together total less than your Quickness Characteristic!


    Eric didn¡¯t read so much as feel the truth of those words as his perception of time slowed and his ability to think and process vast reams of information grew in the blink of any eye.


    His Speed Racer technique allowed him to juke and weave about as if air resistance was passing acquaintance and inertia was his ally in all things, Eric now moving faster than either of his opponents could react. Battle-Time meant that he was in full control of his speed. As if it was the world that had slowed down, not him that had speeded up, monstrously, 25 times as fast as any gold medal Olympian fencer as he shifted his hips and positioned himself with his hands upon his re-sheathed blade in exactly the position he needed to be to embrace one of his deadliest Skill feats.


    Then, so fast that his opponent couldn¡¯t even track him, Erc was suddenly before Alexandros who, with his 150 Quickness, moved and processed information at less than a third of the rate that Eric could, assuming he had any version of Battle-time at all.


    Alexandros just had time for a stunned blink, mouth seeming to open in slow motion for a desperate cry.


    Eric wasn¡¯t blind. He saw the desperate plea in the Elementalist¡¯s gaze.


    Before it became the stunned look of someone glimpsing oblivion a heartbeat later to the background screams of a girl who had just lost her closest kin.


    DOOM FLURRY!


    You have successfully struck your opponent 6 times with Bloodfire Strike!


    Bloodfire Strike pierces resistance, armor, and Soul Wards!


    Bronze tier armor partially resists killing blow!


    Your foe is critically injured!


    Opposing faction begs for quarter!


    In the flash of an eye, Alexandros had been sent flying back, covered in rents spurting blood as Eric¡¯s mithril blade savaged masterwork armor, the Vampiric element of his attack tearing free life force regardless of shattered wards and protective enchantments, leaving Eric crackling with vitality, juiced to the gills as his foe crumpled.


    Crumpled yet lived, coughing up pink frothy blood as the mage held out one trembling hand while his other desperately clawed at a shattered sigil that Eric was pretty sure his Transcendant Abjuration had already disrupted.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him!¡± The girl screamed, to which Eric had only one answer he cared to give.


    Piercing Strike!


    You have fatally struck your foe!


    You twist the blade, assuring instant DEATH as you claim a fallen Contender¡¯s potency for you own!


    ¡°No!¡±


    The girls desperate shriek was almost the equal of the howling surge of power ripping through Eric in yet another flash of lightning and raw potency, sending the screaming girl flying back as her sibling shriveled like a prune under the hot desert sun.


    Critical Hit! You have successfully SLAUGHTERED YOUR FOE!


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have butchered your second TRUE Bronze-tier Contender!


    Eve approves of this battle! You are now a Level 32 Cultivator!


    Strength/Vitality/Quickness/Spiritual Energy have all increased by 3 points!


    You have successfully claimed a portion (5%) of all of Alexandros Crevpost''s MAJOR STATS!


    Strength, Finesse & Perception have increased by 5 points!


    Vitality & Quickness have increased by 7 points!


    Arcane Reserves have increased by 30 points!


    You have achieved Level 66 as a Primal Adventurer!


    (All point totals have been further increased by previously earned titles and boons!)


    Transcendent Abjuration is now Rank 3!


    Essence Fusion is now Rank 2!


    Bloodfire Strike is now Rank 15!


    Iado is now Rank 18!


    Swordsmanship is now Rank 31!


    All potency pools and weapon feat charges have been fully restored!


    Eric spun around even as his instincts screamed of impending doom, barely parrying a blade shivering with Winter¡¯s promise of absolute oblivion as the screaming banshee before him shield bashed him with such force that he lurched back in agonized surprise, his diaphragm nearly frozen solid as he was momentarily stunned by the blow.


    The wild-eyed glare of the beautiful Valkyrie of death before him made it clear there would be no words, no quarter, no desperate tears or pleas of mercy, no attempts at all to rail the gods with how it had all came to this. No. At that moment, furious hate was all that pushed her forward, and a bitter dark part of Eric reveled in the desperate battle he now found himself in, already knowing that with the stakes against him suddenly so high, with a good portion of the entire world now eager to destroy the winnowed remnants of his sister¡¯s people, his only option was to slaughter with such cold, pitiless ferocity that fear alone might give his would-be enemies pause. Because in a world as ruthless as theirs now truly was, power was everything, and being willing and able to use one¡¯s power with absolute savage ferocity was the only path forward now left to any of them.


    So when Eric found himself facing a girl striking with such grace, determination, and martial poise and in any other circumstances he would have been applauding her performance, his only thought now was how best to turn her strength¡¯s against her, to exploit her berserker¡¯s fury for his own brutal ends to entrap her weapons and destroy her as he parried and weaved past her furious assault. Unified Perception had never been sharper as he danced with death¡¯s handmaiden, giving him the instant warning he needed to not parry but to DODGE with desperate might when a sword slash turned to a ray of cold that seemed to freeze reality itself.


    The girl heaved after that shockingly powerful attack. It had clearly cost her. Yet her bitter smile made it clear that even Eric¡¯s desperate dodge had done little more than get him off balance and vulnerable as she howled and charged forward, shield erupting with the bitter wrath of a thousand solstice blizzards.


    And had Eric not had the advantage of 500 Quickness, Battle-time, and Speed Racer, those howling snows might be the last thing he ever felt.


    Find Weakness check successful! You have partially dodged Shield Bash!


    Saving throw versus catastrophic damage made! - Non mithril armaments have been destroyed! You have lost one pound of flesh to Frigid Cold! (Good thing extreme resistances and your natural proclivities give you an edge!)


    Even as Eric choked back another scream, it was with a rictus smile as he was sent spinning away upon frigid broken grass. Because even if it was agony feeling his skin tear off on absolutely frozen mithril links, the bitter cold was something he understood all too well. Even if, despite his maternal heritage, he had never felt any cold more biting that what that girl had managed to unleash. As if she could harness and manipulate not just Cold, but its inner truths as well. Its very essence. An epiphany that shook him to his core, suddenly realizing that he understood cold in all its forms far better than he ever had before.


    Far better than he had ever wanted to.


    For what was cold but the inverse of that which he already had such blazing affinity for?


    ¡°I will kill you!¡± The girl opposite him screamed so loudly that Eric heard the report of his family palace cracking and the screams of countless scores of elves who had lost their hearing even as they desperately worked to dodge the artillery fire set on destroying the last Sylvan bastion left.


    Yet all Eric felt was a sweet frisson of inevitability, the juxtaposition of transcendence and oblivion. In bitter respect for the tragedy about to unfold as he faced the strikingly beautiful girl who looked so alive in her righteous fury. As if she were somehow the hero of her life tale and not the murdering monster that had sought to ambush Eric and his people. A girl that a part of him now desperately wished he could have met anywhere else but here.


    He solemnly saluted his howling opponent with his blade while bracing himself. Subtly shifting his balance.


    So that when next his opponent charged...


    You sense your opponent¡¯s tells!


    He was ready.


    You have successfully dodged Shield Bash!


    Because it was honed skills and exotic battle-feats, not actual stats, that his foe truly trumped him on. And the disadvantage with a favored trump technique as she surrendered to her fury was predictability the equal of the boon gained in speed and ferocity.


    Iado Skillcheck made!


    DOOM FLURRY!


    You have struck your opponent¡¯s armor.


    YOU HAVE FAILED TO PIERCE YOUR OPPONENT¡¯S ARMOR!


    Eric blinked in surprise even as he darted back, the girl spinning around, her blade morphing into a ten foot long nagamaki of bitter cold ice that seemed to freeze reality itself.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened as his understanding continued to evolve.


    Sensing the truth of that cold. A cold that infused her shield a bit less than her terrible blade, and her armor least of all.


    Yet even a single rank of a transcendent skill was magnitudes more real than attacks that only shadowed a fundamental truth.


    To freeze, to consume, until the bitter cold left only ashes in the void. The absolute collapse of a structure drained to oblivion. Those were just some of the fundamental truths he sensed regarding that bitter cold.


    The girl snarled and spat. ¡°I¡¯m going to make you suffer like you can¡¯t even fathom! I¡¯ll freeze you in pristine ice, so you can watch firsthand while I destroy your entire¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fragor!¡± Eric roared, no longer holding back any trump cards as he raced forward.


    The girl lurched back with a hiss, Blood leaking from her bulging left eye as she gave vent to a guttural scream. Exactly where Eric had targeted, using his subtly enhanced ability to focus on a particular nexus, an angle of attack at the expense of any other.


    Only for a split second did both eyes shut in shock and pain, the girl suddenly radiating a protective ward that made it clear that he wouldn¡¯t get a second chance with that attack again. But it didn¡¯t matter. Eric, heart now pounding with desperation of his own, darted forward so fast that he didn¡¯t bother with any other spells¡­ because there was just no time.


    His sword was already flipped back into his Extradimensional Storage Space, knowing that his trusty weapon would do him no good here.


    All he had to fight the pristine essence of cold and take down what he feared was a distant descendant of his mother and thus his own flesh and blood, were his own fists¡­ now radiating the pristine ideals of radiation and ultimate consumption. A higher order transformation of Flame.


    Burst of Strength in effect!


    Your Strength has temporarily doubled!


    Transcendent Strike!


    Rank 4 Fire Essence nullifies the Essence of Cold (Rank 3).


    Unarmed Combat skill check successful!


    You have successfully yanked your opponent¡¯s shield off line!


    Your opponent is now off balance!


    Quickness check made!


    You have successfully dodged Bitter Ice Strike and weaved around your opponent!


    Rear Hip Throw sends your opponent crashing to the ground!


    You are now pounding the back of your opponent with Transcendent Strikes!


    The air rang with the desperate screams of a dying girl as a roaring Eric furiously pounded her crumpling armor that began to sizzle and melt like ice, not the priceless artifact it once had been as fists filled with the pristine essence of flame cratered her armor, tore into her flesh, and filled her ruptured chest with transcendent FIRE!


    After seven furious strikes her desperate shrieks died off with an awful choking gurgle, sword dropped as charred fingers clawed at her own shriveled throat, blackened skin only hinting at the utter and complete damage that had been wrought within.


    Eric had to choke back his own screams to see a face that he just knew in any other time and place would have made his heart skip a beat, filled with such striking vitality and charisma, hope, joy, and vibrant life. Had she caught his eye at any other time and place, had they shared a smile, a drink, a simple conversation¡­ a tormented part of him sensed so many strands of possibility severed by sharpest tragedy. Yet even now¡­


    What the fuck was he thinking? The trio had come her under the banner of war.


    He had ruthlessly slaughtered both of her brothers after they had tried to kill him.


    There was no going back now.


    Not for any of them.


    ¡°Please.¡±


    A coldly glaring Eric didn¡¯t even understand how she could sense him, let alone speak, with her throat nonexistent, her eyes pits, her brain more charred meat than not.


    But there was only one answer he could give a Bronze tier monster who, however pretty, had sworn to kill his child just minutes ago. A monster so powerful that she had survived not one but seven transcendent strikes. Because sure as shit, unlike her brothers, she wasn¡¯t simply a Rank 10 Bronze. She was a woman who controlled a Transcendent art that was Fire¡¯s opposite. An art that his daughter had no defense against at all.


    ¡°No, Please, mercy!¡± She somehow silently pled as he he coolly took off the shockingly powerful artifact she wore on her head. ¡°I will make any oath you demand. Anything! I will serve you for life, in all the ways you could desire! All I ask is that you let me collect my brothers¡¯¡ª¡±


    FIRE FIST!


    You have critically struck your opponent in the right temple!


    Critical Strike!


    Your opponents skull has SHATTERED!


    You have successfully SLAUGHTERED YOUR FOE!


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have butchered your third TRUE Bronze-tier Contender!


    You have slaughtered your first ESSENCE-WIELDING CONTENDER!


    Your contender had infused herself with a higher order understanding of Ice and Cold!


    Eve approves of this battle! Even with the use of Transcendent Strikes, your opponent was capable of much the same!


    You are now a Level 33 Cultivator.


    Strength/Vitality/Quickness/Spiritual Energy have all increased by 3 points!


    You have successfully claimed a portion (5%) of all of Zofira Crevpost''s MAJOR STATS!


    Strength, Finesse & Perception have increased by 10 points!


    Vitality & Quickness have increased by 15 points!


    Arcane Reserves have increased by 20 points!


    Soul Reserves have increased by 10 points!


    You have achieved Level 67 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You have achieved Level 68 as a Primal Adventurer!


    (All point totals have been further increased by previously earned titles and boons!)


    Psionic Rupture is now Rank 8!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 21!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 17!


    Essence Fusion is now Rank 3!


    You have achieved enlightenment in that which you have always feared to face.


    You are now on the cusp of achieving Multidimensional Stability!


    You are now suffering from Soul Reserve depletion.


    All potency pools and weapon feat charges have been fully restored!


    Eric shuddered as he was struck by an epiphany so profound that it shook him to his core.


    For just a heartbeat, Eric thought he understood the bitter cold he could now feel all around him on a transcendent level. Sensing the pristine essence of cold itself. It was both the inverse of the brilliant blazing inferno nestled so comfortably in his soul, and yet, simultaneously, so much more.


    He wanted to howl to the heavens in bitterness and triumph, overwhelmed by the shocking transformation that he knew his body had undergone after consuming not just one but three Contenders. He wanted to contemplate for himself the revelations he was on the cusp of.


    But as the distant boom of cannons echoed through the forests and fields, he knew there was just no time for anything besides claiming all three bodies and whatever prizes they possessed and shoving it all into his ES Space, then racing for the brilliant flashes of gunpowder and orchestrated death, less than half a mile away.


    Even the fresh pair of titles he had earned on his condensed character sheet was scarce comfort when he sensed just how great the peril to his people truly was¡­ and just how devious and multifaceted Greed¡¯s ploys had been in his efforts to assure their extinction at all costs, long before he had ever signed the first joke of a mutual accord, Eric was damned sure.


    Congratulations, Contender! Your Finesse now exceeds 300 points!


    You are the FIRST Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Spiritual Energy will receive a permanent 30% bonus from Mother Earth herself!


    You have taken the Number 1 Spot for Finesse in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    Congratulations, Contender! Your Perception now exceeds 300 points!


    You are the FIRST Earth-born Classer in the Northeast Sector to achieve this feat!


    All additional boons, blessings, and Potency Points invested in Vitality will receive a permanent 30% bonus from Mother Earth herself!


    You have taken the Number 1 Spot for Perception in the Top 10 Player Charts!


    _______________________________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 68 Primal Adventurer


    Rank 33 Cultivator (Death¡¯s Disciple)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 409


    Vitality ¨C 430


    Finesse ¨C 345


    Quickness ¨C 573


    Appearance ¨C 29


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 27


    Perception ¨C 336


    Willpower ¨C 93


    Charisma ¨C 15


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 265


    (Mana Pool = 3188)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 319


    (Qi Pool =3836)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 21


    (Psion Pool = 261)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 126


    Stamina ¨C 4307 Points


    Health ¨C 5666 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 83


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 43 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 50


    Qi Resistance ¨C 60


    Mental Resistance ¨C 37


    30% Bonus to all Strength points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Vitality points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Finesse points above 300


    40% Bonus to all Quickness points above 500. (Speed Racer. Full Battle-Time if Finesse+Perception together at least = Quickness!)


    30% Bonus to all Perception points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Spiritual Energy points above 300.


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned! (Additive with all other modifiers: Bronze Duelist.)


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned (Additive with all other modifiers: Interplanetary Contender!)


    ______________________________

 Chapter 351 - A fathers eternal regret.

    Through clouds of smoke smelling of charcoal and sulfur, a proud-looking man with an unmistakably regal bearing and dressed in what looked to be an ancient British artillery uniform could be seen shouting orders to several batteries of highly modified 24-pounder cannons equipped with equilibrators and recoil systems, all of them mounted on turning platforms, all of them manned by obvious human Classers and orcs whose beady, piggish eyes glimmered with unusual intelligence.


    ¡°Fourth battery will increase elevation by two degrees! Fifth battery will orient three degrees leftwards! All other batteries will maintain position! On my mark, fire!¡±


    The commander flashed a cold smile as his eyes gazed out into the distance, past the shimmering barriers between reality and dream as the distant sound of explosions and screams reached their reinforced location as dozens of long guns all aimed at his command before the air roared with the sound of dozens of shells streaking through the air, thick white smoke making half the soldiers cough even as they immediately began reloading their artillery while the commander looked off in the distance, eyes glowing with esoteric magics as the conductor¡¯s wand he held gently arced through the air, as if he himself were guiding the charges.


    Before being abruptly jolted out of his focus.


    ¡°Lord Crevpost! Urgent news!¡±


    The man glared in the direction of the panicked young soldier, literally trembling in the boots of his uniform, silhouetted as he was against the shimmering rift on the opposite side of the camp leading to a realm enjoying the midday sun overlooking a massive military fortification occupied by thousands upon thousands of soldiers standing at attention, as if breathlessly awaiting the orders to march forth under their lord¡¯s banner.


    Lord Crevpost¡¯s eyes tightened with the promise of retribution at an interruption that caused his wand to twitch as multiple copses of trees between their distant location and the castle several miles away exploded with the release of multiple shells scewed off course. Yet still he kept his wand slowly descending until the arcane ward that any true mage could make out at this distance prostecting the castle was dispelled for the merest instant it needed for his barrage of cast iron shells to make it through.


    He gave a smile of icy satisfaction when one of the many sky blue minarets of the distant manor exploded in a shower of rubble.


    Only then did he turn to the young man trembling before his gaze who immediately began choking and gurgling as the commander before him reached with one black-gloved hand, lifting the young runner up, the young man fruitlessly struggling against the air itself, now wrapped tightly about his neck.


    ¡°By who¡¯s authority do you dare disturb me in the middle of our assault, Private?¡±


    Lord Crevpost let the young man¡¯s gurgling features turn a deep shade of purple before releasing him to wheeze and gasp on the elevated dais he stood upon.


    ¡°Well? Speak, boy. Or forever hold your peace.¡±


    ¡°Please my lord!¡± The panicked lad who couldn¡¯t have been over 15 gasped. ¡°Captain Teal¡¯s orders! I come by Captain Teal¡¯s orders!¡± The lad wheezed for fresh breath, hurriedly speaking once more. ¡°We have lost contact with our scouts!¡±


    In that instant, Lord Crevpost¡¯s features went from cold disdain to wide-eyed dismay. His features paled. He bent down fast as an adder. ¡°Speak slowly and carefully, boy. Your life most definitely depends upon it. What, exactly, did Captain Teal say?¡±


    The boy trembled. ¡°We have lost contact with our scouts. Get the commander at once! That is all he said. I wear it¡ª¡±


    The boy blinked, gazing about confused, yet clearly grateful just to be alive as he took a wheezing gasp of air, rubbing his neck, completely oblivious to the puff of shadow lost in the mask of cannon smoke, shouted orders, and growing confusion just a heartbeat behind the racing lord.


    You have successfully used Stealth in the heart of an enemy encampment!


    Stealth is now Rank 16!


    Lord Crevpost didn¡¯t bother do anything but glare at the pair of hard-eyed guards kitted in half-plate with poleaxes at the ready that were guarding the tent flap before them. Both men stiffened through the opened visors of their helms, holding their polearms ramrod straight and saluting, fists to chest, as their obvious commander raced inside the command tent.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Crevpost roared, not bothering to hide his Bronze-tier killing aura as the pair of rotund officers awaiting his pleasure before a well polished hardwood table covered in a topographical map and stacks of paper paled and stepped back, both of them bowing low in their officer¡¯s uniforms, their light, near ornamental fencing sabers more suited to salon fencing than brutal no-holds-barred melee combat.


    ¡°Lord Crevpost! Thank goodness you¡¯re here. We just got word from the Dream Wardens that contact has been lost with all three scouts.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Lord Crevpost was before the portly man now trembling in his slick black boots, looking up into the eyes of a man who could kill him in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°I need you to explain in precise detail, Captain Tilgoth, how the hell your Dream Wardens managed to lose track of my children!¡±


    The man trembled before his master¡¯s gaze. ¡°We don¡¯t know, Your Grace! Certainly there is no cause to fear. We¡¯ve been planning this campaign for weeks. We were given dossiers on the habits of the royal pair of children we are to treat with silk gloves, and there have been absolutely no signs of any Bronze-tier Contenders. Your daughter is no doubt securing our beachhead within this world with minimal fuss. Perhaps Her status as a Bronze elevated slightly above certain parameters merely caused the protective envelop to¡­ disengage early?¡±


    The man blanched as Captain Tilgoth¡¯s glare hardened.


    ¡°Please, my lord. We did alert you to our concerns long before you agreed to this gambit!¡±


    Lord Crevpost¡¯s glare froze the terrified Captain Tilgoth where he stood, the air now reeking with the shorter man¡¯s fear-sweat. An observer could see how the Bronze¡¯s fists curled with the urge to slaughter, yet Crevpost kept his clipped voice carefully controlled.


    ¡°Where, precisely, did the Dream Wardens loose contact with my children?¡±


    The terrified-looking man somehow managed to grow even paler as sweat dripped off his brow. ¡°Before the palace, my lord, in pursuit of her primary objective.¡±


    ¡°To secure Elonia Silver, presently lost in coma, and thus completely helpless before us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Where is the boy?¡±


    ¡°According to our last report, he was preoccupied with one of his female associates, daughter of Lord Drevyn.¡±


    ¡°Did you verify that claim for yourself?¡±


    The man swallowed. ¡°Um¡­ no, my lord. My spy failed to report directly. There just wasn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Lord Crevpost¡¯s lips curled in a snarl as he grabbed the man by his collar. ¡°You¡¯d best pray that my daughter suffers no worse mishap than the glory of claiming Aurelia¡¯s sleeping heir as her future lady-in-waiting, Tilgoth.¡±


    He tossed the man side, before glaring at his counterpart.


    ¡°Is the crystal matrix secure?¡±


    The slimmer, more powerfully built advisor snapped a quick salute. ¡°Yes, Lord Crevpost. The orb is secure. The portal will remain open till first light, as per the System Talisman you have put into my care. The Grand System itself has reaffirmed that we may proceed with our invasion without censure, so long as we can claim Queensland in its entirety before first light.¡±


    Lord Crevpost gave his first smile to either men. ¡°And that is exactly what we will do. Aurelia is no fool, and war has been formally declared. So long as none of your men are so foolish as to attack her directly, and secure her scions carefully, we may proceed with our invasion unimpeded. And that is why I am holding you personally responsible for the actions of our soldiers, Johan. Assuming the riffraff we have been hired to expunge haven¡¯t already been obliterated by my artillery fire which I sincerely hope that they have, we need offer quarter only to the Sylvan nobility we encounter, along with our primary objectives. They will instantly ping as such on your Interface and you will obey the conventions of war. Are we clear?¡±


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Johan instantly snapped a salute. ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Lord Crevpost¡¯s glare hardened. ¡°Assemble the troops. We go now to finish this, and Aurelia better pray that I find my children in pristine condition if she doesn¡¯t want me to soak her territory in her daughter¡¯s blood.¡±


    Lord Crevpost turned to face the trembling Tilgoth as Johan darted out of the tent. ¡°Now, you and I are going to have a chat with your Dream Wardens, and they will show me precisely where they lost contact with my children.¡±


    The trembling Captain¡¯s quick nod turned to a panicked yelp when a startled cry could be heard just beyond the tent entrance, followed a heartbeat later by the triple thud of three corpses falling to the ground in tandem.


    Yet even as Tilgoth cried out in horror when Johan¡¯s decapitated and still wildly blinking head rolled within, his commander had already spun around, now radiating a shimmering blue aura as a shield of crystalline ice appeared in his left hand while a cavalry saber covered in icy blue flame was unsheathed in the blink of an eye.


    Tilgoth sputtered at the youth covered in shimmering mithril spattered in blood, hand on the hilt of his nodachi, coolly entering the command tent to stare down both captain and commander like a seasoned soldier ready for slaughter.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the asshole behind this invasion,¡± Eric said as he gazed coldly at the startled Lord Crevpost radiating a Bronze-tier¡¯s intensity, just like his children had.


    Eric ignored the cold prickle racing down his spine as he gazed upon yet another ascended monster, his blade infused with the same icy doom as his daughter¡¯s had been.


    Eric could sense the desperately racing thought¡¯s behind the man¡¯s eyes, now wide with dismay, fury, and desperation.


    ¡°You. Aurelia¡¯s get!¡± The man hissed.


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°Correct,¡± he said, his word turning tinny and slow as he lowered his balance, shifting his hips, readying himself for what was to come.


    The horrified commander shook his head in abject denial. ¡°No. There¡¯s no way you could be here. You were supposed to be at the party. Your location was known! Your appearance, attire, and habits were all accounted for! We are cloaked. Hidden!¡±


    Eric said nothing, embracing the sheer glorious terror of facing a Bronze tier monster in the heart of his territory, surrounded by enemies on all sides who, for a few precious seconds, knew absolutely nothing of the nightmare in their midst. In that moment, even as he locked gazes with a desperate general a heartbeat from attacking with panicked fury, Eric had never felt so alive, so free.


    As he always did when dancing on peril¡¯s bitter edge, savoring how sweet and precious all of their lives were, even as they spiraled to the inevitable conclusion where only one would be leaving this tent alive.


    Captain Tilgoth raised his hands, stepping back. ¡°Please, I want no part of this! Just let me¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fragor,¡± Eric said as calmly as asking for tea, the rotund officer not even having time to blink before his skull exploded, splattering Crevpost with bone, brains, and blood.


    Tilogth¡¯s cheek twitched, eyes letting loose a single bloody tear washing a rivulet through the crimson patina now covering his skin. His thoughts desperately racing for any bastion of hope, any path that would lead to reunion with those he clearly regretted ever sending to this world.


    But he was a Bronze-tier commander.


    The farthest thing from a fool.


    Just a desperate father willing to do anything to turn back time.


    ¡°Please, tell me they live. Tell me that my children are safe, captured, that quarter was accepted, and I¡¯ll swear my men to your service for a dozen years! I will feat you and your sister with half of my treasury and honors that will make this planet the tiniest of footnotes as you ascend to the heights of Bronze, by my childrens¡¯ sides! I¡¯ll give you anything. Anything it is within my power to give!¡± he pled with desperate tears in his eyes, his hand trembling on the hilt of his blade.


    Eric gazed at the man for long seconds as his crimson orb began circling about his head. ¡°Draw your blade, Tilgoth. We both know how this has to end.¡±


    Eric could sense it, when a military commander¡¯s hope, fierce dreams, and eternal discipline cracked, and he was facing a berserking monster who wanted nothing more than to end the pain tearing at his heart and soul as his sword blazed with the essence of Winter¡¯s fury


    Tilgoth charged forth in the same unstoppable charge that had no doubt seen him through a hundred battles. A pristine technique he had taught his daughter well.


    ¡°NO! IT WASN¡¯T SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY! I WILL KILL YOU, YOU ABOMINA¡ª¡±


    His words cut off abruptly as blood shot from his mouth when Mithril steel covered in bloodfire tore right through multiple wards. A coldly focused Tilgoth did no more than roar his hate before launching a furious rebuttal from his blade of Winter Woe, monstrous vitality allowing him to push on despite the ugly blow to his kidney, Eric now finding himself genuinely fighting for his life against a monster far more experienced than him, whose shield radiated a bitter cold he already knew his blade had no ability to counter.


    ¡°Icy Redemption,¡± the man wheezed, and suddenly Tilgoth was covered in sea-blue scales of pristine ice that Eric¡¯s mithril weapon had no hope of penetrating whatsoever.


    Eric recognized this, just as he recognized the tactician¡¯s mind going over countless tactical ideations to determine how best to eliminate the reviled threat before him.


    All fury and despair had already burned away. There was a cold awareness in Prevost¡¯s eyes that made it clear to Eric in that instant just how outmatched he was.


    Yet as much as Eric reviled the necessity of what he must do, he summoned forth the only equalizer he had, meeting his opponent¡¯s gaze with a ruthless smile, determined to collapse the probility wave of a thousand tactical possibilities into the certainty of one.


    Crevpost¡¯s eyes widened in horror. ¡°NO! Impossible! You monster!¡±


    Eric said nothing as time stretched and slowed as his screaming foe charged forward for all he was worth, blade in hand lashing out against the shield Eric had dared to pull forth.


    The shield that had belonged to Tilgoth¡¯s beloved daughter Zofira¡­ who, for just a heartbeat, shown so bright and beautiful in the ether before them, all dolled up for an imperial gala by her father¡¯s side, dimpled cheeks grinning impishly as she danced for her family¡¯s pleasure just the night before what was to be the easiest of conquests, only a footnote earning a much sought-after perk and title to assure a well-rounded pedigree before she married the mysterious man she had been betrothed to, whereupon she would rule a nation of her own.


    A horrified flash seen in a father¡¯s desperate gaze as he crashed into Eric, who was bracing himself with the breakthrough he knew he was on the cusp of, desperately trying to catalyze a shield who¡¯s chill intensity he could almost but not quite embrace as bitter HORRIFIC Cold suddenly swelled into his body. Freezing his ribs. Stilling his heart.


    The promise of bitter oblivion as icy darkness and howling snows became his final moments.


    Before the air BLAZED with fire.


    You have suffered CRITICAL DAMAGE from the Essence of Cold.


    You have saved versus Sudden Death!


    You have saved versus Cardiac Arrest!


    TRANSCENDENT STRIKE STUNS YOUR FOE!


    Lord Crevpost is STUNNED by transcendent flame!


    Wide, horrified eyes gazed into Eric¡¯s own as a burst of potency from one of his oldest skills shot Eric¡¯s Strength to an astounding 816 for the split second he needed to slam his shield against Crevpost¡¯s own, forcing the surprised tactician stumbling back as Eric POUNDED the man¡¯s suddenly exposed left kidney with pristine fire. Instantly shattering Ice¡¯s counterpart as his opponent buckled before the blow.


    Eric, taking absolutely no chances, trapped the wicked blade that could so easily kill him between their shields before unleashing transcendent flames with a howl. Pounding the everliving shit out of his foe just as he had the man¡¯s daughter, desperate last-second pleas ruthlessly ignored even as the dying man¡¯s final despairing cry for the lives of a dozen beloved children somehow flashed before both their eyes.


    ¡°Be at peace, Lord Crevpost.¡± Eric thought, still fighting just to breathe after his diaphragm had been near frozen solid. ¡°I have no desire to harm any more of your kin. In fact, I pray our paths never cross in a thousand years.¡±


    For the blink of an eye, Eric thought he sensed actual gratitude as the distant alarmed shouts of camp sages and wizards filled the air. Loyal soldiers who must have sensed the peril to their commander.


    And before their lord could say another word, activate any last-second artifact, or trigger some final retributive strike, it was over.


    FIRE FIST!


    You have critically struck your foe!


    You have killed a Level 20 Bronze-tier commander! Lord Crevpost, Son of Duke Nalbain, Ruler of Gaian, the Green Jewel of the Commonwealth Cluster!


    Eve approves of this battle! Even with the use of Essence-based attacks, your opponent was capable of much the same!


    You are now a Level 34 Cultivator.


    Strength/Vitality/Quickness/Spiritual Energy have all increased by 3 points!


    NOTE! Lord Crevpost is NOT a Contender. No stat boons have been absorbed beyond standard experience!


    You have achieved Level 69 as a Primal Adventurer!


    You have achieved Level 70 as a Primal Adventurer!


    (All point totals have been further increased by previously earned titles and boons!)


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 22!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 18!


    Windfire Strike is now Rank 16!


    Essence Infusion is now Rank 4!


    You have achieved enlightenment in that which you have always feared to face


    All potency pools and weapon feat charges have been fully restored!

 Chapter 352 - New Hires!

    Eric snapped back to himself in a heartbeat as camp sirens blared, gasping for breath even as he fought not to cry out when the massive surge of potency that had earned him two instant levels, not to mention another level as a cultivator after fighting way above his weight class, instantly healed critical damage from a blow that could so easily have killed him. A blow tapping into transcendent cold that he realized he now understood in all its frigid beauty and deadly versatility.


    He shook his head and swallowed the lump in his throat even as he collected all the corpses in the blink of an eye before spinning around, his tactical interface map suddenly blinking with a flood of reds now invading his realm.


    He didn¡¯t even bother worrying about where he¡¯d put his character points. Because as much as he both loved and admired his daughter, as much as he most definitely appreciated being in the System¡¯s nice book, he never ever wanted to feel those silvery tendrils crawling in his brain and changing him, transforming him, making him into a creature that thought it was him but was most definitely not him. At least no more than he absolutely had to. So his points flowed exactly where the rigors of battle demanded. 4 for Finesse and Perception, and 1 for Quickness with each level, as it had for every level he had earned that night. Because his cultivation progression focused on only one of those 3 stats and Battle time still needed a certain degree of balance between the three, and quick thinking harmonizing perfectly with quicker reflexes in battle was absolutely EVERYTHING. So long as one had the strength to make full use of one¡¯s monstrous speed.


    Ideally, it meant that he would be analyzing and countering his opponent¡¯s deadliest strikes before they even registered his rebuttals. A focus on rapid analysis and action meant that even against the deadliest of opponents, he was far more likely to be able to survive by devising means of countering their own tactics, however clever, or at least be fast enough to seize opportunities for survival a heartbeat before deadly foes that utterly outclassed him could close the distance, trap his weapons, and deny him any opportunity at all.


    Like Tyson fighting Glass Jaw Joe, exotic techniques and decades of battle mastery didn¡¯t mean shit if Eric¡¯s strikes hit his targets before his foes could even register the killing blows, let alone counter them. And the power generated by his strikes could be upwards of a dozen times more powerful than what a slower version of himself would be capable of, piercing armor like straw piercing wooden planks in a windstorm. Only his fists could now channel essence and his blade was soul-bound Mithril.


    How many real life battles had been won simply because an fighter could think and react just a fraction of a second quicker than his opponent? And whereas one Olympian Boxer¡¯s 18 or even 19 Quickness might best a stronger, slightly slower boxer with a 17 in that crucial stat¡­ Eric¡¯s was now a screamingly fast 581.


    He spend a final moment gazing at the blood-spattered ground where he had just taken out a Rank 20 Bronze tier Commander who had had, Eric suspected, a very balanced stat distribution for martial combat, magic, and military command, with a Quickness of perhaps 400. A speed that had seen that man through countless battles over decades. Maybe even centuries.


    Eric was no fool. He knew damn well that were he not able to unleash hideously powerful Fire Fists while dodging away from his opponents with absolutely monstrous Quickness, there was no way in hell that he would have survived his first brush with monsters of this caliber, let alone defeat father and daughter both.


    And he was painfully certain that had he not played to Crevpost¡¯s weaknesses, his desperate need to close and strike and make the man who had shed his children¡¯s blood pay with a brutal hands-on death¡­ Eric would be the one wheezing his last. And what was truly horrifying was the realization that at perhaps 70 points earned per rank, had the man been just a few ranks higher than 20, Crevpost would probably have had more than sufficient speed to crush Eric no matter what he tried to do to counter.


    A chilling thought.


    ¡°Speed, people. Speed all the way,¡± he muttered to himself, filled with an odd mixture of triumph and anxious certainty that, as strong as he knew he was against the average Joe he might face in the form of a fellow newly risen Terran just trying his best to advance and survive, he was as fragile as a leaf blowing in the wind compared to the otherworldly threats that now seemed increasingly able to slip into his world, supposed newly ascended realm status strictures apparently no more effective than a bad joke.


    He gave a bitter shake of his head. It was so bloody obvious that despite his fortuitous encounters, he could have been slaughtered over half a dozen times if he hadn¡¯t been just as fast and ruthless and lucky as he had been up to now


    If he and his sister were to have any hope of surviving the next few months, let alone years... he needed to get stronger at all costs.


    He was about to race right out of the chambers before cursing himself for a fool, so overwhelmed by the bittersweet mixture of triumph and tragedy in that room that he had almost overlooked the desks covered with what looked like tactical maps, correspondence, and papers, taking the expedient approach of sending it all whirling into his ES Space before darting out of the command bunker and heading not for the rift that he sensed now spilling hundreds soon to be thousands of troops¡­


    But to the quintuple battery of highly modified and customized 24-pounder cannons, all still facing his sister¡¯s palace.


    At present, there were some forty or so jaded-looking Classers that Eric sensed were nearly uniformly hovering at the Level 30 mark. Which spoke of significant training and dedication to one¡¯s craft, particularly if one had to level-up in world whose ascension had long past. Yet Eric also noted, as he stalked his prey, which was yet another officer wearing a chainmail-lined captain¡¯s uniform whose desperate orders verged on panic, that such was the same ¡®official¡¯ level nearly all invaders were limited to. Except for the Bronze tier elites who somehow seemed to be free of any rules or restrictions altogether. The privilege of power and all that, he supposed.


    ¡°Ready your weapons. You are all to muster out in twenty minutes! Do you understand? Twenty minutes!¡±


    In sharp contrast to the fear-sweat reeking from the captain, the nearest handful of Scandinavian-looking humans and what might have been half-orc gunners just gazed at the captain in their comfortable leather jackets and enhanced aviator¡¯s glasses with a calm sangfroid that clearly got under the man¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Are you fools listening? We move out in twenty minutes!¡± The captain screamed.


    One human gunner turned to his counterpart. ¡°Who the fuck is this clown, and where¡¯s the baron?¡±


    The half-orc woman beside him snorted. ¡°Damn good question.¡± She looked casually to the rear of the camp some distance away, near the crackling purple-hued gate filled with the panicked screams and shouts of men. ¡°We¡¯ve both been in this business long enough to know that trailblazing with heavy artillery in the middle of a panicked army is a great way to wind up dead.¡±


    Their words were picked up by the other gunners whose calm faces gave a way no tells at all, just cool, collected nods.


    The captain blanched, eyes widening with dismay he tried to bluster his way through. ¡°Are you fools actually daring to defying your orders? That¡¯s a court marshal right there!¡±


    The gunner who had first spoken, who Eric, choosing not to act for the moment, noted wearing a silver pin on his own lapels, just flashed the captain a humorless smile. ¡°Actually, we¡¯re following orders. The very specific orders our company signed up under. We serve directly under Baron Crevpost and move an act under his command, or, if he is incapacitated, under one of his immediate children. Bronze tier melee specialists who both know what it means to lead, and protect.


    ¡°If you had been present at the original commander¡¯s meeting, ¡®captain,¡¯ you would know that it was made quite clear to all parties that we are not an auxiliary branch of your state military and are completely outside its chain of command. We serve directly under the pleasure of the baron and his immediate family, and only with the understanding that we will enjoy the benefit of their protection and that of their elite troops while doing so, and we will never be forced to get within half a mile of actual combat.¡±


    The half-orc woman nodded. ¡°What my husband¡¯s saying, in case it didn¡¯t get through your thick skull the first time, is that we¡¯re not going anywhere unless Lord Crevpost himself orders it and has our backs.¡±


    The captain¡¯s lips pressed tightly together, he smiled coldly at the platoon of men rapidly approaching as he blew a whistle. Fifty powerfully built men fully kitted in heavy field plate with arming swords at their hips and halberds in their hands. Men who were most definitely powerful tanks and facing just the wrong way for any cocky artilleryman to take down.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t it fortunate for you that we have a full platoon of Lord Crevpost¡¯s elites with us even now. In point of fact, seeing as how you¡¯re all trapped behind enemy lines on a hostile world, I think right now might be the perfect time to renegotiate your contract.¡±


    The lead merc gunner gazed pointedly at his wife. ¡°Do you smell a coup? Because I definitely smell a coup.¡± He then frowned at his anxious-looking wife as a handful of armored halberdiers marched toward his cannon in particular with purpose while the captain¡¯s wand crackled. ¡°Yini, relax. We¡¯ll play ball. Same as always.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ just out of curiousity,¡± Eric said from the stiffening man¡¯s shadow. ¡°If Baron Crevpost is no longer fit to command, are you still under obligation to serve Captain Sourpuss over there, or are you and your boys technically ¡®free agents¡¯ up for a fresh contract, so to speak?¡±


    The man stiffened, for the moment tuning out the rapidly approaching captain and his armored troops eager to assure compliance by any means necessary.


    The man¡¯s frightened gaze instantly eased into twinkling eyes and a maveric grin. ¡°Sorry, kid, but unless Lord Crevpost has formally surrendered, or he and his kin have perished or completely fled this territory, it¡¯s a five level penalty to switch sides and a permanent stain on our corp rep which, believe it or not, will hurt even more. Now considering that you got us dead to rights, if you were to ask for our pardon or parole, you¡¯ll have it in a heartbeat kid. Assuming you can survive the captain coming right at us and... Holy Mother of Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Mory!¡± Yini¡¯s gaze switched from panic to relief to horror as she saw that her husband was completely unmarked.


    The same couldn¡¯t be said for the looming captain coming over to force concessions before any merc could even swivel their cannons that might have all been equipped with turning platforms, equilibrators, and recoil systems, but sure as fuck couldn¡¯t swivel on a dime before fifty level thirties had blades at everyone¡¯s throat.


    Yet it seemed that a certain desperate captain had overestimated his own hand when the air blurred, and the six heavily armored infantry around him collapsed, crashing to the ground in fountains of crimson shooting from their necks, heads tumbling upon the steel covered corpses a heartbeat later as the captain gazed about in confusion before yelping in surprise when he felt razor sharp mithril press against his throat.


    Yini shivered with visible dread at the wild-eyed boy peering at them all with a fey grin, the crimson patina of blood washing over his features doing nothing to diminish the boy¡¯s captivating beauty, nor the intensity of brilliant sapphire blue orbs that helplessly drew her in.


    His face was exquisite perfection, and his eyes glittered with predatory madness that made Yini¡¯s throat tighten with terror and the inevitability of her own death.


    And then the shockingly beautiful faerie prince, for what else could he be? Flinched before her gaze, seeming to disappear with a Quickness Yini could scarcely fathom, far beyond the 50 points she had carefully placed in the stats that were perfect for mastering the beast of a cannon she could manage almost as well as her husband¡¯s manhood. But compared to the creature radiating a killing aura that had to be Bronze¡­ she was a lizard near frozen in winter torpor, trying to follow the movements of a speed shrike.


    ¡°I think we might be in a spot o¡¯ trouble, Morty,¡± she whispered to the man furiously cursing under his breath, and for the for the first time in a long time, she was giving serious thought to her husbands fantasies of selling out and expanding his father¡¯s restaurant business. She¡¯d far rather get fat stuffing her face and popping out their future sons and daughters than dying on some alien world with her head rolling in the desert as her neck stump spurted out the last of her lifeblood, just like the half dozen soldiers that hadn¡¯t even stood a chance against the monstrous Contender suddenly in their midst.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, captain, I didn¡¯t quite catch your name?¡± Eric said with a tight grin, as if he hadn¡¯t been profoundly shaken by the momentary frisson he had felt with the half-blood who, for all that she was related to the pig-faced abominations he was still dead-set on purging from this world¡­ was a fiercely determined and loyal woman who wasn¡¯t nearly as bloodthirsty as she carried herself for the sake of her man and her crew. A woman who¡¯s sultry laughter and charming smile had won her a natural rogue¡¯s heart and given then twenty years of slow and steady growth on a dozen campaigns and worlds. For leveling up was damned hard for most gunners, but a hell of a lot safer than living the life of a melee tank or mage desperate to ascend as fast as they could.


    And now he was pretty certain she had the blood of at least one Psionicist in her veins and he had to get his head BACK IN THE GAME! Because he was at war, already had a fountain of blood and guilt on his conscience, and his only focus now was to SURVIVE and do his damnedest to keep Elonia¡¯s territory intact and thriving, no matter how many hundreds or thousands of assholes had to fall to his blade. Even if he could never savor another restful night¡¯s sleep again¡­ he¡¯d take on that burden as he would all others, for the sake of his twin.


    Eric¡¯s thought¡¯s flickered just as fast as near 600 Quickness boosted by Battle-time would allow, the momentary anxiety and uncertainty of a teenager with blood on his hands, finding himself in way over his head, near instantly replaced by the manic grin of a natural wildcard who laughed at death and tragedy with equal abandon and most importantly WOULD STOP FOR NOTHING! In the pursuit of his goals.


    It was method acting at its best, embracing a role that in another time or place would have sickened him, and was EXACTLY what he needed to do and be if this night was to end as anything but an absolute tragedy for those he loved.


    As far as the invaders were concerned¡­ fuck ¡®em.


    ¡°So, Captain!¡± Eric said, bright madcap grin once more fully in place, mithril blade against the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Any chance I can get you or your men to swear a blood oath to serve me for life in return for a fresh start in an ascendant world with dignified treatment, honor, prestige, and access to honest to goodness Wealthy tier dungeons that have NO LIMIT as to how deep you can go or how far you can advance?¡± He winked. ¡°And I¡¯m not bullshitting you. I made it myself, so I should know.¡± Eric projected his voice, making sure all of the approaching soldiers could hear, a few looking on with genuine wonder, though most had expressions of fierce iron-hard determination.


    But what mattered most to him were Mori and Yini¡¯s take, having projected his voice loud enough for them all to hear.


    The captain visibly stiffened, heart hammering so loud Eric could feel it throbbing against his blade as the tiniest trickle of blood drenched the mail shirt collar which of course his mithril blade sliced through like butter, Eric¡¯s monstrous finesse allowing him to effortlessly ride the throbbing of his target¡¯s carotid without slicing it clean open.


    To his credit, the man didn¡¯t quake in terror, though it was clearly a close thing.


    ¡°I have sworn myself to serve my lord until the day I die, Contender. Lord Crevpost, and his heirs.¡± He turned, glaring with fierce pride at his men. ¡°We all have! Even if you truly think you can take out fifty of us, it changes nothing. We will never turn against the land whose sun cherished our newborn skin. We can never betray the lord who rose us all up from nothing!¡±


    Instantly the armored platoon stiffened, slamming armored fists to chests.


    ¡°For Lord Crevpost! For the clan of the eternal fields!¡± They roared in concert.


    The captain closed his eyes, smiling as if knowing the futility of his own words. ¡°We will never surrender, boy. Best if you surrender. Our lord is an honorable man. He will treat you and your sister well. And how ironic it is that you don¡¯t understand that already.¡±


    Eric froze at those words, absolutely HATING the fact that he might have made a horrific mistake, but already knowing that every door of conciliation, whether through miscalculation, misfortune, or third-party malice, had been closed to him.


    Now, there was only one path forward.


    Eric inhaled once, projected his killing aura, and prepared himself for what was to come.


    ¡°Yeah, surrender¡¯s not happening, seeing as I already killed the man.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± The captain cried out in genuine horror, falling to his knees.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± The man shrieked to his now wild-eyed men. ¡°KILL HIM and we will purge Aurelia¡¯s clan off the face of this¡ª¡±


    His words were cut off in a spray of blood.


    A dying man¡¯s final despairing blink might have caught sight of crimson lightning blasting into armored troops, the current arcing and sparking through half a dozen before the air vibrated with a heavy thrum as countless armored soldiers erupted in explosions of flesh, mangled steel, and bone when the air filled with fire alternating with the oddly musical hum of mithril perfectly slicing through highest quality spring steel, and before that dying head had finished its final revolution before plopping right next to its body, twenty, then thirty, then forty armored knights sworn to eternal service to the Crevpost clan crashed to the ground in pools of their own blood.


    The stunned gunners gazed at Eric in open-mouthed awe¡­ and horror.


    ¡°God¡¯s tears, that boy¡¯s a monster!¡± Yini cursed under her breath.


    Mory said nothing, just holding her close to him and kissing her head, feeling his wife¡¯s tears silently pool against his powerful protective arms.


    Somehow, he wasn¡¯t surprised to see the smiling youth suddenly before him, truly looking like one of the temple priests of his home world, filled with half-blood elves as this child so clearly was, carefully bred for their inhuman beauty, magical affinities, and usefulness to their church.


    Only none of those beloved healers and counselors that Mory had ever had the pleasure of speaking with, after being baptized by them on the day he had first left his world as a youth looking for adventure before finding himself joining an artillery company and falling in love with the hot-tempered loud-mouthed beauty now trembling in his arms¡­ had quite so much gore dripping down their mithril armor before approaching with their blessing.


    Mory shivered, shaking away the reverie that came when supreme terror was replaced by fatalistic acceptance.


    ¡°Drake Company Accepts.¡±

 Chapter 353 - Long Term Employment

    <div>


    Eric turned to face the obvious commander of the artillery unit. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Mory flashed an anxious grin. ¡°We all heard your offer, your exceedingly generous offer to that foolish captain and his headstrong crew. Didn¡¯t we boys?¡± His voice carried loud enough for his entire shell-shocked crew to immediately nod in instant understanding.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mort,¡± declared one gruff voice. ¡°The chance to settle on a ripely ascending world still enjoying its first bloom, under the care of a Contender so fucking powerful that he pulled limitless dungeons out of causality¡¯s derrier? Hell yes! We¡¯ll advance ten times faster than we otherwise would, even if we¡¯ll be buying up some Dwarven double shots and brushing up on our melee skills. Right, captain?¡±


    ¡°Damn right we will!¡± Mory concurred with a grin, eyes twinkling. ¡°And if you¡¯re serious about it being Wealthy tier...¡±


    ¡°You know it!¡± Eric assured as he took a moment to use Blood Mastery to clean his armaments to a perfect mithril sheen once more, pretending it wasn¡¯t making the man before him pale and flinch. ¡°Wealthy tier delving with only a 20% cut to the house! That¡¯s me,¡± Eric said with a smile. ¡°But if you don¡¯t think that¡¯s still the steal of a lifetime¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh we do,¡± Mory quickly assured with a tight smile. ¡°We¡¯re getting native-born rights!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°And you know what? As long as you¡¯re in active service to me or my family, ZERO taxes for you boys. Last 20% you will have over and above everyone else doing my delves. And after lets say what, ten years of service where you all still get to rotate the delves when we¡¯re not in active war? You can retire and set yourselves up for sweet living in a Blue Corp controlled territory with ALL the amenities! Were talking parks and villas and swimming pools, day spas and boutique shopping! It will be like living in a beautiful magitec city complete with all the parks and shopping centers and daycare centers and elite schools you want!¡± Or at least that¡¯s my plan,¡± he finished with a sheepish smile. ¡°Just as soon as things calm down a bit here.¡±


    Mory exchanged a desperate smile with his wife. ¡°What do you think, babe?¡±


    Yini swallowed, forcing herself to meet the eyes of the half-mad contender radiating such monstrous strength.


    ¡°Assuming he¡¯s not going to force us to trailblaze in unknown territory and risk our lives in a single bad gambit¡­ I¡¯m in. And if he¡¯s really wise, he¡¯ll take counsel from strategists who know how to use artillery to best effect. Safely fortified with an eagle eye on their targets where we can do the most damage without you losing your investment any time soon.¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin turned genuine, madcap persona fading completely away.


    ¡°Yini, that sounds more than fair to me. For what it¡¯s worth, I primarily want you guys defending territories with an excellent line of sight on any possible enemy, and I¡¯m more than happy to see about securing whatever earthworks or embankments that will help you guys and give our enemies a very bad time.¡±


    Yini chuckled. ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re going to want us to fortify the very palace we were bombarding?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Pretty much, yeah. So, do we have a deal?¡±


    Yini exchanged a look with her husband. Eric was no fool. Beneath their lighthearted banter, Eric could sense all too well the overwhelming fear they felt at his presence, as if he were a fearsome dragon an eye-blink away from consuming them. Eric was just glad he wasn¡¯t being pulled into their desperate panicked thoughts now that he had broken eye contact, knowing he was a fool to feel such piercing empathy for people he needed to be ready to kill in the blink of an eye, should negotiations sour.


    And the flinch the couple shared made it clear that he wasn¡¯t the only one reading a bit deep.


    As one they bowed their heads. ¡°We accept your contract.¡± Mory¡¯s smile turned strained. ¡°Regrettably, we have no access to a Magister who can measure our oathbinding and assure we pay a steep penalty for breaking it.¡± He swallowed nervously. ¡°I hope this won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Eric gave a magnanimous wave. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no Magister needed!¡±


    His smile hardened, holding up one finger now naked of armor and primed with a drop of his blood. ¡°You¡¯ll simply be making your oath with me.¡± His smile hardened as he gazed over the entire artillery company, allowing his own potency to flare for a single heartbeat.


    ¡°All of you will. I assume that won¡¯t be a problem?¡±


    Eric pretended he didn¡¯t see the twinge of fear in so many pairs of eyes before their leader quickly jerked a nod.


    ¡°No problem at all.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Hold still, and don¡¯t worry, Yini. Your husband¡¯s cry won¡¯t be from my marking his flesh. It will only appear to be the tiniest of tattoos.¡±


    Yini swallowed. ¡°Alright, bossman, fair enough. So why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Because he¡¯ll feel it in his soul.¡±


    And before a wide-eyed Yini could say a word in protest, Eric¡¯s finger was upon Mory¡¯s brow. And if his scream sounded like that of a man shrieking in purgatory, only a few dared whisper it loud enough for Eric to overhear, and his hearing was damned good.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, guys!¡± Mory quickly assured once he had a second to catch his breath, despite the look of unmitigated terror in his eyes.


    And that, plus the terrible quickness of the smiling monster in their midst who was somehow right NEXT to the loudest of those murmuring their misgivings, one hand tapping the hilt of his mithril blade while Eric¡¯s eyes twinkled with excitement and his words promised paradise kept the murmurs from getting any louder.


    Still, Eric thought it best to remind his near panicked artillery regiment of the sweet honey to go along with the vinegar they could expect, if they ever dared to cross him.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Just think of it, friends! This time next year, I¡¯m betting that you¡¯ll all be over level fifty with a million of credits to your name, thanks to having access to not one but a DOZEN Wealthy tier ENDLESS DELVES! You¡¯ll be set for life and rapid advancement as you make your home on an Ascending world with all the Blue Corp toys that any up-and-coming adventurer, or artillery specialist, could want for his future wife and kids.¡± Eric¡¯s smile widened. ¡°You do want that future for yourself and your girl, don¡¯t you, Wilhelm?¡±


    The man before Eric flinched and paled. ¡°How the fuck do you know my¡­¡± He froze at the furious whisper his panicked-looking partner was giving him, before blanching and giving Eric a strained smile. ¡°I mean yeah¡­ hell yeah! Let¡¯s take that oath and get that ten-fold experience gain!¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Right on. Exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡± And with a touch that only caused exquisite agony from chains that bit cruelly before numbing to cool inert docility, it was done.


    ¡°There, Not that bad. Right, Wilhelm?¡±


    The man trembled for just a second, before flashing a nervous smile. ¡°No. It¡­ hell, it just stung for a moment. Now, I don¡¯t hardly feel a thing!¡±


    ¡°Good. And I hear new friends coming to join the party, so let¡¯s get this show on the road!¡±


    And within seconds, it was done.


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully forged a binding oath with 47 Advanced Classer Gunners between levels 28-30! Upon your supplicants¡¯ death, their spirits will be under your permanent control!


    But you¡¯ve told them all not to worry.


    An honorable bargain has been forged. (Which means that they will never be able to remove their binding oath or resist your future compulsions, should they break it!)


    So long as your new artillery regiment actively obeys your (non suicidal) commands for the next ten years and never moves against you or your clan, they will be free to enjoy all the adventure that Terra has to offer with tax free profit in Ashland, and their souls will be free to pass on without hearing your call!¡±


    ¡°So, how are we all feeling?¡±


    Mory gazed at Eric for long moments, refusing to mince words. ¡°I think I just got the same interface message you did.¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile hardened but it didn¡¯t waver. Even when he sensed cautious relief turn to despair.


    ¡°He bound our souls. He bound our souls!¡± One young gunner whimpered, before being hushed by the girl next to him.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Lancy. He can hear you!¡±


    Eric nodded his head, gaze turning solemn. ¡°You¡¯re right. You see, that¡¯s the benefit of a necromancer class. You¡¯re not my slave. You can do what you want. But if you fuck me over, there will be consequences. Not right away, but if you ever dreamed of hell¡­¡± He gave a cold laugh. ¡°Believe me, those goddamned goblins were a fucking inspiration! If you think they can torment a soul¡­¡±


    He quickly tuned the savage persona down, seeing the horror on so many pairs of eyes. ¡°Anyway, that doesn¡¯t matter. Because I know you¡¯re not going to fuck me over, and I¡¯m a man of my word. You treat me right, I treat you right! And when we all eventually leave the mortal coil, I¡¯ll wish you all god¡¯s speed on your journey to the next life.¡±


    He then tried for a knowing wink, a confidential grin. ¡°Heck, you might just find me to be the best friend you ever had! The power that you most definitely DO want to keep in the good graces of, and I¡¯ll tell you why. If you ask me nicely and you¡¯ve been stand-up for our time working together, I can even give you paradise for your hereafter, allowing you to savor the most magnificent wonderful dreams you ever just wished you could lose yourself in, for eternity. If you had any doubts about what to expect once you pass on, because of your checkered pasts and such, I¡¯ll give you that golden parachute out of a very uncertain afterlife.¡±


    ¡°And if we kill you?¡±


    A harsh, desperate voice.


    A coolly smiling Eric slowly turned to the wild-eyed Lancy, and the girl holding him tight, gazing at Eric with wide, frightened eyes.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him. Please!¡±


    Eric swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, before laughing and shrugging off the threat.


    ¡°Great question, Lancy! I¡¯m glad you asked. In case your skulls are exceptionally thick, or you¡¯re just not used to it because of your own culture¡¯s taboos¡­ I¡¯M A FUCKING NECROMANCER! MY MENTOR¡¯S A LICH! YOU THINK I¡¯M STRONG NOW? JUST WAIT TIL I¡¯M DEAD!¡±


    He gave a cold chuckle. ¡°For you, its a ticket to purgatory. For me? It¡¯s just the next step in my journey. And if you think I can mess with your souls here...JUST IMAGINE WHAT I CAN DO IF YOU FUCK ME OVER AND I¡¯M WAITING FOR YOUR ASS OVER THERE!¡±


    He then laughed off the terror he saw on nearly all their faces. ¡°But don¡¯t take my word for it, even though I know you can all feel my mark with every beat of your heart. Let¡¯s just ask our friends!¡±


    Eric then turned, eyes flashing with a wicked warmth as he gazed back at the fifty mangled corpses he had slaughtered so fucking easily and embraced skills he had held back for far too long.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    The words echoed endlessly through the camp, their corner strangely absent even a single panicked straggler, no matter that hundreds, soon to be thousands, gathered by the gate, just two football fields away. Instead of the bustle of people there was the twist and shriek of metal as mangled bodies twisted and popped back into pristine configuration, ropy tendrils of blood and sinew lashing onto decapitated heads to pull them on tight once more as 50 Sarissophoroi erupted from the shells of twisted vessels of flesh and steel. They emerged like brilliant bronze colored flowers bursting forth from flesh, ash, and corroding metal that crumbled to dust before the glorious display of pristine Bronze armor of ancient design covered in bright essence runes of Dominion and Resilience, worn by a full platoon of perfectly proportioned men who were the ideal of Grecian grace, strength, and beauty, hardly looking undead at all.


    Each of them slammed fist to bronze chest plate with their right hand, while their left braced a 25 foot tall sandalwood spear pointing ramrod straight to the heavens.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡± They roared in unison.


    The air was filled with the curses of Eric¡¯s now life-sworn artillery company gazing at him with an odd mixture of awe and unmistakable fear.


    Yini went for a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t normally say this on the first date, but I got a good feeling about you, Necromancer! If your risen friends can keep our foes off our backs, we¡¯ll have no problem blowing your enemies to smitherines.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°That¡¯s the plan, Yini. So, how many artillery shells does your class allow you to generate per day?¡±


    ¡°Three, one per every ten levels, in addition to our considerable stores.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Eric said with a perfectly innocent smile, as if he hadn¡¯t been fishing for choice Classer intel, and Yini was perfectly happy to go along with the fiction that she¡¯d simply been eager to please, and not terrified for her life, giving away what a few mumbles indicated were class secrets.


    ¡°The more know, the safer I can keep you all,¡± Eric calmly said, earning flinches from those who perhaps thought he couldn¡¯t hear them, with a response that was reasonable and perfectly logical. The response of a commander concerned for the well being of his men.


    He frowned thoughtfully at the crackling gate on the other side of the camp, from which hundreds, soon to be thousands, of enemy soldiers were still rapidly pouring through.


    ¡°Now we just have to figure out what we¡¯re going to do about that.¡±

 Chapter 354 - Skeleton Crew

    ¡°Lady Valorn. Report!¡±


    An exceedingly frazzled looking Lady Valorn turned from the abandoned ruins of the palace grounds to gaze at Eric with haunted, bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°My prince, you¡¯re still here!¡±


    Eric frowned, taking a quick look around the palace grounds. Ugly craters, torn shrubbery and the faint stench of blood had replaced the beautiful topiary and festive solstice atmosphere of less than an hour ago. Yet, surprisingly, he saw no sign of wounded elves or bodies, which he took as a very good sign.


    ¡°Casualties?¡±


    The shell-shocked elven noble suppressed a tremble. ¡°Surprisingly mild, my lord. Two elves perished. Seven others were wounded. The rest immediately took shelter in the palace. We¡­¡± She swallowed, wide frightened eyes locking wither Eric¡¯s own. ¡°They possess cannon, Eric. Multiple cannon, and our queen¡¯s shields¡­ they did nothing!¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°I know. They were led by a Bronze who could pierce wards like they were no more than mirages. I think he was group linked with Dream Sages or some bullshit like that, but either way, we won¡¯t have to worry about shelling any more.¡±


    Lady Valorn fell to her knees, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. ¡°Thank the queen¡¯s eternal mercy!¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°No comment, but you can believe what you like. Anyway, with that being said¡­ where are our men? We¡¯ve got a hell of a lot of reds incoming, and even if I do have something of a plan, I need to know how everything and everyone fit together.¡±


    The elven noble just stared at Eric, completely gobsmacked. ¡°You. You actually have a plan.¡± She gave a bitter chuckle. ¡°Of course you do! The wild card who actually brought me Gilton¡­ before everything went to hell.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to need some serious details on how exactly that fuck up went down¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fuck up!¡± a suddenly furious Valorn shrieked. ¡°It was a catastrophe!¡±


    ¡°Sure. Point is, now our focus has to be Queensland, and I need to see what we¡¯re working with.¡±


    Valorn gazed at Eric for long moments, desperate hope blossoming in her features. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re finally ready to take responsibility for your faction? You¡¯re willing to accept the Path of Rulers at last?¡±


    An alarmed Eric immediately stepped back, a dozen warning bells ringing pretty damned loudly in his head.


    ¡°No! Hell no!¡± He snapped. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± His gaze hardened. ¡°This free agent is willing to hire out his personal military forces for compensation in the form of resources.¡±


    Valorn¡¯s eyes widened with outrage. ¡°You would exploit us now, when we are at our weakest? When with a single act of grace, you could rule us in truth? Monstrous!¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°Look, shut the fuck up and give me a credit. That too hard?¡±


    He smirked at her dazed look of disbelief, handing him a silver coin which he guessed was technically one credit.


    ¡°Good. The Sylvan faction has officially hired my services til first light. My command will be autonomous, I WON¡¯T be aiding you guys in conquest, merely defense, and if my merc unit wants to hire on with you guys when I¡¯m out, that¡¯s fine too.¡±


    Valorn swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what you¡¯re playing at, Eric, but it doesn¡¯t matter. If you and your¡­ mercenary band can help us¡­¡± Her smile filled with tears. ¡°Eric, we¡¯ve already been abandoned!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°All the other elves!¡± She sobbed. ¡°All the other clans making up the Sylvan Alliance are gone! Only myself, my handful of surviving officers, and less than a hundred elves are left to march under Elonia¡¯s banner!¡±


    Eric froze at those words, heart roaring in his ears as he spent a long awful moment just trying to process that final bitter twist to this devastating night.


    ¡°Wait¡­ I thought we had four hundred! What about Lord Drevyn? Annika Drevyn? Sufia the Scout? Jinni our Blue friend?¡±


    ¡°All have left us, Eric. Even Jinni left with Caliban!¡± Her panicked hand clenched his wrist. ¡°Eric, it¡¯s bad. Not only have ALL the humanoid factions declared war on us, but Jinni said they¡¯re making inroads on Blue Corp territory too!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eric lurched back in surprised dismay, suddenly feeling like his entire world was crumbling down as Valorn trembled and sobbed and somehow Eric was wasting precious seconds soothing this sobbing woman who was a hairsbreadth away from panic and he NEEDED to get back to the enemy camp, finalize orders to his men, and figure out how the hell to pull not even a win, but simple survival from this dreadful night.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! The Queen herself went in seclusion the moment you left. All her favorite pets and underlings and every other clan save my own just up and disappeared¡­ even the paladins that were supposed to be guarding your sister have disappeared! Now it¡¯s just my broken clan, The Winter Queen, and your still sleeping sister¡­ and your mother refuses to respond to any of us that are left!¡±


    Eric shook his head, furious curses flowing between pursed lips.


    FUCK! What the hell was he supposed to do now?


    He could feel times starting to stretch and slow as Battle-time took over under the surge of adrenaline spiking in his chest.


    He took a deep, calming breath, and locked gazes with the woman before him.


    ¡°Lady Valorn. I need you to FOCUS, okay?¡± He shook her, perhaps a tiny bit harder than he should have. ¡°We¡¯re going to survive this night. Don¡¯t you fucking doubt it, but that requires you getting your head in the game and listening, are we clear?¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The noblewoman gazed at him in a clear daze, nose trickling blood, but she was at least cogent enough to nod.


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ve got an artiller regiment comprised of 47 Gunners and 25 24-pounder long guns. Highly modified artillery,¡± he calmly informed her, receiving an awed look in turn.


    ¡°Wait! Are¡­ are you serious?¡±


    Eric pointedly looked up. ¡°You hear any shells fly in the last ten minutes?¡±


    Her stunned expression said all that needed saying.


    ¡°Good! You don¡¯t have to order them around, they know their role. Just provide whatever logistical support and melee range coverage they need, in case anyone manages to slip out of my net. They¡¯re only going to be using 5 long guns for now, and hopefully none will be needed, but at least they will be there.¡±


    Lady Valorn¡¯s look was one of awed disbelief. ¡°Eric Silver, are you telling me that you actually managed to capture our enemy¡¯s entire artillery brigade?¡±


    Eric smirked. By way of answer, he whistled towards the nearby copse of trees he had popped out of, surprisingly relieved to see all 47 of his new hires slip free of the underbrush to the surprised gasp of the Noblewoman still clinging to Eric.


    ¡°We¡¯re all good here, Mory! Come out and say high to the officer who will effectively be our liaison with the Sylvan Faction! She¡¯ll make sure you guys have whatever you need in terms of logistical support as well as room and board.¡± He gently turned her gobsmacked face to meet his own. ¡°We are good for room and board, right, Emee?¡±


    She shivered. ¡°How do you even know my¡­ yes, yes we are!¡±


    She stiffened as if only in that moment realizing she had effectively swooned in Eric¡¯s arms, quickly picking herself up, standing tall and dusting off her uniform.


    She gave a bemused-looking Mory a careful once-over and he, looking all rebel alliance in his bomber jacket and shades, just winked and flashed a trademark maverick grin.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Mory. I hear we¡¯ll be working together, my lady?¡±


    The noblewoman turned to Eric, staring at him for a long moment before quickly turning back and nodding to the artillery regiment suddenly under her care. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct. Please, allow me to lead you to the battlements. We¡¯ve reinforced the roof which can hold over a dozen 24-pounders comfortably before trade concessions were made and we presently find ourselves without any long guns at all.¡±


    Yini snorted. ¡°Damn good thing you have us, elfy. Because with all the infantry soon to come your way¡­ you¡¯re going to need all the help you can get.¡± She frowned, looking around as everyone else approached, giving cautious nods to what was effectively their Sylvan Liason. ¡°And why the hell is there no one around to secure the perimeter?¡±


    But all Valorn could do was gaze at her in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re an orc!¡± Her eyes widened as she took in the company as a whole. ¡°Almost have of you¡­ orcs!¡±


    Yini looked offended for half a second, before laughing at Valorn¡¯s expression. ¡°That¡¯s right, girlie! Half our crew is from Snorloc Constellation! Orc conquered in 3542. Sure, things were pretty ugly for awhile, and I¡¯ve no doubt that my poor great grandmom did not go willingly into that prenuptual bed, but our king isn¡¯t a fool. At least not on Snorloc. He married an elven champion in return for a peace accord and an elven sanctuary on the south continent, then he quickly noticed that his half-blood children were far more docile, smarter, and easier to manage that his pureblooded pigheaded progeny that his other wives popped out. So he made it a Big Boss Decree that every orc was to marry a human or elf and get ¡®the big brains,¡¯ as he called it. Blue Corp, for whatever reason, bent over backwards to make immigration an attractive option for millions of people throughout the local cluster, and next thing you know, crime, wholesale slaughter, and random acts of violence are at an all time low.¡±


    Her cheerful explanation faded to a cold stare. ¡°In point of fact, I¡¯ll bet I¡¯m at least as smart as you, and I have at least as much elf blood in my veins as your Contender here. So why don¡¯t you wipe off that disgusted look in your face and see past whoever the hell my great grandfather was?¡±


    Eric felt his cheeks blush just as brightly as Emee¡¯s were, even if Yini hadn¡¯t dared to put Eric in his place and his perhaps blatant contempt of all things orc, no matter how civil he was to everyone under his command. Because Yini was seven eighths human and elf from a world that truly had taken massive steps to civilize and advance. She was the farthest thing from the pureblood monsters who had come here to invade and terrorize Earth¡­ even if, in fact, she had come as part of an invading force.


    Emee stiffened, before solemnly bowing her head. ¡°You are right. Thank you for the clarification. IF this one has offended¡­¡± She swallowed. ¡°The I apologize.¡±


    Yini smirked. ¡°Well, that¡¯s alright then. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve had your hands full fighting off a purebred clan, so I¡¯m not going to hold it against you.¡± She turned to her fellows. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, boys?¡±


    This got everything from good-natured chuckles to cool sighs, to an outright chortle, as the largest orc-blooded among them flashed Yini a toothy grin. ¡°Guess us full-bloods are going to pretend to be mutts like you tiny squishies?¡± The clearly full-blooded orc snorted.


    Yini flashed her underling a hard smile. ¡°Yes, Torc. That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. Got a problem with it?¡±


    The massive and very orc orc slowly shook his porcine head. ¡°Nope. Just checking.¡± He then turned his tusked countenance towards a trembling Emee Valorn. ¡°So, yeah. Where you gonna put us, Elf girlie? A clear line of fire back towards the encampment where we were bombarding you twenty minutes ago might be a good idea.¡±


    Eric smirked, and in very short order found himself putting five of the long gun turrets precisely where his Structural Integrity Sense indicated that the rooftop battlements really were strong enough to hold, which was pretty much anywhere he liked, delighted to see that either his mother or sister¡¯s System shenanigans had locked in a palace as structurally sound as a solid steel vault. As to why the tallest of Elonia¡¯s minarets had even been knocked over¡­ he¡¯d put that to Rank 20 Bronze weaponry perks.


    He smiled with satisfaction after securing the last of the five long guns on their turning platforms before turning to Mory. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off to see if I can make us even more friends who will soon be joining us in a bit of territory defense. And who knows? Maybe a dash of conquest on the side. So, are we good here?¡±


    Yini snorted. ¡°If you can actually pull your trick on an entire brigade, then I¡¯ll happily bow to you and call you king. And the way you handled our long guns, I know you know what the hell you¡¯re doing. Even if not quite so well as you probably think you do. But you still haven¡¯t explained why you kept twenty of our 24-pounder cannon?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Nope, I didn¡¯t. But if all goes well¡­ I¡¯ll be giving the rest back to you by the end of the night.¡± He then lowered his voice and stepped close to Yini, who only flinched a heartbeat, when Eric whispered in her ear. ¡°Could a non-classer safely fire the shells you¡¯ve all got prepared, or should the gunpowder be reduced by a certain fraction?¡±


    Yini¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fuck, you can¡¯t be¡­¡± She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Half. If you want it to be idiot proof, then you¡¯re going to have to let me prepare a certain number of shells for you if you¡¯re not going to¡­ are you sure you don¡¯t want some of us with you? I mean, you did carry us all here with those revenant abominations. So long as you can get us out as fast as you did before, I think we can unleash a few volleys without getting¡ªhey, where the hell are you going?¡±


    But a smiling Eric just waved and cartwheeled off the ledge before racing across the palatial grounds and darting back the way he came far faster than he had ever dared before, hampered by neither panicked lowish level gunners or terrified friends in a bulki veli.


    ¡°Bloody showoff.¡±


    Yini¡¯s parting grumble made him grin. Before his smile turned to a hard frown. If his newest acquaintances betrayed him¡­ he could feel the imprints of their souls upon him like he could the hairs upon his arm. Tiny, insignificant and unnoticed until the moment he chose to pull one. He gave Yini and Mory¡¯s souls the gentlest of tugs... just a friendly mental pat on the shoulder showing his trust¡­ and that they¡¯d damn well better be keeping their men in line.

 Chapter 355 - Paradise Lost

    ¡°What do you mean, Baron Crevpost is unaccounted for?!?¡±


    This from a panicked-looking officer wearing the standard steel mail lined buff coat that appeared to be de rigueur uniform for the officers of Eric¡¯s latest batch of foes. Though the waxed mustache was new, the properly groomed officer who looked like he had just stepped out of a salon was glaring down at the young man who couldn¡¯t have been any older than Eric, covered in sweat, grime, and terror, just a few dozen feet from what were now at least a thousand troops been neatly assembled in rows just outside in the dark.


    There were no torches or lamps anywhere in the camp... as Eric had taken the time to both dart around the camp and simply claim them, the handful of anxious patrols extremely easily to slip past when he was over twenty times as fast as even level 10 troops with 25 Quickness at best. Of course he had spent precious minutes taking Yini¡¯s advice to heart, movdifying several dozen exquisitely constructed artillery rounds and trading steel shells for hide and bone and multiple strips of what were now soul-bound cloth dipped in blood and the essence of heat now set at an eternal 77 degrees Fahrenheit, surrounding a handful of steel shot covered with multiple layers of the essence of blood, assuring a cool core and a top layer several thousand degrees. Of course Eric had taken the time to test every last one of his beloved primers by the simple expedient of placing them in a very shallow pile of the gunpowder he had claimed along with the three bronze 12-pounder cannons earlier, then sprinkling another layer of gunpowder on top. He did them all at once, not having time to fuck around with each individual cool cloth-covered blazing hot catalyst, and he was pleased to find that his Mad Bomber perk was fully on point, there not being a single hint of smoke or heat let alone any flash, and his interface had already made it clear that each and every one of the artillery company¡¯s long guns were Pristine Mortal Tier, which he assumed was a good thing.


    Eric turned away from the officer currently berating the confused private in the dark to peer back at several battery¡¯s worth of cannons on a nearby hilloc less than thirty yards away. All of them were aimed right for the mass of assembled men by the gate. All of them were supported and secured in a secure framework comprised of the extremely resilient flesh and bone of multiple high level minotaurs, dire wolves, and reaver bears. It was a bulwark that happened to be sturdier even than the incredibly resilient structure of lizard hide and bone that had served Eric so well for so long. Perhaps a full magnitude sturdier, as those original giant lizards had been no more than level 20 and Eric was now a Master Class Necromancer. And of course, all of his cannons were guarded by his fifty revenants, who had unscrewed the bronze sheath securing the two halves of their 20 foot long spears and now wielded what were effectively either 10 foot long spears or massive ten foot long war hammers with a weighted butt spike that, in the hands of what were now approximately level 50 monsters, could be windmilled around with devastating skull-cracking force as easily as a boy might flick around a bamboo stick.


    Eric spared only a moment smiling fondly at his cannon battery before he was drawn back into the conversation just a few yards away.


    ¡°And why the hell are no lamps lit? Where the hell¡¯s your discipline, boy? This is a camp, not a new recruit training center! Now take me to your commanding officer at once!¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Captain Brena. The lamps are missing and Captain Klaus is nowhere to be found!¡±


    Captain Brena¡¯s eyes twitched with obvious ire. ¡°You¡¯ve lost track of your own commanding officer?¡±


    ¡°Sir, please, there¡¯s only a handful of us left!¡±


    This, more than anything else, gave Captain Brena pause. ¡°Was there an attack?¡±


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know. We didn¡¯t find any bodies or signs of fighting...¡±


    ¡°Because I have Blood Mastery,¡± Eric grinned under his breath.


    ¡°... It¡¯s like everyone fled into the night!¡± The panicked private sobbed when the captain clenched the hilt of his cavalry saber with obvious ire. Before exhaling and shaking his head.


    ¡°Well you didn¡¯t, and that speaks well of you, boy,¡± the man said in a far less intimidating tone. ¡°Now, how about you take me to the portal generator. That is clearly working, correct?¡±


    The boy gave a desperate nod, telling Eric what he had been so eager to hear.


    ¡°Yes, sir! But I can¡¯t... the few of us left can¡¯t get in! The force ward came up as soon as everyone important went missing! And of course... no one inside will listen to an enlisted like me.¡±


    ¡°Well they damn well better listen to me!¡± Captain Brena snapped. ¡°Come along, private. At least they kept the gate open, so there¡¯s hope that we can make something of this botched damn operation before first light!¡±


    ¡°I... yes sir. Right this way, sir!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t quite hold back a feral grin as he effortlessly stalked the pair, moving with fluid grace and taking full advantage of his infravision to see the contrasting heat signatures all around as effortlessly as his opponents would take in their environment on a shadowless cloudy spring day. Of course it wast he farthest thing from spring, just an hour before midnight on Winter Solstice, but if things went as Eric hoped they would, he¡¯d soon be getting some wonderful presents. And he needed all the gifts his enemies would send his way, considering the fact that every invading faction had just declared war on his people.


    Eric shivered, all too easily able to imagine countless raving hoards tearing into the palace and slaughtering his poor, comatose sister. Even if his interface made it clear that the only reds were here and a dozen scouts or spies at the periphery of his sister¡¯s territory miles away, he could never discount Bloodtear assassins sneaking past all perception, even his own, and attempting to assassinate everyone he held dear.


    It was a grim thought that brought a sense of urgency to a scene that he would have otherwise been content to savor like a cat stalking his prey.


    Yet he already knew the peril of rushing, quietly following his quarry, making use of the lush green noise-muffling grass beside the gravel pathway used by both officer and private as they approached the one permanent part of the fort that was made of more than linen tent fibers. Eric furrowed his brow at the extremely sturdy-looking fortification made of steel and stone that was presently surrounded by a crackling ward that radiated Bronze-tier intensity. Eric had let the enemy ward stand, reluctant to dispel it until he was absolutely sure that he wouldn¡¯t end up releasing something extremely nasty as a result.


    Because when interdimensional rift generators were humming so loud and low that Eric felt it in his 435 Vitality bones, he couldn¡¯t help fearing the worst. Especially when his Mad Bomber perk made it damn clear that something very active and extremely excitable lay within that stone bunker.


    Which was why he allowed the self-important captain to pass him in the dark completely unmolested as the man furiously tapped the barrier with a brass wand glowing with arcane energies that made the dome pulsate a bright pink color before the captain stepped back.


    Much to Eric¡¯s bemusement, that was all it took, the force-field powering off just seconds later as several harried-looking soldiers that were far closer to thirtieth level than tenth exited the bunker with what a bemused Eric noted were Tier I blasters, of all things.


    Even the captain noted with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°You know the restrictions on those weapons, lads. Are things really so serious?¡±


    ¡°Standard protocol, Captain!¡± Bellowed the impressive voice of a man radiating even more girth than presence in his pristine cashmere robes who was at that moment emerging right behind his armed escort, glaring the captain¡¯s way with his bristly white beard and ice-blue eyes. In his hands he casually held a staff absolutely thrumming with powerful magics as he addressed the wide-eyed captain before him. ¡°In the event wherein an invading force engaging in lawful protocols establishes a rift gate, they are to protect said gate from native capture at all costs, even should it supersede native protocols. So long as assigned blaster carbines aren¡¯t used in the actual campaign and are restricted to securing the bunker and its contents and no more, it is permitted.¡±


    The captain bowed his head. ¡°Of course, my lord. Please forgive my...startlement. I was not expecting to find the camp in its present state.¡±


    This earned a harrumph from the noble mage clearly tasked with running the gate. ¡°As to what happened... it¡¯s a mystery. And I, for one, do not like mysteries on campaign!¡± His ice-blue eyes twinged with long suppressed fear. ¡°Have you heard any word from Lord Crevpost or anyone else of significance?¡±


    Captain Brena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, do you mean...¡±


    ¡°I mean nothing!¡± The mage snapped. ¡°It is a question, no more!¡±


    The man swallowed, eyes widening as he flinched, looking all around him. ¡°No, Lord Mage. I¡¯ve seen no sign of any officer or nobleman of significance, save for your august self, of course.¡±


    The mage closed his eyes, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead as the pair of blaster-wielding soldiers gazed stoically in the dark, not seeing what was observing them so keenly, just a short distance away.


    The mage sighed, before solemnly handing the suddenly anxious captain an envelope. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no hope for it, then. Best send a runner back right away and give this to Duke Nalbain¡¯s second. It will explain what¡¯s occurred, so far as I understand it. If we¡¯re to proceed against an unknown, invisible threat, standard protocol requires the immediate reinforcement of Bronze elites in the twelve hour window before we must either retreat or risk censure... or we flee these lands entirely.¡±


    The captain gazed at the mage for long, painful moments. ¡°My Lord... if Baron Crevpost is...¡±


    ¡°I know, boy! The Dream Wardens are in a panic! Not one of three children can be found!¡±


    Captain Brena blanched. ¡°No. Not the duke¡¯s grandchildren!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound, a cold clammy sweat breaking out on a back normally inured to any sort of temperature extreme.


    Fuck. Just how bad were things after being forced to fight for his life against those elite Bronze-tier assholes?


    The mage squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. ¡°The Duke will raise holy hell. It will be an absolute slaughter and he¡¯ll care nothing about voided contracts or the loss of three full Bronze tier levels for a royal infraction. If those children are confirmed dead, he¡¯ll burn this world on the pyre of his hate.¡±


    It was all Eric could do to keep from howling in fury at the unfairness of it all. Not only were the bronze-tier monsters he had fought for his life against warded and protected, if anyone did manage to put them down, the repercussions were so awful that most would have probably hung their head and accepted that they were nothing more than pawns to be sacrificed and devoured by powerful entities with so many perks, advantages and laws in their favor that there was no chance in hell of anything like a ¡®fair¡¯ ascension. Which was, of course, the entire point.


    He winced, very deliberately putting out of mind Zofira¡¯s panicked plea, her fury turning to terror then despair after Eric had taken care of her psychopathic brothers. He had already paid a bitter price more than once before, when he had tried to be ¡®the better man¡¯ and given his enemy a second chance. Yet it was also true that at least a few of the youths he had spared had turned into genuine friends. And Zofira had been begging with her heart and soul. Yet as much as his heart had ached to spare her, like he had Yuki and everyone else his mother had expected him to kill when he had been tossed into that delve... There was no way in hell he could afford to show Zofira any mercy after what had come before, no matter how much he had wished it were otherwise.


    He had already slain both of her brothers. However much she begged or pled now, Eric knew that, were he in her place, he could never have forgiven any monster who harmed his family, no matter how craven fear temporarily made him.


    Considering his own vulnerable sister, there had been only one way it could end.


    Then Eric was forced to face the father of all people. And what kind of asshole brings his Bronze-tier children on campaign? And now the Duke himself would be out for blood.


    Eric wanted to laugh at the bitter absurdity of it all.


    Instead he kept his increasingly desperate gaze tight on the captain as he solemnly clasped the letter that Eric would die before letting cross that portal before asking the officious wizard the question burning in Eric¡¯s mind as well.


    ¡°My lord, of course I am at your absolute disposal, but may this one ask why such a precious correspondence isn¡¯t being hand delivered?¡±


    The wizard¡¯s exhausted features hardened in unexpected fury. ¡°Because, you fool, we used a Valorium starship core to stabilize the rift!¡± he roared, before rubbing his face and sighing as the terrified-looking private, still beside the captain, fell to his knees.


    ¡°I heard nothing! I swear it, my¡ª¡± the private¡¯s plea died off in a shriek as he was obliterated by a bar of silver-white flame.


    ¡°Completely my mistake,¡± the wizard said with a sigh. ¡°Do make sure his family gets a full twenty year stipend for an honorable death in the field, Captain Brena.¡±


    The captain¡¯s horrified expression immediately snapped back to cool deference as he crisply saluted the mage. ¡°Yes, Lord Mage. I shall do so just as soon as I¡¯ve delivered the letter.¡±


    The mage clenched his jaw. ¡°In any other time and place... but no. You¡¯ve earned the knowledge you¡¯ve been given. But don¡¯t be surprised if you find yourself promoted to far more... discrete service.¡±


    The captains gulped, gazing with horror at the bunker before him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so horrified,¡± the mage said dryly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a Valorium core outside of a ship¡¯s containment field. Fortunately, the energies radiating from this newly ascended world are so pristine in purity and intensity that it does a remarkably good job of catalyzing our portable containment field and stabilizing the core.¡± He gazed fondly back into the chamber behind him before turning to fix the pale-faced captain with his cold, measuring gaze. ¡°You do understand why this MUST be kept close, and why you are to report to me immediately after your mission, yes? It is only because there are no Bronze Contenders on this newly ascended rock, thank the gods, that we dare this operation without a full contingent of Ascended champions. As it stands, I still need to be here to maintain the field. Because if that collapses...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all dead?¡±


    The mage chuckled coldly. ¡°If only it were so tame as to irradiate us all to oblivion. No, Captain. It¡¯s worse. Far worse. If the shields collapse, it will indeed start pumping out electromana radiation so intense that anyone below 100 vitality will die within seconds, depending on their proximity. But that won¡¯t matter for longer than a minute.¡±


    ¡°Because of fail-safes?¡±


    ¡°No, fool. Because it will erupt like a quark bomb, totally obliterating everything within a hundred miles. And I do mean obliteration. The resultant shockwave will utterly destroy everything for hundreds of miles in all directions before the fireball that will follow, so massive in size and scale that one could expect absolute devastation in all directions for a thousand miles. At the very least. And assuming the mana levels aren¡¯t so high that the air itself ignites, the reverberations will be heard and felt around the entire world. Lacking druids, tech, or magic, the world will fall into another ice age with dust clouds poisoning the atmosphere.¡±


    The wizard flashed a grim smile at the look of horror upon the captain¡¯s face, at which point the rotund mage handed him a mithril headband.


    ¡°And that is why you will now wear this. Yes, it¡¯s an artifact, never mind the warnings your superiors gave you while you were a raw recruit. It will ward your mind against psionic intrusion or Sylvan enchantments.¡±


    The captain shuddered but didn¡¯t hesitate to put it on. His eyes widened. ¡°I feel no different!¡±


    The mage snorted. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d give you a substandard artifact that would slowly fry your brain? Of course not. It¡¯s my own! And you¡¯d better bring it back after your delivery.¡±


    ¡°I... yes sir.¡±


    Stealth check ¨C Critical Success! Something going right when everything¡¯s on the line. Imagine that!


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The mage glared out into the distance and the swaying trees for a long moment as the nighttime breeze ruffled his silky salt & pepper locks before turning to head back inside. ¡°Alright, you have your orders, captain. Make sure the duke gets that message immediately!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± The captain held his salute for long moments as the mage coolly nodded, turned around, and headed back inside, immediately followed by his blaster-wielding assistants before the chamber door was sealed shut and the mage hurriedly made his way without disturbance along the bare-bones corridor with a preoccupied look upon his brooding features until he gave a hard smile as he gazed upon the prize awaiting him in the center of his obvious laboratory with tubes, beakers, crackling diodes and a fortune in coppery wires sizzling with chromatic lights. It was an awe inspiring collection of exotic instruments and nameless colors that utterly paled in insignificance compared to the true prize within that chamber.


    The mage sighed, gazing up with a fond smile towards the prize he clearly valued more than any other.


    Resting suspended in mid air at the heart of the dome shaped laboratory soaring a good thirty feet high and surrounded on all sides by a crackling force field was a bowling-ball sized globe that glowed like a miniature sun.


    The mage then turned to the guard on his left who had just reholstered his blaster and taken off his helmet to reveal a very erudite-looking guard who gave off an air more suited to wizard or scientist. His partner beside him did the same, revealing cherry-blond curls and pert elfin features as their female counterpart immediately summoned chart and quill before heading toward what looked like an old fashioned stock ticker, only covered with waving lines. She picked up the stream of unbroken paper and frowned. ¡°It¡¯s as we feared, Lord Conrad, the oscillations are getting progressively worse. We¡¯ll need to increase power output if we wish to keep this gate stable for the foreseeable future.¡±


    The rotuned lord frowned, peering thoughtfully at the Valorium core pulsating in the air. ¡°You know the risks, Frieda.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord, I do. Worst case scenario, we still have a full two minutes to jump through the gate. The exact time it will take Earth¡¯s sun to move its diameter across the sky. The connection between realms should hold for at least that long.¡±


    Her male counterpart snorted, scratching his bristles. ¡°Problem is that we don¡¯t have two minutes. If we push this core too hard and a meltdown begins... we¡¯ll be dead in seconds and our uncle here, even with his impressive personal shields, will still have no longer than a minute to reach the gate before the blast of radiation cooks even him to oblivion and earns him all sorts of friends in the capital when a stream of pure plasma blasts through the rift.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being an overdramatic worry-wort ¡®cousin,¡¯¡± Freida said acidly. ¡°There¡¯s no chance in hell of that¡ª¡± Frieda¡¯s eyes widened in horror when her cousin¡¯s hands were cleaved off his wrist in a spray of crimson. ¡°Kemil!¡±


    Lord Conrad blanched with surprise, stumbling back as the air rang with his niece¡¯s last words.


    ¡°Kem¡ª¡±


    Then Frieda collapsed in a heap when something slammed into the base of her spine, and Kemil¡¯s shocked open mouth began to scream.


    ¡°Frieda? Kemil? What... good god!¡± The mage radiating a Bronze¡¯s power stumbled back on his fat ass, looking on in horror at the crumpled girl and the young man screaming and writhing, yet Kemil¡¯s stumps had already stopped spraying blood.


    Bloodmastery Skill check: Success!


    The mage then stiffened when he felt mithril caress his neck.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s Conrad, right?¡± Eric said as the man trembled and shook before the taste of mithril against his neck. ¡°No, don¡¯t flinch. You were stupid enough to use a lesser ward pretty damn similar to the low grade enchantments orc shamans favor. It¡¯s about comfort, am I right? Because a man deserves to feel like a king in his own home and there¡¯s no way in hell any asshole¡¯s getting the drop on you inside your own sanctum sanctorum, am I right?¡±


    The mage trembled in fear and fury in equal measure. ¡°You! You killed them. You just... in cold blood, killed them!¡±


    Eric¡¯s voice was chill as the grave. ¡°Are you stupid? Both your niece and nephew live. And they will continue to live, so long as you answer my questions. You play your cards right and give me an oath, and all three of you can walk away from this with fresh lives, and that¡¯s a promise. If you fuck with me, however, their screams will be the last thing you ever hear. Now enough with the pointless drama, pleas, and dismay. Let¡¯s keep it nice and simple. You¡¯re going to tell me all about that cute little Valorium core. Namely, how the fuck you even stored it before bringing it through that gate.¡±


    ¡°You... you abomination!¡± The mage roared. ¡°You¡¯re the reason why the camp went dark! Why Lord Crevpost is unresponsive. He¡¯s dead! You killed him! You killed them all!¡±


    And in the blink of an eye, Eric realized he¡¯d miscalculated. Badly, when the Bronze-tier wizard began crackling and glowing with fearsome power as a sonic boom hammered into Eric with hurricane force.


    He had thought that seeing his own niece and nephew in obvious peril would keep the man civil. Reasonable. And maybe he could get through this night without having to kill anyone else who looked like they were in their early twenties, however old these monsters actually were.


    Turned out he was wrong.


    Strength Check successful!


    Your opponent FAILS his Vitality check!


    Eric instinctively held on tight when the massive surge of Bronze Tier POWER roared through his flame. HE bit back a scream as the kinetic blast radiating in all directions from Conrad strained Eric¡¯s more than 400 points of might such that his adrenaline poured on Burst of Strength, allowing him to actually hold on against a kinetic blast that would have otherwise slammed him against the wall in a stunned, perhaps broken heap, rendered easy prey for the formerly roaring tyrant showing Eric just how foolish he was to ever think he could get a drop on a Bronze-Tier wizard.


    And somehow he still ended up flying across the chamber, filled with dismay and dread, bracing himself for the inevitable follow-up killing strike.


    Only for System messages to flare in his mind¡¯s eye so rapidly that he went from bemusement to disbelief to sheer dread, knowing he had less than sixty seconds before his entire world was doomed.


    You have successfully bested a Level 10 Bronze-tier Mage!


    It turns out that the so called ¡®perfect-defense¡¯ a point-blank kinetic blast forcing all enemies away from you at bone-shattering speed isn¡¯t quite as perfect as the Gildersnitz academy taught, when someone¡¯s hanging onto your neck with over 800 in temporary strength!


    An arrogant enough wizard (who had both your arm and your mithril blade in very close proximity to their neck) might just lose their head over it!


    Eve is exceedingly AMUSED by this battle! For grappling DOES have a play in martial conflict, and sometimes fortune IS in your favor! (Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s enough for what¡¯s to come!)


    You are now a Level 35 Contender!


    You have achieved level 71 as a Primal Adventurer!


    .................................................


    UNSTABLE VALORIUM CORE DETECTED!


    EMERGENCY SYSTEM QUEST INITIATED!


    SAVE YOUR PLANET!


    YOU HAVE 59...58...


    Eric stunned dismay lasted only a split second, having absolutely zero time to even register the horror of a man so filled with righteous wrath that he had managed to slaughter the family he had brought with him... or that the psychopaths who somehow got some freakishly unfair System dispensation to raid a planet with Bronze tier opponents were further permitted to do so using tools that were effectively more powerful than the deadliest nuclear weapons mankind had ever built.


    Willpower check at -10 penalty MADE!


    You have the resolve to do what needs to be DONE!


    Eric emptied his mind of all panic and dismay, knowing damn well that what he was about to do would probably kill him. But he had been effectively doomed from the second he had returned to Queensland, with who knew how many foul cards warping destiny that had been thrown by spite-filled goblin shamans and others to assure his demise, no matter what it took.


    He couldn¡¯t help but flash a bitter smile even as he raced to catch the wildly crackling orb that would have seared out his eyes even with 84 physical and 50 Elemental Resilience, were it not for his Unified Restoration Node he damn well was pouring every last experience point he had earned past his automatic level-up to super charge as much as he possibly could. Because he wasn¡¯t fleeing the hideously searing white ball of agony but actually daring to get closer, no matter how much his flesh now BURNED!


    Then CLOSER still, as the skin seared right off his fingers, then the first layer of muscle right underneath, and he could see his monstrously resilient bones reach out to touch that slowly falling ball. Bracing himself for the agony he knew was coming.


    And it didn¡¯t matter that his flesh was already irradiated clean off his fingers and hands and wrists, or that Unified Restoration was just barely keeping his brain intact as he was using Unified Perception to see out of his SKULL as his squinted shut eyes were no more than husks.


    All that he needed was a single instant to touch it...


    Before a blood scream emerged from his throat as he endured agony the equivalent of being dropped in a vat of liquid iron.


    And NOT dying.


    An endless awful pain that left him in such hideous agony that he could barely move, losing himself in a sea of blistering pain, no matter how he tried to squeeze time not just to absurd slowness but a dead stop within his Extra Dimensional Storage space.


    IT still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Even after being expanded by holding half a trillion credits worth of gold in the vaults of his mind... it STILL WASN¡¯T ENOUGH!


    ¡°MOTHER, IT HURTS!¡±


    Eric shrieked with his soul more than his ruined lungs.


    And somehow, by some miracle, he sensed, for the first time that night, genuine alarm.


    More than alarm... terror.


    And fury.


    And of course, it was directed at him.


    When the fuck wasn¡¯t it?


    Willpower Check at -20 penalty made! Good thing it¡¯s over 80 and you UNDERSTAND pain! You already know what you have to do, hero!


    And Eric did just that. Embracing Dominion to numb the nerves of his body as best he could. But it wasn¡¯t enough as he stumbled to the entrance of the underground bunker now flaring with alarms and a massive steal gate that just slammed shut in front of him.


    FIRE FIST! Before being obliterated in a splash of superheated metal as the transcendent essence of flame utterly destroyed the mortal artifact.


    And then he was stumbling out the containment bunker, because of course that was what it was, and the night was as bright as day!


    OR so it seemed as he raced for the crackling gate that he knew would only be up for another two minutes at most! And if Eric didn¡¯t do something before that time was up... He¡¯d explode. He knew it. And he truly would be the harbinger of oblivion, in the least cool way he could imagine.


    ¡°He¡¯s glowing!¡±


    ¡°Monster! Run...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m blind! I can¡¯t see! I can¡¯t see!¡±


    ¡°Flee for the gate! Containment breach! Containment breach!¡±


    The words wavered and melted together as the air itself seemed to bleed with plasma and fury.


    And still Eric forced himself forward, one agonized step after another, his smile a rictus. For what else could it be? HE himself was little more than bone and living flame. The furious hot essence of fire, of oblivion even as he embraced the first of ALL his essence spells, abilities, and powers in the most primal way he could. Heat Surge.


    It was all that was holding him together as he stumbled toward the crackling purple gate he could sense, but certainly not see, even as hundreds then thousands of soldiers first raced toward him, then stumbled back with cries and screams before bursting into flame.


    And then he was before the gate. And for just a single second, he sensed not hundreds but thousands... tens of thousands of souls beyond that gate, so many cords of life in a city as magnificent as any cyberpunk megalopolis he could imagine.


    Or perhaps it was a massive military camp designed with world conquests in mind.


    Either way, Eric released the now wildly blazing orb of white-hot potency, a living bleeding sun, through the gate with as much relief as when countless tons of gold and poured out of him.


    It would have been ecstasy, the sweet joy of relieving himself after holding it in for an all night cram session, if only every last fiber of his body wasn¡¯t screaming in agony.


    And it still wasn¡¯t enough. Even without eyes, even with dozens of pounds of flesh melted off his frame, his blood circulating with Heat Surge at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit keeping his brain and heart intact the only reason why he was alive at all, he still needed MOVE!


    Because until that gate finally closed as the rift continued to waver and destabilize behind him, they were all in danger of suffering at least a portion of the catastrophic damage that Eric sensed would unleash in


    9


    8


    7


    ¡°Run faster, you fool! FASTER!¡± He sobbed to himself with lungs that could wheeze for air once more.


    ....


    3


    2


    The air filled with blazing blue-white light so brilliant that it was as if a massive flashlight had just lit up the night sky, searing the clouds and air to subatomic parts before cutting off an instant later.


    The crack and boom that followed was so loud and fearsome that Eric was actually swept off his feet. Yet when he tumbled back to the ground with a flash of super-heated air that sent multiple copses of trees bursting into desultory flame that would have been so much worse, were it not for Aurelia¡¯s early evening showers... the night grew still once more. Lit only by the brooding red light of fires in the distance as Eric collapsed upon the ground and took wheezing gasps of air as the ground hissed and sizzled underneath his frame, wearing nothing but mithril chain mail that glowed as everything else underneath had been outright disintegrated.


    Somehow, he had done it.


    By some miracle, he was still alive.


    He could only pray with all his might that it was over.


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully completed MANDATORY SYSTEM QUEST: SAVE YOUR WORLD!


    You have successfully contained AND removed an UNSTABLE Valorium Starship core BEFORE it could annihilate the continental Americas and put the rest of your world in an ice age, making the odds of sentient races surviving the Ascension all but non-existent!


    Conflicting factors PRECLUDE The earning of any titles at this time.


    Diligent completion of your quest HAS earned you VIP status.


    Your valiant efforts have REMOVED you from all Censure for your (indirect) involvement in a world-ending catastrophe!


    Duke Nalbain and the royal family of Gaian are now UNDER CENSURE!


    Note!


    Duke Nalbain has expired.


    All acknowledged primary members of the royal family of Gaian have expired.


    All acknowledged secondary members of the royal family of Gaian have expired.


    Censure has been lifted.


    Eric felt an awful chill, even through the hideous burning pain he was desperately trying to contain but it WOULDN¡¯T be contained, no matter how fiercely he had used Dominion¡¯s essence to numb his nerves. Because this pain was deeper in ways he could scarce fathom. Yet even that pain was insufficient to completely cleanse the awful horror of those innocuous seeming four words.


    Censure has been lifted.


    Because the royal family of Gaian was no more. The highest ranking and no doubt most powerful individuals of an entire royal clan, were no longer among the living.


    ¡°Because I threw a fucking quark bomb through their gate, just seconds before it collapsed in on itself.¡±


    He froze, horrified by his own silent whispering confession that no one could even hear over the still howling wind that alternated between blistering hot and freezing cold.


    And that was from just the barest flicker of energy released from the unstable core. What amounted to a tiny pinprick, an infinitesimal amount, of the whole.


    Even if his eyes had been disintegrated by the time he had surrendered his awful prize... he had known what he was doing.


    Known it from the instant Captain Brena had been charged with putting a certain letter in the personal hands of the duke himself... or at least his second, which could only mean one thing.


    ¡°Those fucks were actually mustering outside the gates of the capital city. Their fucking capital!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but choke out a despairing cry. Praying that he was wrong. Knowing that he was right.


    ¡°Really, what fucking choice did I have?¡± He whispered with a sob, shaking like a leaf, his body battered, bruised, and beyond exhausted.


    Yet out of everything he had expected in those wild dissociated moments where his agony was so great as his Unified Restoration tried desperately to heal damage that went far beyond the physical, that the one thing he had not expected was to feel his mother¡¯s graceful fingertips caressing his brow.


    She gazed down at him with eyes that blazed with icy fire and the gentlest smile that promised him all the love in the world.


    ¡°You had no other choice, my darling baby boy. No choice at all, save to play the hand you were dealt, or surrender all hope, and doom this world for all time.¡±


    Before he could say a word, she presented a handful of exquisitely rendered cards in front of his face with the grace of a street magician.


    For all that his newly regenerated eyes still hurt so damn much when he tried to gaze out at the night sky that it was like daggers tearing into his corneas, he nonetheless found himself being drawn into the horrific wonder that was those cards of fate and fortune, good and ill.


    His heart was pounding like a drum as he gazed upon pictures that looked like they had been carefully painted, centuries ago.


    A blond knight.


    A golden chalice full of blood.


    A city disintegrating before what looked like a white hot sun.

 Chapter 356 - All hands turned against us.

    For one precious moment, Eric¡¯s stunned disbelief was so overwhelming that he forgot the soul pain throbbing through every inch of his flesh.


    Of course that was the moment that the air took on a fierce, bone-deep chill and the light drizzle turned to a sprinkle of snow that soon became a howling maelstrom.


    Eric shivered despite the fact that the sensation was now only skin deep, having somehow, by some bloody miracle he couldn¡¯t even fathom, used the earliest skill he had ever learned to save his own life. Had he not taken the time to master that ability so thoroughly, to use his blood as a tool to both heighten to extremes and carefully regulate the temperature of so many catalysts and explosives...


    He knew damn well he should be dead.


    Multiple times over.


    Even when he had been running for the gate, desperate to get there before his ES Space ruptured under the hideous pressure, he had been radiating so much energy that the enemy soldiers around him had dropped like flies and, in at least in a few cases, burst into flame. Yet his own blood somehow kept his heart, lungs, and brain mostly intact at a perfect 98.6 degrees, no matter that he has still been radiating the energy of a slowly decaying quark bomb.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t even be alive,¡± Eric wheezed.


    ¡°True,¡± his mother said, her eyes seeming to pierce his still blazing soul. ¡°But you are. And I think you understand the real reason why.¡±


    It was a nightmare trying to think through his pain, only in that moment noting that his mother, far from wearing a frilly gown of silk and lace that allowed her to both charm and disarm so many admirers and competitors... was now wearing a sleek body-fitting suit of what looked to be liquid mithril that perfectly encased her entire body. Her head alone was bare, save for a thin, silver tiara radiating so much potency it was as if all the majesty of the grand canyon, the rockies, and every other landmark had somehow been crammed into an exquisitely caligraphied headband of diamonds and silver. But what threw Eric off the most was the nodachi she wore so casually strapped to her hip, clearly not encumbered by its size or the shocking amount of raw killing power Eric could now sense radiating off of it.


    She was dressed for war, yet, as always, moved with the grace and majesty of a queen.


    There were a thousand questions he was desperate to ask, as he gazed at the majestic beauty whose brilliant gold tresses didn¡¯t move an iota with the alternating hot and cold winds in the middle of what was now a snowstorm. Yet the pitiless ice-blue eyes peering so intently into his own, demanded an answer to her question, and he had no choice but to yield to it.


    ¡°My essence of Flame. It allowed me to control the starship core even after it tore apart my Extradimensional Storage Space!¡± He sobbed the last with a cry, daring only in that moment to gaze into the vast chamber of his soul.


    He was horrified to find it still glowing with unspeakable energy. Yet all his prizes, all his minotaur cadavers, giant axes made of magical blacksteel that would be worth an absolute fortune or perfect for making weapons and armor, even that sweet, sweet artifact he had claimed from Calvin the Destroyer, and every other food ration, healing potion, magical brew, piece of furniture he had ever claimed for comfortable living in his travels, even his original bed from the compound and his Lee Clancy novels, clothes, and everything else, was gone.


    ¡°Oh fuck, no!¡± He sobbed, eyes desperate for any sign of hope that his prizes were someplace secure, hadn¡¯t all been utterly obliterated, some separate warded container... anything!


    But there was nothing.


    Nothing save a single pair of pulsating crimson blotches and several dozen eagles of Silver and bronze gently orbiting a pair of glowing rings.


    ¡°Everything was destroyed, mom. Everything save for some eagle talismans.¡±


    His mother snorted. ¡°You held a Valorium Core in your soul, darling. Were you truly oblivous to the System messages screaming about saving versus oblivion as you force-leveled yet another one of your skills to the point you could actually survive even a few seconds of your glorious madness?¡±


    Her melodious chuckle washed over a cringing Eric as he took a moment to scroll his far too dense combat log, specifically NOT wanting to eyeball messages saying wonderful things like:


    You have fatally irradiated Private Vrun Dralop.


    Vrun Dralop bursts into flames!


    Vrun Dralop screams to the heavens for mercy.


    You give him none!


    Private Vrun Dralop is the thousanth person that you¡¯ve successfully obliterated with hyperion radiation!


    You¡¯ve gained the Adept title: Hyperion Blazer! You now enjoy +5 to Vitality (You really shouldn¡¯t even be alive at this point), +5 to Mana, +5 to Willpower (No, seriously, you shouldn¡¯t even be alive right now AT ALL!) and +5 to Soul Reserves!


    For striving to master, even for a few seconds, a weapon that is, for all intense and purposes, a higher order manifestation of Fire, Fire Essence has gone up one full rank!


    Bonus boon: As you channeled those hyperion rays THROUGH YOURSELF (like a complete madman) you are now EXTREMELY RESILIENT to all forms of radiation!


    Revelations into the true nature of flame in all its forms means that you will learn all spells or skills or powers with any element of Fire (or its higher order components) 20% faster than you otherwise would!


    ¡°Wait, what the hell is hyperion radiation? And water... mother, do you have a flask of¡ª¡±


    His words were cut off by his mother jerking him to his feet. He bit off a cry as she glared right into his eyes, fist curling a handful of white-hot mithril links that might have been near indestructible but definitely bit into Eric¡¯s still regenerating ravaged skin, eliciting a groan.


    ¡°Eric, listen to me very closely. Stop your whining and LISTEN TO MOTHER! You mentioned Bronze Eagle talismans.. Are these three inches wide, glowing with a prismatic sheen?¡±


    Eric jerked a painful nod. ¡°Yes,¡± he whispered, drinking gratefully when his mother pulled a stein of Sylvan meed from nowhere that Eric greedily gulped down, shuddering with relief as the tangy drink caressed his lips before flowing down his throat like blessed mana... yet for all that he felt so much better, the soulfire still cooking him from within blazed up again within seconds.


    ¡°Mother it hurts. It still hurts!¡±


    Yet his mother was giving him the strangest look.


    A fierce grin of approval.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t eagles, my son. They are phoenix talisman.¡±


    Eric blinked at this. ¡°Phoenix Talisman?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°An artifact of incomparable power that allows its user to embrace acts both infinitely dark and impossibly grand. And when next he wakes, when the night passes to dawn, when the world¡¯s burden is finally too much for that champion to endure... he wakes renewed, his deeds both fair and foul writ deep into the mantel of our world, and it is as if it has always been.¡±


    Eric blinked, feeling a cold shiver tremble through him. IF one of those bronze contenders had held that prize... and two rings? Was this what Minos the minotaur had possessed?


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened as the true significance of his mother¡¯s words echoed through him.


    ¡°Wait, so... whatever you did during the night you used that bronze talisman would have been the way it always was? So, what, if those Bronze tier assholes had actually managed to wipe us out while even a single talisman was in play, then there would be no penalty or censure... just them having been here all along, their faction grandfathered into Earth¡¯s system and everyone treating their existence as a given when they finally woke up?¡±


    Aurelia smiled wide in approval. Then wider still, showing off teeth that made Eric think of both sharks and vampires. A horrific contrast to her otherwise exquisite beauty. Not that Eric could talk, because he knew damn well that when he was feeling the wrath or HUNGER, he could open his mouth so wide and clamp down so fiercely that it would even give his vampiric friend Morlekai pause, he was damned sure. Hell, he had once torn out the throat of an over-sized veliraptor with his TEETH!


    And humans just didn¡¯t do that to dinosaurs. That wasn¡¯t how things worked.


    Because when all the masks were torn off, he was as much a dark fae nightmare as his mother was. And he knew damn well there was an entire world that probably thought that way.


    Assuming anyone had survived what he had done at all.


    It would have been all too easy to sink in a sea of horrified dismay, yet he was so numb mentally and hurting so badly physically that he could scarce register what he had done.


    Yet his mother refused to let him brood. ¡°Yes, yes my son. That is EXACTLY what it means!¡± Her triumphant smile turned fierce and bitter. ¡°So many bastards arrayed against us, thinking that transgressions embraced this night will be FORGOTTEN or FORGIVEN with dawn¡¯s first light. No matter that they picked the solstice, no matter that their own smuggled Bronze champions will stretch this night out for as many hours as they can to grab as much territory as they can to destroy us all! So many treacherous SERPRENTS who would DARE break covenant with the Winter Court, would DARE to cross it QUEEN!¡±


    Eric tumbled back as the shout of her words echoed endlessly through the arcane ether, the gale-force wintry winds shrieking and blowing countless trees flat, and the last of the monstrous hyperion-generated heat was finally whisked away. Yet Eric¡¯s agony was so great that all he felt was relief when the bitter winter flurry that would have frozen a mortal within seconds, caressed his battered skin. For he was now naked of anything save his mithril mail that still glowed with arcane radiation.


    Aurelia gazed at him for long seconds as he struggled against his agony to think through the implications of everything she had said, realizing it all made a sort of horrific sense.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened in alarmed fury almost the equal of his pain, now that his mother¡¯s winter storm had cooled him down enough so he could think!


    ¡°So that means that any treaties, the goblin pacts they signed with us... that¡¯s why all the races declared war on us at once! On this night! That¡¯s why ten thousand fucking assholes crossed their gate to try to utterly obliterate us!¡±


    He shook his head in


    ¡°So this is what Greed planned all along? Failsafes wrapped in contingencies? IF him trying to harvest all the elves I suffered so much to save didn¡¯t insight the rest of us to fall to Morlekai¡¯s blasters, he¡¯d then use a talisman and try to take all of our territory by force? And the next day, what, it didn¡¯t count?¡±


    His mother flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Yes, but it means so much more.¡± Her gaze hardened. ¡°All factions have turned against our own, Eric. Do you understand? It¡¯s not Terra. Earth is the LEAST of it! Over fifty humanoid factions and clans have DARED to declare war against the Sylvan Alliance on all her worlds! Worlds where I put the mothers of your children to keep them SAFE! Because it wasn¡¯t a Bronze talisman that¡¯s in play, Eric. But SILVER! When this night is over, no one but talisman-holders and the Gold-tier Emperor himself will know what tragedies and nightmares rocked his empire between dusk and dawn, before rewriting the political landscape as if it had ALWAYS been that way!¡±


    His mother glared into his stunned eyes. ¡°Do you understand, Eric? We¡¯re no longer fighting for just Earth here, but a genuine battle against our race¡¯s EXTINCTION!¡±


    Yet as horrifying and earth-shattering as his mother¡¯s words were, one phrase didn¡¯t escape his exquisite Perception, sending such a surge of anxiety, wonder, and despair through him.


    ¡°Wait, wait! You said the mother of my children?¡±


    Aurelia nodded. ¡°Yes, dear. Both the Native American girl you fancied and the girl you seduced in Junk Town, who¡¯s faction recently joined our own, by the way.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re names are Rica and Susan... and why the hell didn¡¯t anyone say anything?¡±


    ¡°Because they both thought you were dead,¡± his mother casually said. ¡°And poor Rica was desperate to save her daughter who was beyond even your Milk Maids, I¡¯m sorry to say. Being as she was a mortal child with no nodes at all, and beyond the help of any Terran or Sylvan Classers, as so many of our higher arts and healing spells have no affinity for mortals...¡± She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Fortunately, the capital of Arcadia, the jewel of my empire, has technomancer marvels the likes of which would send even your most hopeless cyberpunk fanboys quivering with wonder at its sheer majesty and glory.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, suddenly recalling glorious reels of some of the most magnificent high-tech cityscapes he had ever imagined from his mother¡¯s science fiction Nova Wars series, and now he suddenly had to wonder if it had all been based on the real thing. Then he was struck with sudden sharp sense of guilt, recalling Rica¡¯s desperate, hopeful gaze.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Eric, we need to talk. There¡¯s something you should know.¡±


    He flushed in memory, lowering his head. She¡¯d been a passionate lover he had known for only a handful of days, for all that he had been trying to save her for months. For a girl to look at a former lover with such hope, with unexpected news... of course it could have only been one thing. How could he have not understood?


    Desperately, knowing he was running out of time before a fresh wave of agony hit him, he shot a message Caliban¡¯s way. Before his eyes lit up with alarm. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m trying to message Caliban but I can¡¯t! Something¡¯s stopping me from mentioning...¡± His vision doubled and he stumbled over.


    ¡°That¡¯s because none may speak of the phoenix who are not themselves bound to it, Eric,¡± his mother said with an oddly pitying smile. ¡°And now you too are a part of the grandest and darkest games of all those that play out in the emperor¡¯s court.¡±


    Eric shook his head as alarm bells rung all the louder. ¡°Caliban, we have to warn him, somehow!¡±


    He sent a quick message.


    E. - Caliban! Be CAREFUL! Have your men on FULL ALERT! Use my own personal funds if you need to! HIRE as many men as you CAN! The asshole factions trying to wipe my kin off the map WILL ALSO COME FOR YOU! TRUST ME!


    For a heartbeat he felt relief, sensing that the message had been immediately acknowledged and read by a very much alive Caliban.


    Before relief turned to dismay, as the fiery agony in his soul flared up, eating him alive once more.


    C. - Blue Quarter is under attack! Blue Palace has been captured! Multiple bombs have been detonated! Over half of my men have been poisoned and our blasters stolen! Multiple enemy regiments are headed for our bank! We need to retreat!


    Eric blinked back bitter tears, trying to formulate some miracle reply that would fix the horror unfolding... but he had no clever answers to give. He couldn¡¯t even say he¡¯d be there in time for a glorious rescue when sensed the furious fires still searing through him to flare up once more.


    ¡°The pain!¡± He shrieked.


    His mother¡¯s formerly gentle voice turned cold as the winter gale. ¡°Your friend¡¯s holding here on Earth have been lost. Your bank that you fought so hard for will soon be a goblin asset, Eric, for a SILVER Phoenix is in play, which means that even your Galactic Account will soon be in possession of the goblins. Only the emperor himself will know, and by long treaty, he will not interfere in any Silver¡¯s Attempted ascension.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Wait, how? Who? Greed¡¯s just...¡± He had no words then, only screams as a fresh burst of agony flared up within his soul.


    You have taken significant Soul Damage as you are unable to contain a higher order manifestation of FIRE!


    Aurelia gave a sad shake of her heard. ¡°In the end, all your efforts were for naught. Your foes have turned your dreams to ashes and they would laugh at your screams, if only they knew how you suffered. And they will soon, Eric. For a unified force of gnoll raiders, orc shock troops and cannoneers, goblin assassins and human mercenaries are making their way here as we speak. And if you think any of the mercenaries are less than Bronze tier monsters, then you truly are a fool.¡±


    Cold, pitiless eyes bore into his own as he screamed.


    ¡°It is up to you, Eric. I have twelve other worlds I am pouring my essence to, trying to keep them whole, maintaining the links of oathbindings and broken vows that will assure our REVENGE in the end! But that means it¡¯s up to you, Eric.¡±


    Eric froze in horror at those words.


    ¡°Me? I barely have the strength to move!¡±


    ¡°And yet move you must. Caliban can do nothing. Greed¡¯s masterful stroke has already broken him and his entire faction here on Terra. And Earth is not the only arena in the cosmos where Blue is suffering crushing defeats!¡±


    His mother glared into his exhausted features. ¡°NO, Eric. Your sister is in a coma and is absolutely powerless against our foes, and I must put the final pieces in place for our grand finale. So it is up to YOU, Eric, to avert this crises, accept your burden, and save our faction!¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Eric sobbed under the unbearable weight of his mother¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Think, boy. What element has allowed you to endure even this long? And what element is it that you fear above all others?¡±


    The last was said with a knowing smile that made Eric sick to his agonized stomach. His mother knew. Of course she did.


    ¡°Cold,¡± He whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°I know the crooked path you walk, the friends you¡¯ve made, the power you seek even now to claim for your own. I have no doubt that you wish blood to be your fourth essence... but we both know it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°But it could be,¡± he whispered with a thrill of wonder, realizing in that singular perilous moment as he locked eyes with Aurelia who suddenly looked more alarmed than Eric would have thought possible... that it was true.


    He felt chills racing up and down his spine that soon turned to horror at the look of cold fury in his mother¡¯s features. Gone, an eyeblink later, replaced with a mocking smile. ¡°Sure, Eric. Let the pain build. Let your screams resonate till the night sky shudders like the quark bomb you already unleashed.¡± Her sneer turned cold. ¡°Let you sister continue to wane as her organs suffer a catastrophic cascade of failures and her death, the death of the only one you¡¯ve ever truly loved or cared for, will be on your head. And we will lose the only one who can save this territory from the thousands of enemy troops who were led to believe that she is powerless and crippled. A girl now on the cusp of unleashing glorious elemental storms that would fill even you with awe. But only if her brother has the courage to step up and save her!¡±


    Eric froze as the cold weight of those words, that truth, filled him.


    As much as he wanted to deny her words, as much as he was eager to walk a badass path of perfect gamestyle synergism, using feats he had obtained by his own efforts to master an element that would allow him to rejuvenate himself even as he took out his foes... He knew that real life was the farthest thing from a game.


    You couldn¡¯t force an essence.


    It wasn¡¯t a box you checked off on a game sheet.


    It was a facet of one¡¯s very soul.


    He scrunched his eyes shut, holding back bitter tears, all too aware of what his affinity was. The affinity that could save his sister¡¯s life.


    The affinity that could save them all, if his sister could summon forth her storms.


    ¡°Cold,¡± Eric whispered past his clenched jaw. ¡°Because Free Agent status changes nothing. I am still your get, and your blood flows through my veins.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± his mother said matter-of-factly. ¡°But what matters is not who you call sire or damn, for all that countless spoiled young lords who know nothing but pampered privilege and a path to a middling Bronze at best all preen like fools over their parentage. All that is meaningless! What matters, all that truly matters, are the essences that call out to your body. And your soul.¡± Her voice grew husky with intensity as she stroked his cheek. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it, Eric? The icy flame that beats within you? That which allows your fires to burn so bright, so intimately tied as they are to the eternal chill that you understand just as well?¡±


    Eric fell to his knees, leaking tears that sizzled and froze as he glared at his clenched fists, his mother¡¯s soothing whispers blowing through his ears like a winter gale.


    ¡°Can you feel it, Eric? The difference between fire and ice? Cold and heat? One tied to Wrath. The other, Dominion. One gives, the other takes. And in the end... what binds them in the end?¡±


    Eric had no words to give his mother. All he felt was awful, searing pain that burned without end. Then his eyes abruptly widened, leaking tears of blood when it clicked. ¡°All that energy from the Valorium core... poured through me. It was a gift!¡±


    His mother gave him a strange look as he cackled like a madman, gazing at his own hand beginning to glow as the catalyst continued unabated, feeling his pocket dimension scream as it began to combust. To burn.


    ¡°A gift of catalyzation. A gift that grows and grows, consuming all, radiating all, until nothing¡¯s left.¡±


    His eyes widened in memory of the mystical artifact he had held. As well as Zofira¡¯s shield, that had tried to drain him dry. Even as he opened his mouth, wheezing out brilliant white light that instantly set the grass by his feet ablaze, the revelations flooded his mind.


    Zofira¡¯s shield didn¡¯t give, it took. Taking his heat, absorbing his strength, claiming it as its own.


    For that was cold¡¯s nature. It took energy, slowing everything down, wielding dominion over it all even as the hot flames of wrath obliterated everything within reach. Yet cold was the opposite. It was bitter control, freezing in the depths of its theft for light, heat, movement, then life itself. Everything, eventually, until entire systems crumpled as electrons collapsed into protons right before energy was completely drained from the forces and fields holding reality itself together. Then all that was left was arcane ash, all mortal objects having broken down until nothing but ash remained.


    The exact opposite of Fire, which correlated so well with the fires of passion, the hot flames of Wrath, the inverse of bitter cold focus


    One was a raging inferno that consumed all in grand displays of heat and flame, leaving only arcane ash behind.


    The other was bitter lightless cold. Absolute darkness, that also consumed by directly draining one¡¯s foe until nothing but arcane ash remained.


    One gave, embracing the wild blaze of freedom, roaring Wrathful rebellion against all that would stand between the blazing hot inferno of the stars themselves.


    The other took. Showing the power of Dominion, of freezing all opposition solid until only rigid conformity remained. Conformity so stifling that few could endure before being frozen to oblivion.


    In both cases, transformation and consumption, though their methodologies couldn¡¯t be more different. Yet from a higher order perspective they were intimately tied together, all the more so when factoring in his own understanding and affinity for the Essences of both Wrath and Dominion.


    He gazed down at his own painfully pale right hand, now blazing with a different form of heat. One that froze the grass he dared to touch as a chilly blue fire seemed to drain all its heat and warmth and claim it for Eric... who immediately howled and released that flame, and so much more, incinerating all the foliage with dozens of yards.


    And not matter the pain he felt with that, the notification dancing across his mind¡¯s eye filled him with a sweet joy that was almost worth the pain.


    You have had a breakthrough! You now have basic fundamental understanding of the Element of Cold! This affinity affects all things of cold, ice, and snow!


    Cold ¨C Flickering ¨C Is now Rank 1!


    You have successfully harnessed your long neglected Fourth Affinity! You have successfully forged a spiritual pyramid! Ascension limitations have been removed!


    Eric sank to his knees, wanting so badly to laugh for joy for his exquisite accomplishment. The limitations he had feared would forever limit his potential had just been countered.


    Yet none of that stopped the fresh wave of fiery screams wracking his body and the certain knowledge that if he couldn¡¯t find a way to control these transcendent flames NOW, then he¡¯d never have to worry about advancing another level ever again, let alone any mad dreams about what happened after Silver tier.


    Desperate eyes looked toward his mother, praying he had done enough, after finally forcing himself to face the frigid art so closely tied to her... and clearly his sister as well.


    Yet whatever mercy or clemency he was hoping for, all he saw was the Winter Queen¡¯s iron hard expression, her trembling hand, leaking blood that hissed and sizzled on the grass, forming a puddle as she squeezed her fists so tightly that her nails actually bit into Silver tier flesh.


    And within that slick puddle of blood was a face he recognized, gazing up at his mother... their mother, with wide, desperate eyes.


    ¡°Please, mother, you have to help us! The abominations are at the gates. The goblins just bombed the walls guarding our one remaining city of Aerie!¡± Eric¡¯s eyes widened with horror greater even than his pain when he took in the desperate countenance of his once regal sister that he had met weeks ago in the depths of a delve. How focused and deadly she had looked then, yet even then Eric had sensed the terrible pressure of too many burdens and not enough time. Worse, there was no longer even a semblance of majesty or control. Just a desperate girl that was his half-sister and so easily could have been his twin, looking into Aurelia¡¯s solemn countenance with a desperate plea.


    ¡°Please, mother! Those things! They¡¯ve already gotten Johan! My boy, my oldest was so desperate to defend his wife and child when their palace wing was lost and now...¡± She broke down into sobs, crashing to her knees upon an abandoned throne room filled with smoke as screams and shouts and distant explosions could be heard throughout the palace. Only she wasn¡¯t alone, Eric saw to his horror, seeing at her side the girl who had gazed at him so intently in that delve arena who was holding two tiny children close, the girl¡¯s eyes... his niece¡¯s eyes, were no longer filled with cool reserve, only desperate panic.


    ¡°Grandmother! Please help us!¡±


    Then, much to Eric¡¯s horror, the young woman caught sight of Eric, flinching only once before falling to her knees. ¡°Please, cousin. Help us! I can see the skein of destiny about you! You alone could walk the bridge between worlds right now!¡± Her face crumpled in regret. ¡°I know we didn¡¯t make a good impression on you, Eric. I pray you can forgive us! The goblins, they... they threatened to do to us exactly what happened tonight! They destroyed the great wall! The force fields! The palace!¡± Her eyes locked with his own, as the little girl and boy she held sobbed in panic and terror. ¡°I have children, Eric. I don¡¯t want them to die. Please!¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± Eric cried, though he made no sound, his words were the hot wrath of fury and the bitter cold of regret.


    Eric¡¯s mother turned to him, shocking Eric even through his agony with how vulnerable she looked. A queen? Perhaps. And a mother about to lose even more of her offspring. ¡°Our enemies strike at us, relentlessly and without mercy! All past covenants have been broken! Upon our ashes our foes wish to ascend!¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes crackled with something transcending mere fury, before her glaze turned hard and cold, a judge passing sentence. ¡°It¡¯s within you to save them, Eric. Elonia, Dawn, Hope, ALL of them!¡±


    ¡°How!?¡± Eric screamed as the doomed ruler and her daughter and grandchildren screamed as the ivory walls behind them cracked, the air filling with a horrific roar. And Eric¡¯s sister had time to give Eric one last desperate look before the shimmering silver portal his mother had struggled to hold abruptly went out.


    Aurelia screamed.


    Tree shattered in a roaring cacophony of exploding runks as every last leaf turned to ice, shattering in a million million tiny fragments. Truths Eric registered slowly, the ringing in his ears and his fuzzy disorientation lasting only a split second before monstrous Vitality and a fearsome Will had Eric stumbling back to his feat, despite his agony.


    ¡°How!?¡± Eric screamed, Heart breaking for the horrific doom he feared he had just witnessed. The death of his centuries-old sister, who looked every bit as much like Aurelia as Elonia did. His niece¡¯s desperate eyes as she held her children close. The empty hopeless despair when Dawn revealed that her son had already perished trying to save his own family.


    ¡°JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO!¡± He screamed, as frozen trunks nearby exploded into flame with the bitter howling fury, the white-hot WRATH he ached to give Greed and all the fowl abominations who dared to march under his banner.


    Aurelia¡¯s eyes blazed like the sun as she loomed close, grabbing the glowing mithril shirt that somehow had the nerve to still be indestructible when everything else, Eric¡¯s entire world, was crumbling to ashes and despair.


    ¡°We must avenge them, Eric. WE MUST AVENGE THEM ALL!¡±


    ¡°I KNOW!¡± Eric shrieked, an inferno of pain, heat, and fury, searing all the dirt and leaves away from his mother¡¯s furious, desperate form.


    ¡°Then embrace your gifts to their fullest, my lastborn son! The fury of fire, the bitterness of ice! Take your gifts and make those abominations pay!¡±


    The words resonated through Eric¡¯s trembling form. Now filled with a desperate fury the equal of his pain. A tiny part of his mind wanted to ask how forging connections between the paths of Fire and Ice would help his doomed sister a world away, before all thoughts were replaced by a furious need for REVENGE! When his interface blinked with not dozens but hundreds of marching reds, heading their way.

 Chapter 357 - Power-Armored Mercs because fair play is a fools dream.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, Captain. Right at the periphery of Queensland.¡±


    Red frowned at the shorter man beside him. Even fully kitted out in power armor thrumming with electromana current, he could perfectly sense the hungry smile on the other man¡¯s face.


    ¡°We stick to the mission, meet our objectives, and earn our bonus.¡± he curtly said, his entire team of power-armor covered mercs quickly nodding their understanding. ¡°And that means no getting side-tracked or taking off your armor to have fun with the natives, are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain,¡± said the man beside him, the other three nodding alongside him.


    ¡°You seem awfully high strung, Captain,¡± said the point man with a line of blue skulls painted on the forearm of his battle armor as he checked his blaster rifle. ¡°We successfully made it through the gate, a virgin White-tier world ripe for ascension. So what¡¯s the worry?¡± He gestured at both the peaceful rolling fields of lush greenery before him, and the waist high grasses filled with darting shadows and the screams of nighttime predators, none of which dared to even approach the mercenaries, behind them.


    ¡°Our only risk was running the imperial brigade. Now that our boy Dusty got us past, we¡¯re gold! Absolutely nothing here can touch us. And assuming your goblin contact wasn¡¯t blowing smoke up our ass, there will be absolutely no record or memory of anything we do here until dawns first light, which we were all told wouldn¡¯t happen for over a hundred Terran-standard hours. So why not fucking live it up? Hell, all we gotta do is slaughter every last goddamned pointy-eared shitball we find, plague on all the fucking worlds, claim their shit castle for ourselves, and we¡¯re fucking grandfathered in! Can you believe this ascension world bullshit?¡± The man gave a greedy chuckle. ¡°This will be a cakewalk!¡±


    Red, far from being offended, chuckled along with his underling. ¡°That¡¯s my hope Tim.¡± Before rushing him so fast that Tim didn¡¯t even know what had happened before he was flat on his back, grunting when his commander held a vibro-blade to the base of the frightened looking man¡¯s neck.


    Tim¡¯s eyes widened with genuine fear when his helmet was ripped off his head, his commander¡¯s blade suddenly kissing his throat.


    ¡°Boss, please, I...¡±


    ¡°We stick to the mission, complete our objectives, and earn our bonus. Are we clear, Tim?¡±


    ¡°Yes... yes, Captain. Crystal clear!¡±


    ¡°Good. And for the last time, lock-seal your helmet! I don¡¯t care what kind of bonuses your fucked-up class gives you, it¡¯s all too easy for anyone to just tear it right off and rip out your throat, and I invested way too much into your armor and in getting your sorry ass to Bronze to eat that expense. I own you, Tim, and you¡¯re going to make me, and yourself, a shit-ton of money before I let you croak to your own fucked up stupidity. Are we clear?¡±


    A flushing Tim quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, captain. Crystal clear,¡± he said, shaking hands sealing up his helm to the snickers of his teammates as he got up from the waist high grass and finished sealing his helmet.


    ¡°Hey, you guys hear gunfire?¡±


    ¡°Time to die, motherfuckers!¡± Roared a young humman a short distance away, wearing nothing but animal leathers and wielding a battleaxe shimmering with arcane energy, moving so fast and darting so skillfully that he was actually able to dodge the musket fire of his 20 Quickness opponents without a scratch.


    ¡°Die, human!¡± the handful of orc scouts patrolling the area around their main force roared, the closest pulling out an ugly looking gladius-like blade and chopping at the smirking human who darted under his blow before his battleaxe bit into his opponent¡¯s shirt and carving a massive furrow in its back, spraying the boy and the orc behind him with blood even as the nearby band of young humans wearing an eclectic mix of armor and arcane instruments cheered.


    ¡°Fucking hell yeah, John! You ¡®axed¡¯ that motherfucker!¡± Hooted a freckled boy a heartbeat before the air flashed with lightning. ¡°Forzar! Yeah, take that motherfuckers!¡± He curled his fist in triumph when the orc champion who had chosen to charge the group of four young adventurers instead of their friend collapsed with a groan in his now smoking armor, before being put out of his misery with a pilum whistling through the air to pierce it right through its skull.


    ¡°And that¡¯s one more Level 25 champion under our belt,¡± said the Javelineer with a smile.


    The freckled mage snorted. ¡°Kill stealer.¡±


    ¡°Just finishing the job and backing up my friends, the larger youth said with a smile, before furrowing his brow in the distance. ¡°Hey, I think I see another adventuring group up ahead.¡±


    The girl beside him brushed back a lock of silky blond hair before her brown eyes squinted off into the distance as their laughing friend brutally put down the final angrily squealing orc. ¡°Shit, there is. And... hey, are those guys wearing powered armor?¡±


    The Javelineer whistled. ¡°Shit, do you think they got that massive quest boon being offered by the Sylvan alliance? Help fend off as many orcs and gnolls for the duration of a single night, and make ten whole gold per every ear claimed, and a nudge and wink you know that¡¯s twenty gold for each of these fuckers we take down!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but would players so elite they actually found fucking mech armor be wasting their time sniping stragglers in the dead of night like we are? Because god knows we¡¯re taking a major risk here. If we hadn¡¯t all invested in that running skill...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be dead twice over, I know!¡± Declared their barbarian with a grin as he approached, holding six bloody ears in his hand. ¡°OR at least that was the case until I got my Barbarian¡¯s Aura perk. Now I¡¯m as well protected as our tank, with no armor at all!¡±


    The fully armored adventurer with them snorted, crossing his armored forearms. ¡°Sure, you keep telling yourself that, Philip... and shit, it looks like those mech armor gents are heading our way.¡±


    ¡°Think they want to party up with us? Freckle asked with a hopeful grin.


    Their tank snorted. ¡°Hardly. I¡¯ll bet they¡¯ll tell us that this is now their farming spot, and they want us out like, five minutes ago.¡±


    Blondie glared, her own wand glowing an eldritch purple. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    Their smirking tank turned to the girl, gently squeezing her wrist. ¡°No, Marcie. Put it away. This isn¡¯t a game. Power really has gotten to some people¡¯s heads, and we risk serious problems if high levelers really want to grief us.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± the Javelineer said when he got a closer look at the five adventurers wearing fully rigged suits of powered armor crackling with eldritch currents, each of them carrying blasters far more powerful looking than the very few any of them had seen certain goblins carrying but were smart enough to tell absolutely no one. ¡°Those boys clearly mean business.¡±


    Instinctively the entire party fell behind the tank as the five elites closed the distance.


    Then, so fast the kids were a bit nonplussed, the armored titans, each well over six feet tall, were looming over them.


    ¡°Did you kids really just kill a handful of orc scouts?¡±


    The tank paled, his expression that of someone who thought he was hunting for tadpoles, only to see a great white shark filling up the whole damned pond. ¡°Uh... sorry, honored Contender. We didn¡¯t realize you had staked this territory. We¡¯ll happily leave.¡±


    The ochre colored powered armor gazed at the youth for long seconds before his mouthpiece broke out in tinny laughter. His whole group¡¯s laughter washed over the youths who could only grimace.


    Before crumpling to the ground with cries of dismay when the quintet quit holding back, allowing their killing aura to truly shine.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you kids are way over your head.¡±


    Their tank trembled, struggling to stand up once more, but unable to withstand the killing aura demanding absolute submission. ¡°Please... we didn¡¯t know!¡±


    Red shook his head. ¡°Oh, you knew, kid. You might like to pretend that you didn¡¯t, that this was all some kind of game, and when you found that a worthless first generation loser could actually level up a bit, maybe it got to your head. But any fool can tell you kids are from Freetown, and you know damn well who runs Freetown, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Blondie sobbed, ¡°What is he talking about?¡±


    ¡°Shit, he means the goblins,¡± the Javelineer sobbed. ¡°You mean the goblins, right?¡±


    Red looked toward his friends. ¡°See,?I knew the kids would get it. Eventually,¡± he said, earning snorts from his friends. ¡°And being as these are smart kids, I¡¯m sure they know that the goblins have declared all out war on the elves. Which means that anyone who sides with the doomed elves is no friend of the goblins which puts them on the wrong side of the powers-that-be. And we all know what happens to dirt sucking scum that defies the natural order, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Just put them out of their fucking misery already,¡± sighed a female voice from the smallest of the five power suits.


    The tank¡¯s eyes widened with horror. ¡°Wait, what do you mean put us out of our misery? We were just filling a System quest! We didn¡¯t do anything¡ªNo! Marci!¡±


    Light flashed and the boy screamed in horror when the girl beside him collapsed, eyes wide with panic as blood shot out of her mouth, thanks to the massive hole where her stomach used to be, giving the boy before her a final despairing look before her eyes faded to lifelessness when the top of her skull was torn off in a second blast of plasma fire.


    He inhaled for a desperate scream, what would have been a shout for his friends to flee for their lives and he¡¯d hold off these monsters while he could, only to find that he couldn¡¯t say a word. All he could do is gulp air that wouldn¡¯t fill his lungs no matter how hard he tried, eyes bulging with hideous pain as something awful tore open his chest from behind him, puncturing his class-reinforced flesh and steel like it was less than nothing.


    The air rang with cold laughter as his eyes were drawn to the black steel blade wedged in his chest, then he knew no more.


    Tim laughed as he peeled off his helmet and licked his blood covered blade. ¡°I fucking love the look in their eyes the instant before they realize that all their storybook idealism is absolute shit, that all dreams are nightmares, and we¡¯re the biggest nightmare of their miserable lives.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The female among them shook her armored head. ¡°You¡¯re a sick puppy, you know that, Tim? I could have put them all out of their misery in the blink of an eye. They wouldn¡¯t have felt a thing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Marcie, but where would the fun be in that?¡± Tim snorted, before his eyes lit up with fresh excitement. ¡°Oh look, fresh meat!¡±


    Red couldn¡¯t help grinning underneath his visor. His blood brothers and sisters were definite characters and hotheads, the only kind who would work with a high-risk high-reward outfit like his own, but he loved them all like the family the were. Hell, some of them had even lifted themselves off trash-tier worlds like this one, even if none of them had been ascending, and forged themselves into dogs of war worthy of hunting beside him. He¡¯d like to think he¡¯d elevated a lot of worthy lives, even if Tim did sometimes push the limits of good taste, he thought with a smile.


    If nothing else, his senses truly were sharp like a wolf¡¯s, so when he turned his head and sniffed, all of them, even while cracking jokes at his savage ways, were turning right along with him, blasters raised.


    Red whistled at the sight before him. ¡°Gotta give him this one, Marcie,¡± he said over his intercom as a savage looking elf emerged from a cove of trees that abruptly burst into flame behind him. Red¡¯s eyes widened as his easygoing confidence twisted into eerie uncertainty.


    ¡°What the fuck happened to him?¡± Bethany whispered, though her blaster was right were it needed to be, and Red wholely agreed. The kid was glowing hot, and fully kitted out in Mithril armaments with a nodachi secured to what was an actual dragonhide hilt.


    ¡°Fuck, that kid¡¯s glowing with hyperion radiation so hot he should be dead!¡± Narl cursed. ¡°What kind of fucked up Contender shit is this?¡±


    ¡°The bleeding kind!¡± Tim hooted, and immediately charged forward with his knife at the ready at speeds no low level White-tier Classer could hope to follow.


    ¡°You killed them.¡± The words echoed strangely. Hardly a whisper, yet they thrummed against Red¡¯s soul.


    The boy tilted his head, tears of fire dripping from his eyes. ¡°You butchered them all in cold blo¡ª¡±


    His words were cut off when Tim suddenly appeared behind him, whipping out his blade in a slash that would have torn out the kids throat in an instant.


    ¡°Get back here, Tim,¡± Red shouted. ¡°He¡¯s too hot, no point in fucking around wi¡ª¡±


    Red¡¯s words cut off in surprise to see Tim frowning down in puzzlement, as if unable to believe that he missed.


    Then Red blanched. Seeing the boy suddenly appear behind Tim.


    ¡°Fuck, he¡¯s Bronze! Get the fuck back here, Tim! Open fire when Tim¡¯s Cle¡ª¡±


    Red stumbled back with a cry when his visor flared white hot before his mask was filled with crackling lights and integrity breach warnings.


    His heart pounded in his chest, choking down the ball of tightening panic crawling up his throat as he tore off his helmet as his friends screamed.


    ¡°Blinding flash! How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m blind! I¡¯m blind!¡±


    ¡°Transcendent attack! The flash wiped out our electromana circuits!¡± Spoke the panicked, nasally voice of Glin.


    ¡°Take off your helms!¡± Red shouted in a voice he swore wasn¡¯t a scream. ¡°Transcendent flare wiped out the electromana circuitry!¡±


    ¡°Shit... oh shit oh shit!¡± Bethany whimpered, Red seeing her looking just as wide-eyed, innocent and beautiful as the academy grad so filled with big ideas and even bigger breasts that he had so enjoyed recruiting into his company and his bedroom shortly thereafter, more than pleased when she had shown the initiative and gumption to be more than just a bed-warmer, training her ass off until she became a valued part of their team.


    He wouldn¡¯t say he loved her. Love was fool¡¯s weakness. But maybe Red did position himself in front of her as he shouted orders.


    ¡°Narl! Glin! Fall Back! Weapon status!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good!¡± Narl said.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s in one piece,¡± Glin, wearing bifocals of all things when his helmet was off, said with a relieved smile as he patted his weapon.


    Yet whatever relief Red felt was tempered by the horrified realization that Tim was nowhere to be seen.


    Just the shriek in his party interface, a backlash of pain he hadn¡¯t had to feel since long before he ever ascended to Bronze.


    Red glared at the culprit just... standing there. As if that glowing doomed elf had no fear at all.


    Only when Red caught his gaze did the boy step forward. Just a single step, a youth almost half a foot smaller than Red¡¯s six and a half foot frame. And Red somehow found himself stepping back, roaring fury he was surprised to find himself screaming aloud.


    ¡°What did you do to Tim, you twisted motherfucker? What did you do?¡±


    The youth glared at them with a look that chilled Red to the quick.


    ¡°Why did you kill those children?¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s our job, you twisted psychotic fuck! Orcs are claiming this territory, and no one interferes! Greed¡¯s orders!¡± Red said, snarling as he shook off the last of his fear. The young Bronze might have deadly right hook, but that didn¡¯t mean he was match for¡ª


    You have saved versus sneak attack! You have been struck by a Glancing Blow.


    You have been critically struck by Transcendant Flame!


    The awful words filled Red¡¯s world as he was consumed by a pain so hideous and utter it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. His armor? Nothing. Like a candle burning through paper. And the flesh underneath? Not just gone, but far worse. He was now missing parts of himself. His right hip and a massive part of his glutimus maximus simply no longer existed. He could even see it on his character sheet. Parts of his body in red. Marked off. Like a curse or... as if it had never been there at all. As if he had always been a crippled man with a mangled smoking ruin of a right leg that had somehow still managed to run a mercenary crew for almost a century.


    His mind screamed at the violation beyond anything he could have ever fathomed. The pain a constant hideous thing that did not abate, his natural regeneration keeping adverse cascades from causing organ collapse, but doing nothing to heal the hideous damage done.


    Thoughts of the galaxy¡¯s most prestigious hospitals and enhancement surgeons flashed before his disbelieving eyes. If he somehow managed to get out of this alive...


    ¡°No, foolish boy! Not fire! THAT path you already know.¡± Snapped an imperious sounding voice as an elven woman dressed in exotic formfitting armor radiating the power of a Silver emerged out of nowhere, yet somehow filled the entire clearing with her presence.


    Marcie gave a panicked cry. ¡°No, No, it can¡¯t be you. He swore to us you weren¡¯t here. He swore this was a clean sight!¡± She sobbed, raising her arms and stumbling back even as the wild-looking youth that had caught both Red and Tim so off guard just stood there, closed his eyes, and appeared to be meditating, of all things.


    Narl and Glin exchanged looks, before turning to Red, who forced a nod through his pain.


    Even if he knew he was somehow in way over his head with what should have been the easiest of assignments, even he knew the rules. No Silver could attack Bronze or White without provocation in an Ascending world, or the System itself would banish them, at least for a time.


    Unless of course that was all bullshit, just another subtle lie he had somehow absorbed while hobnobbing with the most corrupt assholes in the local cluster, one in particular willing to pay so damned much to help put the elves in their place.


    As if she could read his mind, the ancient Winter Queen chuckled coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, foolish children. I won¡¯t lift a finger to help my deliciously savage boy. If you can best him? You¡¯ve earned everything coming to you. And if you fail to do so?¡± Her laughter was like a winter gale. ¡°Then you truly will be getting what¡¯s coming to you.


    Red¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. ¡°No, don¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t!¡± He caught the gaze of the youth now peering at him so coldly. As if he were a bug. Less than nothing. And despite the agony of his hip and his growing panic, his tongue sometimes had a mind of it¡¯s own.


    ¡°So what if we killed those fools by your feet? They were trash! Nothing! You think I¡¯m a monster, fuckwad? Half my men are diamonds from the rough I rescued from shit holes like this! All of them with complete sets of five, six, even seven nodes! All of them got their second chance. But this trash? No, fool! Not one of them had a complete nodal set. None of them would ever ascend!¡±


    His words weren¡¯t a guilty conscience, of course. He knew he was justified in his actions. Always had been. Those kids wouldn¡¯t have lasted more than a year before they were slowly ground to dust, or their souls tricked free and torn away by one goblin consortium or demonic infestation or another. What he had done was sheer them free of a doomed existence where they might be reborn in safer times. Hell, save for Tim having his fun, he had done that trash a fucking favor.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Eric said with an eerie lilt to his voice. ¡°None of those children will ever ascend. None of them will know what it¡¯s like to taste true power. What it¡¯s like to understand the transcendent underpinnings of higher order concepts. Or what it feels like to avenge their deaths against the monsters that took their lives for NO REASON!¡±


    At that very moment Narl and Glin struck, just as Red knew they would, he himself having also positioned his blaster, patiently letting the fool blather on and on with his self-righteous morality as he shone so brightly against the swaying grass behind him and all three of them fired enough white-hot plasma to send a Level 15 Bronze to the grave.


    And they would know.


    ¡°Got you, motherfuck¡ª¡± Narl¡¯s words and Red¡¯s jubilation where instantly cut off when the man crumpled and began to shiver and groan.


    Red¡¯s eyes widened with dismay.


    That kid was fast. So fucking fast.


    Level 20 Bronze combat-classer fast.


    Yet his second blow hadn¡¯t killed Narl. It had barely marked his armor for all that he wasn¡¯t doing much more than groaning.


    ¡°Narl!¡± Marcie screamed. ¡°Get back here!¡±


    But it was clear when the elf casually picked up the fully armored groaning Narl and tossed him into the air a good dozen feet that his Strength was also way beyond what any White tier should have.


    Narl cried out, clearly making the most of his hang time to brace himself for a hard landing and a furious rebuttal, but of course the kid had positioned himself right behind Narl, and when the latter twisted around, it was to go cartwheeling back with a groan when the boy¡¯s right hook sent Narl flying, and he was now flopping and spasming on the ground, froth streaming from his lips.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Marcie shrieked.


    ¡°I took his heat,¡± Eric admitted. ¡°And gave him bitter cold in its stead. Only my right hook was an easy head shot, which meant that his Bronze-tier brain just gave me a good portion of its heat.¡±


    ¡°NO, you mon¡ª¡± Her horrified words were cut off when Eric was suddenly in front of her, ripping her blaster from her hands and tossing it behind him as effortlessly as Red could take candy from his nephew. ¡°No, you¡¯re just a native! How can yo¡ª¡±


    Eric¡¯s face twisted in a furious snarl. Red lurched back, seeing fangs and serrated teeth that went on and on in a face that looked like it could devour him in a single gulp as a monstrous right hook cracked Marcie¡¯s armor, all of it shorting out as if the mana batteries had been instantly drained. Now it was Marcie spasming and twitching upon the ground, her body temperature having abruptly dipped, her interface sheet showing multiple potency pools partially drained.


    ¡°Boss, how the fuck¡¯s he doing this?¡± Glin shouted, as if forgetting that his helmet was off and he no longer had comms.


    Before Ron could even think of an answer, that awful creature of ice, winter, and chilling tales applauded the sylvan boy like the most innocent of damsels. ¡°Yes! That is the way of it, Eric. Steal their heat, their potency, their strength, speed, their very lives! Take it all, Eric. Take it and master Winter¡¯s blessing!¡±


    Time seemed to slow for Ron as he sensed their true peril, that no matter how many successful runs they had completed, all it took was one bad score to spell their end. He never should have underestimated this bizarre looking wildcard for even a second. He should have demanded they all strike with absolute killing intent the instant they spot their targets and never even think of playing with their prey.


    It was because they had underestimated their opponent, obviously a pawn of Winter, that this had happened. It was a mistake that Ron was determined he¡¯d never repeat, even as he uttered his penultimate phrase that had saved his life more than once as a White, and was totally worth the node invested.


    ¡°Second Wind,¡± he whispered, and instantly their wounds began to heal. Even Ron¡¯s... or at least he realized he could walk to his immense relief, and even if it was just a force construct that would fade by night¡¯s end... it was more than enough to do what needed doing.


    He shared a look with eyes both desperate and determined as they all locked gazes and sights on the wild-eyed elf before them.


    ¡°PUT HIM DOWN!¡±


    The night lit up with plasma fire and the tinkling laughter of the Winter Queen.

 Chapter 358 - Stubbing this story shortly! - New chapters WILL CONTINUE to be posted ;)

    Doom Fist has critically struck your foe! You have drained Mana, Vitality, Quickness and Strength from Bronze Tier Merc known as Narl (Rank 10 Bronze Merc: St ¨C 250 / Vit ¨C 250 / Qui 300 / Fin 250 / Per 250)


    Your opponent has lost his balance!


    You are dodging Deadly Barrage!


    Eric howled with exhilaration nearly the equal of his once more growing pain as he weaved and dodged under overlapping waves of Bronze tier blaster fire that still hit him one time in four. Yet the damage that he didn¡¯t dodge or scatter off of his pristine mithril scales was nothing compared to the hyperion radiation still devouring him from within.


    Deadly Barrage Blaster Fire damage significantly reduced by Partial Deflection and Elemental Resistance! (Modified Elemental Resistance ¨C thanks to Hyperion Blazer title! - is now 76!)


    You have suffered one Light Wound!


    But Eric was already weaving behind the stumbling Tim as his fist, tingling with so much potency, sought Dominion and control over his opponent, desperate not just to give him a chilly punch but to DEVOUR the heat within him.


    The fires of energy, of passion, of movement. Of life itself. Eric¡¯s body throbbed no longer with fire but rather with a desperate aching NEED to consume everything before him as agony turned to ecstasy, and he desired nothing more than added heat, his foe¡¯s heat, to set alight the transcendent fires within his soul.


    ¡°No, no, please, quarter, quarter! I can pay, you!¡± The doomed man desperately sobbed over his crackling interface. ¡°I can pay!!¡±


    The words went unheeded as a roaring Eric pounded the rear of his foe¡¯s armor, the metal ringing like a gong before supernatural alloys and exotic Bronze-tier components froze and cracked, right before the entire suit shattered off the now shivering, pale faced Classer who would have been such a terror to Eric even a month or two back. Yet now, as he cried out with the agony of cracked flesh and frostbite, it was he who gazed Eric¡¯s way with terror and despair.


    Seeing the naked fear in the man¡¯s eyes, understanding so viscerally the cycle of pain, bitterness, and retribution, Eric felt himself on the verge of a profound epiphany.


    And when his foe¡¯s gentle blue eyes absolutely exploded in chunks of flash-frozen gore, Eric howled with the dark sweet revelations echoing through his soul.


    You have successfully slaughtered your opponent!


    Experience earned! (So much experience. Yet so much has already been spent for the 140-fold healing rate that Potency-Surge boosted Unified Restoration is giving you that NO level has been earned!


    Unified Restoration is now Rank 15


    Unified Restoration is now Rank 16


    Unified Restoration is now Rank 17! (So many levels earned, because in case you¡¯re too lost in higher order epiphanies to realize it, Hyperion Blazer, YOU REALLY SHOULD BE DEAD! - Maybe there¡¯s a bit more vampiric fae in you than you thought?)


    Your foe is not a Contender.


    You have used Higher Order concepts against a foe who has none.


    This kill has NOT refined your prowess as a cultivator.


    You have embraced the essence of Cold in a profound attack and have glimpsed the underpinnings of higher order concepts!


    You had a breakthrough!


    You have unlocked a Transcendent Attack!


    Doom Fist taps into the true fundamental nature of COLD. You understand that cold as experienced by mortals is just the end result and the barest flicker of potency held by multiple higher order concepts! Specifically, the concept of Consumption (Which you have a natural affinity for, as a dark fae Walking the Path of Oblivion!), Dominion, and Ultimate Destruction, in addition to Freezing, Ice and Snow.


    Doom Fist embraces both Consumption and Dominion as you TAKE the heat, vitality, speed and reserves of your opponent and leaving nothing but bitter cold in your wake!


    Note! This transcendent attack has no damage multiplier beyond that of your underlying blows! (Though freezing and rupturing armor and protective wards effectively makes this extremely deadly!) Rather all multipliers determine how much resources and vitality you can claim, what penalty an opponent must save against to avoid being frozen or stunned, and how deep a higher-tier ward you can penetrate with your attack!


    Boon. - Doom Fist requires only 10 Qi & 2 Soul Reserves to unleash! This strike may temporarily absorb your opponents health, spiritual energy, and mana pool with every successful blow.


    Eric spared only an instant for the crumpled ball of brittle cold flesh and a shattered skull.


    ¡°Tim!¡± Screamed the girl named Marcie, gazing Eric¡¯s way with horrified dismay.


    Before she was sent flying back in a broken heap when Eric charged forth, taking full advantage of his Speed Racer and Battletime perks to pound the everliving fuck out of her rapidly sparking and shattering armor.


    Congratulations! Your comprehension of a hire order discipline blossoms in the crucible of peril! Doom Fist is now Rank 2!


    You have been blessed with the insights of the Winter Queen!


    Doom Fist is now Rank 3!


    ¡°Marcie! No!! You¡¯ll pay for that, you little freak!¡±


    The desperate furious words of a ruthless mercenary about to lose the one woman he loved meant nothing to Eric. All he heard were the rustling of countless branches in a howling gale of bitter winds and glorious, frigid inspiration as the night lit up with streaks of plasma fire that could have torn through Sherman tanks like a blowtorch through butter.


    Like flickering beams of moonlight, it was nothing for the boy communing with an element of his soul, himself, denied for far too long until now, when he embraced Winter¡¯s majesty at last. Laughing with the euphoria of relief as hideous soul-fire became the soothing caress of Winter¡¯s Doom, Eric effortlessly darted past crackling branches of frozen trees before slamming his fists into pliant trunks that cracked and bled before growing firm and rigid as winter demanded.


    Yet he frowned as the howling winds whipped past him, realizing that this too wasn¡¯t right.


    In winds this cold, the trunks shouldn¡¯t be stiff and pliant. They should be absolutely frigid.


    So brittle with cold as Eric Stole every last shred of heat, vigor, and vitality, that when he struck with all his hate and fury they EXPLODED! In a storm of woodchips, shattered steel, brain, bone, and gore. Shattering like ice before the fury of his fists and winter¡¯s implacable frigid cold.


    Congratulations! Your comprehension of a hire order discipline blossoms in the crucible of peril! Doom Fist is now Rank 4!


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    You have been blessed with the insights of the Winter Queen.


    Doom Fist is now Rank 5!


    ***


    ¡°Glin! Fuck! He killed Glin!¡±


    ¡°Narl! Get Marcie and go!¡± Red cried, trembling hands covered in top tier alloys that would do him no good at all against the monster suddenly smiling in his face. Then Red made a motion he had prided himself on never needing to do in the last thirty years of employment under the most ruthless and doting employer it had ever been his pleasure to work under.


    Until this last assignment.


    And even if the cold eyes that seemed to suck the heat right out of him left Red bitterly certain that this was the end, at least the signal was sent.


    Red found the strength for a final, bitter smile as he began to glow, embracing a class feet the stupid idiot behind him was foolish enough to let him unleash. ¡°Congratulations, motherfucker. You made me pull out the big¡ª¡±


    His opponent was fast. So fucking fast that it made his 400 Quickness which he had taken such pride in elevating seem like a joke. Yet now, enhanced by an Elite-tier feat that boosted it and all his other stats by a full third, even if he was now burning his candle at both ends, he was finally going to get the drop on this FUCKER! And why the hell had he delayed so long?


    Because he had frozen up, forced on his back foot and reacting to his foe¡¯s unorthodox fighting style instead of grabbing the initiative! Well that was changing right NOW! Red determined with furious vindication as he twisted around, his blaster GLOWING with the double-shot burst it was about to spray in this asshole¡¯s face, and Red¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help curling into a twisted grin. Because the idiot was stupid enough to REACH for it and receive a nice healthy dose of fatal current ripping through his body and of course Red¡¯s employer was going to be pissed as fuck to be called after Red had just lost two of his best men and had already taken care of the... what the fuck?¡±


    Your foe is attempting to grapple!


    Your foe has grabbed the barrel of your blaster!


    Retributive shock FAILS to stun opponent!


    Opponent is attempting to rip blaster from your grip!


    Your power boosted 300 Strength has been elevated to 400!


    Your foe is smiling down at you!


    ¡°Burst of Strength,¡± the boy whispered, his words sending awful shivers through Red¡¯s soul.


    Right before abruptly tearing free half the blaster from Red¡¯s hands, unleashing a white hot backlash of plasma as the weapon was torn apart by their combined strength.


    Yet somehow it was Red, not the boy, who was lurching back and screaming from plasma burns that had managed to sear his flesh from the cracks and gaps of his armor that wasn¡¯t at 100%, despite his Second Wind ability.


    Yet it wasn¡¯t simply that the kid was smiling down at him, glowing like a fucking live nuke as the plasma just ran off him like water that sent Red scrabbling back in panic, his moral broken.


    It was the split second he had gotten a glimpse of the kid¡¯s stats.


    Even if it had just been for a few moments, the kid¡¯s Strength had been well above 800.


    ¡°NO! You shouldn¡¯t be here. You¡¯re no human Contender! You''re an Incursion lord! You must be!¡± Red shouted, scrabbling back and jabbing his finger toward Eric¡¯s smiling form. ¡°You¡¯re breaking the accords! This territory is to be under Lord Domini¡¯s domain! No one was allowed through the gates who didn¡¯t sign the...¡±


    His words were cut off by a flash of pain and hideous mind-numbing cold. As if he had just been plunged buck naked into howling winter winds and forced to shiver in the snow for hours back when he was a mortal child so like those kids his associates had so ruthlessly cut down, he found himself thinking, much to his own dismay. His normally impenetrable walls of ice-cold focus and dismissal had been momentarily weekend, mind and body now utterly sapped of his strength, leaving him a shivering wreck as he sailed through the air, in a stat of stunned disbelief that the little shit had actually managed to crack his power armor and half his ribs.


    Red braced himself for an agonized landing, beyond surprised and relieved to find himself gently caught in the arms of his commander.


    The strikingly beautiful battle lord gave the exhausted, shivering underling a gentle smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Red. This complication was beyond the scope of your assignment. Go look after Marcie and Narl. The healers are with them now.¡±


    Red shivered with both gratitude and fear, seeing the gentle love of a strong father that his master projected to all his favored troops. Yet Red knew damn well what his master thought of failure. And somehow, Lord Domini knew exactly what he was thinking. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Red. It seems that Greed¡¯s dossier on the Winter Queen¡¯s scion was lacking on all sorts of pertinent details.¡±


    The powerfully built lord of war, dressed in full lorica segmentata radiating the resiliency of an ancient artifact that hindered his liquid grace not at all, smiled coolly at a positively grinning Aurelia Silver.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Your Grace?¡±


    The Winter Queen¡¯s smile made Red shiver, her mouth stretching far too wide. Impossibly wide. Wider than the most vicious shark that could rip both his legs off with an effortless twist, power armor and all. A hideously wide smile that somehow didn¡¯t stretch the features of her exquisitely proportioned face, showing that even spacetime bent to the Winter Queen¡¯s will.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid your Red¡¯s been a naughty boy. His men cutting down children shockingly close to my boy¡¯s age, you see. Children my dear little Eric might have gamed with online, once upon a time.¡±


    She fondly petted the monstrous youth glowing with eldritch flame or hyperion radiation, Red was no longer sure... only that he had suffered multiple radiation burns just from being near the mad little hellion who should absolutely be dead, yet somehow wasn¡¯t.


    Lord Domini nodded solemnly, like he actually gave a fuck, Red saw with a certain amount of awe. ¡°A fair point, Queen of Winter. And I see your boy managed to take out two of my prized Bronze tier underlings, just twenty ranks below my own level. A bloody sacrifice on the alter of a handful of basics doomed never to ascend much past level fifty, if that, versus two Bronze tier Classers who could have soared ever so high. A more than fair trade, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s cold laughter had Red shivering helplessly, frozen where he stood, her monstrous boy¡¯s blow to his chest throbbing with renewed vigor. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sure you know how I would feel about such a trade, Domini. But it¡¯s not my own practicality that¡¯s in question here. Rather it¡¯s my darling boy¡¯s idealism.¡±


    She winked and lowered her voice, as if sharing a grand secret. ¡°We¡¯re on the verge of a glorious breakthrough, he and I. And seeing as you and your toys have dared my little kingdom on the endless night of Winter Solstice, well, my dear Domini, I guess that means you get to join in the celebration!¡±


    Red¡¯s battered guts twisted with a sharp spike of dread when he saw his master¡¯s bemused smile harden just for a moment into the ruthless disdain that had seen entire cities of unapologetic dissidents consigned to the torch. His master always gave his subjects a single chance to surrender, for terms that were always more than fair. Yet for those who made their assignments just the least bit difficult...


    Yet much to Red¡¯s awe, Domini¡¯s features flickered from icy fury to cool acceptance. ¡°Very well, Aurelia. What are you terms?¡±


    Aurelia gazed fondly at the crackling monster beside her. ¡°Should you dare to take on my darling using any method at your disposal, your victory means you may depart with your life.¡±


    Her smile grew as Domini¡¯s patient expression expression hardened.


    ¡°But... should you be willing to take on and best my lastborn son using no more equipment than he, then your victory won¡¯t simply assure your continued existence as anything other than one of my beloved ice sculptures... you shall also WIN THE HAND OF MY LASTBORN DAUGHTER!¡±


    A handful of nearby trees abruptly burst open with a crack like cannonfire, their sap instantly freezing with the frigid pronouncement of the Winter Queen as the air became a howling maelstrom of ice and snow.


    Much to Red¡¯s dark amusement, even the boy looked shocked by the pronouncement, momentarily shaken out of his transcendent stage.


    ¡°Mother...¡±


    The palm smacking against the boy¡¯s cheek sent him flying into a nearby spruce with more power than any blow Red or his band had managed to deliver to the kid. Red couldn¡¯t help chuckling at the sight. Just how fucking outclassed was his crew on this mission?


    ¡°Focus on your ascension, fool! Lest the hyperion flames devour you from within!¡± Aurelia snapped. Her son¡¯s furious snarl as he sprang up from the remains of the shattered tree turned to a disciplined nod as his eyes locked on an extremely pleased-looking Domini.


    ¡°Elonia Silver. Twelve pristinely placed nodes. A complete royal configuration in a fragile girl easily enticed and conquered. The territory will thus be grandfathered to my clan by birthright. Best I warn you now, Aurelia. I am a gentle lover, but she will be mastered by my rapture and heavy with child before the seasons turn once more.¡±


    Aurelia nodded. ¡°As it should be. Rapture and Dominion. My daughter¡¯s weakness, and perhaps her redemption, should she be mastered by the right man. So do it, Domini! Best my wild little hellion and prove worthy of filling my precious daughter with your virile seed! I would see my daughter¡¯s nursery filled with clever little monsters that will fill her heart with joy by the next Winter Solstice.¡±


    Domini gave a cool nod. ¡°Good. Then I will gladly accept these terms.¡±


    Aurelia gave him a graceful hostess¡¯s smile once more. ¡°There. That¡¯s all settled then. BEGIN!¡±

 Chapter 359 - Eternal Ice & Transcendent Flame.

    Eric¡¯s eyes were wide with outrage that almost overwhelmed the transcendent epiphanies of fire and ice that were all that was allowing him to endure the hideous blaze still consuming him from within. It was as much the shocking jolt of hideous PAIN breaking out of its icy shell as his mother¡¯s castigation that snapped him back into focus, Eric now glaring at the too-handsome Caligula-like features of the would-be Roman commander. Yet for all he knew, Rome¡¯s armaments and strategies were themselves the remnants of ancient conquering civilizations whose spiritual echoes of conquest and dominion had somehow reached what had been, at the time a world utterly free of the System or the magics of ascension, possessing only the crimson arts and necromancy that had always been mankind¡¯s birthright.


    Domini gazed at Eric with an odd smirk, before nodding his head in odd approval. ¡°A full hauberk of mithril. Helm as well, cleverly crafted to protect and not hinder your vision at all. Excellent. And I see the mithril blade double strapped at your hip you wear so as to not hinder your punching at all.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s see just how strong a warrior you are, boy.¡±


    Moving so fast that Eric realized with a certain shiver of excitement that this monster was at least as fast as he was, Domini shifted his eldritch gladius to the small of his back, his shield disappearing as if it had never been.


    Domini¡¯s hands glowed darkly, sending a shiver even through the fires of Eric¡¯s soul.


    He smiled at Eric¡¯s sudden caution. ¡°That¡¯s right, lad. You aren¡¯t the only one who understands the power of Essence based attacks. And I have yet to meet anyone who can best fists and flesh harder than steel. Harder even than your hate, boy!¡± He laughed coldly. ¡°You have the rare honor of being personally bested by the master of a hundred battlefields! It will be a pleasure to instruct you and Aurelia on all the failings that will ensure my victory!¡±


    With that he roared and charged. Eric abruptly found himself for the first time in a very, very long time, desperately fighting just to keep from being overwhelmed as his body was battered by a flurry of powerful punches and kicks that had his shins and forearms throbbing with agony as great as the fires burning from within.


    You have been struck by Angle kick! Shin check deflects!


    You have been struck by Angle kick! You save versus dry heaving. You have taken one Medium Wound!


    Right hook cracks left orbital socket.


    Straight punch shatters eye tooth!


    You have successfully saved versus knockout punch!


    ¡°Eric! Are you truly this pathetic?¡±


    His mother¡¯s icy contempt immediately jolted Eric out of his horrified daze as he was battered and bruised by a monster beyond him in so many ways, his blood upon his enemy¡¯s granite-hued fist sharing so many bitter sharp secrets.


    Domini: Level 30 Bronze Warlord. Strength 600 ¨C Vitality 600 ¨C Quickness 600 ¨C Finesse 600 ¨C Perception 400. - Note. Your opponent has achieved an Ideal Configuration and unlocked hidden bonuses!


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not pathetic,¡± said Domini with a small smile as a dozen of Pavel¡¯s lessons abruptly snapped to the fore. ¡°He¡¯s merely a boy daring to take on someone who¡¯s been mastering the battlefield for centuries. No matter how great your child¡¯s ascension, experience triumphs raw power, Lady Aurelia, and few have more power than those who have ascended to Bronze upon the field of battle!¡±


    Even as his opponent took the time to subtly gloat, savoring the contest, preening in his own assumed victory and the remaining mercenary¡¯s awe, Eric subtly shifted his balance and stance so that his legs could more easily come into play. He recalled all too well Pavel¡¯s exasperated tone bacid when he was trying to correct just a few of Eric¡¯s many martial flaws.


    ¡°You can hit well enough, Eric, but there¡¯s a reason why cultivators practice unarmed combat so frequently in challenges and why the feet are used every bit as much as the fist.¡±


    He recalled the foolish derision he had at least kept in check, knowing that, practically speaking, punching was key and grappling was vital when dealing with armed opponents. But kicking? A few powerful blows before one¡¯s opponent closed, with one¡¯s balance off and one¡¯s leg vulnerable to a crippling cut, had always been his unspoken prejudice. Pavel had sensed it and remarkably hadn¡¯t derided him for it. Though he had at least made sure Eric knew how to execute a basic snap kick and a roundhouse or angle kick where the power was generated by hip rotation more than anything else. The two easiest kicks to learn, Pavel had said, and the angle kick especially was a powerful one to master, emphasizing that Eric would be a fool not to at least learn the basics, for when he was finally ready.


    It was only now, bones aching with blows that healed far faster than his enemy would think as Domini continued to smirk, that Eric appreciated just how valuable those lessons had been. At least Pavel wasn¡¯t even seeing the bruises fade with the hyperion glow still radiating so strongly from fresh that still smoked and sizzled as Potency surge boosted Unified Restoration kept him hanging on to life and vitality... yet it was only by embracing the higher ideals of COLD, and his desperate need to release the awful excess potency that kept welling up within him like an endless flood of power welling up inside him that would literally cook his own soul down to nothing if he didn¡¯t finish DISCHARGING IT! that he was even upright for this long.


    And it was only now, still shivering with the wonder of his latest Transcendent attack... awed and horrified that the potency behind it immediately roared back to full... and continued putting such a terrible strain as it demanded ever greater release... that Eric appreciated just how damned important Pavel¡¯s lessons had been.


    Because learning how to kick, even the most basic kicks, hadn¡¯t been about fighting. At least not entirely. It had been learning how to channel his Qi through his entire body. And even if his carved peripheral channels had made it so much easier to channel through his hands, his consistent evolution as Eve¡¯s, or Death¡¯s Disciple meant that his whole body was now receptive to the flow of Qi. He was struck with the sudden sense that now was the best chance, perhaps the only chance he would ever have of embracing symmetrical perfection, channeling the fearsome over-abundance of essence and spiritual energy roaring through him in ways that would finally unlock the full potential of his Unarmed Combat skill.


    Of course he had no conveniently carved channels on his legs... so it would only be with sweat and tears of pain that he would reforge himself into a disciple truly worthy of his master as Domini chuckled with something close to contempt, catching his leg so easily before twisting around and tossing him a good dozen feet.


    Before Eric leaped back to his feet and charged forward again, but only after earning the man¡¯s mocking laughter as Eric began lashing out with a furious barrage of snap kicks and shin strikes, all of which were effortlessly shrugged off as less than nothing as Eric fought to master both his balance and the feel of spiritual energy shivering through his blazing-hot soul.


    Before being sent cartwheeling back with a slap just like his mother¡¯s.


    Acting check successful! Arrogance in play. He totally believes your groan!


    ¡°Really, child? You would kick like an infant who knows not what to do with his legs?¡± Domini shook his head in genuine bemusement. ¡°Truly, you are a child, left to your own devices to forge yourself into something... unique, right?¡± He gave a condescending smirk. ¡°And you¡¯ve clearly had breakthroughs. Breakthroughs that make you as worthy as any Rank 10 Bronze Classer.¡± His bemused smirk turned cold. ¡°But not thirty, boy. Not by mocking me with techniques you don¡¯t truly under¡ª¡±


    His words cut off with a hiss as Eric embraced the sudden icy epiphany shivering through his soul. Feeling the howling flood of Winter¡¯s might swirling through not just his arms, but his entire body!


    He would have shook his head with wonder, wondering why he had never before pushed himself in the way that Pavel had clearly been hoping he would understand that he ultimately had to... yet Eric had been so consumed by his split-focus tri-fold path that he had made a beginners mistake he might never have made, had he been a pure cultivator.


    As it stood, it was only now, facing a deadly opponent who was actually buying him the time he needed to learn under the crucible of ultimate peril, what was perhaps the most basic of lessons.


    How to channel the most basic of flow of spiritual energy through all of his limbs.


    Yet in his case, it wasn¡¯t a young disciples fist shivering with a quick flash of unusual strength.


    It was his leg shivering with the potency of a Higher Order Transcendent strike as the Winter Queen¡¯s own hideous strength howled and buffeted his soul.


    Congratulations! You have had a SUCCESSFUL Cultivation breakthrough in the crucible of battle!


    Finally, you understand the most basic of lessons any warrior monk knows!


    You strike with both hands and feet because its not about keeping your balance or the superiority of bladed weapons. It¡¯s about the pristine flow of spiritual energy through your ENTIRE BODY!


    You¡¯ve successfully shaped Eve¡¯s pristine potential into spiritual energy paths that flow through all four of your limbs!


    NOTE. You are attempting to channel a Transcendent Strike!


    Save versus catastrophic destruction: SUCCESS!


    Evolution¡¯s path is the ultimate Path of Ascension! Your mistress is Gold and your potential is unlimited, for we never stop evolving!


    Not until the day our race is wiped out for good.


    Doom Fist has evolved into Doom Strike!


    Doom Strike is now Rank 6!


    Essence Fusion is now Rank 5!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 23 as you learn to incorporate the most basic of kicks (and how to channel spiritual energy throughout your entire body!)


    You have been blessed with the insights of the Winter Queen.


    Doom Strike is now Rank 7!


    Tibia saves versus shattering! You are temporarily at -3 to skill checks for 7 seconds!


    Eric¡¯s fierce smile of satisfaction as his opponent wheezed for air from lungs now bitten by pristine cold turned to a cry when a furious snarl revealed that his opponent was finally taking him seriously as a forearm harder than tungsten steel, radiating the very essence of hardness, slammed against his shin.


    ¡°You wish to fight in earnest, boy? Alright then, playtime is over. Now I will teach you in earnest!¡± Domini snarled before Eric was sent reeling back, nose gushing a spray of blood. Then he was slamming against Eric¡¯s ribs as he desperately twisted inside the blow, only to be met by a rock-hard knee bomb exploding against his floating ribs.


    Eric¡¯s world became a haze of pain before he finally regained his bearings and EMBRACED their furious snarl and his own Essence enhanced strength, ignoring his System interface warning of serious damage and broken ribs.


    You have suffered 3 Medium and 2 Serious Wounds.


    Five ribs cracked.


    Organs have saved versus rupture.


    You are unable to sense your foe¡¯s weakness!


    Unified Perception senses organs most vulnerable to cold.


    You have embraced Burst of Strength! You have successfully hip-checked your (surprised) opponent!


    Doom Strike!


    Doom Strike!


    Right kidney punch infuses your opponent with COLD!


    Rank 7 Hardness Essence Versus Rank 1 Cold Essence FAILS to shatter opponent¡¯s bones!


    Your opponent¡¯s own breakthroughs have allowed him to infuse his entire body with the essence of Hardness!


    Your Higher order attack STILL penetrates defenses for 1/7th standard potency drain!


    You have claimed a portion of your foe¡¯s Vitality and Quickness.


    Left hook catches your opponent on the sweet spot!


    You have claimed a portion of your foe¡¯s Vitality and Quickness.


    Your opponent¡¯s speed no longer exceeds your own!


    ¡°No, impossible!¡± Domini snarled, gazing at Eric in wide-eyed disbelief. ¡°I have achieved rank seven in an art a child like you couldn¡¯t hope to understand! My entire body can withstand artillery shells cast from any mortal cannon! And you would think to mark me with Winter¡¯s Chill?¡±


    His lips curled in a dangerous snarl.


    His hands were no longer tight fists but held with rigid stiff fingers cupped only enough that no blow would injure his own fingers.


    And somehow, with the sense of deadly sharpness radiating off of them, Eric doubted they would be jolting to a stop, anytime soon.


    Even against a bank vault, those fingers were cutting right through.


    Eric¡¯s lips curled in a feral smile even as the ground smoked underneath his feet, for all that he felt winter¡¯s fury howling through his soul.


    Good. His foe was taking this seriously.


    Time to ASCEND!


    Willpower check made! You have learned to master the storms of ice and hyperion flame lighting you from within! An icy fire seeks balance within your soul.


    You can now focus sufficient to use Battletime!


    Speed Racer helps you dodge Piercing Strike!


    The winter landscape was suddenly alive with the sound of shrieking steel, howling cold, and entire groves of trees bursting under the furious onslaught of a pair of warriors who would do whatever it took to best their foe. One riding the cusp of enlightenment, the other a centuries-old killer who refused to fall to a child¡¯s patchwork ascension.


    And when a certain Contender¡¯s attempts to land a devastating punch infused with Winter¡¯s deadly chill grew a bit too enthusiastic, he was forced to pay a terrible price when a fiercely triumphant Domini¡¯s razor sharp fingers aimed to tear out Eric¡¯s throat.


    Just barely missing, while not actually missing at all.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with agonized horror when his jaw was cleaved from his face in an explosion of blood and gore.


    You have DARED to underestimate your opponent and have paid the price!


    You have been critically struck by Sheering Blow! This is an ESSENCE infused attack and EFFORTLESSLY cleaves through your jaw!


    You have SAVED versus Stunning blow!


    Eric¡¯s ears rang with agony as his suddenly exposed mouth sagged in a silent bloody scream.


    Domini sneered, eyes dancing with cold mirth as a frosty chuckle escaped his lips, finally revealing his true self. ¡°And that¡¯s what you get for DARING to challenge your betters, you foolish child. Now YIELD to me and I will spare your life. Otherwise, this is but the least of the pain you will suffer at my hands.


    It was all Eric could do to FREEZE tight the howling terror echoing through his soul as Domini, like the expert he was, chose that moment to finally reveal his killing aura in all its grisly majesty. All the lives he had taken, countless would-be champions falling to his blade.


    Perhaps he should take it as a compliment. Even in his furious fugue, Eric¡¯s now too perceptive mind, picking up far more thoughts than was good for any sylvan brain, could sense that very few had ever pushed Domini to the point of facing them with his essence-infused fists.


    Before now.


    Willpower modified skillcheck made.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It would have been so easy to crumple, filled with terror and despair.


    Instead, Eric screamed and charged his foe like the fool he was.


    A fool determined to make his enemies feel his fury one last time.


    YOU REFUSE TO FEEL FEAR!


    MAY TERROR¡¯S WEAKNESS BURN IN THE FIRES OF YOUR WRATH!


    You have Critically struck your foe with FIRE FIST, embracing the platonic ideal of flame!


    Multiple Artifacts allow your target to successfully SAVE versus instant obliteration!


    Silver-tier treasure REDUCES 6-fold baseline damage multiplier to 1 Serious wound!


    You have successfully ruptured 7 Elite Bronze tier wards Domini never thought would be triggered on Earth!


    You have successfully RUPTURED 1 Silver Tier blessing your foe would have never dreamed could be so casually ruptured by a white-tier monstrosity such as yourself!


    CONGRATULATIONS! FIRE FIST IS NOW RANK 19!


    (You are done fucking around. Now it¡¯s HAMMER TIME!!)


    Eric howled as the mangled mess of his shattered jaw morphed into the hideous shark-toothed maw that cared nothing for euclidean geometry that was his birthright, seeing the tingle of fear in his enemy¡¯s eyes and the reflection of his own hideous transformation which he DID NOT CARE! about at all as he snarled away mastery of icy dominion and draining his foes dry, instantly replaced by the searing hot flames of retribution.


    Where Domini had been expecting a broken youth sobbing for mercy he instead received an uppercut whipping out so fast that not even he could react before he was sent flying, the powerful Classer¡¯s trigger wards violently erupting like with a brilliant crackling flare, countless firecrackers released all at once, as a roaring Eric turned the world to liquid FIRE!


    The air echoed with the howling winds so reminiscent of that which was first unleashed upon the world after suffering just a flash of a Valorium Core¡¯s meltdown, echoing with Red¡¯s distant screams of ¡°It burns! It burns!¡± before fading to a dying wheeze as a maelstrom of blazing hot hyperion radiation set half the valley ablaze.


    Of course none of that superheated radiation setting so much on fire did anything but ruffle Aurelia¡¯s hair, her glare locking on her snarling son, now covered in liquid flame, gazed down upon the wild-eyed Domini, covered in third and fourth degree burns which weren¡¯t healing nearly as fast as they should on a powerful Classer with a fucking absurd 600 Vitality, synergistic powers or no.


    Yet the burned man was gazing at up at Eric as if he were the murderous abomination.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the way of it, Eric!¡± Aurelia snapped, her eyes as hot as the fires now blazing in the background. ¡°You¡¯ve already proven yourself flames¡¯ master. It is COLD you now seek to understand. Understand so well that you can embrace it as effortlessly as...¡± Her words cut off in a shuddering gasp, wide-eyed as she gazed, like a child, eyes wide with wonder at what Eric held in his hands.


    ¡°My darling boy, what curious thing are you up to now?¡±


    Yet Eric had no words for the awe he felt, shuddering through his soul. Feeling on the verge of an epiphany so profound as one hand embraced the furious pristine ideal of living flame. Wrath and radiation. The glorious gift of heat, light, propagation and, ultimately, utter obliteration. While in the other hand, he held in hand its polar opposite.


    A fist full of impossibly bitter cold, where heat was replaced by frost. A frigid contrast where instead of giving the fiery gift of obliterating Wrath, he would TAKE with Dominion¡¯s fury every last iota of energy, vitality, and heat... claiming it all.


    Consuming it all.


    Leaving nothing but bitter cold in its wake until quantum flux itself would collapse in glorious oblivion, leaving nothing but arcane ash behind.


    The platonic ideals of Heat and Cold.


    A higher order manifestation of both.


    Each of them absolute opposites in their extremes. Cycles of obliterating heat radiating Wrath¡¯s fury... and physic¡¯s defying cold that went so much lower than 0 Kelvin... SUCKING and DRAINING all heat and light and life like an electromana black hole. Absorbing it all.


    CLAIMING it ALL!


    Heat and Cold.


    Both polar opposites.


    Yet both meeting in the endless curved of infinity at oblivion¡¯s end.


    In their ultimate, primal form, BOTH extremes would reduce their foes to quantuum flux and arcane ash.


    HE shivered.


    The ground shivered,


    Domini himself with his absolutely monstrous stats was sent sprawling to the ground as the world itself seemed to tremble with Eric¡¯s epiphany, Aurelia¡¯s honey-sweet voice that of the nurturing mother he had always desperately craved.


    Yet never once received.


    ¡°What have you forged, my darling, beautiful boy? I taste it! I taste...¡±


    Eric shook his head, lost between reverie, wonder, and realizing he was missing something still.


    ¡°No, mother. It¡¯s not quite finished.¡± He gazed with wonder at his hands, eyes widening as he dared to bring them closer and closer together, before freezing with Domini¡¯s desperate scream.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    Domini¡¯s eyes, so wide with horrified dismay, instantly morphed with fury.


    ¡°No! I have conquered entire planets, burned entire cities to the ground! I will not die a nameless nothing to your son¡¯s mad ascension!¡± He screamed, his voice oscillating between horror and fury, now fully armed in half a dozen crackling wards clearly generated from magical energies Eric only half understood


    ¡°I will take your head, you brat, and claim your sister by right of Dominion!¡± He roared. For Domini too was clearly through playing around, roaring as he charged Eric shield first, a sword glittering with unparalleled sharpness. A vorpal blade, now darting forward to claim its due in blood and tears. A heartbeat before the ground abruptly stiffened around Eric¡¯s feet, the air erupted in brilliant blinding flashes, and Domini disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Caecus, Maeco, Palesco!¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    Strength check: Failed! You are unable to break earth bonds infused with the essence of Hardness!


    But Eric was no fool. When his foe quit holding back, so had he.


    Burst of Strength check: Successful! You have infused Burst of Strength with the essence of WRATH! You have SHATTERED bonds infused with the essence of Hardness!


    Burst of Strength is now Rank 17!


    ¡°Die, mongrel!¡± Domini snarled only when Eric¡¯s doom truly was certain, lashing out with a cross cut against a flat-footed Alex about to be cleaved in half.


    Only for his eyes to widen in furious disbelief when Eric effortlessly twisted around, meeting foible against forte, effortlessly forcing the more powerful man¡¯s blade offline as his own blade windmilled forward, forcing a suddenly panicked Domini to desperately backpedal, circling Eric with a wild look in his eyes.


    ¡°No. There is now way you could parry the essence of Sharpness and Hardness with base Mithril!¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s cold laughter washed over them both, a snarling Eric, spared from bleeding out only thanks to his Rank 31 Blood Mastery perk, not saying a word. Merely holding on to the glorious epiphany he was on the cusp of understanding as his right hand embraced furious heat, his left bitter cold, and somehow they managed to both rest upon the pommel of the nodachi he held. Neither cancelling the other. Both somehow meeting at the event horizon of infinity in ways he could scarce understand even as he teased out the invisible pattern he was still missing, more elusive than a furious Domini, weaving and darting forth, spewing out caustic spells so easy to sense, as his own poorly hidden form was, with Unified Perception seeing so clearly the brilliant tells of Bronze tier fast-cast battle magics that Domini had never learned the art to cloaking... perhaps because he had never needed to.


    Until now.


    As Eric weaved and dodged past desperate lunges and furious chants. And if his opponent¡¯s martial mastery was indeed a desperate challenge to counter, spells made for hindrance and destruction traveling at mana¡¯s oftentimes lackadaisical pace, the molasses of the electromana spectrum, were effortless for him to dodge.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is no longer base mithril, foolish man. Can you not sense that which radiates from it, the epiphany my glorious, wonderful, BEAUTIFUL son is on the CUSP OF RELEASING!? THE EPIPHANY THAT WILL ELEVATE US ALL!¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s very words were an assault that had Domini stumbling back, glaring her way. ¡°No, what you did was forbidden! I will have you¡ªNO!!¡±


    Domini¡¯s words were cut off with a desperate scream...


    Because finally Eric had finally found it.


    Finally UNDERSTOOD the weave and weft of the elemental pattern before him, could finally sense the flow of Heat and Cold and how to manipulate BOTH of them into one glorious transcendent attack.


    Because it wasn¡¯t just heat and cold.


    It was ICE and FIRE in their most primal forms.


    One tore free energy and essence by Dominion¡¯s ordain.


    The other gave life, light, and absolute destruction freely by Wrath¡¯s decree.


    Together, they could so easily, so effortlessly cancel each other out. The homeostatic harmony, the graceful middle ground, by which life itself beat its eternal heart, existence riding between the heartbeats of that eternal delicate balance.


    But there was another path one could take.


    A path where Ice claimed and froze with Winter¡¯s hoary whisper, and FIRE returned with Summer¡¯s blinding WRATH! A path where one¡¯s foe¡¯s very vitality would be stripped free the instant before it was sent blazing back in a white hot plasma beam so absolute that shadowy base reality would smolder and burn from the touch of Pristine Flame. All at just the tiniest cost to Soul Reserves and Spiritual Energy that such a terrible strike would normally entail.


    For one¡¯s own enemy would be forced to pay so much of the bill.


    With both his vitality,


    and then his life.


    Eric laughed with his now fully reformed jaw in the bitter howling winds, his mother¡¯s deadly storm hindering their foe every bit as much as Domini had sought to hinder him.


    The Bronze Tier Warlord flinched with genuine fear at the sight before him.


    ¡°No,¡± the man whispered, shaking his head with dismay. ¡°There¡¯s no way some basic tier whelp could have a transcendent epiphany like this! He is no veteran of a hundred battles! No elevated cultivator on the cusp of Silver!¡±


    Yet his words did him no better than howling into the bitter cold wind, his fury cracking then crumbling like the last handful of evergreens that hadn¡¯t succumbed to the hideous cold freezing all of Queensland until this very moment. A dozen shotgun like blasts echoed through the air as countless trees exploded when their sap instantly froze. An explosion echoed by the distant disorganized cries of panicked orcs and gnolls stumbling around in blind, bitter cold panic as their organized march for conquest became a futile retreat that left them collapsing to the ground where they soon became corpses as the soil leeched every last bit of strength, heat, and light from their bodies.


    Just an echo of the shimmering pale blue fire radiating from Eric¡¯s mithril blade like a frigid corona. Yet in its center, saturating the blade itself and several feet beyond, was a shimmering golden bar that blazed hotter than the sun. Utterly contained by the chill surrounding it. A chill so cold that water vapor and air both froze before exploding in tiny quantuum fluctuations, consumed utterly by the higher order manifestation now radiating from Eric¡¯s blade.


    Yet Eric paid no attention to the System-wide alarm, or the multiple interface messages blaring about in the back of his skull.


    His eyes were like a wolf¡¯s, locked on his flatfooted opponent as time seemed to stretch and slow, seeing desperate fear turn to wild-eyed fury, knowing damn well that no hot-blooded Classer or Contender ever got to Bronze level 30 by fleeing conflict.


    They embraced it, if there was even a hair¡¯s breadth chance of success.


    And really, what chance was there that a 600 straight stat Ideal Configuration physical monster would flee before a boy, when his whole identity demanded that he seize the board and claim his queen?


    No chance in hell.


    Eric knew that just as assuredly as he knew that Domini¡¯s flinch and twist to run around was a lie.


    Which was why his blade was already windmilling through the air in a tight, diagonal arc, the very air shrieking with oblivion¡¯s passage as space itself seemed to shiver, and there a smirking Domini was, eyes lit with gleeful vindication as he was suddenly before Eric, his blade effortlessly tearing right through Eric¡¯s entrails.


    You have been critically struck! You have suffered Catastrophic damage!


    You have SAVED against Stunning Blow!


    ¡°Goodbye, you little¡ª¡± Domini¡¯s triumphant smirk became frozen disbelief, only realizing after the fact that he had Bullrushed right into Eric¡¯s cleaving swing.


    ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Eric roared, before collapsing to the ground, spitting blood.


    Utterly vulnerable to an effortless cut with a vorpal blade.


    Yet no such blow came.


    For Domini was gazing down in horror at his own utterly frozen midsection, six inches of frozen flesh on either side of the white-hot line of liquid flame that had just cut him in half.


    And in the awful moment it had taken him to process his own bisection, Domini was in no position to swing his blade, for his two halves were already falling to the ground.


    Swordsmanship is now Rank 32!


    Essence Fusion is now Rank 6!


    Essence Fusion is now Rank 7!


    You have been aided by the insights of a Half-Step Gold!


    Essence infusion is now Rank 8!


    Essence infusion is now Rank 9!


    Essence infusion is now Rank 10!


    Essence infusion has achieved Journeyman Rank! - Enhancement Feat automatically chosen ¨C Dual Harmony! You may now infuse TWO synergistic or antagonistic elements into a unified Higher Order Transformation within any applicable skill, spell, or power that meets all necessary requirements!


    You have had a breakthrough!


    You have unlocked a Dual Harmony Transcendent Cultivation Attack!


    Ice Fire combines higher order concepts of Fire and Ice, Heat and Cold, to both draw all heat and vitality away from your target while unleashing the essence of transcendent flame the width of your sword blade¡¯s edge!


    Due to the nature of this attack, draining your foe¡¯s own heat and vitality to fuel absolute destruction, you only pay HALF the Qi cost in Soul reserves! - Cost to unleash: 30 Qi & 15 Soul Reserves (Soul reserve cost may be further reduced with the use of Blood Orb)


    This transcendent attack enjoys the combined Ranks of both the essences of Fire and Cold when comparing the rank of your Transcendent attack against any higher order protections your opponent has infused with their own essence configurations! Baseline damage will additionally be multiplied by the combined ranks of both Fire and Cold for baseline damage multiplier for all those who save versus instant obliteration!


    You have learned Ice Fire at Rank 1 ¨C Presently, Ice Fire is limited to: Soulbound Mithril Blade.


    Note! Your former Windblade has been reforged into: Ice Fire Blade!


    Your Soulbound weapon has ascended!


    Ice Fire Blade is now impervious to all attacks below the transcendent realm! Your blade is now attuned to the Elements of Fire and Ice! Wrath and Dominion, auxiliary enhancements may also be channeled effortlessly. NOTE! Your weapon no longer has any affinity for wind.


    (Windfire Strike may no longer be channeled through this blade.)


    ¡°YES! YOU HAVE DONE IT, MY SON! I ASCEND!¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s words rang through the howling winter storm that was consuming all of Queensland, the air now thrumming with low throaty laughter that sense shivers of horror and wonder through his soul. Yet Eric hardly payed the transformation of the world around him, seeming to alternately freeze to solid ice or erupt in exploding magma, any mind.


    All his focus was on the wondrous glory of the higher order manifestation resonating along a blade now indestructible to anyone who hadn¡¯t achieved what he himself somehow had. His lips curled in an awed grin no matter how much the earth cracked and shook, desperately holding on to the epiphany roaring through his soul, granting him so many insights, even Eve pleased by the manifestations of both Doom Fist and Ice Fire Strike that he had dared to forge not through arcana but through the cultivator¡¯s path alone.


    He gazed with a shiver of fascination at the higher order manifestation of crackling cold flowing like flame in a foot-wide diameter around a blade that now radiated the heat of the sun¡¯s living core. Perhaps hotter. For nothing could quench or mitigate higher order manifestations of reality, save for similar concepts... or having the deadly horrific heat tightly sheathed in the chilly sleeve surrounding it that would freeze the flesh of anyone, even a thirtieth level Bronze with massive stats, that dared to move against him.


    DARED to think he could force Eric¡¯s sister to obey him like a drug-addled concubine enslaved to rapture and dominion both.


    And somehow, Domini understood the icy fury of Eric¡¯s expression.


    Nine tenths of Eric¡¯s soul was utterly focused on nothing more than simply HOLDING ON to this transcendent state for just as long as he could. Like an ephemeral dream, desperate to hold on before System shenanigans, Silver tier monsters who hated him, or simple mortal limitations tore it all free.


    But one tenth of his soul STILL had room for revenge.


    Dominus gave a single desperate gasp, moving to step back before sobbing when jolted with the bitter reality once more that his body now ended at a frozen chunk of waist. The only reason why he hadn¡¯t bled out already.


    He desperately raised exquisitely sculpted hands. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to do this. You don¡¯t have to kill me! I could serve you!¡± The ancient warrior¡¯s eyes lit up with desperate fervor. ¡°I could swear an oath, right now! Me and my men would serve you for a¡ª¡±


    ICE FIRE!


    You have critically struck your foe!


    Your crippled foe FAILS to save versus oblivion!


    You have bested a master of the martial with over a century of combat experience (and the arrogance from too few defeats to ever prepare for them properly!)


    Eve approves of this battle and forging TWO transcendent Higher order attacks in her honor! Where most Sylvan Sages before you have chosen arcana, you have chosen the Cultivator¡¯s Path!


    You have earned a total of three levels as a cultivator as besting near mid-tier Bronze foes and the contemplation and mastery of higher order Platonic Ideals naturally elevates your cultivation Foundation!


    You have gained 3 additional levels as a Primary Adventurer as the potency of a Rank 30 Bronze tier cultivator becomes your own!


    The words washed over Eric just like the flash-frozen pieces of Domini¡¯s skull, exploding into chunks after his impossibly hot blade bisected his enemy¡¯s head as effortlessly as slicing through air.


    And for once, he didn¡¯t instantly spend his level-up points the way he had so many times before. He held tightly to them, just as he tightly held to the transcendent concepts that were his elevation, his salvation, the foundation of all he was or might ever become.


    ¡°Yes, my son. Hold tight to your insights, allow your dreams to become mine as my masteries have become your own!¡±


    His mothers earth-shaking voice became a coaxing whisper. ¡°Our enemies that DARED to strike against us on so many worlds, all of them are STILL out there, my son. Even here on Terra, just beyond Queensland¡¯s frigid boarders, there are thousands of abominations who have infested all our territories like roaches, so EAGER they all are to sup upon our transcendent flesh. All of them, traitors and OATHBREAKERS that must be stopped, and YOU now have the means to do so!¡±


    The howling winter storms manifested in the form of a pristine elemental creature of impossible beauty and living legend. A half step gold radiating such a shocking corona of cold and heat that the very earth trembled and shook under her feet.


    A gentle, loving hand gently stroked Eric¡¯s trembling cheek, spraying him with blood that burst into frigid flame.


    Yet the wild hellion of frost and flame that had once gone by the name of Eric Silver couldn¡¯t help but smile, heart alight with a joy that his more innocent self had never felt before.


    For the very first time that he could recall, he could truly feel his mother¡¯s love.


    Aurelia gave him a gentle smile. ¡°That¡¯s right, my darling. We are doing it. Together. Rescuing our people. Ending the threat to your beloved twin. And between the two of us, we will save our empire, and make our enemies suffer beyond their wildest dreams!¡±

 Chapter 360 - Fresh Prey

    The brilliant starry sky, so much brighter than before the ascension, was now lit with an eerie fiery glow that made the massive contingent of elite orc infantry uneasy, for all that they gazed with curled lips and hungry eyes down at the quiet fecund valley leading to Dairyland that was rumored to be populated by hundreds of luscious fairies, and a combined dairy plant, confectionery factory and rejuvenation center rivaling any other healing house in the Northeast.


    ¡°Stand straight and tall like the proud warriors you are!¡± Roared the silver-haired man riding a pristine glossy black-coated stallion glaring at the assembled hoard as coldly as their master. ¡°The flashing fires merely show Lord Domini¡¯s dominion over the dying embers of the fallen Sylvan Contenders! Their moral has been broken, their army shattered and fled, the final fragmented regiment about to be ground to dust!¡± He held out his fist, shaking it in the air. ¡°Our allies have cracked the stubborn rind of Sylvan dominion to reveal the vulnerable cowards and sweet fruit hidden within! And for this night and this night alone, we are free to seize all that we can and feast upon the spoils of war!¡±


    The air rang with the roars hoots and banging of thousands of armored orcs readying themselves for conquest and slaughter, countless beady eyes devouring the distant sight of dozens of voluptuous fairies gazing their way in terror before heading inside the massive oak that now served as their home and factory all in one.


    The sight was enough to fill them all with a fierce hunger to ravish innocent fairy flesh, most especially the Bronze-tier human mercenary leading them all.


    ¡°Come, my hoard! We will slaughter all resistance and claim every fairy within for the slave markets of Centauri!¡± The man covered in black steel mail crackling with dark enchantments gave the massive hoard of savage bloodthirsty orcs a knowing smile. ¡°And the most worthy champions among our hoard will be allowed to savor one third of the maidens within and do whatever they please!¡±


    His smile widened at the furious roars and hollers this earned, more than a few orcs so excited they immediately began humping each other.


    The merc¡¯s brow furrowed in disgust, but all he said was. ¡°But they¡¯d best survive your tender ministrations! For the healers among them will restore their maimed back to health, after your ¡®tender ministrations.¡¯ But if you kill them, the cost is coming out of your hides! Now ready yourselves. We march for blood and glory!¡±


    The night filled with roars and the pounding of drums as the massive band of orcs began their slow steady lockstep march down the final hill leading to their target, some few sneering at the handful of terrified-looking elves they could see manning the distant parapet, far too few to do them any good at all, save provide the orcs with a bit of sport.


    Indeed, they savored the slow, steady march, the ground shaking with their every step.


    The commander of the hoard gave a satisfied smile, his brow creasing only momentarily as he whispered under his breath.


    ¡°Approaching target, my lord. Please acknowledge.¡±


    His brow furrowed when he heard nothing at all in his interface, his hidden master so well concealed that not even his own party members could see him.


    The man sighed, as if already knowing what he was expected to do. ¡°Carrying out objective as planned. Our spies were right. The fools relied too deeply on treaties that will do them no good at all. Less than a score of defenders can be seen, and all of them have since fled inside.¡± The commander flashed a hungry smile. ¡°It will be a glorious slaughter, my lord. I will make sure to record the interrogations and confessions... and save the fairest faeries and elves for your personal ministrations.¡±


    The leader of the hoard squeezed tight his fist, whispering a slow chant as ethereal winds slowly began to build up around him, before frowning in irritation at the roars and grunts emanating from the rear of his band. Yet his sneer of irritation soon became alarm when he sensed a sudden surge, a spike of awful, terrible pressure squeezing against his Sage-sight.


    He spun around, strategic chant disrupted for fast-cast readiness as he unsheathed a greatsword coated with brilliant green flame.


    Only to curse as he was near thrown off his panicked stallion when he was near blinded by a flash of arcane potency so impossibly dense it seemed to drain all life, color, and dimensionality away. Leaving him with the horrid feeling that he was no more than a sketch on a lifeless piece of flat paper, the sides folded so that all directions led to the wild-eyed monster radiating such monstrous potency, wielding a blade that was somehow the center of everything. A five foot long bar of golden flame surrounded by silver-blue fire whirling about it, and for an endless second the dazed captain wasn¡¯t sure if the awful screaming pressure he felt crushing his mana pool was the essence of bitter cold or a heat so fierce that it was beyond comprehension.


    Then he lurched in his saddle when the blade flashed through the air before the strikingly graceful golden-haired warrior with a face so perfect it belied the massive mouth full of shark teeth that darted forward to TEAR OFF THE HEAD of the closest orc in a spray of blood.


    The trembling Bronze took a wheezing gasp, heart hammering with icy surges of dread.


    He blinked teary eyes as a handful of orcs roaring and charging forth, their massive clubs and axes raised high, eager for slaughter. The awful blade flashed twice, and the orc berserkers who had charged were frozen to pale blue stiffness, each and every one of them cut in half before their flash-frozen bodies crashed to the ground.


    Yet what the terrified mercenary couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of was that awful bloody smile on that wild-eyed hellion.


    All those teeth. Those terrible, terrible teeth that went on forever.


    The merc¡¯s mouth went painfully dry.


    ¡°Lord Domini...we have a fucking problem!¡±


    Those wild eyes... those teeth! How? His mouth was perfectly proportioned, glistening ruby red lips that instantly enticed. Yet those teeth... stretching and warping space so that a whole damned shark¡¯s head worth of teeth fit in a perfectly proportioned, exquisitely beautiful face...


    That was no fairy tale prince he hungered to have in his bed. That was an abomination!


    For a heartbeat, the mercenary fingered his T-4 Blaster synced right to his power pack that would blast right through any mortal armor, bank vault, or unprepared low rank Bronze. Deadlier even than the 24-pounder cannons that ancient treaties allowed orcs or native classers alone to use here.


    Yet his hand froze before he could even think of firing, as his interface finally crackled with Marice¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Drako! For fuck¡¯s sake, Drako! Are you still alive?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Marice, thank the sacred eight. What the hell¡¯s going on? Why the radio silence?¡±


    Yet as alarming as he found the wild-eyed killer that was now absolutely tearing through the still confused hoard of pathetically slow orcs, not a single one over Rank 30, most Rank 20, dozens turning into frozen shadows that burst like ice exposed to plasma beams a second after being frozen.. as horrifying as it was to see this creature take breaks in his slaughter to rip off the heads of orcs two feet taller than the hellion in showers of crimson gore, what truly chilled him was the panic he heard in Marice¡¯s voice.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead, Draco. He killed them!¡±


    Draco froze. Heart hammering so loud that he could barely breathe.


    ¡°Who, Marice. Who the fuck are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tim! Narl! Even Red! Fuck, Drako, I think he actually got Red!¡±


    Drako took quick ragged breaths, no longer able to hide the dread crawling up his spine as the air filled with discordant manic laughter that made him shiver as if someone was scratching fingernails against the chalkboard of his soul.


    The formerly bucolic valley¡¯s warm fairytale glow had somehow transformed to something dark and strange. The sparkling stars overhead were now cold blue eyes glaring down upon the shivering Draco. As if the trees rustling branches became the twisted limbs of treants eager to break free of bitter cold soil and DEVOUR those who dared intrude upon lands that stretched and twisted before his eyes.


    He gasped, in wide-eyed disbelief as the ancient oak that had appeared to be the softest of targets just seconds ago now seemed miles away, and covered in a barrier of bitter cold thorns promising eternal pain and despair with a single prick.


    For long seconds it was all Draco could do to keep his highly trained mount from bolting in a desperate panic as the air eerie with the taste of ancient fey magics, and only then did he understand.


    ¡°Who, Marice? Who the fuck killed our men? And where the hell¡¯s Domini?¡±


    Yet the horror of it was, Drako already knew the answer as the figure radiating a bitter hot freezing corona blasted through Drako¡¯s inner guard like it was nothing. Nothing! Flinging the reminds of Draco¡¯s elite 35<sup>th</sup> level shock troops he had paid a pretty penny to boost as well as he could... shattered like chunks of ice cleaved with a plasma torch and now that creature... that beautiful abomination stretching his mouth in such a wide, blissful smile... TOO fucking wide for such a perfectly proportioned face, gorgeous eyes Drako could have fallen right into had they met at a bar... but it was damned clear that the only thing this monster wanted to taste was Drako¡¯s soul.


    ¡°Prince Eric, Draco! He¡¯s not some spoiled scion. He¡¯s... He¡¯s a fucking abomination! And the Winter Queen¡¯s really here! That Silver-tier psychopath has fully manifested!¡±


    Drako swallowed, desperately wanting to get off his horse and RUN!


    But it was too late. Had been since the moment he had caught sight of the beautiful youth he would have done anything for, had they met a century ago.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    For the prince had already caught his gaze, and there was nothing Draco could do.


    ¡°Drako! Do you hear me? Drako! You have to run! He¡¯s a fucking abomination! He¡¯s a monster! There¡¯s no way he should be this strong, we need to get out! We need to¡ª¡±


    Her words cut off when the fiery-blue eyed prince casually tore off the transceiver a shivering, teary-eyed Draco was wearing, too terrified even to move as his worst childhood nightterrors froze him where he stood.


    His mother¡¯s half-drunken ramblings and bitter pronouncements finally coming true at last.


    ¡°Fine! Join your father! Be a drunken sell-sword and abandon me just like he did! But you¡¯d better not forget your roots, Draco. Because if you walk the path of blood you¡¯re so eager to...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find your queen in the end.¡± Draco whispered the words with a choked off sob when the monster now suddenly RIGHT IN FRONT of him casually tore off his helmet, paying no mind to the furious pair of roaring orcs trying to batter him with axes the boy dodged with an effortless twist of his hips.


    ¡°Fragor,¡± the boy said, and the closest orc¡¯s skull exploded like a shrapnel grenade, the orc next to him screaming and collapsing to the ground as it spasmed with blood pouring from its ears and ruptured eye-sockets. The monstrous youth then frowned at the trembling Bronze tier merc who hadn¡¯t even had the strength to draw his blaster. Eric casually took it from hands that couldn¡¯t resist him, before turning back to the vision of Draco¡¯s nightmares.


    ¡°Draw your blade and face me.¡±


    ¡°Please... Your Grace.¡±


    He flinched as the air lit up with blinding plasma and frigid cold. ¡°I can almost taste it. The next step in its evolution. Growing ever closer to a perfect transcendent form. And you¡¯re going to help me achieve that.¡±


    Draco fell to his knees. ¡°Mercy!¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°I see the two-hander radiating eldritch flame you flung away like the coward you are. Yet with a Bronze-tier¡¯s potency...¡± He slowly nodded, before his gaze turned hard as eternal hoarfrost. ¡°You have to til the count of 3 and 3 and 3 again.¡±


    For some reason those words had the man blanching in terror. Draco didn¡¯t hesitate after that. He gazed at Eric with a wide-eyed whimper and Eric couldn¡¯t help but smile, sensing that the man had turned some sort of recording device on. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you,¡± Eric said with a gleeful madcap grin as he gazed not at Draco but the helmet he wore. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you all.¡±


    He thought he heard a distant tinny scream but he no longer cared as he lost himself in the furious dream of Ice and Fire once more. For the hideous upswelling of endless fire scalding his soul was roaring hot once more and he needed to QUENCH it in the frigid flames of retribution.


    Glorying in the slaughter, in his own transcendance.


    Even if a tiny desperate part of Eric¡¯s mind was certain that the hyperion core¡¯s eternal spark would consume him in the end.


    As for the fight?


    The least of his concerns.


    You have successfully parried Furious Barrage!


    You have weaved past Doom Slice!


    Fatal Cleave fails to score your flesh!


    Eric wanted to say something to the howling wild-eyed warrior. Yet all that came out of Eric¡¯s lips was a furious roar that sent Draco lurching back a heartbeat before Eric swung his sword, now infused with the glorious sweet maelstrom of Winter¡¯s pristine chill presaging a bar of pristine fire so intense it could rupture a sun, if a five-foot long bar of hair-thin pristine fire could do anything to such a heavenly object at all.


    Of course it cleaved Draco in half as effortlessly as a chainsaw tearing through cotton candy. And the look on the man¡¯s face as the upper half of his chest froze to bitter black ice before toppling to the ground, became the agonized look of a man suffering a broken heart.


    In the most literal sense.


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain Draco Elzget! Rank 10 Bronze-tier Mercenary!


    Experience earned!


    You have gained sufficient potency to advance ONE level!


    All of which was meaningless as Eric lost himself in trance of ascension once more. His mother¡¯s words resonating through his skull were everything to him. Out of all the interface messages he ignored, one alone truly caught his attention.


    Ice Fire Strike is now Level 4!


    This alone filled him with a shiver of exhilaration. Sensing his growth, his ascension, knowing that his very soul was TIED to mastering the connection between these two elements beyond all others. Of all his dreams and aspirations, THIS was now what mattered. ALL that mattered.


    As sweet as earning a level cutting through a hundred orcs to slaughter what should have been a worthy opponent but was instead a terrified coward might have been, a coward whose sweeping blows were so blatantly telegraphed it was like his Quickness had been 30 not 300, the true high he felt was the sheer RUSH of claiming DOMINION over his enemy¡¯s Bronze Core radiating such protective resistance that yet did NOTHING as he DEVOURED so much heat, so much life, freezing his foe¡¯s very HEART and instantly killing him.


    Yet the sweetest prize of all, better even than the look of despair in the treacherous half-blood¡¯s eyes, was feeling his skill quantize yet another level.


    With his cheeks stretching wide (so very, very wide!) He turned around, catching the gazes of countless orcs gazing at him with open-mouthed awe.


    ¡°You have killed our warlord!¡± roared the loudest of the orcs hooting and hollering his way, the rest of the abominations soon chiming in.


    ¡°He struck down a mighty Bronze from the stars!¡±


    ¡°We must kill him now!¡±


    ¡°Fool, he will kill us all! We must swear to serve. He is worthy!¡±


    Eric met the words with a snarl as hopeful gazes turned wide with fear, and countless orcs charged forward, battle axes raised high, desperately quenching their own terror with a warrior¡¯s resolve to go down swinging.


    It was a hideous sight, and a younger Eric would have had nightmares, desperate to flee from not hundreds but thousands of orcs eager to claim his head as the air was filled with the whistling thrum of dozens of class-enhanced Javelins tearing through the air.


    Quickness check made! You have EFFORTLESSLY dodged past your opponent¡¯s spear volley!


    ¡°Eric, stop wasting time! The hour grows late. We must continue to advance. We must continue to ascend!¡±


    His mother¡¯s hypnotic voice became Eric¡¯s world as he roared and struck, peripherally sensing that he had reached yet another milestone. Thanks to his recently earned cultivation levels, Quickness had hit an absolutely absurd 600. Though he would receive no further title bonuses til 800 was reached, still, he was definitely moving even faster than he had a short time ago, it didn¡¯t matter. No more than his blossoming levels or the sudden refocus of his entire build. His entire reason for BEING!


    ALL that mattered was weaving side desperate axe swings, dipping around furious spear thrusts, and caressing his foes in blossoms of ice and fire. Until the night exploded with the shattering of countless ice sculptures and the howling maelstrom of fire now sweeping through the entire valley.


    CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE SLAIN 1233 ORCS IN A SINGLE BATTLE!


    Tier 1 Orc Slayer title has already been claimed (By yourself!)


    Potency gain: Minimal! (You¡¯re supersaturated core glows like a miniature sun, and can accept very little of the free-floating potency these low level creatures emit!)


    Your transcendent insights continue to evolve in the art that now matters to you above ALL others!


    Ice Fire is now Level 5!


    ¡°Come, Eric. Upon the blazing pyre of our foes, WE WILL ASCEND!¡±


    Eric dutifully nodded his head, before stiffening as he finally registered the frightened cries of women in peril.


    He slowly turned around, observing hundreds of shockingly beautiful women gazing at him with soft brown eyes, incredibly voluptuous chests, with tiny horns upon their brows. Most wore sub collars with tiny silver bells, and all of them peered his way with desperate pleading eyes.


    He blinked, slowly slipping free of his furious trance.


    These beautiful women crying out for mercy and succor...


    He knew these girls.


    Of course he did!


    He had made them. And now they were all in a terrified panic.


    Why?


    He had slaughtered the orcs, hadn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Please, master! Put out the flame! It will ignite the elder oak, and then our home will be destroyed!¡±


    Eric blinked at the sensual milk maid who looked like a slightly more queenly version of the young girls huddled around her like the mother of her herd.


    Eric¡¯s eye widened, smelling the smoke, instantly knowing what he had to do.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said, allowing the anger to fade, about to release the perfect transcendent stream of frigid fiery ice swirling about his blade. An awesome flood of potency it cost him, so much Spiritual energy and Soul Reserves. Yet with so much Hyperion energy trapped within his crumbling ES Space still cooking him alive... it served as the only vent that was keeping him from exploding with the sheer awful pressure.


    But he could turn it off for a few seconds. He was sure of it.


    His people were counting on him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You. Dare!¡±


    His mother¡¯s voice cracked like a whip.


    Almost of it¡¯s own accord, his blade lit up with icy fire even more frigidly hot than before, earning panicked wails from the girls before him.


    HIS girls.


    His mother¡¯s lips pressed in an impatient line, glaring at the women who all immediately prostrated themselves before her, begging for mercy from the great and terrible Winter Queen, as if Eric¡¯s mother would actually hurt them.


    Aurelia sighed, snapped her fingers, and the entire territory was suddenly filled with thick damp snow that instantly quenched the flame.


    ¡°Get inside your tree, children. Your sire has things to do, and that does not include worrying over wayward girls!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace!¡± Sobbed the leader of the herd, quickly leading all her charges, some sobbing, many looking desperate to throw themselves upon Eric and thank him with all the eagerness of women hungry for husband and family... but one look at Eric¡¯s mother and his own sword dripping with potency that made the entire world shudder was enough to send them all racing for their sanctuary.


    Aurelia sighed. ¡°Your pets are safe. Now come. We have wasted enough time!¡±


    Wild eyes locked with Eric¡¯s own. And he couldn¡¯t say how incredible it was to, for the first time that he recall, see more than just frigid disappointment in his mother¡¯s gaze.


    He thought that perhaps he was seeing the first flickers of excitement as well.


    His mother flashed a too-wide toothy smile.


    The mirror of his own.


    ¡°Come, my wildborn son. The night is still young and our High Hunt has JUST BEGUN!¡±

 Chapter 361 - Hidden Truths Revealed

    ¡°So, Caliban, how do you feel about your gambit now?¡±


    The normally suave, cool-headed elf who was the definition of poise was currently wheezing with pain, steel bolts piercing both ankles and wrists as he lay spread-eagle upon a cold steel table along with a number of other individuals who had caught their tormentor¡¯s ire.


    The voice, of course, hadn¡¯t emanated from the cold-eyed and utterly silent torturer wearing a blood-spattered smock who was presently tearing free the fangs of a very pregnant succubus bound in sizzling bands of silver begging for mercy nearby. Nor did it emanate from the pair of smirking goblin guards with blasters trained on the handful of them that had been rounded up and captured with the fall of Freetown and the absolute destruction of Blue Quarter, hundreds of Caliban¡¯s employees and their families having already fled via contingency plans and emergency tunnels he had never thought would be needed but of course had become standard procedure to put in place within all their worlds. A measure embraced for a sense of completion, no more, though one that had hopefully saved numerous lives.


    Yet it didn¡¯t allay in the slightest the agony of self-recrimination and bitter fury he felt, struck anew by the horrific recollection of dozens of employees being cut down by goblin blaster fire right before his horrified eyes.


    No. The voice came from one of the massive monitors bolted on the walls of the goblin bank¡¯s inner sanctum, which, besides holding a small fortune in gold and blood contracts, also had a ready-made torture chamber for particularly recalcitrant competitors and clients.


    It wasn¡¯t the peripheral monitors which showed sights that had Caliban¡¯s blood running cold, filling his soul with such awful despair he couldn¡¯t even sob as entire armadas bombarded not just the twelve jewels of Arcadia, the heart of the Sylvan empire, but countless other worlds as well.


    Every world that Aurelia Silver had claimed in the games of ascension that were as old as the System itself. And just as shocking, every world that had ever accepted Blue Faction¡¯s gentle administerial touch.


    ¡°You would kill us all,¡± Caliban wheezed. His cheeks flushed in sudden shame at words that had slipped free of lips he had directed every ounce of his willpower to keeping tightly shut.


    That was all it took for the hideously wounded goblin peering down at Caliban from the central display to stretch his mangled lips wide in a malicious grin, still covered in smouldering wounds and presently waist deep in regenerating sludge that popped bubbles filled with the screams of goblinoid soul-slaves.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Greed smirked, taking a puff of his two-foot long cigar. He leaned back in the pool of bubbling slime and sighed, as if his agony wasn¡¯t many times greater than Caliban¡¯s own. ¡°Your fool of a queen fell right into my master¡¯s trap. She always was a possessive bitch, and with so many enticing prizes laid before her on this realm, so rich in spiritual energy that her bastard get couldn¡¯t help but shape their ill-gotten territories into twisted reflections of their mother¡¯s favorite conquests, of course she chose to directly manifest. Ha! As if that would save her pretty toys. As if that would do anything but doom her outright! The foolish bitch!¡±


    Caliban forced a smile. ¡°You say that now, covered in scars from a caster utterly beyond your ken that you did everything you could to take out, yet failed. After trying to wipe out the child with a single bold strike, so certain that Aurelia wasn¡¯t there in¡ª¡± Caliban¡¯s words cut off with a groan when the torturer slammed a steel prod in his neck, eliciting muscle wrenching spasms that caused Caliban¡¯s jerking hands and feet to tear into the steel spikes keeping him in place.


    After long seconds of grunting and spasming, the steel rod was finally removed with a snort from the torturer and a smug smirk from Greed.


    ¡°You really should learn to control that mouth of yours, Cali, it¡¯s going to get you into trouble, one of these days,¡± Greed said with a smirk, puffing on his cigar once more. ¡°Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, that¡¯s right! Aurelia over-extended. And now, with a united front of over a thousand destroyer class star ships with contributions from every race and faction that despises your kind, we¡¯re going to kick you elven freaks completely off the map.¡±


    Greed¡¯s sangfroid grin turned to a furious snarl. ¡°Were going to wipe YOUR ENTIRE RACE FREE OF THE GALAXY, FOOL! Every palace, city, nation and world that owes allegiance to your cursed kind! every man, woman, and child with elven blood in their veins! My master has declared VENDETTA against you all and upon the pyre of his ascension, you ALL shall burn!¡±


    Caliban was shaken to his core, ears filled with desperate screams and cries from his fellow captives, his eyes filled with the horrific sight of home fleets of battleships barely gaining orbit being absolutely obliterated by dozens of hyperion cannons from entire armadas of dreadnoughts that must have been gathering in secret over not just years, but decades.


    Morlekai¡¯s soul filled with despair, thoughts of his wives and children flashing before his horrified eyes as he sensed just how deep and pervasive his enemies intrigues truly had been.


    Because it hadn¡¯t been about subjugation or economic conquest.


    No.


    It had been about genocide all along.


    ¡°But Blue Faction was never aligned with the Winter Queen!¡± Caliban sobbed, knowing his words were futile, yet still... seeing his home planet lighting up with plasma fire, a sight he couldn¡¯t look away from with his eyelids cut off, all he could do was plead or scream.


    ¡°LIES!¡± A snarling Greed spat his contempt from the bubbling green vat he presently gloated from. ¡°You have ALWAYS been aligned to the Winter Queen! She made your faction, fool!¡±


    Greed¡¯s lips curled in a sneer as the elf blanched before the accusation.


    ¡°Oh yes, Caliban. We know that dirty little secret. In fact, we know ALL Blue Corps secrets! You think Arlen Ort was our only leverage within your ¡®pristine vaunted halls of economic security and prosperity for all?¡¯ Ha! So many of your administrators are enslaved to sweetest vice, just like Aurelia¡¯s latest little queenlet. You think it¡¯s pure chance that our puppets got that bitch hooked on Oxys the minute she was free of her mother¡¯s annoying oversight? Fool! We¡¯ve had this gamed out for decades before Earth had ever ascended! It¡¯s only thanks to her damned brother that her face isn¡¯t on the cover of a dozen films of the far tastier sort. All because that little shit had to kill her handler at a damned movie premier!¡±


    Greed shook his head and sighed. ¡°I knew we should have had that brat taken out before Earth had ever ascended.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Oh well. Can¡¯t do anything about that now, can we? Oh, wait, we CAN! And we ARE! We¡¯re wiping out you Sylvan bastards for all time! Every world to swear its allegiance to Aurelia! Every world to accept Blue Corp administration when they could have had our own!¡± His eyes were hot with bitter flame as he jabbed his cigar at the screen. ¡°And you¡¯d damn well better believe we¡¯ve arranged protests and insurrections in EVERY world where you assholes hold even the tiniest bit of influence!¡±


    Greed¡¯s smile turned malevolent. ¡°Oh yes, Caliban. We¡¯ve made sure that absolutely EVERYONE knows that if they manage to wipe out your faction entirely, your entire portfolio of wealth on that world will revert to your killer¡¯s pockets and by dawn¡¯s first light, it will have ALWAYS been that way! No guilt, no regret, and absolutely no repercussions as reality itself erases you ALL out of existence to EVERYONE¡¯S profit save your own! All reality needs is a TINY push, and you little shits will have never been!¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened with horror. ¡°You actually have ****** in play!¡±


    Greed smirked. ¡°Yes, we do. Silver ones, too. So this night can stretch out for MONTHS, so long as our vessel can keep awake, and he will, no matter if his brain is mush when it¡¯s all said and done. And how sad it is that you can¡¯t even say the words outright, since you aren¡¯t a player. Just a tool and a fool!¡±


    Greed cackled like a madman, regardless of the blood and pus spurting from freshly ripped burns. ¡°Why, with the first light of dawn, you won¡¯t even remember this conversation! Isn¡¯t that wonderful? Even better, by then you¡¯ll already be dead! Even better, as far as galactic history is concerned, YOU ALL WILL HAVE NEVER BEEN!¡±


    The air filled with Greed¡¯s cackles and the desperate screams of captives tormented beyond all endurance, the air ripe with the stench of blood, voided bowels, and animal terror.


    And Caliban, for the first time in over a century, finally allowed himself to sob in despair.


    ¡°Margot. Emil, Louise, Amelie. I¡¯m sorry. So very, very sorry.¡±


    His mind shivered with a feminine snort. ¡°So willing to give up the game already, little prince?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened, feeling a pressure in his mind he had thought forever gone. ¡°Aurelia Silver?¡±


    ¡°Call me grandmother, foolish boy. For you are of my line, more generations back than I care to state.¡±


    Caliban froze, mind reeling with far more than agony and despair.


    His eyes then locked helplessly on the sight of Gaia III¡¯s beautiful lush green continents becoming seas of fire.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Please... help us!¡± He sobbed. ¡°Save us!¡±


    His words were so raw, so desperate, that even the torturer turned to glare his way before going back to Alice¡¯s teeth that regrew so fast that they demanded his attention.


    His constant, absolute attention as the tall Moorish lord dressed in top hat and frock coat in a nearby cage smiled calmly from between the steel bars, several figures huddled behind him, safely cloaked by Grim¡¯s shadow.


    Greed sneered down at Caliban¡¯s sobs. ¡°Ah... so now is when Caliban¡¯s unflappable persona finally cracks.¡± He smirked, taking a delighted puff. ¡°You know, tears that big and sweet? It almost makes the pain that mongrel BRAT put me through worth it. Almost.¡± He glared down at his torturer. ¡°YOU! SLAVE! Collect his tears!¡±


    Yet the torturer was far too obsessed with pulling Alice¡¯s teeth, seeming to tremble whenever Alice gave a despair cry of pain, even if he could never quite get the pliers where they needed to be.


    Greed¡¯s glare grew hard and cold as Aurelia¡¯s soothing words trembled through Caliban¡¯s battered soul. ¡°My poor dear Cali. Seven generations removed from my dear little Eliot, determined to tread his own path. Not that of power... but of trade. So determined to go his own way, and what an impressive name he made for himself in the end, no? But alas, all good things MUST come to an end. Poor Elie¡¯s idealism turning to ash, much like the trade worlds that had come so close to achieving system-wide stability. Yet so fragile that all it takes is a single artifact-enhanced coup for it all to come crashing down.¡±


    Caliban sobbed as the pitiless armada continued to drop plasma bombs over the entirety of his world, turning one lush green continent after another into burning wastelands where no life would grow countless years, if ever again, should sufficient bombs be dropped so as to cook the atmosphere away entirely.


    ¡°Please, grandmother, help us!¡± Caliban sobbed allowed, his voice little more than a cracked whisper, earning a cackle from greed.


    ¡°You think we don¡¯t know who you are, Caliban? Secret heir of your pathetic excuse for a faction? Sorry, fool! But your grandparents are dead... as is every other royal scion in your faction!¡± Greed chortled with laughter before Caliban¡¯s despairing wail. ¡°That¡¯s right, fool. We know the ins and outs of your entire faction! And if the asinine lemurs that make up my faction are too stupid, petty, and poorly disciplined to emulate it, why that just means we wipe YOUR faction off the map so my spawn has no competition at all! Fair as fair can be!¡±


    Greed chortled as Caliban¡¯s eyes filled with bitter tears he could no longer control.


    ¡°Swear fealty to me.¡±


    The words froze Caliban¡¯s sobs, as if a bucket of ice water had just been splashed over his head.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Swear fealty to me, Caliban Caerulus! The same fealty your many times grandfather swore to me, endless eons ago, before I released him of his oath, and allowed him to plant the seeds of mercantile greatness upon fertile soil. Greatness I have allowed to bloom unchecked. Until now, in the final hour. For it is time for us to savor the most magnificent harvest of all.¡±


    ¡°Your Grace, I have no power to...¡±


    ¡°You have ALL the power, foolish boy! You are the now the eldest living heir of your entire doomed faction! Can you not FEEL that truth thrumming through your doomed soul?¡±


    And much to Caliban¡¯s horror, he COULD feel it. The sudden upswelling of power, majesty, and might, that was a single choice away from claiming in full.


    A choice that made him cry bitter tears, because he knew it was no choice at all, with a pain collar bound so tightly to his throat. And had a certain torturer not been so obsessed with the soft moans of his succubus captive as he struggled to pull out her delicate teeth that grew back at an alarming rate... Caliban would even now be writhing in endless screams of torment, he was sure.


    He was desperate to hold back, desperate for the miracle he had hoped for, the reserve fleet his brother had sworn would be ready in time for the Blitzkrieg assault they had known would one day come... yet clearly, no clever feats of engineering genius and mercantile acumen were coming to save the day.


    Clearly, his brother had just been blowing smoke up his ass, knowing that there were FAR more profitable ways for them to invest their money than in the foolish expense of a full armada when countless centuries of contractual alliances would always be there to keep them safe.


    Until the night their enemies pulled out an artifact that, somehow, allowed them to abrogate all treaties ever made. Able to twist reality itself so that the contracts assuring retroactive penalties that would shatter countless Silver cores would NEVER HAVE EVEN BEEN... if Blue was wiped out in time.


    And as much as he hated the situation he now faced... the armada fleet a smirking Greed had clearly directed to slowly obliterate Blue Faction¡¯s crown jewel, would soon turn the entire globe into a fireball, troposphere obliterated, the once beautiful jewel green nations nothing but fire and ash, and it no longer MATTERED that the greatest trade consortium had fallen utterly and that the remnants of his faction would NEVER enjoy the prestige they once had. He needed to ACT NOW for the millions calling out for mercy AT THAT VERY INSTANT!


    Greed, however, was giving Caliban a hard, cold look, his lips creeping in a ruthless smile. ¡°Ooh, I knew there was something I liked about you, boy! It will be so GOOD to post your screams for the entire GALAXY to see, right before we cut off your¡ª¡±


    ¡°I, Caliban Caerulus, swear faction fealty to the Winter Queen!¡±


    The desperate words that could never be taken back seemed to echo endlessly through the torture chamber as Greed blanched in surprise, before his smirk turned to a furious scowl, as the torturer slowly turned around, dazed milky eyes fixated upon Caliban once more, as the homunculus it had so delighted in tormenting melted to the freshly butchered orc carcass it had been all along.


    ¡°No.¡± Greed¡¯s voice took on a ready, disbelieving whisper as the ground began to tremble so violently that the torturer stumbled, for all that Caliban cried out when the shuddering spikes tore at his flesh.


    ¡°You? You¡¯re the lost heir? I don¡¯t believe it. I REFUSE to believe it!¡± Greed roared, eyes flashing with cold fury. ¡°Arlen¡¯s the only scion of your clan to leave Gaia III in a generation. We made sure of it!¡± His scowl turned to a cold chuckle. ¡°Not that it matters, since you are now utterly in our power, and the removal of your head and Arlen¡¯s ascension is just a single command away!¡± Greed turned to glare at the torturer. ¡°SLAVE! Remove His¡ª¡±


    Greed¡¯s words cut off in sudden static as one screen after another showcasing the destruction of an entire faction began to twist and warp, as if spacetime was bending before an incursion that defied reality itself.


    But that didn¡¯t stop the pair of goblin assassins now approaching Caliban with blasters at the ready, lips stretched wide in gleeful exhilaration even as Caliban closed his eyes and fiercely prayed with all his might that his ancient dam could somehow pull off a miracle.


    ¡°He? The Blue Faction heir is him? Wonderful!¡± Whispered the closer of the pair of guards. ¡°We¡¯ll get so much honor if we¡¯re the ones to kill him, not the damned torturer!¡±


    The second nodded in excited agreement before the entire chamber filled with red flashing lights and a blaring alarm as a fresh row of monitors came to life.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± The closest guard screamed, jabbing his finger at the screen now displaying a Freetown that was remarkably intact, save for the sacked, smoking ruin of Blue Quarter which made sense, since that had been the Goblins goal all around. Only now, an awed Caliban realized that wasn¡¯t entirely true, catching sight of oddly burning flames that made his gut clench in the background of a single figure weaving about so fast that even his long-suppressed talents had trouble making it out.


    He could only see the results, as dozens of heavily armed orcs, a handful of ogres, and a good score of mid-level White-tier mercenaries fell to a blade that blazed like the sun. For all that every warrior struck instantly froze solid before the two cleaved halves crashed to the ground.


    Within a handful of seconds, half the three score sentinels had been transformed to shattered chunks of ice. A heartbeat after that the remainder fled, and only then did the figure slow enough for Caliban to make out the wild fiery blue eyes and brilliant silver-gold hair that complimented features now so strikingly perfect that there could be no doubt who¡¯s child this was.


    Yet the power of his glowing frame was so great that even Caliban was stunned by the sight of Eric glaring at the bank wall... then shattering it with a single blow.


    ¡°Fire Fist!¡±


    He heard the distant echo from the bank chambers above as the pair of alarmed assassins exchanged meaningful looks as the sound of screams and shattered glass filled the chamber upstairs.


    Moving as one, the pair of goblins positioned themselves to either side of Caliban¡¯s bound form, even as the torturer, now glowing with a potency that was absolutely chilling, charged out of the chamber, his rod mace crackling with crushing intent Caliban could so easily sense.


    Before the roar cut off as abruptly as it began and a frozen head of the startled-looking torturer came tumbling down the stairs like a bowling ball, a second before the cold steps thrumming down the stairs revealed a Contender radiating both shocking potency and the face of someone Caliban had never expected to see again in his life


    Eric Silver flashed Caliban the smile of a wild-eyed killer.


    The smile of a friend.


    Caliban swallowed, desperate to warn Eric, but the pair of assassins cloaked in shadow had already flowed away from him and right behind their prey.


    ¡°Eric, look out¡ª¡±


    His tearing, lidless eyes couldn¡¯t look away from the flash, awed and horrified as he was by the sight of Eric turning around to glare with such utter contempt for the pair of screeching goblins who had just blasted him point blank with their T-2 Blasters, right in the base of his neck.


    Or that¡¯s where they had been aiming, yet Eric had moved so fast that he was now behind them.


    Caliban braced himself for the sonic boom that never came. Only a single flash as Eric¡¯s blade cleaved right through both desperately backpedaling goblins, their raised limbs, chests, indeed their entire bodies were instantly frozen to blocks of ice even as a beam of impossibly dense fire cleaved through their frozen forms.


    And the look in young Eric Silver¡¯s eyes as they widened in sudden revelation was both awe inspiring and horrifying, the blade in his hands abruptly growing in length, depth, and in the warp and weft of reality all around it, somehow grander and stranger than anything belonging to the fragile mortal realm they called their own had any right to be.


    ¡°Mother. I understand!¡± Eric said with awed tears streaming down his cheeks. ¡°The territories we cleared, so many to fall before Ice Fire... now I see.¡± He turned around, gazing at the crackling figure of Ice behind Eric that was now pinning Caliban¡¯s breathless gaze as Aurelia Silver herself solidified into being.


    And much to his wonderment and horror, he saw that the Winter Queen was covered not just in eternal swirling snows, but crackling flame that seemed to kiss oblivion itself.


    ¡°Mother, I finally understand!¡± Eric uttered once more, his voice filled with reverential awe as he gazed at the blue fires of his sword with reverential awe even as the air filled with the Winter Queen¡¯s laughter. A laughter that didn¡¯t fade but grew and grew in power, potency, and reverberations as the entire chamber was filled with howling storms of frigid doom, Aurelia¡¯s eyes now glowing like the sun.

 Chapter 362 - Transcendent Contender

    You have critically struck your foe!


    ICE FIRE!


    You have obliterated 50<sup>th</sup> level mercenary!


    Eric let the screams and groans of battle wash over him, his fiery gold-sapphire blade a light flickering in the shadows and darkness, a glare blazing in a battlefield of fallen bodies and pools of blood.


    Some tiny corner of his mind cried at the waste. So much potential for Dominion all around him, before such thoughts were quenched by the fierce, transcendent GLORY of his blade.


    ¡°Well done, my son. You have fused the essences that are everything. Evolving them into the higher order concepts that will SET US FREE!¡±


    Aurelia, her glorious smile lightening up Eric¡¯s world, pointed at the final remnants of the desperately retreating orc regimen upon which he had forged his fiery crimson masterpiece.


    Hundreds of orcs and men had been transformed to statues of bitter shattered ice, glowing from within as transcendent flame fed upon screaming souls that would never know succor. A score of cannons that couldn¡¯t hope to orient on 600 Quickness in time had been shredded, sinking in a soup of bodies and blood.


    Eric¡¯s smile was fierce, savage, triumphant. With far too many teeth. A perfect mirror of his mother¡¯s own.


    ¡°How wonderful, Eric! Your necromantic affinities and the screaming souls now bound to ice show us that you have FINALLY bound your third affinity, DOMINION to Ice Fire¡¯s transcendent state. Now we but need to secure your WRATH! And at last the phoenix may emerge from her shell!¡±


    Her mother laughed then, a laugh that shook the valley as lush thick blood-spattered grass grew brittle with bitter cold so severe that all color was consumed before the entire valley exploded in brilliant crimson flame.


    Eric closed his eyes and smiled at the warmth of his mother¡¯s delight as distant screams were cut off by the rumbling roar of earthly destruction, shivering as magma caressed his form with warmth, such mundane comforting heat now doing him now harm at all.


    She gently gripped his shoulder then, pointing him away from the handful of doomed fools dancing death¡¯s dance before they collapsed in flame, Eric¡¯s eyes now looking toward the smoldering remains of Freetown in the distance, beyond the valley that he and his mother had so utterly destroyed. His brilliant, fiery-gold irises glared with renewed fury as he noted the areas of Freetown that were still completely intact. The financial sector of the goblin quarter, with the full force of any number of goblin shamans and had assassins had assured that quarter, had clearly suffered no damage at all.


    ¡°Do you understand what out ultimate destination must be, my child?¡±


    Eric slowly nodded, lips stretching in a feral grin. Wide. Far too wide for a normal sized mouth, yet it didn¡¯t matter. Nothing mattered save embracing the most GLORIOUS of revelations as his mother grew ever stronger. Ever HOTTER! Each step imposing her presence upon the world, the weight of her DOMINION until the ground cracked beneath her silken steps.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Why is my mouth so wide? Why do I have so many fucking teeth? Something¡¯s very, very wrong!¡±


    Saving throw ****** against ASCENDING GOLD! (Wait, seriously. Did you really think there was a chance you¡¯d succeed? - The Dark Queen¡¯s your mother!)


    He shook away the irritating fly of a distracting thought, focused only on the latest message to shiver across his interface.


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have achieved RANK 10 in Ice Fire Strike! You are the FIRST Contender in the entire sector to EVOLVE a HIGHER ORDER Power!


    You have earned the title: Transcendent Contender!


    (Accomplishment reduced 1 Tier. An Ascending Gold Walks by your side!)


    This is a LEGENDARY Base feat! ALL Potencies and Martial STATS have gone up by 10 points as you yourself begin to evolve! You now enjoy a 30% Boon to all experience accrued and breakthroughs made while channeling Higher Order skills and attacks!


    He wanted to howl with fierce delight, GLORYING in his own ascension and his increasing comprehension of what was effectively his Dao. His understanding and mastery of the multiple intertwined higher order concepts that were his essences in their most primal, enlightened form.


    Yet before he could seize the revelations shivering through his soul and evolve the glorious pale blue flames roaring forth from his blade, his mother¡¯s gentle caress crushed his shoulder enough to give him pause.


    He dutifully gazed up like the adoring son he was at the beautiful vision that was his life, his world.


    His mother, finally proud of him.


    ¡°You have done well, my darling baby boy,¡± she soothed with a twinkle in her eyes. ¡°But hold off on that delicious little evolution, my child. For there is a fourth sleeping element of your soul that I fear has been far too lax, with mother¡¯s loving tenderness wiping all needless emotions away.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Eric frowned. ¡°What would that be?¡±


    ¡°Why, your Wrath, my darling,¡± she said as a handful of roaring ten-foot-tall axe-wielding ogres charged him from Freetown¡¯s ruptured front gate while a full score of snarling goblins sniped at him from just behind in what at any other place and time would have been a well orchestrated hit.


    Yet now Eric only gazed at his prey with cold contempt, his blazing sword deflecting blaster fire like the Cyber Knights of Nova Wars.


    The goblin¡¯s eyes lit up round as saucers. ¡°Our kill perks are worthless! He parries our shots like a Bronze Ascended! Outrageous! Such creatures are forbidden here! Our masters must be warned at once!¡±


    Eric smirked as the goblins used their outraged excuse to flee the battlefield, leaving nothing but a half dozen Ogre berserkers desperate to finish Eric off before he¡ª


    Ice Fire!


    Ice Fire!


    You have effortlessly flanked your prey!


    Ice Fire!


    You have critically struck 26 foes!


    Eric¡¯s expression was serene as he walked past the statues of ice and terror he left behind, a heartbeat before they exploded into blazing chunks of frozen flesh, even the blasters consumed by the frozen flame as he continued to evolve his art.


    He gave a satisfied nod as he passed, politely ignoring the handful of wide-eyed townsfolk who for some reason could only shiver and whimper when he walked by them, or run shrieking in terror as if he were death incarnate.


    He shrugged, never having quite figured out the quirks of Freetown folk and refusing to worry about it now.


    ¡°Why would I be angry now, mom? We finally have something we enjoy doing together!¡± He wiped the sting out his eyes. ¡°You finally seem... happy with me.¡±


    His mother¡¯s throaty chuckle eased all worry away, as dozens of soot-stained, exhausted looking men, women and children found their terror at the doom walking in their midst fading into a dreaming daze as they stumbled away from Eric¡¯s blade still radiating higher order concepts so intently that the very air ignited and froze before his blade¡¯s passage.


    Before acting completely normal once more, as Eric¡¯s increasing mastery over Dominion soothed even the air¡¯s howls of dismay.


    ¡°I am absolutely DELIGHTED by all that you have accomplished on this glorious night, our final night, my beloved son.¡± Her gentle touch soothed the throbbing shoulder that Eric¡¯s gifts had already healed, her feather soft lips blessing him with a kiss to his cheek that made him feel happy and loved.


    Then his mother sighed sadly, and Eric¡¯s world was anxiety and uncertainty once more.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, his sword snaking forth of it¡¯s own accord to cleave through the handful of desperate gnoll assassins choosing that moment to spring an ambush so inconsequential it was like casually slipping past stumbling drunkards an eye-blink before the now utterly empty streets rang with the tinkle of shattered ice and blazing souls once more.


    His mother gave him a smile that broke his heart.


    ¡°As glorious as our own night might be, my darling Eric, I fear it is not so for everyone. As to what exactly that entails... I believe it best to see for yourself.¡±


    Eric frowned, increasingly worried as he picked up his pace, the anxious twist in his gut after what had been such a serene, dreamlike evolution growing ever worse as his walk became a run and within seconds, and after only a few more encounters with sneering goblins, roaring orcs, and hissing gnolls that always ended in explosions of bitter ice and roaring flame, he was before the ugly temple to corruption and subjugation that was the goblinoid version of a bank.


    It was a place he both hated and tolerated. For it had caused someone he cared about great distress... what was her name again? And it was where he had met Caliban, an ally that had proven the key to unlocking a world¡¯s worth of wealth and potential, while sidestepping the petty games of rulers entirely.


    ¡°Eric, we¡¯re wasting time.¡±


    He flinched at his mother¡¯s tone, though he didn¡¯t let it affect the miraculous epiphany of burning ice blossoming upon his blade. He frowned at the reinforced steel door before him, before entertaining for just a heartbeat a fantasy of his since he had first started defying the limits of Sylvan kind.


    Without allowing his focus on higher order manifestations to waver for a minute, he still embraced the ultimate in wyrm-riding Skydragon fantasies.


    ¡°Fragor!¡± He roared, flashing a fierce smile when the massive tungsten reinforced steel door was torn right off its hinges to cartwheel into the bank, smashing through desks, kiosks, dividing ropes and walls like a bowling ball through match sticks. To say nothing of the half dozen blaster-wielding goblins that had been smashed flat as pancakes, another half dozen screaming from limbs sheered right off, and thirty more of the little fuckers gazing at Eric in wide-eyed disbelief, wasting precious moments. All the time in the world for Eric, now with an absolutely outrageous 615 Quickness, to seize the Vor and TEAR THROUGH ALL HIS FOES!


    His blade flashed with Winter¡¯s Doom and Summer¡¯s Bane as the bank chambers exploded in ice and flame, no red able to avoid 370+ Perception and an Interface map blinking with reds that couldn¡¯t hope to hide from Infravision far more acute than it had ever been before.


    His mother gave him a raised eyebrow when he appeared before her with a bow. ¡°Our foes are dead, mother. On this floor at least.¡±


    She gazed with a reproving eye at the half-dozen crippled humans who couldn¡¯t have been much older than Eric, huddling on top of their own frozen legs in fear and desperation. They were too terrified to do anything more than whimper, yet their eyes, especially those of the girls clenching each other, desperately pleaded for their lives.


    Eric wasn¡¯t blind. He saw the black iron slave collars upon all of their necks.


    It only took a moment for them all to snap free with half a dozen startled cries... and Eric hadn¡¯t had to touch a single one.


    ¡°Yet I see that the human traitors are still alive, my lastborn son.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Yes. And each of them is now minus a leg. I¡¯m calling it an exercise in control.¡±


    His mother smirked. ¡°You just have a soft spot for your father¡¯s people.¡±


    Here alone, Eric dared to meet his mother¡¯s gaze. ¡°True.¡±


    His mother held his gaze for an endless agonizing second, trading disdain for a bemused smile. ¡°Very well, Eric. Come. To the vaults. Our destiny awaits.¡±

 Chapter 363 - They will light this world ablaze.

    Eric obediently followed his mother down the winding marble steps, frowning when a massive abomination radiating a Bronze¡¯s body and twisted cords of domination came racing up the steps, roaring and snarling as he lashed out with a club that would have torn through the front bank vault like tissue paper.


    Contest of Quickness! You have bested your foe¡¯s quickness by OVER 500 points!


    Your foe FAILS to strike you in time!


    Ice Fire!


    You have successfully decapitated your foe!


    A serene Eric allowed their entrance to be led by the bouncing head of ice leading the way down the steps, rolling into an oversized central vault that, instead of piles of gold, priceless contracts, and tons of contraband, was instead bare of anything save cages, captives, over a dozen monitors showing scenes of planetary devastation right from the most depressing scenes in every Nova Wars episode ever made, and his friend Caliban strapped to a gurney, covered in blood and gazing at Eric with an odd mixture off heartfelt relief... and dread.


    Yet his wandering thoughts snapped to brilliant furious focus once more when he saw a face that instantly filled him with killing rage.


    A sneering goblin covered in burns, presently soaking in a vat full of bubbling slime with countless screams in the background as the abomination puffed on a massive cigar. Though Greed¡¯s sneer was instantly wiped of his face, replaced by furious disbelief, when he caught sight of who had just entered the chamber.


    ¡°YOU!¡±


    Eric and his nemesis spoke simultaneously, Eric roaring his fury as his blade redoubled in its arclight brilliance.


    He barely registered the painful cry of a voice that he almost thought the knew, all his focus locked on the abomination now daring to talk to his mother while Eric¡¯s gaze locked with horror at scenes he could no longer pretend were from movies.


    ¡°So, you did it, Aurelia, congratu-fucking-lations,¡± Greed said with a mocking laugh. ¡°Forced your baby boy to sear through his core and light up all his Bronze potential for, what, one final chance at ascension for yourself? As if that had a shot in hell of working?¡± Greed snorted and spat. ¡°As if you were any better than Grandfather, desperately grasping at straws, eager to buy just a couple more centuries of life before your story finally comes to an end!¡±


    Aurelia chuckled coldly even as Eric¡¯s mind whirld with horror at what he saw. Dozens... no hundreds of massive triangular shaped dreadnoughts massing fleets over a dozen worlds.


    The worlds of HIS people.


    The worlds where his mother had promised to shelter the mothers of his unborn children!


    Eric¡¯s hands trembled upon the hilt of his blade. He forced his eyes to lock with a sneering Greed¡¯s own.


    ¡°What are your ships intending, Greed?¡±


    Greed smirked, savoring the moment as he gazed down at Eric before blowing a thick cloud of blue smoke writhing with silent screams of the damned and forgotten.


    ¡°Of all the questions you could ask. That¡¯s the one you chose?¡± The goblin chuckled coldly. ¡°What does it look like, boy?¡±


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re going to invade.¡±


    Greed¡¯s eyes lit up with impossible malicious glee. ¡°Invade? HA! Don¡¯t you WISH, foolish boy! We¡¯re not going to invade... WE¡¯RE GOING TO DESTROY!¡± Greed manically declared, seeming to glow with renewed strength, stepping free of his gloop-filled vat upon trembling legs as a pair of genuine demonic lemurs rushed to robe his desiccated flesh.


    Yet as withered as Greed looked, his eyes were lit with wild glee. ¡°Oh, I can see the terror in your eyes, boy. The sheer despair! How fucking sweet it is to see! You thought you could destroy our Soul-Forge starship foundry? Well we¡¯re going to take this night to WIPE YOUR PEOPLE OFF THE MAP FOR ALL TIME! Because unlike your desperate mother, OUR PLAN WILL SUCCEED! Upon the burning corpses of all you cherish and love, LORD MALICE WILL FINALLY ASCEND!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding in his chest, blood roaring in his ears. He couldn¡¯t tear his eyes away from the nightmare vision of entire armadas of massive space vessels approaching pristine fecund worlds before dropping tons of munitions that transformed clear blue skies and lush green forests into fields to mushroom clouds and storms of crimson flame.


    Eric¡¯s ears rang with screams he couldn¡¯t hear.


    Only sense.


    Millions of desperate souls shrieking in panic as their halcyon life turned to a fiery hell, forced to witness their loved ones wrapped in sheets of pitiless flame, children screaming underneath rubble, before all breath was stolen when the air itself ignited as the destruction of one city became a second and then a third.


    Entire nations slowly turned to pools of hellfire as the armada slowly crawled across entire worlds. The jewels of Aurelia¡¯s realms, about to be obliterated in hellfire for all time.


    ¡°Mother, help us!¡± Eric¡¯s horror was magnified to a fever pitch, only in that moment recalling the horror Aurelia had pushed away for too short a time.


    Recalling so well his half-sister¡¯s terrified, despairing eyes, the eyes of a woman he had so hoped to befriend only a month before, just before their signal was cut off.


    Because this wasn¡¯t the first handful of planets Greed had struck.


    The same bastard who, even now, was laughing from the safety of a monitor a world away.


    ¡°NO!¡± Eric screamed, clenching the hilt of his sword so TIGHTLY as despair turned to towering fury.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Greed chortled, nothing but malice in his gaze. ¡°Oh yes, you obnoxious loathsome poxsome little brat! I¡¯m going to slaughter all your people, fool, every last one! I will swim in their blood and when Lord Malice ascends, it is I who will take his place! It is I who will lead our people to greatness! It is I, Greed Bane, who will make it our people¡¯s mission to PURGE Terra of all humans and elves the instant your world leaves protected status, and I will do it with every armada you see before you, fool! Every star ship will be under my command!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes were wild, blazing with a heat far beyond mere fury as he sensed Rica¡¯s desperate cry, a world away.


    Even now, his girlfriend was embracing every bit of her Primal Hunter¡¯s gifts to outrun the rain of hellfire obliterating the city that was to be her sanctuary, her guardians and keepers already splayed upon the ground, eyes wide and vacant with death, choking on perilous fumes that Rica¡¯s monstrous vitality and perks Eric never knew she had claimed the only things keeping her alive.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    A futile desperate run through broken city streets.


    For the armada was a full hundred ships as peaceful blue skies turned red with flame and black with ash.


    And their bombardment had just begun.


    ¡°Mother! Rica¡¯s in trouble! We have to stop it! We have to stop it!¡±


    Yet surprisingly, to Eric¡¯s complete and utter horror, his mother¡¯s eyes were cold, her lips pressed in a bitter thin line.


    ¡°I can do nothing, Eric. For it appears that our foes have indeed outmaneuvered me at every turn, this time around.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with surprised dismay as Greed cackled in the background. ¡°Oh, you admit it. The bitch finally admits that a master of fate FINALLY got the best of her! Malice will be most pleased. I¡¯ll be sure to tell him, right before he EATS OUT YOUR HEART, You winter bitch, before leaving for lands of glory you will never know!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with dismay, his sense of Rica¡¯s growing panic reaching a fever pitch.


    ¡°MOTHER!¡±


    His mother¡¯s gaze locked with his own. Faster than causality normally allowed, Aurelia was before him, irises of ice and flame boring into his own.


    ¡°Only YOU Can stop this Eric.¡± She flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Because all my cards this round, every single one, I PUT ON YOU!¡±


    Eric hissed, lurching back. ¡°Mother... no. Elonia. She was always¡ª¡±


    ¡°A feint,¡± his mother said as casually as a killer blasting out the brains of his victim. ¡°A ruse. A patsy. As every other girl before her has been for the last seven generations.¡±


    She turned to give a suddenly scowling Greed the most innocent of smiles.


    ¡°So the damned fool Greed covers for would have no idea of the final gambit before it was time for us to finally play our hand.¡±


    Eric took a wheezing gasp of panicked air, gazing desperately at the monitors so casually displaying nightmares. ¡°What do I do, Mother! All I have is this sword! What do I...¡±


    He gasped and shuddered when her hand caressed his skull.


    And suddenly his world blazed with brilliant blue fire.


    ¡°GAZE AT THE MONITORS!¡±


    A shuddering Eric did just that.


    ¡°Do you see, Eric Silver, my lastborn son?¡±


    Eric opened his mouth to scream against the absurdity. Of course he saw! And there was no time! His targets were a thousand lightyears away! They needed to...¡±


    Eric shuddered, heart racing with wild fury and desperate hope.


    ¡°I see them.¡±


    His mother smiled. ¡°Yes, you do.¡±


    ¡°In live time! Even as they unleash fiery hell, I FEEL the screams of our people. It is in sync! We are all in sync!¡±


    His mother¡¯s eyes twinkled with wild, fiery mirth. ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°So it is an arcane connection. THEY ARE RIGHT HERE!¡±


    Eric gazed at the nightmare image of not one but a dozen armadas over a dozen worlds, knowing all too well that what he was thinking would be his death.


    He knew damn well just how fearsome a starship truly was.


    He had used an entire Planetary Perk point, one boosted by countless hundreds of thousands of grateful souls... to make one for his daughter¡¯s future graduation to Bronze.


    His mother gently clapped his shoulder. ¡°Correct, Eric. They are right here. AND THEY ARE SLAUGHTERING OUR PEOPLE! So what should we do?¡±


    Eric¡¯s ears rang with the screams of countless millions. His eyes lit up with a blade now alive with the transcendent ideals of Fire, Ice, Dominion and WRATH. All at once.


    Choosing his perk.


    KNOWINGLY warping his body and soul... TWISTING his infinite potential for a cause far greater than a single spoiled boy¡¯s dreams.


    A cause that would give him the POWER of a Gold before he ever touched level one hundred.


    Eric laughed with madness, regret, and howling fury, now not just lighting the candle at both ends of his fragile soul but EMBRACING A NUCLEAR FIRE!


    As his sword shuddered with a pristine configuration that wasn¡¯t just the higher order components of a single profound concept, but four such concepts fused into one.


    His body spasmed as every cell within him screamed with a blaze that would never end.


    Not until there was nothing left but the echo of his fury ringing against the cosmos.


    The countdown was set.


    His final hour had begun.


    ¡°WE KILL THEM ALL!¡± Eric screamed, racing toward the bank of monitors as Greed looked on in growing dismay while Eric screamed with all the insights of the Electromana spectrum BLAZING inside his skull as he FORCED the arcane connection to zoom in on the closest battleship.


    There!


    A single portal.


    A command center within.


    A gate open.


    And Eric JUMPED!


    Leaving nothing but the howling storm freezing the bank vault behind him, Lord Grim¡¯s gentle blood ward all that kept a dazed, still bound Morlekai from freezing to ice, along with Alice and Morlekai, Drake and Louie, and countless dozens of young necromantic disciples who, somehow, with Grim¡¯s surprisingly peaceful surrender, hadn¡¯t registered on their enemies after their lord and master had so quietly gone inside the massive bank vault of a cage. Sheltering so many souls with his aura. Eric¡¯s closest friends, who he hadn¡¯t even registered for a heartbeat.


    Yet they had certainly registered him.


    A pale-faced, frightened looking Alice was shaking like a leaf, holding her husband, the solemn-faced Louie trading a look with his closest friend.


    ¡°That was our Boyscout!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, babe. It was.¡±


    ¡°What happened to him?¡±


    Louie shook his head, kissing his wife¡¯s brow. ¡°I wish I knew, babe. I wish I knew.¡±


    Morlekai shivered, turning to his master. ¡°Lord Grim. Eric... who is he really?¡±


    The ancient lich smiled. ¡°He is the lastborn scion of the Winter Queen.¡±


    ¡°Who was glowing like a nuclear reactor meltdown.¡±


    Drake chuckled ruefully. ¡°Yeah, they both were, boss. They both were.¡±


    The vampire frowned, before shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°Contenders like that are far beyond our ken.¡±


    Surprisingly, Lord Grim shook his head. ¡°They aren¡¯t walking the path of a Contender, grandson.¡±


    Morlekai frowned. ¡°Then what¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re walking the path of ultimate ascension.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    The lich sighed. ¡°That means we¡¯d best head to the gate a certain well-inclined familiar has just informed me was placed at the entrance of a hidden tunnel her master had once used before. Come, Gather Prince Caliban and the other elves and lets head to the warded farm and jump through without delay.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Grandfather, what are you saying?¡±


    The ancient Moor dressed as an 18<sup>th</sup> century gentleman gave a regretful shake of his head. ¡°It means that a pair of brilliant stars are about to ignite, and they will light this world ablaze.¡±

 Chapter 364 - Upon the ashes of our foes, we WILL ascend.

    ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m scared!¡± Sobbed the little girl trembling in Rica¡¯s powerful arms as the world shook around them, the air alive with the shriek and boom of hellfire bombardments and the despairing screams and wails of countless thousands.


    Rica couldn¡¯t help but squeeze her precious child close, so gently yet so tightly against her increasingly sore chest as her light brown eyes flickered from eyes of jade green, soft purple, and sapphire blue. The jeweled eyes of countless Sylvan professionals not one of whom was over level 15, with stats far closer to mortal than not, all of them taking shelter in the massive marble-faced office building that Rica had darted to when the beautiful blue skies had begun to burn and the monstrous screams of munitions and people made it clear that the nightmare existence she had endured for the past two years would never end.


    But at least the trembling elves around her had been gracious enough to open the sealed entrance upon which elves were banging even now. And for all that the office workers were gazing at the entrance with expressions torn between desperation and fear, the sudden roar, flash of light, and silence, made it clear that the harder choice had been the better choice as a hellfire missile ripped through Arcadia¡¯s financial district, obliterating hundreds, perhaps thousands in the blink of an eye.


    Even if the magnificent palatial structures of marble and dream endured, for now, the air filters keeping the caustic smoke that her lungs alone were immune to from poisoning everyone inside, the peaceful gardens, parks, and Renaissance fair-like markets had been transformed to ash and flame.


    Of course that was the moment that all the electromana screens in the office building simultaneously came to life once more, just seconds after the emergency broadcast message uttered by some ancient descendant of Aurelia¡¯s, Arcadia¡¯s former caretaker and Queen, had broken off when the transmitting tower had been hit with a direct strike.


    Ria screamed and trembled in her mother¡¯s arms, and Rica wished she could hide in the arms of the only man who had made her feel safe ever... because the sneering countenance glaring back at them from a twisted demonic face donning a commanders cap and a star-pinned uniform a shade of dried blood, laughed down at them all.


    ¡°This is Commander Snivel of the Bloodtear Consortium! I just wanted to inform all of you sniveling disgusting abominations that there is no need for you to surrender. Our lord and master Malice himself has made it clear that we have no need of your collard necks for our mining worlds or soul forges.¡±


    Rica felt an awful chill as the sneering goblin chortled with laughter. ¡°Oh no, you Sylvan abominations. You can expect NO such mercy for us!¡± His eyes lit up with wild hellish glee as his lips stretched wide, revealing ugly yellow teeth. ¡°This armada that¡¯s been so many delicious years in the planning isn¡¯t about Conquest, but GENOCIDE!¡±


    Rica suddenly couldn¡¯t hear the foul creature¡¯s words over the despairing shrieks and wails of the elves she had thought such peaceful gentle souls... back when she had thought she had made the wiser choice, the better choice, fleeing Earth for a world that no longer had any part in any ascension. A place where she didn¡¯t have to worry about being caged and slaughtered. A civilized safe place where she could grow as an academic, embrace peaceful controlled hunts on the weekends with her new group of friends, and most importantly, care for her daughter as she thrived with the cybernetic implants restoring so much of her fragile brain that had been damaged, not to mention assure the best care for the fragile treasure blossoming within her womb.


    She had even had the silly dream of attending the Sylvan Academy here on Arcadia, achieving the elven equivalent of a master¡¯s in business, and impressing the man who had done so much for her when she was finally in a position to run his growing financial empire, as his own mother had calmly informed her would be the case, years from now, when it was safe, Earth stable, and calm professionals would be needed once more. And maybe she had dreamed in her heart of hearts of a joyful reunion between Eric and his daughter-to-be.


    Yet all her dreams of domestic bliss, a wonderful profession, and a happy family had been popped like an ephemeral soap bubble tossed in fire when the bombardments had begun and she realized, as the psychotic goblin commander gloating at them all from the bridge of his battleship, that there was no safe place at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, elven scum! Scream to the heavens as we pound your cities to melted glass and turn your forests into fuel for our forges! Your corpses will be used as coal for our steel and your dying screams will be treasures we share for all time!¡± The creature chortled like a maniac, monologuing with a supervillain¡¯s manic glee that would have been comical if it hadn¡¯t been so hideous... if the abomination hadn¡¯t meant every word he said.


    ¡°For Lord Malice our ruler has assured us that this night, among all nights, is the night we may safely SEAL all your souls in torment for all time! No need for lengthy torture sessions. No need to cart all you squiggling squealing, disobedient worms with the care we would livestock. OH NO!¡± The goblin chortled, rubbing his hands. ¡°With the talisman assuring your doom this endless night, your souls will be trapped in the burning remains of your bodies and serve as PERFECT FUEL for the soul forges on a DOZEN planets that will forge a thousand starships with which we will rule the skies and bring the entire sector under our eternal control! Our eternal dominion! And in the end, all your souls will be ours!¡±


    Rica gazed in wide-eyed horror at the absolute monstrous madman who actually seemed to glow before her eyes, before his twisted smile became a gloating laugh, and the point of his villain-like monologuing suddenly became horrifically clear.


    Almost as clear as the rift of ice and fire which had just formed on the bridge of his ship right behind him, Rica¡¯s Huntress eyes perhaps the only one out of the now shrieking elves all around her who had spotted it.


    ¡°Ah, how WONDERFUL! A world¡¯s terror has just raised me three Levels! Thank you, foo¡ª¡±


    The monitor flared with a brilliant crackle of energy that wasn¡¯t flame... so much as a twisted AI version of pulsating chaos and destruction... a chaotic acid trip of higher order concepts screaming in her mind, reminding her of her one bad trip she had had with the professor who had been so eager to seduce his sixteen year old honor student before utterly fleeing her life like the asshole he truly was.


    An eyeblink later, Commander Snivel was gazing at them all with eyes of frozen terror, before he exploded in ice and flame.


    Rica shivered in awe and fear as the monitor rang with haunting laughter she recognized, while the entire assembly of terrified elves immediately began kneeling and weeping, supplicating the heavens.


    ¡°Aurelia has come! Our glorious queen has come to save us! All hail the Winter Queen!¡±


    Yet Rica, heart pounding as she continued to comfort her sobbing daughter, had eyes only for the wild-eyed youth beside Aurela, holding that sword of frozen fire that had just flashed through that psychopath¡¯s skull. Wielded by a man who¡¯s exquisite features she knew so very well.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Eric Silver. Her Eric Silver. Somehow on the ship of their enemies, covered in golden flames, radiating a shockingly transcendent beauty that left her heart screaming that she had been an absolute fool to heed Aurelia¡¯s counsel and jump through the gate... yet the terrified and very much restored girl in her arms soothed her momentary pang of regret.


    Ria was restored. She and her daughter were still alive, and it appeared, by some miracle, that the Sylvan faction¡¯s queen had just teleported onto the bridge of the enemy flagship, her son by her side.


    Eric Silver. Her Eric. Prince of an entire faction.


    Yet all she saw when she caught sight of his glittering gaze was a primal monstrous fury that sent her heart skipping a beat. And somehow his roar, the roar of a lion, froze every goblin on the bridge of that ship... and every sobbing, worshiping elf in the world below.


    ¡°Very good, Eric. Embrace your wrath and strike out WITH ALL YOUR HATE! DESTROY THESE ABOMINATIONS WHICH WOULD DOOM THE WOMAN YOU LOVE!¡±


    With a furious howl, Eric swung his sword once more, and by some miracle his blow hadn¡¯t affected the monitor at all. Instead, it went to a split view as the bridge became an inferno of impossibly hot flames, screaming goblins exploding in a superheated flash, before everything froze to ice and exploded.


    The other screen showed the massive triangular battleship, looking so much like the deadly armadas of Nova Wars, began out massive gouts of brilliant flame as the entire vessel began to tear itself apart.


    Aurelia¡¯s melodic laughter seemed to caress the ears of an entire city of sobbing elves. ¡°Very good, my lastborn son, my chosen heir! You have fused your WRATH to your mastery of DOMINION! Now strike out once more with Ice Fire¡¯s caress! Show our enemies the folly of betrayal, and together, we will ascend!¡±


    ¡°She ascends! The Winter Queen will soon fly free!¡± Sobbed the former manager of the building Rica had fled to, eyes limpid pools of awe and wonder.


    ¡°All hail the Winter Queen!¡± Sobbed a child who couldn¡¯t have been more than six, held in her mother¡¯s arms, much like Rica was holding her own little one.


    The child¡¯s mother and the entire party of survivors immediately did just that.


    ¡°All hail the Winter Queen!¡±


    ¡°All hail the Winter Queen!¡±


    Yet still their desperate chant was broken up by the sporadic release and explosions of yet more oxygen destroying hellfire bombs. For only one ship of the fleet, miraculous as it was to see, had been split by a single swing of her former lover¡¯s blade.


    Which was absolute absurdity all in itself. How many months back had it been that she had first caught sight of that beautiful blue-eyed boy, so struck by an ache in her chest despite his scars that she had held off on a throw that would have changed absolutely everything? Praying he¡¯d be smart and flee before the man beside her had registered his presence. And then the psychopath she had forced herself to tolerate for so many weeks had fallen to Eric¡¯s arrow? Way back when she had been stronger than him.


    How much had changed since that day.


    Rica couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. ¡°Just how strong are you, Eric?¡± She whispered under her breath, kissing the brow of her child. Yet she couldn¡¯t help but smile at the fervent hope she saw alive in so many pairs of desperate eyes, even if she knew that, as incredible as her beautiful boy¡¯s monstrous feat of strength had been, channeling powers Rica couldn¡¯t even pretend to understand, there was an armada of nearly a hundred ships out there.


    The very sight of it as the monitor pulled back impossibly far, sent chills down her spine, Rica forced to wonder to what extent even a Silver could take out such a monstrous threat.


    Even if Aurelia had the strength to jump from one ship to another, with Eric at her side, would he even have the strength for not just one or two, but a full hundred of what Rica knew had to be hyper-focused node powers? Even she could only handle a handful of node-enhanced Piercing Strikes with her javelin before she was throwing them with only basic class enhancements.


    She swallowed the lump in her throat, wiping away her tears.


    Yet what truly broke her heart was the way her baby Ria was looking up at the split screen, her expression one of awe and a child¡¯s painful hope. ¡°Is that daddy?¡± she asked, and Rica immediately burst into tears, realizing there was no way she could answer that question, so complicated on so many levels. Instead she kissed her daughter¡¯s brow and rested her head against her breast. ¡°Rest, my child. Close your eyes and sleep and when you wake up, everything will be alright again.¡±


    Rica knew it was a lie, but it was a loving lie, and her child dutifully did just that. One advantage of the implants being that her daughter had so much more self-control than any human child normally would, and could make herself instantly fall asleep.


    Rica then allowed herself to cry in earnest as the bombs continued to drop, fearing that once more her fiercely heroic, naive, foolish, and utterly adorable midnight flame had once again come too late to save them all.


    And that was when the heavens above flashed with sapphire blue flame that sparkled with transcendent Gold, superimposed by the brilliant beam the zoomed out camera showed TEARING THROUGH THE ENTIRE FLEET!


    Rica froze in awed disbelief.


    The desperate chanting stopped, as did the bombing.


    Only fireworks exploding in the heavens above as the monitors showed scores of ships crumpling as countless explosions filled the night sky. And what an awesome sight it was to see battleships that Rica knew damn well must have been the size of small cities slowly break apart, split cleanly in half by a plasma beam, an impossibly brilliant sword blade, that must have stretched, for just a moment, hundreds of miles.


    ¡°How?¡±


    She shook her head in awe. For the only thing more shocking than scores of ships split in twain with a single swing of a giant magical energy sword was how those ships began to visibly freeze to crystalline ice with a cold she suspected was far, far more intense than the near absolute zero of deep space. All of them froze to blue crystal before exploding with countless brilliant fiery explosions, as if every piece of every ship was being obliterated to oblivion like a billion fireworks now filling the night sky.


    A part of her couldn¡¯t help but fear that the entire fleet crashing down upon Arcadia¡¯s capital city would doom them more assuredly than the original bombardment, before finally registering, much to her awe, that when the explosions had ended after a brilliantly shocking pyrotechnical minute... that there was nothing left at all.


    Nothing but ashes that shimmered like pearls, gently falling to the planet below as the monitor... and how the hell was it still displaying the action in the first place, let alone managing to do so zoomed out hundreds of miles, when the capital ship had been destroyed?¡±


    She then shook her head with a soft smile. ¡°Of course. This is Aurelia Silver, the most famous actress, and producer, in all of North America. She always had a knack for epic battle scenes.¡±


    The air then rang with a chant so loud and all-encompassing that Rica nearly lost her balance, dizzy with profundity that seemed to affect every adult elf present. Yet the children, thankfully, it touched not at all.


    ¡°Upon bitter blood and sorrow we will ascend.


    Upon the blazing pyre of betrayal we will ascend.


    Upon the ashes of our foes, we WILL ascend!¡±


    An eye-blink later, there was nothing, just the retina flash of a brilliant fiery phoenix of blue and gold before fading to the quiet and empty depths of space on the monitor screen that went blank seconds later, an awed Rica coming back to herself as not just the office building she had fled into but the entire city began to celebrate and cheer, as the poisoned miasma cleared to fresh spring air in a mere handful of seconds, a gentle breeze blowing the hair of countless elves looking so transcendentally beautiful as they gazed up at the heavens with tears in their eyes, filled with adulation for their queen, who had, apparently, just ascended to Gold.

 Chapter 365 - A Choice Is Made

    Eric had no words for what he was experiencing, a gestalt of fury, exultation, and the transcendent glory of truly becoming one with the elements of his soul.


    ¡°So this is what it feels like to become a god,¡± he couldn¡¯t help thinking to himself as he raced through the stars by his mother¡¯s side, a fiery phoenix comprised of the furious fusion in the cores of countless stars and the bitter chill of the absolute depths of space.


    He flew on wings of Wrath and righteous vengeance, and wherever he and his mother appeared, they did so as twin Phoenix autarches judging all before them, cleaving true to the bounds of sacred oaths, summoned where their Dominion held sway.


    Before every world that had ever surrendered a gilded fey crown, they appeared. And every world that had embraced the sacred mercantile trust of the Blue.


    Every world where ancient trusts had been shattered was an agony crying out within Eric¡¯s galactic soul as he and his mother raced through the heavens in clouds of fiery gold, Eric howling in the astral ether as he embraced his Fiery Wrath and consigned countless dreadnoughts and battleships to the fiery reaches of oblivion where they would eternally howl their frigid despair.


    Only occasionally did Eric receive flashes of insight and ego from the countless billions gazing on in breathless awe from battered worlds below when entire armadas were frozen to bitter cold ice before erupting in transcendent flame.


    Eric could sense their desperate cheers and adulation so piercingly well, his own daring transcendence in realms of Psychic dream having gifted him with an exquisitely sensitive mind, where sometimes the memories of others became his own. Perilous, sacred, and profound. It gave him both battlefield awareness and a vulnerability, because unlike his lastborn beautiful daughter, he had no natural Psionic resistance. As a mortal, his Sylvan blood had been far too strong for that.


    Yet his mother¡¯s laughter resonating in the countless quantuum fluctuations of all the forces and fields around them made it clear that Eric never needed to worry about such vulnerabilities, as they both perched upon Gold¡¯s glorious cusp, embracing the darkest secret of the galactic cluster.


    That it was upon the ashes of countless billions that new Golds were forged and would ascend.


    And ascend Eric did, howling with revelations and darkest mirth by his mother¡¯s side. Becoming ONE with the fused platonic ideals of higher order concepts that were, in fact, his dao. The core of his being.


    For he WAS the Phoenix Reborn. Fire¡¯s Wrath eternally blazing forth from Frigid Dominion and sentience¡¯s calculating control. Forever on the knife¡¯s edge of transcendence, where the bridge between high order evolutions was the playground for sapience itself.


    It was a bridge he sensed his mother would glory in embracing for a million years, laughing with fiery mirth as righteous vindication and the glory of salvation became heeding the call for darkest vengeance.


    Thirteen Sylvan worlds saved and Eric could taste the cusp of his own ascension even as Earth groaned and shook as the wild fires of a centuries-long ascension was channeled into a pair who would catapult themselves to their primal ideal.


    Eric was barely aware of his own planet¡¯s dying groans as his mother catapulted them upon vengeance¡¯s crimson path, the pair¡¯s triumph turning to bitter fury as they unleashed their furious wrath upon numerous goblinoid planets, nearly as lush and fecund as their Sylvan counterparts.


    Planets that were doomed to frozen hellfire as Eric and his mother squeezed TIGHT the bubbling magma cores within their hearts as entire cities were frozen to lifeless perfection, the handful of desperate screams and pleas for mercy howled by the handful of mothers and sages able to endure for even a few awful seconds were always met by the same pitiless decree of the Dark Queen herself.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Thrice trust was given, and thrice betrayed!


    So the bitter road of ashes and ruin was paved.


    One betrayal and your body freezes from the whole.


    Twice betrayed you forfeit your mind, blank as the winter snow.


    And thrice betrayed spells the fiery damnation of your eternal soul!¡±


    The air rang with pitiless cackles as countless dying screams became the roar of planetary cores erupting, transforming once nation-wide megalopolises to plains of frozen ice soon to be overrun by seas of magma as entire worlds were brought to a primal state a billion years past, all life wiped clean upon what had been lush green worlds, a single act of vengeance past.


    Yet as horrific as mortal Eric might have found the billions he gleefully slaughtered by his mother¡¯s side, the mortal shell that had once encased his fiery soul had long since ceased its relevance as Eric embraced a feat even his interface was forced to acknowledge with a shock so profound the System itself seemed to pause, as a mortal white-tier Classer dared to ascend straight to Gold.


    The primal being encompassing so fiercely the higher order concepts now flooding his soul was so utterly beyond his mortal shell that there was no comparison, merely the savage sweet glory of growth and ascension, feeling his fiery phoenix wings blossoming just as brightly as his mother¡¯s as the pair gazed at the impossibly brilliant and vast shimmering prisms of hyper dimensional realities and transcendent realms just a single flap of their glorious wings away. So much more than the flat, essence-baron plain of existence they had both been trapped on. One for well over 2000 years. The other for twenty.


    Yet they both yearned desperately to be free, to ride the heavenly ethereal currents for adventure and glory beyond all mortal dreams.


    A single fiery cry that would have crumbled the shell of the world they roosted upon as Aurelia crowed her approval, if Eric hadn¡¯t buffered the blow, allowing it to ruffle his feathers instead.


    You have done well, my son. Come, it is time for us to ascend in full. The multiverse beckons. Our glorious adventure has just begun!


    The young infant phoenix gave a mournful cry, then slowly shook his fiery head, unwilling to leave his fragile perch.


    His mother tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Why do you not ascend?¡±


    The smaller phoenix wilted. ¡°Because the minute I leave... our perch will crumble. Just ashes in the cosmic wind.¡±


    Aurelia blinked one massive eye containing the birth and death of stars. ¡°Why does this bother you?¡±


    ¡°Elonia is still on that world! Along with all my friends.¡±


    ¡°One child among hundreds I have given birth to. One child among millions with ties of blood to my womb that you have SAVED upon a dozen worlds!¡±


    ¡°True.¡± The younger phoenix bowed his head with zero animosity, yet his talons still held tightly to his crumbling roost, all that was keeping it from imploding on itself in a final glorious ascension that would send Eric soaring just as high as his mother. He then gazed down fondly at his fragile perch. ¡°But I would save it still.¡±


    His mother gazed at him for long, sorrowful moments before solemnly bowing her head. ¡°So be it.¡±


    Without another word, she flew off with a cosmic cry that sent Eric crumpling to his knees as his entire world shook and trembled, reaching out with the blazing remnants of his soul to hold TIGHT to his fragile, beautiful world of forests and fields, lakes and ocean, beauty and corruption, and a thousand million wonders and a thousand millions souls that were far too precious to lose.


    Not for any price.


    Not even when the monstrous power of an ascending Gold Phoenix a single kiss from exploring all the secrets of the multiverse flooded into a violently shaking world undergoing boiling seas, erupting volcanoes and earthquakes... before settling down as the disaster that had an entire world¡¯s population panicking miraculously abated to countless sobs of gratitude and fervent prayers that Eric shuddered to feel ringing through his soul nearly as loudly as the System messages shuddering through him as his psyche faded from the impossibility of transcendence to the fragility of his still mortal frame.


    Eric¡¯s aching cry for the miracle he had lost was a pain that transcended any loss he could have ever conceived of... before, thankfully, his mortal mind lost all clear recollection of the pristine divine glory that had been his for a single eternal eyeblink and he slipped into the dark seas of oblivion, a slumber so deep it kissed death¡¯s precipice, for all that his chest continued to rise and fall.

 Chapter 366 - House of Cards

    Eric¡¯s psyche was soon lost in dreams that were the farthest thing from his own.


    ¡°No, impossible!¡±


    Greed¡¯s horrified gaze was transfixed upon a sight from his own nightmares. The wild-eyed Sylvan brat who by rights should be writhing in agony with a Bronze-tier pain collar around his neck was somehow hale and whole with eyes crackling with vile insights no native-born on any ascending world should have been permitted access to.


    Glaring at the screen as if the fool actually thought he could jump through!


    Greed had been so prepared to chortle his ass off when that obnoxious little shit fell right back on his ass. Taunt him with all the glorious Bronze potential that fool had unwittingly sacrificed for his mother¡¯s tainted glory.


    Yet the words died on his lips, cigar falling to sputter and his upon one of the many puddles of effluvia pockmarking the restoration vats, when that insane little shit ACTUALLY JUMPED THROUGH!


    ¡°No, no... impossible!¡± Greed jabbed a hysterical finger Aurelia¡¯s way. ¡°You set this up! You goddamned Silver-tier cunt, you set this whole thing up!¡±


    Aurelia paused right before jumping through the gate herself, turning to lock gazes with Greed who suddenly found himself lost in those hideously vast pupils, wider than any black hole, falling endlessly to his own doom. Greed shivered, his too thin robe doing nothing to mitigate the hideous chill not just of his body, but his very soul.


    Helpless, transfixed, Greed began to tremble uncontrollably when Aurelia¡¯s lips stretched wide... hideously wide, unnaturally wide, showing rows and rows of wicked sharp teeth¡­ without her absurdly flawless features warping or marring at all. As if geometric proportions meant nothing at all to the winter bitch whose low throaty chuckles caused the regeneration vats behind him to explode, Greed yelping in dismay when his fine silk robe was frozen to ice by the bitter cold spray freezing the skin right off his back.


    ¡°You¡¯re in violation of every treaty in the System!¡± Greed screamed.


    To which Aurelia only winked. ¡°Not on this night. For you fools were the one to play a Silver Phoenix and the sins of this night alone will be utterly hidden with Dawn¡¯s first light as success washes away memory of all sin. Isn¡¯t that right, Greed Azmodeus Bane?¡±


    Greed froze with those words, mouth open, yet no words came out as the gloomy corridor was suddenly filled with the panicked shrieks of sirens and the flashing red lights of emergency messages suddenly flooding the command post Greed was now desperate to reach. Yet he stood there, helpless as his seconds and lieutenants belted out panicked reports filling the air.


    ¡°Sir! Garrot Fleet reports heavy casualties! They¡¯re unable to port out!¡±


    ¡°Lord Greed! Viper Fleet has been destroyed! No survivors! Repeat, No survivors!¡±


    Those words broke Greed out of his awful daze, realizing that he was just standing there gazing at an empty chamber a world away, with no trace of the winter queen or her monstrous bastard child at all.


    He glared at the wild-eyed young lieutenant that had spoken. ¡°Viper Fleet has been what?¡±


    ¡°Destroyed, sir.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Greed seethed. ¡°Each and every one of those ships was reinforced with blackened Soul Steel! Stronger than imperial battleship armaments, and we¡¯ve already managed to compromise the entire feet at Halcyon Seven, which set us back over two billion credits! There¡¯s no way they could have...¡±


    His words died off in horror when the trembling young lieutenant pointed the way of the electromana powered monitors that had cost a pretty penny to hook up with countless arcane connections to their home world¡¯s central command nexus, and Greed had always thought the investment worth its weight in soul gems.


    Until now.


    When every single screen that should have shown the delicious obliteration of his enemy¡¯s most prized jewels instead became a front row seat to absolute devastation as the capital ship of Viper Fleet began to erupt in gouts of plasma.


    Greed¡¯s eyes bulged in alarm.


    That ship was priceless!


    Even if the plasma bursts were contained, he was now down at least five billion credits. Much to his relief, the erupts abruptly stopped. Then his heart stuttered when the entire ship seemed to freeze in a crystal blue matrix before the entire massive dreadnought that was worth an incalculable fortune abruptly exploded.


    Greed¡¯s withered hands clenched into impotent, furious fists, recognizing all too well that awful mixture of fire and ice.


    ¡°That kid¡¯s sword. His goddamned thrice cursed sword was radiating the same foul magics!¡± Greed shrieked, before his shriek turned to a horrified groan, heart pounding with growing panic when he saw a stream of brilliant golden light surrounded by a retinal eyeburn of cobalt-blue now tearing completely through the hulls of dozens of his ships, resulting in a chain reaction of white-hot eruptions, frigid implosions, and eye-seering explosions leaving absolutely nothing but the memory of those doomed starships behind. It was destruction so catastrophic and utter, that Greed was frozen with dismay.


    ¡°No. That unforgivable bitch... she¡¯s ascending.¡± Greed gave a despairing howl of laughter. ¡°That madwoman is ascending on the silver phoenix we put in play!¡±


    His lips curled in a snarl, glaring his hate at the screen before him. ¡°Fine, Aurelia! Save your precious jewel of a planetary capital! But that¡¯s only a single fleet, and even if you do have the strength to ascend, the emperor himself won¡¯t let you back in, you stupid bitch!¡±


    He clenched his fist in fury. ¡°So play your twisted games, Aurelia! Fly for the heavens, for all I care! But you¡¯re not getting back any of the other wor¡ª¡±


    His words cut off with a look of horrified dismay when fresh monitors came alive with countless explosions that might have been pretty fireworks¡­


    Or the destruction of hundreds of dreadnoughts that could have taken over an entire sector of the galaxy¡­ well over a dozen fleets.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Golden fires surrounded by all the bitter cold of the Winter Queen herself told an awful story punctuated with flashes of destruction that brought a suddenly panicked Greed to tears as he raced for the command seat that would give him direct access to all of his surviving admirals.


    No matter how much pain forcing such a gestalt would cause him.


    ¡°Your Grace, please be...¡± The goblin¡¯s words cut off when Greed glared at the officers who ran the command center in his absence.


    ¡°You Grace, please!¡±


    ¡°Link me to all the fleet commanders. Do it now!¡±


    ¡°It will be done, your grace!¡±


    And Greed couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief when his interface abruptly linked to Commander Glexus, presently before a particularly lush and fertile Gaia-tier world. The commander, a human mercenary, though thankfully not Terran-born, immediately saluted.


    ¡°Your orders, my prince?¡±


    Greed clenched his jaw, forcing the vile words out of his throat. ¡°Change in plans, Glexus. Bring the fleet home to Malice Prime. Do it at once, without delay!¡±


    To the captain¡¯s credit, he showed only the briefest look of surprise before immediately snapping a salute. ¡°It will be done, Your Grace.¡±


    And Greed, as much as he felt like he was swallowing bile, uttering words of such pathetic weakness, couldn¡¯t deny that he felt an unexpected weight off his shoulders with the commander¡¯s instant compliance. ¡°Good. Now I expect you to pass the message along to all those captains still party-linked with you, Glexus. All fleets are to return to...¡±


    Greed¡¯s words died off as his mouth opened wide in horror. ¡°Oh no. YOU!¡±


    Because there he was, smirking like the smarmy blond-haired bastard that he was, eyes blazing with ice and fire as his blade cleaved his poor captain in half.


    Greed screamed in wordless fury as he beheld none other than Eric Orcbane, disciple of the ascending Gold chortling so darkly behind him. An abomination that should never have been given System access, let alone be permitted to play in games of ascension as a Contender when he had just stepped through a gate upon a triple-tier warded space-ship and cleaved Greed¡¯s Late Bronze-tier Captain in half like he was nothing!


    And truly the fallen merc was nothing at all before the wild-eyed princeling who paid Greed¡¯s furious screams no heed as he calmly turned around and swung his hideous reality-defying sword once more.


    A swing that managed to cleave an entire dreadnought in half with a single swing!


    The power of a Silver.


    That monster had the power of a Silver!


    Yet Greed¡¯s howls of outrage turned to a squeak of horror when Eric swung his plasma beam a third time.


    A swing that didn¡¯t just cleave a single dreadnought or its captain in half.


    No.


    That hideous beam of reality-warping plasma covered in ice somehow managed to cleave through an entire armada of 117 hyperion dreadnoughts that would have given the emperor¡¯s own fleet pause. Pause enough for the emperor himself to intervene.


    Because that damned boy who should long be dead hadn¡¯t swung his blade with the force of a newly forged Silver.


    No. Eric Orcbane had cleaved through reality itself, embracing higher order concepts that tore at Greed¡¯s mind with the might and towering fury of a half-step Gold.


    Greed''s heart was pounding with a sensation both strange and alien to the dark revels and malicious glee he had embraced for so many delicious decades. What was that sensation again?


    Ah yes.


    Fear.


    That was it.


    Fear bordering on mind numbing terror as he caught the sight of countless scores of imperial-equivalent dreadnoughts being torn through as effortlessly as he had once set fire to his favorite slave¡¯s origami collection just to see the look on her face. And how strange it was that his entire command now wore the same expressions of horrified dismay that ancient and long dead slave had once worn. Bitter fruit coming full circle with a tide that now threatened to wash every dark and grand scheme he had spent so many decades orchestrating as if it were no more relevant than strands of spider silk before a hurricane.


    But what truly irked Greed, besides the constant bone-deep pain still throbbing endlessly through him, was the look of sheer cowardice he saw in the eyes of every single one of his stooges and underlings. Then he grit his teeth with a snarl, a single furious fist to the face of the nearest admiral covering the monitor behind him in bone, brain, and blood.


    For to see his own terror reflected in the eyes of his officers sworn to his eternal service was absolutely unforgivable.


    ¡°Cowardice will not be tolerated!¡± He roared at their looks of horrified dismay, shaking his own blood-spattered fist.


    ¡°I... yes, Lord Greed!¡± Barked command as a whole.


    ¡°Good! You all know your orders!¡± One among them opened his mouth as if to say something before the man beside him, still as a statue, still managed to stomp his fellow¡¯s foot to painful silence.


    ¡°Sir! Yes, sir!¡± they all declared as one.


    Greed flashed a bitter smile, covering his own existential dread. ¡°Good! And for those of you fools too DENSE to understand, all armadas are to return to the capital at once! The penalty for insubordination will be court-martial and death! Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± All cried as one, saluting Greed with half-bows as the screens behind them continued to flash in hideous fireworks as that awful, vile, UNFORGIVABLE blade of plasma and bitter winter tears continued to tear through entire fleets it had NO BUSINESS OR RIGHT to strike.


    Greed grit his teeth. ¡°When the emperor hears of this... this absolute... imperial insubordination, he¡¯ll wipe the entire Silver clan off the map, mark my words!¡± He shrilly declared, and how pathetic it was to see so many goblinoid eyes light up with desperate hope, even as Greed prayed to all that was dark and twisted that it would indeed be so as he spun away from the command center and began racing down corridors he had fervently hoped he¡¯d never have to enter again.


    Not when he knew what awaited them at their heart, as busy corridors filled with either panicked or dazed-looking goblins who at least had the decency to wear snappy uniforms was replaced by increasingly ragged-looking collard servants and the dead-eyed lost, whose minds were empty of anything like cogent thought, stumbling around increasingly damp and poorly lit corridors echoing with piercing wails, shrieks, and the stench of death.


    The miasma of corrupted power and twisted fate grew to such monstrous pressures so damned quickly that for a half-second Greed feared that even his own mind would be crushed to pulp... before shaking away the awful sensation with a growl and approaching the rust-pitted door from which screams, howls, and endless shrieks that bombarded one¡¯s psyche so violently that it almost felt like a roaring din of actual sound could be both felt and heard .


    Ethereal strands so sharp and cloying that Greed could almost feel the desperately clawing fingers reaching for his wrist or neck, spasming in their panic to wrest free of the pain that was theirs for eternity... souls locked in endless agony that served to push back the System and fuel the darkest arts available to the Goblinoid tribes.


    That which had, for countless centuries, put them heads and shoulders above all their foes.


    Yet even so... even with the distant panicked cries Greed heard not from these corridors but from the command center high above, it was everything Greed could do to slowly make his way through that rusted door that somehow glided effortlessly open without a single squeak of protest, revealing the horror within.

 Chapter 367 - Homecoming

    Greed froze to dreadful stillness at the sight of the withered, desiccated figure covered in pockmarks, pustules, boils and desiccated flesh with literally hundreds of tubes connecting his flesh to a massive machine that glowed with the darkest of all goblinoid arts, a glass panel revealing the massive jar inside and the decapitated heads within, bulging eyes gyrating wildly, mouths open in silent screams. Dozens of heads kept in a state of eternal tormented awareness transcending any earthly concept of pain, that agony alone all that was keeping his great grandfather among the living.


    It was only in that moment, when Greed felt an awful twist of something that might have been... actual pity for the souls radiating such suffering that even he could feel it, when his ancient ancestor opened yellowed eyes and stretched his mouth wide in a rotten grin.


    ¡°Ah Greed. You have returned to grace me with your presence once more. How... kind of you.¡±


    Greed paled, before bowing his head, filled with a sudden fear that was far beyond existential dread, every nerve in his body screaming for him to flee NOW. Before it was too late.


    He swallowed, throat suddenly parched and dry.


    ¡°Lord Malice...¡±


    The old withered corpse lifted one dessicated finger with a smile. ¡°I told you what to call me long ago, boy.¡±


    Greed flushed, before bowing his head. ¡°It will be as you say, grandfather.¡± He took a shuddering breath. ¡°Grandfather. Asp, Viper, and Mantis fleets have all been...


    The ancient elder tipped his head. ¡°Successful? Eager for rewards and commendations already?¡±


    Greed clenched his fists, almost certain that his great grandfather was mocking him in a way both subtle and humiliating, nonetheless shook his head.


    ¡°No, Grandfather. They... they have been destroyed.¡±


    The room went deathly silent. Even the screams stopped, somehow, and Greed¡¯s eyes widened to find that even the tormented souls only screamed at Malice¡¯s pleasure.


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    Greed wheezed, for the first time in a long time regretting his pleasure in vice, his regeneration already pushed to the limit with the suppurating wounds that would not heal, now fighting just to breathe under his great grandfather¡¯s killing glare. ¡°All our expeditions in the realms of vice, enslavement, recruitment and corruption were successful, just as your fate-strands predicted. I swear it!¡± Greed desperately cried. ¡°It was something beyond our ability to predict or account for, something that no amount of corruption could mitigate!¡± His final words were a gurgling cry, surprised to find himself collapsed upon rusted grates biting cruelly into the open soars on his rear. And he didn¡¯t utter a single whimper of protest as he felt the terrible crushing weight on his throat abruptly ease. He knew better.


    ¡°And what, pray tell, is this something?¡±


    ¡°Aurelia Silver!¡± A breathless Greed wheezed, horrified to hear the words from his own ravaged lips. ¡°She¡¯s using her get¡¯s core as fuel for her own ascension!¡±


    Malice turned to glare down at Greed, eyes searing holes into Greed¡¯s very soul.


    It was all he could do to choke back his agonized cry before Malice abruptly began roaring with laughter that shook their entire massive base of black steel and bitter tears... laughter that was far to great to emanate from his withered form.


    ¡°So that silly little bitch has finally done it,¡± Malice said with an eerily indulgent smile as he gazed fondly off into the damp gloom of the corridor, glimpsing revelations Greed couldn¡¯t even guess at. ¡°She¡¯s finally found a catalyst for her shriveled Dao, crippled so long ago,¡± Malice sighed fondly. ¡°Her despair is the sweetest gift she has ever given me.¡±


    Greed felt an odd jolt of alarm at those words, yet he knew better than to utter a single question that didn¡¯t pertain to their immediate dilemma. ¡°Grandfather, what will we do?¡±


    Malice pulled himself free of what almost seemed halcyon memories etching such an odd gentle cast to his features. Then his face grew as hard and cold as granite, staring down at his descendant. ¡°I assume you followed basic protocol and had all remaining fleets retreat to Fade Prime?¡±


    Greed swallowed, fearing a trap that might cost him his head, but... no. His great grandfather had millennia to evolve icy discipline even beyond Greed¡¯s own. The hour was too dire to risk destroying his own pieces now, unlike Greed¡¯s own hasty... reaction with the intelligence officer who had revealed more than Greed was willing to see. And now he had a key pawn he needed to replace on top of everything else.


    He swallowed the desperate lump in his throat, forcing himself to nod, more relieved than he cared to admit that his admission didn¡¯t cost him his head. For Malice¡¯s one unquestionable act of mercy that showed the unmistakable favoritism he had for his offspring more than any lesser goblin was that they need only fear quick death whenever they disappointed him, not eternal torment, lesser souls forged to the very blackened steel that served as the beating heart of their utterly indestructible base on Fade Prime¡¯s largest moon, effectively a twin planet with a population even greater than on Prime below.


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather. Standard protocol was followed.¡±


    Malice glared at Greed for long moments. Greed closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable. Yet all Malice did was give Greed an oddly approving smile. ¡°Excellent.¡± He began to laugh, the air filling with melodious golden notes so at odds for the desiccated monster gazing so very fondly at his descendant. ¡°Do you not see, grandson? This is the best of all possible scenarios.¡±


    Greed swallowed, afraid even to speak his mind, yet his great grandfather¡¯s suddenly steely gaze forced a response.


    ¡°Forgive me, grandfather, but how can this possibly...¡±


    ¡°It means that it¡¯s not too late!¡± Malice snarled, eyes glittering with wrath, bitterness and hope. ¡°If that bitch has actually ascended to such a deep Silver that she can take out an entire fleet of Tier III equivalent imperial dreadnoughts... nay, a trio of such armadas... all of them thousands of light years from one another, then that means there¡¯s hope for us. The both of us! Whether or not that doomed bitch ever hits Gold, which we both know is an absolute impossibility, is beside the point! She¡¯s achieved a Silver Ascension so fierce and deep that her continued existence, her indefinite continued existence is all but assured!¡± Malice¡¯s eyes lit up with sudden gleeful avarice. ¡°And by the contract and codicil that silly little bitch signed so long ago, whatever she is capable of IS MINE AS WELL!¡°


    Greed¡¯s eyes grew wide with wonder. ¡°Grandfather... how? Such a contract, such a powerful binding as to let you ride on the ascending coattails of another... how?¡±


    Malice smirked down at his descendant. ¡°A tale for another day, Greedy little child.¡± And for the first time that Greed could remember, the shriveled old man gazed down at his descendant with pitying distaste. ¡°Really, Greed. You couldn¡¯t do more to boost your Charisma and Appearance than you have?¡±


    Greed gave Malice the strangest look. ¡°Grandfather, it was you who said to never bother with positive...¡± Greed immediately froze, realizing how perilously close he had come to both contradicting his ancient elder and calling to question his eternally perfect advice. ¡°I mean... yes, Grandfather. I shall look into a class evolution that allows for positive stat accrual in those two traits with my next Ascension point.¡±


    Malice glared down at Greed before giving an approving nod. ¡°Do so. You¡¯ve mastered the darker arts as well as I could have hoped, without going completely mad or becoming an utterly self-serving lemure. Now it¡¯s well time you¡¯ve walked a path that I alone embraced to the fullest in our family line. A path I deem you alone, of all my descendants, worthy of walking in my footsteps.¡±


    Greed swallowed. He wanted to listen and learn whatever his grandfather was willing to teach him during the rare moments the ancient was in anything approaching a garrulous mood. Yet the tension and terror of minutes ago, the entire base in a panic, wasn¡¯t something he could easily let go of.


    ¡°Grandfather. Forgive me. But Aurelia... glorious as your bound fates assuring your own ascension might be... our retreat allows her to go onto the offensive. What happens if she starts striking our worlds directly?


    Malice glared at his trembling descendant for long moments before roaring with laughter.


    ¡°Fool! Do you not understand how tightly I¡¯ve wound the cords of obfuscation and twisted fate around our worlds, child? The multifaceted malignancies and blinding contingencies soul-sealed into EVERY SINGLE title and deed I¡¯ve sealed by oath, talisman, and paper? That foolish bitch won¡¯t be able to enter our territory any more than any other would be conqueror, explorer, or merchant, who doesn¡¯t first sign their souls to our tender ministrations.¡± Malice flashed a smile worthy of his namesake. ¡°Indeed, my delightful grandson, what merchant has ever come out ahead when daring to enter goblin space?¡±


    Greed flashed a hopeful smile. ¡°Not a one, Grandfather. For in the end we bind them and their entire families to oaths and codicils they can never escape, their very souls ours to cast into black steel the moment we find fault with a single trade... and then their mercantile empires are OURS for the claiming!¡±


    Malice gave an indulgent nod. ¡°Exactly. Any merchant who refuses to sign we obliterate and seize their wares before our spies and provocateurs blacken their clan names so badly that none will listen to a single complaint levied against us... before we collar and capture every last fool who would dare even think of such! For it is we who capture all mercantile markets, not our foes! And should Aurelia actually be stupid enough to spend her entire half-step ascension clamoring for our forbidden fruit, she will be far too spent to raise a single finger against our much recovered armadas which will stand ready to wipe out every Blue Corp holding the moment we track down and seize the remaining Silver phoenix my old friends swore to sell to me at extremely fair rates, I might add.¡±


    Here Greed paled, earning a cold glare from his elder. ¡°Speak.¡±


    He nervously licked his lips. ¡°Grandfather... Caliban is not who we thought.¡±


    This earned a killing glare. ¡°Explain!¡±


    ¡°Allen Ort might be of noble blood, but Caliban, it turns out, is one of the High Court¡¯s hidden princes!¡±


    Malice flashed a cold smile. ¡°A prince under our control, yes? And we know for a fact he has both wife and children. It is good that you discovered this, Greed. Now we need but apply the leverage and force Caliban¡¯s confession before our mind-slave¡¯s brain expires which should be a good two hundred hours hence, and all of Blue Corp will be secretly bound to chains of blackened soul steel!¡±


    Malice roared with laughter before the entire base began blaring with a hideous alarm.


    Malice¡¯s eyes widened with disbelief. ¡°Impossible!¡± Only then registering Greed¡¯s panicked words.


    ¡°He escaped with the help of that elf¡¯s bastard spawn! Eric Silver, Aurelia¡¯s twisted monstrosity of a boy, has successfully lit his Core! He hasn¡¯t even hit twenty summers and he dares to embrace higher order concepts, walking by his mother¡¯s side!¡±


    Malice sneered. ¡°So, she has doomed him for her half-step ascension. It will still do nothing to save her worlds, once our fleets regroup and she¡¯s forced to either flee or fade to a Deep Silver who¡¯s furnace has frozen. Fitting for that icy bitch, but she¡¯ll never be able to threaten our armada again!¡± He turned to glare at the alarm.


    ¡°Your foolish captains triggered low orbit sensors, failing to follow protocols, Greed! You¡¯ll need new captains. These fools are going straight into the soul forge once¡ª¡± His words cut off, eyes wide with disbelief when the monitors he glared at abruptly turned on, lighting up the formerly thick gloom that the ancient Silver clearly preferred, revealing sights that were perhaps the last thing Malice had ever expected to see.


    There were no ships to be seen blinking in from hyper-warp. No armadas of mile-wide dreadnoughts ready to destroy countless worlds in their master¡¯s name. There was nothing at all to be seen save a single glittering object hurtling through the lunar heavens toward the massive soul-steel complex below.


    Malice¡¯s eyes widened with dismay even as Greed immediately barked orders, communication instantly opened to the command center in the top section of the base. ¡°Magnify all sensors on that object! Lock all auto-cannons and fire at will!¡±


    ¡°It will be done, Lord Bane,¡± crackled an impersonal voice as magnification and clarity zoomed in a hundred fold, revealing what almost looked like a golden locket, of all things, before it was lit up with disintegrating blaster fire that, for some reason, did nothing at all.


    Greed furrowed his brow, so focused he only peripherally registered his ancestor¡¯s panicked hiss beside him. ¡°Scanners report! What¡¯s the nature of the threat!¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Unknown, sir.¡±


    ¡°Is that a Valorium artifact?¡± Greed knew it was a stupid question. The containment fields needed to stabilize a starship core outside of a starship was nearly the size of the very vessel it normally fueled, the shapes of star ships originally made so as to serve as the most stable and safe containment vessels for those very cores. It was only on newly ascended worlds that Deep Bronze specialists could stabilize and contain those cores sufficient to plant into new star ships. Otherwise one would need the extremely expensive services of Silver-tier specialists that Bloodtear Syndicate had failed to contractually bind, despite multiple efforts and the expiration of multiple ¡®acquisition parties.¡¯ The real reason why Greed had authorized linking their star ship facility to Earth, to steal as much potency from that newly ascending planet as they could before stripping it of all resources and claiming every last native for their soul forges in the decades to come. It not only allowed for Bronze tier experts to safely implant cores into Greed¡¯s ships, but had made it far easier for his own race¡¯s unorthodox ship core forging techniques to be hidden in the wild fluctuations of Earth¡¯s less than stable ascension, also due, at least in part, to Greed¡¯s machinations.


    ¡°No, Lord Bane. As far as we can tell... the lockets made of an unknown alloy that appears to be impervious to blaster fire.¡±


    Greed frowned as the scanners zoomed in on the hurtling object, which at that very moment sprang open, revealing a pair of twin portraits.


    One, he was surprised to find that he recognized. The Duke and Dutchess of Nalbain, Rulers of Gaian. Yet the attire they wore was the farthest thing from royal finery, both of them dressed in form fitting armor of overlapping scales made of mithril, their heads bare of helm or crown, glossy locks blowing in unseen winds. Yet Greed¡¯s surprise that he could make out those features with such exquisite clarity was nothing compared to the shock of the exquisitely detailed painting depicted on the other half of the locket.


    A girl with the gentle blue eyes and innocent smile of a younger Elonia Silver, of all people, looking just as naive and vulnerable as that silly chit did when his pawns had first seduced and enticed the girl with darkest vice. And the man by her side, dark eyes glittering with wild humor, an open grin showing perfect ivory white teeth, was the face of a hidden prince or a destined hero. Striking. Beyond handsome. A face that was almost human, save for a slight gray cast to his exquisite features.


    It was a face that sent chills racing down Greed¡¯s spine.


    Instantly understanding who he was glimpsing.


    Both the man, and the woman beside him.


    Greed¡¯s heart hammered with a frantic staccato beat, mouth so dry he couldn¡¯t swallow, no matter how hard he tried.


    As much as he tried to resist, inexorably his gaze gravitated toward the withered creature of shriveled flesh, warped hate, and twisted glee that was the farthest thing from human hero or Sylvan royalty.


    And the look his ancient elder gave him was that of a monster who would have instantly seen him dead, in any other place and time.


    ¡°So. You understand, then.¡± Malice sighed, shaking his head. ¡°At any other place or time, I would torture you to within an inch of your life, until you confessed the names of all those pawns who had revealed ancient secrets best forgotten. You understand that, right, grandson?¡±


    A speechless Greed could only nod.


    ¡°Grandfather...¡±


    But Malice¡¯s eyes were suddenly wide with what Greed was horrified to realize was fear. ¡°Silence, fool. The locket! Look at the locket!¡±


    Greed¡¯s gaze quickly darted back to the monitor, and how exactly it had zoomed so perfectly upon the locket that had just cratered into the chasm between the nearby forest and the massive fortress that would forever stand as the ultimate symbol of goblin might... a perimeter that had been effortlessly pierced, despite their triple defensive layers, by a single locket.


    That even now pulsed once. Twice.


    Then disappeared.


    Leaving behind a strikingly beautiful young elven girl in its place. A girl who immediately looked up at the monitor with the sweet, innocent features of a sixteen year old beauty who had never known the bliss of rapturous vice, or the hideous burdens of enslavement or despair. Then she began to smile.


    A smile that stretched wide... impossibly wide, revealing wicked, serrated teeth, so very many teeth, while not affecting the exquisite symmetry of her features in the least as Malice began to hiss and curse under his breath.


    Yet it was the eyes that gave it all away.


    They froze like a howling winter gale.


    They blazed like the sun.


    And each pupil was in the shape of a phoenix blazing with the ascension of the one and only Winter Queen.


    She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath of air at the edge of the forest just beyond the crater her locket had left, for a second looking so much like the innocent girl in that portrait as Greed¡¯s elite mercenaries that he hadn¡¯t yet been able to wheedle past Terran System sanctions, not even on this glorious Silver night, got into place to take care of the greatest threat they would ever face.


    A trio of Deepest Bronze themselves just a half-step from a Silver they would never reach, thanks to the Enslavement contracts binding their souls. But they were strong. Damn strong, with a collection of heads to prove their prowess, having taken out so many pests to the Bloodtear Syndicate, including several dozen Blue executives and nobility in the last month alone.


    All three of them were now lining up their sights to take out the arrogant bitch who dared think she could invade Greed¡¯s home with all its wards, bindings, and curses with impunity.


    Greed forced himself to smile for his withered elder¡¯s sake. ¡°You know better than all of us the power of twisted fate and folly. Upon our home soil no enemy, no matter how powerful, will get the best of us, as your curses have assured for over a thousand years.¡±


    Yet his words of comfort, the first time he had bothered saying any words to comfort as opposed to crush another soul save his own in well over a century, did absolutely nothing to allay the look of growing dismay in Malice¡¯s features.


    Though his elder did give a dry chuckle. ¡°I hope you got back whatever you invested in your pawns, grandson.¡±


    Greed scowled, but said nothing. Even looking as morose as he presently did, Greed knew better than to contradict his elder. He¡¯d let the results speak for themselves as transcendent plasma fire flashed. Though his lips did curve in a smile. Three half-step Silvers that would never truly ascend, but each of them had been forcefully soul bound to their Tier-III blasters. And even if it cost them a portion of their eternal souls to fire those blasters, Greed¡¯s silent command had been irrevocable and the autumn day lit up with actual essence-boosted blaster fire.


    Yet when the flash faded and Greed could see again, he saw no sign of Aurelia¡¯s corpse, or even her stunned form. Nothing but a desperate cry as the camera seemed to whirl through the underbrush before crystallizing in a panorama of dark crimson glory, Aurelia looking hungrily at the closest half-step monsters gazing at her with horror as her mouth opened impossibly wide, serrated teeth chomping right through the assassin¡¯s soul-steel breastplate and ribs to tear free his heart so fast that not even the most advanced monitors could track it, the man¡¯s mouth opening wide like a fish as a brilliant flood of crimson drenched the forest floor.


    Then Aurelia had the gall to wink, flashing a dainty smile as beads of carmine glory covered her rosebud lips as she stared right back up at the monitor lens, a monitor that Greed was now increasingly certain that she, and not his command center, controlled, before she unsheathed her nagamaki radiating an eye-searing combination of bitter blue flames and fiery golden plasma.


    Then, an eyeblink later, Aurelia was before Greed¡¯s second soul-bound slave, who instantly fell to his knees as he caught sight of the transcendent flame warping reality itself along Aurelia¡¯s blade, pleading for his life as he raised the spurting stumps of his forearms.


    ¡°No, please, mistress. Don¡¯t kill me! I have no choice but to fight! Those bastards claimed my soul!¡±


    Greed sneered past his terror. For that confession alone would have doomed the man to an agonizing final death, had Aurelia¡¯s blade not just bisected the desperate assassin, face locked in a horrified rictus as his flash-frozen body crashed to the ground in two equal halves before exploding in fiery shrapnel that absolutely shredded the nearby topiary, without touching a hair on Aurelia¡¯s head.


    And before Greed could even blink, the scene stuttered to a new location and his third and last ace had been neatly bisected, the forest erupting in frozen flame that set a dozen trees ablaze, and flash-froze a dozen more. Then Aurelia abruptly appeared before the massive portcullis of near-indestructible soul-steel guarding their fortress that would keep even a Silver-tier monster at bay for at least long enough for Greed and his great grandfather to make use of their teleportation gate and flee this world for Fade Prime below.


    Greed turned to Malice, just waiting for the word.


    Yet his great grandfather¡¯s face was locked in a rictus of horrified disbelief, before he closed his eyes and sighed. ¡°So. This is how it ends.¡±


    Before Greed could ask the question burning on his tongue, the comms blared with messages that chilled Greed to the quick.


    ¡°Lord Bane! Avarice Prime has fallen!¡±


    ¡°Lord Bane! Grandiosity II has suffered a core breach! The planet¡¯s become inhabitable! We need to send rescue ships for sheltering survivors at once!¡±


    ¡°Lord Bane, Crevpost Prime has become an ice planet! The atmosphere¡¯s collapsed to a sea of liquid oxy-nitrogen that¡¯s already freezing over! Arel Mining Corp has sent out an emergency distress call! No survivors reported!¡±


    ¡°Lord Bane! There¡¯s an intruder in the citadel! She¡¯s slaughtering everyo¡ª¡±


    The panicked voices broke off in a shrill high-pitched shriek before dying altogether.


    A suddenly panicked Greed shook himself out of his stupor, turning to his great grandfather, who, for the first time since he had first glimpsed the hideous abomination as a child that he had feared above all others, before he had learned to freeze all his fear, shame, and dread away, there was an actual tear trickling down the corner of that ancient monster¡¯s eye.


    Malice turned to gaze straight on at a suddenly horrified Greed. ¡°You still have that Golden token you claimed from that fool of a hero during the previous ascension, yes?¡±


    Greed shivered and nodded.


    Malice snorted. ¡°Good.¡± He turned his parched neck with painful slowness toward the rear of the chamber. ¡°You have less than a minute to use it.¡±


    Greed¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Grandfather, you can¡¯t mean what I think you...¡± His words died in his mouth, frozen by his great grandfather¡¯s look of furious contempt. Before it died off with a sigh.


    ¡°If you¡¯d rather die here and now, that¡¯s fine as well. But I fear neither of us will have an easy time of it, with the karmic debt we¡¯ve both accrued.¡±


    Greed blanched.


    Then he heard it.


    The discordant laughter of death, and the dying screams of countless men on the floors above.


    His chest grew tight as he gasped for breath, racing for the rearmost chamber in his great grandfather¡¯s chamber of horrors as a shaking hand pulled free the golden talisman he had thought never to use.


    Pristine Renewal.


    Greed squeezed shut eyes that had delighted in savoring so many torments, even if only after his first painful ascension. And for the very first time that he could recall since that day, he was sickened by the miasma of fear and terror in the air.


    He bit his lip and cursed under his breath. Of course he knew what this talisman was. He had spent long hours researching that actual Gold-tier artifact that a foolish young would-be hero had let go for a song. It had been such a steal, in fact, that Greed had actually let the boy think he had come out ahead. Living a peaceful life far from the ascending planet he had happily left, not knowing what a boon in levels and potency he had surrendered. Blissfully unaware. An innocent fool with no tragic story for anyone to ever investigate, no twinge in fate¡¯s cords to ever lead back to Greed and his golden prize.


    And what did this miracle of a wonder do?


    He chuckled bitterly at the prize he had thought would win him an early throne, giving his grandfather a second chance at reforging himself from the very beginning. Scrubbed clean of all levels, all breakthroughs... and all corrupted paths and shattered foundations. With the gift of a pristine configuration assuring that anyone could attain deepest Silver at the very least.


    Yet his grandfather, such a deep silver already, hadn¡¯t been interested. Though Greed privately thought it was because he had warped himself so badly that even this coin couldn¡¯t save the dying elder.


    Yet here Greed was, now gazing upon a Golden prize he had absolutely no use for.


    A prize that would shatter his glorious series of dark evolutions that had turned pain and despair to glorious pleasure long ago.


    That would set him back to a pathetic, worthless level one who would be plagued with the same awful weaknesses that had made his first thirty years such a torment, before he had embraced the first of his ascensions at Level 50.


    No matter how pristine his new foundation... could it possibly be worth the horror of his conscience restored? Awakening to a body barely old enough to dare the pods, struck with unendurable shame for the glorious dark revels that had become his life for more than two centuries?


    He shuddered in horror at the thought.


    Then he felt it. The cold clammy chill of death itself entering the chamber.


    ¡°Malicent.¡±


    ¡°Aurelia.¡±


    ¡°Where is our daughter?¡±


    Malice chuckled coldly. ¡°It¡¯s been two thousand years, wife. Over a hundred generations bred and crossbred to enhance our strengths and crush our weaknesses and you know the results of my forging as well as anyone alive.¡±


    ¡°Monster!¡±


    Malice gave a bitter laugh. ¡°You say that, yet you¡¯re the one who slaughtered every last descendant to be found in this citadel!¡± He snorted in cold amusement. ¡°You always were thorough about dungeon clears, even when it didn¡¯t earn you any title at all. And now I have a final offer before you kill me.¡±


    Aurelia¡¯s frigid laugh turned the bitter black steel making up this monstrous citadel to brittle ice. ¡°What could you possibly offer that won¡¯t be mine after I send your soul shrieking to hell?¡±


    ¡°Emily¡¯s twin brother. Our son. A final trump card I froze in stasis for this very day... before growing bored and thawing him out myself. You¡¯d be surprised by how much he looked like us in that locket before he finally embraced his first ascension.¡±


    ¡°YOU BASTARD! YOU TOLD ME HE DIED LONG BEFORE PUTTING THAT SLAVE COLLAR AROUND MY NECK!¡±


    Greed¡¯s ears bled with words that changed absolutely everything as he choked back a cry and desperately claimed the amulet in ways its original owner had never dreamed of, fading from sight as he faded from the memory of the monster so eager to kill him and all his kind.


    Goblinkind.


    Which he now no longer was, ears ringing with his grandfather¡¯s¡­ no, his father¡¯s final words.


    ¡°Welcome home, wife. I see you¡¯ve finally broken free of all your chains.¡±

 Chapter 368 - Save a World, Get a Legendary Class!

    WARNING! QUEENSLAND IS IN JEOPARDY!


    WARNING! ASHLAND IS IN JEOPARDY!


    WARNING! ALL TERRITORIES OF EARTH ARE AT RISK OF CATASTROPHIC ERUPTION!


    Eric let the frantic System messages wash over him as he did everything he could to avert disaster, squeezing tight the fragile beautiful world he cherished so deeply, doing all he could to keep it from erupting for all time. Half a millennia of glorious ascension and limitless potential¡­ potential that could have been his for the most glorious ascenson to Gold imaginable¡­ instead he allowed to gently trickle back into the precious world of his birth as his mother gave a lonely cry and headed for realities and wonders Eric could now scarce fathom.


    He had of course sensed her final mortal echo, resolving the final burdens of her heart so she could at last blaze free of mortality¡¯s coil and race across the endless horizons of an eternity Eric could no longer fathom.


    Even if for just a heartbeat¡­.


    A destiny that even now called out to him.


    Endless glory and wonder, to savor eternal adventure. Excitement. Euphoria. Dancing upon the heavens by his mothers side¡­


    NO!


    No. Not when he could sense hundreds of millions of souls pleading for heavenly intervention even now¡­ Eric using every exotic Gold-tier skill he had somehow developed, skills transcending any wildly blinking interface message, to gently and carefully put back together the shattered egg his mother had so gleefully crushed.


    Along with so many others on this endless night of wonder¡­ and horror.


    And how chilling it was to a tiny corner of Eric¡¯s still transcendent mind that he understood so intuitively how to put his fragile, ever-ready-to-erupt world back together¡­ after having disassembled a full dozen by his mother¡¯s side this night alone.


    ¡°No. No guilt. I REFUSE!¡± He snarled at the shrieking boy calling him monster in his mind. Because it would have been easy, so EASY to crush and devour his beautiful birth world with a single WRENCH of his Gold-tier talons and sear away all traces of mortal guilt and regret for all time.


    Instead, he chose to sacrifice so much to save so many¡­ and that¡¯s all that mattered.


    Not the twelve worlds that had already fallen to his and his mother¡¯s talons.


    They were already ancient history. Soon to be seared from the minds of everyone save Evelyn Death, the Emperor, his mother, and himself. The only Golds that even bothered with this essence-deprived corner of the multiverse, and his mother was just moments away from flying forever free of this realm, leaving him behind.


    But this world, this precious beautiful world that still had half a millenia of ascension he would NOT consume like the ascending Gold he could so easily have become¡­ would survive. Survive as Eric embraced the essence of Icy Dominion, freezing still so many weak points in the earth¡¯s crust that would erupt in mana and shrieking white-hot potency, releasing in seconds what should be centuries-worth of sweet, sweet, essence-infused potency.


    Potency upon which an entire fragile world depended upon.


    Yet focusing so much on just two of the four higher order aspects of his being came at a price, as his own golden flames began to cool, his bloated fiery potential chilling and collapsing from ascending Gold to crumbling Silver to tarnished Bronze until he crashed into himself once more with an agonized wheeze and cry, crumpling to the ground as his interface rang with messages he could no longer deny, and the cold clammy weight of steel snapped about his neck.


    YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY SAVED YOUR HOMEWORLD FROM CATACLYSMIC DESTRUCTION!


    YOU HAVE ACHIEVED SAVIOR STATUS WITHIN YOUR HOME WORLD!


    NOTE! YOU WERE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN YOUR HOME WORLD¡¯S DESTABILIZATION.


    No System Experience earned.


    GOLD TIER ASCENSION NEGATES ALL SYSTEM PENALTIES FOR PLANETARY IMPERILMENT!


    YOU WERE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE CATACLYSMIC DESTRUCTION OF 12 ADDITIONAL WORLDS!


    GOLD TIER ASCENSION NEGATES ALL SYSTEM PENALTIES FOR PLANETARY IMPERILMENT!


    NOTE! TERRA HERSELF HAS AUTHORIZED A LEGENDARY BRONZE-TIER BOON! YOU WILL NOW BENEFIT FROM A 30% BOON TO ALL FUTURE STAT GAINS UNTIL DEEPEST SILVER IS REACHED!


    WARNING!


    You have FAILED To save versus an ASCENDING GOLD¡¯S compulsion!


    You have willingly ignited and consumed all Bronze Tier potential!


    You have willingly ignited and consumed all Silver Tier potential!


    Alex, barely conscious and so wishing he wasn¡¯t conscious at all as his soul shrieked with the agony of his fall, was horrified with fresh dismay to find written so boldly upon his mind¡¯s eye the blackest of truths.


    Greed¡¯s taunt back in Freetown, and Malice¡¯s sneering mockery during those final moments when he and his mother had embraced a mortal fusion one final time to consume the final worlds that would assure their eternal ascension¡­ where so many terrible secrets had been revealed. And the mutilation of his upper Dantian, sacrificed in ways he could barely conceive, was just one of them.


    Even now, he was sickened and horrified by all he had learned.


    That his mother had once been just as naive and vulnerable as Elonia, a young girl running away to a life of adventure by her beau¡¯s side, along with a pair of noble friends rounding out a party that, for a time, had enjoyed halcyon days of glory and wonder.


    Until betrayal so black that it had eternally scarred his mother¡¯s soul had unfolded, and Eric was now forced to wonder if even the utter obliteration of Duke Nalbain and his entire clan, and the catastrophic destruction of their entire world¡­ if that too had been by horrific design.


    For Eric could even now recall the look of horrified dismay upon his mother¡¯s features to find a slave collar snapped about her neck the moment she gave birth to two beautiful angels, only for her lover and friends to make it so bitterly clear that they would do absolutely anything to assure their own ascension to Bronze¡­ even if that entailed ritually degrading and destroying a hidden queen of faerie, a sixteen-year-old girl who had thought her childhood secrets safe from all.


    Eric choked back a horrified scream, even as his jaw rocked from a massive fist that had slammed him to the ground.


    ¡°Silence, meat! The only one who gets to laugh is us! Ha! So many of you fools thinking you could escape Freetown for Queensland, which will fall before the night is over! You all heard the declaration! As of this night, you¡¯re all slaves of the Bloodtear Syndicate and you¡¯ll be signing contracts to that effect before first light! Anyone who resists will be summarily executed, along with their families!¡±


    The words hardly registered past Eric¡¯s sudden crushing despair. Sensing the absolute ruin of that which he had fought so hard to nurture and bring to an absolute pristine state. Eric didn¡¯t even fight when he sensed himself dumped into a wagon filled with groaning broken men, mind once more inundated with interface messages that wouldn¡¯t be denied, even as his inner ear rang with Elonia¡¯s distress call, sensing Queensland¡¯s dire peril.


    You have FAILED To infuse your core with the TRANSCENDENT FIRES OF ILLUMINATION!


    Failed star formation has compressed to BASIC START-POINT!


    Yet before Eric could even cry in despair as his weak frail body chaffed under the agony of broken bones and a bitter iron collar, further messages pounded through his suddenly too fragile, too vulnerable mind.


    CONGRATULATIONS! Your DELIBERATE Fall has allowed System Interface to RECORD your progression!


    YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FORGED A GOLD-TIER EVOLUTION!


    THE SYSTEM IS EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH YOUR GOLD-TIER ASCENSION PATH!


    You have successfully forged the Path of the Golden Phoenix!


    Golden Phoenix is a LEGENDARY CLASS that assures advancement All the way up to the CUSP of GOLD!


    Warning! Achieving actual Gold requires understanding and mastery of multiple higher order concepts!


    You have already sacrificed TWELVE Planets to assure GOLD TIER ASCENSION!


    This sacrifice has been SUCCESSFULLY RECORDED BY THE SYSTEM!


    All worthy ascending Golden Phoenix will be catalyzed by the recorded sacrifices of twelve (soon to be forgotten for all time) worlds!


    1+ additional worlds will be required to assure PRISTINE GOLD TIER CATALYZATION!


    The greater your mastery of higher order concepts, the less sacrifice required to advance!


    Thanks to the sacrifice of your founder, Half-Step Gold may be achieved WITHOUT sacrificing any planets whatsoever!


    Golden Phoenix class is open to ALL Immediate descendants of Eric Silver.


    Golden Phoenix class is open to ALL Immediate descendants of Aurelia Silver.


    Do you wish to embrace the Mantel of the Golden Phoenix?


    WARNING! YOUR UPPER DANTIAN HAS BEEN UTTERLY DESTROYED!


    YOU HAVE LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE YOUR BODY EXPIRES!


    Eric flashed a bitter agonized smile as he felt his shuddering broken body being cruelly tossed further into the wagon of groaning slaves to make room for fresh victims, Eric¡¯s ears ringing with the desperate cries of women screaming that they would die before being collard by rapists¡­ before the air rang with awful dull thuds and the wagon was silent once more, save for groans and whimpers.


    ¡°Of course it would fucking be this way. Sacrifice everything to save my world, only to find mother dearest burned out my core and I¡¯m a dead man walking. Collard by bastards who owe me everything.¡± His bitter chuckle broke off with an agonized cry when a fist smashed his jaw.


    ¡°Knock it off, Gore. Pretty one like that will be worth good silver, but not if you fuck him up.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off, Mitch. You nearly brained those two bitches, so you got no room to talk.¡±


    ¡°Well I sure as fuck am not going to listen to their bitching for the next two hours. If I wanted that I wouldn¡¯t have killed my ex!¡±


    The pair roared with laughter as Eric felt his face twist in a feral snarl. Even if he wanted to scream with the agony of a cracked jaw and a headache he was pretty damn certain spelled a concussion, even if his body had somehow withered and collapsed to his mortal shell without any class potencies at all. That didn¡¯t mean he had forgotten all the lessons he had learned on where and how to strike a man to assure crippling injuries or death.


    He slowly cracked open gum-crusted eyes, keeping utterly silent as throbbing fingers felt a neck collar that was nothing more than pig iron with a snap lock, detecting no strands of arcane malice infusing it whatsoever. Not that they weren¡¯t more than enough to keep himself and a dozen other despondent looking refugees and Classers, not a one over Level 15, bound and in their place, on the rickety wagon they road on, not a single soul save himself even daring to lift his head.


    The rough-shaven slaver known as Mitch turned around to sneer Eric¡¯s way, holding up an ugly little device of copper and steel blinking malevolently.


    Unified Perception Check: Successful!


    You have taken the time to Identify your foe.


    Mitch: Class - Slaver (Standard Class) - Level 15 ¨C St 27 / Vit 20 / Qui 23 / Fin 18


    ¡°Oh, the groaning little shit¡¯s finally awake? Great!¡± Mitch¡¯s mocking smile turned to a sneer. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the same warning I gave every other asshole Classer. You wear my collar which means you¡¯re under my control! If I will it, I can send you to the ground screaming in pain!¡±


    And before Eric could blink, he felt like he was covered in flame.


    He immediately crumpled and groaned, hiding a painful smile as he lowered his gaze, while his opponent gave a cold snort and a satisfied nod Eric could sense more than see.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, maggot! I¡¯m your master now. Do what I tell you or I¡¯ll make you suffer beyond your wildest dreams!¡±


    Eric wisely said nothing, even if he was howling with mirth on the inside.


    For after his own trials, his glorious ascension and all he had endured, Mitch¡¯s attempts to cow him with flame¡¯s agony had felt about as real and relevant as the memory of a breeze.


    And none of that changed the fact that he was rapidly running out of time.


    A dying phoenix about to freeze eternally, as its final dying embers played out.


    Eric swallowed the bitter lump in his throat, forcing himself to catch eyes that were filled with fear, desperation, or a fierce desire to fight.


    He traded a pain-filled smile with the pair of girls who were by some miracle alive, despite their shattered noses and jaws.


    His gaze locked with their own. Even if his character sheet was for some reason utterly locked to him, even feeling as weak as a fucking kitten, he refused to believe it had any relevance at all on the primal arts that had been his own long before the incursion that had spelled earth¡¯s ascension...and its doom.


    ¡°Can you two fight?¡±


    The two girls gazed at him with startlement, Eric grateful that at least they had put some points into Perception as the pair of slavers leading the four horses making their way up the road to Freetown continued to brag and bitch to one another, loudly declaring how they¡¯d spend the money for the fresh collard slaves they were about to bring in.


    The girls traded looks. One glared down at her mangled hand.


    The other gave a tight nod, and Eric could sense the Arcane Currents swirling around her effortlessly, no skill check needed at all.


    ¡°Yes. But those damned slavers have mage-lock perks for their class-collars. Name¡¯s Mags, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Amy,¡± whispered the other.


    ¡°Eric,¡± Eric softly said, forcing a smile despite his increasing pain, earning a pitying wince from the girl.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too good.¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Yeah, I know. Failed ascension. I¡¯ll probably be dead before first light, but I sure as fuck am not going to croak a collard slave.¡±


    The girls exchanged a look. ¡°What the fuck is a¡­ Never mind.¡± Mag¡¯s gaze grew intent. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re a rogue of some sort? Because that¡¯s about our only shot at getting out of this¡­¡±


    Her eyes widened with surprise when Eric¡¯s finger gently brushed the collar around his neck, smearing it with blood from the cuts on his hands before it popped open, falling in the Eric¡¯s hands as he keeled over and groaned, shuddering with pain.


    Warning! Your Soul Reserves are suffering Extreme Depletion!


    You have not yet chosen a class!


    You have less than 24 hours before you expire!


    Mag¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief while Amy positioned herself to block a clear view of Eric.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up back there!¡± Gore roared. ¡°If I have to stop these asshole mules and beat your asses silly, you fucking better believe I will.¡±


    Mitch chuckled coldly. ¡°Or better yet, we¡¯ll bridle you with the horses, and you better believe we¡¯ll whip your flesh good, all the way to your new loving homes. Ha!¡±


    Eric, heart pounding, fearing that one of the wide-eyed occupants would give the game away as he clenched his aching jaw against the nausea and dizziness at risk of completely overwhelming him before his bloody fingers brushed against Mags collar.


    Eyes wild with desperate hope met his own as he swallowed his agony and popped it free.


    You have saved versus Stunning Backlash!


    Your Soul Reserves have been fully depleted!


    Willpower check made. You¡¯re back on your feet!


    Everything seemed to happen all at once, as Mag jutted a finger Eric noted was completely free of any wand and he winced with the blinding flash of lightning.


    ¡°Fragor!¡± Mags screamed as Gore was sent flying after lightning exploded into his skull.


    Mitch¡¯s eyes widened, seeming to turn around in slow motion and Eric¡¯s Unified Perception took in too many awful details for his now fragile brain to process at once. The panicked confusion of nearly a dozen broken captives, a panting girl who had been far closer to exhaustion than she had first let on, having survived who knew how many skirmishes that night, lacking an Elves natural mana regeneration, Eric could only imagine how dearly that single bolt had cost her.


    ¡°You fucking bitch!¡± Mitch roared, and Eric knew when the monster unsheathed his steel truncheon that a single strike with that weapon would spell his end as he forced his shaky legs to catapult him over the wagon¡¯s lip while Amy screamed and Mags cursed.


    ¡°Get out of here, Mags! He¡¯s going to kill you!¡±


    ¡°Not without you, Amy!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can fucking do! I¡¯m still chained to the collar get out, get¡ª¡±


    Amy¡¯s voice broke off in a guttural cry as Mitch snarled and roared.


    ¡°You think you can strike one of the chosen with your cursed magics? You¡¯re going to burn for that, bitch! But first I¡¯ll let you watch your whore of a friend burn alive!¡±


    Eric let the awful words wash over him as he fled. Not toward the inviting copse of trees he could sense just a short ways off, but to the charred remains of a deep-fried Gore, eyes lighting upon the weapon the man wore so clumsily at his hip.


    An 1821 Light Cavalry saber, so like the one he had once trained so diligently with, a lifetime ago. And what were the chances of that?


    Still, he wasted precious moments staring at the blade with all his focus, making damn sure there was no deadly current before he claimed his prize with a steel rasp, then raced back to the source of desperate screams, forcing his stumbling feet forward as the air rang with Mags desperate cry.


    ¡°Stop or I¡¯ll blast your brains out!¡±


    Mitch froze for only a second, before his lips curved in a cruel smile. ¡°Bullshit. I know the weakness of mages like you with your flashy spells. You only have juice for a couple. Then you¡¯re just a drag and drain on party resources. Haughty bitches like you are good for nothing more than boss battles!¡±


    ¡°Stop it you bastard! You¡¯re killing her!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, bitch!¡± Mitch roared, sneering his hate at a shrieking Mags hovering over Amy¡¯s spasming form. ¡°You get to watch her die, then I¡¯m going to pound out all of your teeth and use you in the only way a whore like you is good for!¡± He glared at the rest of the terrified looking captives. ¡°And that¡¯s just the start! Trash like you all needs to be put in your places! By the time we get to Freetown you¡¯ll be begging for fresh collars you¡¯ll gladly wear all your lives, signing contracts to assure just that!¡±


    ¡°No, no, this nightmare has to end! It has too!¡± Screamed a voice so young it broke Eric¡¯s heart, giving him the strength he needed to push tortured muscles that much harder as Mitch gave his ugliest laugh yet.


    ¡°Oh, no longer playing dead, are you, little bitch? Ha! We knew you were fine all along! Prime little filly like you will bring a ri¡ª¡±


    His words cut off with a startled wheeze, the eternal midnight¡¯s sharp winter scent growing ripe with the rich iron tang of blood.


    Eric thought it comical how wide Mitchs¡¯ beady little eyes got as his hands futilely clamped the greasy rolls of fat on his neck, unable to stem the frothy spray of blood.


    Eric furrowed his brow in consternation, surprised that 20 Vitality was enough to keep the man standing even this long.


    So he whipped his blade in a cleaving cut once more, sheering through his foe¡¯s unarmored shins with a grace that would have earned a hard nod from his one time mentor as a now gurgling Mitch crumpled to the ground.


    Then Eric really got to work.


    It was some moments and a lot of shrieks and gurgling pleas later when a panting Alex let the blade fall out of slack, exhausted fingers, wiping the splatter from his face with his hand before giving a satisfied nod when it was clear that his foe wouldn¡¯t be getting up, ever again.


    Only then did he pat his fallen foe down, wincing with dismay when he found no key to unlock the collars.


    He girded himself, knowing it was going to hurt like hell. But he knew just how horrifically vulnerable the captives must feel to be bound by a collar in a hostile world that would love to use it against you.


    Yet much to his surprise, when he turned around to face the accusing stares of so many former captives helping themselves free of the wagon, there wasn¡¯t a collar in sight.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Eric blinked, surprised by the sardonic smirk Mags was giving him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I blame you but¡­ yeah. You really gave him the once over, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric looked down at the savaged remains of the slaver that would never be a threat to anyone, ever again.


    He forced a smile. ¡°Well, at least we know he¡¯ll never be hurting anyone ever again, right? I mean¡­ ever.¡±


    He flushed at the looks this statement earned him. ¡°Look, it¡¯s been a long fucking night. My interface is blaring with bullshit overwriting everything else, so I¡¯m not getting any kill notifications, and I had to make sure he was dead so he couldn¡¯t trigger some class skill to kill everyone collard. Only now I see no collars, which is good because I think I¡¯m about to collapse in five¡­¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At which point Eric¡¯s eyes rolled up and he collapsed in a heap upon the frozen ground.


    ***


    Amy shared a look with her partner. ¡°This night just keeps on getting better.¡±


    Mags frowned, spending a second to glare at the other captives pointing the boy¡¯s way, several whispering hotly.


    ¡°You all saw the bounty. Any blond-haired, blue-eyed boys brought to the Goblinoid council gets you a hundred gold and free citizenship!¡± Hissed one obvious rogue to his partner. And how they had managed to get themselves collard, Mags neither knew nor cared. She wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew that right now, they¡¯d probably take her and her crippled girlfriend out pretty damn quick in a straight up fight. So time to play on their conscience. Hopefully she could buy the poor kid at least a few hours of peace that would hopefully be long enough for him to reset from whatever injuries he had suffered.


    ¡°You idiots know you owe him, right? The collars are off because he killed that asshole slaver bastard. Least you can do is help me get him back on the wagon before you all go off and do whatever the hell it is you want to do.¡±


    This earned some sheepish looks and a half-nod from an obvious farmer. Even the pair of rogues shared a look and a shrug before stepping back, which was all Mags could have hoped for, when she and the farmer got ready to lift the boy.


    Before they both lurched back with a cry when the kid began to glow.


    Glow so brightly that Mags was blinded like she once had been with a flash grenade back in the service. Amy screamed, the pair of rogues cursed, everyone else crying out with dismay.


    ¡°Back, everyone walk quickly away from the sound of my voice, with your arms out in front of you! Mags cracked with a sergeant''s voice. ¡°Our skin¡¯s burning. It¡¯s some kind of magic radiation I¡¯m betting! Good news is that a single night¡¯s sleep and we should all be cured from any radiation burns or sickness.¡±


    ¡°Not all of us are classers!¡± An older-sounding woman sobbed.


    ¡°Then I suggest you start moving the fuck back up as fast as you can without falling on your ass!¡± Mags snapped before putting her own words to effect, and her panicked retreat as Amy began to whimper became Eric¡¯s grimace as he pulled his psyche free from the girl who had shown enough grace to give a shit about a near stranger, to appreciate the debt of grace between them, and the pair of rogues who¡¯d been peering his way with desperate, hungry eyes.


    Then all he felt was blinding pain as insistent System messages would brook no further delay, demanding he address them this very instant.


    Congratulations!


    You have successfully slain 1 Level 15 Slaver!


    You have successfully rescued 12 captives!


    A portion of their eternal experience will now forever be your own.


    Stealth had gone up 1 full rank!


    NOTE! YOU HAVE EARNED SIGNIFICANT POTENCY!


    CLASS MUST BE CHOSEN!


    YOUR UPPER DANTIAN HAS BEEN DESTROYED!


    YOU ARE UNABLE TO CLAIM ANY STANDARD CLASSES!


    YOU ARE UNABLE TO CLAIM ANY UNORTHODOX CLASS!


    PLEASE CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING HERITAGE CLASSES!


    1. HERO (Heritage class forged by Lilly Silver ¨C limitless advancement assured to: DEEP SILVER


    NOTE! You are UNABLE to choose Heritage HERO Class!


    This Path Precludes Cultivation Ascension and DEATH has already CLAIMED you as her disciple! / This Path precludes Necromantic Ascension. You are ALREADY SOULBOUND to Dominion¡¯s Reign!


    2. GOLDEN PHOENIX (Heritage class forged by Aurelia Silver / Eric Silver ¨C bottleneck-free ascension assured to GOLD / HALF-STEP GOLD. - This path has NO EFFECT on Cultivation Ascension. Transcendent Dominion IS compatible with Necromantic Ascension.


    You have 3 Ascension Choices Before you!


    1. Golden Phoenix!


    2. Mortality (23 hours remaining)


    3. Immediate catastrophic immolation!


    CONGRATULATIONS!


    YOU HAVE CHOSEN THE PATH OF THE GOLDEN PHOENIX!


    YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTENDER TO ACHIEVE A LEGENDARY CLASS WITHIN THE REALM OF TERRA! YOU HAVE EARNED +10 TO ALL POTENCIES AND MARTIAL STATS!


    YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTENDER TO FORGE A GOLD TIER PATH OF ASCENSION WITHIN THE LOCAL GALACTIC QUADRANT THAT ALL IMMEDIATE DESCENDANTS MAY EMBRACE!


    LEGENDARY SILVER TIER BOON HAS BEEN EARNED!


    (Present incarnation is unable to process Legendary Silver Tier Boon. Deep Silver boon DEFERRED Until Silver Tier has been is reached!)


    NOTE! You have achieved System-Wide VIP Status!


    The System is EXTREMELY PLEASED with your accomplishments!


    (This means that the Silver Worms are now your FRIENDS, Eric Silver! NO need to fear us at all! We only ever seek to IMPROVE you and everyone else! And you have PROVEN yourself WORTHY of the BOON of AUTONOMY! Isn¡¯t that WONDERFUL? ¡û Said in a completely benevolent, totally non-suspicious manner!!! :D :D :D)


    Standard Announcement Protocols have been SUPERSEDED!


    Your Legendary Accomplishments have been HIDDEN from all seers/sages/factions/standard System-wide publications!


    Your Golden Phoenix class may be hidden at will as Standard Adventurer!!!


    No being save for the Emperor, Evelyn Death, or a visiting Gold-tier dignitary may pierce your System Veil!


    Gold-tier Phoenix Boons:


    You earn 3 Points in Arcane Reserves, 3 Points in Spiritual Energy and 12 additional points to spend as you so choose per Class level!


    Essence Infusion is now a Free Class Perk as it is absolutely integral to the path of ascension you walk!


    - Each Level of Golden Phoenix enhances your mastery of all Higher Order Transformations involving the essences of Cold / Fire / Dominion / Wrath!


    All abilities making use of any of these essences to any degree enjoys 1% bonus to potency and mastery, multiplicative of all other factors, per Golden Phoenix Rank.


    All abilities making use of any of these essences enjoy reduced potency pool cost per Golden Phoenix rank.


    - You are unable to master any Essences that are more than 1 step removed from: Cold / Fire / Dominion / Wrath or their auxiliary manifestations.


    Your Golden Phoenix Legendary Class = Your CONDENSED Primal Adventurer Level! Golden Phoenix starting level = 35 (you are halfway to level 36!)


    Eric had a single golden second to appreciate just how significant was the ascension he had just earned. A class that offered double the level-up points of his former Master Class, making it clear that Master tier paths, powerful as they are, were not the end all be all, even if they were a damn awesome choice and all that Tier-II pods could offer. Even better, it appeared that his class specialization had either freed up a node or would allow him to double up on what was perhaps the most powerful node he had. Yet what was truly remarkable was that each level of his class would somehow enhance his ability to make use of higher order transformations like his Transcendent Fire Fist, Doom Fist, and the most devastating higher order transformation of all¡­ one with which he had used to hideous, inconceivable effect for the brief handful of moments, hour, or centuries he had been a Gold¡­ Ice Fire Strike.


    An attack that at Gold-tier, could obliterate entire fleets, or flash freeze the cores of planets, or send pockets of magma erupting as violently as the catastrophe that had turned a once gaia-like venus into the gaseous hell pit it was now.


    An attack that he sensed even now, unleashed as a White tier contender at a single target, would still trigger System-wide alarms careening through the entire planet, if he dared use that particular attack anywhere save in the depths of perilous rifts which would be at risk of rupture, or when the world was under the influence of Silver-tier Phoenix such as the one their enemies had put into play to transform the political landscape of an entire quadrant. And the goblins had indeed succeeded in their daring, transforming the political landscape far beyond their most bitter dreams.


    Yet before his euphoria could careen into guilt at the horrific war crimes he and his mother had effectively committed, his world became one of excruciating absolute agony as he was reforged anew.


    His scream transcended mere sound, a shriek exploding through the electromana spectrum with such force and fury that everything within twenty yards of him was instantly obliterated, and thank small mercies that his agonized shriek, and the radiation pouring off him, went no further than that.


    Yet his agony didn¡¯t abate in the least as his upper Dantian was somehow reforged strand by strand into a miraculous, impossibly strong shape that would serve as a vessel for one path, and one path only.


    The Path of the Golden Phoenix.


    That path that might one day allow him to achieve Gold.


    A Gold he could already have, had he been willing to sacrifice what his System Interface quickly informed him was still the better part of a billion souls that had somehow managed to hang on to dear life for this long. No matter how precariously balanced on the precipice of disaster the lives of so many were, as the last of multiple nations¡¯ food reserves were consumed and Earth itself straining like never before against the event horizon of ultimate ascension, countless wild territories stretching and expanding and emitting such sweet, potent, wild mana that Eric knew even in the extremis of his agony that despite all his efforts, that if something wasn¡¯t done to stabilize and tie together large swaths of territories across the world, like anchor points chaining together a vessel that would otherwise erupt under inconceivable pressure¡­ then all he had done up to now will have been for naught.


    The world¡¯s territories, or at least long chains of them, needed to be stabilized. And shipments of food needed to make their way throughout the former Americas¡­ and all the other continents as well.


    A part of him tried to brainstorm solutions, though most of him was content to shriek like a madman as the System continued reforging him anew until he finally received the messages that filled him with exquisite relief¡­ simply because it presaged the end of his agony, his reforging complete at last.


    Taking a shuddering breath as he finally came back to himself once more, he found that he was not only free of pain, but feeling as healthy, hale, and vital as he ever had before. The horror, dismay, exquisite wonder and absolute tragedy of this endless night felt now like it had happened years ago, as every last speck of exhaustion and despair was scrubbed free of his soul.


    _______________________________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 35 GOLDEN PHOENIX (Adventurer)


    Rank 38 DEATH¡¯S DISCIPLE (Four Seasons)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 464


    Vitality ¨C 493


    Finesse ¨C 395


    Quickness ¨C 634


    Appearance ¨C 29


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 27


    Perception ¨C 391


    Willpower ¨C 99


    Charisma ¨C 15


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 298


    (Mana Pool = 3584)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 358


    (Qi Pool = 4298)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 48


    (Psion Pool = 585)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 159


    Stamina ¨C 4937 Points


    Health ¨C 6132 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 95


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 49 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 56


    Qi Resistance ¨C 68


    Mental Resistance ¨C 45


    30% Bonus to all Strength points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Vitality points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Finesse points above 300


    40% Bonus to all Quickness points above 500. (Speed Racer. Full Battletime boon, if Finesse+Perception together at least = Quickness!)


    30% Bonus to all Perception points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Spiritual Energy points above 300.


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned! (Additive with all other modifiers. Bronze Duelist.)


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned (Additive with all other modifiers: Interplanetary Contender!)


    30% Additional bonus to all ability points earned until you ascend to Gold! (Legendary tier boon bequeathed by Terra Herself!)


    NOTE! Your cultivation foundation has evolved! You now earn 15 points per level as a Four Season Cultivator! (Ice (Winter) / Fire (Summer) / Wood (Spring) / Wind (Autumn) +3 ST&Vit&Qui +4 SE +1 Fin&Per)


    Physical Age = 18 Years (+ 32 years, 10 months, 12 days, & 4 hours that Arcane Magics cannot restore! Superhuman vitality allows you to keep your youth, even if you¡¯re now burning your candle at both ends! Note! Your meridians now anchor 12 Divine Tier Spirit Peaches. Life expectancy has increased by 12($%^&^%) years!)


    Level 35 Golden Phoenix Powers.


    - Modified Cost of all abilities using any primary essence: 74% multiplicative of all other factors.


    - Damage Multiplier of all abilities using any primary essence: 135% multiplicative of all other factors.


    (Core Enhancement) - Essence Fusion ¨C Rank 10 (And once it was so much more!)


    This is now a Legendary Tier Class related power. No Nodes have been used to anchor this power.


    Essence infusion has achieved Journeyman Rank! - Enhancement Feat automatically chosen ¨C Dual Harmony! You may now infuse TWO synergistic or antagonistic elements in a unified Higher Order Transformation with any applicable skill, spell, or power that meets all necessary requirements!


    NOTE! YOU HAVE TASTED TRUE TRANSCENDENCE! All experience points earned towards evolving this skill will be twice as effective as they would be for the unenlightened!


    You now have the option to evolve essence-linked skills, spells, and powers to embrace a Higher Order Transformation!¡ªWhy should your Fire spells be inspired by the essence of flame when they can BE the essence of flame?¡ªWarning! Soul reserve cost = Double Mana or Spiritual Energy costs (modified by skill rank, class synergisms, and perk evolutions).


    Note! ALL immunities and damage mitigators are NULLIFIED against Higher Order attacks! - Singular exception: Countermeasures involving similar or opposing ESSENCES!


    Note! Should opponent save versus obliteration, baseline damage will still be multiplied by 1x Essence Rank! (Fire Fist infused with Pristine Flame at Rank 4 will do 5-fold baseline damage with all resistance checks & damage mitigating effects automatically countered!)


    Warning! Your evolution will earn the interest or ire of ALL known powers and principalities who find out about it. DISCRETION is strongly advised!


    Warning! Now that this is a core component of your class, you will experience the FULL power of this ability, whenever a successful skill check is made.


    All seers can sense the use of this gift upon the surface of Terra. (Though they might not know who embraced it, they will know this ability is now in play! You¡¯d better believe they will take steps to CRUSH any outsider who dares make use of it!)


    Any use of Essence Fusion within rifts must save versus rupture unless YOU make a successful skill check against catastrophe!


    NOTE! You have SUCCESSFULLY achieved multidimensional stability and have FORGED A GOLD TIER PATH! You yourself dared to taste Gold¡¯s epiphanies before CONDENSING your glorious knowledge into a format that ALL your descendants can now make use of! The PATH to GOLD now lies before you, free of all burrs or bottlenecks! (Though how deep a Gold you might achieve or if you could ever ascend past it depends entirely on the strength of your foundation¡­ and your eventual sacrifice!)


    NODAL POWERS


    1. Runic Lore - Rank 28 (Soul Infusion, Tier 2 Runic Spell Evolution, Runic Focus, Blood Runes.)


    Greater runes known: Wood (herbam), Wind (ventus), Fire (ignis), Wrath (iram), Dominion. (dicio)


    Lesser runes known: One (unus) / Many (plures) / Now (hodie) / Sun Duration (dies) / Weaken (debilito) / Strengthen (roboro) / Resilience (mollet) / Freeze (Congelo) / Fulmen (Lightning) / Torment (Cruciatus) / Sanguis (Blood)


    Gravity (Gravitas) / bend/curve/warp (incurvo) / invert/reverse/turn upside down (inverto) / attentio (attention ¨C concentration duration, in other words) / Resilient (mollet)


    Fragor ¨C Rupture (Psionic Explosion)


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully unlocked an unorthodox application of Runic Lore! You understand the link between will, form, and potency better than ever before! And what¡¯s more potent than your own life force? You may now substitute temporary Soul Reserves for Mana whenever you carve runes into any surface using your blood!


    Note! This variant of Runic Lore does NOT work with shouts or chants! Only physical representations of runes.


    2. Unified Restoration ¨C Rank 13 (14) (This Power allows you to infuse your body with your own spiritual reserves whenever you take an injury for near immediate healing, over and above your basic regeneration rate!) - Perk evolution deferred. (Potency surge ¨C using experience points with this ability = healing all injuries at 140-fold basic rate!)


    3. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 9


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 6


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 8


    - Lightning Bolt - Fulmen- (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen (15 Mana & Qi, 1.5 (.50%) SR) ¨C Rank 14! (Efficency Perk)


    (This spell dispels/abjures/& can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt -Ignes Pilum - (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 8


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor (30 Mana & Qi & 4 Psion) ¨C Rank 8.


    - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only (for obvious reasons!)


    Essences Claimed:


    Fire ¨C Blazing ¨C Rank 4


    Cold ¨C Freezing ¨C Rank 4


    Wrath ¨C Rank 2


    Dominion ¨C Rank 2


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Cultivation Affinities


    Wind / Wood / Fire


    Qi Skills


    Fire Fist ¨C Rank 19 (10 Qi) - Transcendent Strike - Dare to go beyond all Earthly limitations and embrace the very origins of destruction! Your Fire Fists will now transcend fire¡¯s mortal echo and unleash a higher order manifestation of the Platonic ideal of Flame, should you will it so. 10 Qi & DOUBLE Spiritual energy cost in Soul Reserves will be expended with every Transcendent Strike you dare to unleash.


    Windfire Strike ¨C Rank 16 (30 Qi & 3 SR¡­ 1.5 SR with Blood Orb) ¨C Bloodfire Strike ¨C Uses elements. Pierces resistance and armor and Soul Wards. - Necromantic affinities possible. - Very draining at baseline. Absorbs enemy vitality!


    Doom Strike ¨C Rank 7 ¨C Use the essence of cold to stop your opponent in his tracks, no matter how strong he is! This transcendent attack can be unleashed with either punches or kicks, draining Vitality, Mana, and Qi.


    Your opponent¡¯s speed will crumple as he is slowly crushed by Winter¡¯s eternal burden. Damage is baseline Unarmed combat with all boons and modifiers in play. Cost perk strike: 10 Qi & 2 Soul Reserves.


    Ice Fire Strike ¨C Rank 10 combines higher order concepts of Fire and Ice, Heat and Cold, to both draw all heat and vitality away from your target while unleashing the essence of transcendent flame the width of your sword blade¡¯s edge!


    Journeyman Perk Automatically Chosen. Quarternary Harmony! - A Legendary Tier enhancement inspired by an Ascending Gold! - Your Ice Fire Strike is further enhanced by your ranks in Wrath and Dominion!


    NOTE! YOU HAVE TASTED TRUE TRANSCENDENCE USING THIS HIGHER ORDER POWER! YOU UNDERSTAND THE PATH YOU MUST TAKE TO ACHIEVE GOLD TIER MASTERY WITH THIS ABILITY! All experience points earned towards evolving this skill count double what they otherwise would!


    Due to the nature of this attack, draining your foe¡¯s own heat and vitality to fuel absolute destruction, you only pay HALF the Qi cost in Soul reserves! - Cost to unleash: 30 Qi & 15 Soul Reserves (Soul reserve cost may be cut in half with the use of Blood Orb)


    Necromancer Perks:


    Basic Class Perks


    All necromantic (and blood magic) skill use is modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    All Summoned & Forged undead have their potency enhanced by Master Necromancer Level.


    All spells conjuring forth any number of creatures have summoned total modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    One additional enhanced class perk is earned every 2 Master Necromancer levels.


    Enhanced Class Perks:


    1. Soul Orb: Tier 1


    2. Undead Legion: Tier 6 (Up to 3,200 revenants may be risen after each battlefield victory!)


    3. Undead Tactical Interface map access.


    4. Vampiric Restoration


    5. Mixed Unit Tactics


    6. Mark of Resilience


    7. Call to Battle (500 mana cost to summon ? UL max at any time on the battlefield, but never more than the number of fallen bodies or remaining adversaries.)


    8. Death March


    9. Undying Phalanx


    10. Enhanced Legion (You can safely raise undead up to level = Adventurer + 2*Necromancer level )


    11. Crimson Orb: Soul Orb upgrade (Soul Orb potency now includes blood magic. ? cost to all soul point using feats!)


    - Spiritual Oathbinding


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Interface Recognized Skills


    Acting ¨C Rank 6


    Bardiche (Unified) ¨C Rank 21 (Cleaving Blow, Battleforged,*Piercing Strike)


    Blade and Shield ¨C Rank 11


    Boar Riding ¨C Rank 7


    Bow (All Types) ¨C Rank 21 (True Strike, Void Piercer)


    Crossbows ¨C Rank 16 (True Strike)


    Small Blades ¨C Rank 4


    Demolitions ¨C Rank 14 (Path of Mastery)


    ESS Manipulation ¨C Rank 19 (Arcane Resonance Mastery)


    Find Weakness ¨C Rank 26 ¨C (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    Flail ¨C Rank 5


    Identify ¨C Rank 2


    Gunnery ¨C Rank 10 (Cautious Gunner)


    Healer¡¯s Aid ¨C Rank 3


    Iado (Fast-Draw) ¨C Rank 18 (Doom Flurry)


    Javelin Throwing ¨C Rank 21 (Piercing Strike, Void Piercer)


    Negotiation ¨C Rank 14 (Intimidation)


    Repair ¨C Rank 1


    Sling ¨C Rank 17 (Precise Shot Adv.)


    Spear ¨C Rank 25 (Piercing Strike, Battleforged)


    Stealth ¨C Rank 17 (Hunter¡¯s Grace)


    Swordsmanship ¨C Rank 31 (Doom Slice, Battleforged, Cultivator¡¯s Fury (+50% potency Qi attacks) *Piercing Strike *Cleaving Blow)


    Swimming ¨C Rank 2


    Unarmed Combat ¨C Rank 23 (Empty Fist) / (Cultivator¡¯s Might ¨C Legendary!) - All Peripheral Meridian Channels will continuously evolve ever closer to perfection with every advancement you make as both warrior and cultivator. All Elemental Qi attacks channeled through your meridians (Including Fire Fist, Doom Strike, Ice Fire Strike, Windfire Strike, & all variants) will now be 1% more potent than they would otherwise be for every rank you earn in unarmed combat, and for every level you earn as a Disciple along Peril¡¯s Path!


    Essence Related Skills:


    Burst of Strength ¨C Rank 17 (Path of Mastery)


    Dominion¡¯s Resilience ¨C Rank 3


    Dominion¡¯s Command ¨C Rank 6


    Heat Surge ¨C Rank 12 (Path of Mastery)


    Unified Perception Rank 24 (Sense Heat, Spiritual Energy, Magic, & Qi Flow.)


    Arcane Skills


    Elemental Wands ¨C Rank 11 (Insightful Caster)


    Advanced Arcane Weapons (Blaster Rifle) ¨C Rank 9


    Necromancer Affinities & Skills


    Blood Mastery ¨C Rank 30 (31) (Blood Claimance, Lesser Healing, Essence Infusion, Vampiric Drain)


    Spirit Mastery ¨C Rank 31 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Forced Obeisance)


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding ¨C Rank 31 (Tier III Path of Dominion, Ritual of Greater Spirit Summoning, *Instant Transcription)


    Flesh Sculptor ¨C Rank 25 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Basic Revenant Preparation)


    Blood Ward ¨C Rank 2


    Potency Binding ¨C Rank 4


    Necromancer Spells


    Unorthodox Abjuration ¨C Rank 23


    Transcendant Abjuration ¨C Rank 3 ¨C Obliterate your undead opponents and any pocket rift they dare to claim with a higher order manifestation of Dominion! (Efficiency will increase, should you dare to master this spell! - Risk of rupturing entire rifts! - Perilous to cast in dungeons until control is established! - Casting on the surface is much safer, but may alert unwanted foes of your power!)


    - Cost to cast: 40 Mana / 40 Qi / 40 Psion / 40 Soul Reserves. - Repudio!


    Interface Enhancements


    Full Neuro-Linguistic capabilities


    Extradimensional Storage Space


    Path of Endless Bounty ¨C Rank 14 (Crimson Balance, Evolution¡¯s Crucible, Oblivion¡¯s Mercy)


    You may consume the potency of any tile you claim for a 50% bonus to baseline ST & VIT earned while granting 3 Lesser Bounties of your choice!  (Note. These bounties increase in significance when claiming territories of orange tier saturation or greater!)

 Chapter 369 - A Wanted Man

    Eric took a shuddering breath, his body trembling with a glorious sense of vitality, every muscle tingling with the desire to MOVE! He wanted to shout for all he was worth, tears leaking free of his eyes, the doomed, broken boy of just an hour ago a bad dream burst like a soap bubble for all that starlight, not sunlight, caressed his ivory white complexion as golden laughter filled the air.


    His own.


    He took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t quite hold back a smile. Reveling in all the ways he had grown, deliberately not dwelling on the incredible opportunity some would say he had passed up on like the galaxy¡¯s greatest fool.


    Yet all he had to do was take in Mags and Amy¡¯s awed expressions, the looks of fear and wonder in half a dozen faces, those who hadn¡¯t outright fled, to realize just how precious each and every life that called this world home was. Their hopes and dreams, the adventures they would savor and endure, the stories they would one day tell their children and grandchildren as life¡¯s great story continued for countless generations of loving mothers and fathers and excited children eager to embrace all that life had to offer. Countless precious stories of hope, salvation, and happiness that nearly a billion people still clung desperately to. A treasure far to precious to burn on any single tyrant¡¯s mad ascension.


    Even his own.


    He hung his head, filled once more with a curious mixture of fiercest triumph, glorious vindication, and heartfelt shame.


    In the space of a single glorious night, he and his mother had singlehandedly saved their entire race from galactic extermination.


    Right before sending countless billions of desperate souls screaming to their deaths as they consumed the lives and entire biospheres of not just as single planet but a full dozen.


    So many screams.


    Countless desperate panicked sobs from innumerable goblin serfs and myriad others that had no stake in the malice embraced by faction leaders and those scrabbling for power. Goblins that wanted only to live with a measure of peace and embrace whatever measure of happiness, or safety, their bitter miserable lives would allow for.


    Only for them all to be frozen in blackest ice, or burned alive by transcendent flame.


    Eric shuddered and looked away, closing his eyes against the hot sting of tears he absolutely refused to shed, caring nothing for the disparaging snort from one of the pair of rogues his now sensitive mind had sensed gazing his way with mercantile avarice.


    ¡°Look at that kid. Golden hair, perfect fucking physique. Naked as the day he was born,¡± sneered the taller rogue, earning a slow nod from his fellow.


    ¡°So what was with that damned glare? He a weak ass mage that misfired his spell?¡± The second rogue crossed his arms, glowering Eric¡¯s way. ¡°The way I see it, I suffered a fair amount of pain and suffering thanks to his miscast spell. Anyway you look at it, blondie over there owes us. All of us.¡±


    ¡°You got that right, Hank,¡± Said the taller one, before turning to the others. ¡°You all agree, right? That kid hit us all with his stupid ass flash spell and half of you look like you got third degree burns. Way I see it, that little trouble maker¡¯s a criminal¡­ and he owes us. All of us.¡±


    Eric stood perfectly still, refusing to turn around. The bitter caustic brew of vindication and regret plaguing him was an unwanted burden that he happily put aside for the needs of the moment, deciding to let it all play out. EAGER to see how the chips would fall before making his way to Queensland and checking on the one person who mattered most in a world full of precious people he would do whatever he could to save¡­ and predatory assholes he was downright eager to put down.


    ¡°Are you fools fucking stupid?¡± Asked a disbelieving Mags when several additional former captives began murmuring that the naked blond-haired youth clearly shivering in the cold did indeed owe them, and that he¡¯d better pay up, one way or another.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not even worry about the fact that that kid probably saved our lives, ¡®Hank¡¯. That mana burst he unleashed was the farthest thing from a flash bomb. If you think that was a simple cantrip you can shrug off like nothing, then I get the feeling you¡¯re going to get exactly what¡¯s coming to you.¡±


    Amy nodded, rolling her shoulders that Eric could make out perfectly fine thanks to Infravision and a gloriously absurd 391 Perception. It was fine enough that he could sense her subtly checking her formerly injured wrist, as if testing how well it had healed in the time since her capture, in case she had to make use of it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the way that kid swung his saber. But you better believe I did. Anyone with a Fighter Class could tell you that he can use his weapon far more skillfully than any scrawny kid has a right to. And even if he did look like he barely had nine strength when we first saw him, well, he sure as shit doesn¡¯t look that way now.¡±


    His tight smile grew with genuine admiration when her patter led her to the very saber she had mentioned, picking it up and giving a couple of lazy moulinets as if to prove her point¡­ while simultaneously arming herself so casually that no one thought anything of it, save perhaps the rogues who suddenly seemed to realize that she was both armed¡­ and dangerous.


    ¡°The woman¡¯s got a point, Juan,¡± said Hank with a soft whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe the kid was saving his points for some reason? Chasing some stupid ass title? Even if he didn¡¯t look like a classer at all ten minutes ago, he sure as fuck looks like one now.¡±


    Juan snarled and spat, glaring Amy¡¯s way for long seconds before abruptly chuckling. ¡°You know what? Fine. It¡¯s been a long night for all of us, hasn¡¯t it? Maybe we¡¯ve all done some stupid shit we shouldn¡¯t have, and even if that kid was an idiot charging that slaver head on, and nearly getting us killed with his foolishness, when all¡¯s said and done, we¡¯re still standing, so maybe that does deserve some forgiveness.¡±


    Hank gave a relieved nod. ¡°You hear that kid? You¡¯re square in our books. Just watch where the fuck you set off those light bombs in the future, you hear?¡±


    Amy gave an approving nod, resting her saber against her shoulder but casually keeping herself between Eric and the rogues, a smiling Mags fingering her own wand by her partner¡¯s side.


    Juan scowled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop worrying about naked boy wonder over there and figure out where the hell we go from here. Because with the goblin decree in effect, none of us dare return to Freetown, and in case you geniuses didn¡¯t get the memo, New York is several hundred miles away and we¡¯d have to travel through multiple high level territories to get there.¡±


    ¡°I heard they have an actual mage¡¯s academy in Solaris territory!¡± Said an excited voice coming from a thin youth that didn¡¯t sound older than ten chipped in excitedly, before being hushed by the woman beside him.


    ¡°Quiet, Philip. That¡¯s just a rumor, and we¡¯d have to enter Sylvan territory to go there,¡± the woman by his side gently said.


    ¡°But mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Hush!¡± Her voice snapped with the authority of a parent strained to her limits in a world where a single mistake or lack of discipline could lead to tragedy of the worst sort.


    ¡°Yes, Mother,¡± the cowed boy immediately said, before being wrapped in the protective embrace of his shivering mother, neither of them wearing sufficient clothes for the bitter chill permeating the air, for all that Eric, with his shockingly high Vitality so close to 500 with what amounted to an 80% bonus with every additional point he put into it, didn¡¯t feel the weather as anything but a gentle tingle.


    ¡°Kid¡¯s right,¡± Juan said. ¡°Dodging slavers is one thing. But in case you all didn¡¯t get the memo, pretty much every non-Sylvan faction¡¯s declared war on the Sylvan Alliance. You do not want to get between musket wielding orcs, ten foot tall ogres, and whatever the hell else is out there and their chosen prey, or else you¡¯ll find yourself in their cook pots just as quickly as they¡¯d boil an elf.¡±


    Eric cracked a tight smile, his own growing sense of anxiety heightening as he now sensed multiple bands of red approaching Queensland despite being slowed down to a crawl by the ice cold blizzards now howling through the entirety of his sister¡¯s territory.


    As much as he wanted to do the right thing, for the sake of the idealism of a fresh start, in sheer defiance of the calculating cynicism and blinding fury that had driven him to such furious excess, embracing rapture and pristine madness by his mother¡¯s side¡­ he would only allow himself another minute to waste here before doing what needed to be done.


    ¡°So let¡¯s head to Ashland!¡± Another voice said excitedly. ¡°I heard they actually have a wealthy tier dungeon, and I¡¯ts open to anyone who swears an oath not to attack the¡­¡± The youth¡¯s voice died off as Hank snorted.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can run their rich tier delve, so long as you give the owners a cut, and swear not to attack Elonia Silver or anyone of her faction. Which means that they¡¯re elf affiliated. Or maybe they¡¯re outright part of the Sylvan alliance. So you¡¯d better believe that when the goblins and their allies are finished with that territory, it will be nothing but clan favorites allowed to run that delve, with steel collars like the ones we wore for everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Here, kid, I think you could use these,¡± said Amy, whispering softly at Eric¡¯s back.


    Eric smiled and turned around, finally getting a good look at the twenty something woman who stood up to his chest, chestnut brown eyes widening as a flush crept up her cheeks when a smiling Eric calmly took the shirt and pants that had clearly seen better days. But Eric wasn¡¯t in any shape to be choosy, grateful that the pants didn¡¯t rip like the shirt did, even if the waist required him quickly poking a new notch in the belt and his thigh muscles did threaten to burst the seams.


    Amy swallowed. ¡°Yeah. So um¡­ you¡¯re dressed now. You doing okay?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Never better, and thanks for the save.¡±


    Amy blushed prettily. Mags rolled her eyes. ¡°I think it¡¯s we who should be thanking you. We clearly owe you¡­ even if a couple of knuckleheads don¡¯t exactly see it that way.¡±


    Hank scowled. ¡°Who you calling a knucklehead?¡±


    He then hissed, rubbing his head when Juan rapped it. ¡°Ow, what the fuck, man?¡±


    Hank¡¯s scowl turned to a look of alarm when he saw the look of genuine fear in his partner¡¯s features, spinning around to see the source of that fear¡­ only to catch sight of a calmly smiling Eric.


    His features grew pale as he quickly grabbed his partner¡¯s wrist. ¡°So¡­ yeah. Alright, maybe it¡¯s best if we split up so we¡¯re not too obvious if any other bands of slavers head our way, you know? Hell, I know for a fact that there are a dozen farming towns in every direction, all we have to do is walk carefully and keep a sharp eye out.¡± He gave the others a halfhearted wave. ¡°So, yeah. Good luck, everyone!¡±


    With those parting words, Hank and Juan quickly parted ways with the others.


    And a smiling Eric wasn¡¯t so stupid that he couldn¡¯t guess exactly where they¡¯d be going.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Amy hissed, sighing as she gazed at her partner. ¡°I think we just got put on a timer.¡±


    ¡°Oh no¡­ they wouldn¡¯t, would they?¡± Said the anxious sounding mother, holding her would be wizard of a ten-year-old boy close.


    Her words earned a handful of worried stares from the others, all of them wearing either tattered clothes or rawhide armaments that had clearly seen better days. All of them were survivors, Eric sensed, yet none of them, not even the classers, had been doing anything more than just barely scraping by, as best they could, with too many forces arrayed against them, and Eric¡¯s own territory advancements having no time to shine or grow in fame before his foes made their final furious push. Frankly, he thought it a miracle that the word about Ashland had gotten out at all, considering the steps that Greed had clearly taken behind the scenes since the very start.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    So it wasn¡¯t surprising that the same fear and despair he sensed from the mortals was nearly as strong in the classers who had clearly gone up in level the hard way, all of them Conscripts below level 12, save for Mags and Amy, who had actually managed to evolve into standard classes and were closer to level 20.


    Mags ¨C Lightning Mage - Level 18 ¨C St 12 / Vit 20 / Qui 19 / Fin 14


    Amy ¨C Warrior - Level 18 ¨C St 25 / Vit 25 / Qui 30 / Fin 20


    Congratulations! Identify is now Rank 3!


    Eric assumed most of Mag¡¯s points were in her Mana Pool, and Amy¡¯s stats were about standard, assuming she had achieved the Warrior Class the hard way and had been smart enough to plop some points into Perception.


    Mags scowled. ¡°Did you just do something? I felt something prickling down my spine.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about a timer?¡± Eric said, changing the subject, the anxious look in everyone¡¯s eyes making it damn clear what Amy had meant. But best she be the one to say it aloud.


    ¡°It means that those assholes are probably heading right back to Freetown, eager to bargain for the right to stay on as collar-free citizens, so long as they point the powers-that-be to the too pretty blond-haired blue-eyed boy that¡¯s on far too many wanted posters.¡± Amy blinked. ¡°But you¡¯re eyes¡­ they¡¯re not exactly blue, are they?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    Mags gave a curt shake of her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The point is that it¡¯s damn cold out, none of us have any safe place to go, most were fleeing Freetown out of desperation more than anything else, running ourselves ragged avoiding trouble as best we could, before those fucking slavers ambushed our attempt at a camp, meaning that fire and shelter, no matter how well we thought we had arranged it, with all our wilderness skills in play, are right out!¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll freeze to death,¡± said a second young mother despondently, holding a softly whimpering two-year-old in her arms as a tired looking youth who couldn¡¯t have been any older than a college freshman, radiating the potency of a basic Conscript still in the single digits, held her close.


    ¡°I had so hoped that when I dared the pod last month¡­¡±


    ¡°Which was damn stupid,¡± his partner hissed.


    The boy flushed. ¡°We hadn¡¯t eaten anything in days! And it wasn¡¯t so stupid as you might think. My brother survived the pods¡­ even if his asshole corp had left him to die on their second run. Anyway, I had thought that things would finally be better. That we¡¯d have a chance. All I needed was to kit up and dare the public delves with a decent crew. I had made a few friends I would porter for, when they had the spare copper to hire me. They said that if I was actually crazy enough to dare the Freetown pod, they¡¯d take me on. But that starter so-called low interest loan I took¡­ thinking it would set me up for success, like a college loan, you know? Investing in myself?¡± The youth gave a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. ¡°That was just the beginning of the end.¡±


    The girl nodded solemnly, tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Goblin loans are deadlier than anything you¡¯ll face in the dungeon,¡± Amy solemnly said, squeezing her partner¡¯s hand. ¡°Believe me. We learned that the hard way.¡±


    The young Conscript shared a rueful smile with the two clearly more experienced Classers. ¡°Well no point in worrying about insane penalty fees and interest rates now. The goblins have basically declared all humanity their slaves. So what do we do now?¡±


    Amy flashed a tight smile. ¡°That¡¯s a damn good question.¡± She turned to Eric. ¡°Well, considering that you and my girlfriend are the only reason why we¡¯re free of those damned collars¡­ and that Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee are probably heading to Freetown right now to scare up a posse to hunt down your ass¡­ any ideas?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°So glad you asked,¡± he quipped, confidently striding to the wagon and earning more than a few looks of curiosity and dismay when he began scribing sigils on the wooden plank.


    ¡°Wait, is that cat doing magic? That mean¡¯s he¡¯s definitely a Classer.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Kent! That¡¯s necromancy. They banned that art, remember? If we¡¯re caught anywhere near him¡­¡±


    Eric tilted his head up to meet the young, frightened mother, holding her little one so close, gazing at him with wide, frightened eyes. ¡°Actually it¡¯s blood magic, not Necromancy. Though I have absolutely no doubt that our enemies eager to grind us under their heel will happily attempt to ¡®outlaw¡¯ this, just as they did our other heritage art.¡±


    He turned back to his crimson sigils, giving a satisfied nod. ¡°The question you all have to ask yourselves is whether or not you¡¯re willing to obey edicts put into play by parties that would rather see us screaming in eternal agony than us living prosperous lives. If they have their way, our souls will literally be suffering hell¡¯s torment as we¡¯re forged into soul steel, which is the whole point of the goblins¡¯ savings and loan plan, by the way. They seek to entice everyone into contractual obligations that leave them not only penniless but eternally in debt to enemies every bit as ruthless and malevolent as demons clamoring for your souls.¡±


    He blinked, as if struck by sudden realization as everyone looked his way in horrified fascination. ¡°That¡¯s right. Those malicious bastards really were planning on not just humanity¡¯s genocide, but eternal torment, all so they could make a profit. Maybe I don¡¯t need to feel so bad that the goblin faction is about to face a very sharp decline in their influence, even if the idiots down here don¡¯t know it quite yet.¡±


    Amy scowled. ¡°Just what the fuck are you talking about, kid?¡±


    Her furrowed brows widened with awe. ¡°Wait, The wagon¡­ it¡¯s warm! You can feel the heat coming off it like a camp fire!¡± She gazed upon the wagon with something close to wonder as the pair of mothers didn¡¯t hesitate to clamber back inside, first testing sigils with tentative touches.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t burn. It¡¯s warm, so very warm, but it doesn¡¯t burn my skin! And Lea likes it!¡±


    Her partner held her and her baby close, setting them down against one of the sigils before turning to a pleased-looking Eric¡­ then, much to everyone¡¯s surprise, he kneeled before him.


    The youth swallowed, staring at Eric with anxious, hopeful eyes. ¡°If you can provide my wife and daughter with food and shelter, I¡¯ll happily fight under your banner¡­ whoever you are.¡±


    Amy blinked, gazing at Eric with eyes that took in everything, even as Mags cursed softly under her breath.


    Eric grinned, gently patting the boy¡¯s shoulder, and totally not expecting the wince. ¡°Well, let¡¯s introduce ourselves first, before anyone goes swearing any blood oaths. My name¡¯s Eric.¡±


    The youth grinned. ¡°My name¡¯s John. I know I¡¯m not much yet, Only a level 5 Conscript, but just give me a chance, and I¡¯ll..¡±


    Eric smiled, gently cutting off the young man¡¯s words with an upraised hand. ¡°First let me make it clear, John, to you and everyone else, that I¡¯m not looking for followers and that I have no interest in the Path of Rulers.¡± John¡¯s features fell with something close to despair. Eric could hear all too well Amy and Mags exchanging heated whispers as he spoke on.


    ¡°But what I can say is that I¡¯d be more than happy to take all of you to a place of shelter that, if memory serves, still has quite the larder, and it won¡¯t be going through its stores anytime soon.¡± His smile hardened. ¡°Head¡¯s up, though. Once we get going we¡¯ll be moving at a fast pace, and I might stop from time to time to take care of any business that pops up.¡±


    ¡°And where exactly are you going?¡± Mags pointedly asked.


    Eric cracked his knuckles and winked. ¡°Oh, I think you already figured it out, Mags. Feel free to share.¡±


    Mags froze like a rabbit before Eric¡¯s gentle smile for long moments before shaking herself free of awkwardness, clearling her throat, and saying aloud what Eric knew she would.


    ¡°He¡¯s Eric Silver, an outlawed necromancer accused of numerous war crimes against all the major humanoid factions. He¡¯s also the most wanted man in the entire Northeast Quadrant, with a hundred thousand gold bounty on his head, posted just tonight.¡±


    Eric smirked at the wide-eyed looks this earned him. ¡°Actually, all bounties were supposed to be voided per contractual agreements previously made, but of course our enemies think nothing of violating their own treatises on the one night they can actually get away with it. As for the other accusations¡­¡± He gave a thoughtful nod. ¡°All true.¡±


    His playful smirk turned hard and cold. ¡°Because I refuse to play nice or adhere to anything like a fucking Geneva convention against enemy factions who¡¯ve done all they could to destroy our civilization, enslave our people, and take over our world!¡± He clenched his fist tightly, glaring at the suddenly terrified-looking survivors before him. ¡°Monsters like those who use our own contracts and codiciles only to defang, demoralize, and destroy us, deserve nothing but death, and I¡¯ll commit all the so-called war crimes you can imagine, so long as at the end of the day those fucking bastards are off our world and we are free once more!¡± The last he said with a roar, earning frightened looks from the mortals present and fierce nods of agreement from almost all the classers, John¡¯s fierce high five which a smirking Eric happily clapped became a rueful wince when his girl pulled his ass back down on the wagon seat next to her, whispering furiously into his ear.


    John flushed, giving Eric an abashed shrug.


    ¡°So what, you¡¯re planning on racing right into the thick of it and getting us all killed?¡± A disbelieving Mags asked. ¡°You do know that there are literally thousands of enemy soldiers out there! At this rate, the elven faction, no offense, won¡¯t even last the night!¡±


    Eric had the gall to smirk. ¡°Maybe that would have been the case before, but I wouldn¡¯t count us out just yet. Now, you all hopping on the wagon or staying to freeze to death here? Because the express train to Queensland is parting in less than thirty seconds.¡±


    Amy and Mags traded disbelieving looks. ¡°He¡¯s serious.¡±


    ¡°As the grave,¡± Eric solemnly declared, before glaring down at the pair of fallen slavers. ¡°And that reminds me¡­¡±


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    The air filled with nearly a dozen screams and curses when the mangled, burned, and thoroughly shredded remains of the pair of slavers began bubbling and twisting as bones and gristle cracked and popped, flesh sealing itself back together as the pair of formerly slothful malicious slavers stood upright once more, now radiating a fearsome potency in death that they never had in life as their eyes blazed with eldritch flame. Each of them held twenty foot long spears, falling to one knee and slamming bronze gauntlets to the breast plates they now wore as they belted out the phrase that warmed the cockles of Eric¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    ¡°Damn right you do,¡± Eric cheerfully agreed, his smile growing hard and cold. ¡°Til the day earth freezes to ice and the stars fade from the skies above. And if I have anything to say about it, that won¡¯t be for a long, long time indeed.¡±


    Eric then coolly turned around, halfway expecting to see the entire cluster of survivors fleeing or gazing at him with numbed shock. Sure enough, there was plenty of the latter, but none of the former, and when Eric coldly said. ¡°Get in the wagon or freeze to death out here, because let¡¯s be honest, those are your only two options.¡± Not a single one hesitated to get in.


    Not even when Eric took a few seconds to remove the bridles and gear from all the horses, freeing them with gentle final impressions of lush fecund fields to be found in nearby Ashland territory, before taking hold of the harness and traces and turning back to the wide-eyed group of passengers.


    ¡°I¡¯d recommend you all brace yourselves. Because I might have reinforced the carriage to withstand significant speed, but without a sturdy bone carriage frame, I¡¯m not going to risk you all rolling over in flight, so we¡¯re doing this the old fashioned way.¡±


    Amy was staring at him with disbelief. ¡°You freed all the horses. You goddamned fuck! You doomed us all to freeze out here!¡±


    Eric gazed at her for long moments, tilting his head. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what you think?¡±


    A suddenly anxious Mags began pulling her partner down to sit next to her.


    Amy just gazed at Eric for long moments before shrugging. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to think.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Well let me take care of that for you.¡± With that, he turned around and began to walk at a fast clip, sensing multiple eyes widening wit surprise at just how effortlessly he pulled the carriage in his wake.


    ¡°No fucking way,¡± John whispered, sharing a look with the other classers. ¡°Just how strong is he?¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help smirking at that, knowing a cue when he heard one, taking time only to head toward a hardpacked dirt road covering what had once been a highway before his fast walk became a slow jog, slowly gearing up to a steady sprint.


    He ignored the startled cries and curses he heard behind him, concerned only with his Tier II Structural Integrity perk making it clear that his rune-enhanced wagon was in no danger of breaking under the strain as he began racing along what were now snow covered plains, knowing that Ashland was less than five minutes away at his present clip. Eric frowned, less than pleased to sense that any number of reds had flooded his prized territory, which he knew he should have expected, on this night of all nights.


    But that wasn¡¯t why his sprint picked up to a pace that had half the occupants in back shouting out in surprise. It was the contingent of Reds he could now sense rapidly approaching Queensland.


    Reds that should have been stopped cold by the howling storms that had blocked off over a thousand other enemies. Ashland was the territory truly in peril, or so he had thought. A territory that was more potential than not, at this point, with his friends already fled.


    He thought it meant that he had time.


    He had clearly thought wrong.


    Because the smaller group that had abruptly changed course and were now heading straight to the palace, the howling storm doing nothing to slow their progress at all.


    Eric¡¯s heart pounded, struck by a surge of fury and dismay. He had clearly spent far too many minutes relaxing, regrouping, savoring being treated, just for a moment, like any other classer. Any other survivor. He had dared to relax on a night that allowed for absolutely no breaks at all, hoping to plant the seeds that, in the long run, would have done as much for Ashland as anything else he could have managed in the next thirty minutes.


    The good news was that he should still have time. Time enough, thanks to his Speed Racer Perk, to get these refugees to safety, plant a few embers in the winds of rumor to fan a flame that will have half the world Roaring Ashland''s name by season''s end... and dash to his Sister''s side in just half the time it should take a certain handful of reds to arrive at their destination.


    Nonetheless, it was everything he could do not to dash off in a mad sprint right then and there.

 Chapter 370 - Getting The Word Out.

    ¡°Change of plan!¡± Eric said with a desperate bit of levity in his voice, before giving silent commands to his revenants who were effectively an extension of himself when he willed it so.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading over to the cover of trees over there! The massive traveler¡¯s pine should do a good job of keeping you all under cover, and my friends will keep you safe if anyone hostile comes too close!¡±


    ¡°What they hell, you¡¯re leaving us here?¡± Mags gazed at Eric in disbelief that had more to do with the way he had effortlessly lifted up a pair of fallen logs to assure that the entire wagon could fit under the boughs of the massive pine that truly seemed more fantastical than any evergreen that had evolved naturally in the Continental US. Though Eric quite deliberately refused to focus on it too deeply, all too aware of just how deep and dreamlike the fugue had been when he had forged the wonders of Ashland, somehow not surprised that teensy sparkles of influence and magical potential might have scattered quite a ways from the territory he had seized, transformed, and ultimately surrendered.


    What mattered was that the massive conifer was exactly what he needed, precisely where he needed it to be.


    Eric gave his new acquaintances whom he feared would never be comfortable enough with his presence to call him friend, a reassuring wink. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My newest recruits are effectively fiftieth level and can use their gladius just as well as they can their sarissa. And I¡¯d be extremely surprised if our enemies were keeping anything in reserve at Contender level on this, the night of their offensive. And those gnoll contenders were what¡­ twenty fifth level max, maybe thrity at the outside? Even the goblin assassins seemed to peak at that level, at least the first wave.¡±


    Amy cursed and shook her head. ¡°You say that like such a feat isn¡¯t even worth mentioning.¡±


    Eric had the gall to wink. ¡°I say that like someone who has the keys to awesome classes, beautiful condominiums, unlimited shopping and wealthy tier dungeons beyond your wildest dreams. Ashland. I hope you all check it out! After I take out the trash, I mean.¡±


    ¡°But not all of us have the luxury of classes, so what will our fates be?¡± sobbed the older woman who¡¯s lined features spoke of exhaustion and despair, even as she slumped in on herself, already looking consigned to the bitterest of fates. Eric winced, sensing the shell of the confident, well-spoken woman who had once known prestige and respect under the battered and exhausted exterior before him now. He could only imagine the tribulations she had suffered to go from boardroom power suits to ragged clothes that hadn¡¯t been hemmed or washed in weeks.


    Eric dared to gently squeeze her fragile hand.


    It was a testament to monstrous Finesse that he caused her no pain, and to her courage as well that she didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Everyone who swears an oath to cause no harm to me or mine or betray the Sylvan Alliance is welcome to start their lives anew, and just like any soon to be booming town, we¡¯re going to need auxiliary and logistical support, not to mention a serious influx of service workers many times greater than what the absolutely surging number of adventurers that will make Ashland their home will soon be.¡±


    Eric dared to wink. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect time for a former manager or power broker to get in on the ground floor and let Blue Corp execs know just how useful you can be to getting things running from the ground up.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened with genuine surprise. ¡°How could you possibly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Even better,¡± Eric cut in with a smile, ¡°I claimed a Tier-II ascension pod. Which means that all of you just need to touch the pyramid to see all your class options manifest, well beyond the options allowed by tainted Tier-0 goblin pods, to see all the possibiliites before you!¡±


    He turned to look at the others. ¡°Which means that if you¡¯re a Conscript still, you might just find yourself eligible for Advanced-tier class or even better! And for those who¡¯ve already locked in a solid class,¡± he said with a nod Amy and Mags way, ¡°You still have one final chance to evolve your class at level fifty. OR to condense your core. Which I highly recommend doing so if you can, because the most important evolution you can possibly embrace, any of you, is to pick a class you¡¯re so attuned to that it would actually let you ascend to Level 100. The cusp of Bronze¡­ and perhaps, for a few of you, even further.¡±


    The former executive flashed a bitter smile. ¡°It won¡¯t do anything for us classless mortals, will it? Not unless we¡¯re so desperate we¡¯re willing to risk death¡­ almost certain death, on a chance for something better.¡± She gave a helpless little laugh. ¡°Although I don¡¯t mind admitting that at this point¡­ I¡¯m almost willing to take that gamble! Especially if it means I can lock in a solid class from the start,¡± she said, too thin arms wrapped tightly around her shivering form. ¡°Please tell me that at least the odds of survival are better in your pod than the goblin death-traps?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the best part of all!¡± Eric assured. ¡°Because even if you don¡¯t have a classer¡¯s knack, and that¡¯s true of over 90% of the population, the Tier-2 pod will simply remain closed to you.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes lit with wonder. ¡°But wait, Eric¡­ You¡¯re name is Eric, right? Do you understand what a boon that is? Instead of only the desperate risking their lives attempting the pods, a tiny fraction of us still¡­ absolutely everyone will be able to, if, instead of a hideous death, the worst consequence of their daring is a door that won¡¯t open.¡±


    Eric paused for a final agonizing second, ignoring the alarms blaring in his skull as he locked gazes with all of them. ¡°And that¡¯s the point,¡± Eric said. ¡°The boon that could literally save this world from all the factions that would see us enslaved or dead. If word of Ashland¡¯s promise gets out, the world would be transformed.¡± He flashed a bitter smile. ¡°And for some reason, nearly all of my attempts to get the word out have been stopped cold, for one reason or another. So much so that I almost think that a certain enemy Contender or puppetmaster¡¯s been using strands of fate to shut me up. But if a handful of classless mortals, both frighteningly fragile and, I suspect, utterly immune to so many strands of magical manipulation should get the word out¡­ well, that might help to save a lot of lives. And those brave mortals will have earned themselves a fat purse, and a place at my table.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The woman seemed to stand up straighter, as fires of rekindled hope, even a sense of purpose reflected from her gaze. ¡°I will see that words gets out, young Contender. You have my oath on that.¡±


    Far from sharing in the smirks that the Classers among them exchanged at the powerless mortal¡¯s pointless oath, Eric solemnly bowed his head. ¡°This one thanks you. And with that being said¡­ I¡¯ll come back for you all when I can.¡±


    Wasting not another word, he made full use of his 634 Quickness and Speed Racer perks to vanish before anyone else could even blink.


    Amy paled. ¡°That boy can teleport? No way!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t think that was teleportation,¡± opined a quiet classer dressed in simple scraps, clearing his throat at that moment. His unexpected pronouncement earned a number of furrowed brows and frowns, half the group only now registering the young man¡¯s presence at all. And perhaps it was no wonder. With his guiless eyes, light brown hair, innocent smile, and bland features that seemed to blend right in to the background, he hardly seemed to stand out at all.


    Amy frowned. ¡°Alright, mister quiet, how the hell did he disappear before our eyes?¡±


    The youth sighed, rubbing his face as if trying to wake up from a long journey. ¡°If my Interface analysis is right¡­ that guy¡¯s Quickness is over tenfold my own. And that could have caused serious problems. Good thing he¡¯s already left the area,¡± the boy said with a wink, pointing to his nose.


    This earned a smirk from Amy, ignoring her girlfriend¡¯s frown. ¡°Really, kid? What problems would these be? You got a scent hound node or something? And what¡¯s your Quickness anyway?¡±


    The skinny youth finished rubbing his face and the crowd of survivors grew deathly still under the quiet rustling of the sheltering branches all around them. All of their eyes had grown accustomed to the gloom that had stretched for almost two days already. All of them could see the youth¡¯s yellow eyes and the fangs blossoming from his mouth.


    ¡°Fast enough to do this,¡± he snarled, seeming to disappear before the scrawny boy appeared right behind Mags, earning a single surprised cry before 60 Quickness prepared to make short work of what the wolf in their mist had clearly judged the greatest threat.


    The pine rang with half a dozen panicked cries.


    Before cutting off with a surprised snarl and yelp when the ravenous wolf glowing with arcane enhancements gnashed and tore at the shredded sleeve of the forearm suddenly jammed into his mouth.


    Amy had fallen to her butt with a surprised yelp, scrabbling to her feet, eyes filled with surprised and panic as she grabbed Mags and wrapped her shuddering partner in her arms, gazing at Eric and the would-be werewolf in surprised disbelief.


    Eric glared down at the snarling snapping monster, before effortlessly grabbing him by the scruff, and earning a yelp for his trouble.


    Amy just stared at Eric for long moments.


    ¡°Just how the fuck¡­¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I had to flush out the rat. This was as good away to do it as any.¡±


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I was only going to waste a minute, no longer, and this idiot was just as impatient as the ravenous hunger I smelled in the air implied.¡±


    Amy¡¯s glare grew accusing. ¡°You knew.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I suspected. But somehow I just knew that if I started summarily executing people who smell a bit funny, I¡¯ll be getting some very hard looks from you and your girlfriend, and probably everyone else that I don¡¯t want kissing my ass for fear¡¯s sake alone.¡±


    A glaring Amy opened her mouth, before lowering her gaze. ¡°Fuck you for being right.¡±


    He stared coldly down at the wolf still snarling and snapping in his grip. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he calmly said, stepping past the shelter of the travelers pine. Amy and Mags exchanged a look, then a flinch when a sickening crack could be heard.


    Then, seconds later, the air filled with syllables that had Amy and Mags both shivering, as if feeling icy cold sludge slithering up and down their spines.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Seconds later Eric returned, and a third revenant with eyes that blazed with death¡¯s illumination saluted fist to chest, before joining his fellows.


    Eric dared a madcap grin at their flummoxed features. ¡°Well, at least now you have three fiftieth level sentinels, and now I really need to get going. Oh, and before I forget¡­¡±


    He winked, turned John¡¯s way, and whispered into his ear before disappearing as fast as he had come.


    John looked flummoxed, shaking his head in open-mouthed disbelief.


    ¡°No way. No fucking way!¡±


    ¡°What, what the fuck did he say?¡± Amy hissed.


    John turned her way and opened his mouth, before laughing bitterly. ¡°You ever get the feeling that no matter how hard you train, or what level you achieve, no matter how great you feel with that first level-up, that you¡¯re always going to be behind the eight-ball, that someone else will always be stronger than you, faster than you, more powerful than you, no matter how many ¡®fortuitous encounters¡¯ you stumble across, happy just to be alive to come home to your kid?¡±


    Amy smirked. ¡°All the fucking time, except for the kid part. So, what¡¯s did that cat¡­¡±


    ¡°Six hundred and thirty four.¡±


    The words died on Amy¡¯s lips. ¡°No. Fucking. Way.¡±


    Mags looked flummoxed. ¡°He¡¯s already earned 634 points? How? What titles did he get? That¡¯s nearly as much as a level 100 Advanced Classer with a Silver spoon in his mouth! And no one in Freetown save a handful of elite guild heads have even reached Level 30! So how the hell¡­¡±


    John shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not his characteristic total.¡±


    Amy kissed the top of Mags¡¯ trembling head, holding her close. ¡°Well good. Because that was a fucking absurd¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s his Quickness.¡±


    John smiled bitterly into the disbelieving silence. ¡°That¡¯s right. 634 points in a single fucking stat. My highest is 18. And I actually thought that was great! My interface even said that bordered on professional athletes, back in the day.¡± He sighed, fondly rubbing his sleeping daughter¡¯s curls. ¡°Contenders. Am I right?¡±

 Chapter 371 - BATTLEFORGED - CONQUEROR is now LIVE!

    Sometimes it was all about timing. The moves to a dance. The notes to a song. Getting the pace and flow just right¡­ so every step was perfect, and harmony rang through the air as one juggled a dozen things at once.


    Rescuing a handful of mortals.


    Planting seeds of wonder along avenues not even the most twisted goblin curse could latch on to.


    Taking out a random wildcard that somehow was activated at just the wrong moment to assure nothing but blood and terror where Eric had tried to plant a seed of hope.


    Yet that weed, so impatient to sprout, had been easy enough to find and pull free.


    But it had taken time.


    A few precious seconds.


    When he was certain he had entire minutes to spare.


    He had been juggling so many things for so very long that perhaps he could be forgiven his arrogance. His Hubris.


    He had flown beside the fiery wings of an ascending Gold, after all, where they had both been lost in the rapture of a song that transcended the System itself.


    Because it really was all about timing.


    All the more so with those of Faerie blood. Doomed to dance to the songs of their lives until oblivion¡¯s dirge played the final note of existence for all time.


    Still, Eric knew he was cutting it close, unforgivably close, delaying that extra pair of minutes. Yet whether he wanted to accept his role in the wonder and horror that had rocked the System that night or not, the fact remained that his communion with his mother, so deep and visceral that they had faced down Malice as one, effortlessly shattering so many twisted strands of fate and curse wards, also meant that he could sense their twisting of probabilities strands with an acuteness he suspected very few could match.


    Which meant that his growing suspicion turned to absolute certainty when he sensed the foul strands thick and cloying over the entirety of Ashland, most especially his Ascension Pod, via his personal arcane connection alone. He didn¡¯t even need to be there to sense how it was all being twisted away from public thought and perception. Yet one more bitter attempt by Greed¡¯s faction¡­ Malice¡¯s faction, to turn a hapless population away from any possible source of salvation and into the arms of indentured servitude, slave collars, and eventually the soul steel mills that would be their eternal torment and doom.


    Yet he sensed as well the limitations of that curse seeking to seep into the minds of classers who would otherwise pay the promise of salvation that much more heed. All he needed to do was to spend a few moments sharing precious truths with a small group of former captives who were karmically very much in his debt and all but immune to specialized compulsions tied to System banes as much as anything else, which mean that Mary, the former highly placed executive of one conglomerate or another, just might serve as the key to crack open the door that would let the truth tumble free, gaining ever more momentum until the curses infecting his regions were shattered entirely.


    Eric flashed a bitter smile, sensing that those foul workings along with a dozen others spewed with such gleeful hate across an arcane connection millions of light years long toward his world on this endless night were at least part of what had depleted Malice considerably on the very night the monster finally had to face down his ancient nemesis.


    His wife.


    Eric shuddered in disgust at the very thought.


    Before shaking his head, because none of that mattered as he increasingly sensed the sharp discordance to the dance he had thought all but mastered. The slow crescendo that would have ended in a furious climax with him ready to take on whatever was coming Elonia¡¯s way had just shifted pace and tempo into a dark dirge of despair.


    Somehow, he could imagine Malice cackling with glee even now.


    Even while begging Aurelia for quarter¡­ a heartbeat before she ascends and is out of his hair forever¡­ he was still doing all he could to obliterate the last gambit she had put in effect here on Earth.


    Then again, Eric could be entirely wrong. Grasping for straws to justify his absolute FAILURE to understand the notes to this song! - His mother had been perfectly willing to allow Earth to shatter and explode to assure her son¡¯s ascenscion by her side. What was one more world, after all, considering all they had ¨C Don¡¯t think it. Don¡¯t even think it!


    Eric shook his head with an anxious snarl as he picked up his pace. Free of all mithril that could weigh him down, stronger and faster than he had ever been before, with Speed Racer Perk in effect to counter inertia and a quickly shouted ¡°Roboro ventus incurvio attentio!¡± howled towards to the heavens, embracing his runic lore to summon the wind in all its howling fury to blow at his back at a slight downward angle, but keeping him to on the ground, flattening the endless fields of waist-high grass he blazed through and enhancing his Speed Racer perk to an awesome degree as wind rsistance went down to near nothing and Eric was now approaching absolutely absurd bullet train speeds, a part of him wanting to scream with a rush of exhilaration as it all came together, forests and fields blurring by, or they would if his perception had been mortal¡­


    And none of it mattered.


    Because whether it was irony, malicious Cards of Fate in play, or simply the work of Bronze tier professionals¡­ the end result was the same.


    The handful of reds that had been slowly positioning themselves to pierce the veil of howling storms into Queensland, along with a thousand or so other reds that had been stopped cold in their advance, were no longer plodding at the rate of a slowly marching party of high level White-tier classers possessing a powerful Storm Warden or Shaman of some sort in their party.


    They were now racing along at the Speed of Elite Bronze tier opponents making use of reinforced Magitech mobile infantry vehicles, and were presently making a beeline right for the palace, as if the storm were not even there.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Eric choked back the awful sense of dread clawing at his throat. His earlier cocky sangfroid, feeling like the absolute master of his situation after a few terrifying moments as fragile as he had been less than a year ago had been replaced by anxious dread for his sister¡¯s sake as he sensed the elite company of reds shatter multiple barriers and wards that had been made with blood, sweat and his sister¡¯s tears as if they weren¡¯t even there.


    Because his sister was awake!


    She was alive!


    He could sense it as clearly as he could the desperate timbre of her voice as she released a System wide Sylvan distress call.


    If any of her loyal soldiers, sworn champions, or hidden aces were anywhere within sight of Queensland¡­ they were to flee at all costs.


    Death would be their only reward for daring to face the monsters that had violated all pacts and treaties. Monsters determined to butcher them all.


    Eric wanted to laugh at the bitter irony of it all.


    After all that he and his mother had done in their mad gambit for ascension, his sister was encouraging all her pawns to flee! So that they, at least, my live¡­ even if she would fall.


    ¡°Fuck! It doesn¡¯t end this way, Elonia!¡± The word were a whisper, the farthest thing from a shout, instantly wicked away by the end as he blinked back hot anxious tears.


    Queensland Territory is now In Contention!


    Contender Eric Silver has entered Queensland Territory!


    Eric wanted to snarl in helpless fury as the System message blared in his interface, almost surprised that half dozen seven-foot-tall invaders clad from head to foot in futuristic looking armor of chrome and steel didn¡¯t spin around at the message. Of course, if they weren¡¯t faction leaders, they would only know where he had entered the territory, like a perimeter alarm, and be blind to him from then on, and if they weren¡¯t sworn to any particular faction, they wouldn¡¯t have gotten any message at all.


    One thing that was undeniable was that the half dozen reds he rapidly approached were not folks to be taken lightly.. The mana thrumming through the golden circuits that Eric¡¯s unified perception spotted so easily underneath the hyper advanced alloy plates and the reinforced fiber mesh made it clear that these monsters were Bronze power-armored specialists as they effortlessly smashed through the front door of the palace.


    As if the pressure of their Bronze-tier cores and the absolute ruin of Eric¡¯s hired artillery pieces on the shattered rooftop battlements of a decidedly worse for wear palace didn¡¯t already give it away. Eric winced at the sight of it, Elonia¡¯s palatial pride and joy now looking like the shattered remains of a baroque European villa that had been hit by an axis bombing run during the second world war.


    It was the tiniest of consolations that he saw no bodies. Neither elven defenders, nor his adventuring companions, thank goodness, and no sign of Mory, Yini, or the gunners as a whole who Eric would have thought most vulnerable to an enemy artillery strike. He saw no sign of anyone save for the high powered mercenaries who clearly weren¡¯t just slinging Mark II Blaster rifles, that was for damn sure, he thought, getting a closer look at one of the mana cannons being held like a minigun that he most definitely did not want to get caught on the wrong end of, if his wildly flaring danger sense that eased a heartbeat later as a casually turned head looking a stunned Eric¡¯s way was brought back in line with a curt burst of staticky noise that yes¡­ he COULD make out with his absolutely absurd Perception, Universal Translator, and Unified Perception.


    ¡°Karl, Bruno, you¡¯re point. Keep lethality to a minimum, but defend yourselves and the mission at all costs. Gunther, Leon, you¡¯re to gather the targets. Lina, you¡¯re shepharding Anna and Emma. They follow your orders to the letter or you escort them both out immediately.¡±


    ¡°Dad, come on. You know we can fi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± The voice snapped. ¡°You and your sister keep comms clear! This isn¡¯t a game, Anna. You two want to earn that conquest title for your academy credits? Then you both do what you¡¯re told, same as any other soldier. Just as you risk peril, like any other soldier. And my duty to you and your mother is to keep that risk at a fucking minimum! Are we clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± echoed a twin pair of subdued voices as Eric froze stock still, caught between laughter and horror, forced to wonder just how many parties were throwing cards of fate around that night. Or perhaps it was the result of nothing more than opportunity and planning, multiple organizations being informed of an all but unique opportunity to pillage a low magi-tech virgin ascending world, and what merc company wouldn¡¯t take advantage of that? And if he were cynically honest, there was perhaps no better or more practical way to teach one¡¯s children how to survive in a universe as perilous as this one, particularly when peril and conflict were both needed for advancement, then to put them in the thick of what was actually a very controlled and contained dynamic where one¡¯s own resources were many times what any opposition could bring to bear.


    Only two things kept Eric from showing his enemies exactly what a wild native wearing little more than a shredded shirt and strained blue jeans was capable of. A wild, bloodthirsty native possessing a mithril blade that he could now summon at will, an extension of the class he had forged, perhaps an extension of his very soul.


    Eric shuddered, still recalling the horror in the eyes of Lord Crevpost when he was forced to face the youth who had butchered his children. No matter that Eric had been thrust into a kill or be killed situation, and that the man¡¯s children had done everything theyc could to see Eric dead. Even now, Eric could taste flashes of fate cards, countless possibilities, a smiling angel in silk and elegance who¡¯s witty banter might have actually won Eric¡¯s jaded heart¡­ only to die by his blade.


    Her entire world to fall to his Hyperion Ascension.


    Thanks to a fate card Eric was bitterly certain that his mother, not Malice, had put into play.


    What was that his mother had said before she had ascended to Gold?


    Ah yes.


    All her cards were on him, this round.


    NO, no, no, it wasn¡¯t a card she had sacrificed¡­ IT WAS AN ENTIRE WORLD!


    Thirteen worlds, to be exact.


    Or was it fourteen?


    Eric choked back a scream. There was nothing he could do about any of that now.


    No way he could take back his furious, killing blow¡­


    Even when the girl had pled for mercy with her dying gaze.


    Because after he had already cut down her brothers¡­ so eager to kill him first¡­


    It was all he could do not to crumple to the ground and start screaming in horror, madness, and shame right there¡­ NO! HE REFUSED! HE FUCKING REFUSED! TOO MUCH WAS ON THE LINE! HE WOULD SEE THIS THROUGH!


    Even if by some twisted bit of bitter fortune and wild luck he faced yet another family who thought this particular clan on this particular night would be easy enough, safe enough, controlled enough, to bring ones most precious treasures along to join in the fun.


    Elonia. The she¡¯s in danger, I have to get to her NOW!


    Eric curbed the screaming anxiety now tearing through him, recalling with exquisite clarity the cammander¡¯s words.


    The words of a father.


    Keep casualties to a minimum.


    From Eric¡¯s eyes, the man was most definitely a threat to be resolved.


    From the mercenary¡¯s own eyes¡­ he was perhaps an honorable man doing his job¡­ hurting as few people as he had to in order to get things done. The same as upright professionals everywhere.


    Yet those revelations didn¡¯t stop Eric from becoming one with the grass and fields all around him as he steadily approached, hand at his hip, ready to draw a blade no longer entirely of this world in the blink of an eye.


    Before freezing stock still as the commander froze, the rest of his armored men already inside save for a pair guarding what was most definitely a high tech transport vehicle right out of a sci fi movie.


    Stealth check: Tie!


    ¡°Commander?¡± Crackled a voice in comms that Eric had a hard time pinging direction on but knew had to be from one of the two seven foot tall armored sentinels setting up point on top of their armored vehicle.


    The captain slowly swung around, Eric¡¯s Unified Perception clearly making out the beam of golden light, like a flashlight, emanating from the man¡¯s visor as he carefully scanned his periphery, Eric making full use of his Quickness to stay out of range, a taste of adrenaline, a spike of peril all that was needed for BattleTime to rev up into full gear, his thoughts whirling as he contemplated and discarded a dozen possible gambits to handle this latest batch of invaders.


    Failing to think of a single one that wouldn¡¯t end with multiple Bronze-tier corpses, the risk of exploding power armor, and the possible death of his sister.


    FUCK!


    It was only in that moment that, in his desperation, he thought to embrace one of the very few items that had survived his golden transformation that had obliterated even his mithril mail.


    The thin golden ring even now spinning around in his interface.


    Because even if it was stupid as hell for him to freeze up, the wide-eyed countenance of a near naked elf teenager wearing scraps of clothing and nothing else suddenly pinging on the battle-mech¡¯s sensors was exactly what one might expect from a new recruit in way over his head who just wanted to surrender without getting killed and get this awful night over with.


    ¡°Sir, we got a native! Orders!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t shoot! I give up! I¡­ please, all my friends were killed, I just want to go home!¡± Eric cried as the commander gave curt orders and one of the two heavily armored sentinels rapidly approach with a high pitched whine from his servos.


    And for all that Eric¡¯s Danger Sense screamed when the mech-warrior approached him, his Bronze-tier minigun aimed right at Eric, he still kept his stumble so slow it felt like molasses, even as his finger burned with the ring now on his hand.


    You have successfully soulbound Ring of the Phoenix!


    This Silver-tier masterwork will successfully disguise your identity from all targets below Gold ascension!


    One Soul Point successfully invested!


    Your ring will now successfully cloak your identity from all outside sources below Gold tier, barring critical success roles on their part!


    Note! Current investment only protects you from dusk til dawn!


    Further Soul Point investment is needed to cloak identity under indirect sunlight (or better).


    Note! Your Ring will cease to work until the following sunset if you channel any arcane, cultivation, or necromantic arts while wearing this ring!


    Further Soul Point investment will allow you to partially or fully bypass these limitations.


    Note! A Silver Phoenix Talisman is currently in play!


    All restrictions are temporarily lifted! All opposition below Master tier will fail to penetrate your disguise under all circumstances!


    Eric could take scarce comfort in the messages flickering across his interface, because no matter how much he looked like a terrified elf recruit in that moment, well put together, perhaps, but seeing as how Strength over 20 no longer showed up as additional muscle mass beyond the steroid-free ideal for a given person, that actually told very little¡­ all it took was a twitchy plasma trigger finger and Eric was either crispy fried toast or an obvious threat if he survived the blast.


    ¡°You, on the ground now!¡± Roared the Bronze in oddly synthetic words that made Eric think arcane translation box, right before suddenly flaring his aura.


    Kurt Russo, Rank 15 Bronze Battle-Mech Specialist. 200 St / 200 Vit / 300 Qui / 250 Fin / 250 Per / 250 Arcane Reserves


    You have successfully used Identify passively upon a projected aura! You have successfully detected Physical Stats, Perception, and Arcane Reserves.


    Eric immediately collapsed and whimpered as the man stomped up to him, grabbed him by his wrists before tying a thin cord of something around them. Eric purposely kept his arms utterly limp, sobbing with supposed terror, not fighting it at all. Merely grateful that they weren¡¯t pulling out Mithril collars which would have necessitated a quick and violent change of plans¡­ but it made sense. If you¡¯re on a tight mission and time table, why the hell would you waste the crazy expense of scores of mithril collars against White-tier opponents that you don¡¯t have a personal hate hard-on against? Who has the resources or space? A far more practical choice was a cord that Eric could sense the arcane lightning circuit coiling through within. It was more than enough deterrent and restraint for any low level Conscript in way over his head.


    ¡°We got a live one, Captain. I doubt he¡¯s seen two decades, though. Pretty damn young for an elf. My scanner detects no bombs, traps, or pathological agents.¡±


    The figure in the most impressive suite of power armor immediately turned to face the pair of them, his massive blaster carbine held casually at the ready, Eric catching sight of hard grey eyes on a weathered but not unhandsome face giving him the once-over through his crystal clear face plate.


    He frowned at Eric for a long second, snorted, then actually went to the trouble of handing Eric a water flask. ¡°You thirsty kid? You look like you¡¯ve been through hell and back.¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to take a grateful sip. ¡°Thank you, sir! I¡­ yeah, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s been a long night.¡±


    ¡°That it has,¡± the merc commander agreed. ¡°You can call me captain. What¡¯s your name, boy?¡±


    ¡°Alaric, captain.¡± Eric swallowed as if in fear. ¡°Thank you for not killing me¡­ sir.¡±


    ¡°Now why would I do that, Alaric? Way I see it, you¡¯re just a kid in way over his head, involved in a fight that¡¯s really not your own. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Eric flinched, then slowly nodded. ¡°I just¡­ I wanted to help, since they¡¯re my people and all. You know? But it¡¯s¡­ this entire place is surrounded by orcs and gnolls and ogres. It¡¯s a death trap staying here. I just want to go home!¡±


    The captain nodded his head in mimed sympathy as his comms went off at a pitch and language that no young Sylvan Conscript would be expected to understand.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯re encountering resistance in the form of small arms fire. We¡¯ve spotted multiple Artillery Classers¡­¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Mory, Yini, Retreat and get out with Elonia! Don¡¯t get yourselves killed! These are Level 15 Bronze with Tier-3 Blasters!¡±


    Eric sensed a surprised jolt. ¡°Fuck, Eric Silver, you¡¯re alive? They have us surrounded! Elonia¡¯s your sister, right? She¡¯s here. We¡¯ve been keeping her safe! Yini took out a goblin assassin who thought the loss of our guns meant we were helpless fucks!¡±


    Eric felt a tremendous wave of gratitude with Mory¡¯s mental party-link pulse. Honestly, he was just grateful to find that they could still link up, at least at very close range, after Eric had been literally light years away.


    ¡°But our back exit¡¯s been cut off. They¡¯re closing in!¡±


    And a voice he hadn¡¯t expected but that warmed his heart filled his mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Eric. You can tell them.¡±


    Elonia. She was alive, aware, and in so much pain! Eric cringed at the agony he could feel, understanding somehow that something had gone horribly wrong.


    Eric felt a jolt of terror now understanding what Elonia expected him to say. Did that mean she was too weak even to speak? Fuck!


    It was all on Eric, for better or worse as the conversation finished in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Offer truce! Surrender! Tell them to stop firing, you have the princess!¡±


    ¡°Repeat that, Bruno!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir! We¡¯ve encountered multiple white tier plasma traps of only moderate significance¡­¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t even singe our armor, dad.¡±


    ¡°Quiet on the comms!¡± The commander snapped. ¡°You know the proper countermeasures, Bruno.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. But we don¡¯t know the exact location of our target. Gunther¡¯s checked the bedrooms upstairs¡­ Sir! Our targets are offering a cease fire! Sir, they¡¯re surrendering! They¡¯re surrendering and they have the princess!¡±


    The captain¡¯s face lit up with a pleased grin. ¡°Excellent!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. They¡­ they¡¯re asking that we give them our word of fair treatment, that they won¡¯t be summarily executed and that the princess and her family won¡¯t be harmed, and they¡¯ll all surrender peacefully.¡±


    The captain froze. Hard eyes calculating, before he slowly nodded. ¡°Acceptable. Hell, this is a best case scenario. Good. Be wary of traps, make sure the area is damn secure before Anna and Emma follow you in.¡±


    He then turned to the two individuals beside him. ¡°Kurt, you stay here and watch our six. Matilda, escort our new friend here and ask the pertinent questions.¡±


    They then turned around and entered the palace, the armored woman Matilda now gently leading Eric along.


    ¡°Quite a night, isn¡¯t it, Aleric?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess it is, sir,¡± Eric said. Playing oblivious to the comms he should have no ability to hear or the voices that all sounded the same, not having had a good look through the face plate of the mecha suit behind him.


    Still, this earned a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s ma¡¯am, kid.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ apologies, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°No worries. So, anything you can tell us about the manor, it¡¯s inhabitants or reinforcements? Because it¡¯s all about being on the winning team and treating your friends right. And you do want to be our friend, don¡¯t you kid?¡±


    Eric immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, absolutely, ma¡¯am! I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you. Both here, and, well, wherever you¡¯re going!¡±


    Matilda chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. So get talking!¡± she said as they made their way through the smoking rubble-strewn ruins of what had once been a grand dining hall. Fine oak tables that had once groaned under the weight of glorious buffets with glittering crystal candelabras gracing the entire chamber in a warm golden glow was now a pile of smoldering wood, shattered glass, and half-melted silver.


    Eric flinched and looked away, even as he filled the air with his patter. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. We¡¯re sadly down to a skeleton crew here, with just Lady Valorn¡¯s bunch of survivors who already got shoved out of Gilton from I don¡¯t even know what, and not much more than that. Then, by some miracle, we got lucky and actually managed to hire some artillery mercs that came here from who-knows-where. But tonight¡¯s been a really, really um¡­ crazy night? Stretching out a bit too long?¡±


    Matilda nodded. ¡°Got that right, kid. Go on.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so anyway, we were supposed to get this major influx of Sylvan alliance conscripts but for some reason that never happened, and then most of our own people fled to who knows where and it¡¯s just a couple score of us, and that¡¯s when everyone¡¯s shouting and panicking and we get word that hundreds¡­ no¡­ thousands of orcs and worse have surrounded us and they¡¯re coming in for the kill!¡±


    He swallowed, lowering his gaze. ¡°Then the princess or maybe the Winter Queen herself surrounded our territory with a whirlwind of snow and that¡¯s when the artillery company that got stranded here when their world gate shut off offered themselves up for employment and we thought we might actually survive the night!¡± He swallowed and shivered. ¡°Then things got really bad. The whole world started to shake and crumble and I just¡­¡± He choked back a sob. ¡°I just fled like a coward and I¡¯m just so tired and I want to go home.¡±


    Surprisingly, Matilda gave him a sympathetic pat on his shoulder that wouldn¡¯t even shatter a mortal¡¯s bones. ¡°It¡¯s alright, kid. You¡¯ weren¡¯t being a coward, you were being smart. This is no place for a Rank 9 Conscript just trying to compress his core. Good for you, kid, even if you¡¯re only at 2%.¡±


    Eric flashed a shy smile, even as he squeezed his palm tight against the thin gold ring he now absolutely loved. ¡°You think so? I¡¯ve tried so hard but it¡¯s been months and¡­¡± He swallowed, lowering his gaze. ¡°The captain isn¡¯t going to hurt the princess, is he?¡±


    This earned a snort from the commander.


    ¡°Not a hair on her pretty head, Alaric, I promise you that,¡± Matilda soothed. ¡°Actually, if things go the way I think they will, young Elonia Silver will soon be attending Griffondale Academy under her new sponsor¡¯s name. She¡¯ll then be engaged to one of the handsomest young princes in the sector and be living a fairy tale life free of intrigue and bullshit before you know it.¡±


    Eric smiled despite himself as he docilely allowed himself to be led into a former ballroom that now had fifty plus captives all securely roped and bound, including his entire artillery company, alive and unharmed he was beyond relieved to see. Then his eyes caught sight of the person he most wanted to see. His sister, very much alive and in one piece and possessing their mother¡¯s grace, beauty, and piercing green eyes, even as his heart broke to sense her pain. As if her soul had actually been shattered and the pieces were grinding against each other even now.


    Not for the first time, he cursed his mother trying to ram that overpowered Arch Mage class down Elonia''s throat, but other things demanded his attention now. Matilda turned to him. ¡°Alright, you behave, kid. Because sure as fuck, I see a medical crisis.¡±


    The commander turned her way. ¡°Matilda?¡±


    Matilda¡¯s steel boots echoed through the chamber, none of the captives making a sound, eyes filled with a curious mixture of despair, anxiety, and desperate hope.


    And Matilda was making her way right to Elonia. She bent down and, much to Eric¡¯s surprise, raised the visor of her mecha-suit. ¡°How you doing there, kid?¡±


    Eric felt his cheeks flush with relief and shame, hearing his sister¡¯s breathy voice for the first time in weeks¡­ or had it been months? So preoccupied with his own concerns that he wasn¡¯t there when she needed him.


    Again.


    ¡°It hurts, doc,¡± Elonia said, with a wry bitter half-smile of a girl knowing she was talking to the enemy but too exhausted to care anymore, just wanting it all to come to an end.


    She didn¡¯t even resist when Matilda gently placed what Eric just knew was a high tech medical strip on Elonia¡¯s brow as two other mecha-wearing individuals took off their helmets entirely, revealing a pair of strikingly beautiful twins with flawless features, violet eyes, rosebud lips, and the slightest tinge of purple to otherwise very human skin.


    ¡°Matilda, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Asked the closest girl in a genuinely worried voice, her twin patting her arm. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you¡¯re mother is psycho and pushes you way too hard, way too fast, and things don¡¯t go absolutely perfectly.¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile, thinking the girl absolutely right, and he couldn¡¯t help noting that neither had even drawn blaster or vibroblade, their weapons securely sheathed still. Not that either girl gave off the aura of seasoned killers¡­ or any aura at all, really.


    Despite their company, the two children were the farthest thing from Bronze monsters.


    The first girl winced. ¡°Matilda?¡±


    ¡°Put your helmets back on, girls,¡± their father instructed, which the girls promptly ignored.


    ¡°Anna¡¯s right, Emma,¡± Matilda said with a sympathetic sigh. ¡°The poor dear¡¯s foundation was shattered like glass.¡± She favored a pale-faced and sweating Elonia with a look so empathetic that Eric wanted to applaud. Who could refuse sharing their heart to someone who looked like they cared that much? Especially since Eric had the sneaking suspicion that the concern was genuine.


    ¡°Want to tell me what happened?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, my lady, please!¡± uttered an exhausted looking Lady Valorn.


    Eric froze then, waiting for the merc¡¯s reactions, yet no one shouted her down, no tyrannical metallic boot came pounding down to silence her. Though her cry had earned the attention of multiple professionals staring her way, the only one to speak was Matilda, giving the exhausted looking Sylvan noble a pitying look. ¡°The only way I can help her is if I know what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lady Valorn,¡± Elonia said with a surprisingly reedy voice.¡± She flashed a bitter smile and it horrified Eric to see that she was missing several of her teeth. She gazed up at the obvious merc healer, paying no mind as one pair, Gunther and Leon, looked to be setting up an actual high-tech electromana portal that sent all sorts of alarm bells blaring in Eric¡¯s mind, realizing that they were now rapidly running out of time.


    ¡°I had a shot at a class of unbelievable power and potential, and I blatantly disregarded every warning and caution I had been given by those who loved me the most.¡± The air rang with her discordant laughter. ¡°I thought, for just one brief second, that I could embrace the same wild luck that seems to be my brother¡¯s birthright. That maybe I could thread the eye of madness¡¯s needle and walk away with a class that put all my trials and tribulations I¡¯ve suffered and overcome suddenly worth it. Worth the constant pain I was feeling. Worth every fucking thing I¡¯ve had to endure to get to this point!¡± She sobbed the last, tears leaking from red rimmed eyes lined with crow¡¯s feet, and Eric was horrified to see the strands of white in his sister¡¯s silky-blond curls.


    ¡°I take it things didn¡¯t go according to plan?¡± Matilda said, handing Elonia a pill she didn¡¯t hesitate to take with trembling hands.


    Elonia sipped from the flask she was passed by none other than Anna, completely ignoring her father¡¯s words to back away from the captive, with a sigh.


    ¡°My meridian channels had completely crystalized. In record time, mother said.¡±


    Lina cringed. ¡°Full crystalization and you¡¯re what¡­ only level 50? Ouch. Our instructors say only geniuses and fools try to do that before achieving their Bronze Ascension.¡±


    Anna nodded in wordless sympathy.


    ¡°A broken level 50. And your instructors are right, because god knows I¡¯m a fool,¡± Elonia corrected with a bitter smile. ¡°My evolution pod spat me out before I could do anything but scream. I¡¯m now technically ¡®unsuitable for Class advancement.¡¯¡± As if I needed that stupid thing to tell me that I was well and truly fucked when all my meridian channels shattered and all I felt was pain!¡±


    ¡°Orb has been retrieved, sir,¡± said the mecha Eric¡¯s interface now pinged as Gunther, holding up a shimmering globe Eric didn¡¯t recognize¡­ until he did.


    Elonia chuckled bitterly. ¡°Oh goody. You grabbed the only thing of value in this pathetic wreck of a territory. My evolution pod¡¯s core. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t tear up the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± the commander said. ¡°The externals are easy enough to replicate. It¡¯s System manifestations like this that have considerable value.¡±


    Elonia sighed. ¡°That does make sense. I should have sold that bloody thing while I had a chance. It¡¯s caused me nothing but pain.¡± She flashed the captain a half-hearted smile. ¡°Sorry you wasted your time hunting down a broken princess who¡¯s queen has already left the board. Hopefully that little consolation will at least earn us our lives?¡±


    Lina and Anna exchanged glances, before turning to the commander. ¡°You know, dad, we could let them go¡­¡±


    Anna nodded at her sister¡¯s words. ¡°Honestly, they¡¯re utterly fucked and broken. Probably dead if we leave them here anyway. Nicest thing we can do is drop them off at a neutral-friendly city and just get out of here.¡±


    Their father solemnly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, girls. That¡¯s not how contracts like this work. Our employer will get his golden goose and the responsibility¡¯s on him to fix her.¡±


    Elonia paled at those words. Her eyes gazed searchingly into the crowd as if looking for someone¡­ passing right over Eric¡¯s own.


    Mory and Yini exchanged glances, choosing that moment to speak. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for artillery experts, and our present employer were to release us from our contract¡­¡±


    Elonia chuckled bitterly. ¡°Sure. I think we¡¯re done here. I¡¯ll stay here and bleed my eyes out and you guys can go do whatever floats your boat.¡±


    The artillery commanders flashed a relieved and grateful smile. ¡°Like we were saying,¡± Yini said. ¡°We had a good run with our present employer, but as we are currently free and unaligned. We¡¯re happy to sign up with whoever needs a good artillery company in whatever capacity¡­¡±


    The captain sighed, cracking his neck, audible through his mic. ¡°White tier Artillery company, Orc precedent I see¡­ and you guys actually managed to cause us trouble for the thirty seconds we needed to triangulate and wipe your guns out. Honestly, the fact that you¡¯re even alive is what¡¯s most impressive. I take it one of you has danger sense and knew to flee?¡±


    Mory nodded. It was at that second that the portal thrummed to life. All eyes turned its way, over half a dozen mercenary gazes alight with excited satisfaction, as if savoring a job completed in what was no doubt record time.


    Quickness Check made!


    Strength modified Unarmed Combat skill check: Critical success!


    You have disarmed your foe!


    You have disarmed your foe!


    All save for the pair of teenage girls who¡¯s soft, frightened gasps immediately turned all attention Eric¡¯s way.


    Even as a pair of armored giants crashed to the ground


    ¡°Unhand her, now!¡±


    ¡°Ah, something broke my arm!¡±


    ¡°My blaster¡¯s been stolen, we¡¯re under attack!¡±


    Eric stared into the furious panicked eyes of a terrified father forced to suddenly examine all the awful choices in his life that had led him to this moment. His pair of twin daughters teary eyed and trembling, effortlessly gripped by their necks by a monster whose grip was stronger than steel.


    Eric flashed a smile chill as death. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we did some negotiating of our own, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt us, please don¡¯t hurt us!¡± Anna sobbed, Eric feeling her heart absolutely racing through the pulse in her shivering neck that his hand gripped so gently, careful not to break a single precious bone in her body, though he did give the panicked, furious captain a hard glare.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re that greedy to get your kids titles that you had them enter an ascending Realm while they were still compressing their core? They barely got twenties in their Vitality! Are you fucking insane?¡±


    ¡°Put down my daughters, now!¡± The captain roared, though he didn¡¯t point his plasma cannon Eric¡¯s way¡­ didn¡¯t dare to. All his men were caught between confusion, indecision and dismay.


    The captain¡¯s eyes took on a furious gleam. ¡°Unless you want us to vaporize everyone here, you¡¯ll do as I command!¡±


    Eric solemnly shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Daddy, please!¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes lit with desperate fury. ¡°Unhand her!¡±


    ¡°Before I do anything else, tell me that either one of your daughters isn¡¯t worth the life of every other person in this room.¡±


    The captain blanched at that, before saying the obvious. ¡°Of course they are, asshole!¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Eric said, gently lowering both girls from their tippy toes, though still keeping his grip firmly in place. ¡°Then I¡¯m sure that we can agree that Anna¡¯s life is more than worth you handing me that precious core my master¡¯s been trying to pluck free of this cesspit for months!¡±


    The mercenary gave Eric, still in disguise, a confused look. ¡°You¡¯re not interested in the captives?¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take them as a bonus. That way a whole fucking faction owes me a personal favor. And that favor will be worth your second daughter. So here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. I hand you one girl back, you let these idiots go. Then you toss me that orb at which point you and your cronies will go through that gate, including the idiot manning your mech-truck, which is now my mech truck, and you get Anna back. Because we all know she¡¯s your favorite.¡±


    He forced a smile as Anna and Emma¡¯s whimpers turned to frightened sobs. ¡°I¡¯m kidding You¡¯re twins. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be equally heartbroken if anything happened to either one of you.¡±


    ¡°Please let us go! We don¡¯t even want to be here!¡± Anna sobbed.


    The man¡¯s eyes glared into Eric¡¯s own for long seconds. ¡°If you harm a hair on either of their heads, I¡¯ll make it my personal mission in life to hunt you down and end you!¡±


    Of course his words earned nothing but terrified sobs from his daughters.


    Eric flashed a cold smile. ¡°Are you done fronting? Or is your pride really more important to you than your daughters?¡±


    The man blanched at the looks this earned him. He grit his jaw, then his eyes widened at the sight of Karl and Bruno, both on the ground groaning, both missing their plasma cannons, both suffering major deformities where hideous strength had shattered their bones and warped their armor.


    The captain¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re no simple spy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Eric said. ¡°I¡¯m a Contender. I don¡¯t march under anyone¡¯s banner like a chump, so I can go where I want, kill who I want, and play mercenary for assholes even more stuck up than yourself. But they¡¯re paying, and that¡¯s what counts. So, do we got a deal or not?¡±


    Hard eyes glared into Eric¡¯s own before he forced a smile. ¡°I need that core, and you look like someone who appreciates the finer things in life. You have a knack for this game, kid. How about instead of this bullshit, you come work for me? Tell you what, I¡¯ll even let you in on the score, to the tune of a full billion credits. Now tell me that your employer is offering you that much for the core.¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Emma hissed in panicked alarm.


    The man inhaled when Eric coolly shook his head, but his daughters¡¯ panicked whimpers immediately deflated him.


    He glared, turning to a still stunned looking Matilda. ¡°Free everyone¡¯s binds and let them loose.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ yes sir,¡± Matilda said, quickly doing just that.


    Eric met Elonia¡¯s gaze, and how beautiful and heartbreaking it was to see the hope and despair in her eyes, to realize she couldn¡¯t recognize him but maybe she could guess¡­ and for whatever reason, when he tried to send an interface message¡­ he couldn¡¯t reach her at all.


    But he wasn¡¯t stupid. He let her eyes wash over him, refusing to flinch when she was escorted out of the room, along with all the others.


    The captain licked anxious lips. ¡°Now, my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Eric immediately let Anna go.


    She of course spun around, glaring at Eric. ¡°Let go of my sister, right now!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Absolutely. Just as soon as your dad¡¯s merc crew gets through that portal so I don¡¯t have to worry about you all vaporizing me a second after I let your sister go.¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Emma sobbed.


    ¡°It will be okay, baby, I promise!¡± Even through the tinny distortion, a father¡¯s anxiety was unmistakable. It was all Eric could do to keep up his cocky smirk even as the red form outside pinged its way to this very chamber, Kurt¡¯s blaster immediately raised to fire Eric¡¯s way before he froze, took in the situation, and immediately lowered his weapon.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all here by the gate and your friends have their freedom. Now unhand my daughter!¡±


    Eric looked at the man and chuckled softly. ¡°Nice try. Now how about you and your crew jump through that crackling blue gate, and hand me the evolution core before you go.¡±


    The man froze.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Anna hissed, snapping the man out of his paralysis.


    ¡°Alright!¡± He said, voice laden with guttural desperation. ¡°Everyone, jump through. That most definitely includes you, Anna. No arguing!¡±


    The man locked gazes with Eric, waiting til his Anna was through before halting Gunther. ¡°My man has the core, you have my daughter.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Obviously.¡±


    The man clenched his jaw, struggling with himself before whispering the words. ¡°Five Billion.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you five billion for that core.¡±


    Eric inhaled to speak, before catching sight of the absolute last person he expected to see. Gazing at him so intently from the upper balcony, flashing a sign with her hands in a language only two people knew in the entire world.


    Much to his surprise, Eric actually found himself nodding his head.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    The captain and Gunther both froze in surprise. Even Emma hissed. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re actually going to be reasonable?¡± she whispered.


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Well, yeah. It¡¯s five billion credits.¡± He gazed at the captain. ¡°How are we going to do this?¡±


    The man blinked, open his mouth, before chuckling softly. ¡°I take it an IOU doesn¡¯t do you any good.¡± His bemused smile turned to an odd expression of such dismayed confusion that Eric would have laughed or spun around, if he didn¡¯t immediately recognize the floral scent.


    ¡°Here. Feel free to use my Blue Card,¡± said none other than Elonia, before turning to the nonplussed Captain.


    ¡°I take it a Blue Corp transfer is acceptable, Commander Jurgen?¡±


    The man looked between Elonia and Eric.


    Even Emma¡¯s eyes brightened. She even dared to smile Eric¡¯s way. ¡°No way, I know who you are! Who you must be!¡±


    Eric smirked, letting the disguise fall.


    ¡°Bloody fucking hell,¡± Gunther cursed, shaking his head. ¡°Will you look at that, Captain? Those kids were playing us!¡±


    Jurgen flashed a bitter smile. ¡°You hardly seem on the brink of death now, Lady Elonia.¡±


    Eric¡¯s sister managed a brittle chuckle. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m in pain like you wouldn¡¯t believe, I assure you. But as mother would say, a good actress sees every scene through.¡± She then tossed her card to Gunther who expertly grabbed it, pulled out a cube radiating extremely strong arcane current, and placed the card his boss handed her. After about thirty tense seconds, he pulled free Elonia¡¯s card, calmly walking to hand it over.


    ¡°Close enough,¡± Eric said with a hard smile, earning a soft chuckle.


    Gunther stopped, slowly lowered himself, and slid the card to the ground.


    Elonia gracefully picked it up, closed her eyes, before they opened wide. ¡°Fuck, they actually paid up!¡±


    ¡°Of course I did,¡± Jurgen snapped. ¡°Now, if you would be so kind?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°One moment.¡± He turned back to his sister. ¡°Panic room?¡±


    ¡°You really think it¡¯s necessary?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡± His twin flashed a bittersweet smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, bro,¡± Before darting off as fast as her pain and superhuman stats would let her go.


    Jurgen patiently waited for long tense seconds before his smile dimmed. ¡°Now, Eric Silver.¡±


    Eric sighed. Preparing himself for anything. Letting Emma go with a final whisper that made her flush.


    ¡°What did you say to my daughter?¡± Jurgen roared.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, dad,¡± the girl said, turning around to give Eric a curious look, a soft hand actually brushing his cheeks before she turned around and strode over to her father.


    ¡°What did he say, and why did you¡­ never mind. Come on. Get through.¡±


    Emma swallowed, gazing at her father for long seconds as Gunther jumped through the crackling blue gate along with their prize. ¡°He was bluffing, dad.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°He told me he was bluffing. He wasn¡¯t going to hurt me or Anna. He just had to make sure we didn¡¯t, well, you know.¡±


    Jurgen scowled. ¡°Jump through the gate.¡±


    ¡°But dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    And she did. Eric could sense Jurgen readying himself, all systems going online as he turned around. Only to lurch back when he saw what a coolly smiling Eric was holding.


    ¡°That blade¡­ shouldn¡¯t be here on Terra.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m told.¡±


    ¡°Higher order concepts? Impossible. You¡¯re still a child.¡±


    ¡°Anna and Emma seem like great kids.¡±


    ¡°They are.¡±


    ¡°I hope they don¡¯t have too bad a first impression of me.¡±


    This earned a surprised laugh. ¡°Whether or not you were bluffing, kid, you still threatened their lives. The live of my angels. How the fuck do you think any of us are going to feel about you?¡±


    Eric flashed a sad smile. ¡°Yeah, but at least I don¡¯t have to tell them that I killed their father¡­ right? And the thing is, Gunther, that last bit¡¯s not a bluff at all.¡±


    Eric¡¯s sad smile turned hard and cold, lips stretching wide, so very, very wide as he slowly assumed a warrior¡¯s stance, his blade crackling with higher order concepts of Heat and Cold, Fire and Ice.


    Gunther froze, saying nothing for long seconds.


    ¡°See you around, kid. Nice doing business with you.¡± With those words, he spun on his heels and stepped through the gate that crackled shut just seconds later.

 Chapter 372 - Catching up with my twin.

    ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    Eric caught Mory¡¯s abashed grimace and gave a quick shake of his head. Knowing that he needed to talk to his men, to reaffirm their status, their commitment, end the awkward tension now that everything had changed once again¡­ but he had no time.


    No time for Commander Valorn trying to pin him with her desperate eyes when she saluted him, requesting orders he absolutely refused to give. No time for his anxious looking adventuring companions slipping free of Yuki¡¯s shadow abilities now that the worst had past, and thank goodness she had somehow managed to hide them all in an escape hatch that had never really been a part of the manor, but it didn¡¯t really matter. All that mattered was finally getting a chance to talk to the one person whose happiness meant everything to him, their lives bound by a lifetime¡¯s worth of memories and affection that had kept him from taking that final step that would have ended everything he had fought so hard to preserve.


    At that moment there was only one person he wanted to see, as the corridors sped by in a blur, somehow knowing exactly where the most secure and fortified chamber in the entire palace happened to be, hardly panting when he was finally before the door of silver and iron radiating Sylvan runes that at any other time he would have been eager to study for insights and illumination.


    Yet at that moment all he had eyes for was the girl smiling at him so warmly as multiple arcane traps and wards powered down, and then he was finally before the person who truly understood him who hadn¡¯t been torn from his life. His twin sister, his boon companion and closest friend of the first seventeen years of his life, sobbing in his arms as he held her so gently, so carefully, so incredibly grateful to see her once more.


    ¡°Eric! You made it. God¡¯s mercy, you actually got here in time!¡±


    Eric found himself grinning like a fool, grateful only that it was a perfectly human grin, because of course he was a perfectly human and normal brother. He wanted to speak, but all he could get out was a stifled sob, cheeks flushing when he began crying like a baby as his sister held him close.


    ¡°Elonia. I was so fucking worried, so damned scared that Greed and Malice had finally gotten the last laugh¡­ that I had come too late!¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t,¡± she assured, squeezing him tight before stepping back, flashing a rueful grin that he couldn¡¯t¡¯ for the life of him read. Yet her smile was as bright and hopeful as it had been with the release of her very first film, back when they had both been as young and innocent as they had ever been allowed to be. ¡°You got here just in the nick of time. Like the final scene in one of mother¡¯s movies.¡±


    Eric laughed at that. Laughed so hard that tears were stinging his eyes and wetting his cheeks. Uncontrollable laughter as his sister¡¯s rueful smile turned to a look of heartfelt concern. ¡°Eric?¡±


    Eric took a deep, shuddering breath, yet despite how bittersweet, tragic, and wonderful this endless night had been, he couldn¡¯t wipe the smile off his face, just so glad to see his sister safe once more. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s been a really, really long night.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s smile grew pained. ¡°So, you know.¡±


    ¡°About the Silver Phoenix in play? Yeah.¡±


    She blinked in surprise. ¡°Eric, I can¡¯t even say the word! How is that you¡­¡± She froze, emerald green eyes widening with something close to wonder. ¡°You¡¯re a player. Aren¡¯t you, brother? That¡¯s the only¡­¡±


    Eric smiled, showing her the ring that now felt so natural on his hand. ¡°I took out a Bronze tier contender. Spared his life, which was probably a very smart move, since instead of executing me for my trouble, his uber-connected family that shouldn¡¯t even have access to this virgin world yet somehow does, gave me a box of treats treats including ring and phoenix talismans.¡±


    His sister gave him a long, searching look. ¡°There¡¯s so much I could say,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°So much Mother prepared me for. Playing this terrible game on so many levels¡­ and she didn¡¯t tell you a thing.¡± She shook her head in wry disbelief. ¡°Not one goddamned thing to prepare you for what you would be forced to endure. What she¡¯s trying to mould us both into becoming¡­ Eric, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Eric gazed at his sister searchingly for long moments. ¡°Elonia¡­ you really don¡¯t know?¡±


    Her gaze hardened. ¡°In case it wasn¡¯t obvious, I¡¯ve been desperately fighting for my life when I woke up to find myself utterly alone except for a desperate score of elves and your own companions when all of mother¡¯s plans went to shit! I woke up feeling as brittle as glass, without counselor, aid, or the hundreds of thousands of loyal soldiers mother swore would make everything we had suffered worth it! That we¡¯d actually have a chance. That humanity would actually have a chance!¡±


    She shook her head in bitter regret. ¡°Now my only reward for pushing myself so hard for so long was straining my fragile fucking foundation to the point that I¡¯m a single stray breeze from cracking!¡±


    Eric winced in sympathy, now seeing once more the brittle pain in her eyes that she was no longer holding back. Nowhere near as bad as what she had pretended to disarm their foes, but she was by no means the healthy, pain free ideal Eric had so desperately hoped she secretly was.


    He hung his head, gently squeezing her hands with infinite care. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elonia gave a rueful chuckle. ¡°And here I am, letting the pain take over and snapping at you like a complete¡­ when I owe you my life! And Jeezus, Eric! Just how strong are you now?¡±


    Eric immediately let go. ¡°Oh no, Elonia, I didn¡¯t meant to¡­¡±


    She quickly shook her head. ¡°No, Eric. You¡¯re fine! You hugged me as if I were a fragile kitten in your arms. Perfectly gentle. And I can sense the incredible degree of Finesse you¡¯ve got in play, and the sense that I could slug you with all my 20 Strength and you wouldn¡¯t even feel it.¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve got no reason to complain, sis. No worries there. I¡¯m just so fucking relieved to see you in once piece!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m still in a daze, never having expected to see you again,¡± Elonia said, tears leaking freely down her eyes as she flashed a bittersweet smile. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have to tell you how absolutely and utterly fucked we are.¡±


    Eric allowed his smile to harden. ¡°Oh believe me, I know the score as well as anyone, sis.¡±


    ¡°Then you know we¡¯re completely screwed.¡± She gave a helpless little laugh, before he could respond, leaning her head against his chest. ¡°I have a confession to make, little brother, and I¡¯m afraid¡­ no, terrified, that you won¡¯t exactly be happy with me when I do.¡±


    Eric¡¯s snarky rejoinder on his sibling status died on his lips, his gaze one of serious, heartfelt concern. ¡°You can tell me anything, Elonia. I¡¯d forgive you the world.¡±


    Eric winced, exquisite Perception sensing the lurch in her chest, her heart pounding, as if she truly did fear the worst from him.


    He held her close. ¡°It¡¯s okay. No one can blame you for taking medicine after what that essence did to you. That isn¡¯t abuse, that¡¯s pain management.¡±


    ¡°Eric¡­ it¡¯s not that.¡±


    Eric kissed her forehead like he once had his daughter in a vision that was only a shadow existence, yet still left him with a father¡¯s protective instincts as he gazed on her with the same gentle fondness he would for any loved one needing understanding, love, and counsel.


    ¡°I mean it, sis. You can tell me anything.¡±


    His sister flashed an oddly vulnerable smile. ¡°Okay, um¡­ this is going to sound¡­¡± She lowered her gaze, cheeks ablaze. ¡°Fuck. This isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    Now Eric was feeling the tension as an uncomfortable knot in his belly. ¡°Elonia¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re down to Queensland, Eric. This is our final territory. The united alliance of asshole humanoids pretty much did us and Blue Corp in, in one fell swoop.¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°This is just the interim. It sure as hell isn¡¯t the end of the script.¡±


    This earned a sad snort from his sister. ¡°They took over Ashland, Eric, and they completely overran Blue Quarter after poisoning the guards. All the guards. Most of that faction is either dead, in hiding, or under the goblin¡¯s tender mercy. Never mind that dozens of treaties that were broken. The goblins know damn well how you-know-what works, and once dawn hits they¡¯ll be smiling like assholes and will have somehow always owned the territories we fought and bled for with no trace left of Blue Corp or the bank that threatened their economic dominion here on Earth.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what all this was about,¡± Alex said with a bitter chuckle. ¡°Why am I not fucking surprised?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about a lot of things,¡± Elonia said ruefully. ¡°Since you did sort of destroy their soul forges, get the entire Goblin faction censored by the System itself, at least temporarily, and shatter their economic interests. And believe you me, I did my part to make sure the world knew just how steep the cost of Goblin deals truly were. But somehow I feel all my words and warnings getting muffled, and have stopped even bothering to send out agents to spread the world since the trio I invested so much with ended up dead by freak accident or random acts of malice, and the guilt of their pointless deaths is something I¡¯ll have to live with for the rest of my life.¡± She gave a bitter shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s as if random chance itself is being manipulated by people who are most definitely not our friends.¡±


    ¡°Fate Cards are in play,¡± Eric acknowledged, earning another look from his sister.


    ¡°So you do know how things work¡­ things that were secrets so deep that not even Mother told me, and I won¡¯t bore you with how I found out what little I did. But the point is¡­ we¡¯re sort of fucked from every angle possible. Blue has no territories that aren¡¯t in contention, we have no territories that aren¡¯t in contention, and we¡¯ll both probably be off the board before the night is through.¡±


    ¡°But the storm!¡± Eric urged. ¡°That brilliant miracle of a storm you have protecting the and the grounds for several miles in all directions¡­¡±


    His sister flashed a pained smile. ¡°And casting that single mastered spell, because I did take your advice and master a handful of absolute fucking winners when last we spoke, had absolutely every last one of my meridian channels sending sharp shards of agony flaying my soul.¡±


    Eric froze, chilled to hear those awful words. ¡°Elonia, are you saying¡­¡±


    His sister flashed a hope-filled smile. ¡°No! No, I¡¯m still intact. Thank the gods, by some miracle, I haven¡¯t shattered under the fucking pressure Mother put me under. And here I am with fifty fucking points saved, compressing my core right before fiftieth level and I just know that¡­¡± She sobbed, shaking her head. ¡°Alex, right now, I¡¯m so fragile, so close to rupturing, that I don¡¯t have a chance in hell of evolving my class.¡± She flashed a bitter smile. ¡°And you were right. So fucking right that the path I¡¯m on promises nothing but pain. I couldn¡¯t have chosen a worst fit, trying to follow mother¡¯s idealized path. Which means I¡¯ll have to down grade to standard class and forget any chance of ever ascending to Silver.¡± She chuckled bitterly. ¡°Hell, I might even be stuck on White tier, never even able to form a Bronze core! Not unless I can afford to sacrifice a full twenty years repairing my body while infusing my core.¡±


    Alex blanched. ¡°Wait, twenty years?!? How do you even¡­¡±


    ¡°I have outside resources at my disposal, now,¡± She said with a bitter smile. ¡°The consolation prize all factions were supposedly given, in return for our fucking enemies now getting to flood the world with Bronze tier mercenaries!¡±


    Eric blinked, heart hammering. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s only tonight, right?¡±


    His sister sighed. ¡°You recall the earth quakes that almost tore Earth apart? Yeah. Those. It panicked the entire Terran counsel, no corrupt northeast branch needed. They voted almost unanimously to give Bronze tier Mercs of a certain level unfettered access in clearing and stabilizing the rifts, so long as they don¡¯t slaughter humans out of hand or try to grab territory for themselves.¡±


    Eric froze. It was all he could do not to laugh aloud at the irony. His effort and struggle to save Earth had just been used by his enemies as a pretext to bring in serious muscle that he had absolutely no doubt would become little more than tools of his enemies. They might not be permitted to claim territories in their own name or massacre humans wholesale, but he had no doubt that humanity would still be feeling the pain.


    ¡°Fuck! This just keeps getting better and better, doesn¡¯t it? Because you know damn well those mercs will be backing their fat cat employers and even if they can¡¯t shoot us on the spot, they can back up man-eating orcs who happily will.¡±


    Elonia nodded. ¡°Okay, you get it then. Good.¡± She held his gaze for long minutes. ¡°Eric¡­ the one who just set us up, who opened the way for those mercenaries to invade my home and capture us all?¡±


    Eric¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Just tell me who it was, and what you want done to them.¡±


    Elonia gazed at him for long moments. ¡°Eric¡­ it was me.¡±


    Eric blinked, nonplussed. ¡°What?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Eric, our enemies have united with multiple companies of Bronze-tier heavy hitters at their beck and call that make those gnoll champions and goblin assassins you faced down before seem like a joke. We¡¯re surrounded on all fronts, and after my last awful training session that I never should have let mother browbeat me into embracing, I don¡¯t dare cast even one more ritual spell, lest my entire foundation crumble to shards that will grind against my soul for decades to come.¡±


    ¡°Elonia¡­¡±


    ¡°Which means, assuming I don¡¯t want to shatter like glass and spend the rest of my life writhing in agony that my fucked up affinity now assures me that I¡¯ll never be able to numb out completely, I need twenty years of peace. Either that¡­ Or I need access to the most elite high end rejuvenation facilities and treatment centers available.¡± She flashed a sad smile. ¡°Resources well beyond what Earth will ever be permitted to make use of. Not until the ascension is long past.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Eric gazed at Elonia for long moments before worldlessly wrapping her up in his arms. Her shoulders began to shake as she broke out in sobs. ¡°Or Eric. I¡¯m so sorry! After all you did for me, trying to rescue our entire faction after mother all but threw you under the bus multiple fucking times, and here I am, such a bitch that I can¡¯t even¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Eric said, rocking his sobbing sister close. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°No it isn¡¯t, Eric. I swore to protect and defend!¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Well then, it¡¯s a good thing that you were trying to do just that. Tell me you weren¡¯t going to negotiate for safe passage for everyone in that room so they could all leave before the orc and goblin assholes took over everything.¡± His arms gently gripping her shoulders to smile inter her tear-filled eyes. ¡°You did what mattered, even if I fucked up your play. You were trying to get out of hell to have a shot at healing, and I have the sneaking suspicion that you would have left only after everyone else was out of there as well. Because whether or not you agreed to Mother¡¯s enticements from the start, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were groomed your whole life for your role, as I was for mine, and you¡¯ve already been forced to endure agony beyond what anyone should ever have to deal with, with a tyrant for a mother demanding absolute perfection every step of the way.¡±


    Elonia chuckled bitterly. ¡°You have no idea the promises she made¡­ how understanding and sweet she seemed when I finally seemed to be accepting the madness she was spouting while you were still playing online games post holocaust so caught up in mother¡¯s charms that you weren¡¯t even worried about the incongruity of power or enchanted refrigerators.¡± She winced in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eric. Even when she pointed at you with a sad smile and said your mind just couldn¡¯t handle the truth and we shouldn¡¯t trouble you while you were obsessing over hunting rats and finding food for survival after stuffing your belly with what amounted to a four course buffet you didn¡¯t even recall eating¡­ still, I should have told you what was going on.¡±


    Eric flushed, chuckling ruefully. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t tell you what a shock it was when I finally woke up to the magic all around me. And none of that changes the fact that we both did the best we could, and I don¡¯t blame you one bit for trying to get a red carpet ride to some high tech healing center, carried on the backs of mercenaries that in any other time and place wouldn¡¯t be able or willing to do Jack shit for any of us, happy to let us rot and die here.¡±


    Elonia gazed at Eric for long moments before squeezing him tight with relief. ¡°Thank god you don¡¯t hate me.¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Master Criminal here. Why would I hate someone clever enough to pull a sweet hustle on some Bronze tier assholes? So, tell big bro all about the play.¡±


    ¡°Little bro. And yeah. Let me show you.¡±


    Within moments Elonia led a bemused Eric deep into her sanctum sanctorum that was decorated with happy kitty pillows and cashmere blankets the color of sunsets, just as warm and snug as her childhood bedroom, save for a sleek, high end cyberpunk interface port in addition to some sweet looking keyboards and forty inch screens.


    Eric whistled. ¡°Sweet setup!¡±


    By way of answering she took a seat, plugged in her jack to a mithril band she had fastened to the back of her neck. Her eyes were now glowing with electromana discharges as the massive forty inch screen came alive.


    Eric wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he had been expecting, but certainly not a stream of buy and sell orders that reminded him of nothing so much as the Eve Jitan hub.


    Eric whistled, feeling a sudden hunger to hop online and into his T-4 battlecruiser, yet knowing that would probably never come to pass again. Unless¡­ He shook such thoughts away. Maybe after he had ascended to Bronze, then Silver, and Earth¡¯s ascension was over, he could master Blue Corp high tech magitech and see if there were any System equivalents to the ¡®leet ships he had gamed with back in the day.


    ¡°Brings back memories, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Eric smiled at his sister, her flawless features and locks of lustrous golden hair more striking than it had ever been in the movies, even if the pain in her eyes was almost too much for Eric to bear.


    ¡°Yeah, it does,¡± he said, swallowing the lump in his throat.


    ¡°Good. Because the market games you can play off the real life version¡­ I swear, Eric, if you knew how to make a buck in Eve Space Explorers, you could make a killing in the real multiverse as well. Isn¡¯t that just wild?¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°Somehow I wouldn¡¯t be at all surprised if someone in the know seeded that game just like the goblins seeded predatory payday lending and Mother seeded so many awesome films.¡±


    Elonia nodded. ¡°Good. Now come over here. Let me show you something.¡±


    After making sure that trouble was absolutely nowhere to be found, sensing no reds near the castle for at least the moment, Eric did just that, more than a bit impressed to see that his sister was manipulating the screens with her interface alone. Screens flashing so fast that did he not have such a monstrously high Quickness and advanced perks that let his thoughts keep up when he pushed himself, he would have been utterly confused if not nauseous with the massive stream of data flashing before their eyes. Fortunately, his personal evolutions meant that he could make sense of the rapidly flickering screens¡­ if barely.


    Then it all clicked, what all the screens, cutouts, and shadow accounts his sister was flickering through ultimately led to. ¡°You put a buy order out for that Ascension core!¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes twinkled with mirth. ¡°Damn right I did. And the hoops I had to jump through to do it. Of course humans still aren¡¯t permitted to sell any unique items directly, since our would-be goblin overlords don¡¯t want us having access to that kind of capital. Yet even so, there are ways. It was my leaking those rumors that got me a few nibbles about my miraculous ascension core that would allow anyone with the right setup, like my training pod, to evolve themselves with extreme efficiency, in whatever direction they desired. Of course using this damned device nearly killed me, but a System generated core like this is in extreme demand, especially for Bronze classers in our galactic cluster.


    Fortunately, just playing information broker earned me a fat commission that was just enough for me to post the buy order as a private contract that tied it altogether. Then all I had to do was open this page here, listing all the Merc corpse Earth was now permitted access to, the lower end of Bronze, but still more than enough to obliterate all of us¡­ and put out the word that I¡¯d be willing to work as a fixer who could give them the inside scoop on the contract and the target, with the understanding that they¡¯d be using kid gloves and that the target would in, all likelihood, surrender.¡±


    Eric swallowed, cheeks flushing with shame. ¡°And I fucked it all up.¡±


    Elonia chuckled throatily. ¡°Are you kidding? I was hoping for 500 million fixer¡¯s cut as well as a red carpet lift to a very high end rejuvenation facility after, yeah, making puppy dog eyes at a certain Bronze tier bachelor looking to legitimize his position here on Earth.¡± Her eyes were shining with unmistakable joy when she gazed Eric¡¯s way. ¡°Yet you, you mad genius of a brother, put the squeeze on Jurgen so bad that he was willing to pay you half of what he was looking to make!¡±


    Alex blinked at this. ¡°Wait, so someone¡¯s offering 10 billion?¡±


    Elonia winked. ¡°My cutout was offering a bit more, actually, making it clear to a certain merc crew that time was of the essence. Not that it matters when the offer disappears in smoke and electrons. Jurgen¡¯s hardly holding worthless trash. Sell orders for 7.5 Bil are snapped up in a second! Or if he¡¯s willing to wait a bit, he could go as high as 8.5. So no need to worry about him gunning for us later!¡±


    Her cheerful smile turned to a scowl, as she flicked through half a dozen screens before receiving a blinking call. Her eyes widened. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Elonia?¡±


    Her eyes widened with dismay. ¡°He¡¯s not supposed to be able to worm in directly¡­ fuck!¡±


    Eric readied himself for anything when the screen suddenly flared to life, showing none other than a glaring Commander Jurgen filling up half the screen of what looked like a high end command center. Power armor had been traded for a tight-fitting buttoned shirt, the now clean-shaven and perfectly groomed man looked the spitting image of a pissed off captain, save for the slight purple tinge to his skin and the pair of girls sliding behind him to peer over his shoulder.


    ¡°So. You¡¯re Black Cypher.¡±


    Elonia winced. ¡°Maybe?¡±


    ¡°Did you really think you could get the best of Bronze-tier hackers, girl? Your a White-tier child who isn¡¯t even on a cyber path! You¡¯re a classically trained mage, of all things.¡± His bemused head shake turned to a cold stare. ¡°You made a mistake, thinking you could play us like fools.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s spine stiffened. Her awkward wince turned to a stiff back and a haughty gaze as she took on the demeanor of a ruler. A queen. Always in the right, even if various lackeys were too stupid to realize it.


    ¡°Tell me, captain, how much do Ascension cores normally go for in the Jitan sector?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the point, girl!¡±


    ¡°7.5 Bil is what you could make with an immediate sale absolutely anywhere, if memory serves. And you could go 8.5 or more, if you have any degree of patience or a single rank in a trading skill.¡±


    ¡°You played us!¡±


    Elonia smiled gently at the pair of wide-eyed girls gazing raptly at the byplay. ¡°Your father says I played you. I say we played each other. In fact, I¡¯ll even say we¡¯re all on the same team. Because if we finish this play right¡­ your family is up 3 billion credits over and above the cost of purchase. Now, if your father were to share a billion with you, Anna, and a billion with you, Emma, wouldn¡¯t that be an absolutely wonderful end to the most exciting night of your lives? Best of all, he gets to keep a billion for himself!¡±


    Anna and Emma were staring at a coolly smiling Elonia for long seconds before their gobsmacked expressions turned to awed grins.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, dad! We¡¯re all coming away filthy rich!¡± Emma cood.


    ¡°What?¡± Jurgen roared in disbelief at his suddenly wilting daughter.


    ¡°And if you cut us in for a fair share, we won¡¯t tell mother anything except that we had a wonderful time,¡± Anna warned her suddenly pale-faced father, before squeezing his hand. ¡°No, dad. Not a full billion¡­ don¡¯t give me that look, Emma. We¡¯ll be fair to daddy! He¡¯ll cut us in for the exact same share as Matilda and Kurt are getting¡­ right, dad?¡±


    Jurgen opened his mouth silently, then closed it and sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Elonia smiled. ¡°I think this has been a profitable night for all of us, and who knows? Perhaps the start of a mutually beneficial relationship for all of us for many years to come.¡±


    Jurgen¡¯s half smile turned hard and cold. ¡°You¡¯re tactical position is shit, girl. And we both know it.¡±


    A sudden tension filled the air.


    ¡°With our virgin-world status, there was no way we could legit use you as a middle man. But contracts are contracts, right? You just happened to pay us upfront first. And who the hell wouldn¡¯t bear the cost of pickup if they¡¯re going to be up 3 bil with just a week¡¯s patience?¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°It was the only way we could offload it, since we aren¡¯t corrupt asshole goblins. And this way, we¡¯re all rich. So everyone wins, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    Jurgen turned to glare right at him. Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed, wondering if maybe he shouldn¡¯t have said a thing¡­ and if maybe his ever useful social perks didn¡¯t work quite as well if he wasn¡¯t actually in the same area, or even the same planetary system, as a prospective hustler or mark.


    Yet before Jurgen could say anything, the twin girls were filling up the screen once more. ¡°You are so lucky to have such a hot brother, Elonia. Ours looks like a troll,¡± sighed Anna.


    Emma looked right at Alex. ¡°Would you have really¡­¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°I just had to set the stage so that the powers that be can¡¯t say we sold it to you directly. The pieces just happened to land in a way that leaves us all a lot better off than we were before. No hard feelings, I hope?¡±


    Emma and Anna exchanged a look. ¡°We¡¯re both up a Billion dollars.¡±


    Their father scowled. ¡°Hey, we agreed to a standard group cuts, right?¡±


    The girls turned to their suddenly wincing father. ¡°Yes we did, father!¡± Anna declared. ¡°Now how about you pay up. We¡¯re in desperate need of retail therapy after all that trauma!¡±


    Jurgen sighed. He frowned at Elonia, ignoring her regal air. ¡°You¡¯re in way over your head, kid. So I¡¯m going to let your bullshit slide. This once. Next time you hire us, you¡¯re paying in full, up front. And I know you can afford it.¡± He flashed a hard smile. ¡°And unless I miss my guess, you¡¯re territory¡¯s going to be completely overrun in less than 24 hours. So if you¡¯d like to negotiate a portal jump to the rejuvenation center of your choice and safe passage for your friends¡­ It¡¯s going to cost you 500 million.¡±


    He ignored the scowls this earned from his daughters. ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡°This is business, girls. Now how about you join Matilda for some shopping?¡± He sighed. ¡°On me.¡±


    The girls squealed happily and slipped out of sight.


    The man¡¯s smile tightened. ¡°Half a billion, kids. I won¡¯t go any lower. But if you piss me off, I¡¯ll go a hell of a lot higher.¡±


    Elonia blinked. ¡°We¡¯ll keep that offer in mind, commander.¡±


    The man smirked. ¡°You do that. Jurgen out.¡±


    The screen went dark.


    Eric and Elonia exchanged a look.


    ¡°That could have gone bad¡­ should have gone bad in so many ways,¡± Elonia whispered.


    Eric solemnly nodded. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t have been looking at ascension orb postings. An earth-oriented buyer? That probably looked suspicious as hell.¡±


    Elonia nodded, before she highlighted and enlarged the Sylvan Interface Map, a sight which instantly killed the exuberance they might have otherwise felt with their windfall. ¡°It¡¯s looking bad, Eric.¡±


    Eric nodded at the wildly blinking crimson before flashing a fierce smile. ¡°Bad for them.¡±


    His sister gave him an unamused look. ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°You recall the last time Queensland was in a bit of a tight spot don¡¯t you? And didn¡¯t we do the most fan-fucking-tastic turnaround you could hope for?¡±


    ¡°Eric, you already had thousands of troops under your command at the time. And the way mother painted it, now no necromancer will be allowed to embrace their skills on pain of death. From everyone! And that¡¯s not even counting the Bronze tier mercenaries our enemies might have already brought into their employee.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Well, It¡¯s a good thing that I don¡¯t give a fuck about corrupt council edicts. If they want to come after me? Good.¡± His gaze hardened. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly take their territory too.¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    He winked. ¡°Silver Phoenix is still in play, little sis. Remember, there is no fight club.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re right! Any revenants you raise now¡­¡± She then frowned. ¡°Will you really destroy them with the first rays of dawn?¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°Nope, never again. I¡¯m done playing by the rules of smirking tyrants who will only use Terran strictures to strangle their competition while they get off scot-free. I¡¯m just saying it to make you feel better.¡±


    ¡°Eric¡­ mother also made me sign the pact.¡±


    Eric raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re oathsworn to kill me on sight if I actually use my class?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Elonia groaned, rubbing her forehead in frustration before her eyes suddenly brightened as if she had had a revelation. Her lips suddenly curved in a fierce smile. Toothy. Much like his own sometimes was. ¡°You know what? Nothing. FUCK THEM! They already broke all of their treaties, so why the hell should I be held to their accords if they¡¯re at war with me?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Exactly. They¡¯re so confident that you and Blue will be off the map by dawn that they won¡¯t ever have to pay for their mistakes. And you and I, sis? We¡¯re going to show them what happens when things don¡¯t go according to plan.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite. how are we going to do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re part will be leveling up your leadership and take charging of a panicked Valorn and our artillery boys, because we sure as fuck can pay them now. Hopefully my friends will be willing to stick around, those that didn¡¯t join Lilly with her quest to reclaim the goblin¡¯s gate-linked world with our own.¡±


    Elonia nodded. ¡°Good. And the wonderful thing is, if they¡¯re willing to join now, when the chips are down and all odds seem against us, they¡¯ll get some sweet System rewards. The interface is letting me know that like a happy promise even if it thinks I¡¯ll probably be dead by first light. But Eric¡­¡±


    He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±

 Chapter 373 - You say ambush? I say leveling opportunity!

    Yini, the beautiful half-orc who looked quite fetching despite the pale green cast to her skin and her petite ivory white tusks¡­ who, despite her self-identifier, could just as easily pass as a powerfully-built elf girl with a splash of orcish blood that still gave her full access to her Gunner Class, was glaring at Eric in wide-eyed disbelief.


    ¡°Your half-dead sister¡¯s bombed palace is a single blinking green in a sea of hostile red and this is your plan? Have us all formally join your sister¡¯s doomed faction before this magical watchamacallit ends at first light, and count on you to handle things?¡±


    She shared a look with her husband Mory, the pair shaking their heads and laughing. ¡°Child, are you serious? It¡¯s one thing to have gotten the drop on our former employers, but there are literal armies out there, eager for your sister¡¯s head, and now they¡¯re backed up by merc companies! Not mid White-tiers like my husband and I, but actual fuck-all Bronze classers! Monsters on the battlefield, much like the ones you and your sister might have gotten the best of once, but a Negotiator Profession won¡¯t do you shit when bullets and plasma are flying!¡±


    Yuki, Steve, and Jack exchanged glances, Yuki rubbing her forehead before glaring at Eric.


    ¡°What the fuck, Eric? Do you seriously expect to take on orcs, ogres, goblin snipers and those gnoll champions in your fucking shredded shirt and bluejeans?¡± She flashed a rueful smile. ¡°I mean sure, I get it. You look absolutely hot as fuck. If this were a movie¡­ but it¡¯s not.¡± Her smile turned grim. ¡°Our lives are on the line, Eric. And sure as hell, we¡¯ve been cutting things way too fucking close all night long.¡±


    Steve gave Elonia a sympathetic smile. There was no question she looked as regal as any queen at that moment, with commander Valorn and her men at parade rest behind her. But there was no hiding the peril of their situation. Not with the System¡¯s message blinking past all of their eyes.


    The Sylvan Alliance, led by Queen Elonia Silver is in DIRE PERIL!


    Multiple opponents have placed <UNAUTHORZIED> BRONZE tier opponents in play!


    Likelihood of survival without heroic intervention is estimated to be less than 3%!


    Do you wish to join the Sylvan Alliance?


    Note! Should your faction survive for at least 1 week, you will have accomplished a ELITE-TIER FEAT, and be eligible for titles and boons by the system!


    Even Eric had gotten the last message, earning a sheepish grin from Elonia.


    ¡°Of course I have to try. You¡¯re a catch, bro.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Dude, I can¡¯t tell you how much I¡¯d love an Elite tier title!¡± Jack said, eyes lighting up momentarily, before giving Eric a look. ¡°But even if most people would absolutely kill for that¡­¡± He shrugged awkwardly.


    Eric¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver, pinning Jack with his eyes until the boy flinched and looked away.


    ¡°Jack.¡±


    The boy winced. ¡°Eric, I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    ¡°I got this.¡±


    This earned multiple incredulous stares.


    ¡°You have what, exactly?¡± Mory, the captain of their artillery company, asked.


    Eric spread his arms wide, indicating the entire map, presently zoomed out just enough to encompass all the red tiles around Queensland, up to and including a now fallen Ashland and Freetown.


    His smile turned hard and cold as his hands, opened with warmth and friendship, as if offering his friends the world on a silver platter, suddenly squeezed tight with fury. Now crackling with higher order concepts of Fire and Ice that had everyone lurching back, all of them ignoring a sudden blaring interface message involving multiple goblin seers screaming for immediate injunctions.


    ¡°What the jeezus fuck!¡± A frightened Yini cursed.


    Mory paled, instinctively squeezing his wife¡¯s hand.


    Yet Steve¡¯s look was one of rapture. ¡°I think¡­ fucking hell, I¡¯m having a breakthrough!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°The way I see it, grabbing destiny¡¯s reins as the underdog and forging a tale worthy of the ages is a great fucking way for us all to grab a bunch of revelations, epiphanies, insights, or just titles and level the fuck up. Because if any of you are at all eager to become Bronze yourselves, one day¡­¡± And how odd it was to see so many jaded eyes, so much more experienced than his own latch on to him with breathless anticipation. Almost as odd as the fact that he now understood truths utterly beyond their ken. Truths no doubt held back from absolutely everyone who wasn¡¯t well into Silver already.


    He winked. ¡°Nothing strengthens a shaky foundation like than forging an absolutely epic tale with your own, personal, hero¡¯s journey. Who knows? It might just be enough to turn your own dreams into reality where your manifest destiny is to transcend the limits of your own foundation and break through to a Bronze at the very least, where your future is shaped by your own legend far more than the limits of biology, chance, and the luck of titles or fortuitous encounters.¡±


    Mory stiffened, glaring at Eric for long moments. ¡°Bullshit!¡± He hissed, for some reason gazing at Eric with something close to terror. ¡°Rumors and wishful thinking!¡±


    ¡°The phoenix has risen.¡±


    Eric smiled coldly at the looks this earned from absolutely everyone in the room as he dared to utter those words on this night alone, where all his friends would forget everything he said come first light, where everything that had occurred would have somehow always been, set in stone as if a thousand years ago. Or weeks ago, perhaps. Whatever fit the tale of their lives.


    But their souls knew.


    He could tell by the way they trembled before him. Even his sister, gazing at him with such an odd mixture of awe, wonder, and despair as the entire Sylvan faction, thirty surviving elves, fell to their knees and wept for joy.


    ¡°She has ascended upon a two thousand year old tale of her own making. A tale of wonder, tragedy, and bitter triumph you can¡¯t hope to fathom. And after tonight, won¡¯t even think to.¡± Eric flashed a sad smile. ¡°But I can tell you this much that hopefully you¡¯ll recall. There¡¯s a reason why my race puts such stock in fables and dreams, in carving your legend upon the bedrock of fate. For it is upon the hearts you touch and the tales you weave that you can transcend past all limitations, all strictures, all roadblocks and become the living legend, the hero, you were always meant to be!¡±


    Eric gazed calmly at his speechless friends, acquaintances, and allies. ¡°So I invite you all to join the greatest underdog in the entire Northeast Sector, who¡¯s cause is just, her dreams pristine, perfectly positioned to forge a tale of redemption and wonder like no other. It is here and now that you can join our tale and forge yourselves into the adventurers, the heroes, you were always meant to be!¡±


    Even Elonia was gazing at him with something frightfully close to reverence as Eric calmly rose and bowed to the table. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some business to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    He stopped and turned around, smiling at Lady Valorn who¡¯s cheeks were flushed as anxious green eyes peered into his own. ¡°Please, let us kit you up in armaments befitting a prince.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Do you happen to have any mithril mail shirts lying about?¡±


    Lady Valorn winced, bowing her head. ¡°Although we lack legendary artifacts, we do have the finest steel in the land, Your Grace.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Fine equipment for your men, and our friends. I will leave you all to it, then.¡±


    With that he left the manor wearing nothing more than a tattered shirt and too-tight jeans.


    ***


    Eric closed his eyes, taking a deep breath that smelled of pine forests and wild-flower filled fields, rich with the scents of loam, smoke, and crisp clean snow, the air alive with the taste of magic and the bitter screams of the fallen as countless monsters sought to weave their own tale upon Terra¡¯s surface.


    Eric clenched his fists, never having felt so strong. So alive!


    He took a breath of cold winter air as he embraced the power of his ring once more, just one more anonymous elf slipping free of his seemingly doomed faction¡¯s palace to gaze into the whirlwinds of ice and snow protecting the castle and a mile of land in all directions.


    Yet far from the despair he had seen in so many Sylvan eyes just minutes ago, all he felt was exhilaration.


    The thrill of the hunt to come.


    He shivered with excitement, sensing not just hundreds but thousands of reds steadily closing in as a pressure wave of twisted crimson magic sought to undue his sister¡¯s desperate last stand, a final protective ward she didn¡¯t dare cast a second time lest it rupture a foundation strained to the point of being a single hairline fracture from shattering forevermore.


    Eric¡¯s lips curved wide in a feral grin as he inhaled the air like a scent hound, tasting the flux of magic in the air.


    At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to spring forward.


    Yet he stood there for long moments, sensing his environment, a scent of polymer-rich grease he had grown familiar with over multiple encounters that had never been a thing here on Earth making it clear that despite her best efforts, Elonia¡¯s would-be killers had still gotten through.


    Perception Check made! You spot your foes!


    Eric was off in a flash, even before fully registering the interface message as the air flashed with a brilliant arc of plasma, rupturing the shimmering illusion of a swaying cove of trees his Infravision had pinged right past, revealing a nest of wide-eyed goblins and a single armored power suit that looked absolutely nothing like Jurgen¡¯s crew, now pointing his monstrous cannon Eric¡¯s way.


    DUCK!


    His instincts screamed warning, Eric instinctively bending Wind and inertia to his will as he slipped past a brilliant stream of obliterating plasma that tore through the air, setting his hair ablaze and leaving massive gouges of superheated soil and rock exploding behind Eric as he frantically dodged for all he was worth.


    ¡°It¡¯s an elf who thinks we¡¯ll let him leave the doom of his faction. Kill him! Kill him!¡± Screamed one of the snarling goblins with a far smaller blaster of his own in hand, sighting a smiling Eric for a second blast in time with the massive plasma minigun being fired by the true muscle of their operation as a second goblin readied a triple shot crossbow armed with Bronze-tier poisoned quarrels, the air flashing with plasma once more.


    The trio of goblins sneered Eric¡¯s way, as if about to enjoy an entertaining execution, and no more than that.


    The sniper goblin frowned. ¡°That little shit isn¡¯t wearing a uniform. He¡¯s wearing little more than rags! I thought we already had the Freetown elves in collars?¡±


    The crossbow goblin shrugged. ¡°Some of the guild rogues thought they were clever, helping so much of our property slip free of their doom before heading to Queensland. Ha! Poor fools. As if we¡¯d actually let any of those guild factions escape their destiny as carbonized soul steel! The orcs and gnolls will wipe out those fuckers long before they can unite with the Sylvan Alliance!¡±


    Quickness Check made! You¡¯re now making better use of arboreal camouflage than your foes!


    Then the goblins¡¯ cocky smirks turned to looks of wide-eyed disbelief when Eric seemed to disappear before their eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone! The little shit¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Ready yourselves for ambush! He¡¯s an elven fuck. He¡¯ll use the trees for cover!¡± Shouted the clearly experienced Bronze-tier power suit bringing his minigun to bear once more to tear right through the trees at waist height, clearly looking to obliterate Eric, or at least deny him any cover or easy passage at all.


    And maybe it would have worked, if Eric had been no faster than Minos Trueblood, a Rank 10 Bronze Contender who had been the favorite protege of a powerful plan who had had such plans for Terra, before encountering the Roundear wildcard that had already thrown so many carefully constructed gambits into wild disarray.


    Yet the Eric of today was nothing like the Minos of just a week ago, as the panting merc soon found, armored head reflexively turning when he saw a brilliant fiery flash as the first of three goblins exploded into fiery crimson paste.


    The remaining pair of assassins screamed and flinched, former cocky sneers wiped off with wild-eyed looks of panic as they instinctively froze like the prey animals they ultimately were.


    More than enough time for Eric to claim the Mark II Deathblaze held in the tight grip of the closest goblin by the simple expedient of tearing the goblin¡¯s arms off. In case the fuckers had bio markers, contact poison, or other fancy shit he really didn¡¯t feel like dealing with right then.


    ¡°Goobla!¡± The final goblin had time to scream, gazing in horror at his companion yipping and howling like the diseased chihuahua he so resembled, spraying the survivors.


    The power armored Bronze instinctively turned before flinching and stumbling back at the sudden spray of white-hot flame and superheated gore smoking and boiling as it spattered against the chrome casing of the final opponent.


    ¡°What the fuck! Command, I got a live one! He¡¯s Bronze, he has to be!¡± The merc shouted in a strained voice, Universal Translator perfectly making out the man¡¯s words after just a few sentences, a coldly smiling Eric hovering right behind the now frantically turning Bronze who did a full 360 before giving a dismayed shake of his armored head.


    ¡°My goblin squad just got wiped! I thought you said Jurgen¡¯s crew had this? A hundred million and all we gotta do is watch for fucking stragglers! What the fuck! This ain¡¯t no straggler! We got other merc corps breaking covenant!¡±


    ¡°Did you ID the striker?¡± Said a tinny voice coming from the man¡¯s helm.


    ¡°Are you serious? If I wasn¡¯t suited up and shooting plasma, I¡¯d already be dead!¡±


    ¡°Copy. Sending assistance your way.¡±


    ¡°A full squad, Ace. No more of this white-tier auxiliary bullshit! Not if we¡¯re dealing with other merc companies trying to get in on this fucking free-for-all, and fuck if it¡¯s some wild card Contender! I¡¯d better be getting fucking hazard pay if I gotta deal with ¡ª¡±


    The merc¡¯s voice died off as he stumbled back when Eric was suddenly before him.


    Find Weakness Check made! Identify skill check made! You sense multiple stat pools in the 200-250 range, and the flaws in your opponent and his gear!


    ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s here, right here in front of me!¡± The seven foot tall power armored merc chuckled coldly, shaking his head, his fear of moments ago easing to assurance once more. And really, what did he have to be afraid of? Just an unarmored kid wearing nothing but tattered clothes and a maveric grin. ¡°Little shit must be a speedster. If fifty years in this business have taught me anything, it¡¯s that he¡¯s fragile as glass though.¡± He then switched dialects as his entire suit began to hum and radiate multiple crackling fields of energy. Eric couldn¡¯t help but nod in grim approval, sensing was both a repulsion field and a stun field, the perfect counter to melee speedsters who used accuracy instead of force, and focused on Quickness far more than endurance.


    Good. His enemy wasn¡¯t a complete idiot. But what really surprised him was the mecha suit¡¯s speaker actually managing a degree of comprehensible if broken English.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Cute trick, little shit. You looking to die that badly?¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Looking for a challenge, actually. Love the denial field, though. I¡¯ll bet it¡¯s great for lightning fast idiots who are about as fragile as a mosquito. I think now would be an absolutely awesome time to test that ward of yours. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Prince Eric!¡± Said the overly excited voice on the other end of the man¡¯s comms. ¡°Jurgen fucking dropped the ball, letting him go! He¡¯s out of the compound, that means he¡¯s free for the taking! You¡¯ll get fifty million straight to your account if you can bring him in alive! Twenty if he¡¯s dead.¡±


    This earned a roar of laughter. ¡°You arrogant little shit! I¡¯m gonna blast you to purgatory, you know that?¡± The man pulled out a mithril collar only because Eric chose to see what he¡¯d do with the hand he had slipped into a pouch secured to the armor. ¡°That is unless you play it smart and put this nice little collar around that pretty little neck of yours.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°I have a better idea. How about you pull out that vibro blade you got on your hip and we see if we can make this interesting?¡±


    For some reason this request alarmed the power-armored Bronze who lurched back and snarled, his plasma mini gun tearing through the ground at ankle level, obliterating the ground as the merc laughed coldly. ¡°Hell no, you little shit! How about I blast off your feet, collar you, and make a fucking killing bringing you in, you arrogant lit¡ª¡±


    You have successfully dodged Plasma Fire!


    You have successfully dodged Plasma Fire!


    You have suffered one glancing blow.


    Glancing blow damage magnified By Mark-4 Enhancements and Multiple class perks!!


    Elemental Resistance of 56 Reduces injury!


    Enhanced essence affinities (you are one with Ice and Fire!) reduces Wound intensity.


    Crippling Injury reduced to Light Wound!


    You have suffered 75 points of damage.


    You have successfully disarmed your foe!


    He couldn¡¯t deny how good it felt, the look of wide eyed surprise and fear in the very human looking mercenary who¡¯s features were exquisitely clear through the tinted face plate, thanks to Eric¡¯s Unified Perception. Even if he also felt a bit stupid, because he was closing with a Bronze-tier monster who had mastered his plasma weapon long ago. Without using any spell to hinder or stun-lock his opponent, because he just had to try to grab Eve¡¯s approval and forge himself as cultivator and classer at the same damned time.


    Yet by some miracle, a glancing wound that would have torn most people¡¯s arms right off, even a high level White-tier¡­ did little more than shred his skin.


    ¡°No. Not even the captain¡¯s that fast. Who the fuck are you?¡±


    You have successfully channeled Burst of Strength! You have successfully claimed your foe¡¯s Mark 4 Hyperion Minigun!


    ¡°What the, no fucking¡ª¡±


    You have critically struck your foe!


    You have successfully pierced Denial Field! 10% of your damage has been mitigated by Denial Field!


    Elemental Resistance has reduced retributive strike to Flesh Wound! Your knuckles have been singed!


    Knuckles have fully regenerated.


    You have successfully ruptured Denial Field!


    The mercenary¡¯s words were cut off in mid rant when he was sent flying back, a full ton of mana-enhanced chrome, steel, and countless components cartwheeling end over end, the reinforced chassis of countless exotic alloys now sporting a football sized crater as the merc¡¯s armor crackled and sparkled with wild electromana currents as his protective wards collapsed


    Eric flashed a fierce smile, flipping the minigun he had claimed into storage right beside the plasma rifle with the arms of its original user still attached as he slowly approached his present opponent who very much still had both his power armored arms he was even now using to stumble back to his feet with a groan as the overwatch officer known as ¡®Ace¡¯ screamed in his helm.


    ¡°Unit 1, get up and out! Up and out! Your opponent¡¯s a fucking monster! Authorizing full stim enhancements, get up now!¡±


    The merc lurched to his feet, servos wining with a wheeze, before jerking back to see a madly smiling Eric before him once more.


    ¡°Draw your vibro knife. Make this interesting,¡± Eric crooned, heart racing as he savored honing himself against his Bronze-tier opponent, pushing himself to the utmost, forging himself in the furnace of his enemies¡¯ hate until the blade of his resolve became so strong and bitter sharp that no one and nothing could break him.


    Not even the mechanized giant now roaring and charging right for him, the air crackling with the actinic glare of a knife crackling with currents so strong that Eric was pretty damned certain would have seized an elephant¡¯s heart and cut through tungsten steel with ease.


    ¡°Die, you fucking freak of nature!¡± Eric¡¯s would-be killer roared, ignoring the panicked cries in his comms, so hopped up on whatever he was using that all he saw was red.


    You have successfully dodged Lethal Barrage!


    Snap kick catches you off guard! You have been sent flying back!


    You¡¯re laughing!


    ¡°I will kill you, you little shit! I¡¯ll cut off your fucking head and mount it on a plaque!¡± The snarling Bronze lunged, before stumbling back as the air rang with the crack of Eric¡¯s shin slamming against the man¡¯s armored legs before the merc charged forward again with a roar.


    Only to find himself lurching and stumbling back yet again as Eric juked past the hand holding the killing blade, The air ringing with the crack of high tech ceramics shattering under the force of yet another snap kick from Eric¡¯s shin that was definitely bruised but not bleeding at all from the exchange.


    Now the man was stumbling, wheezing for breath and in obvious pain, both his armored legs sporting cratering dents that had to be biting into his flesh.


    ¡°Fucking monster!¡± He wheezed, eyes wild with whatever Bronze-tier cocktail of drugs his suit had poured into his bloodstream. He roared like an enraged beast, lunging forward for his smirking opponent with a blow that wouldn¡¯t be denied.


    Yet it didn¡¯t matter how hard he thrust when the fiery-haired monster just laughed and twisted aside, vibro-knife spitting current that would kill most mid-tier whites in an instant, a weapon that should be utterly illegal in any other time and place, kissed nothing but air before the night rang with the sound of armor shattering and the merc¡¯s surprised scream.


    ¡°Fucker broke my¡ª¡±


    Only then did the night explode in a glorious surge of flame, the merc¡¯s words cut off forever when Eric¡¯s shin slammed against his opponent¡¯s helm with his final kick, finally tapping into that glorious, wonderful fugue he had embraced by his mother¡¯s side just hours ago¡­ a lifetime ago. The promise of so many glorious revelations just a single whisper of enlightenment away as he tasted epiphany yet again.


    His smile was glorious as he gazed down at the crumpled heap of high tech armor just a few yards away. Glad that his opponent had actually kicked him, reminding him of his own duty to himself. To unlock all his power and potential in every way that he could.


    Now, he was one tiny step closer to achieving Rank 30 in Unarmed combat and claiming that Cultivator¡¯s Resilience perk that would have such a profound effect on his ability to endure any blow, doubling all of his resistance pools, so long as he was willing to permanently sacrifice a portion of his Qi Pool. Which he most certainly was.


    Eric would gladly trade safety for illumination as he struggled against a Bronze¡¯s killing spiritual pressure which, conversely, made it all the easier to feel out his own spiritual energy flows and finally unleash his attack in a manner he had never dared before, save as a happy puppet by his mother¡¯s side.


    Yet now he was free, able and more than willing to use all the terrible lessons he had learned that endless night, reveling when it all finally clicked, channeling his fiery fury against the strongest point of spiritual resistance he could face at that moment, the head of his dazed enemy fighting with all he had to survive the monstrous contender lashing out at him with an angle kick and shins that blazed like phoenix fire¡­ then all was blackness and illumination as a Bronze-tier killer with decades of battlefield experiences faded to oblivion and the trembling youth before him howled with the sweet fires of his own ascension.


    Congratulations! You have critically struck you foe!


    Helmet has been destroyed! Skull has been obliterated!


    Fatality!


    Experience Earned!


    Golden Phoenix is now Level 36!


    Golden Phoenix is now Level 37!


    Golden Phoenix is now Level 38!


    Eve approves of this battle as you hone yourself against the crucible of Bronze!


    You are now a Rank 39 Death¡¯s Disciple!


    You have honed your unarmed combat skills against a Bronze-tier opponent!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 24!


    Fire Fist has transcended all previous limitations! You may now freely channel Fire Fist through either fists or through your shins!


    You have achieved Level 20 in Fire Fist! Fire Fist has evolved into Fire Strike! Quickness, Finesse, and Spiritual Energy have each increased by 3 points!


    You have reached Adept Rank in Fire Strike! How do you wish to evolve your ability?


    Endless Blows ¨C You revel in the madness of battle and would happily take on an entire army with a never-ending stream of blows! You now only pay half the normal cost in terms of physiological fatigue or Potency Pools accessed by this skill!


    Power Strike. - You have already unlocked a handful of secrets once the sole province of an ancient martial clan. For double standard potency cost, you may now infuse your fiery blows with added explosive power! Now you do additional damage equal to your strength in terms of raw percentage. - Hidden Boon! Most White tier martial artists never achieve your degree of Strength! Where a gifted young master with 50 strength will enjoy an added 50% damage bonus with his Fire Fists, you will (at present) enjoy a 470% Damage bonus and increased Fire Explosion Radius! - Embrace the Body Cultivator¡¯s highest ideal, and let your Strength work for you!¡±


    Eric felt it then, that roaring inferno of transcendent Flame within him as the essence of light, heat, and destruction intertwined with transcendent concepts of Wrath.


    There were other ways he could evolve his skill, if he dared.


    Yet as enticing as the idea of delving ever deeper into the essences of Wrath and Flame might have been, cold pragmatism also had its place on the battlefield.


    The good news was that he was no longer burning alive with hyperion energy.


    Yet that also meant that his Soul Reserves were limited. Exceedingly So. Few foes could endure his Ice Fire Strike, but after a double handful of blows, he would be drained of his most limited potency pool.


    So far better to make full use of the potency pools he had in absolute abundance. Especially if it involved getting a skill enhancement that would allow him to unleash explosions of fire like never before.


    Endless Blows was unquestionably an excellent choice, as it would cut the cost of spiritual energy and the Soul reserves he might burn with higher order explosions of flame in half. As it was, a Transcendent Fire fist would deplete him faster than Ice Fire strike!


    Yet there was another path he could take as well.


    For the cost of only 20 Qi, his Fire Fist would become an explosion of flame, enhancing all his other strength and unarmed combat damage modifiers by an absolutely absurd percentage boon equal to his Strength, allowing him to hit with nearly five times the incendiary force as he could right now. And those strikes wouldn¡¯t deplete his Soul Reserves and equally important after tonight, wouldn¡¯t send any red flags to seers or sages or whatever thought police would be making sure that no native stepped out of their place. Not that he wasn¡¯t planning on dealing with those hypocritical assholes, but he would choose the time and place for their eventual confrontation, not they.


    Best of all, if his hunch was right, he could further enhance Power Strikes to unleash a massive explosion of Transcendent flame, even if such would effectively cost a whopping 40 Soul Reserves. The point was that he¡¯d have that final lethal attack as an option.


    He laughed aloud in fierce joy and wonder, making his choices and, with a careful glance making it clear that frantic mercenary companies weren¡¯t in range of his fists quite yet, decided what to do with an absolutely glorious 54 attribute points to spend as he chose. Fortunately, there were no penalties for inconsistent selection. The fiery pool of unlimited potential would stay the same for all of them. It seemed like the System was more than content to let him grow and blossom in whatever way he would as he vindicated the earliest steps of what could be a Gold-tier ascension path that would allow any of his or his mother¡¯s descendants to ascend to the cusp of Gold without sacrificing any planets at all.


    Since he and his insane mother had already destroyed over a dozen planets forging this glorious golden path in the first place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of it. Don¡¯t FUCKING THINK ABOUT IT! We survived. Earth survived. Because I gave a fuck! So put all those screams aside and just focus on the glorious NOW!¡±


    Eric clenched his fist, squeezing his eyes tight, ignoring the screams, putting aside the screams. Why was he screaming? He and his mother had saved every last planet within the Sylvan Alliance. Together! And now he was embracing the greatest rush of his life! Yet his weakness was glaringly obvious, even to him. So much rode on Soul Reserves, and it was one of his lowest attributes.


    If only he didn¡¯t fear those squirmy silvery wormies¡­ no matter how much they claimed to be his friend. He still didn¡¯t want his friends smiling in his mind as he peered and judged his own soul. So the points would go into his physical stats alone, thank you very much, and he could only hope that his increased understanding of his Path of Endless bounty might reveal a hidden boon as well, if his visions with Lilly were anything to go by.


    ¡°Regardless, I know the stats I have to boost.¡±


    He chuckled softly. Because he did indeed know that stats he had to boost. The same ones that had allowed him to come so far, so fast. Because in the crucible of battle, physical and mental agility were everything. Being able to think and process information quicker than one¡¯s opponent had always been the key to his survival. And even if his Finesse and Perception now only needed to match Quickness to get the full Glorious benefits of Battletime, there was already a 240 point gap, give or take, between Quickness and the other two stats. It would be best if he didn¡¯t let the gulf between them grow too extreme. Still, for now, There was no reason not to maximize both Quickness, Speed Racer and Battletime.


    Then he froze, eyes widening when he realized what an idiot he was being.


    So used to twisting everything to extremes, just because he could¡­ when if he just took a second and truly appreciated the fiery seed that was his soul blossoming into its true potential¡­ he¡¯d notice the gentle flickering sparks in each and every one of his core physical stats, his Perception, and his four potency pools. The same stats Golden Phoenix had given ten point boons to would now each ascend a single gentle point each level by virtue of his class, without any System wormies or ¡®help¡¯ at all.


    All he had to do was leave half of his level up points alone, like seeds left to germinate in fertile soil, and do what he would with the other 27 points.


    So he did just that. And for the first time in a very long time he savored the rush of insights flooding his mind even as his body tingled with sweetest potency, his thoughts becoming so sharp and crystal clear as a fresh attribute boon was claimed in one stat, and another crested a glorious 700. Perhaps best of all, he got to savor a tingling potency in a corner of his mind that he feared he¡¯d never be able to enhance save by daring the most perilous of delves, as his Psionic Potential, a characteristic his interface showed as odd alien symbols more often than not, shot up to 53, with 639 Psion points to Fragor the fuck out of all his friends and foes.


    Cold laughter that sounded eerily like his mother¡¯s echoed through the bitter cold night. Eric¡¯s eyes lit with a brilliant golden blue flame as he trembled with a fresh surge of sweet, sweet power. Earning four levels with a single encounter, having dared to take on a Rank 10 Bronze Mercenary and the goblin assassins that were now little more than shriveled ash.


    He glared down at the corpse for a final moment before bowing his head in respect for a battle well fought as both man and Bronze Tier armor vanished into his ES Space. Because as wild a rush as it was, had Eric tripped, lost his focus, or otherwise been hit dead on by the plasma minigun that was now his newest toy¡­ this glorious tale might have taken an unexpected turn.


    But still.


    He clenched his fists and trembled with joy. And to think, just hours ago he had feared losing all sense of joy and accomplishment after making the ultimate sacrifice. Yet the glorious ascension he had experienced with his mother was already fading like a halcyon dream. And never had he felt so alive, so alert, so one with his environment as he did at that moment, as the 54 points he had used to reforge himself, the 9 points he had earned with his Adept tier Unarmed Combat skill, and the 15 stat points automatically placed with his latest cultivation level were all modified an additional 80 to 90%, thanks to all his title boons.


    He had just earned over 140 points, or what amounted to 28 Standard 5-point Class levels, with a single encounter.


    And the hunt had only just begun.


    He howled into the wind after taking a quick glance at his condensed character sheet and absolutely loving what he saw, caring nothing if he was giving his location away to the entire world.


    He had already vanished, darting away so fast before the first arcane shell made contact, tearing through the earth, now that the merc company knew their Bronze tier heavy hitter was a past tense.


    And that was fine with a laughing Eric.


    More than fine.


    He was eager for the hunt.


    He hoped his prey would be ready as well.


    _______________________________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 38 GOLDEN PHOENIX (Adventurer)


    Rank 39 DEATH¡¯S DISCIPLE (Four Seasons)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 475


    Vitality ¨C 506


    Finesse ¨C 408


    Quickness ¨C 703


    Appearance ¨C 29


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 27


    Perception ¨C 398


    Willpower ¨C 99


    Charisma ¨C 15


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 303


    (Mana Pool = 3638)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 376


    (Qi Pool =4514)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 53


    (Psion Pool = 639)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 163


    Stamina ¨C 5061 Points


    Health ¨C 6297 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 98


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 50 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 57


    Qi Resistance ¨C 72


    Mental Resistance ¨C 46


    ____________________

 Chapter 374 - Cannons, mech infantry, and fresh Contenders!

    ¡°Roboro, ventus, incurvio, attentio!¡± Eric savored the rush of the howling winter storms as he bent a tiny corner of its force for his own use, now racing faster than he ever had before with zero wind resistance before him and a strong steady gust pushing him forward and down, assuring he was able to tear through the grasslands at breathtaking speeds.


    Then he popped out of the perpetual hurricane force winds surrounding his sisters final bastion to behold a scene right out of any his mother¡¯s world war remakes.


    The lush forests and fields had been torn apart by magical flame and artillery fire, quickly spotting the extended trench network that the Sylvan alliance had been working on before the tide grew too great and all had retreated and, he assumed, fled to the realm that his reincarnated BunBun, who had somehow become his biological daughter, was presently forcing a foothold of her own upon.


    He spotted what must have been thousands of orcs, gnolls, and other humanoids in the distance, noting dozens of flags and pennants of multiple colors and designs held up by regiments of archers, artillery, spearmen, and musketeers. A combined unified front of allied humanoids that he thought would be glaring right at the howling stationary cyclone before them. Instead, all of their focus, and artillery, was focused on a shimmering dome of golden light in a massive shallow depression connected to the trenches from which Eric sensed no less than a thousand souls, perhaps more.


    His eyes widened with genuine amazement when the shimmering ward refused to collapse under the onslaught of artillery fire unleashed by multiple cannon batteries, filling him with a suddne surge of hope, that maybe he didn¡¯t arrive just in the nick of time to witness yet another inescapable tragedy.


    Yet his relief quickly turned to dread as the protective dome warding so many souls began to flicker and wobble as the air rang with the roars and shouts of disciplined artillery units and thousands of savages eager for the kill. Roars and snarls jostling in awful counterpoint to the screams of terrified women and children who, for some insane reason, were actually caught up in the war front, and they were all about to get blown to kingdom come.


    Of course that was the instant his psyche rang with an emergency interface message from his sister.


    ¡°Eric! Two thousand refugees have just sworn themselves to my faction! Please, I think they might be in trouble. If you could escort them¡­¡±


    Eric was already springing into action as a construct out of his wildest dreams and nightmares suddenly made an appearance, a massive battle mech looking like a cross between a titanium and steel golem and something straight out of Nova Wars, twenty feat at the shoulder if it was an inch, holding a plasma weapon his interface screamed was so illegal that any day save today would call for immediate Silver tier intervention. And right behind that battle mech whose footsteps shook the ground were four fully power armored soldiers wielding Mark 4 Hyperion miniguns very much like the one that had given him a hair cut, nearly torn his ear right off, and him as well. Yet another weapon that would never be seen on Earth on any night save this one. And now four of those weapons were in play as the entire squad faced the massive depression that some desperate earth mage had no doubt forged for the thousands sheltering from artillery fire.


    Of course that was the moment that the cackling goblin for some fucking reason cavorting on top of the battle mech chassis filled the air with his dribble.


    ¡°Stupid humans! Daring to flee Freetown? Daring to flee your rightful masters? Hah! Fools! You could have enjoyed a carefree existence where all you had to do was obey! But you failed the most basic of all lessons! Obey your masters in all things! And now I¡¯m forced to make an example of you. Thousands of profitable slaves lost because you just had to get greedy!¡± The little monster¡¯s face bloated with outrage, lips curling in twisted sneer. ¡°But that¡¯s okay, because we¡¯re filming absolutely everything! It will serve as a wonderful lesson in deterrence when future slaves see what happens to those who dare to flee their masters!¡± The goblin glared down at the mercenaries below.


    ¡°Kill them all! That¡¯s an order!¡±


    The mercenaries exchanged looks. Some actually shook their heads as the air filled with desperate screams and pleas for mercy.


    But it didn¡¯t change the fact that they spread out, readied their Miniguns, and braced themselves while the massive battle mech¡¯s blaster cannon began to glow like a supernova as the air rang with words that echoed with a phoenix¡¯s fury.


    ¡°Inverto! Gravitas! Plures! Attentio!¡± Eric howled the words over seconds that stretched an eternity, feeling a hideous pressure blossom inside his skull as he inverted gravity on not just a short range foe but five fully armored targets, one of which weighed five tons if it weighed an ounce.


    Saving throw versus catastrophic failure successful!


    An unforgiving pressure that threatened to obliterate even his monstrously powerful frame before it suddenly slipped free just like the massive battle mech, four shouting mercenaries, and a single shrieking goblin slipped completely free of Earth¡¯s gravity, shrieking and howling for the heavens for long glorious seconds as a roaring Eric charged across the battlefield, his Mana and Spiritual energy crashing down well over a thousand points before he prepared to let classic physics to snap back into play.


    But not before his eyes widened with sudden horror, wondering what would happen if that massive monster of chrome and steel actually exploded before two thousand desperate refugees.


    Of course that was the instant his near 400 Perception spotted the mechanized artillery battery that looked a hell of a lot closer to Bronze tier weaponry than 24 pounder orcish long guns, even now shifting their trajectory to bombard the thousands of newly accepted Sylvan Alliance supplicants.


    Truly, a clusterfuck of epic proportions.


    Fortunately, sometimes two wrongs did make a right. Even if he had to let his Mana and Qi Pools drain even further as his targets became tiny dots in the sky as he slowly, carefully uttered the words that would bring them back to earth once more.


    ¡°Incurvio! Gravitas! Plures! Attentio!¡±


    On his terms. Sure as fuck not theirs.


    You have successfully manipulated spacetime to bend to your will!


    You have come one step closer to mastering your art!


    Runic Lore is now Rank 29!


    At least his daring had bought them time. Time enough for Eric to leap into the trench, catching sight of thousands of exhausted looking women and children huddled protectively behind what must have been hundreds of basic and standard classers wearing everything from enchanted steel to monster shells and beast hide, so many desperate souls now gazing at him with expressions caught between horror, disbelief, and desperate hope.


    He couldn¡¯t help grinning when he also caught sight of a pair of faces he had never expected to see after overhearing their friendly spat when they had attended a Contender¡¯s conference in the Blue Palace conference hall, what now seemed like a lifetime ago. Even if they had thought him little more than an idiotic hellion picking fights he had no hope of winning at the time.


    ¡°Hey Herb, Hey Vincent! Glad to see you two assholes working together again!¡± He grinned at the shocked looks this earned him from the powerfully built Zeus actor look-alike and his wiry companion, unable to deny that Vincent really had claimed a catch with the wide-eyed elven beauty who immediately fell into a curtsy, despite her clear pregnancy.


    ¡°Your Grace! Savior of our people! We had prayed Elonia would¡ª¡±


    Her words became a gasp when a desperate Eric began roaring the words to a chant he prayed would be enough.


    ¡°Mollet! Roboro! Sanguis Herbam! Plures! Attentio!¡±


    The desperate survivors gasped and cried out when all light was blocked.


    ¡°Blood! I smell blood!¡± One rogue cried out as the earth shook with a massive boom and Eric held on with absolutely everything he had, needing every one of those seconds to focus and channel yet another variant on a certain blood shield that had stood him in such good steed once upon a time.


    A blood shield that was now a dome covering the entire depression. Because it truly was all about inflection and intent. Even if wood was the carrier, his blood was the potency that allowed him to channel his own resilience into resisting both arcane, spiritual energy, and soul attacks. Though now it was all about resisting the shockwave and heat blast he feared would soon be¡ª


    Your ward has been struck by shockwave, resisting erupting battle mech core!


    Bronze tier mechanized artillery unit has been destroyed!


    Tier-IV HAVOC Battlemech unit has been successfully destroyed!


    4 Bronze tier (Rank 10 ¨C 14) Mercenaries have fled the field!


    You have DARED to enhance your ward with your own potency!


    You have DARED to absorb FATAL SHOCKWAVE!


    You have absorbed 1 CRITICAL WOUND!


    Mana reserves have been depleted!


    Qi Pool has been depleted!


    You have used 75% of temporary Soul Reserves!


    You have lost 4000 Health!


    You have saved versus death!


    THE PHOENIX HAS RISEN ONCE MORE!


    ¡°What the fuck just happened, Vince?¡±


    ¡°Hell if I know, buddy.¡±


    ¡°He saved us,¡± whispered a soft, feminine voice. ¡°And he has paid dearly for it.¡± The elven woman gazed down at the exhausted-looking boy covered in burns and blood, sizzling as if his flesh had born the hideous flash of heat the mages among them all sensed passing by. At that moment, none of them were even sure if it was safe to breathe outside the dome too many could sense fading second by second, or if toxic fumes, a fiery cauldron, or a thousand furious orcs awaited their emergence.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Eric could peripherally sense the odd mixture of anxiety, fear, and desperate hope within the gazes of so many refugees now gazing down at his fallen form, Eric himself now frowning down and gazing at his shattered, broken body, before snapping out of his own daze, using the fresh surge of potency from his kills to bring him back from the brink of oblivion.


    Eric gave a relieved smile when his ruined face reflected his grin, sensing his cells embracing the hidden boon of Unified restoration as a whopping 60 points per second catastrophic organ cascade penalty that his baseline Vitality, absurdly high as it was, couldn¡¯t quite counter until it was suddenly boosted by an obscene degree. And for a single precious minute that seemed to stretch into eternity as the very short term ward he had poured so much of himself into finally faded to nothing, he somehow became each and every one of his cells, or at least the idea of those cells, as they repaired the damage, achieved homeostasis, and expelled absurd amounts of waste so quickly that even he was caught off guard.


    Though not as much as he was by the golden wings of fire suddenly sprouting from his back as his eyes bolted open and he woke up with a gasp, catching the awed gaze of Vincent¡¯s wife and the smiling countenance of a man armored in enchanted steel that his mind immediately identified as a Chevalier.


    ¡°Greetings, young hero. It pleases this seeker of justice to see you back on your feet once more.¡±


    Eric winced, quickly feeling his back¡­ relieved to feel absolutely nothing beyond his own shoulder blades.


    Instead, he spent a long few seconds studying the faces of half a dozen guild heads all but surrounding him, including the once arrogant Merlina brooks whose elegant features were now filled with exhaustion and desperate hope, her husband holding a pair of children by her side, as well as Annie of Annie¡¯s mercs along with her husband and the rest of her band, all of them instinctively surrounding and protecting a dozen spouses and children gazing at Eric with the same hopeful expressions as he recalled Elonia having to deal with after every press conference, once upon a time.


    Annie flashed him a smile, the first to speak. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, hero,¡± she quipped as Eric¡¯s massive domed ward completely faded. Fortunately, there were no toxic clouds or sudden lethal heat, at least not for Eric, though far too many noncombatants flinched and cried, the air suddenly filled with the roars and shouts of countless orcs and gnolls, even the throaty grumbles of ogres Eric¡¯s exquisite hearing could make out all too clearly.


    And before Eric could engage in any witty banter, the air roared with the sound of 24 pounder long-guns once more.


    Annie flinched, lips twisting in a bitter rictus. ¡°Fuck. No rest for the wicked at all.¡±


    ¡°Stay here and stay down!¡± Eric snapped. ¡°As low as you can and as close to the walls as you can!¡±


    Merlina gave Eric a desperate look. ¡°Please tell me you can summon that ward again¡­ hero?¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m beyond tapped at the moment. But don¡¯t worry, I have other things I can share with our friends.¡±


    The woman shook her head bitterly. ¡°You nearly got killed coming to our rescue. Unless you have¡­¡± Her eyes widened when Eric held up his fist.


    ¡°You remember the failed hit back in the Blue Quarter, back when you told me off for packing heat in your favorite ice cream shop, right?¡±


    ¡°I do, and I owe you an apology for my regrettable faux pas. But even then, you were a lucky boy who nearly got taken out by half a dozen hardened criminals. Our foes now number in the thousands!¡±


    Eric winked, summoning his Mark II Deathblaze and a crimson orb circling about his head. Before closing his eyes and Soul-binding the weapon in his hand that just turned a shade of light crimson, now just an extension of himself. And what had once nearly drained a year of his life now only claimed a fraction of a single soul point.


    ¡°Necromancy!¡± Someone hissed.


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Eric said. ¡°And you¡¯ll note the very people who shamed you out of using heritage arts unique to the tribes of man are the same assholes trying to kill us now. So¡­ yeah. Try not to be a patsy of our enemies and I¡¯ll try to get you all out of here alive. Sound good?¡±


    The now trembling man who looked like he¡¯d rather be anywhere than under Eric¡¯s gaze quickly nodded and bowed his head as his obvious wife castigated him and called him seven kinds of fool.


    Eric turned to Vince and Herb and the Chevalier giving him such an odd look. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s the plan,¡± he said as the shells and shrapnel boomed overhead. Fortunately hitting very little, since trench warfare was a thing for a reason, and at the end of the day, orcs were going to orc. Especially at night, with orc night vision being complete shit. Certainly no better than the typical human¡¯s.


    It was when the pig-faces finally grew bored of shelling and decided to rush the trenches that all hell would break loose and the refugees would be ground to paste.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go out there and fuck those assholes up, and you¡¯re going to stay here until I give the okay. Sound good?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re fucking insane, you know that? This isn¡¯t actually a game, so why not use your head so we can all survive this together!?¡±


    Eric frowned at the scowling classer suddenly confronting him. A well put-together youth who might be a year younger than him. He looked absolutely perfect, radiating a young, idealistic hero vibe that made Eric¡¯s teeth grate. A youth who had just stepped out of an isekai adventure wearing glossy black armor with a pair of young women standing proudly by his side. Eric passively pinged them all as level 40ish, which admittedly would make them the shit in Freetown, with 70 points in 4 key stats, perhaps even better if they had had fortuitous encounters of their own. Which given their PC Hero vibes, they clearly had. Probably in spades.


    Eric furrowed his brow, suddenly sensing that there was so much more to the youth before him than that, as his interface rang with a very faint: ¡°Persuasion skill check: Failed! Your social opponent recognizes what you¡¯re doing, and why! Your disguise as been pierced! Charisma check: successful! Your social opponent has no interest in killing you at this time.¡±


    The youth blanched when Eric grinned, suddenly getting it. ¡°No worries there, friend. I¡¯m sure I can count on you to take care of everyone counting on us while I take care of things up top.¡±


    The youth looked suddenly flustered.


    ¡°Relax, Sven,¡± whispered the girl by his side in Japanese, now in the lime-light, stunning the world with an outrageous 30 in her Appearance stat, squeezing his hand. ¡°He never would have made it this far if he was really that stupid.¡±


    Eric smiled in approval at her naginata. ¡°Even fellow Contenders are welcome¡­ so long as you all swear the oath.¡±


    His bemused smile hardened as the three youths blanched.


    ¡°Fuck. He knows.¡±


    Eric calmly shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t start shit if you won¡¯t. In fact, I¡¯ll be a solid friend in your corner, should you need sanctuary when other head hunters come our way.¡± His warm gaze included all three, regardless of the shells whistling overhead. ¡°But I need your oaths. Right the fuck now. Or we¡¯re having it out, right the fuck now.¡±


    Their eyes bulged with outraged disbelief.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious, asshole?¡± The blond-haired girl to Sven¡¯s left cursed, radiating super-cute tsundre vibes as the air spiked with magics Eric would normally associate with¡­ healing.


    He glared at Sven. Why did some protags get all the luck?


    ¡°Serious the grave,¡± Eric calmly said. ¡°Which is exactly where I put every other Contender who tried to stab me in the back before now.¡±


    The Japanese girl groaned. ¡°He¡¯s a fucking kira!¡±


    Eric curtly shook his head. ¡°Wrong. They start it, every time.¡± He allowed his lips to stretch wide¡­ far wider than they should, never mind the horrified looks this earned him, even the chevalier stepping back, Annie and the others cursing under their breath as Eric burst the illusion that he was some kind of fucking white night.


    ¡°And I finish it. Every time¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a fucking dark fey!¡± Vincent whispered, before wincing when his wife¡¯s palm cracked against his jaw.


    ¡°Apologize, you fool! All of you! He¡¯s our salvation!¡±


    Eric flashed a half-apologetic smile with his now very normal, very human looking mouth and totally non shark-like teeth. No twisted non-Euclidean geometry in play at all.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s partly true. I¡¯m as dark as they come. But I don¡¯t kill my friends, ever.¡± He gazed at the now pale-faced trio of youths. ¡°So my only question, fellow Contenders, is are you three my friends¡­ or not?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re your fucking friends!¡± The boy cried, swallowing as he met Eric¡¯s pitiless gaze. ¡°I Sven Harlor, swear never to challenge or strike at you or your kin or deliberately rob you or betray your trust¡­ so long as you swear the same!¡± Both girls nodded in unison, and Eric couldn¡¯t help smiling, because intent was everything, and their souls were now in perfect harmonious agreement with their lover¡¯s.


    Sven gulped, gazing at Eric fearfully, as if afraid he had asked for too much. Yet all Eric did was gently touch each off their foreheads. ¡°Same, so long as you guys don¡¯t go all dark side, killing innocents. Honestly, I doubt you¡¯ll have to worry much about me at all, though my sister could definitely use another friend or two in her corner.¡±


    His smile didn¡¯t change an iota when the boy flinched, feeling the red sigil on his forehead. ¡°Oh fuck, what did you do to me?¡±


    The Japanese girl whimpered, her blond counterpart glaring furiously his way.


    Eric winked at Sven and the worried pair of girls who so obviously shared his bed and why the hell was Eric alone again? Anyway, he was totally not jealous at another PC hero doing PC hero things in his territory. He was cool like that. Especially with several thousand lives on the line.


    ¡°Just a little assurance. So no twisted card of fate played by assholes more inconceivably obnoxious than you can possibly imagine can compel you with sudden visions, seizures, or System interface messages to kill me or my sister at all costs.¡±


    His cold smile made the three kids before him lurch back, suddenly feeling the weight of his furious killing aura. ¡°But that¡¯s not going to happen, right? So long as you never betray me, you¡¯ll be happy to know that you¡¯ll actually have an afterlife full of all the joy and happiness and sweet blissful dreams you three could hope for, forever replaying your greatest triumphs and sweetest nights of bliss with the two hotties beside you and I am totally not jealous at all.¡± His smirk turned dark. ¡°But if you betray me or my sister? Well, I¡¯ll leave it for you to imagine what a pissed off necromancer can and will do to your souls, if you cross me like that. Sure as fuck, it will be a damned sight worse than whatever obnoxious threats Silver-tier tyrants trying to compel you from half a galaxy away can do. Because like I said, you treat me right, I got your back. And if you think I¡¯m strong in the kingdom of life, well, I get the feeling I¡¯ll be even more of an asshole in the kingdom of death. So your assassin girlfriend trying to midnight surprise me won¡¯t have quite the results you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Both girls winced awkwardly.


    ¡°Blasphemy!¡± The chevalier snarled, now glaring at Eric like he was the enemy.


    Eric clashed an icy grin that didn¡¯t reach his fiery blue eyes. ¡°Maybe, but isn¡¯t it nice to know that there truly is life after death?¡± He said as the hundreds of terrified spectators listening in flinched and cried out when ricocheting shrapnel caused screams and cries for aid. ¡°A truth I¡¯m about to show all the assholes who fuck with my friends. Now you can hate me all you want, peeps, but how about you all do it crouched down?¡±


    And before anyone could even think of a response to that, Eric was gone.


    ¡°Just who the fuck was that?¡± Sven wondered aloud.


    This earned a snort from Annie. ¡°Seriously, boy? He¡¯s the contender who¡¯s got half the factions trying to slaughter us up in arms. He¡¯s also the reason why the United Counsel of the Americas voted to outlaw necromancy entirely.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an abomination,¡± the chevalier declared fiercely.


    ¡°He¡¯s the only one who has a hope of saving us! If he hadn¡¯t made nature itself obey his commands, that battle mech would have already slaughtered us!¡± Vincent¡¯s wife snapped, her fiery glare challenging anyone who dared look askance at her.


    ¡°No one¡¯s doubting that he saved our asses,¡± Herb assured. ¡°He just seems a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Off his fucking rocker?¡± Snarked a grinning youth far too young and fragile for the killing field he and his sobbing mother found themselves in.


    Sven smirked, he and his partners nodding in unison before he winced and rubbed his head. ¡°Did that kid actually¡­ mark us? And what¡¯s this about twisted System messages or, what, Silver-tier assholes trying to compel us to strike at him? He¡¯s full of shit, right? Or was he just blowing smoke up our asses?¡±


    The elves among them gazed sadly at the boy. Vincent¡¯s wife sighed, rubbing her belly as she gazed pityingly at the contender and the girls nervously rubbing foreheads that appeared utterly free of any mark or blemish. ¡°He¡¯s the lastborn son of Elonia Silver, our glorious empress whose empire spans over a dozen worlds. Eric might be many things, but a liar isn¡¯t one of them.¡±


    It was then that the distant boom and crash of disorganized artillery seemed to take a break, though the din of distant screams and roars could still be heard by all the anxious humans and elves huddled together, praying for a miracle, before the air rang with words that seemed to echo endlessly in the starry nighttime sky. Shivering through all their souls.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±

 Chapter 375 - POV Shift - Unexpected Opportunity

    ¡°Mags, report.¡±


    ¡°Our men are in position, sir.¡± The intent-looking young woman carefully watched a trio of monitors as her fingers danced across a display of lights revealing exotic symbols in a futuristic-looking command center shining with steel, chrome, and multiple mana orbs, now focusing on the monitor revealing the countenance of a wild-eyed goblin. Her lips pursed in a displeased frown. For all that she was dressed in a professional looking suit with a military cut, including the cadet-style cap on her head, she spun around in her support-seat to face the commander of their entire operation with a dancer¡¯s consummate grace. She didn¡¯t flinch at all before the Bronze commander powerful enough that lesser classers instinctively made way for him and mortals feared even to approach him. No matter how calm and friendly his demeanor at his favorite baristas.


    ¡°Sir! Snitch is ordering our squad to slaughter the entire band of refugees!¡±


    This earned a scowl. ¡°He did, did he?¡±


    Mags solemnly nodded, eyes still bright with the fire of a recently graduated cadet who thought she could change the world. ¡°Yes, Captain. A clear violation of the terms of our agreement.¡± She paled, receiving a warning beep from her leftmost monitor, holding a digitalized representation of the very document. ¡°Shit!¡­ sorry, sir.¡±


    The man frowned. Not because his star recruit had used profanity¡­ but that something as mundane as a document had caused her to do such.


    ¡°Mags?¡±


    ¡°The document, sir.¡± Her features paled, the purple tinge to her skin losing its healthy luster. ¡°Sir¡­ it changed. I swear it.¡±


    ¡°Our contract¡¯s in a sealed vault in a Blue Corp facility, Mags.¡±


    The girl trembled. ¡°Sir, it¡­ I Remember. My interface made it clear I just passed no less than three persuasion checks!¡±


    These words like nothing else had the Captain darting by her side so fast that her cap flew right off her head with the breeze, revealing a dainty pair of silvery horns that sent Mags in paroxysms of ecstasy when touched just the right way.


    As the captain knew all too well.


    He gently squeezed her shoulder. Her cheek dipped to rest against his forearm before she stiffened, spine straight once more, even if it was only them in the command center.


    ¡°Show me.¡±


    And she did.


    He cursed furiously under his breath. ¡°We never swore a soul-binding oath to obey those bastards in all things for the duration of our stay on Earth!¡±


    Mags flinched at the venom in his oath.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Captain, Mags,¡± even as he gently flicked the love-collar she now wore about her neck underneath the high collar of her uniform. His gift to her.


    Her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of dusk. ¡°Yes, Captain¡­ what do we do?¡±


    The man grit his teeth, even as he felt cords of twisted fate bind around his soul. His eyes widened in outraged fury. ¡°That those bastards would dare!¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Desperate eyes glared at the contract for long minutes, the captain using every iota of his Scholarship, Perception, and Willpower to parse the bullshit and learn what he needed to know.


    His lips curled in a fierce smile. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°We might be soul-bound to those fuckers, for now. But even a Silver¡¯s power has to have limits. The duration is only for a single night.¡± He chuckled without mirth. ¡°This endless night, of course. The minute it ends, we¡¯re free to do whatever the hell we choose.¡±


    The two exchanged a look, hope and fury in both of their gazes. Unspoken was the understanding that they were bound now, but the instant it broke, the whole damned system would learn just how corrupt and twisted Goblin Contracts were. Even if the goblins would deny it, even if no barrister could, or would, reveal it, Moray¡¯s word would be enough in the circles that mattered.


    Goblin arts had clearly surpassed any and all checks and counters. They could alter anything you signed to have any meaning the wished and twist fate itself to retroactively make it so. When people realized just how hideous a trap it was¡­ not a single mercenary worth his salt would ever deal with the goblin faction again.


    And if Moray had his way, they¡¯d be wiped out completely. He just needed a rich Silver-tier backer as outraged as he was to pay him and his men an absolute fortune to help make that a reality.


    ¡°But what should we do now, sir?¡±


    The captain sighed, clapping the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re soulbound, Mags. Unless we want to spend eternity screaming in the soul forges that we were all assured were vicious propaganda propagated by their enemies¡­¡±


    The girl shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m scared, Moray. I feel like those fuckers¡¯ claws are in my mind, even now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± he said, arms wrapping protectively around the girl he had been a fool to seduce but his heart didn¡¯t care. He glared at the screen revealing the contract and the one revealing the sneering countenance of the goblin planted on the top of Moray¡¯s prized battle mech, a weapon of war which would invite the most extreme penalties on a newly ascending world on any night but this night¡­ and the little shit was smirking at them through the monitor. As if he knew he had them by the balls. As if the shit was in on it.


    The third monitor revealed the terrified countenances of everyone the goblins would have them slaughter. And Moray would force himself to watch.


    ¡°You will kill the humans, and you will do it now!¡± The little shit hissed, lips curling with a snarl. ¡°Or you will pay the price, oh yes you will!¡±


    ¡°Captain! What the fuck do we do? These are civvies. Prisoners of war, right?¡± Crackled a voice suddenly on comms.


    And before Moray could even think of a reply he could live with¡­ their command center was filled with sudden panicked screams as the left and middle monitor displays began spinning wildly about, so violently that Mags looked away and groaned, clearly motion sick as Moray gazed in stunned dismay, his superhuman perception and scholarship forcing him to process and accept what he really didn¡¯t want to.


    His top tier squad of hand-picked men were now falling away from Terra¡¯s surface at terminal velocity.


    ¡°Captain, we have an emergency!¡± Shrieked a panicked Glin, Moray¡¯s go-to man who had even shaped his Bronze-tier class for Battlemech usage exclusively, showing a dedication and specialization that had earned him VIP treatment in their company.


    ¡°Glin! Antigrav stabilizers! Use them now!¡±


    ¡°No good captain!¡± An increasingly panicked Glin shrieked. ¡°My Interface reads critical failure! Higher order magics are warping relativity constants! Grav and Antigrav now have only one direction!¡± The man sobbed hysterically. ¡°This is so fucked up. The gods are angry! We were going to kill a bunch of¡­ I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t want to! I didn¡¯t want to!¡±


    ¡°Glin! Abort the mech! Abort the mech and assume maximum drag!¡±


    Glin¡¯s eyes widened. Of course he understood what the captain meant. They weren¡¯t fragile mortals. They were Bronze tier with considerable damage resistance and thousands of health points. Even jumping out of a plane wouldn¡¯t kill them, especially if they did it spread-eagled for maximum drag, even without a gliding suit. Hell, if they did it right, they¡¯d suffer no more than bruises. Maybe.


    It was the rest of his crew that Moray was worried about. Their powered armor wasn¡¯t designed for instant removal. It was designed for maximum flexibility and utility. And if they couldn¡¯t get it off¡­ there would be very little air resistance. They¡¯d hit the ground with devastating force, the very weight of their armor crushing them.


    ¡°Roger captain! It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°The mecha¡¯s lost!¡± The captain roared. ¡°Get out now!¡± Comms became general, a part of him dismayed to see Terra growing ever fainter, his men¡¯s altitude now thousands of feet up.


    ¡°All of you! Leave your suits! Assume maximum drag! Now! That¡¯s a fucking order!¡±


    Furious eyes turned to Mags who flinched before his gaze. ¡°Are the orc shaman fuckers actually daring to betray us? How! Their antigrav spell can barely grab one of their own orcs! Maybe a handful of elves in full suits of enchanted steel plate. At maximum! This is over ten tons that those fuckers are sending airborne!¡±


    The girl trembled for only a second before her fingers flickered across the holographic keyboard once more, revealing a scene that would have been almost comical in any other place or time as he spotted multiple batteries of 24-pounder cast-iron cannons that had been carted by mules, donkeys, slaves or, in some cases, orcs orcs, all of them secured in the most primitive of chassis.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Surprisingly, there were very few obvious classers. His understanding was that the majority were being reserved for the heavy resistance they still expected in both Boston and Philadelphia, just two of the human held cities that the humanoid alliance were determined to claim this endless night.


    Not that the lack of human specialist classers prevented orc artillery from being a devastating force multiplier on any primitive battlefield, especially when their shamans were working in concert. At present, however, all he saw was a handful of shaman who were clearly from different tribes screaming and roaring at each other while their gunners stood respectfully to the side, happily picking their porcine proboscises before carefully examining the contents unearthed and nibbling the treats with obvious relish.


    ¡°Captain! Freefall has ended!¡±


    His jaw tightened, but he merely nodded his head, and a part of him couldn¡¯t help but look at the shrieking, panicked goblin who didn¡¯t know the slightest thing about air resistance or drag and was level 30 at best. The impossibly arrogant little shit was now wide eyed with terror, still gripping the massive mecha that was falling back down to earth.


    Moray¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fuck, Glen! why aren¡¯t you separating? Mags, shift to the others!¡±


    Mags whimpered, Moray¡¯s eyes filled with fury and horror in equal measure as Glin and the others voices filled the comms. ¡°We¡¯re not slowing down, sir!¡± Screamed a female voice, raw with panic as they all fell to earth.


    Fell far faster than Earth standard gravity and troposphere air resistance should allow.


    Even worse was Glin¡¯s frantic cry. ¡°I can¡¯t leave! The core won¡¯t go offline, sir! A surge of spiritual energy spiked the electromana programs! It¡¯s going to blow!¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, sir. Baseline levels shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± The specialist cursed, even as he faced absolute peril. ¡°It¡¯s the spell. This spell has Spiritual Energy baked in! Sir, that¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s totally outside System Parameters!¡±


    ¡°Not on newly ascending worlds,¡± Mags whispered. ¡°The rules are more flexible here. Contenders can stretch causality. Alter the interactions between the forces and fields of reality. I studied this at the academy. It¡¯s like the System itself is eager to see what Contenders can do!¡±


    Moray froze, for the first time in years locked in momentary indecision before making the call.


    ¡°Blue Snake. Request immediate transport for First Flag.¡±


    What chilled Moray the most was the instant reply. There was no delay. No distortion. Even if the voice was being pinged from multiple worlds away.


    ¡°You know the cost.¡±


    Moray swallowed his parched throat as his shrieking men hurled to earth. Fast. Far too fast. And they were aiming right for his artillery unit. ¡°Yes! Artillery as well¡ª¡±


    The screams abruptly stopped. Just a split second before all the screens flared, even the one holding the supposedly secure contract in a Blue Corp offworld depository.


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±


    Moray closed his eyes, sighing in relief. ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    ¡°Only the Bronze Classers. Your White-tier auxiliaries perished.¡±


    The captain swallowed. ¡°Understood. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I expect payment in full in ten cycles. Or an equivalent duration of service, led by you personally.¡±


    Moray¡¯s heart was pounding as a cold sweat prickled his back, his twin horns shivering with death in the air. ¡°Yes, my lord. It will be so.¡±


    He said the words, but the line was already dead.


    ¡°Sir! I found an anomaly!¡± cried an excited Mags.


    Moray felt cold as ice. This mission was a catastrophic failure that was already going to put him in the hole by several Billion credits. With the lost of so many top tier assets and the debt he¡¯d just incurred with a figure he had never planned on dealing with again¡­ He¡¯d be lucky to break even in the next decade. Yet his eyes couldn¡¯t help but glance toward the screen Mags was pouring every ounce of class skill and technology at clarifying, Moray greeted with the odd sight of a young Terran darting across the battlefield far too fast for anyone below low-mid Bronze, let alone a white-tier classer or a mortal, to track.


    Yet that was far from the only incongruity. The youth who looked younger than his paramour was wearing nothing but a pair of tattered pants. He was charging right for the closest orc cannoneers company who moved as slow as molasses in comparison. His hands were empty of anything. Yet when he struck a confused looking orc gunner...


    Mags whistled. ¡°That orc just exploded like he got hit by an artillery shell!¡±


    Soft purple irises met the captain¡¯s in wonder. ¡°That¡¯s no speed specialist. His arm would have shattered.¡±


    The captain¡¯s jaw clenched, seeing the boys¡¯ hand smack one of the smooth bore long guns.. only for it and the chassis both to disappear. And in the time it took his lover to turn around and focus on the monitors once more, multiple cannons had vanished, the air filled with a crimson mist comprised of over a dozen orcs that had stood between the obvious Contender and his prizes, their shattered bodies cartwheeling through the air.


    ¡°Who the hell is he?¡±


    Mags¡¯ stunned disbelief lasted only seconds before cool professionalism took over, the farmost monitor now pulling up information on all the Contenders in this tiny corner of the hemisphere before freezing on what looked to be tabloid pictures from before Terra¡¯s ascension.


    ¡°I think I found a match, sir.¡±


    Several more cannons were claimed and a further handful of orc bodies sent flying, often in pieces, in the time it took the pair of them to read the briefing.


    ¡°Eric Silver. Nineteen years old. A reclusive Scion of the Silver clan pre-ascension who did little more than engage in martial exercises and games of¡­ digitalized fantasy. And now¡­¡±


    Mags looked up at her mentor. ¡°Sir, he¡¯s just¡­ he¡¯s just a White-tier Contender. Younger than my brother in the academy. There¡¯s no way he could¡­¡±


    And in the time they had spoken, he had just taken out an actual Artillery Classer, one of the few the mixed alliance was fielding.


    The pair studied the anomaly for long moments as the boy continued pounding through the orcs with powerful punches and in a few case, far less coordinated kicks.


    Mags furrowed her brow in disbelief. ¡°Is that monster actually trying to hone his skills on the battlefield, using the orcs as¡­ training pells?¡±


    Yet in all cases the result was the same, squealing orc bodies sent cartwheeling through the air, often missing limbs, their skulls exploding like shrapnel grenades whenever the boy struck them.


    And then, in what seemed just a handful of seconds, it was over, the young scion turning to face the handful of shamans now no longer fighting, but glaring at Eric with seething hate, while the thousands of other orcs and multiple humanoid tribes were peering Eric¡¯s way with stupefaction and the slow reflexes of any poorly coordinated alliance. Because objectively speaking, less than twenty seconds had passed.


    ¡°You! Sworn enemy of our people!¡±


    In a split second the shamans were surrounded by a crackling field.


    ¡°Time for you to die, human!¡±


    Mags¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Sir! I recognize the chant, because we were just testing against it. They¡¯re going to try to levitate the¡­¡± Her words died off when the smiling Contender calmly pulled out a modified Tier-2 blaster rifle and took careful aim at the crackling force field.


    ¡°Ha! Stupid human! Do you really think you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    The air flashed with plasma in controlled pulses as the trio of suddenly panicked shamans screamed and died.


    Mags trembled. ¡°He pierced a shaman ward with a high-tech plasma weapon. How?¡±


    Moray flashed a cold smile. ¡°That¡¯s no longer a tech weapon. It¡¯s been altered. Check your readings of the blast.¡±


    The girl frowned before her back stiffened. ¡°Sir, these readings¡­ that¡¯s impossible!¡±


    But it didn¡¯t matter, as the blaster disappeared as fast as it had come, the boy taking a moment to admire his handiwork before inhaling to roar with a sonorous voice that instantly blew out the speakers of their surveillance vehicle.


    Then he was roaring words their interface speakers could no longer pick up.


    Until suddenly they did.


    The speakers were filled with hideous shrieks that crackled and distorted eerily. Mags¡¯ cried out, holding tight to ears which began to bleed.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    The pair exchanged looks. ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡±


    Yet the answer was obvious, as shattered bodies reduced to paste began to shake, as if some fool was trying to revive orcs long past any intervention. Yet in this case¡­ it was working. To hideous effect, as goblets of flesh began to move of their own accord, shredded limbs and decapitated bodies began to slither about the ground, while intestines like rope came alive to pour into the shredded abdomens of countless slaughtered orcs.


    Mags turned a delicate shade of green before the stuffy center was filled with the ripe stench of the girl¡¯s vomit, heaving and sobbing as one orc corpse after another lurched upright like puppets dancing upon monstrous, alien strings.


    The fallen porcine bodies had been restored, even if their flesh had been bubbling and boiling like a thousand maggots crawling under their skin that sowed itself back together after a squirming host of snakelike entrails slithered back where they belonged. And suddenly it was several dozen orcs covered in ancient bronze armaments with massive spears by their side, saluting the coolly smiling youth with armored gauntlets slamming against their breastplates.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    Even Moray felt a wave of dizziness, eyes widening as the speakers placed throughout the vehicle began to drip viscous drops of oil that stank of blood as arts both forbidden and poisonous to his people filled the air. Which was absolute madness. They were in a sealed off bunker isolated from the battlefield. They were hearing nothing but tinny digitized renditions. So why the hell was his cadet curled up in a ball, moaning with blood pouring from her ears?


    Moray shook his head.


    Because none of that mattered.


    All that mattered was that this Eric Silver was both a prime target and the source of all his troubles. Should he actually manage to capture the boy, radiating this much talent like a white-hot supernova¡­


    Moray dared to smile. Perhaps this night wouldn¡¯t be a complete loss after all.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not why we¡¯re really doing this, is it, Moray?¡± He said softly to himself as he began suiting up in his own suit of power armor.


    He had been stuck at Level 35 Bronze for a very, very long time. Finding illumination in the crucible of battle facing a monster who made a mockery out of every chart and prediction that the System generally took as ironclad, on a world so saturated with overwhelming potential as this one, might just be his one final chance at bursting through his bottleneck with insights and revelations that might burn all past folly away.


    He had no way of knowing for sure, of course, as he made his way to the airlock after checking the clamps on his suit one final time. The only way to know was to stand in the face of peril and potential, role the dice, and let them fall where they may.

 Chapter 376 - Challenge Offered & Accepted

    ¡°I got him, boss! Gonna bring him down!¡±


    Eric could only glare at the wild-eyed gunner wearing bomber jacket, aviator goggles, cowboy hat, and bluejeans much like his own, straddling a dystopian cyberpunk dream of what the ultimate artillery weapon would look like as the air shrieked with rounds racing right for Eric, who¡¯s suddenly shrieking danger sense made it damned clear that slowing down to the equivalent of 100 Quickness hero was playing with fire.


    But it was the move he had to make when his danger sense had flared so damned hard in the trench, humbled anew that even ten seconds trash talking a fellow contender was putting hundreds¡­ no thousands, of lives on the line. But as far as he was concerned, he had had no choice. Knowing the nature of his enemies, the ease with which a seemingly innocuous kid had transformed into a rabid warewolf the moment he had turned away after revealing secrets to a handful of nobodies, secrets the goblins would never want revealed, there was no way in hell he was taking any chances with three powerful young contenders radiating the System sanctity of favored pawns, no doubt filled with wild luck and even wilder abilities that would give even Eric pause, and wouldn¡¯t it be utterly ironic if their heartfelt redemption arc began with the death of his sister.


    There was no way in hell he was letting that happen. They could have their fall from grace and heartfelt redemption somewhere else. Anywhere else. But nowhere near his territory, friends, or family. And somehow he just knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that should he bow under the pressure of a thousand desperate gazes and fail to make the kids swear just as he had, somehow there would always be a complication, an excuse, unforeseen events that would make it impossible for him pin those kids to any oath or commitment at all. Not until one or all three were standing over the dying body of his sister, and whether their eyes were filled with dismay or darkest rapture, the worst nightmare imaginable would have come to fruition with Malice filling the ether with his bitter laughter, whether or not his mother had killed him or was tormenting, or redeeming him even now.


    Sure as fuck the monster had a hate hard-on for Eric that defied all reason, no matter whatever twisted tender feelings he might or might not have for the girl he had seduced and enslaved when she was just sixteen years old. A once broken girl who had risen from the ashes of her own disgrace, a golden phoenix who had ascended upon the burnt or frozen remains of a dozen goblinoid worlds that were now no more, Eric right by her side.


    He snarled, shaking away the too visceral too terrible memories he really didn¡¯t want to look at ever again, focusing on the present. On the now. The only thing that mattered if he was going to keep all the hostages safe, after burning precious seconds trying to protect his sister.


    He had spotted four separate artillery batteries in an area that had been orchestrated to be a killing field. And massive chevalier-reinforced trench wards or no, and stupid individual orcs or no, there were enough classers and contenders on the field to see all his sisters future citizens dead if Eric didn¡¯t act NOW!


    A flash of speed and killing intent that instantly drew the eye¡­ while immediately slowing down so his foes could still track him. And the fire of the handful of classers was now entirely on him. Such a striking contrast to the clueless orcs struggling just to position their 24-pounders correctly.


    But what was worse, far worse, was the cowboy gunner coked up to the gills glaring wildly at Eric as he tried to bring him down. And Eric had to move slowly enough that the classers could track him¡­ lest they instead turn their fire to the helpless hostages.


    Yet now he was moving so slowly that he himself was at risk of getting blown to kingdom come.


    MOVE!


    Before abruptly weaving and darting to the side when the air screamed with the echoes of shells exploding all around him as 100 Quickness became a mad dash that still couldn¡¯t make use of his full speed, as both Mana and Spiritual Energy were utterly tapped, Mana only now flooding back in thanks to his mother¡¯s fiery hot bloodline, but as for Spiritual Energy? He needed an hour¡¯s quiet cultivation¡­


    or perhaps just fresh kills.


    Because why the hell should potency floods be relegated to experience pools alone? Why not top the wild cauldron of power that his life entirely depended upon?


    Even while battling the frustration of not being able to MOVE at full speed, lest he go bobbing in the air in uncoordinated leaps as if he were on the moon, his lips were still wide with the absolute rush of dodging and darting at speeds far beyond what any save the farmost gunner could track as his perception of exactly just how far he could push and manipulate his experience gains grew by leaps and bounds.


    And even if he was moving at what was closer to 400 Quickness than 700, it was enough.


    Enough for him to be in the surprised faces of the closest orc cavalry crew, turning their heads so slowly as a snarling Eric¡¯s fist lashed out to slam into the bloated asshole¡¯s massive belly with all the force and fury he could muster without tapping into Burst of Strength, or any limited reserves at all.


    More than enough for the stunned orc¡¯s eyes to rupture under the sudden shockwave of pressure that had just blown out his back in an explosion of gore, sending shattered iron links spraying his own line like grape shot as the cratered body flopped in the air. Falling to the ground so lazily as Eric¡¯s hand smacked the cannon his furious strength could effortlessly lift, meaning it was his now, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    And he was already racing forward, lips stretching in a feral grin as he sensed the frustrated ire of multiple gunner classers, who only cut off their artillery fire when they risk serious contract backlashes, striking their own employers. Even as Eric¡¯s furious fist slammed into one orc after another, his mind as always lost in the horrific memory of Gilton¡¯s darkest hours, where the desperate cries of countless collard humans being thrown into fire pits or insane zombifying pods still haunted his dreams to this day. Innocent victims consigned to the most horrific of deaths by bloated pig-faced monstrosities very much like the assholes he was taking out even now. Assholes who had dared to come for him and his sister.


    ¡°Not this time, motherfuckers!¡± Eric roared to the confused looking orcs who had absolutely no idea what he was referring to, as the monsters of his nightmares were reduced to punching bags for his fury as he embraced furious impulse, leaping forward to clap massive shoulders that crumpled like fall leaves in his hand as his knee bomb exploded right through the closest hapless orc, the resulting crimson spray washing over all the survivors as Eric took too damned long falling back to the ground, time enough for one orc to actually line up his musket before blinking in confusion when Eric seemed to disappear the instant his feet touched the ground and Speed Racer took full effect once more, only for the stunned pig¡¯s skull to explode with a louder crack than his own musket which did no more than tear a hole in Eric¡¯s pants, the only article of clothing still on his person, as a snarling Eric slaughtered the remainder of the company.


    And then he was before the wide-eyed human gazing at Eric in stunned disbelief.


    ¡°No way. No way you can move that fucking¡ª¡±


    You have critically struck your prey!


    You have slain Level 35 Classer Mitch Sniper Mcdevons.


    You have claimed Steampunk autocannon you don¡¯t have the slightest idea how to use!


    Experience earned!


    Five more claps of his palm against cast iron that rang like bells and the battery was clear of everything save a trio of shell-shocked looking shaman incapable of anything but bickering for dominance, thanks to the ugly fusion of their tribes. Though it seemed like they could unite in one thing at least.


    ¡°Human! Get the¡ª¡±


    Eric¡¯s lips curved in a fierce happy rictus when the precious moments he spent staring the shaman wards he now understood so well bore sweetest fruit, just long enough for one enthusiastic gunner on the other side of the battlefield to draw a bead, Eric¡¯s danger sense suddenly flaring as he darted right around the triple warded shamans.


    And that was when he felt it. The weight flowing away from his body as the largest shaman within roared and cackled, Eric finally paying attention to their insults.


    ¡°Ha! Stupid human! Do you really think you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    Words cut off with a surprised open-mouth expression as the shaman sought desperately for words his perforated brain would never be able to process with a crispy fried hole in the center of his forehead. Then the shaman¡¯s eyes rolled up as he toppled over in death.


    As did his startled companions when Eric waited for the second pulse in the shaman force field as he fell back to earth.


    ¡°No! There¡¯s no way an inferior human can pierce our¡ª¡± Plasma death flared once more, Eric firing so fast that the pair of shaman¡¯s died the blink of an eye.


    Then he was moving, as fast as he could as the air screamed with multiple class enhanced artillery rounds. But not before Eric¡¯s hands slammed against the haphazard pile of shot and powder casks the final dozen orcs were guarding. Orcs that had the sense to flee for all they were worth as a fiercely triumphant Eric chanted the words that filled him with such dark sweet joy, even as his furious fists continued pounding the fuck out of those fleeing orcs, his Master-tier perk happy to say that in this tiny corner of the battlefield, at least, victory was most definitely his.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Which was a damned good thing, because he didn¡¯t even have the mana to raise fresh troops mid combat, though he most definitely felt a surge of¡­ something flooding his soul when dozens of bronze covered vambraces smacked against chest plates, powerful baritone voices filling the air as the night rang with the boom of freshly fired artillery.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    ¡°Damn right you do!¡± Eric roared, jabbing his finger toward the leftmost artillery battery. ¡°Now grab the torches these idiots actually had going and charge those fuckers and make them pay!¡±


    His troops saluted and immediately began marching for the opposite side of the battlefield than Eric was racing for, their speed the equivalent of any marching legionnaire. Nothing like racing across the battlefield at hundreds of miles an hour. And they certainly didn¡¯t need torches.


    Yet the very things that utterly sabotaged their ability to serve as shock troops by Eric¡¯s side made them fantastic targets for all the artillery shells now flying their way, as both night-blind orcs manning their pathetic cannons and the handful of classers depending on System messages on where red enemies and experience point pools were going as much as actual nighttime sight of course took the easier targets, a swarm of high level 50 potency rich targets they might actually hit.


    Not the coldly smiling lone wolf now charging right for the second cannon battery set up nearly identical to the first. Save for the fact that the trio of shaman were actually working in concert, their coordinated spells sending a storm of fire searing through Eric¡¯s revenants as they were slowly ground down by multiple cannon fire.


    Cannon fire that was no longer trying to obliterate the humans under cover or himself.


    Of course the Classer amongst the orc idiots guarding the cannon batter he was rapidly approaching immediately sensed the play, effortlessly manipulating a cannon that looked more like a Napoleon 12-pounder than any exotic steampunk or modern military equivalent. Eric felt a sudden shiver of apprehension, despite how mundane their cannon seemed, carefully eyeing his opponent kitted in enchanted mail and an odd bronze helmet with jeweled eye-sockets that was clearly a different breed of gunner than most of the fools he dealt with.


    And Eric wasn¡¯t about to underestimate any wildcards.


    Not when he was such a wildcard himself.


    ¡°There! He¡¯s right fucking¡ª¡± The girl¡¯s words¡­ because it was a girl, were cut off in a long pull of superheated plasma. An attack totally unexpected from Eric, if she hadn¡¯t quite made out how he had taken out the orc shamans when he had darted around them before he was fist pounding orcs once more. His fast-draw blaster strike was the farthest thing from a noble fist warrior sticking it to his enemies in melee range.


    Because this wasn¡¯t training, or a game.


    This was about survival and butchering his opponents before they had the chance to cut him or his charges down.


    Even if a part of him did regret not doing it in the way that would enhance his own growth the most¡­ he wasn¡¯t a complete idiot.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    A choice vindicated when his flaring danger sense even at fifty yards had him curling up and leaping away, as the entire battery exploded with a massive retributive strike.


    You have successfully killed Contender Iglin Morgan using a Soulbound weapon!


    Full experience Boon granted!


    You have earned 5% of your opponent¡¯s primary stats!


    Finesse, Quickness, and Perception have each gone up 4 points! Vitality and Mana have each gone up 3 points! Baseline boons have been enhanced by all modifiers!


    You have have been struck by RETRIBUTIVE STRIKE!


    All surrounding cannons and gunpowder have simultaneously erupted!


    Quickness Check made! Finesse check made!


    Mad Bomber perks are now in effect!


    You have escaped Lethal blast radius!


    Physical Resilience reduces wound severity!


    Fatal Blow reduced to Serious Wound!


    You have been temporarily stunned!


    Words that flooded a dazed Eric¡¯s interface as his curled up form when flying through the air, the entire world spinning madly as Eric wanted to either laugh or scream with a rush of power and agony in equal measure flooded through him, his snap decision to kill his mark at nearly fifty yards out the only reason why he wasn¡¯t paste.


    ¡°Fuck! Contender gunners who can erupt on death violently enough to take out a Bronze? That¡¯s utter bullshit!¡± He hollered in his own head as he went tumbling through the snow-covered fields some distance away from the kill box, praying that the flash, eruption, and distraction of his remaining revenants would keep his foes occupied for at least a few seconds as he infused some of that sweet, sweet potency into power healing the worst of his wounds, though it was still a number of seconds that he lay gasping for breath on the frozen winter ground as the last of his revenants flared out of existence before he forced himself back to his feet.


    ¡°Poor girl could only feed me 20 baseline points. Mid White tier, or lower if she had had her own fortuitous boons¡­ yet her death strike still had my Danger Sense flaring to hell and back.¡±


    He shook his head, both humbled and horrified by what it meant to be a Contender.


    The monstrously sweet rush of claiming one or multiple level¡¯s worth of power with a single kill¡­ and the horror of feasting upon his own kind.


    And the guilt for killing a girl who in an other time and place¡­ if the cards of fate and folly had played even a slightly different hand for her¡­


    He shook away regret that had no place on a killing field where his enemies clearly wanted him dead. Him and the two thousand souls he was now determined to save as he cracked his neck, making sure he truly was in one piece and his pants, miraculously intact¡­ before racing for the battlefield once more.


    Only to behold a sight that froze him where he stood, worst case scenario suddenly in play.


    His slow moving revenants had been utterly obliterated by humanoid spells and artillery fire. The two remaining artillery regiments were no longer firing blind. All of them were, in fact, at attention as a powerfully built Bronze-tier Classer who wasn¡¯t hiding the power radiating from his core, a man who looked like a power-lifting actor on a Battle-Trek set with a soft purple hue to his perfectly toned body, his physique appearing not only human but nearly as Scandinavian as Eric himself looked, save for a pair of tiny silver horns on his head. The man cracked his neck and smiled Eric¡¯s way as he stepped out of the deadliest, most bad-assed mech suit that Eric had seen outside of his mother¡¯s movies. It was a cross between high end powered armor and a battle-mech far more compact than the one he had almost sent into orbit before letting it crash into the only artillery unit Eric had feared taking on directly. An artillery unit that had actually pierced his sister¡¯s defensive wards¡­ though why it hadn¡¯t been shelling the palace the entire time was a question that would probably never be answered.


    The man was smiling before the ramp leading to the two thousand refugees, multiple glowing lights now lighting up the battlefield as well as any stadium that had once hosted Eric¡¯s favorite baseball teams cracking bat to ball for late night homeruns.


    The giant of a man gave Eric a cool nod of acknowledgement as he stood upon the frozen grass, light gusts of snow caressing his head and naked shoulders as he pinned Eric with his ice blue eyes.


    Eric had to give him points for style. He might have been indirectly threatening the hostages with his positioning, lighting, and fresh command of the battlefield, but at least he was classy enough not to say it aloud.


    Then he spoke with a powerful baritone voice that would have done any opera company proud.


    ¡°For the lives of my men, I would challenge you, Contender.¡±


    ***


    Eric took a shuddering breath, starting to truly feel the weariness of the night, even beyond depleted potency pools, only one of them rapidly going back to full. And since his dual potency runic spells required multiple potency pools to cast¡­ he was fucked. But what choice did he have? Fate itself literally compelled him to fight, after his would-be opponent made the classy move, having leveled the playing field by stepping out of power armor that most definitely had an absurdly sophisticated and deadly looking plasma minigun attached to the chassis among other instruments of death. Yet he forbore using those tools with which he could take out Eric effortlessly, if he was stupid enough to stick around, or the two thousand effective hostages, if Eric got smart and just cut and ran.


    As it stood, he was challenging Eric wearing nothing more than an exotic mesh jumpsuit with a vibroblade strapped to his hip. Really, he couldn¡¯t ask for a fairer contest than that.


    All other things being equal.


    Eric forced himself to smile, holding out empty hands, wearing nothing but what were now suspiciously intact bluejeans utterly free of holes and scuff-marks, now hugging his powerful quadriceps a lot better than they had just an hour ago.


    ¡°Seeking to hone yourself along the Warrior¡¯s Path?¡± Eric quipped, his thoughts racing as he tried to buy himself time.


    This earned a cold chuckle. ¡°Always, Contender. And sure, at this point it would be effortless to slaughter both you and the thousands of Terrans my employers so dearly wishes eliminated. Make no mistake, boy. After costing us a fortune in lost capital, any merc company worth their salt would scorch your world with retribution that would make your eyes bleed. But I ask you, Contender, where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    The man¡¯s laughter was downright charming, earning chuckles from all the mercenary Terrans beside the hooting and howling orcs and gnolls in the distance¡­ even if only screams and sobs could be heard from the huddling humans Eric had been charged by his sister to protect, forced to accept that the natural gully, even with an exhausted Chevalier¡¯s renewed wards, had just become a death trap.


    Yet the mercenary¡¯s eyes¡­ so very cold and calculating.


    Bronze Killing Aura boosted by 3000 Points in Martial Stats has ATTEMPTED TO SUPPRESS your own!


    Willpower Check: Success!


    Contender Status in effect.


    You have successfully resisted Bronze-tier suppression!


    Radiated Aura reveals your opponent¡¯s build!


    Moray Adonelle. Rank 35 Bronze Battlefield Commander - 600 Strength / 600 Vitality / 600 Quickness / 600 Finesse / 600 Perception (Potency pools hidden)


    Note. Your opponent has achieved an Ideal Configuration and unlocked hidden bonuses!


    Eric matched the merc¡¯s smile with his own, cracking his neck and pretending his heart wasn¡¯t pounding with dread as he was forced to face what might be his strongest opponent yet, with powers and abilities he couldn¡¯t even guess at, while he was at his absolute weakest and most drained.


    Pure fucking bullshit¡­ and it was a trap easy enough to escape.


    All he had to do was turn around and walk away. Speed Racer and 710 Quickness sure as fuck meant his foe wasn¡¯t catching him.


    Instead he stepped forward, calmly closing the distance as he felt over half a dozen sniper classers lock onto him¡­ for all that their aim wobbled in and out of focus, probably thanks to nausea, though not one dared fire with a 35<sup>th</sup> level Bronze Classer radiating potency so powerful that pretty much the entire army were on their knees, many puking with vertigo, and Eric could only imagine how his charges felt, far closer to the Battlefield Commander than even the nominally affiliated humanoids who clearly weren¡¯t directly under his command, or Eric doubted they¡¯d be having any symptoms at all.


    ¡°Your right. Sending you hurtling into space would be fucking boring as hell. No challenge, no growth,¡± Eric said, enjoying the look this earned him.


    His words were pure bluff, of course. But his foe didn¡¯t have to know that. Eric felt a sharp twinge of satisfaction when Moray¡¯s pupil¡¯s dilated, Eric¡¯s What the Other Party Wants and Know the Score perks massaging his exhausted brain as he suddenly sensed an angle that might leave them both ahead.


    ¡°So here¡¯s what I propose. You and me have it out, one on one. No abilities, no powers, no crazy skills. Fists and feet only, honing ourselves in the most primal way we can as we forge ourselves in the crucible of battle, fighting for dominance, survival, and mastery. Because we both know a System-pasteurized glob of experience will only take us so far. After all, what good¡¯s a fight over in the blink of an eye, when we can intensify the killing pressure that forges us over glorious minutes instead of a split second that hardly does us any good at all?¡±


    Eric felt a pleased tingle when he caught the satisfied smirk on Moray¡¯s face. No doubt this was pretty much exactly what the man was going to go for anyway, Eric was sure, his gesture of stepping out of his mecha without high tech weaponry enough of a clue.


    Moray gave a satisfied nod. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you understand what truly matters, newblood. All this?¡± He sneered at both the thousands of gathered troops and the hostages gazing up at him in fear. ¡°Meaningless. Just pieces on someone else¡¯s game board, worth nothing more than a ¡®quest complete¡¯ or a paycheck. It¡¯s the glory of battle in the crucible of combat, battles against opponents who push us, challenge us! That is the only way we can continue to excel, continue to push ourselves to the limits of our potential!¡±


    His grin turned hard, calculating. ¡°But for our fight to mean something, there must be intensity. There must be¡­ Peril.¡± With the inhuman grace of an over-leveled asshole who had both Quickness and Finesse at 600 who shouldn¡¯t even be allowed on Earth, he flashed a neck-sized ring of mithril that sent a spike of dread lancing through Eric¡¯s gut.


    Eric froze and hissed, earning a cold chuckle.


    ¡°You understand what this is. Good. Then you know the price of failure. And I don¡¯t even have to kill you. So, shall we begin?¡±


    Eric coolly shook his head, ignoring the hard glare this earned him. Before the first punch was thrown, he¡¯d make damned sure that the terms were clear¡­ and give himself room to position at least one hidden ace of his own.


    ¡°If you win, all the fleeing refugees will be permitted safe passage to our destination wherein a truce will be in effect til first light with an option for a bloodless surrender come dawn.¡± He flashed a cold smile. ¡°And you¡¯re free to decline collaring me, if you choose. If you surrender to me, I will also have the option to spare your life, and you, your men, and the unified alliance of assholes here must swear to leave the northeast quadrant for at least a season.¡±


    Moray gazed at him for long moments. ¡°And if I decide I¡¯m going to collar you, and not let you go with your friends?¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll let the contest of mithril be held right after the contest of unarmed skill. Fair enough? As to whether or not we¡¯ll even have that¡­ what should we call it, a second match? I¡¯ll leave that up to you. Either way, the refugees will be granted safe passage out of here, and be granted the chance to surrender peacefully, should you all successfully breach my sister¡¯s wards after first light.¡±


    The mercenary commander glared at Eric for long seconds before filling the cold nighttime air with his laughter. ¡°Done and Done! Let our match begin!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± Roared a distant humanoid voice, before the words were cut off in a streak of superheated plasma.


    Moray glared into the distant crowds, most of the humanoids still kneeling under the weight of his aura. ¡°Anyone else have any objections? Good! Seeing as our goblin¡­ concierge has fallen in the chaos of battle, command of this regiment is now mine to bear! When I give an order, I expect instant obedience. Insubordination will be met with death. Am I clear?¡±


    Hundreds of clueless humanoid eyes gazed his way.


    ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± Said a distant Terran voice.


    ¡°We obey the Big Boss!¡± a handful of orc shaman nervously agreed when Moray turned his killing glare their way. A glare that immediately softened into a warm, almost fatherly smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, boys! You did good, getting us this far. Now take your ease, break out the drinks, and enjoy yourselves while I whip this boy into shape. Now that¡¯s an order!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Big Boss!¡± Declared a bunch of happily hooting orcs, as they, and the other humanoid tribes immediately began breaking out flasks of drink, rations, cooking pots, and began taking their ease, countless hundreds of humanoid races and human classers now gazing Eric and Moray¡¯s way as if eager for a show.


    Eric gave a courteous dip of his head. ¡°You handle your men well,¡± he said.


    The mercenary chuckled. ¡°Comes with experience. You thirsty, kid? You look like you¡¯ve been through hell. Here, drink up.¡±


    Eric took the water flask with a smile, drinking deep¡­ and detecting no toxin all all.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem. You ready, kid?¡±


    Eric cracked his neck and stepped back into the circle the powerful bronze had carved into the tuft.


    ¡°Alright, kid. Here are the rules. We knock the shit out of each other as much as we like, and we fight like everything¡¯s on the line. Because it is.¡±


    Hard purple eyes glared into Eric¡¯s own.


    ¡°When I eventually have you in a guillotine choke¡­ and I will¡­ tap my arm, hard, thrice, and you¡¯re mine. Fight¡¯s over, you get to live, your pawns get to meet up with your sister for all the good it will do them, and your time here on Earth is pretty much over. You understand?¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart was racing. He couldn¡¯t help smiling as he bowed his head. ¡°I understand. The moment either of us concede the fight, the trial of fists will be over and the trial of mithril will begin,¡± he said, even if he was castigating himself for seven kinds of fool for never learning how to properly grapple beyond the very basics. This would definitely be a stick and move kind of fight, if he had anything to say about it.


    Moray snorted. ¡°Sure, kid. Trial of Mithril. I like that. I hope your future owner does as well. You ready? Our match starts¡­ now!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but flash a tight, excited grin, eager to see how well his hyper intense but utterly unorthodox training would fair against a trained Bronze-tier warrior.


    As it turned out¡­ not quite as well as he had hoped.

 Chapter 377 - The Trial of Fists vs The Trial of Mithril

    Your opponent has successfully countered right cross!


    Your opponent deftly dodges left hook!


    Your opponent fades away from haymaker!


    You fail to parry kidney shot!


    You fail to counter Tiger Claw strike! (You have saved versus suffocation from hammered esophagus!)


    You fail to counter crescent kick!


    You have been sent cartwheeling through the air!


    It was all Eric could do not to throw up after Moray¡¯s foot came damned close to dislocating his jaw, sending him flying through the air. Yet what hurt almost as bad as the furious wrench to his neck and his desperate gasps for air as Unified Restoration worked over time to keep his bruised organs and throbbing ribs intact, was the look of jaded disappointment in Moray¡¯s face.


    ¡°Seriously, kid? This is the best you can do?¡±


    Eric swallowed his angry retort, because save a few brief halcyon weeks in a cultivation rift he had somehow forged into a mirror world, he had absolutely no tutors or trainers or any way forward, save by surviving by the seat of his pants.


    So instead he flashed a bitter smile, forcing himself forward. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you all the exciting opportunities to learn and grow that your allies are more than eager to give their newly ascending neighbors.¡±


    The man snorted coldly. ¡°So, now you¡¯re going to wine about having to fight to get the resources you need?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes flashed, before he wrenched control of his frustration, refusing to charge in like a stupid fool, his smile now matching Moray¡¯s own, already knowing the only message the man would respect from him. The message of perseverance, struggling past all adversity.


    So Eric gamely pressed on, refusing to back down, no matter how often Moray parried his strikes with contemptuous ease, shin checking his angle kicks like the amateur shots that they were, even with Eric¡¯s 400 Finesse. Certainly that didn¡¯t mean shit when his opponent had 600 in that very stat and thousands of hours of training as Moray whipped around so fast with a spinning heel kick that if Eric hadn¡¯t listened to his screaming Danger Sense and ducked, the fight would have been over right then and there¡­ and perhaps his life as well.


    ¡°Eric! Be careful!¡±


    A terrified voice from the huddled masses, Vincent¡¯s wife the only one who dared to speak, for all that Eric was attempting to do just that.


    Yet his foe¡¯s icy gaze was now void of humor or mercy, and whatever brief moment of camaraderie they had shared, he was now most definitely fighting like a man eager for the kill.


    Willpower check successful! You have turned fear to focus!


    Find Weakness skillcheck: Failed! Your opponent is MUCH more experienced at this art than you!


    Yet Eric found it in himself to tune out all extraneous distractions as he weaved past a spinning backfist that would have shattered his jaw, only to be caught by a liver shot that sent him cartwheeling way.


    Power Healing engaged! (Good thing you have so much potency saved up from your last fight!)


    Yet to Moray¡¯s surprise, Eric kept getting up.


    No matter how many times the mercenary captain knocked him on his ass, sent him flying with a strike to his jaw, solar plexus, or kidney that should have ended him¡­ Eric never gave up.


    No matter how much exhaustion clawed at his psyche, or how much pain gnawed at his reflexes.


    He forced himself to fight.


    To focus.


    To learn.


    Until he was finally able to block at least a few of Moray¡¯s bone cracking blows, and weave past even more.


    His shin checks finally began paying off in countering at least a few snapping kicks, and even if the gut punches were still sending him flying, he was learning how to roll with the blows.


    Time seemed to flow in an endless dance, one that Eric was far from mastering, but at least he was learning the steps, learning to embrace the flow. Even Moray¡¯s hard gaze softened into something that was almost a smile, eyes lighting up with a flash of¡­ something¡­ before he gave a shout, eyes suddenly wild like fire, his fist abruptly moving so fast that Eric was airborne before he could think¡­ and Eric already knew the fight was over.


    He crashed to the ground, dizzy and wheezing for breath.


    The trial of fists had drawn to its conclusion.


    Now it was time for the second and final act of the night.


    Eric couldn¡¯t help smiling when he heard Moray¡¯s chuckle so close that his reeling senses were screaming in warning. For the man was no longer standing in the center of his circle, clearly the custom of his people when dueling. Now the man was right behind Eric who was desperately doing all he could to snap back into focus, inhaling the sharp winter air smelling of pine trees, shredded loam, frost and blood¡­ his blood. And another scent as well. Or perhaps the absence of scent that was it¡¯s own blaring warning. For mithril, near transcendent in structure, lost no atoms with use, so pristine and noble it reacted with very little at all, from what Eric could tell. Which meant that it had absolutely no smell at all.


    Only the sound of a lock snapping open with superhuman speed.


    ¡°Not bad, kid. Not bad at all. A few more years and you might actually amount to something. And hell. You were strong enough, rippling with so much potential, that you were exactly what I needed.¡±


    Eric forced a soft chuckle, still stumped over, not having to fake exhaustion too hard, even as every muscle tingled with pent explosive force.


    Explosive force that his now snorting opponent, able to read him so well, had already countered a score of times before.


    ¡°So, I guess the trial of fists is over, and I¡¯ll be the first to admit it¡­ I lost. Round one is yours, Moray. Congratulations.¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°Don¡¯t get cute, kid. It¡¯s over. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a man of my word. Your sister¡¯s newest recruits can go free.¡±


    Eric suppressed a shiver, realizing that Moray knew far more than any White-tier opponent should. ¡°So. Trial of mithril then.¡±


    Eric turned around, but Moray was already charging forward, a right hook catching Eric under the solar plexus, as Eric knew it would, just in time for his left hand to snap a mithril collar around Eric¡¯s neck.


    OR try to¡­ before clanging against an object that had the merc¡¯s eyes widening in sudden disbelief as the massive crowd of hooting and roaring humanoids who had so enjoyed watching Eric get his comeuppance went dead silent, the tension suddenly so thick that Eric could cut it with a knife.


    Or the mithril nodachi with four feet of razor sharp mithril shimmering with higher order concepts now twisting free the mithril collar from hands spraying blood as Eric¡¯s blade rested against a suddenly speechless Moray¡¯s throat.


    Quickness check made!


    Burst of Strength in effect!


    You have successfully surprised your opponent!


    Moray gazed at Eric for long, disbelieving minutes, taking a slow breath, remarkably calm for a man who had just lost two fingers and a thumb, with blood coursing from the shallowest of cuts from a neck cut from a blade that had a hell of a lot more presence since it had ascended alongside Eric into realms of Silver and, for the briefest of moments, Gold.


    Moray gazed at Eric for long moments as a young desperate voice filled the nighttime air.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him! Please!¡±


    Moray roared with sudden laughter, never mind the blood welling from the ever deepening cut. ¡°Oh you¡¯re a clever one, boy! Trial of mithril indeed. And how the hell did you get your hands on an artifact radiating higher order concepts even I can feel shrieking against my soul?¡±


    Eric forced a tense smile. ¡°You chose a mithril slave collar, I chose a blade. And here we are now. So, Moray, what¡¯s the play? Fair warning, I¡¯m a tad bit better with my sword than I am with my fists.¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°You¡¯d almost have to be. You need a fuck ton of work, boy. Especially with your kicks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, tell me about it.¡±


    The man¡¯s laughter died off, gazing at Eric with a thousand yard stare. ¡°I guess we¡¯re even then.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Call it a draw?¡±


    ¡°If that means we both leave the field peacefully and Queensland remains ¡®in play¡¯ for the rest of the night, neither side claiming it, then that¡¯s fine.¡±


    Moray gave an infinitesimal nod. ¡°Good.¡± He took a deep breath, gazing at Eric carefully before stepping away¡­ only to find himself jostled by the girl shaking and sobbing and holding him so tightly from behind that there could be no doubt as to what he meant to her.


    Eric gave Moray a look.


    The merc winced. ¡°It¡¯s strictly professional.¡±


    ¡°Sure it is.¡±


    ¡°So, you gonna get the hell out of here, or not?¡±


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Eric smirked. ¡°Good doing business with you, Moray. Sorry about your crew.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes flashed.


    ¡°No, I mean it. I¡­ shit. Social Perception¡¯s making it clear I really bungled that one, right?¡±


    ¡°Eric, come on. Let¡¯s just go!¡± Hissed the panicked elven woman who had stuck up for him more than once and who¡¯s name he really should learn.


    With a final awkward glance at the glaring merc, and why the hell was Eric the one flushing like an embarrassed kid who had just made a fool of himself? He was a hero who had just taken on and gotten the best of a 35<sup>th</sup> level Bronze tier mercenary! Sort of.


    Maybe.


    Why the hell hadn¡¯t his perks shut his yapping mouth?


    ¡°Fuck, that was awkward.¡±


    This earned a snort from the Japanese girl by a pale-faced Sven¡¯s side. ¡°Baka.¡±


    Eric smirked, leading the train of some two thousand odd people away from the presently retreating humanoid contingent, rapidly approaching the howling storm Eric knew he¡¯d need every iota of his power to pierce.


    ¡°You just called me an idiot, didn¡¯t you? Can¡¯t fool me. I watched subbed not dubbed. Because I have class.¡±


    This earned a half-mocking chuckle from the blond, flanking Sven¡¯s other side. She gave Eric a frank look. ¡°And you¡¯re just as classy as they come, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°I try,¡± he said, pretending he didn¡¯t sense the way Sven was absolutely wilting before him, or the way his girls were hovering around him so protectively, engaging in pointless banter with him to shield their man. At least he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to point it out or tease them for it, Social Perception pinging him when he actually listened to his instincts.


    This earned a smirk. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re just winging it all by the seat of your pants, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Yeah¡­ pretty much.¡±


    ¡°You know you scared the fuck out of my boyfriend, right?¡±


    ¡°Kim, stop!¡±


    Eric sighed, carefully not meeting their gaze. ¡°Yeah. I know.¡±


    ¡°You know why, right?¡±


    Eric swallowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice. If I hadn¡¯t fired¡­ that cannon would have.¡±


    The blond girl exchanged a look with her brunet counterpart. ¡°It¡¯s a fair point.¡±


    The Japanese girl nodded, gently squeezing a pale-faced Sven¡¯s hand.


    Sven clenched his jaw, glaring Eric¡¯s way. ¡°So, we¡¯re next, huh?¡±


    Eric gave him a look. ¡°Jeezus, I think you fumbled your social role more than I did!¡±


    Sven blinked at this, before his eyes widened. ¡°Fuck, I just did!¡± He turned to the Japanese girl. ¡°Could you talk to him, Kim? I don¡¯t have the skill ranks for this.¡±


    The girl in question gave Eric a wry half-smile. ¡°That¡¯s okay. His social skills suck ass too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Eric declared. ¡°I have multiple social perks and¡­ wait, both of you are named Kim? Doesn¡¯t that get confusing?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t, since we¡¯re soul linked. Besides, my beautiful buxom partner in crime was Christened Kimberly. And how many girls did you charm with your suave ass skills before the incursions started?¡±


    Eric gazed at a smirking Kim for long moments. ¡°Does all the groupies mother dearest coaxed into my bed count?¡±


    The blond gave him a look. ¡°Eww.¡±


    Kim snorted. ¡°Dude, who the fuck are¡­¡± She blinked, giving Eric a slow once over. ¡°Fuck me twice, you¡¯re him!¡±


    ¡°Is that actually an expression? Because you already have two paramours so¡­¡±


    This earned a scowl. ¡°Now, you¡¯re just being a wise ass.¡±


    Eric grinned and cracked his neck, enjoying the feel of the frigid ground tickling his toes. ¡°No comment.¡±


    Sven scowled. ¡°Wait, who is he?¡±


    ¡°Eric Silver! Elonia Silver¡¯s loser brother? Can¡¯t act, dropped out of school, streamed for a bit then dropped off the face of the earth?¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks blazed. ¡°Harsh, man. That¡¯s real fucking harsh.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, what Sven¡¯s trying to say is¡­ are you planning on sucking down our sweet sweet power like a Highlander screaming ¡®There can only be one?¡¯¡±


    Eric gave her a long look. ¡°First of all, can we agree that the TV show was pretty sweet and the second movie was a fucking travesty?¡±


    This earned a hot-eyed glare from Kim. ¡°No, we can¡¯t. The TV show sucked balls, and anything Connery¡¯s in is awesome by definition. Even that travesty of a psychedelic movie he did in the seventies.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Fair enough. Anyway, the answer is no, because I¡¯m actually not a psychopath, and Earth will be a fuck ton stronger with a hundred strong contenders than a handful of slightly stronger contenders more interested in killing off each other than actually keeping our world from being overrun by assholes.¡±


    Kim glared at her with eyes nearly identical to Yuki¡¯s own before giving a slow nod. ¡°I believe him.¡± She then laughed bitterly. ¡°Besides, with how fast you move, if you want us dead, we¡¯re dead. So why the fuck worry about it?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you guys took the oath so you can leave anytime you like if I really make you that uncomfortable,¡± Eric mumbled.


    ¡°It depends on how cool your sister is, to be honest,¡± Kim admitted with a strangely sympathetic smile. ¡°And don¡¯t feel too bad. Honestly, you¡¯re looking pretty fly, mister ¡®I don¡¯t need anything but jeans in the post apocalypse.¡¯ Besides, I know what it¡¯s like to be shown up by an older sibling who¡¯s always two steps ahead and is all anyone looks at.¡±


    ¡°You know, I was actually born¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up and take the compliment.¡±


    ¡°Taken.¡±


    ¡°Did you see how fast he was moving? I couldn¡¯t even make out what was going on until it was over, and that kid¡­ fuck, did you see his sword?¡± Herb¡¯s voice, Eric could now so easily pick it out from so many others, for all that the classers were taking it upon themselves to gently coral the terrified mortals and the lower leveled noobs in way over their head who had only wanted to escape Freetown into a semblance of order¡­ and get the hell away from the killing fields and into the closest area they had to sanctuary as fast as possible.


    Vincent sighed. ¡°All I saw was that kid flying and the Bronze monster¡¯s fist. Fucker was clearly holding a pose every time the kid was thrown out of the ring, so everyone could see the last move, and how well he was getting the best of the kid who thought he was his match. And the way all the orc bastards and gnolls in back hooted and howled, you know they were getting a major moral buff.¡±


    ¡°But he did get the best of that mercenary bastard in the end,¡± his wife noted.


    ¡°Yes, Angie. He did,¡± Vincent said agreeably enough. ¡°And right now we¡¯re walking free because that kid was willing to bleed for us and I¡¯ll always be grateful. Especially if he can get us past the fucking stationary whirlwind now in front of us.¡±


    Eric flushed at those words, the pair of girls by Sven¡¯s side now looking at him expectantly as well.


    ¡°So, what now¡­ hero?¡± The blond said with a challenging smile.


    Eric winced. ¡°Now¡­ fuck.¡±


    Kim and Kimberly exchanged disbelieving looks. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know how to get us through?¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed. He closed his eyes.


    Er - Elonia, great news! We¡¯re here!


    El ¨C Awesome! Hold on a second¡­ oh, I sense where you are!


    Er ¨C Please don¡¯t strain your channels, you told me how¡­ never mind.


    El ¨C I¡¯m not a complete cripple, brother dearest ;) and thank you. For everything.


    Eric opened his eyes a second later, impressed despite himself to see the clear tube-shaped area of calm surrounded by the howling winds, like a tunnel made of unbreakable glass. He turned to smile at the two thousand or so survivors gazing at the cyclone and the entrance with either awe or dread.


    ¡°Alright, it looks like we¡¯re here, friends! Follow me and we¡¯ll do our best to get you all settled. And if anyone wants to earn some bonus points helping with setting up tables, beds, and food prep, I think my sister would be thrilled to offer you all jobs.¡±


    It pained Eric how eagerly dozens of too thin, desperate looking souls of all ages and sexes were desperately nodding or waving their hands to get hired.


    His smile became strained but he kept his voice cheerful as he entered the strangely silent tunnel, for all that massive gale-force winds were roaring just above them.


    ¡°Shit, why do I feel like I¡¯m on a hostile world?¡± The blond Kimberly whispered.


    Sven¡¯s eyes were filled with awe. ¡°With a single spell, Elonia Silver could send us all hurtling into the ionosphere. Now that¡¯s power!¡± Her said with more than a bit of awe, Kim nodding in solemn agreement.


    Eric smiled, awed once more at witnessing the power of his sister¡¯s rituals firsthand. With the right backup and support, Eric had no doubt she could carve a pretty damned impressive empire, if she was given half a chance. Which no doubt explained why the entire alliance of assholes had united to bring her down.


    Eric¡¯s awed admiration turned to brooding worry, though his features lightened when they finally made it through the tunnel, and Eric found himself leading over two thousand people sobbing and cheering with gratitude as they fell to their knees and wept before the smiling beauty dressed in pristine white silk with a mithril tiara, gazing at them all with imperial affection from the top of the white mare she so elegantly rode upon, looking as regal as any queen about to lead her troops to war, or bring her weary people home.


    In that moment a stray shaft of moonlight caressed Elonia¡¯s features, and even Eric felt a jolt of breathless awe, truly feeling like he was witnessing something miraculous as his sister seemed to wax with majesty before his eyes.


    Congratulations! You have successfully completed the quest: Save my people!


    Elonia Silver has successfully recruited over 1000 Devoted Recruits in a single night!


    You have helped your sister achieve a Noble Title!


    Do you wish to join the Sylvan Alliance and share in title boons? Y/N


    You have chosen: NO.


    Free Agent status successfully maintained!


    Eric flashed his sister an exhausted smile, only in that moment realizing how tired he truly was. ¡°You¡¯re looking awesome, sis!¡±


    ¡°Only thanks to you, brother,¡± she thought right back at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to crash. I am truly fucking knackered. I need at least an hour¡¯s sleep to fill up all my potency pools. And then? It¡¯s on.¡±


    His sister gave him a heartfelt smile. ¡°I saw what you did. Taking on a Bronze tier merc company. If I hadn¡¯t been so worried that I would have thrown you off your game¡­ I would have screamed at you to return and we take Jurgen¡¯s offer and enjoy a sweet life far away from here. Because I don¡¯t want to lose you, brother, conquest arc be damned.¡±


    Her eyes blazed with wonder. ¡°But you did it. You actually got the best of them!¡±


    Even as her thoughts gently soothed his worries, her words rang through the clearing, taking the fervent oaths of her newest and perhaps most devoted citizens, promising safety and succor, nourishment and future opportunities, and the promise of a better future.


    Even as her words lightened Eric¡¯s heart, there was one thing he craved above all others.


    And that was the marvelous, luxurious bedroom his sister, with her twinkling mischievous eyes, had marked on his interface map as his own. He couldn¡¯t fly through the palatial corridors fast enough, grateful to see that at least this half of the palace hadn¡¯t been touched by artillery and chaos, though he hadn¡¯t been expecting a smiling and very naked Yuki to be lying in his bed.


    Her eyes were challenging even if her cheeks were blazing at her own daring, her husky voice sending shivers down his spine. ¡°You promised me a boon, hero. And I aim to collect.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart was suddenly beating for a very different reason, and he couldn¡¯t deny how exquisitely beautiful Yuki was or, despite her prickly demeanor, that there was definitely chemistry between them.


    Yet she wasn¡¯t Rica, a girl his heart yearned strangely for this night, for reasons he could no longer clearly recall. But what stood out even more than his need for a thorough soak was just how familiar Yuki¡¯s exquisite beauty was to a girl he had met less than an hour ago.


    ¡°Assuming you have a sister named Kim¡­¡±


    Yuki was suddenly glaring in his face, looking so incredibly delicious without a single garment marring her exquisite caramel beauty. She was as much Thai as Japanese, Eric suspected, not that he cared in the least.


    ¡°What the fuck do you know about Kim? Did something happen to her? You sure as fuck better not be sleeping with her, Eric Silver!¡±


    Eric forced a smile. ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s already shacking up with a girl named Kimberly and a boy named Sven. And she¡¯s a Contender, by the way, as are her lovers. Careful, Yuki. They¡¯re all definitely radiating PC protag vibes. The System probably wants them to make cute babies or something. So you¡¯re not going to have a shot at¡­¡±


    His words died off when Yuki covered herself in shadow and darted out the room.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t fuck with Elonia¡¯s coronation bullshit!¡± Eric shouted haphazardly before realizing he didn¡¯t actually care that much about hot baths or anything save glorious, luxurious sleep.


    He was out like a light before his sweaty, blood-covered scalp even touched his pristine down-stuffed pillow.

 Chapter 378 - Heading to Freetown

    The air rang with the crack of a pilum head rammed into a faceplate comprised of polymerized mithril. Perhaps the sturdiest part of the T-3 electromana powered armor once worn by a Bronze-tier mercenary that had thought Eric easy prey.


    Of course most of the armor was reinforced by plates of a far less elegant, heavier alloy than translucent polymerized mithril alloy, yet it had still been strong enough to serve the mercenary well, until the day he had dared to cross a certain White-tier wildcard that countless factions were now desperate to bring down.


    Attribute modified skill check made: You have failed to pierce T-3 alloys with: Rune-reinforced pilum.


    Eric grit his teeth as he stood in the windswept grasses outside his sister¡¯s palace, a stray beam of moonlight caressing his half naked form as a breeze tousled his increasingly wild locks of fiery blond hair, wearing nothing save the pants that had somehow fully repaired itself, an article of clothing his smirking sister had declared was somehow being transformed into an artifact off sorts as it was swept up in the hero¡¯s tale that was his increasingly becoming own.


    He had ignored the bemused looks he had earned, passing by the downstairs feasting hall that was filled with acquaintances, adventuring companions, and those that, at any other time, he would have happily sat beside to find solace in the comfort of their camaraderie, developing cords as powerful as any cultivation path in their own way, bonds of friendship fit to see one past countless obstacles and difficulties that life was throwing everyone¡¯s way. Comfort in the lonely seas of a chaotic existence.


    Even if Sven had given him a wry look, his Japanese girlfriend now paying far more attention to Yuki than him, sharing tears and laughter with the girl who looked almost identical, both radiating potency and eyes that, even filled with mirth and merriment, had seen far too much for their tender years.


    And when the pair turned to a suddenly blushing Sven with eyes that were far too bold and appraising, even if Yuki was giving her sister a supportive squeeze of her hand, Eric knew it was time to take his leave with a single nod his sister¡¯s way. Elonia having looked so regal while charming them all with her wit, banter, and bold declarations, forging what she no doubt hoped would evolve into her staunchest allies and champions. A banquet hall filled with Eric¡¯s boon companions, a highly skilled White-tier artillery company, and the strongest classers to have escaped Freetown and the trap their enemies had set, thanks in no small part to Eric¡¯s intervention.


    ¡°Do you really have to go?¡±


    Eric had solemnly nodded. Needing to share only a flash of the nightmares that had trapped him with cords of mocking laughter that Eric recognized all too well. Shivering in loathing and revulsion, yet refusing to rise to the bait.


    Assuming it was bait, and not his mind haunted by his own inadequacies, his own failures, his own inability to save his friends and follow through. Even if the images of Caliban, sweet Jinni looking so desperate with her soft green eyes and tear-stained cheeks, and dozens of other Blue Corp employees who Eric knew Caliban cared for like brothers and sisters, were presently bound by slave collars and chains, being sold off along with thousands of other former Freetown citizens in the arena filled with hooting orcs, simpering goblins, snorting Ogres, and a contingent of the foulest humans still on Earth, CFA soldiers and slavers.


    His friends desperate cries as the air rang with the sound of cracking whips, the ruins of the once magnificent Blue Place lobby after being torn up by plasma fire as power armored mercs ruthlessly broke through whatever slivers of Blue Quarter resistance had remained¡­ he had seen it all. As if he had been there, a floating spirit witnessing the collapse of Freetown from the moment Caliban had escaped the clutches of sadists and monsters, gathering all his hidden employees and their families, only for their final desperate bid for freedom to fail.


    A gate that should have been opened had been slammed closed.


    And the bitter irony of it all is that Eric knew exactly who was to blame.


    He glared down at his own trembling fist, still holding the pilum he had forced himself to take the time to sharpen so carefully, glowing with runes forged of blood and fury and a tiny bit of his potency to assure that this weapon would never bend, break, or falter.


    Soulbound. Indestructible. And still unable to crack a simple mithril alloyed plate.


    It would have been another thing entirely if he were to strike with fists crackling with higher order concepts of Fire, or his blade that was now a higher order artifact in its own right.


    Weapons that he was damned sure would echo in the ether, or through whatever medium countless goblin seers or their ultimate masters was using to look his way even now.


    He took a deep breath, replacing frustration, growing fury, with coolheaded focus.


    He glared in the direction of Freetown, haunted by the weight of so many precious territories already fallen in his absence, when he had been one with his mother¡¯s glorious Golden ascension.


    Dairyland, home to his Milk Maidens. Hope Province, where the Towers of Zor had manifested, perhaps the greatest prize that countless Bronze clans would be eager to claim exclusive use of for themselves. Ashland, which held such grand, limitless potential that would see Earth¡¯s citizens ascend countless levels with resources from those endless delves that would prove an unimaginable boon, given time. His priceless spirit fruit grove in Picksonville. His sister¡¯s precious mage academy in Solaris. So many prizes were now in the hands of their enemies. Now at risk of being lost forever. And, for all Eric knew, so many precious treasures and even more precious souls had already been lost, fallen to their foes.


    He took a shuddering breath, clenching his fists, blinking back tears of frustration, yet determined to follow through with his plan.


    He glared at the power armor after lashing out one final time with the pilum in his hand, the air resonating with a crack resonating with enough force to blast through steel.


    But not the mithril alloy before him as he sighed, walked across the field to retrieve the armor that had been sent flying back under the force of his blow, seeing only the slightest chip in the faceplate, and this made him smile for a brief second, before closing his eyes and sending his sister one final message.


    Er ¨C I¡¯m off.


    El ¨C Are you sure?


    Eric flashed a sad smile that no one save the brilliantly shining stars overhead could see.


    Er ¨C It has to be this way. You know why.


    El ¨C Love you, bro.


    Er ¨C Stay safe, sis. If shit hits the fan? Take that offer and go.


    With that final message sent, Eric began racing way from Queensland at a furious sprint, a quick pair of increasingly familiar, increasingly mastered runic chants kept the wind blowing at a perfect angle against his back to lower all wind resistance and propel him forward and down so he was at no risk of bouncing high and losing traction when the speed of his sprint went from cheetah to bullet train and faster still, making full use of his Speed Racer perk as he pierced his sister¡¯s howling wind wall like a bullet, heading not for Dairyland or Ashland but for the Wild Orange tier territory adjoining a single side of his sister¡¯s domain.


    A territory claimed by no one.


    The air was suddenly alive with the wild, spicy scent of unrefined mana, rich with the promise of Terra¡¯s ascension as Eric raced through wild grasslands brimming with potency and peril. There was a reason why this territory, like so many others, was still unclaimed, of course. He quickly caught sight of massive bears roaring over their kill, facing off against dire wolves as massive mega lions far larger than modern day cats stalked pray in the grass that hid so much, until Eric¡¯s winds flattened the grasses before him, revealing so many snarling beasts that had time only roar before Eric was suddenly before them.


    You have critically struck your foe with soul-bound Pilum.


    Instant Fatality!


    You have slain 60<sup>th</sup> Level Cave Lion! Experience Earned!


    Eric had time for a single fierce smile before a barking cough had his interface blinking with a full dozen prehistoric prairie cats suddenly zeroing in on him, yet all he felt was a fierce sort of vindication as he roared and struck.


    Using nothing more than his fists and feet, weaving and darting aside furiously leaping beasts as his clenched fists lashed out, shattering ribs and pounding organs before the furious roars of over-saturated beasts mad with the wild birth pains of a furiously ascending planet finally had the sense to be afraid. But by then, it was far too late.


    You have successfully dodged Disemboweling Swipe.


    Angel kick shatters your opponent¡¯s ribs!


    Overhand cross shatters Cave Lion¡¯s jaw!


    You have gone in for the kill.


    You have critically struck your foe!


    Perception check made.


    You sense the predator springing behind you!


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound with exhilaration, the sweet frisson of battle pushing aside the choking anxiety and desperation his awful dreams had compelled within him as he darted impossibly fast to evade the furious swiping claw of the massive cat suddenly before him, a towering beast that was ten feet high at the shoulder, and clearly the queen of the pack he had just finished slaughtering and, if the furious intelligence in her eyes was any indication, the boss, or at least one of the boss monsters of this orange tier territory as well.


    Lion Queen attempts to intimidate you!


    You have resisted Lion¡¯s Roar!


    Eric flashed a bleak smile, because his ears were ringing even as he fought off momentary dizziness and the momentary desire to flee for all he was worth as he desperately dodged claws somehow radiating vorpal sharpness as he darted past a monster that sure as hell wasn¡¯t just a 70<sup>th</sup> level variant of her 60<sup>th</sup> level pack.


    No. For all that this was still Orange tier territory, technically, Eric could tell damned well that this creature was just a half-step away from Bronze.


    A chilling realization.


    Because it meant that Terra had been flooded with so much wild potency with his mother¡¯s ascension that countless orange-tier territories were in peril of ascending to red, and the odds of mankind settling and stabilizing the checkered territories of this nation, this world, before they were all overrun by beast tides and an increasingly unstable Earth, metamagically expanding like a stable sun slowly turning to a red giant, grew ever more perilous, all but assuring humanity¡¯s doom.


    Eric choked back the sudden desperate anxiety flooding his veins, suddenly feeling the world¡¯s growing peril as his own, before furiously pushing away the roiling existential dread for the far more immediate dread of the half-step beast who¡¯s vorpal claws had come so damned close to disemboweling him¡­


    Before he ducked and weaved to the side, juking left with a taunting laugh as the ever more furious lioness roared and snapped her jaws, leaving her neck open for the soul-bound pilum instantly summed to plunge deep into her jugular, and the world was awash in a spray of arterial blood as Eric darted back from the wild berserking cat doing all she could to bring down her prey.


    Yet even as her swipes and growls grew more frantic, Eric¡¯s movements became more methodical, increasingly precise as he lost himself in a dance as old as time.


    Effortlessly weaving past deadly swipes, and rolling under desperate pounces before pricking vulnerable flesh with soulbound retribution, filling the nighttime air with the rich crimson bounty of life and death as his panting prey slowly weakened, sensing as well as he that the end was near.


    She turned and twisted her neck one final time, snapping her defiance until the bitter end.


    And then, with a single thrust, it was over.


    Piercing Strike!


    You have effortlessly pierced the skull of your foe!


    Greater Lion Queen has perished!


    Experience Earned!


    Eve approves of this battle. You have earned 1 Level as a cultivator!


    You have killed one dozen Cave Lions of 60<sup>th</sup> level or higher.


    You have killed one Rank 1 Bronze Greater Lion Queen!


    Spear is now Rank 26!


    Your mastery over combat continues to improve as you challenge elite Bronze Mercenaries and wild beasts alike with your fists!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 25!


    You have earned 3 levels in your Legendary Class!


    The air rang with the words that had the potential to change the fate of nations and sway the tide of even the most desperately fought battles.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Eric roared, eyes glowing with the power of ancient arts that had absolutely nothing to do with higher order concepts of Fire or Ice, no ties to his mother¡¯s ascension at all. Which, he hoped, meant that his enemies¡¯ seers that had grown so skilled, or desperate, so as to attune to the arts of his mother¡¯s ascension with desperate intensity¡­ would see nothing at all. Sense nothing at all save for the most primal of Terran magics, intrinsic to this world and its ebb and flow of life so as to be virtually undetectable. At least not until his opponents were forced to confront the revenants he would forge firsthand.


    It was why Eric had deliberately avoided the territories crying out for succor, for rescue, so many he assumed would be lightly defended at best as the majority of the forces had pressed on for Queensland, or perhaps doubled back to reinforce Ashland and Freetown. But everything else? Ripe for the taking.


    And Eric absolutely refused to take the bait.


    Refused to give his enemies any advanced warning before he struck with all force and fury. Refusing to trigger Dominion interface map warnings as a Contender entering territory in contest or claimed by another.


    Instead, he had jumped directly from Queensland to a wild Orange tier that would be beyond anyone save, perhaps, the Bronze tier mercenary companies to clear. Territories where there would be no advance notice given at all, before Eric headed right to Freetown which, for all that it was now a staging order for the United Alliance of his foes, was still, technically, by treaty, neutral territory, so with the ring now on his finger, should give his foes no advanced warning of his presence at all.


    Or so he hoped.


    It was why he was now taking on opponents without using his runic arts. No flashy fire or ice, no higher order attacks at all.


    He had limited himself to his most raw and primal abilities. Those tied to humanity¡¯s boons more than anything else, blood magics and necromancy. Weapon perks and the abilities he had first embraced upon taking his first steps as a classer in the sewers of Gilton.


    Abilities that, he sensed, would fly completely under the radar of his foes, lest his very approach serve as the signal, the catalyst that would enact a horrific cascade that would end with the death of his friends while he was somehow forced to bear witness as his sworn foe cackled like a madman countless worlds away. And why hadn¡¯t his mother taken Malice¡¯s sorry ass out in the end?


    He shook his head. Perhaps she had. He had no way of knowing, and perhaps it didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was that he take his foes unaware, strike fast and hard, free his friends, and if at all possible, claim Freetown for himself.


    He flashed a fierce smile as a dozen massive feline revenants chuffed in acknowledgment of his dominion. Only one had elected to drift into gentle oblivion, the others happy to embrace life¡¯s echo once more, filled with new purpose, new vitality, and the promise of fresh battles to come.


    Eric smiled in welcome as the dozen cats dipped their head to the new leader of their pride. 91<sup>st</sup> Level cats with a pleased looking queen who was now a potent Level 131.


    Because even if he was forced to curtail so many of his abilities and defer reclaiming so many territories for the sake of Freetown¡¯s captives, no one said he had to do it all alone.


    ***


    You have successfully slain 10 Cave Lions, 6 Giant Sloths, 24 Dire Wolves.


    You have earned an additional level in your Legendary Class.


    Eric smiled with satisfaction at the growing army of revenants at his back. For all that he had encountered no further boss-tier creatures, he turned his steps toward any pack of roving predators along his general path to Freetown, balancing the growing sense of urgency he felt with the opportunity to hone his skills, master his craft, and forge himself an army he would permit no smirking bureaucrat or conniving politician to claim or destroy ever again.


    Yet he had no intention of revealing his hand before he was ready, leaving his revenants hidden within a nearby copse of trees once the walls of Freetown were in sight, the sporadic fires within the seized city smoldering like bitter embers in a recently quenched flame.


    His heart hammered, guts roiling with a caustic frisson of fury, trepidation, and fierce resolve as he squeezed tight the thin gold ring in his hand, forcing a smile on his now completely human-looking features as he approached the same entrance he had once entered by wagon what now seemed like a lifetime ago.


    The once low-key relaxed guards had been replaced by a pair of mercenaries covered in exotic full-body suits of high tech polymer armor, wielding a pair of Mark IV plasma miniguns before the granite wall that looked much the same as it had last year, for all that the night was filled with screams and cries, the air thick with the scents of smoke and roasting meat.


    Eric took a calming breath, dressed in standard Javelineer kit of furs and patchwork armor as he approached the pair of guards, their face plates revealing eyes that glowed with what Eric guessed was a detection ability, utterly focused on the unkempt slavers bringing in a wagon of sobbing shivering captives roped about their necks.


    The only thing more surprising to Eric than seeing actual Bronze tier classers as gate guards, the true elites of this brave new world where most adventurers dreamed of hitting level 30, was how intently focused the pair of guards seemed to be on the most mundane of tasks. The pair of Bronze-tier mercenaries abruptly stiffened, their gazes locked in unison on one the captives.


    ¡°You will bring all the captives out, and you will do so now.¡±


    Eric suppressed a wince, the pair¡¯s oddly hollow sounding voices speaking in perfect concert that sent uncomfortable shivers down his spine. Like some smirking asshole running their fingernails against the chalkboard of his soul.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious? These shits are heading to the arena, same as all the others you waved through without a second¡­¡± The slaver¡¯s words were cut off when his companion smacked his ear. ¡°What the fuck, man?¡±


    ¡°Just do what you¡¯re told. Don¡¯t argue with them, fool!¡± His partner hissed, earning matching smiles lit with a teenager¡¯s pettiness upon the faces of both power armored soldiers. Despite their grumbles, the pair of disgruntled slavers were still quick to bring out all the hostages within their wagon.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Eric clenched his jaw when the armored mercs simultaneously lifted up their faceplates to smile into the faces of a sobbing pair of girls, even as an older woman desperately tried to gather them protectively behind her before being casually backhanded by one of the slavers who might have been obsequiously fawning before the mercenaries but had only contempt for their charges.


    ¡°Please, they¡¯re only fifteen!¡±


    ¡°Silence, you old crone, unless you want your daughter¡¯s final memory of you to be your bleeding corpse when I tear out your throat!¡± Snarled the larger of the pair of leather armored salvers, his twisted countenance all bristle, beady eyes, and malevolent hate.


    Eric could smell the unique tang of spicy mana, oil and plastic that was so characteristic of power armored mercs as he proceeded blithely toward the gate without a care in the world as Unified Perception pinged all the players on the board.


    The pair of slavers forcing the pair of sobbing teenagers and a handful of other girls clearly below their twenties to get on their knees. The crack of a contemptuous fist sending a desperate mother sprawling to the ground in a pool of her own teeth and blood as her daughters screamed before they too were roughly shoved to the ground.


    The pair of powerful mercenaries so far above the muck they could have been lords themselves, yet were somehow stuck on gate duty, were wearing mirrored expressions of twisted pleasure as the girls sobbed and pled before them.


    It was a scene of depraved contempt utterly unworthy of anyone who had ascended the ranks and overcome the challenges necessary to achieve Bronze. Yet regardless, Eric was seeing it all with his own two eyes.


    Then Eric sensed something completely unexpected, though perhaps he should have, as he braced himself for the pair of mercenaries only now bothering to acknowledge his presence.


    The crackling electromana current he could feel like a prickle against his skin. A subtle shimmering field of force reinforcing the admittedly sturdy walls of Freetown, and the hum of the generator on the other side of the gate, making it clear what the mercs were truly guarding. Eric had no doubt that it would be nothing for them to leap to the battlements some twenty odd feet above them, and from there they could hold off an entire army¡­ and there was no easy way for assassins or wildcards to pass through without encountering hard resistance.


    Whatever the moral quality of the slimy bastards demanding their cut of ¡®fresh meat¡¯ as the closer one put it, Eric guessed that their commander was serious and meant business, assigning key assets to making sure that after going to such trouble to secure the city, no outside force was coming to the aid of any remaining vestiges of resistance without getting obliterated in a hale of plasma fire. And the stink from the wooden fort built right beside the Freetown walls, to say nothing of the grunts, squeals, and pained and all too human sobs within made it clear that there was an orc company as well to provide backup and support, when not having their way with whatever poor souls had caught the mercenaries¡¯ cold gazes, one such gaze locking Eric¡¯s way right now.


    ¡°Why are you here, Javelineer? Do you have prizes to trade for our pleasure?¡±


    Eric forced a smile, once again thrown off by the eerie synchronicity of their voices, and movements, both of them turning to face him as one. Now completely ignoring the sobbing girls still on their knees and the slavers glaring at the power-armored mercs they¡¯d clearly love to take out if they thought they had a chance. Utterly unprofessional behavior that made absolutely no sense. He only needed one man focused on him, representing a lower powered adventurer who was absolutely no threat to either of them.


    That¡¯s when he saw it, his Perception flaring even as his What The Other Party Wants and Social Perception skills gave him utterly nonsensical reads.


    Yet suddenly it all made a horrific sort of sense when Eric spotted the tiny, nearly invisible crimson threads at the back of both mercenaries¡¯ necks. Threads that continued into the city proper. Wavering in an unseen breeze, not affected by the actual air currents at all.


    Eric, not slowing an iota as he closed his distance and pivoted himself between the two, held up his empty hands with a smile, forcing a chuckle. ¡°You better believe I got prizes to trade I claimed from some Contender chumps that would blow your socks off! Because nothing says ¡®I surrender¡¯ than a javelin tearing through a would-be hero¡¯s throat, am I right? Ha!¡± A smirking Eric revealed the flash of jewels his sister had been more than happy to give him. ¡°But Bronze-tier classers guarding a gate to a white-tier city? Wow! I mean, talk about overkill! But I guess it makes sense, right? When you consider that you¡¯re at war and WHAT THE FUCK¡¯S WRONG WITH YOUR GENERATOR!?¡±


    He belted out panicked lines that would have done even his sister proud. But all he bought himself was a split second¡¯s grace when dealing with monsters whose Quickness and Perception were at least 200 if not a hell of a lot higher.


    But then again, his was as well.


    Fastdraw skill check successful!


    Piercing Strike!


    You have caught your opponent flatfooted!


    You have critically struck closest Mercenary!


    Skull has been perforated.


    Fatality!


    The air erupted with the pop of bone rupturing at supersonic speed before the tip of Eric¡¯ unbreakable spear drilled completely through his target¡¯s skull only to bang against the back of the man¡¯s reinforced polymer helm¡­ before bursting right through.


    ¡°MINE!¡±


    A desperate furious shrill Alex felt more than actually heard as Battletime took over and the world seemed to slow, the slavers all but statues, the man he had struck seeming to float through water-like currents as he fell to the ground.


    Yet the second mercenary, now glaring Eric¡¯s way with eyes filled with fury was actually managing to move his crackling minigun at speeds that could have, should have, stitched Eric in two, as multiple class perks and feats and sheer desperation allowed the man to twist and fire at speeds Eric sensed he never had before.


    But it didn¡¯t matter.


    Piercing Strike!


    As Eric instantly resummoned his now soulbound javelin back into position before thrusting not just with strength and skill but with a hardly used weapon feat that magnified the speed and power generated by his thrust to an absolutely monstrous degree.


    Yet his target wasn¡¯t his foe¡¯s exposed face even as the faceplate seemed to fall in place in slow motion, nor was it for the throat where he sensed the armor was thinnest, nor even the heart, with all the spiritual significance a heart kill might bring.


    It was for the massive minigun even now spewing white-hot plasma before Eric¡¯s spear blasted forward with such force that both the armored glove and the gun in his hand was pierced before the gun went flying out of the merc¡¯s mangled hand.


    ¡°No fucking way!¡± The wild-eyed Bronze¡¯s eyes immediately shifted from yellow to brown, Eric sensing something fade as the momentarily confused man desperately tried to gather distance while yanking free his vibroblade, as years of combat training embraced patterns that might normally serve him so well in any modern battlefield. Yet this was far from modern as Eric embraced Piercing Strike one more time to enhance his absolutely insane Quickness stat, taking full advantage of his reach to blast his pilum through his opponent¡¯s left hand as well as right, both of his enemy¡¯s weapons still airborn in the split second it took Eric to trade spear for fists, yanking up his foe¡¯s faceplate before proceeding to pound the everliving shit out of the bastard while half the captives were screaming and the other half, including the teenage girls, were gazing on with oddly rapt expressions.


    And then, after long furious seconds of bitter fury as threats turned to garbled pleas before Eric managed to expose the man¡¯s neck¡­ and rip out his throat.


    You have successfully embraced your own dark nature in the heat of mortal combat!


    Unarmed combat is now Rank 26 as you bring strengths you never even knew you had to the fore!


    Eric held back from the roar of exultation he felt building in his chest as the taste of exotic weaves, hot frothy blood and torn flesh sublimated into sweet dark potency filling his soul.


    ¡°No! You think you can take my kills, you bastard? You¡¯ll pay for that!¡±


    It was a voice echoed in dozens of throats.


    Eric¡¯s eyes then widened in disbelief when he sensed all the sweet, sweet potency of his kills slipping into sudden saturated crimson threads, the pair of mercs beginning to shrivel like fruit left on a vine.


    Eric immediately springing for the pulsating cords and trying to cut them clean through. Only for his javelin to pass through the arcane cord as if it wasn¡¯t even there, earning mocking laughter for his trouble.


    ¡°Too bad, sucker. My toys, my kills, my experience point pools. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be claiming your sorry ass soon en¡ª NO!!¡±


    A snarling Eric, still tasting the hot blood of his prey upon his razor sharp teeth, embraced the only logical step when arcane magics were feasting on his prizes.


    HE bit them back.


    Contest of Skills made! Dark Fae nature versus Wild Contender Talents!


    Essence of Dominion is in play!


    Alex¡¯s glare was positively murderous as he sensed the dark potency of the magics arrayed against him, where a desperate will locked upon powers Eric had been naive to think his alone before tearing free the prizes Eric had worked so hard to claim, mocking laughter Eric¡¯s only reward as the first mercenary crumpled to dust.


    You have LOST Contest of Essences! All potency and levels have gone to your opponent and now sworn foe, Enemy Conteder!¡±


    ¡°Too bad, fool! But thanks for the power boost, because I¡¯ll be coming for you soon en¡ª NO! You can¡¯t do that, asshole!¡±


    But a roaring Eric had already snapped through the second cord with a crack that sent nearly all of the hostages, and a certain pair of slavers, crashing to the ground with blood coming out of their ears as Eric finally claimed his prize.


    Contest of Skills: Dark Fae nature versus Wild Contender Talents!


    Essence of Dominion is in play!


    Essence Fusion in effect! Dominion has been fused with WRATH! You have WON Contest of skills and claimed your prizes!


    Eve approves of this battle! You continue to forge yourself in the crucible of conflict!


    Death¡¯s Disciple is now Rank 41!


    You have slain 2 Half-step Bronze-tier mercenaries and have gained the potency of ONE primary target. You have earned an additional 2 levels in your Legendary Class!


    Eric gave vent to a roar of furious triumph, an odd counterpoint to the cacophonous howls echoing from a score of humanoid throats


    His eyes then locking on the pair of wide-eyed predators stumbling back from his lethal gaze. Eric utterly ignored the dozen panicking captives desperate only to flee, now stalking the pair of slavers drawing their sabers in trembling grips, looking at him as if he were the monster, even as Eric heard the roars from the orc keep readying itself for action.


    Then the closest slaver¡¯s terror turned to malevolent desperation, grabbing a child out of her shrieking mother¡¯s arms before putting a blade toward the petrified girl¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Stay back! Stay back you monstrous freak, or I¡¯ll cut this little bitch¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Quickness check (effortlessly) made!


    Before the wild-eyed monster even finished his threat, his saber was effortlessly plucked free of his hand. Yet the other powerful hair limb was wrapped tightly about the shrieking child. A limb that could so easily rend, throttle, or throw to the ground.


    Strength check made!


    An unacceptable risk of peril to the little girl who¡¯s life was so fragile, so tenuous, yet it was nothing for Eric to make her precious world a little bit safer by removing the arm from the threat and gently handing the girl into the shocked hands of her absolutely horrified mother who flinched when the severed arm that had been holding the child dropped off in a pool of its own blood as the slaver behind Eric shrieked and screamed like the bitch he was.


    ¡°You tore off my arm! You monster! Monster!¡±


    Eric glared at the doomed man before lashing out with a right hook that magically transformed all the slaver¡¯s lingering concerns into a crimson mist of bone, brains, and blood.


    Eric, not trusting himself to look at the captives, pretending it wasn¡¯t fear of what he¡¯d see reflected in their horrified gazes, decided to embrace the glorious nightmare of his existence for at least a few seconds longer, locking gazes with the final slaver that had stumbled on his ass, now stinking of feces and fear sweat, shrieking louder than the girls he had held captive just seconds ago.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me! Please don¡¯t hurt me!¡± The fool blubbered.


    Eric gazed down at the pathetic excuse for a human. He forced his lips into a smile.


    Perhaps it was a bit too wide.


    Perhaps it showed a few too many teeth.


    But it was a smile, nonetheless. And it was the best Eric could do.


    Especially when a genuine emergency now demanded his attention with countless questions that needed answering. And here Eric was, forced to deal with vile sellouts of humanity like the disgusting slaver he was leaning over even now.


    Eric grabbed a lock of the man¡¯s greasy hair and smiled into the man¡¯s eyes.


    The slaver screamed like Eric had just set him ablaze.


    So Eric covered the now writhing slaver¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Say, question for you, bud. Can you tell me why the hell Bronze tier mercs were wasted guarding a single exit point to Freetown? I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong. I appreciate the sweet fat potency boon these assholes grant me, especially when I can go the divide and conquer route. But when you consider how rare and valuable these total treaty-breaking aces are, it seems pretty fucking stupid to waste them on an exit point. You feel me?¡±


    Eric thought it a good question. On it¡¯s surface the answer would provide useful intel. It also served to feel out his audience, to see if they understood that something very strange and puppetmastery was going on.


    Unfortunately, the man writhing in Eric¡¯s arms was struggling so violently that Eric feared he wasn¡¯t getting the man¡¯s undivided attention. So he removed his hand and the air was filled with the stink of tooth decay and the sound of desperate wheezing.


    Eric glared down at the shuddering sobbing man dangling by his hair in Eric¡¯s left hand. Eric clenched his right hand into a fist. ¡°I trust I won¡¯t have to repeat myself to gutter trash like you?¡±


    ¡°The whole place is guarded by an electromana field!¡± The man wheezed. ¡°There are no other gates! No fucking reprieve for the Blue Quarter! This gate and the colosseum adjoining the banking quarter are the only ways in or out of the city!¡±


    Eric slowly nodded, forced to concede that maybe it did make sense. ¡°And a couple of highly armored Bronze tier mercenaries with class perks and badass plasma spewing miniguns should be more than a match for any white-tier army. Anything that could possibly get past them was a wake-up call to get inside, put the field on max, and call their captain for reinforcements I¡¯m guessing.¡± Eric smirked at the now increasingly lively orc barracks set just a short distance away from the entrance. ¡°And I guess that joke of a structure is to just let the orcs feel like they actually have a purpose besides warm bodies and artillery?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± The slaver nodded enthusiastically. ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell any last minute rally from the doomed elves or their wildcard contenders is gonna¡­¡± The man¡¯s words died off in a whimper as he gazed at Eric¡¯s mocking smile. Lips stretching impossibly wide, showing so many teeth that prickled delightfully against his tongue.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fucking hero!¡± The man sobbed. ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡±


    ¡°And on that note!¡± Eric snarked before taking a bite out of crime, and a heartbeat later¡­ there was no second slaver.


    Just a headless corpse spurting blood as it collapsed to the ground as the awful visceral taste of greasy hair, sweaty scalp, spurting blood and a soul¡¯s final despairing shriek became the sweet hot ecstasy of potency flooding into his soul once more.


    ¡°I just bit off a guy¡¯s head. I bit off his fucking head! How? How am I not choking? Where did it go? What the fuck am I?¡±


    Eric angrily shook away pointless existential rambling, choosing instead to pay attention to the immediate threat just a couple dozen yards away, but only after flashing around the battlefield and claiming all four corpses and a pair of exotic Tier-4 plasma weapons that had no business lying on the icy field. And with no bodies floating around¡­ who could say what exactly had happened?


    ¡°Hey assholes, how¡¯s it going?¡± Eric called with false cheer, calmly approaching the handful of oversized orcs roaring and pointing their muskets and spears his way in odd unison, eyes glowing with the same eerie yellow-green glow as had the half-step Bronze, whom he had originally thought just an artifact of their biological heritage of the otherwise quite human looking mercs. Which brought up a whole host of questions he really didn¡¯t have time for at that moment, instead pouring all his focus into facing down both the orcs, and whoever was guiding their hand.


    ¡°Time for round too, asshole. And newsflash! I¡¯m getting ALL the potency this time around.¡±


    He flashed a positively malicious grin as the dozens of orcs glared at Eric in unified outrage as he caught the scents of pine sap, sweat, uncured pork, and gunpowder.


    Having grabbed both orc and puppetmaster¡¯s attention, Eric slowly circled his prey, as if looking for an angle to attack. All the orcs shifted in unison to meet his glare, just like he wanted. Because if he wasn¡¯t careful, the dozen panicked captives that were for some reason gazing at him like he was the monster would be toast if things went south now.


    ¡°He bit off that guy¡¯s head! Mommy, he bit off the bad man¡¯s head!¡±


    Eric very carefully paid no attention to the child whose mother was desperately trying to shush her, clearly confused by the terror of battle. Instead, Eric kept all his focus on the largest of the orcs, the creature wrinkling his porcine proboscis as it glared a calmly approaching Eric¡¯s way, now looking as innocuous as he could, his ring once more in play.


    ¡°Hey guys, where the hell were you two minutes ago?¡± He gestured to the now empty wagon, the captives scuttling away as fast as they could. ¡°Some wild freak went racing right through here! I¡¯m betting he was a contender and he was definitely in a take no prisoners kind of mood.¡±


    The glaring orcs simultaneously crossed their arms. ¡°You think we don¡¯t recognize you? That we didn¡¯t feel you claim our piece? You will pay for what you did¡­ Contender!¡±


    A smiling Eric shrugged, calmly walking around the band of orcs so that their guns and javelins were now pointing away from the dozen terrified captives. ¡°Okay, I guess you got me all figured out. Just like I know you¡¯re a Contender with some sort of hive mind power, fully cognizant of all the pieces you have in play, even if you have a hard time getting them to do anything that isn¡¯t uniform action without giving up a certain amount of control.¡±


    His grin widened at the unified looks of consternation this earned him.


    ¡°You think that will give you an edge against me?¡± They roared. ¡°All you¡¯ve done is assure your death!¡± And with those words, all the musketeers pointed and aimed as one.


    Just as Eric knew they would, a furious Contender far too angry to let his far too slow foes make use of their own autonomy. And no matter how fast the Contender was or wasn¡¯t, it was damn clear that the puppetmaster couldn¡¯t overcome whatever natural processing speed limited the orcs to no more than 20 or so, as was evidenced by how slowly they moved their muskets, trying to track him as he raced just fast enough to keep them all focused on him, not the too easy targets.


    He mimed stumbling and falling, and in that moment, the air rang with musketfire, filling billowy white clouds of smoke.


    The largest orc¡¯s eyes widened when Eric went from 40 Quickness to over 700, suddenly appearing in the billowing smoke. ¡°Kill hi¡ª¡±


    Battletime in effect!


    You have critically struck Orc Chieftain! Your Strength is 10x greater than his own! Your Quickness is 35x greater than his own! YOU HAVE OBLITERATED YOUR FOE!


    The air turned crimson, filling with the white smoke of gunpowder and the crimson spray of skulls exploding like shrapnel bombs, the air ringing with the sound of dozens of metalic cracks that blended into a single terrible roar for the frightened slaves now gazing at the wild-eyed madman who had just saved their lives.


    ¡°Mom, I know who that was!¡± whispered one of the two identical girls shuddering under a shared thin woolen blanket their mother had wrapped them in.


    Her mother could only shake her head, still dripping blood from her ravaged mouth, her last vestiges of beauty ravished and destroyed by sadistic monsters who had suffered an end that made even her shudder in dismay.


    Especially when the wild-eyed vision of fey madness and beauty, like a character on the cover of one of the romance novels she used to voraciously devour when her daughters were just infants and she had actually thought that life could be like a faerie tale, not a nightmare, suddenly manifested before her.


    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s Eric Silver!¡± Her oldest daughter by an hour declared with an excited squeal, her twin immediately nodding, neither of them seeming phased at all that the impossibly beautiful youth was covered in blood and gobbets of gore, instead captivated by his wild eyes of ice and fire and a too wide smile that was the farthest thing from a shark¡¯s maw, revealing only pristine white teeth worthy of a toothpaste commercial. And hadn¡¯t the boy starred in a handful of such commercials, just a couple of years ago? She honestly didn¡¯t know if he was a hero or the monster that would ultimately spell their doom, but one thing was unmistakable.


    She fell to her knees and wept, squeezing her daughters¡¯ hands until they knelt before him too, her oldest knowing just what to say. In her own way.


    ¡°Um¡­ thank you for saving our lives, hero.¡±


    The wild-eyed killer covered in the blood of his foes blinked, and suddenly he looked¡­ awkward. Boyish. Human once more.


    A chilling contrast from how he had appeared just moments before, a dark faerie prince ready to devour all their souls. So different in appearance and temperament, even if hardly anything had changed at all.


    And the look of dismay the boy was giving her, it was as if he understood what she was thinking even then.


    Eric shuddered, shaking away desperate thoughts that were none of his business and that he had no right to view. Instead, he turned to smile as gently as possible at the terrified looking former captives, some gazing at him with hope, others flinching with unmistakable fear.


    He opened his mouth, suddenly at a complete loss for words, before settling on the most practical.


    ¡°If you turn around, you¡¯ll see a handful of giant prehistoric sloths, rapidly approaching.¡±


    This earned a look. ¡°Giant sloths,¡± one of the twins slowly said.


    Eric nodded. ¡°Yup! And if you¡¯d like to mount them¡­ they¡¯ll take you to that copse of trees over there and watch over you while I take care of things here. Just stay there until Freetown is safe once more. And considering that Freetown currently seems to be suffering pod-people levels of possession¡­ yeah, I¡¯d keep away.¡± He then handed them both rations and a couple thermal blankets that comprised a fraction of the kits of all the bodies he had just finished claiming from the battlefield.


    Surprisingly, the former captives made no move to protest, not one hesitating to mount the giant sloths for all that a few of the kids were gazing down from their new perches with wide-eyed awe as they slowly slumbered to safety, Eric giving them a final warm wave, having no doubt that most of them would be happy never to see his blood-spattered face again, before turning all his attention back to the gate.


    A who¡¯s generating forcefield had just turned on with the death of the pair of Bronze-tier assholes who, for all Eric knew, had been utterly possessed and not necessarily his enemies at all. A disturbing thought, before recalling that no merc had come to Earth without conquest in mind. And considering who was presently doing the hiring that night, he seriously doubted that it was with the welfare of the native population in mind.


    Still, the thought of forcing his way inside and flailing blindly through what could be hundreds of possessed victims to find the mastermind, while leaving a trail of carnage comprised of otherwise innocent souls, didn¡¯t sit well with him any more than the niggling worry that maybe, if he wasn¡¯t very very careful, he too might end up with a crimson strand of magic somehow attached to the base of his spine.


    For a moment he glared at the now crackling gate, wondering if charging through the arena entrance and going Full Leroy was, in fact, the way to go. Before he gave a rueful chuckle, recalling what should have instantly popped to mind, considering that he had used it not that long ago.


    Lord Grim¡¯s emergency escape tunnel. Warded with exceedingly strong Blood Magics so that the eyes of the uninitiated would slide right off, an art that still hadn¡¯t been fully integrated by the System so it was probably one of the areas where even experienced Bronze might have considered the ruined farming hovel utterly beneath notice.


    Eric quickly made his way there, thinking that there would be no one better suited to telling him what the heck was going on in Freetown than the one faction so steeped in native magics that an entire unified faction had done their best to take them out.


    Eric winced at the thought. Because in truth he didn¡¯t even know if anyone was still at Grim¡¯s manor. If they had successfully fled, returned¡­ or hadn¡¯t made it at all. Still, even as his steps slowed with reluctance he pressed himself forward. Because no matter what had or hadn¡¯t happened, the one thing he couldn¡¯t afford to do was nothing at all.

 Chapter 379 - Battle For Freetown: Part 1

    Eric felt an odd mixture of anxiety and relief as he approached the desolate farm instinctively avoided by desperate settlers, hunters seeking shelter, or the low level beasts that inhabited the nearby forest and the waist-high grasslands stretching for miles in all directions.


    He tried to smile with relief before his cheeks froze, momentarily horrified by what he would feel. Because all it had taken was a few minutes¡¯ quiet jog, away from the manic frenzy of battle, for his thoughts to wander to simpler times, gentler times¡­ more human times.


    Times when he hadn¡¯t been filled with such dark, manic glee that he was able to tear a hole through power armor.


    With his fucking teeth.


    He shuddered in memory of the slaver gazing at him with wide, horrified eyes that reflected so much Eric hadn¡¯t wanted to see. So how had he handled a glimpse of a smile stretching far, far wider than his head should allow without marring his features in the least? A twisted reflection of his own inner demon he was loath to see¡­


    He handled it by biting the man¡¯s head clean off.


    And where the hell it went¡­ he¡¯d love to say he didn¡¯t know, but his happily humming potency reserves made it damn clear where his prey had gone. And not just the experience pool.


    Eric was aware that he had stopped ,and everything had gone dark. Which really wasn¡¯t surprising, since he was presently squeezing his eyes shut, fists clenched tight as he trembled in the grass.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster. I¡¯m not! I¡¯m not!¡±


    Echoing the words of a little boy curled in bed, whispering the words so softly so the real monster wouldn¡¯t hear him¡­ would think him a good little boy.


    An obedient son.


    Not someone she needed to decapitate and devour like the reporter who had crossed her.


    And it was this night, of all nights, that flickers of dark bitter memories were trickling in his awareness that he had blocked away with a gamer¡¯s obsession the same way his sister once had with either acting or drugs. More of the former than the latter as she got older and healthier¡­ but it was all the same.


    Because he and Elonia were twins, and for the longest time, they had done everything together.


    Played together. Ate together. Snuck out and explored the city together.


    And when accusatory shouts had turned to a panicked cry and desperate screams¡­ before choking off with a bloody gurgle, they had investigated together.


    Gazing at their mother with such a wild look in her eyes.


    Together.


    Neither had wondered at the source of their mother¡¯s mad fury. It was plane as the headless corpse collapsing in their mother¡¯s arms.


    Her cold dead eyes pinned them for long moments, but there were no words.


    Not when she was so busy consuming her prey.


    Devouring the remainder with her mouth and throat stretched so hideously wide. Like a giant snake.


    Yet somehow it was geometry that was twisted and warped, not her exquisitely perfect features at all. Her silk nightdress still fit her perfectly, the fabric not stretched an inch. It was as if space itself was squeezing and compressing the headless reporter down Aurelia¡¯s engorged throat.


    Then he was no more.


    There would be no hue and cry. No outraged boss, declaring foul play. No hard-eyed detectives demanding answers.


    Because as of that moment, the pitiful reporter had never existed at all.


    The cords of his fate snipped free of all others.


    And how horrifying it as to sense that truth as a little boy, the terrible price of crossing a dark faerie queen, long before Earth had ever ascended.


    Elonia had collapsed in Eric¡¯s trembling arms.


    He had just stared and stared for long moments as the hideous incarnation of dark appetites and Euclidean madness became his mother as easily as dabbing her once more soft, delicate, rosebud lips with a handkerchief after licking the last of the blood away with a forked tongue¡­ because OF COURSE it was forked!


    And then it wasn¡¯t.


    It was just his mother giving him a tired look.


    ¡°Put your sister to bed, dear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡±


    Eric took a shuddering breath, visualizing a searing flame. The essence of his soul. Burning away all horror, all regret, all memory of a dozen worlds frozen to ice and fire.


    Burning it all away.


    Until there was only Eric embracing this very moment.


    The flames of the past were now cold and dead ashes from which there was no going back.


    Only forward.


    A city so save.


    A puppeteering monster to slay.


    And he would damn well go through the trap door in the back of the decrepit cabin he had forced himself to enter, and he would face whatever needed facing.


    Do whatever needed doing.


    Because he could do absolutely nothing about the tragedies and horrors spanning an entire sector that had been unleashed this endless night. Nothing, save work to save his friends, right here and now. So that when he finally woke up with the actual dawn, he would have a community worth fighting for.


    No matter how bad this nightmare of a night might be¡­ at least it would be over with the crack of dawn.


    But should he run away like a sad-ass coward having a breakdown because he tore a hole in a single fucking suit of power armor¡­ then he¡¯d be fleeing all the friends he could have had, leaving only corpses behind.


    ¡°The hell I¡¯ll let it come to that!¡± He bellowed, blinking back the tears in his eyes as he glared at his own fist, covered once more with transcendent higher order concepts of Flame that burned so strangely. So hypnotically. Every crackle and flare simultaneously the epitome of creation and absolute destruction. It was a revelation he now absolutely refused to show his enemies¡­ daring so only on this warded farm. Insane strength and the magic his foes already knew he had would be all he would reveal to whatever seers and abominations were so eagerly focused on Freetown.


    At least, that was his intention for now. He¡¯d hold off on revealing pristine revelations until the final act unfolded this endless night.


    And still¡­ he was standing here like a coward, glaring at the trap door entrance he had revealed with a single flip of the threadbare rug covering it.


    ¡°No fucking willpower check is being failed now, Eric. Not after all the fucking SHIT we went through and survived. Not after giving up EVERYTHING! All the glory of a Gold. At nineteen fucking years old.¡± He shook his head, discordant laughter echoing through the night. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it just for the sake of an ideal. The pristine preservation of a world I know and love. I did it just as much for my sister and a city full of friends. So get the FUCK into that tunnel, Eric Silver, and do whatever the hell needs doing!¡±


    Hesitating no longer, he jumped through the hatch that unlocked with a touch of his blood magic, pausing only long to close the gate before racing along the pitch black corridor that glowed a myriad shades of cool soothing blue to his infravision, his existential dread replaced by terror of a different sort.


    Because if the message Grim had just sent him in a desperate flash as Eric made his presence known was anything to go by¡­ his friends were in desperate peril.


    So he quit holding back, racing down the corridor so fast the tiles cracked under his feet even with Speed Racer allowing him to manipulate inertia and wind resistance so damned well.


    Counting down the seconds in his head as he weaved and darted along a corridor far longer than he remembered, feeling a heartbeat¡¯s relief when he saw the steel grate, already open.


    His heart was pounding in his chest when he girded himself and stepped into the lich¡¯s sanctum sanctorum, and the home of his friends.


    Thee was no one to welcome him. Just the sound of panicked screams as Eric raced up the cellar steps, darting through rooms that looked like they had come out of a french nobleman¡¯s boudoir before bursting into the central hallway to be met by panicked, exhausted looking men and women dressed in either street clothes or robes, darting through the halls for all they were worth.


    ¡°The manor¡¯s under attack! Get to the warded rooms! Morlekai¡¯s orders!¡± Hollered one harried looking middle-aged man, leading a handful of frightened teenagers and older students behind him. His eyes widened upon catching sight of Eric. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you. Who¡¯s your master, boy?¡± Before shaking his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, you have to co¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lord Grim, where is he? Now!¡± Eric snapped, allowing a bit of his desperate intensity to show through.


    The man blanched and stumbled back, several students now flinching before his gaze.


    ¡°Grim, Morlekai, Alice, Drake¡­ someone!¡±


    But the group, much to Eric¡¯s dismay, seemed frozen by indecision and fear.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Eric cursed, refusing to waste more than a heartbeat with these confused mortals and instead racing along the corridor, darting past an ever growing press of panicked people now crowding the hallway¡­ and when had Lord Grim and Morlekai taken on this many students, or were they sheltering refugees as well? A stray thought that meant nothing as he heard Alice¡¯s desperate cry. And Louie¡¯s as well.


    ¡°Alice! Hold on, babe!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t Louie! The fuckers¡¯ going to break in. Where¡¯s my brother?¡±


    The air rang with awful laughter as Eric quit fucking around and simply launched himself through the nearest window, now racing through rose bushes and tulip beds for the front gate where he heard his friend¡¯s desperate cries, and the cold tittering laughter that mirrored so well the goddamned puppetmaster who had been controlling both Bronze mercs and a score of orcs by the front entrance.


    ¡°Alice!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, gut twisting with anxious dread when he saw Alice crumple into a stoic-looking Grim¡¯s arms in slow motion, the brilliant ruby sparkle of the blood wards on the gate fading before Eric¡¯s eyes.


    Eric immediately sensed that had the only thing keeping the hideous abomination of a teenager whose neck sprouted a dozen whipping tentacles covered in wildly blinking eyes at bay. Now he was cackling like madman, stepping forward lashing out at the steel gate just seconds away from crumpling as the monster flashed a terrible cold smile.


    ¡°And here¡¯s where it ends, fuckers. The last resistance in all of Freetown. But I¡¯m not unreasonable, hell no! You guys put up a damned good fight, and your reward will be¡­ serving as my BLOOD PUPPETS as I make you fuckers kill each other for my fucking amusement for being such pains in my ass!¡±


    ¡°Grim! Give me full access!¡± Eric screamed so fast that no mortal should have understood him.


    Yet so fast it gave Eric chills even as he raced across the yard as bullet train speeds, because he heard the crack of dry bone, a top hat and frock coat wearing Grim turned his neck to meet Eric¡¯s desperate gaze. Nodding just one.


    ¡°My House now serves at your pleasure, Your Grace.¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t waste time arguing with the extremely powerful lich at the speed of thought. Nor did he bother wondering why Grim himself wasn¡¯t strengthening the crimson ward he could sense about to fail and let the fucking abomination of a contender through. Because the powerfully built Moor was, in fact, a lich. Which meant, lifelike as he was, as incredibly powerful a Necromancer as he might be, Bloodmagic, the art of the living, was no longer within his purview.


    The wild-eyed psychopath whipping the gates with his tendrils began to cackle as the steel hissed and smoked.


    ¡°Finally, Finally! The nicest pad in the city will be mine, and I¡¯ll pick your souls clean of every last dirty little secret you thought you could keep from me, you fucking¡ª¡±


    The air erupted in streaks of white-hot plasma fire blazing through the night.


    The youth¡¯s eyes widened with dismay then painful screams as multiple blinking-eyed octopedian tendrils were short free of his throat, leaving stubs spurting blood.


    He stumbled back in wide-eyed panic, as if only at that moment thinking that maybe, just possibly, things wouldn¡¯t go according to plan.


    ¡°Pawns! Assist me now!¡± The panicked youth screamed, stumbling back as a full quartet of power armored sentinels stumbled burst through the gate, before being lifted off their feet.


    ¡°Hell Vines!¡± Eric roared.


    Even as a cool-eyed Grim calmly strode back, effortlessly carrying an exhausted and very pregnant Alice with a wild eyed Louie keeping cover with bardiche in hand, Eric was darting past the thick fiery trunks before the mercenaries could turn or register him, all his focus on the one target that mattered.


    The wild-eyed youth who had just imperiled his closest friends.


    ¡°Eric, be careful! That boy and the puppet-master he spawned from only needs to touch you to master you.¡±


    Those words from Grim froze him still, the boy¡¯s panicked retreat turning to a contemptuous smirk, as if he could read the fear in Eric¡¯s eyes.


    Not fear. I sure as heck am not afraid of that asshole!


    Yet as idiotic as it might seem when Quickness gave him such an edge, demanding he seize the initiative as he darted into the cobblestone street, just feet away from the furious looking youth growing back fresh alien eldritch tendrils at an insane pace, Eric still paused long enough to summon forth his blood it the tiniest of cuts.


    Arcane Perception check made!


    Synergized Runic Lore & Bloodmastery skill check: Critical success! You have successfully covered yourself in runes of your own blood!


    Your experience pool has dipped 2%.


    You have successfully infused your blood runes with the power of Wrath and Dominion.


    Blood Ward is now Rank 3!


    Eric recalled all too well what had happened the last time he had tried to claim his kill.


    ¡°You think cutting yourself will stop me, motherfucker?¡± The boy roared as a fresh tendril erupted from his neck. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that, asshole! But first, how about my men kill your friends? And when I¡¯m done with you, you¡¯ll be watching and clapping for my fucking amusement!¡±


    And much to Eric¡¯s dismay, his gambit had failed. In the split second he had while preparing himself as such a blatant threat to this would be puppetmaster, all enemy fire should have been focused on him. He would have only shown his foes how fast he truly was, when he had successfully pulled their gazes his way.


    Yet it was suddenly painfully clear that this hothead was a vindictive little shit more interested in punishing those he clearly despised than assuring his own safety. If the sudden fresh screams and concentrated blaster fire were anything to go by, the mercenaries were either acting entirely of their own volition, or this asshole could control his pawns even from a distance, even with those eldritch tentacles cut off, without any crimson strands that Eric could see at all.


    ¡°Alice!¡±


    The youth¡¯s face lit up with vindictive glee at the panic in Louie¡¯s voice.


    Before spite-filled features erupted into flame.


    FIRE FIST!


    20 out of 4760 Qi spent!


    You have critically struck your target with Power Strike (Further modified by Unarmed Combat skill & Cultivation Rank) for 9X times baseline damage!


    FATALITY!


    You have OBLITERATED an opposing Contender in martial combat!


    You have claimed 5% of your opponent¡¯s favored Stats!


    Vitality has increased 5 points!


    Quickness has increased by 5 points!


    Soul Reserves have increased by 10 points!


    Arcane Potential has increased by 10 points!


    You have gained 1 level in your primary class!


    Note! You attacked your opponent with both high-end magitech weaponry and your fists. You have NOT earned any cultivator levels with this battle!


    ¡°Alice!¡± Eric paid no mind to the messages blinking across his interface. He twisted back around and spotted the power armored monster who had placed himself some distance away from the entrance was now in a sniper¡¯s nest coldly obliterating Eric¡¯s hell vines with his Mark IV mini plasma gun and just a second away from mowing down a desperately sobbing Alice whose feet now ended in bloody stumps. Because clearly, even with his bulwark, at least some of his foe¡¯s perks had allowed their plasma fire to go right through.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± Eric roared, no longer holding back. Not daring to hold back. There was no way he could go chasing after the sniper while the blaster-holding mercenaries were a split second from breaking through.


    Just as their clever, ruthless, and Bronze tier enemies had intended.


    They weren¡¯t fools, and Eric was about to pay a very bitter price indeed for crossing their master.


    The only good news was that the man¡¯s deliberate distance mean that his psionic shout wouldn¡¯t be exploding the heads of anyone in the manor. Or so he hoped. Regardless, if he didn¡¯t make a hell of a lot of things happen RIGHT NOW! Alice, Louie, and their unborn child would be dead.


    His psionic shout, much to his relief, made his opponent stumble. Before the Bronze shook it off and aimed once more.


    Sublime dread and terror transformed to desperate panic so hot and potent, even as he tripped over a surprise threat, costing him a precious split second.


    He would never resolve all the threats in time.


    So he did the only thing he could in no time at all.


    Infusing what he would forever think of as his Titan Shout with all the desperate fury at his disposal.


    He would see his foes dead, no matter the cost.


    ¡°FRAGOR¡±


    It was a word that echoed oddly through both the physical and etherial realms. Eric felt the strength leave his legs as the essence of his Wrath was carried in ways his Sylvan brain was not meant to handle but somehow he FORCED it to handle. Channeling what was now a higher order attack as he force-evolved a power word with nothing more than grit, fury, and the sheer determination to MAKE it happen.


    Willpower check made!


    Desperation in the Crucible of battle has allowed you to FORCE EVOLVE a skill no Elf should have access to!


    Fragor is now Rank 9!


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    You may now Channel the Essence of Wrath with this Psionic Attack!


    NOTE! You have permanently altered the nature of this spell!


    It is now ONE with your Wrath!


    You will now suffer a backlash every time you use this attack with your puny half-elf mind!


    Fragor now costs you *(21 mana / 21 Qi / 3 Psions / 42 Soul Reserve (21 with Blood Orb in play) and 42 Health!)


    Note! Health cost increases by *42 every time you use it without at least 1 hours rest!


    *Golden Phoenix reduces the cost and enhances the potency of ALL attacks you infuse with your essence! - Present cost is 70% of baseline ¨C Present damage boost is 138% multiplicative of all other modifiers!


    You have critically struck Rank 4 Bronze Mercenary.


    Rank 4 Bronze Mercenary has expired.


    You have gained 1 additional level!


    The mercenary positioned out of Eric¡¯s range and behind cover, clearly sniper-trained and so very determined to gun down a pregnant woman stiffened as collapsed with a crash as the head, steel helm and all, exploded with enough force to send shrapnel through the brick wall he had braced himself against. Fortunately, the very distance that had made it hard to instantaneously take out this mercenary, unlike the ones rushing the entrance, kept the backlash from utterly obliterating his friends. It also pulled the attention of multiple mercenaries wielding hardware that would have shredded everyone inside the manor to paste, had Eric not claimed their full attention with the death of their friend in what was, for them, the blink of an eye. And their change in focus gave him the desperate second he needed to scream the words that would save his friends, even as he reeled from a single mistake that could cost him absolutely everything.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Hell Vines!¡±


    Because the Contender he had faced might have been dead, which even his interface declared as true, as did the surge of potency flooding his soul¡­ but the tendrils attached to his neck were the farthest thing from expired.


    They had been sentient enough to loop around his legs, trying to scrabble up his pants. So many eyes staring so hungrily at his naked flesh right above his bluejeans... even as he tore them free with fists covered in flame, not giving a shit if his pants or skin was burned to cinders, so long as those tendrils of infectious eyeballs were OFF OF HIM!


    Yet even as he whipped the last hissing swarm of writhing tendrils off his body, he desperately directed his trees in a battle they couldn¡¯t hope but lose as the deadly Bronze mercenaries split their focus between him and obliterating the fiery branches with plasma fire.


    But Eric wasn¡¯t trying to beat them, even as he desperately dodged their plasma fire. All he needed was a thick barrier of wood between them and the manor entrance, and him. which meant that his friends wouldn¡¯t be instantly fried to ash by plasma fire¡­


    or his fists.


    ¡°Kill the boy! I¡¯m burning those fuckers down!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    The last words the trio of very human sounding armored soldiers said before Eric showed just how useful his tree-like spell could be.


    Because at that moment it wasn¡¯t about honing himself in cultivation enhancing duels, while dodging a plasma minigun like a charging idiot trying to close with them. It was about using all the resources at his disposal and saving his friends and an unborn child from absolute monsters, and if that meant he had to pull out all the stops save for transcendent attacks he knew better than to reveal before the final minutes of this endless night¡­ then so be it.


    ¡°Sarge!¡± The final word of a woman¡¯s panic as she and her team instantly lost their footing when they were scooped up by massive etin like tree limbs the moment all their focus was on Eric, all three of them sent flying in the air, streaks of wildly fired plasma hitting absolutely nothing. Only one had anything like a jet pack, and even with superhuman stats all he could do was manage a controlled crash into a building wall.


    The other other two were twisting around futilely as superhuman stats did nothing for momentum and inertia with nothing under their feet and Eric able to make full use of Speed Racer and Battletime as he pivoted right behind the man still desperately holding his minigun as he tumbled through the air, before his helmet met Eric¡¯s fist.


    FIRE FIST has been infused with Power Strike! (Transcendent attack deferred!)


    Power armor FAILS to save versus CATASTROPHIC damage!


    Your opponent FAILS to save versus CATASTROPHIC damage!


    You have obliterated your opponent!


    (Two knuckles have suffered hairline fractures.)


    Eric let the words flicker past his mind as fast as thought, roaring his fury as he sprinted for the mercenary who had just crashed feet away and was already attempting to right himself, glaring at Eric through the now open visor¡­ before Eric struck his foe¡¯s face with his fist so hard that his knuckles smacked against the back of the helmet as brain, bone, and blood exploded from the now obliterated helm in an explosion of Fire.


    You have critically struck your opponent for Catastrophic damage!


    Your foe¡¯s skull has been obliterated!


    Experience Earned!


    Compressed Fire Fist backlash has cause you one Light Wound and singed your hair! (Multiple mitigating affinities and factors in play!)


    Your strained forearm FAILS to save versus structural integrity damage!


    You are now suffering multiple hairline fractures. You are suffering Minor Impairment with your Right Hand & Forearm.


    All of it happened in a flash, a split second stretching as intensely as the pain suddenly flaring up his arm with the pair of men that had been sent flying a second time, catapulting from flung tree to his fist before soaring into death as their ragdolling bodies crashed to the pavement some distance away, their high tech suits erupting in fire and boiling blood.


    The damage he had suffered, crumpling high tech Bronze-tier armor with his naked fist and a Quickness now almost one and a half times as high as his Strength or Vitality, meant that multiple finger bones and his wrist had paid the price.


    Fortunately, the pain and impairment wasn¡¯t enough to leave him a helpless agonized wreck while the final mercenary tried to take him out.


    But it was enough to keep him from socking the woman now screaming bloody murder as she spun around so painfully slowly, her plasma firing death gun at the ready.


    So Eric drew and struck with his mithril blade instead.


    Iado skillcheck made with off-hand!


    You have successfully decapitated your opponent!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 21


    Iado (Fast-Draw) is now Rank 19!


    You have successfully slain 3 additional Bronze Tier opponents! You have gone up MULTIPLE levels in your Legendary Class!


    You have ambushed your foes using spells and terrain to your advantage. Tactically prudent, and utterly failing to push yourself to your limits.


    No additional cultivation levels have been earned at this time.


    Eric wasted no time. As much as he wanted to crash in a shuddering heap for at least a few seconds, this was Freetown, home of a faction that absolutely despised him and his family, eager to see them all six-feet-under, and not at all above bending their own rules to pull in high powered over-leveled assassins to make that happen. Just as bad, there was a fallen asshole who¡¯s mind-slaving tendrils clearly hadn¡¯t died with him.


    Tentacles that could be slithering toward him at that very moment...


    Eric spun around like the paranoid survivor he was, and was grateful as hell that he did when he actually spotted, in addition to the blinking-eyed tentacle slithering across the dirty cobblestones toward him at that very second, a pair of cold-eyed goblins who were taking a bead on him from a nearby building ledge.


    His sudden alarm and Danger Sense spiked so hard together that he had sprung to his feet in a panicked leap as the air lit up with fresh plasma fire that tore into the trunks of the trees behind him but hit neither him nor his prone friends.


    Though, much to his fierce satisfaction, the suddenly panicked goblins couldn¡¯t say the same.


    You have successfully used Fast Draw skill (non-iado variant) to draw, aim, and fire Soul bound Plasma Blaster! (Your personal Soul-Bound blaster, modified by Runes of Resilience, does NOT break apart or suffer catastrophic weapon failure as you aim and fire at over 700 Quickness!)


    Unified Perception (And over 400 in underlying characteristic!) Pierces Enemy Shadow Cloak!


    Blaster skill check: Critical success! You have pierced the hearts of 2 Level 30 Goblin Assassins!


    You have successfully obliterated one sapient Tentacle!


    Advanced Arcane Weapons is now Rank 10!


    Congratulations! You have achieved Rank 10 in Advanced Arcane Weapons! Finesse, Perception, & Arcane Reserves have each gone up 1 point (modified by relevant stat bonuses!)


    Please choose from the following¡­ you have deferred Perk Boon selection at this time.


    ¡°Abjuro!¡± Eric shouted, the instant a second look around made sure there was no one nearby, neither goblins, red filaments, nor sapient slithering tentacles looking for fresh hosts. Eric wasted no time, sprinting for all he was worth to claim his prizes of battle before any asshole or mind controlling vine could animate or otherwise use them against him.


    Because raising the dead into hideous abominations to serve until the end of time was HIS shtick, and he wasn¡¯t sharing.


    Only after he had claimed all four bucket heads and their plasma rifles and miniguns did he race down the ally, leaping onto the rooftop where the goblins had been ambushing him, just in time to see an unarmed goblin wearing a white uniform hiss at him after stripping both bodies of their high tech weaponry and other assorted prizes.


    ¡°Lasers are not for you, human! I am a bonded peace officer, and it is forbidden for you to¡ª¡±


    Fire Fist!


    Goblin skull has exploded into crimson paste!


    You have claimed 2 additional Mark II carbines and the enmity of multiple peace-keeping associations!


    Silver tier Phoenix talisman currently in play.


    All warrants and edicts have been rescinded.


    ¡°Peace officer my ass! You just tried to rob me of my Prizes of War. Worse, you were acting as their fucking spotter. Well now you can spot them all the way to hell,¡± He said with a sneer for the shattered headless body still ragdolling through the air. ¡°Skydragon at its best,¡± he smirked, before cursing, realizing that he was most definitely on the clock and that time was running out for his friends.


    He darted back to the property entrance as fast as Quickness and Speed Racer would take him, heart in throat, fearing the worst even as he chain summoned a veritable forest of trees now surrounding the entire front of the manor that by some miracle hadn¡¯t had it¡¯s walls breached yet, no doubt thanks to Grim and company¡¯s protective magics. Yet seeing as he had come just in the nick of time, he didn¡¯t hesitate to cast his protective fiery trees a dozen-fold, draining both Mana and Qi by nearly 1700 points and flashing a fierce smile of satisfaction when he got an unexpected notification.


    Congratulations! Hell Vines is now Rank 9!


    Hell Vine roots will effortlessly sense, and obliterate, any tentacles that try to slip past your grove!


    You have successfully completed the quest: Defend my people! Experience earned!


    ¡°Alice!¡± Heart in throat, Eric slipped through the entrance, not daring to put off facing what he feared would be absolute tragedy even a second longer. Because if they were hanging on by a thread and his skills could make the distance and he choked up when he was needed the most¡­ No. He absolutely refused to take the leading role in any tragedy of his own making. So he forced himself to turn around, before falling to his knees in heartfelt relief.


    He had feared the absolute worst, seeing his friends in charred, smoking heaps with distant cackling laughter filling the heavens as he swore eternal vengeance against all the assholes gunning for his home.


    Instead, what he found was a pale faced yet very much alive Alice, glaring at her husband tourniqueting her foot stumps while she was cursing up a storm. OR looked about to curse a storm, her lips moving so slowly it was eerie. Probably still in shock. Of course, had she been a mortal, the shock alone might have killed her in short order. As it stood, she was alive, and that boded very well for their future. And Eric understood both her pain and Louie¡¯s panicked concern, so wasn¡¯t surprised that neither were looking his way.


    What did surprise him was the several dozen other people moving so slowly like half-frozen glaciers as they turned to him, expressions slowly going wide with awe, shock, and in more than a few cases, terror. Though considering that they were sheltering in a lich¡¯s inner sanctum, he thought the fear he could taste in the air more than a little bit unfair.


    Only then did he catch Grim¡¯s gaze, furious focus thawing the slightest bit with the heartfelt smile the lich favored him with.


    ¡°Well done, Eric. You have our clan¡¯s eternal gratitude.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Well of course.¡± His brow furrowed with sudden concern. ¡°What spell did those assholes cast that slowed everyone to a crawl? Maybe I can help.¡±


    Grim¡¯s eyes twinkled, though he didn¡¯t say a word, continuing to communicate with thoughts alone. ¡°There is nothing you can do for them, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    Eric¡¯s gaze grew intent. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. I¡¯ve been growing in all sorts of ways since last we spoke.¡±


    This earned more silent laughter. ¡°I have no doubt of that, my young friend. I need merely sense the wild magics of Wood and Fire now guarding my home with such fierce devotion to know the truth of your words. Yet I fear you can do nothing to alter the flow state of my guests and family. For they aren¡¯t the ones stretching free of time¡¯s grip.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand.¡±


    Much to his surprise, the distinguished looking Moorish gentleman sighed, even if it was with his mind, his body as still as everyone else¡¯s. ¡°Tell me, Eric. Just how high is your Quickness attribute?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, cheeks flushing, suddenly understanding the problem. Still high on battle and desperation, he was embracing Battletime fully. And with that perk assuring that Finesse and Perception would match his Quickness in terms of temporal perception, so long as the total of the former two was equal to or greater than the latter¡­ he was currently processing information roughly 35 times faster than, say, a top-tier chess master. Even if he wasn¡¯t particularly good at playing chess. At least he hadn¡¯t been before the ascension.


    Eric took a shuddering breath, allowing his brain to relax, embracing slice-of-life flow once more.


    And suddenly the courtyard was filled with desperate shouts dying off to quiet curses and relieved sobs, Eric by no means feeling slow or sluggish, merely that he had slowed from a ground-eating sprint to a casual scenic stroll but could speed up to a run full out the instant the mood struck him.


    Instead, he chose to embrace a moment of calmness, which at this point, if the slow but steady uptick of his Qi Pool he was now experiencing was anything to go by, was almost as good for him as moving meditation.


    His first move of course was to gently clap Louie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let me help you with that, bro.¡±


    Finesse check made! You have avoided shattering your friend¡¯s shoulder. You haven¡¯t even left a bruise! His wince is pure exaggeration. You¡¯re almost certain of it!


    Blood Mastery skill check successful. You have successfully staved off fatal arterial flow.


    You have engaged in Lesser Healing.


    ¡°Boy scout? Boy scout! You¡¯re here!¡± Alice cried in wide-eyed surprise when Alex seemed to suddenly pop into existence before her, and in the blink of an eye, her stumps were sealed over, bleeding no longer.


    Eric grinned. ¡°I guess I am, at that.¡±


    ¡°How? How are you even¡­¡± She turned to the lord of the compound with a confused look in her eyes. ¡°I thought, with what Master Grim had said¡­¡±


    But the distinguished gentleman who was actually a lich just gave a chuckle. ¡°Our dear friend Eric never fails to surprise¡­ or impress.¡±


    For some reason Eric felt his cheeks flush as Louie gave him a powerful, grateful hug. ¡°Boy scout! Still strong as an ox and coming to our rescue out of fucking nowhere!¡±


    The man¡¯s good-natured jock smile turned to a painful grimace. ¡°Sure as hell, when those power armored psychopaths popped out of nowhere, moving so fast I couldn¡¯t even see them. Then suddenly there¡¯s a forest full of¡­¡± He paled, gazing up at Eric¡¯s enchanted Hell Vines that presently looked far more like oak trees with fiery leaves then actual whipping vines¡­ clearly, the spell was evolving. Or perhaps it was just his intent? Visions of noble sentient oaks serving as woodland guardians definitely resonated on some arcane level within him.


    Louie gave an awed shake of his head. ¡°And now I don¡¯t see any sign of those power armored assholes.¡± He gave a relieved chuckle. ¡°Hell, I thought were were goners for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yet somehow were not,¡± Alice whispered, taking in Eric once more with a cheeky grin. ¡°Instead, we¡¯re treated with a guest appearance of our favorite ¡®Master Criminal¡¯ who¡¯s clearly getting in touch with his inner Momoa, rocking the blue jeans and buff body build, with just a splash of blood in the form of sigils that look drawn by a master, to show the world just how fucking badass our favorite boy scout is becoming.¡±


    Louie nodded. ¡°With his looks and physique, he could land the leading role in any action movie worth producing.¡± He then chuckled ruefully. ¡°Not that any of that matters now.¡± He gave Eric a curious look. ¡°Do I even want to know how high your stats are? Or why, exactly, you aren¡¯t wearing armor, or how the hell you managed to get here just in the nick of time?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°No. It keeps breaking, and serendipity.¡±


    Louie gave a rueful chuckle, eyes twinkling. ¡°Well regardless, it¡¯s damn good to see you, Eric.¡±


    Alice nodded, eyes filled with warmth, pain, and the relief that only comes after surviving truly perilous circumstances. ¡°How is it that you¡¯re always here when we need you the most, boy scout?¡±


    Eric¡¯s return smile grew strained. ¡°Yeah, about that. I gotta be honest. As much as I want you all to know that I always have your back¡­ my original reason for coming wasn¡¯t to perform last minute rescues. Though you better believe that just went to the top of my list.¡±


    Lord Grim favored Eric with his full attention. ¡°Is that so.¡±


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the real reason why your here?¡± Louie asked. ¡°Are you planning a score? Because I gotta be honest, with the shit that¡¯s infected this city over the last few days¡­ has it been a few days? This night feels endless¡­ now might not be the best time.¡±


    Alice gave a sultry chuckle. ¡°Actually, right now, in the middle of all this chaos, is the absolute best time. At least for Eric and my brother, when he finally gets finished with his damned reconnaissance and takes over maintaining the ward. Now might be the perfect time for a heist.¡± Her eyes positively twinkled. ¡°So, Basher, which bank¡¯s our next target?¡±


    Eric chuckled, though his mirth didn¡¯t touch his icy gaze. ¡°It¡¯s not a heist, Alice. Or rather¡­ it¡¯s all of them.¡±


    His friends stilled, giving him a curious look.


    He smiled and held there gazes. ¡°I¡¯m not here for any heist, save for the grandest one of all.¡±


    Louie¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ a. I think¡­ Hell, boy scout, are you actually gunning for Freetown now?¡±


    Alice furrowed her brow. ¡°Louie, that¡¯s insane. And with all the invading shit going down, those freaks that can take over people¡¯s brains or drain their powers¡­¡± She gave Eric a hard look. Then paled. ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°The goblins betrayed Caliban and the Blue, not to mention betraying every last citizen of Freetown who thought this place would serve as a sanctuary where they could expect a fair shake and a shot at making it in a world that¡¯s gone all to hell. Now I have it on good authority that thousands are about to be sold wholesale to the CFA. The same assholes that were planning on enslaving us while Stibbs made out like a bandit on our sweat, tears, and eventual corpses.¡±


    The three shared hard smiles at how all that had played out, before Eric gestured at the seen of devastation and slaughter that could just be made beyond the tree-lined gate.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, the goblins have proven themselves to be treacherous worms, repeatedly, and are just as bad as the orcs. Maybe worse.¡± His smirk hardened. ¡°Which means they don¡¯t deserve any more mercy than I showed the orcs. So yeah. Bronze-tier fuckers or no, I plan on freeing some captives and claiming this town. And if psychotic high level Contenders or mercenaries want a piece of me? Well fuck it! They¡¯re more than welcome to come get some. I¡¯m always happy to grab some more points and levels.¡± With that declaration, he dropped a number of priceless prizes in front of his now speechless friends.


    It was enough of a sight that nearly all the frightened looking students or refugees who had somehow ended up here were gathering with newfound hope in their eyes.


    ¡°Is that one of those laser guns?¡± A young girl¡¯s thready voice broke through reverential hush.


    ¡°Damn right!¡± Eric said brightly. ¡°If anyone has any sort of gunning or hell, Warrior class¡­ like my good friend Louie here,¡± he said with a smile, formally handing Louie the blaster with the most charges, ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to use it in defense of your home¡­ so long as you give the oath never to use it on myself, my family, or my friends.¡±


    Louie¡¯s eyes were filled with something shockingly close to brotherly gratitude, pounding Eric¡¯s back with a mighty hand. ¡°You are the man, boy scout. Abso-fucking-lutely standup! No two ways about it.¡±


    Sadly, not everyone felt the same way. ¡°That blaster still has a hand clenching the grip,¡± whispered a shocked-looking girl who couldn¡¯t have been any older than Eric.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s a goblin hand,¡± Eric said. ¡°They¡¯re small. Really easy to pluck off. Like peeling an orange rind. See?¡±


    The pretty freckled redhead shuddered in horror, gazing at Eric as if he were the monster.


    That didn¡¯t stop a hot-eyed kid who might have been thirteen from claiming one himself, challenging the handful of concerned looking adults with the confrontational glare of someone who had already been to hell and back, and there was nothing you could do to scare them, or sway them.


    ¡°My dad was a cop. He taught me how to shoot,¡± was all he said, and Eric was impressed despite himself, the kid boldly plucking free the hand from the smaller, lighter blaster rifle that the goblin snipers had used.


    Eric ignored the handful of displeased murmurs from the growing crowd, giving the kid a thoughtful nod. ¡°So long as you¡¯re willing to take the oath, sure.¡±


    The kid¡¯s eyes widened, looking like he had heard his first bit of good news in over a year. His clothes were threadbare, despite obviously being in the care of Grim¡¯s household. Still, he quickly got a reign on his hope. ¡°Seriously? Alright, yeah¡­ I swear it. Not to obey you in all things or any bullshit like that. Just um, yeah. I swear I won¡¯t ever use it on you or your family or go all dark side and start shootin innocent people just because the world fucked me over.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too young, what does he think he¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°That Contender shouldn¡¯t be letting him even hold the thing! You see how angry he is. Juvenile hall is the place for someone that damaged.¡±


    ¡°Chill, Marge. It¡¯s the post apocalypse. None of us are screwed on quite right.¡±


    The boy flinched but ignored the soft murmurs. Just as Eric did, all his focus on the youth before him. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    The boy swallowed once, locking gazes with Eric. ¡°You¡¯re going to do something, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric smiled and nodded. ¡°Assuming the lord of the house doesn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Lord Grim¡¯s laughter was low and melodic. ¡°Our savior and most distinguished Master Necromancer is free to perform whatever acts or rites he sees fit. With no restrictions.¡±


    Eric blinked, not having quite expected carte blanch permission, but perhaps he should have.


    His fingers gently touched the boy¡¯s brow. ¡°You plan on keeping to that oath?¡±


    The boy nodded, before his eyes suddenly widened. A look of absolute horror twisted his features, before immediately transforming to awe.


    ¡°Fuuck¡­ you really are a necromancer, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°As a matter of fact... yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Myl, what did he do?¡± Asked a hard-eyed girl wearing similarly threadbare attire who looked like a stiff breeze would blow her away, for all that her eyes were the mirror of her obvious brother¡¯s.


    ¡°He oath-bound me, Meg!¡± Myl said with odd glee in his voice, despite the horrified looks this declaration caused. ¡°If I ever break my word to him, he can claim my soul for eternity and I get no saving throw at all! Not unless I¡¯m Silver, and we both know that¡¯s never going to happen.¡±


    Eric blinked at this, surprised to hear that there was any sort of limitation at all, which could only mean one thing.


    He ignored the horrified looks being sent his way, one of the teenage girls who had been examining the other lighter blaster immediately blanching and stepping away from the guns. Eric turned his gaze towards Grim, gazing at them all with a grandfatherly air, before slowly bowing his head.


    ¡°Myl will make a worthy disciple.¡±


    The top hat and frock coat-favoring lich who could blend in so perfectly with human glamour grinned. ¡°You can sense it as well then.¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t bother denying it. ¡°I do. And most people I bind get no escape clause whatsoever.¡± He turned to the rest of those who had chosen to stay, all clearly disciples of the informal school Grim had set up and thus far less bothered by bindings that had caused most of the others to quickly find reason to be elsewhere.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. So long as you don¡¯t break my trust, you¡¯re soul can go wherever it likes, after death. But the Damocles blade hovering over your souls is damn well necessary, before I let what are for me, complete strangers claim a handful of blaster rifles and carbines. Its the same oath that pretty much everyone who wants to run what will be the sweetest dozen delves in all the world will also be taking, once I clear out the trash and get the ball rolling again. If that doesn¡¯t sound fair to you? You¡¯re more than welcome to walk away. So spend a minute. Think about it while I assign a few level-up points. Just know that once I¡¯m done, I¡¯m out of here, because time is one thing I don¡¯t have to waste.¡±


    He exchanged looks with Grim. ¡°Is it okay if I take a five minute breather?¡±


    Grim nodded agreeably. ¡°Come. You may refresh yourself in my study.¡±


    Eric nodded agreeably enough, allowing his mind to wander for a few refreshing minutes as he strode the halls of a manor so elegantly appointed that even his mother had looked the tiniest bit jealous the one time he visited. He was almost surprised when he felt Grim¡¯s dry powerful hand clasped his own, depositing a prize he had scarce expected.


    ¡°A heirloom temporarily placed in our safekeeping, now returned to you.¡±


    The man¡¯s dark gaze was strangely intent, yet all Eric felt was relief and gratitude.


    His necromancer ring. Back at last! Even better¡­


    ¡°Surpy¡¯s still inside! Sleeping snug as a bug in a rug.¡±


    The lich gave Eric an oddly paternal smile. ¡°Indeed he is,¡± he said, opening the door to his study and revealing a cup of rich steaming chocolate, a mug of frosty-cold milk, and a bowl of home-made chocolate chip cookies. ¡°Sit. Refresh yourself. Meditate upon your build. When you are ready, you need but ring the bell and your friends and I will fill you in on the situation here in Freetown and, how shall I say it? Aid you in your path to ascension.¡±


    With those words, Grim quietly left, closing the polished hardwood doors softly behind him.

 Chapter 380 - Battle For Freetown: Part 2

    Eric¡¯s thoughts were racing racing so fast he could hardly focus. It was an effort just to sit still long enough to drink his milk and eat his surprisingly delicious chocolate chip cookies, near overwhelmed by the desperate need to get out there and kill his foes, rescue his friends, and claim this city, this territory, and so many others before the endless night slowly faded to dawn once more as the poor fool forced to bind a Silver tier talisman to his soul finally expired after howling his agony before pitiless keepers for so many hours, with so many ruthless manipulators refusing the poor victim any sleep save death itself.


    It was yet another one of those cynical conclusions that he had no real evidence for, but would nonetheless happily bet his entire fortune that he would probably never see again that it was true. His Know The Score perk made it damned clear that it was as sure thing.


    But whether the poor sucker presently howling his agony had originally been a willing participant or a doomed patsy all along like Eric suspected, either way, the end result was the same. Eric had a hell of a lot to do, and very little time to do it. Especially if Morlekai and Drake were either missing, late, or in trouble, which was his growing fear, even if no one had said a word to that effect.


    But still, far better to spend a few minutes going over his options here and now, than dying out there. Because sure as hell, none of his enemies were going to hesitate to burn every last development point they had before fighting for their lives in yet another battle.


    So Eric closed his eyes, allowing his mind to flicker through all the battles he had fought both on his way to Freetown and fighting to Lord Grim¡¯s gates.


    A half dozen Bronze tier mercenaries, Over a score of level 80 to 91 beasts including a Level 131 Cave Lion Queen when he raced to Freetown, because even Orange territories had been flooded with so much potency this terrible night that it halfway felt that every unclaimed territory within the North American continent, Orange or even White tier, was all just a heartbeat from blinking over to Red. And he had cleaved and pounded his way through all resistance at what was effectively Level 38.


    Even with a Legendary Class, that much slaughter would boost his level like no one¡¯s business


    Even so, taking a second look at the numbers¡­ His eyes opened in surprised disbelief.


    ¡°Fuck. I gained that many levels? Seriously?¡±


    He wanted to laugh at the sheer audacity of it all.


    The incredible flood of points he had earned, the level he was now at, and what his next step absolutely had to be.


    You have gained 11 Levels as a Golden Phoenix!


    YOU ARE NOW ATTEMPTING TO FURTHER SATURATE YOUR CORE!


    ¡°Damn right, I am!¡± He said to himself with a fierce smile.


    NOTE! You have already forged a GOLD-TIER ascension path with a LEGENDARY CLASS you yourself evolved into being! Further Saturation is unnecessary. Half-step Gold is GUARANTEED with no further sacrifices at all!


    ¡°But the better I prepare myself, the more lessons I learn, the more insights I glean, the more perfect my forging, the stronger a Gold I could ultimately become. Perhaps even more than a Gold. One day.¡± He quickly changed tack, knowing that the System was incredibly interested in the insights it gleaned when a brave few managed to ascend from Silver to Gold¡­ and had absolutely no interest in anything beyond that.


    ¡°And who knows just how powerful a Silver I can become¡­ and just how strongly that will catapult me to a Gold beyond anything the System has ever seen before, if I¡¯m able to maximize my potential every step of the way?¡±


    Eric felt a sudden odd stillness in the air. An awful pressure¡­


    Had he dared too much?


    Had he been too presumptuous? Gone to far?


    He clenched his jaw, both awed and horrified to realize that slaughtering half a dozen Bronze-tier psychopaths and a score of near 100<sup>th</sup> level or higher monsters saturated with wild potency while still below 50<sup>th</sup> level had indeed earned him far more than 11 levels, and if that pressure continued to build without relief¡­


    Core Condensation permitted.


    Warning! You already have a PRISTINE GOLD PATH before you.


    But who¡¯s to say you can¡¯t transcend your own perfection?


    Carry on, Contender!


    Core saturation is now at 5%!


    You may cease saturation at any time for <UNDEFINED> benefits before continuing your ascent as a Golden Phoenix!


    Eric took a deep breath, doing his best to turn his awe and relief into calculated focus. He closed his eyes, visualizing the key physical characteristics and Potency Pools that so clearly defined his path.


    Once more he saw them as tiny candles lit with endless potential, his class feeding each of those 9 key stats 1 point for every level grown. Those were the points that were automatically distributed, just as his cultivation level-up points had been. Yet he still had control in the placement of just as many points as he once had as a Primal adventurer. 9 free ones per level, and 11 levels worth of growth meant that he now had exactly 99 glorious points to place exactly where he wished. And as tempting as it was to go all in and flood Quickness which such sweet potential once more, since every battle was proving that reaction speed in combat truly was everything¡­


    His eyes couldn¡¯t help but fall to what was both one of the lowest of all his key battle stats, that unlike his Mana or Qi or even his Psion pool, had no 12 node multiplier giving him a huge boost, and it was the one potency pool that was absolutely vital for all his of Higher Order abilities and attacks.


    Soul Reserves. The essence of himself. His being. That which he was particularly leery about having any well meaning ¡®friends¡¯ that happened to be in the shape of silvery worms, touch or alter in any way. All the more so after battling a Contender that used octopedian tendrils to take over his prey¡¯s minds.


    But what if that wasn¡¯t the only way for him to enhance, to evolve?


    He already knew that Earth¡¯s title boons were free of that particular System-enhanced modality of growth, even if it all showed up on his character sheet. So there was clearly more than one path to evolving himself, even if the System¡¯s standard method was perhaps the easiest for most Terran classers to endure. Those who had limited or imperfect configurations that needed a System brace of sorts.


    His thoughts raced as he considered and discarded possibilities before his eyes wandered back to the braziers that had automatically claimed his mandatory points. The minimum 1 point in multiple characteristics, including all 4 of his Potency Pools¡­ and he felt just the same as he always had before. No sense of any silvery worm enhancements whatsoever.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened.


    He ignored the shivery tingle racing down his spine as his world became those braziers consuming so much potential before infusing him with the power he¡¯d need to survive and thrive.


    Admittedly, the braziers were small. Barely able to fit a single point per brazier per level.


    But who the hell said he couldn¡¯t make them bigger?


    Could he not take the brazier blazing white hot on the coals of his potency and nurture it into a pyre of glorious potential?


    Slowly, with great care, Eric began adding additional packets of potential in the form of attribute points to the one pyre that, beyond all others, would shape and define his ability to embrace the attacks that had forged both him and his mother into Gold-tier Ascenders.


    Even if he could rarely use the attacks without risking rift destruction while delving where his foes could detect nothing, and manipulative lawfare-wielding asshats moonlighting as assassins screaming for his head if he dared use them in plain sight, it was still his final ace. The attribute that was vital to both his deadliest attacks and those embracing any element of blood magic or the necromantic arts which he could publicly use as well.


    Slowly, point by point, his Soul Reserves steadily grew.


    Much to his awe and amazement, he felt no odd pressure, no silvery worms squirming around in his head, no unwanted transformation at all. Merely the long awaited enhancement of what was perhaps his most vital stat, finally allowed to come into its own.


    Even with no specific stat title boon, Soul Reserves quickly hit the 200 mark. And with the 50% flat bonus Eric now earned with all his stats on top of attribute specific title bonuses¡­ Eric knew he could enhance it even further.


    He thought nothing of investing a steady stream of the points available to him upon the pyre of his long neglected potential until Soul Reserves actually shot past 250 and was still going strong before topping out at well over 300 as Eric invested every last free point he had into that vital stat.


    Eric mentally howled with fierce triumph, as if he had just reforged his greatest class weakness into a considerable strength.


    The only thing that struck him more profoundly than the sweet satisfaction of spiking up such a CRUCIAL stat that drained so quickly, now assuring that he had so much destructive love to give to his foes¡­ was the knowledge that he had earned no additional titles for his remarkable achievement.


    Which meant that even at 300 points, there was at least one other Contender out there who had achieved that number first.


    Eric felt a cold shiver of apprehension, imagining some hideously potent killer with access to arts even he couldn¡¯t fathom as he snapped back to himself in Grim¡¯s study.


    Yet the worry he felt was assuaged by the title he did successfully gain, which made it clear that in the physical realm at least, he was most definitely in a league of his own.


    Congratulations! Your Strength has surpassed 500 Points!


    You are now the highest ranking native-born Strength holder in the Northeast Quadrant!


    You will now earn a 40% Top Rank Bonus (90% total bonus!) with all further strength points earned beyond 500!


    Eric wanted to howl with fiercest exultation. Now having multiple attributes over 500 with multiple boons effectively giving him either an 80% or 90% combined bonus to all additional points earned in most of his stats, even the points he got from claiming territories along the Path of Endless Bounty, Clearing Delves, or decapitating his fellow Contenders Highlander style, was an incredible feat that made everything he had survived up to now SO WORTH IT!


    He chuckled under his breath, realizing that, for all their differences and supernatural origin, Lillian truly was like her old man in her hunger for sweet sweet potency at all costs. As long as they could still be fighting for the alliance of cute elves and even cuter humans at the end of the day.


    Eric took a shuddering breath, praying that the girl who had somehow become his cherished daughter of nearly 20 years in a single night was okay, quickly shaking away future worries for the deadly perils of the present, with an entire city full of survivors now in desperate need of a rescue.


    With a final glance at his condensed character sheet, he snapped back into the moment and rang the bell-pull that Grim had pointed out.


    There were unknown threats to face, thousands of citizens to rescue, and a city to claim under his banner.


    It was time to get back to work.


    _______________________________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 49 GOLDEN PHOENIX (Adventurer)


    (2nd Tier Core Saturation at 5%)


    Rank 41 DEATH¡¯S DISCIPLE (Four Seasons)


    Level 31 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 506


    Vitality ¨C 553


    Finesse ¨C 440


    Quickness ¨C 754


    Appearance ¨C 29


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 27


    Perception ¨C 429


    Willpower ¨C 99


    Charisma ¨C 15


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 340


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    (Mana Pool = 4088)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 410


    (Qi Pool = 4924)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 69


    (Psion Pool = 837)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 343


    Stamina ¨C 5536 Points


    Health ¨C 6942 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 107


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 55 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 65


    Qi Resistance ¨C 79


    Mental Resistance ¨C 82


    Class & Cultivation Synergism


    Essence Ability Cost 67%


    Essence Damage Multiplier 149%


    Unarmed Combat Rank 26


    Cultivator¡¯s Might Damage Multiplier 167%


    Damage Bonus to all Essence Melee attacks: 248%


    ______________________________________


    *****


    ¡°Eric! We had feared the worst. It¡¯s damn good to see you,¡± said Morlekai the instant he entered the room, dressed in a form fitting black silk suit radiating multiple protective enchantments to Eric¡¯s exquisitely acute Unified Perception. And it didn¡¯t hurt that it looked so good hanging from his sleek, well-defined frame. Considerably more buff than when Eric had last truly focused on his friend when not caught up in his own problems. It was the least of the changes his friend had undergone, and Eric thought he looked good. Damn good. A shake of his hand confirmed what Eric already suspected.


    Morlekai Bloodsworn ¨C Class: Vampire Lord (Elite) / Level 51


    St 105 / Vit 107 / Fin 112 / Qui 107 / Appearance (Handsome!)


    Additional Characteristics Detected! - Arcane Potential 103 / Soul Reserves 121


    Congratulations! Identify is now Rank 3!


    Eric whistled, genuinely impressed. ¡°Level 51 Vampire Lord! Okay, I admit it, I¡¯m impressed as heck! Do I even want to know how you managed to go from Basic Conscript to jumping right over Standard, Advanced, and Adept tier class options all the way to Elite?¡±


    Eric winced, only then registering Morlekai¡¯s blink of surprise, looking almost flustered, if it was even possible for a very much living Vampire Lord to get flustered, before his features eased into a rueful grin, sanguin eyes twinkling merrily.


    ¡°Eric! Sometimes I forget just how¡­ observant you can be.¡±


    ¡°And clueless,¡± Eric ruefully acknowledged, ¡°Despite my Social Perception perk. Anyway, major apologies if I said something I shouldn¡¯t, or sensed things you¡¯d rather I didn¡¯t.¡±


    But Morlekai solemnly waved his concerns away. ¡°No, Eric. For defending my sister, my home, my extended family¡­ and for allowing us access to your Tier-2 Ascension Pods, all you have is my undying gratitude.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes positively twinkled. ¡°Good. GOOD! I won¡¯t even ask when, or how the heck you managed to retroactively claim what looks to be the entire point pool you would earn if your had been a young intergalactic scion achieving an Elite class from level 1¡­ but Fuck it if I¡¯m not happy for you! But I gotta ask¡­ System shenanigans?¡±


    For some reason, Morlekai¡¯s cheeks were blazing, for all that both Drake and Louie were chuckling good-naturedly.


    ¡°You got that right, good buddy!¡± Drake said, looking like the epitome of a college jock who had gone on to play and absolutely crush professional sports, while still keeping that young prime-of-his life almost baby-faced glow. And now that Eric was looking for it, Louie held a similar presence, poise, and sheer power that made Eric think that very, very interesting things had been happening to his friends in the time that he was away. Good things, it seemed, despite the horrible circumstances of their original capture. Assuming¡­¡±


    Eric grinned, bowing his head Louie¡¯s way once more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t register it before, with things being so crazy. But you¡¯re the farthest thing from a straight-class Warrior now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Louie winked. ¡°Tell you what, boy scout. You can call me a Warrior every day of the week, after sliding me that sweet ass Tier-2 plasma blaster.¡±


    Alice, on her fully restored feet once more and kitted out in a reflective mesh, despite having received far less than an hour¡¯s rest, was positively glowing. ¡°It¡¯s so damned good to see you, Eric! And yes. It¡¯s the fucking crazy thin silver lining to this inconceivable fuck-up of a situation we now find ourselves in.¡±


    She turned to her companions. ¡°Should we tell him?¡±


    Louie crossed his arms and snorted. ¡°It will go right to his head.¡±


    Morlekai bowed his own head to the master of their manor who chose that moment to enter the chamber before closing the door behind them.


    ¡°We are warded and sealed,¡± Grim declared.


    Alice strutted right up to a nonplussed Eric, gently stroking his cheek before whispering sultrily into his ear. ¡°It turns out that watching a close friend you had partied and fought beside actually ascend has benefits. Even if we were watching it on arcane-linked video screens and screaming our heads off at the time.¡±


    Drake shivered. ¡°That¡¯s one thing I¡¯ll never forget. All the blood.¡± His gaze turned solemn, gazing so intently at a suddenly speechless and frozen Eric. ¡°We saw you, good buddy,¡± he said, voice filled with naked awe. ¡°On the bridge of a battleship. Cutting the entire thing wide open.¡±


    ¡°An entire fleet, obliterated in ice and flame,¡± Morlekai said softly into the sudden reverential silence so profound that a pin drop would have rang painfully upon Eric¡¯s ears.


    ¡°And then he returned,¡± Grim pronounced. ¡°And the entire world could feel the weight of his soul. In judgment of us all.¡±


    And that alone broke Eric¡¯s horrified stupor as he quickly shook his head.


    ¡°No. Never judgment. Not me! Sure as hell not me,¡± he said with a shudder, cheeks blazing as his heart hammered, seeing so many questions in their eyes.


    He swallowed his suddenly dry throat, feeling so dizzy he could puke, the feel of so many stares holding the opinions of so many people he cared about suddenly weighing down upon him. Which was absurd. He had stats and essence affinities that could laugh off lower order magic that could melt through steel. Why the hell was he crushed at the thought of their judging stares?


    ¡°Eric, we saw it.¡± Alice¡¯s New York snark was nowhere to be heard as she gently rubbed her growing belly, soft amber eyes locking with his own. ¡°You were something beyond my ability to describe. Transcendent beyond words. A living miracle! A miracle who could have ascended to heaven right then and there!¡±


    ¡°Leaving only ashes behind!¡± Alex choked out, horrified by the crack in his own voice. By the look in all their eyes. ¡°Look. None of that matters!¡± He said desperately. ¡°All that matters is that we did our best to protect this planet and we got rewarded with damn fine classes. Tell me it isn¡¯t so!¡±


    The tension instantly broke when Louie and Drake chuckled in good-natured agreement. ¡°Damn right, good buddy! System said we were getting major boons, having supported an actual Ascender! Even if we don¡¯t know quite what than means. But the agony of having fresh nodes bored into your soul¡­¡± He paled and shuddered. ¡°Yeah. Receiving a boon of a pristine seven node configuration while earning eleven attribute points retroactively for every level we claimed is not something I ever want to go through again, but damn am I glad that I did!¡±


    Even Alice was glowing with happiness and relief, her smile radiating such breathless beauty that he was shocked that her looks alone hadn¡¯t stopped the assault on their manor. But then again, mind controlled Bronze-tier mercs and a psychotic idiot with tentacles out of his neck who liked to play puppetmaster might be some of the very few who could resist.


    ¡°We all got Classes, Eric. Scary good ones. And I¡¯m so grateful that my baby slept through the whole thing!¡± Haunted eyes locked upon Louie¡¯s own as he wordlessly held her close. ¡°As much as I want to put this night behind me, and maybe never adventure again when I could be June Cleaver with a perfect little picket fence home¡­ I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t admit that the payoff we earned surviving this far, the System credit we got for being your ¡®adventuring companions¡¯ when you did whatever you did that made it so unbelievably fucking happy¡­ was nothing short of incredible.¡±


    Morlekai gave Eric a pointed look. ¡°But don¡¯t you dare get cocky, kid. We all got the snarky message making it clear that there¡¯d by no hand-holding. No growth save through adversity and training under pressure. Which means that even if we all got golden tickets of one sort or another¡­ there are no safety rails. We can still fall off this once-in-a-lifetime ride, if we don¡¯t watch our steps at all times.¡±


    ¡°As we fucking found out just minutes ago,¡± Louie breathlessly said with a shudder.


    Morlekai bowed his head. ¡°And I should have been here.¡±


    ¡°You were needed exactly where you were,¡± Grim said, choosing that moment to speak. ¡°And now we have the information we need and understand what our enemies are attempting. Both sets of foes that would see us either enslaved or obliterated. Now, I think it best that you tell our young friend here exactly what he should expect, should he choose to dare the madness that is Freetown this night. Though it must also be said that he will always be welcome here, and no one will begrudge you for sheathing your killing blade, Eric, after all you have already endured.¡±


    Eric¡¯s friends stiffened, bowing their heads in mutual accord. But he could sense the tension and worry behind all their gazes.


    ¡°With the Goblins having broken every single treaty under the sun, including bringing on board how many fucking Bronze tier mercenaries? And I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re low level. A level 10 Bronze can still obliterate pretty much any standard Level 99 White-tier classer. They never should have been allowed on Earth in the first place, and if they¡¯re not cleared out by first light, it¡¯s like they¡¯re grandfathered in to stay, profiteer, exploit and slaughter us to their fucking heart¡¯s content? Fuck that!¡±


    Eric rocked the table with his knuckle, doing his best not to wince at the sound of a crack like a gunshot. ¡°Point is, Freetown¡¯s got a major sewage problem, and its about damned time that someone was willing to get their hands dirty and clean out all the shit.¡±


    Morlekai gave an approving chuckle, melodic peels of his laughter sending shivers down Eric¡¯s spine. ¡®Jeezus. Just how high is this cat¡¯s Charisma?¡¯


    ¡°Very well then, my young friend. Best I brief you on the nature of our foes.¡± His mirth faded to a mask of grim determination as he gave Eric a lowdown that made it damned clear just how late the hour was¡­ and how perilous the game had become.


    Within less than two minutes, because Eric absolutely refused to waste another precious second beyond that, he was racing out the gate with a crimson crow upon his shoulders, his mind reeling with what had been revealed.


    ¡°There he is. The human Eric Orcbane! Kill him and the bounty will be ours!¡±


    Of course he heard the excited whispers that the pair of Goblin spotters backing up a full half dozen snipers thought no more than breathless excitement, the minute Eric slipped past the barrier of Hell Vines and reinforced bloodwards that was now protecting the entirety of the compound.


    And even if Eric¡¯s mind was reeling with the troubling news that Freetown was in jeopardy both from some hidden puppetmaster and the twisted Shamans performing who knew what twisted rights for their own aggrandizement, he was still able to control the furious pounding of his heart to make the most of his crazy high perception.


    Which meant that when he slowed by the entrance, as if getting his bearings, he was in perfect position for multiple goblins with Quickness and Finesse a hell of a lot higher than the typical Level 30 classer to draw a bead on him and unleash perk-infused attacks that would have utterly obliterated most adventurers in Freetown.


    But to Eric, fully embracing Speed Racer and Battletime, had already slipped free of the first barrage and was now raising and firing his instantly summoned soul-linked plasma rifle, picking his perk in the blink of an eye.


    A perk that he knew shouldn¡¯t normally be there. Yet, thanks to soul binding multiple arcane weapons, truly becoming one with its construction and intuitively understanding how both it and Fire wands worked, meant that he understood how plasma charges were both constructed and used. Assuring that the one component his enemies had controlled so utterly and completely, access to ammo, they monopolized no more as Eric reached with his metaphoric hand through the mist and claimed the ethereal prize that seemed so desperate to slip right through his fingers, until he clasped the squirming fist of insights and made it his own.


    Journeyman Tier Advanced Arcane Weapons Perk Chosen: Unlimited Ammo! You understand your weapon so intuitively that you no know precisely how to recharge the cartridges of any arcane weapon you bind to your soul without it blowing up in your face! Cost: 40 ¨C Skill Rank in Mana for every charge restored!


    Eric flashed a rueful smirk even as he slowly lifted and sighted with his weapon while leaping to the side as the cobblestones were melted to slag by his feet, caressing the trigger with what felt like relaxed fluidity at his current hyper speed, having no desire to strain his weapon even with the runes he had blood-forged to both barrel and handle.


    The System, for all that it clearly approved of so much that he was doing, had also managed to limit him to weapons he had paid the price to bind to his soul, as well as putting a healthy recharge price tag that would drain most normal low level classers very, very quickly, assuring that each shot was still a treasured resource. But being a human hybrid with Arcane potential of 340 meant that he recovered Mana pretty damned quickly.


    Still, he¡¯d love to be using his weapon even faster, as he gently squeezed the trigger over and over again, turning the suddenly wide-eyed and panicking goblins to well-perforated corpses as the night lit up with his blaster fire. And how fiercely satisfying it was to watch one skull after another explode in flash-boiled brains and superheated plasma, even if Eric hadn¡¯t gotten off quite as clean as he would have liked.


    Because even if he was fiercely glad that standing still like an idiot for a calculated second had flushed out his prey, it was damned stupid to think he could poke a hornet¡¯s nest and not get stung in turn. Especially when his final graceful dodge became a painful stumble, as if fate himself said the hell with his 440 Finesse, he was doomed to trip like a fool.


    Multiple Assassin perks are in play! Your footing as been lost at a Perilous Moment!


    Danger Sense detects Sudden Death from multiple angles!


    You have suffered 4 coordinated plasma blasts!


    NOTE! Plasma is a heat-based attack! You now enjoy extensive Class & Essence modifiers to Fire and Ice in all its forms! Goblin perks mitigate near invulnerability! Elemental Resistance of 65 STILL Mitigates Fatality to Serious Wound!


    Unified Restoration engaged.


    It was all Eric could do to choke back his agony as blaster fire streaked through the air with killing intent far beyond standard plasma that tore into his hip and scattered off the blood sigils covering his still naked torso, turning elite protective magics into smoking crusted blood and scorched flesh, made it clear just how elite, and deadly, his opponents truly were.


    And the malevolent smirks the inner quartet of clearly high level goblins sneering at him as Eric¡¯s return blaster fire bounced right off whatever high level energy wards they were using, even as their lesser brethen exploded in superheated plasma, made it damned clear just how much of a fool Eric was if he thought he could use a weapon that had nothing to do with his class against specialized killers who had infused their plasma blasters with abilities he couldn¡¯t even guess at.


    Though he was happy to return the favor, even as he crashed to the ground.


    ¡°FRAGOR¡±


    And how satisfying it was to see the lead sniper¡¯s snarling countenance, radiating the power of someone damn well higher than level 30, abruptly explode.


    As did the skull of the high level goblin next to him, the final pair of survivors, not being fools, immediately turning around to flee the roof.


    ¡°Fragor!¡±


    ¡°Fragor, motherfuckers!¡± Eric screamed with furious satisfaction even as he crashed to the ground, covered in plasma burns, scorched runes, and self-inflicted damage he was surprised and dismayed to find that, unlike the plasma wounds healing at a now visible pace, his headache wasn¡¯t going away.


    And with the shouts having done a cumulative 32+64+96+128 damage since his first shout because leveling up had clearly not reset the clock or lessened the tole he would pay with cumulative essence-infused shouts before a full System reset¡­ he had taken 320 damage in the form of a sharp spike of a headache that had him groaning and rubbing blood from his ears for a precious heartbeat to huddle on the chilly ground in searing pain, his interface screaming with perky notifications that, while embracing the height of high risk stupidity, he had still managed to achieve a most significant feat.


    Congratulations! Using yourself as bait has actually managed to flush out every last high level mercenary goblin now in Freetown, all of them EAGER to collect what truly is a monumental prize! Your head is now worth fifty million credits to select parties, and nearly EVERYONE wants to collect!


    Especially a certain faction of goblins!


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully PURGED Freetown of all Unlawful holders of high-tech weaponry that the accords have banned from Terra! (Isn¡¯t it nice to know that Master Criminal perks and Spoils of War means you can share your high tech weapons with friends who were also under fire tonight without triggering automatic death warrants?)


    You have earned the title ¨C International Bounty Hunter! - The Bounty Hunter class is now open to you! Original Lesser tier boons have already been claimed.


    You have earned an automatic Council reward of 1 million credits! (Even if most of that council wants you dead. Talk about delicious irony!)


    And speaking of irony¡­ you have JUST BEEN INFECTED BY AN ENEMY CONTENDER!


    SAVING THROW VERSUS WILLPOWER MADE!


    Success!


    Your mind is still your own.


    For now.

 Chapter 381 - Battle For Freetown: Part 3

    Eric cried out in shocked dismay and an icy cold slithery horror beyond anything he had ever felt before as he suddenly felt an unseen card filled with malice snap into place over his soul. Goblin blaster fire having scorched protective blood wards just as unseen perks or curses caused even 440 Finesse to stumble, crashing to the cobblestones in a hail of plasma fire while still protecting both head and neck from lethal fire.


    The furious second he had spent psionically shouting at half-step Bronze assassins who had otherwise had him totally mastered at range, had been just long enough for a madly blinking tendril to slither from the shadows and spear his lower back. Actually making the connection despite Eric¡¯s wildly flaring Danger Sense, 107 Physical Resistance, and over 750 points in Quickness.


    By some twisted stroke of fate, or a bitter decrepit, spite-filled elder goblin fiercely determined to see Eric dead at absolutely all costs even as he simpered before the woman who could so easily have destroyed him before placing an innocent infant in her arms¡­ ¡°How? How the hell can I see this? How the hell do I even know this?¡±


    None of that mattered. Because the deed was done, a deadly piece had been moved forward, and Eric, despite all his precautions, was forced to pay the price of playing the mad-lad wildcard one too many times.


    ¡°Eric!¡± Even as Morlekai, no more than a single crimson crow as Eric had insisted, knowing just how deadly an arena they were embracing, cried out in dismay, their enemy had struck on so many simultaneous fronts.


    While leaving Grim¡¯s now very well protected manor, Morlekai now infusing all the wards with his extremely potent blood magics and there in the flesh, save for a single Eric-linked crow, was left utterly alone. Because they had never been anything save a target of opportunity.


    It was Eric that was the real prize.


    A truth he sensed just as he could taste so very much of the psyche now trying so furiously to claim his soul.


    ¡°Ha! Got you in the end you fucking asshole! You thought you could take out my pawns, CLAIM their sweet potency and points I had held off from claiming for myself? Well that¡¯s fine. I hope you enjoyed your snack. Because now you¡¯re mine, motherfucker. Body and soul!¡±


    Even as Eric¡¯s mind was inundated by a psychotically cackling psychopath, he was found himself fighting just to breathe as his consciousness was shoved under what felt like the bitter cold waters of his soul, face to face with a smirking monster of a spite-filled bastard with stringy hair even greasier than his pizza-stained Dead Head shirt, covered in pimples, acne scars, and bitter spite, who looked like he hadn¡¯t left his parent¡¯s basement in the last ten years and had absolutely all the power in this odd quasi realm, chortling so wickedly as he squeezed Eric¡¯s throat, eager to drown his soul and obliviate him before controlling him, directly, like a puppet for all time.


    Eric could sense to his horror and dismay just how helpless he was right then as the inky dark blackness sought to consume him.


    To overwhelm him in the endless darkness of the beyond.


    So like space.


    And that was fine.


    Because in the endless depths of space, there was no precious green planet Eric had to be so wary of protecting at all costs.


    The chortling laughter abruptly turned to a surprised curse.


    Then the screams of a drunken fool realizing he wasn¡¯t sipping wine, but liquid fire as the crumpling soul he was so eager to consume suddenly blazed with the pristine essence of Fire.


    Here and now, like nowhere else, Eric could finally stretch his wings and be free.


    Contest of Wills now in effect!


    5 Ranks of Dominion is attempting to crush 4 Tiers of Fire!


    Fire has been enhanced by the simmering coals of Wrath!


    ¡°I will crush you. Crush you dead, worm! Like I have everyone else that thought I was trash, that they could fire me like I was nothing, break up with me like I didn¡¯t fucking matter. Well fuck them all! They¡¯re all my eternal puppets now, and SO ARE YOU!¡±


    The hideous voice snarled, struggling for control like a cruel boy eager to crush and tear free the wings of the beautiful fiery bird in his hand.


    For only a heartbeat did the phoenix cry out in pain, before remembering so well the feel of its talons blazing with higher order concepts of Fire and Ice, Wrath and Dominion, creation and destruction so great as to shred the very fabric of spacetime, let alone the fleet of dreadnoughts that had actually dared to challenge it.


    Scores of massive city-wide ships instantly frozen to ice before being sliced in half by lances of impossibly hot transcendent flame.


    A mithril sword.


    A blazing talon.


    Somehow, one in the same.


    An undeniable fusion of 12 Ranks of Higher Order concepts along 4 synergized paths of enlightenment that became one unified whole. An epiphany so transcendent, it had been enough to catalyze the flames of his own mother¡¯s ascension to Gold.


    And it was more than enough for the bird¡¯s talons to absolutely shred the pudgy hands of the twisted puppetmaster that thought he could crush Eric¡¯s psyche and make it his own.


    The spite-filled monstrosity screamed and fled and Eric took a shuddering breath, gasping in wide-eyed horror to find himself holding a screeching tentacle.


    And with a snarled curse and a surge of his will, it burst into flame.


    You have successfully immolated your opponent¡¯s vessel.


    Heat Surge is now Rank 13!


    ¡°Eric! Are you alright? Talk to me!¡±


    Eric flashed the crow a shaky smile, even as he pressed his hand against the needle-thin insertion point and imagined searing out his foe with impossibly hot flame.


    Yet much to his dismay, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    He knew that even when he carefully redrew the blood runes upon his flesh, infusing it with his potency once more, even receiving the happy little ding that he had just survived his first bout with what was now a sworn enemy, and Blood Wards had just hit Rank 4.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m running on a serious fucking clock, Morlekai. The phoenix¡¯s flame might have scared that overenthusiastic fucker off for now¡­ but I can still feel the worm of his intent, so like the System¡¯s silvery worms, trying to slither right into my soul.¡±


    It was all he could do not to puke, shaking off his dismay and roiling guts with a snarl, even as he felt the tingling in the back of his skull and throat, the buildup of his enemy¡¯s pressure, like the need to hurl.


    He flashed the worried-looking crow a bitter smile. ¡°I think I¡¯m well and truly fucked, Morlekai.¡±


    ¡°Eric, this isn¡¯t good! We have to get back to Lord Grim, right now!¡±


    Eric chuckled bitterly at his normally cool-headed friend¡¯s flustered state.


    ¡°I think that would be a bad idea. If I dare to relax, if I stop focusing on my own inner flame¡­ yeah, we don¡¯t want a 500 Strength, 750 Quickness puppet in the middle of your sanctum if I blank out for even a second. That would be bad.¡± He closed his eyes, visualizing the furious phoenix that he was even now blazing so hot and fierce that a steady stream of malevolent rot and corruption was obliterated even as it tried to wash over and consume Eric for all time. With a deliberate twist of his will, he turned that phoenix the color of blood. For Bloodfire was another unorthodox path he had at least kissed before flying for more pristine skies. And it was the perfect path for this very moment, even as a still wounded foe gave another frustrated snarl only Eric could hear. For all that he desperately wished that he wasn¡¯t so well connected to his foe.


    A connection that he was dreadfully afraid would only grow stronger over time. And the longer it took to break that connection...


    ¡°I just made a binding oath. I cannot enter your premises unless you and Lord Grim both consent. And since you now know the risks¡­


    The crow was speechless for a long second. ¡°You were able to oathbind yourself so fast? And 750 Quickness? Eric! Then how did¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a certain Silver-Tier sage that wants me dead at all fucking costs who¡¯s playing Cards of Fate to assure that I trip up at exactly the wrong moment. Hates me so much, just for existing. As if my existence trumps his own miserable son.¡±


    ¡°Eric, who the hell¡­¡±


    ¡°Greed. He¡¯s my half-brother.¡±


    Even the crow was momentarily speechless. ¡°Well fuck.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? And he¡¯s just somehow been reborn as an infant. Totally innocent, so my mother can¡¯t even kill her firstborn child that had been preserved in suspended animation for almost 2000 years before Malice grew bored, thawed him out, and twisted his son¡¯s mind for a century or, forcing him to take the most butt-ugly class evolutions in body and soul, all with the goal of making him a supremely twisted fuck, before resetting the clock to innocenceville once more. So, yeah. All kinds of intergalactic fucked up. And father dearest, using the baby as a pawn to keep Aurelia from obliterating him and his final pathetic excuse for a planet, wants to clear the way for his little boy to ascend.¡±


    ¡°By killing you and your sister.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Eric, Greed¡¯s father. He¡¯s not¡­¡±


    ¡°God, I hope not.¡± Eric shuddered in revulsion at the thought, before snapping back to the only thing that mattered right then. Because he¡¯d have all the time in the world to loathe who his father might or might not be¡­ but only if he survived this night with his mind still intact. And if the tingling dizziness he sensed trying to overwhelm him once more was anything to go by¡­ there was only one path forward that would allow him to see the dawn.


    ¡°Come on. We¡¯re heading to the same outdoor coliseum where Greed leveraged all those doomed kids just so he could snap a mithril slave collar around my neck, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct. And don¡¯t worry about the children. There, beyond the grandest blockbuster film, your mother truly came through. According to Master Grim, all of them were gated through at the same time fresh troops for your sister crossed over, and all are now being protected and cared for, safely ensconced the worlds Aurelia calls her own.¡±


    Eric took a shuddering breath, oddly relieved to hear that. Clearly the original plan was for the kids to get blown up along with Aurelia¡¯s worlds, but he and his mother had ascended just in the nick of time. Even if 60,000 additionally rescued souls was just a drop in the bucket compared to the 12 Sylvan worlds saved¡­ and the dozen goblinoid worlds utterly destroyed. But he felt somewhat better about the fiery path of ascension he and his mother had taken, all the same.


    ¡°Eric. Is Greed really you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoever Greed was before, I think he truly is gone. As to everything else? Fuck it. You¡¯re guess is as good as mine.¡±


    You have successfully saved versus ¨C Soul Possession!


    You have expended an additional 12 points of Soul Reserves!


    Eric howled as he felt his psyche being pawed by cold greasy hands, never having felt so violated in all his life as putrid breath from wheezy laughter washed over him. For just a second, he saw himself as a rail-thin man still plagued by acne scars and bitter hate, surrounded by a handful of powerful Bronze-Tiered enforcers covered in glowing armor humming with deadly potency, extremely lethal-looking high-tech blasters comfortably held in expert grips. Sentinels protectively surrounding the man now pawing so eagerly at Eric¡¯s soul, massaging it, squeezing it¡­ the horrid wrench of burning pain as the monster tried to tear free Eric¡¯s psyche and force his own bloated soul in Eric¡¯s place.


    ¡°Let go, you little shit. You¡¯re making this far harder than it has to be.¡±


    ¡°THE HELL I¡¯LL LET YOU!¡±


    This earned a snort, and a mental smack so hard that Eric was sent cartwheeling into a nearby brick wall, the entire building collapsing in screams and rubble, Eric suffering hardly a scratch.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯ll be a juicy little prize to slip inside of soon enough, won¡¯t you, stud?¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!¡±


    The mocking puppetmaster snorted. ¡°Sure you will, kid. Sure you will.¡±


    Eric then embraced the only thing that had bought him precious moments before, seconds he had so stupidly wasted, still treating this like a game of one-upsmanship where he could get the best of his foes, daring to waste precious seconds sprinting for the goblin sniper nest, so clever as to throw the squealing white-clothed minder who thought he could claim Eric¡¯s prizes with impunity right at the pair of now headless half-step Bronze goblins snipers that really had come way too close to doing him in. Even when he smirked with satisfaction as the little goblin¡¯s howling body set off a chain of self-destructive curses, obliterating both the high ranking goblins and their jealously guarded prizes. Eric was up four more blasters and for just a few precious seconds had felt like he was somehow getting the best of his enemies even as they struck him from so many angles that a few of those fuckers had actually gotten through.


    Well, he had been an absolute idiot wasting even a handful of seconds.


    Because his enemies HAD gotten through with the only attack that mattered. IT didn¡¯t mean shit if he had captured knights and pawns. He was going against a sneering master who absolutely despised him, had set up his mother for so much fuckery that he had turned a sweet idealistic teen into the savage bloodthirsty monster his mother had ultimately become¡­ and now his ultimate nemesis was just a heartbeat away from positioning his pieces to checkmate Eric in the most devastating way possible.


    Soul Possession.


    And for all Eric knew, Malice was cackling in his rotting prison of a body even now, having gamed EVERYTHING out from the start.


    Aurelia¡¯s ascension. A second chance for his son. And Eric carefully nurtured through conflict to blossom so monstrously...before being taken over like a perfect puppet. And who the hell knew if Malice himself wasn¡¯t one day planning on being the one driving Eric along?


    But only after Malice, or this asshole trying to commandeer him, made Eric kill his own sister, of course. Because somehow he just KNEW that was part of the plan.


    ¡®¡¯THE FUCK I¡¯LL LET THAT SHIT HAPPEN! I¡¯LL BURN YOU ALL TO HELL FIRST!¡±


    Eric howled as his inner phoenix blazed with the primal essence of Wrath and Flame once more. Forced to drain ever more of his Soul Reserves as he furiously pushed back the malicious shit STILL trying to control Eric¡¯s mind even as he dashed through the city so fast, holding nothing back, no longer even trying to keep a pace Morlekai could match. And when groups of mercenaries, bands of orcs, or, increasingly, hoards or roaring ogres guarding the increasingly upscale streets leading to the merchant¡¯s corner and the walled off arena itself¡­


    Eric handled it in the most expedient manner possible.


    He charged right through them all.


    You have Charged into Ogre Contingent going 2/3rds the speed of sound!


    Strength, Finesse, Vitality (total of 1499) modified skill check made.


    Critical Success! Physical Resistance of 107 means you feel nothing worse than a momentary sting against your shoulder!


    You have critically struck two very confused ogres for catastrophic damage!


    Ogre shrapnel stuns remaining Contingent!


    You have successfully quantized the skill Charge at Rank 5.


    You¡¯re a natural!


    The meaningless messages washed over Eric, still roaring as his would-be master continued whaling his scrawny forearms against Eric¡¯s mind, clawing at his soul with damp greasy hands, such that the crimson explosion of humanoid shrapnel filled the air with the reek of blood and gore so intense that it snapped Eric back into moment. He slowed his pace, howling with fierce triumph as he took in the massive courtyard of marble stone, bloody carnage, and panicked ogres fleeing for their lives. Eric howled with an odd mixture of relief and exultation in equal measure, immediately understanding where he was as he gazed upon the massive colosseum walls soaring nearly a hundred feet in the air.


    ¡°I made it, motherfucker! And my mind is still my own!¡± Eric clenched his jaw, more relieved and frightened than he¡¯d ever admit to his foe, the air cracking with the sound of palm against fist as his hard-eyed gaze immediately spotted the arched arena entrance wide enough to fit a rhino and the pair of smirking goblins armed with blaster carbines just inside the archway.


    Even from where he was, he could hear the screams and shouts of both humans and invaders in the massive colosseum beyond.


    The pair of goblins wearing glossy lamellar armor over matching long-sleeved aketons filled the increasingly cool nighttime air with their derisive chuckles as Eric approached. ¡°Stupid human. Thinking we will permit him entrance!¡± Sneered the first.


    ¡°He¡¯s a Contender,¡± Cackled the second. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know that the game is already lost to them? Our mercenaries will have them all purged before the night is through!¡±


    ¡°Very true, brother.¡± The first nodded his complete agreement. ¡°Very true.¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t bother pleading, begging, or making any sort of case on his own behalf. He just flashed the pair of goblins a cold smile. ¡°Time for you little fuckers to die.¡±


    The pair exchanged a look, before bursting out in laughter. ¡°Foolish human, as if you could hurt us!¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t bother answering with words when action would suffice.


    Fire Fist!


    You are momentarily stunned!


    You have suffered backlash!


    Note! Pristine affinities, mastery of higher order concepts and Elemental Resistance mitigates all pain and damage to sheer embarrassment!


    And Eric couldn¡¯t deny the truth of that, as the pair of goblins howled in absolute mirth.


    Their laughter was soon joined by the mocking, taunting laughter of the asshole still trying to control his mind. As if he had been content to let Eric have a moment¡¯s desperate hope, allow him to wear himself out as he raced to the colosseum, only to find that, despite his impossibly high Strength and multiple potency modifiers, he was unable to break through the shimmering wards protecting the entire edifice.


    Instead, Eric¡¯s Fire Fist hand ended up washing back in his own face when his fist couldn¡¯t even enter the wide-open arena entrance from which the pair of goblins sneered and spat.


    ¡°Such a fucking noob. Don¡¯t even know how this game is played! You can hammer that field all you like, idiot, but my pet shaman is now just an extension of ME! You get that, asshole? And I know the taste of your blood. Your fuckin¡¯ soul! Anything with the taste of your essence ain¡¯t coming through, you got that?¡±


    Eric froze, heart racing as the horrid inevitability of his doom washed over him. The thought of being forced to howl and hammer at the invisible barrier before him while that monster did god knows what inside the arena¡­ forced to listen to all those screams before his mind was slowly consumed by the asshole draining his Soul Reserves even now, keeping the fucker at bay¡­ and FUCK! Was it deliberate?


    ¡°You goaded me to race right over here like a good little bitch, didn¡¯t you, asshole?¡± Eric shouted, knowing his enemy could hear him speak sub-vocally or otherwise just fine.


    ¡°Ha! That¡¯s right, shithead. But you can call me Kevin. Or master. And you¡¯ll be calling me that, soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? Why? Why the fuck what? Why am I doing all this? Enslaving minds and dominating the entire fucking city? Why, to savor your screams, asshole! Why the fuck not? We¡¯re contenders. The world¡¯s are fucking oyster. And if you¡¯re not strong enough to claim your share, then you deserve to get fucking eaten! And bitch, just so you know, I¡¯m sacrificing every piece I haven¡¯t taken over! all twenty thousand of them, like fucking trash tier treasures, all for the chance that just a FEW of you assholes have essences worth claiming!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with horror. ¡°You fucking monster.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re talking my language!¡± The madman cackled. ¡°See you soon, fucker.¡±


    Eric¡¯s desperate eyes took in the still cackling goblins and the arena walls that must have soared nearly a hundred feet. Every inch of it covered in that impenetrable ward.


    Eric glared at the barrier before him. Of course he had access to higher order transcendant attacks that should obliterate absolutely everything¡­ but if the ward truly was somehow tied to his soul¡­ if his enemy truly had that kind of power, and one thing he knew from firsthand experience was only a fool underestimated just how wildly unorthodox and overpowered native-born Contenders could be, then a single miscalculation with his ultimate attacks could obliterate him as easily as the barrier itself.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    The goblins might have only heard part of the conversation, but they could certainly sense his dismay, and happily cackled at his expense.


    ¡°Stupid human is doomed and he knows it!¡± Said one with a mocking glare.


    The other sneered, eyes glittering with malicious glee as he readied his blaster rifle. ¡°I think we should take him out right now, brother. Even if the humans inside want him. What¡¯s wrong with claiming a little power for ourselves?¡±


    Eric blinked at this, lips curving in a smile. ¡°So, you boys can shoot through the magical ward, then?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Cackled the closest one. ¡°The ward isn¡¯t tied to our soul, but to yours!¡±


    Eric solemnly nodded, effortlessly jerking his head aside as the air erupted in brilliant plasma fire.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he said at a conversational pace while whipping and darting past the snarling goblin¡¯s concentrated blaster fire. ¡°No doubt all my most valuable possessions that I took such efforts linking to myself to make them near indestructible will be worthless for getting in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Cackled the goblins, now firing on full automatic. ¡°You can¡¯t touch us, but we can slaughter you! The way things should be in all the worlds we claim!¡±


    His sneering countenance became a confused blink when Eric summoned forth a Hyperion mark IV minigun.


    The pair of goblins froze.


    ¡°Yeah, so, this thing isn¡¯t linked to me at all. Think it will get through the barrier?¡±


    The closest goblin lurched back, staring at Eric in speechless dismay.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to use that!¡± The second shrieked. ¡°It¡¯s a violation of the¡ª¡±


    His words were cut off in a stream of white-hot plasma fire that tore through both goblins like throwing canisters of red paint off a bridge¡­ only messier.


    Eric smiled down at the weapon in his hand. ¡°Well, what do you know. It worked.¡±


    Scholarship skill check (modified by mental mastery of soul-bound Mark-II blaster) Success! You understand how to trigger this weapon while feeding it a slow steady stream of mana to catalyze each and every cartridge! This weapon is not soul-bound to you.


    This weapon successfully pierces soul ward!


    You have successfully slaughtered 2 Level 27 Goblins. (Minimal) experience earned!


    Eric frowned thoughtfully at the shimmering force-field now covering the entire arena wall. A gentle touch felt like touching his own mind, which was absolutely chilling, and only made Kevin cackle like a madman in the back of his skull. Which he HATED! Reigniting the image of his phoenix as the sneering basement dweller blew snot everywhere and tried to make himself at home. Only to be scooted out on his ass, door slammed behind him¡­ before he roared his fury, the ultimate spoiled child being refused to get his way, and every blow caused blood to shoot from Eric¡¯s nose, his Soul Reserves being depleted one awful point at a time.


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll claim you in the end, motherfucker!¡±


    That¡¯s when Eric looked up, a slow smile easing the desperate tension in his features.


    ¡°Let me take a wild guess, Kevin. When you used to play Exile¡¯s Paths, you always used whatever builds Math Razor and all the other Self-Tube gurus used. To the last fucking point, I bet. Even buying currency at Mule Works to buy whatever magic gear was popular, because you were too much of a close-minded anxious little weeb to try anything unorthodox.¡±


    The response he got, much to his dark bemusement, was better than he could have hoped for.


    ¡°Fuck you, Eric Silver! Yeah, I know you who are, asshole! And I got news for you. Your builds were absolute crap and your streams were shit! Build guides are there for a reason! You build the build or someone else will, and they¡¯ll outrace you every league!¡±


    Eric¡¯s teeth flashed in a brilliant grin as he whispered words to a favorite spell, and embraced the flames that simmered to friendly warmth when he crouched upon the branches of what truly were now stately oaks far more than vines.


    ¡°Yeah, okay, I¡¯ll admit it. My builds more often than not sucked ass, but they made my viewers laugh and enjoy seeing me play the game like a charming noob, much like Josh Strife, the king of game reviews and cool commentary himself. But sometimes I came up with some pretty cool shit.¡±


    ¡°Mages are mages for a reason! The Strife effect got two of my favorite MMORPGS shut down, so I plan on giving that Contender some serious payback if I ever find him! And as for your pathetic excuse for a descent build, Even that Firemage Bow Build sucked trash compared to my Poison Archer, asshole!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes glittered with a hunger he didn¡¯t bother hiding from his psyche or soul. ¡°Yeah, maybe so. But there are definite advantages to thinking outside the box, you close-minded fuck, and I got news for you: The Firemage Bow build is about to make a major comeback, right about¡­ NOW!¡±


    And with those words, Eric became one with the spell so EAGER to catapult him through the air, much like a yew bow. Only far springier and even more awesome and even if Eric was gambling it all as he arced over the colosseum walls¡­ one thing his foe clearly hadn¡¯t counted on was Eric springing right over an indestructible barrier he couldn¡¯t climb.


    Eric gazed down upon a sight that filled him with horror and dismay and fury in equal measure, even as a furious Kevin screamed in his mind.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this! No one ever thinks up. Only through! I have the fucking data! I didn¡¯t fail in my design. You just had to fucking break the rules. I had to keep the rooftop open with over 20,000 mouth breathers in here!¡±


    Yet the words were the meaningless dribble of a basement-dwelling psychopath Eric could now make out, looking absolutely like Eric had visualized him, stringy brown hair, acne scars and hollow cheeks with a stick-thin body and scrawny arms that not even Contender¡¯s status had dealt with, probably because the asshole had kept his essences, just like Eric. For all that he despised the man, that was the one and only move he could actually respect. On the other hand, Kevin had obviously put two and two together and figured out how to best play this game even on absolute ruthless mode. Which might explain why he was sitting on a gilded throne, surrounded by exceedingly well armed mercenaries while a pair of goblin shamans radiating Bronze-tier power were holding open a gate to a world of nightmares as desperate, anxious humans who didn¡¯t understand quite how utterly doomed they were, were all corralled through into a massive steel cage just beyond the gate that Eric just knew was hanging over a combination lava pit / steel foundry that wouldn¡¯t just kill the innocent in the most hideous way imaginable, but keep the suffering going for all time as their souls were literally bound to goblinoid soul-steel. All to make dirt cheap battleships and an absolute killing on the fleet market.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s what the fuckers are doing with the bodies? Shit, I had no idea! No wonder my shaman slaves aren¡¯t fighting my control at all¡­ they¡¯re both ecstatic! Because I¡¯m helping them make a killing in the ship market. Now it all makes sense. Ha! Not that I care. My good buddies swore up and down that the essences would pop right back out of the portal and right into me! And I¡¯ll tell you a secret¡­ they weren¡¯t lying."


    Eric¡¯s howl of dismay shook the entire stadium when the smirking asshole made it clear what Eric should have known¡­ that this horrid ordeal wasn¡¯t just beginning. That this monster had already damned hundreds, perhaps thousands, to the closest equivalent to hellfire that there was in this universe. And Kevin revealed that betrayal of humanity deliberately, even as the mask came off and the mocking neckbeard revealed the furious hate-filled tyrant underneath the slothful act, crushing Eric¡¯s soul with everything he had.


    You are now in a contest of Wills with a Level 86 Mind Lord!


    Showing himself to be more than a match for any contender.


    But not a phoenix who knew what it meant to consign entire worlds to hellfire.


    Wings of the phoenix suddenly blazing as hot as the core of a star.


    And for the first time since their deadly dance had begun, Kevin stumbled, actually knowing the taste of fear.


    ¡°No. NO! What the fuck are you? Just how high level...Men! Kill that asshole now!¡±

 Chapter 382 - Battle For Freetown: Part 4

    In that terrible moment as Eric soared through the air before crashing down upon his prey, he was nearly overwhelmed by the sight of this arena once more filled with terrified victims about to be sacrificed to yet another goblinoid soul forge. And after all he had sacrificed, giving so much of himself to save 60,000 children just days ago, only to find the goblins about to do the same damn thing over again filled Eric with such towering fury that he now felt nothing but fiercest joy for the dozen planets he and his mother had consigned to eternal ice and transcendent flame. Save for the portal leading to this final pit of hell.


    Yet even from here he could tell it linked to an entirely different world than the one connected to Earth that his daughter was valiantly fighting to redeem.


    This world had never known anything but the corrupt touch of goblins, as evidenced by the caustic fumes even now slipping through the portal, as well as endless heat and the glowing red glare of cauldrons of boiling steel.


    Eric was filled with dismay and fury in equal measure when mercilessly acute Perception effortlessly spotted so many familiar faces in the crowd at the peak of his arc through the heavens, including a friendly innkeeper who had been gracious enough to share martial secrets as well as good meals and company with Eric and Rica. And now they were all secured in rope, bruises, broken bones and despair. The innkeeper¡¯s once fine attire of cotton and linen had been replaced by bandages and rags, and he had no doubt that the young girl roped beside him, holding a screaming child, were his family.


    Even the obnoxious gnome Linus, blubbering in desperate panic and struggling frantically against his bindings before a sneering goblin kicked him right in his bright red honker, was doomed for the soul forges, no matter how he shrieked and pled.


    Yet what struck Eric harder than anything else was seeing a broken and battered Caliban, hands reduced to bloody stumps, forced to shuffle in that line beside what could only be his wife and children.


    The hidden prince of an entire faction, and his family that should have been safely secured in a world far from here were, in fact, right here and about to become soul steel to slap on the side of a goblin destroyer which the bastards would then use to grab even more territory and repeat their cycle of torment and despair for as long as they could, until the galaxy itself groaned under the weight of their foul corruption.


    It was a travesty that filled Eric with a fury so blindingly potent that space and time itself seemed to warp and stretch as poor Kevin howled, covered in spirit flame, now paying a price for thinking Eric easy prey.


    Eric didn¡¯t care that he was forced to fight for his soul against a monster now desperate to crush his psyche. He didn¡¯t care that he had deliberately relinquished the most glorious of golden ascensions for the precious world he would preserve at any cost. At that moment he was the fiery phoenix he had once been destined to be, and he was determined to END this crime against humanity, no matter what it took.


    Yet the phoenix¡¯s shriek of fury became a man¡¯s desperate cry when Caliban¡¯s tear filled eyes gazed at the heavens, howling like a broken beast as armored sentinels slammed him in the back, thrusting blasters in his mangled face as they forced him towards the portal.


    And yet still, the doomed prince shrieked for a miracle that would never come,


    Until it did.


    ¡°Incurvo Gravitas Attentio! Roboro Ventus Attentio!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart roared in his ears as he shrieked words to give him control of his environment, no longer bothering to hide his mastery of runic arts as gravity and wind became his to control while his conquest overlay flared with countless thousands of reds. It no longer mattered that his enemy was being flooded by insights that Eric would make damn sure that Kevin never lived long enough to put to any use save beyond the grave.


    All that mattered was the look of furious confusion when the sneering goblin snarling Caliban¡¯s way and screaming. ¡°Kill the pretender! Death to the Sylvan faction forever!¡± became a wide O of surprise when he tried to gasp for air that would never come when a blast of superheated plasma tore right through his neck, instantly pulling the attention of the power armored mercenaries guarding what could only be a suddenly wild-eyed and terrified-looking Kevin.


    ¡°No! This is impossible! DIE! You fucking freak! Just die already!¡±


    The mercenaries filled the air with plasma and Eric was suddenly doing all he could to dart and tumble through the air like a fighter pilot avoiding enemy fire, the pyrotechnic display being witnessed by what must have been countless thousands of ogres, gnolls, and most especially orcs hooting from the stands, hollering for Eric¡¯s death, and the death of all humans and elves. All of them filled the thousands of seats overlooking the heart of the amphitheater that was more than large enough to fit the twenty thousand plus souls of Freetown that Kevin was so eager to harvest, and the goblins were so eager to use. It was darkest irony that the wildcard Contender below was happily giving the goblins exactly what they had wanted all along for the inhabitants of Freetown. To serve as cheap carbon and souls to forge near indestructible ship armor so they could corner the battleship market.


    Profit at any cost.


    Profit enough to hire what seemed like multiple teams of Bronze tier mercenaries to invade earth at their behest as first one then half a dozen fully kitted power-armored wearing exotic bronze alloy battlesuits that were nothing like the other mercenary companies Eric had fought so far that endless night. Before being made to serve Kevin even now screaming for his head, filling the air with plasma fire.


    Despite his superhuman speed, these were professional Bronze tier mercenaries, using perk enhanced arts, as the hole now in Eric¡¯s calf that he desperately Power Healed made damn clear. If he let them actually get a bead on him again, he feared they¡¯d do far worse than perforate his calf. So he immediately took steps of his own, even while he mentally manipulated two separate manifestations of his art in the form of wind and gravity to fall to the ground even faster, while desperately holding together the bleeding corners of his mind that Kevin was still doing all he could to crush¡­ even as he fled the stadium.


    You have been struck by Blaster Fire!


    You have suffered 1 Medium Wound.


    You have suffered 1 Serious Wound.


    You are now suffering: Mild Impairment!


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines!¡± Eric roared, knowing that he dare not slow his descent, and praying it wouldn¡¯t matter with his monstrous Vitality as another blast of plasma hit his weaving and darting form, searing through his side, when one of the shell-heads was abruptly grasped by eager fiery vines upon what looked like a massive oak before being tossed high in the air.


    It was all Eric could do to focus on the tree behind the loosely clustered mercenary contingent, disrupting plasma fire that could have killed him but instead resulted in abdominal perforations that quick use of Blood Mastery sealed tight as Power Healing set out to start repairs as Eric braced for¡ª


    You have struck the ground at terminal velocity!


    Physical Resistance has reduced Fatal Wound to Medium Wound.


    Vitality check made!


    You have suffered no life threatening injuries. You have saved versus stunning blow!


    You are up and moving.


    Speed Racer perk is now in effect!


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them here, fool! Their souls have to be tied to their bodies to do the forge any good and to give our master his prizes!¡± Screamed the goblin shaman glaring from between the armored men, taking the place of the now fleeing Kevin as one of the panicked mecha unleashed plasma death through the screaming crowd.


    The goblin¡¯s shout was overwhelmed by the echoing roar of what could only be the commander as Eric¡¯s exquisite perception and universal translator picked up the high pitched tinny sounds resonating from their short range helmet transceivers.


    ¡°Ludwig! Bruno! Cut down those damned trees! Otto, you¡¯re overwatch! Identify the threat! Lina, you¡¯re with me!¡±


    Eric raced across the ampitheater, roaring the words that filled the colosseum with a mighty downdraft assuring him maximum traction even as dust and grit filled the air, stinging eyes and limiting visibility, at least for some.


    Yet still a weaving and juking, Eric could feel the hot glares of multiple would-be snipers from the thousands of amphitheater seats that now had a perfect view of him, those that could even lock on him for more than an instant.


    His eyes took in an entire stadium filled with the vilest abominations. Distorted mockeries of grace and decency. Foul abominations glorying in humanity¡¯s fall.


    For that crime, Eric could pass only one sentence.


    Oblivion.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Hell Vines!¡± He roared, flashing a fierce smile while his instincts shrieking at him to duck and cover transformed to a more general sense of dread when the countless stands became a fiery jungle of fiery writhing vines yanking hundreds upon hundreds of spectators free of their seats, vicious thorns piercing their burning flesh as furiously struggling humanoids were simultaneously crushed, suffocated, and seared as a handful of massive hell trees became first a dozen and then two as Eric rapidly approached the damnable heart of the panicked mob, where the massive gate was accepting sacrifices even now.


    Before lurching in a stumble, blackness coming so close to overwhelming him as he was hurtled into the depths of oblivion.


    ¡°NO, Motherfucker! I won¡¯t let you ruin everything, I¡¯m taking your mind¡­ Aiii!¡±


    Eric could feel those slimy hands pulling him under icy cold waters, desperate to drown him. So desperate that Eric sensed a skill evolution with him in mind.


    Yet in the blink of an eye, those ice-cold waters turned searing hot, skin scalding off the visualized hands of a now screaming Kevin who had yet to completely flee the arena, now gazing at Eric in horror, the flesh sloughing off his actual hands, as if he really had dipped them into boiling oil. ¡°That¡¯s fucking impossible!¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t bother responding, snapping back into focus just in time to watch the largest of the armored mercenaries pick up Caliban¡¯s wife and place a blaster to her head.


    A furious Caliban, somehow having fought off one of the power armored monsters with a dizzying display of bone shattering kicks even with his hands cleaved to stumps, froze in horror.


    ¡°I told you Blue Corp assholes that you¡¯d rue the day you refused to forgive my clan¡¯s loans!¡±


    The powerful mercenary chortled coldly a Caliban¡¯s horrified expression. ¡°That¡¯s right, asshole. My family¡¯s loss of reputation, financial ruin, and exile can all be placed squarely at your feet. Everything we endured is your fault, you fucking leech bastards! You thought you could destroy my family? Well I can¡¯t tell you how good it feels to destroy your¡ª¡±


    ¡°REPUDIO!¡± Eric roared, finally in range.


    The world seemed to shudder. The thinnest of crumpled parchments stretched over oblivion. The results of an actual tear would have been absolutely catastrophic. Even Eric in that horrific moment could suddenly sense it. Yet the snap of reality¡¯s parchment being forced straight did naught but smooth out the creases as all the anomalies in that forty foot radius area were instantly dispelled.


    The portal between worlds closed even as the laughing mercenary casually chucked Caliban¡¯s wife through¡­ who now just landed in the dirt, crumpling into a ball shaking with horror as her sobbing children raced to her side. A roaring Caliban immediately charged the monster who had nearly killed his wife.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Only to be knocked down by a power augmented fist, groaning when blood exploded from his crushed nose as the snarling mercenary loomed over him. ¡°You think this ends here, you goddamned fucking cockroach? I don¡¯t give a shit about the goblins¡¯ schemes. All I want is your head!¡±


    ¡°Boss! I see him! He¡¯s right in front of you! Boss!¡±


    What could have only been Otto¡¯s voice chimed through the comms, as both the merc head and the woman beside him turned to face the roaring threat rapidly approaching, their Mark IV Hyperion Miniguns rapidly orienting toward the threat they¡¯d happily blow to kingdom come.


    They just couldn¡¯t turn their weapons quite fast enough to avoid meeting the gaze of the snarling monster with far too many teeth in a mouth that stretched hideous and wide before their existence became nothing but blinding light and frigid cold, the world seeming to tumble as they fell into blackness, heads shorn free of life¡¯s cares and burdens before falling to the ground, their entire bodies that were covered in such exotic armor shattering like brittle glass upon the ground.


    ¡°Phoenix Strike!¡± Eric¡¯s furious roar filled the colosseum, now holding absolutely nothing back as Kevin screamed in his mind.


    ¡°That fucker got Lina and the Captain! What do we do?¡± Otto screamed in comms. ¡°Ludwig! Bruno! What the fuck do we do?¡±


    Eric turned to the voice, catching the gaze of the panicked looking Classer now raising his minigun right for Eric and the countless hostages that would be vaporized by plasma in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Hell Vines!¡± Eric roared, wasting no time as he darted forward, ignoring the screaming interface messages blinking with the blinding intensity that he knew could mean only one thing. But he had no time. No time at all if he wanted to save the thousands of souls that were even now being peppered by hurtled javelins and too many blasters that should never have been allowed from all the vindictive shitheads that hadn¡¯t fled the amphitheater as he summoned vines that mirrored so well his own killing fury as roars of outrage at Eric¡¯s daring became panicked squeals when the entire murderous mob suddenly realized that they were the pray.


    And then Eric was before the massive vine that the expert Mercenary Gunner Otto had just blasted through with his minigun. Now having Eric dead to rights.


    ¡°You motherfucker!¡± Otto roared.


    His final words before Eric¡¯s blade cleaved through his body as effortlessly as shattering glass. Frozen blue chunks of Otto and his gear showered the ground.


    You have critically struck your foe with Ice Fire! (Renamed Phoenix Strike!) Baseline damage increased 12-Fold thanks to all Essence modifiers!


    LEGENDARY Golden Phoenix Class Essence Damage Multiplier multiplicative of Cultivator¡¯s Might gives a combined 250% Damage Bonus to all Essence Melee attacks!


    Total Damage Boost is 30 times Baseline damage.


    No opposing essences are in play.


    ALL DEFENSES PIERCED BY TRANSCENDENT ATTACKS!


    Your foe FAILS to save versus instant obliteration!


    NOTE! You have DARED to unleash Transcendent attacks upon a newly ascending world in front of multiple goblinoid vid-cams! Multiple sector edicts and censures have been put into effect!


    MULTIPLE warrants for your immediate annihilation have been put into effect!


    Silver tier Phoenix talisman currently in play.


    All warrants and edicts have been rescinded.


    ¡°Kill him!¡± Roared one of the remaining pair of power armored men, now well out of Eric¡¯s range as he weaved and juked for all he was worth against streams of plasma tearing through the air and, Eric was horrified to realize, could effortlessly cut through his crimson shield and the countless panicked souls behind him.


    Quickness Check made!


    Your opponents fail to get a clear shot on you!


    You have suffered Glancing Blows from multiple plasma beams!


    Class Perks PIERCE ALL RESISTANCE!


    You have taken 2 Medium wounds.


    You have saved against multiple crippling injuries.


    Blood Mastery stabilizes blood loss!


    ¡°Fragor! Fragor!¡± Eric roared as he twisted around and raced for the stands, eager for the howling roaring humanoids to bear the brunt of collateral fire, and not the twenty thousand or so panicked victims behind them.


    Psionic Shout partially resisted by unknown defense.


    Psionic Shout fully resisted by unknown defense.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. Forced to accept that these murderous bastards were the farthest thing from pushovers, yet absolutely refusing to unleash an essence-infused version of that attack with the monster now so frantically digging inside his mind. Not when that attack was nearly as dangerous to himself as his enemies, and would cost him a shit ton of Soul Reserves that he was already burning through far too quickly, just trying to ward his mind.


    If Kevin actually sensed what he was doing, how fragile he truly was...


    One of the mech warriors groaned.


    ¡°Ludwig! Get it together!¡±


    ¡°Kids a hot-head! Psionic screamer. We gotta put him down!¡±


    ¡°Hell Vines! Inevitable Doom! Hell Vines!¡± Eric desperately shouted when he sensed the deadly cold tingle of inevitability, suddenly damned sure that his foes had perks that went beyond chewing through his Elemental Resistance like it was nothing that Eric did NOT want zeroing in on him.


    In desperation, he summoned yet more fire trees, both to tangle up his foes and block their line of sight. Yet as was obvious by their careful streams of plasma now slicing through what were, for them, relatively slow branches¡­ it brought him just a handful of seconds at most.


    Seconds Eric was determined to put to good use while dancing and racing across the burning arena sands as he felt like a thrum in his soul the final death knells of over a hundred fallen humanoids who had already met their doom in the stands above.


    Soldiers that would soon rise once more.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡± Eric roared, and the panicked confusion of the countless orcs and gnolls desperately trying to flee the amphitheater was overladen the snap and crackle of bones fusing themselves together as flesh oozed and boiled like liquid metal soup that poured back over charred and blackened bones as Eric¡¯s fiery trees surrendered prizes that their master now claimed as his own.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    A monstrous transformation that occurred in just a handful of seconds as Eric paid the Mana cost for an early harvest of his kills. It was a handful of seconds that was, unfortunately, more than long enough for the pair of grim-faced expert killers to blaze through yet another fiery cove of hell vines, and Eric just knew at that moment that he was well and truly fucked. Even as the wind shifted, now at that back of the mercenaries. Bronze tier monsters who snorted their contempt, effortlessly bracing themselves against hurricane force winds.


    ¡°Think a breeze will stop us, little shit?¡±


    Eric froze then, his mind screaming as something utterly alien to his experience or ken held him fast as a pair of high-tech mercenaries locked their glares with his gaze. Somehow pinning him dead on.


    ¡°Thought you could escape me with a little fire, Eric Silver?¡± Kevin sneered in his mind. ¡°Aww, are your legs too cramped to move? GOOD! Because all my slaves needed was a single second to lock you in their sights, with my mind locked to their own... and I just gave them two!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart roared in his ears as he desperately reclaimed his nervous system from Kevin¡¯s clawing grasp.


    But he was already too late. No longer pinned by a psychotic Mind Lord, he was dismayed to still find himself utterly frozen where he stood as his doom was suddenly made manifest


    A White-tier Classer being marked by a Bronze-tier greater feat.


    BULLSEYE! Your foe is party-linked to the Mind Lord now raiding your soul! Your foe has deferred two plasma blasts that would have hit you!


    Your foes have scored TWO critical successes zeroing in on you during the time you were pinned!


    You have FAILED a Willpower check to break free!


    Eric¡¯s mind raced, choking back sudden terrible panic, a cowardly part of him WISHING he had flown free with his mother, knowing that this couldn¡¯t be the end.


    There had to be a way to break free.


    THERE HAD TO BE A WAY!


    And he had just a handful of seconds to find it, because his opponents were overconfident idiots.


    Just like him.


    The rightmost mercenary took a moment to gloat, chuckling to his friend.


    ¡°So, Ludwig, what do you think we should do with this little shit who just put down his last chip?¡±


    Ludwig chuckled coldly. ¡°First we take his legs¡­ Then we blow off his fucking cock!¡± He roared, glaring at Eric through his visor. ¡°You think we¡¯ll take you hostage, you golden boy Contender cocksucking bastard? FUCK NO! We are taking you OUT, little shit, and we¡¯ll be making you scream every step of the way!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart pounded in growing fury, silently screaming in denial, even if inevitability itself decreed that he was to stand fast, eyes on the barrel of the plasma guns before him, and accept his fate.


    The hell with that.


    He¡¯d make his own fate.


    RUN TO ME, NOW!


    Bruno¡¯s smile turned wicked when his minigun began to hum. ¡°I think we should just stitch this asshole in half. Tear out his intestines and give them to our goblin friends to play wi¡ª¡±


    His words cut out as he suddenly lurched forward, fingers pressing against the trigger¡­ but not before the force of multiple tons of flesh and bronze moving faster than any maglev train slammed into his back skewed his shot.


    And then Eric was free.


    DUCK!


    Eric did, as best he could. Before lurching with a cry as his left hand was instantly sheered off in a flash of light.


    The only thing more shocking than his missing appendage was the sight of the pair of actual Bronze tier classers being carried forward by the flood of nearly half-ton orc sarissophoroi that had slammed the assholes right off their feet, pure inertia sending the pair flying forward even if their armor didn¡¯t receive a scratch. And before the pair of mercs could collect themselves, they were snatched out of the air by a dozen powerful limbs as Eric¡¯s pride and joy were summoned to his side just as fast as he could move.


    Which, with over 700 Quickness and Speed Racer in effect, was pretty damned fast.


    Eric didn¡¯t bother gloating while his opponents roared and thrashed against Eric¡¯s revenants, angry blasts of plasma instantly obliterating limbs and skulls. Yet they had no chance in hell of getting a fresh bead on a rapidly charging Eric as they tumbled to the ground head first.


    ¡°Ludwig! Help me up! I tagged that¡ª¡±


    PHOENIX STRIKE!


    The air flashed with perfect crystalline blue clarity and a surge of pristine fire so transcendentally bright that it was the very essence of creation, light, and ultimate destruction. Even as all heat fled the mercenaries¡¯ bodies, drained into the wicked sharp line of oblivion that had just cleaved through the essence of all they were or could ever have been, before the sudden whiplash of temperature extremes caused the pair of cleanly bisected frozen figurines to explode in a shower of fragments flying in every direction save Eric¡¯s own as he raised his blade with his remaining hand and howled in furious exultation as messages too long denied flooded his psyche and soul.


    He would allow himself to savor this one precious moment as the desperate shrieks and screams of his enemies rang through the air, as what were now dozens of treant-like fire trees continued causing havoc amongst all his foes. A moment where even Kevin was strangely absent, perhaps suffering a backlash as the two mercs he had linked his soul to, in order to better triangulate their killing perks, were the ones to fall instead.


    Eric¡¯s surviving revenants, those not obliterated by plasma fire, were now rapidly racing around him after the closest revenant handed Eric, quite literally, a priceless piece of himself, all of them working to skew the shot of any mercenary or goblin sniper Kevin might soul-ride that could be surviving the chaotic inferno in the bleachers. Foes sworn to Eric¡¯s downfall, that were no doubt drawing a bead on him even now.


    You have successfully claimed your hand and reattached it using Blood Mastery and Unified Restoration.


    It will be 69 seconds before you may use this limb at full strength once more.


    Unified Restoration is now Rank 15!


    Blood Mastery is now Rank 32!


    You have successfully slain multiple White-tier opponents below your level (minimum experience earned).


    You have successfully slain 5 additional Bronze-tier Mercenaries between levels 10-15!


    Swordsmanship is Now Rank 32!


    Phoenix Strike is now Rank 11!


    2nd Tier Core Saturation is now at 10%!


    For successful use of Necromancer perks to get the best of Multiple Bronze snipers that could have shot you dead with perks you have no hope of fathoming (you overconfident idiot!!), Master Necromancer is now Rank 32!


    Note! You have FAILED to best any Bronze-tier opponents in the crucible of combat without the use of Higher Order concepts of which your foes had none.


    NO additional cultivation levels have been earned.

 Chapter 383 - Battle For Freetown: Part 5

    ¡°Husband, is he the one?¡±


    A dazed Caliban looked at his sobbing wife, holding their shell-shocked daughters so close as nearly a hundred Blue Corp administrators dutifully formed ranks around their half-crippled commander, the hidden scion of a clan that their enemies had managed to sabotage and harry unmercifully.


    Even now, just seconds after slicing themselves free of ropes, and no longer at the ruthless mercy of the Bronze tier monsters that had effortlessly destroyed the final sanctum sanctorum containing the panic room where all their families had been held¡­ after they had been cut off from multiple avenues of retreat, no matter how desperately Caliban had fought to reunite with a certain necromancer and his clan possessing means of egress that should have been utterly beyond their enemies¡¯ ken...


    Yet somehow, their foes had known. Every feint, double back, emergency position and countermeasure Caliban had learned and mastered long before he had ever walked the Imperial Administrator¡¯s path had been neatly sabotaged as if a Silver Tier master was laughing at his back and deliberately countering each and every one of his moves.


    A horrid, infuriating thought that, at the end, with their final defenses breached and Bronze-tier thugs beating dozens of men, women, and children to within an inch of their lives, sparing them only so that their essences would be torn free in the service of a psychotic Contender before they were all thrown into an off-sight black book soul forge, he realized to his absolute dismay that his worst fears were true. A Silver-Tier monster was somehow controlling the strings being used to throttle his entire faction.


    Before salvation fell from the heavens in the most unlikely of forms.


    He didn¡¯t know what mad brilliant miracle had transformed his wildcard investor and favorite champion upon Terra into an Ascender daring to blaze through his very core while the Queen of the entire Sylvan Faction, the ultimate birth mother of his own tribe as well, walked calmly by his side.


    Awe had then turned to shocked disbelief when Eric managed to summon a sword straight out of nightmare and legend before striking dead a starship captain through a mana screen.


    An absolute impossibility so absurd it defied all description. At which point the boy and his mother embraced an act that made mundane impossibilities utterly plausible as the pair stepped through that very screen to wreak havoc upon an entire fleet, well on their way to ascending to what Caliban dared to think was Gold.


    The rank of the emperor himself. The only Gold, save for Death herself, permitted to exist within this quadrant.


    It was right after witnessing that miracle that he had been offered a second chance at life and he had done his best to embrace it. So confident that he would be meeting with Lord Grim and his clan to flee this tormented world forevermore¡­ only to find himself cut off and harried until he had found himself here, beaten and tormented by mocking monsters, gloating as they assaulted his wife before his children¡¯s eyes.


    He had felt no shame daring to cry to the heavens for yet another miracle.


    Then was shaken beyond all belief when it actually came true.


    A golden phoenix blazing across the midnight sky¡­


    Become the wild-eyed hellion that had caused such chaos within Freetown just yesterday, armed with nothing more than blue jeans, bare feet, and a mithril blade that radiated higher order concepts that had no place in this world, manifested once more.


    A Contender now moving at speeds that defied comprehension, somehow cutting down multiple Bronze-tier monsters wearing Tier-IV hyper-polymer suits resistant to even plasma weapons in the hands of those lacking a Bronze specialist¡¯s perks. Powered armor that actually included mithril fibers¡­ and the boy¡¯s blade had torn through those mercenaries like a plasma torch through a pane of brittle glass.


    Yet even as he sobbed with hope, his desperate cries for the boy to take cover had gone completely unheeded, assuring what Caliban had been dreadfully certain would be Eric¡¯s and all their doom, when multiple snipers drew a bead on him the very instant he froze, wearing the same rictus Caliban had seen worn by multiple victims of that vile human contender Kevin. Yet by some miracle, Eric had snapped free of a possession that promised only Lythid brain worms and pain. Only to snap back to himself before gloating plasma cannons wielded by men whose belligerent malice promised inescapable death.


    There were a reason why certain classes were so well hidden, after all. Assassin specialists that would be imperially bound and collard, should their true classes ever be revealed.


    Before being struck from behind by undead revenants kitted up like ancient sarissophoroi charging with unbreakable pike shafts at bullet train speeds. An utter impossibility. Caliban couldn¡¯t even fathom the massive number of perks and boons that would have been invested in a class forbidden almost everywhere, save on Terra herself. And the hidden aces of this mercenary company that had been so easily turned by a single brain-worm infecting abomination off a human Contender who had apparently joined the Lythid faction, were delivered hollering and roaring to Eric¡¯s mithril blade, once more flashing with higher order concepts that had a battered and bruised Jinni gazing Eric¡¯s way with desperate hope and profound revelations.


    Even now, Caliban¡¯s mind echoed with the memory of the words the boy had shouted as he fell from the sky, right before the gate that would have doomed them all.


    The air had shaken with higher order concepts that had come so close to tearing the very fabric of this world, already stretched to the breaking point¡­ yet by some miracle, the gate, held open by multiple Bronze tier shamans on both worlds, had actually ruptured. The backlash had been so severe that even the pair of deadly Bronze orc shamans had been sent crashing to the ground with the backlash. It was only by wild luck so unlikely as to be beneath consideration that he and his family were even alive at that moment, Caliban thought as he held his sobbing wife and children, his mind numb with unspeakable horror and exhaustion.


    He was now more certain than ever that only a Contender strong enough to shape reality itself could explain the fortune that blazed so brightly among them. Yet even so, death could end them all in the blink of an eye. Death that clearly some hidden Silver tier monster was still eager to inflict upon them all.


    He knew that he had to get up, lead his men and their families, at least those who had survived this long, and the thousands of hapless captives who had been spared absolute oblivion by only the unlikeliest of miracles, and MOVE!


    ¡°Husband!¡±


    His eyes were immediately drawn to the source of her terror. Final crimson cards that could spell all their dooms as the massive Bronze tier shamans shook off the stunning effects of having their extraplanar ritual disrupted.


    ¡°Who dares to interrupt the ritual of Asgoth the great?¡± Roared the closest orc shaman, now crackling with a dozen wards reactivated in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Caliban!¡±


    He hissed, gathering his wife and children behind him even with mere stumps for hands that would take powerful magics or a regeneration vat to heal completely without spending months in recovery. Forcing himself to stand tall as the closest shaman glared at him with absolute hate. ¡°You! Cursed clan of elves that still dare to evade the fate you fools so richly deserve? Then you will die here and now, sacrificed to horrors far greater than any goblin¡ª¡±


    The creature¡¯s words cut off as he twisted around to glare at a sight that gave even him pause as the arena sands vibrated with what were now two hundred revenants covered in thick bronze armor, wielding eight yard long shafts of cornel wood tipped by spear heads promising oblivion as the company charged forward far faster than any bullet train, right for the pair of shamans who¡¯s dark twisted curses immediately switched to desperately chanted wards of power, and even Caliban understood that Eric didn¡¯t have a chance in hell of piercing massive wind wards whipping about hundred pound spikes of steel in a whirlwind of sharpened blades and cursed ice that would obliviate any White-tier creature the shamans approached.


    It was with cold laughter that the sneering shaman¡¯s momentary fright turned to absolute disdain as they turned to glare upon a still exhausted Caliban and the thousands of desperate captives now screaming in terror as the twin whirlwinds of doom approached.


    ¡°Foolish elven scum! Thinking that you or your tools could ever get the best of¡ª¡±


    ¡°REPUDIO!¡±


    Caliban was knocked over, ears bleeding as he groaned, feeling as if reality had thrummed so tightly that his eardrums had burst. And much to his horror and anger, his wife and children were unconscious, all of them bleeding from all their visible orifices.


    But alive. As panicked fury turned to desperate hope, Caliban¡¯s anxious stumps felt strong pulses in all their necks.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    But he was a fool to distract his savior, a wild-eyed hellion who was now racing forward with a howl even as half his revenants instantly vaporized to dust with his own Transcendent Abjuration. Only now, Eric wasn¡¯t racing forward with his sword, but his fist.


    And a boy who should have been utterly shredded, flash frozen, cursed and killed by a dozen Bronze tier wards met absolutely no resistance at all. Just a pair of stunned shaman unable to conceive of any spell that could cancel all their wards simultaneously.


    ¡°Fire Fist!¡±


    Caliban flinched at the blazing punch that had turned the massive orc into an explosion of brilliant flame, the shaman¡¯s head alone intact, soaring high in the air, blinking in wild-eyed surprise.


    The second shaman began screaming desperate curses that did absolutely nothing to stop the monster now moving so fast that not even Caliban, with a discretely placed 200 in Quickness and Perception, could track him. All he could do was hover over his family and a collapsed Jinni as a second wave of heat washed over them all. Yet he counted his blessings, even if the air now smelled like charred flesh and superheated sand, for his young associate had at least positioned himself so that whatever wild Contender power allowed Eric to strike with such force that even Bronze tier shamans ruptured before his might, at least the shockwave of flame was pointed away from them.


    Though the words he heard next threw Caliban for a loop.


    ¡°This is fucking bullshit!¡±


    The hidden prince gazed in exhausted disbelief at the glaring youngster, his naked Adonis frame covered in soot, blood, sand, and bits of burning debris, though his blue corduroy pants looked as fresh and clean as if they had just been donned only seconds ago.


    A sheer absurdity that only a Contender would be blessed by.


    Only peripherally did Caliban register the furious screams and roars of the thousands of humanoid spectators who thought they¡¯d get a firsthand seat to the ritual sacrifice of all humans and elves within Freetown, only to find themselves preoccupied with several dozen massive trees covered in fiery vines that seemed quite hungry for attention. And though only a fraction of the humanoids were in peril at the moment, their disturbance was so great that no one was firing weapons into the arena sands.


    A damn good thing.


    It seemed like they were too panicked to successfully flee the arena either. A pity, that.


    ¡°Kevin fucking fled! The absolute fucker did everything he could to keep me out, then everything he could to pin me, and now he¡¯s fucking left and my Interface Map isn¡¯t even showing his location. The fucker¡¯s tainting it somehow!¡±


    Caliban felt chills at the desperate intensity in his hero¡¯s voice, before it flipped to a wry, bitter chuckle. ¡°I mean, all these Bronze bodies, and I didn¡¯t even get any cultivator levels. Can you believe that bullshit? Fair enough with the tin can assholes. I did effectively cut through them like a blow torch through tin-foiled butter. But all my Abjuration did with the goblin shamans was cancel out their bullshit wards! My fist was all cultivation, no transcendence at all. And right now I need every level, every point edge I can get against the fucker trying to claw up my metaphoric throat! Hell, if Eve wanted to throw me a free ¡®Resistance to Puppetmasters Perk,¡¯ I sure as fuck won¡¯t say no!¡±


    Caliban blinked at the youth glaring at a fist covered in what now seemed to be higher order concepts of flame. He forced himself to think past exhaustion and speak.


    ¡°Eric! Please! We have twenty thousand captives here, and we¡¯re surrounded by enemies. If there¡¯s any chance¡­¡±


    Eric snapped out of his angry self absorption, cheeks flushing in sudden shame as he caught sight of Caliban, so vulnerable, his unconscious family at his feet, and Jinni as well.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± In a breathless heartbeat the boy was suddenly standing before Caliban, helping him to stand steady. ¡°Okay, Kevin¡¯s scared so shitless I think I got at least a few minutes worth of sanity before he thinks himself safely holed up like a rat in hell and gives the domination thing another go, so lets get you and yours safely squared away in like, the time it takes to clean up loose ends here. It¡¯s all the time I can spare. Sorry, compadre.¡±


    He gazed with unbearable pity at the stumps where Caliban¡¯s hands used to be. ¡°A good night¡¯s sleep and that will be taken care of, right?¡±


    Caliban forced a bitter smile. ¡°The boons of heroes and Contenders in a newly ascending world is not necessarily mirrored by the universe at large, Eric. Especially not when one has already ascended to Bronze.¡±


    Eric paled at that, looking almost guiltily at his left hand, for some reason, before hiding it behind his back as Caliban looked curiously at him. ¡°So, I guess, um, investing an entire node in a Rapid Regeneration ability isn¡¯t really a bad choice, is it?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Eric! If you¡¯ve discovered such a path¡­¡± He shook his head in wonder. ¡°We could make an absolute fortune selling such knowledge to the truly powerful and well connected. Just how potent¡­¡±


    Eric held out his hand. ¡°Yeah, this was sheered off by blaster fire less than two minutes ago.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Caliban gazed at Eric for a long moment. ¡°You and I will definitely need to have a talk, assuming we survive this, young hero.¡± He solemnly swallowed, bowing his head, the dry humor in his voice breaking with the intensity of emotions. ¡°Eric, for my life, the lives of my family, I can never repay¡ª¡±


    He was immediately brought to his feet, a monstrously powerful finger gently touching his lip. ¡°Shush! No emotional bullshit. It¡¯s killing time!¡±


    Eric flashed a wild smile that stretched in hideous dimensions, momentarily forgetting himself, making it horrifically clear to him just how rich and pure Aurelia¡¯s dark fey blood flowed in this young champion¡¯s veins as Caliban suffered a moment¡¯s vertigo, as if he could fall right into that terrible maw¡­ that was just a young man¡¯s excited smile.


    Caliban bowed his head in gratitude and respect, praying his young hero wouldn¡¯t be offended by the way his wife, blinking herself awake, shrieked at the sight of their savior.


    ¡°Our lives are in your hands, hero.¡±


    Eric flushed. ¡°Shit. I forget sometimes that I gotta um¡­ yeah. Alright! I¡¯ll take care of the assholes above.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Eric, we have to get out¡­¡±


    His words were cut off by a cold smile. ¡°Wrong. You all stay right here! Right now it¡¯s a death trap. But in a few minutes¡­ this will be the safest place in Freetown. The one place Kevin the asshole and his mind-controlling minions, which are pretty fucking obvious which one those are, with all the eyeball squid tentacles popping out of their necks, won¡¯t be setting foot in. Trust me.¡±


    He had the moxie to wink at a stunned looking Caliban, before roaring aloud as he raced right for the stands, his hundred remaining revenants that his spell hadn¡¯t disintegrated now standing sentinel over Caliban, his family, and the rest of the shell-shocked survivors.


    The nighttime air flashed with brilliant explosions of flame as orc and gnoll roars and shouts of fury and confusion became screams of pain and terror. Eldritch words filled the air, both haunting and horrific, sending Caliban¡¯s wife and children shaking in their father¡¯s maimed arms, and other words that were almost comical.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines!¡±


    ¡°Peace was never an option, motherfuckers!¡±


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Caliban¡¯s awed gaze did his best to follow the hero as he darted about the stadium stands so fast that there were after images of flame as massive explosions that tasted of Spiritual Energy more than magic sent dozens of corpses flying through the air.


    Before the bodies began to twist and writhe, bones snapping as horrific abominations rose from the ruins of their own fallen bodies, horror turning to twisted magnificence as abominations were forged into the most disciplined infantrymen of earth¡¯s ancient past.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    And in very short order, the disorganized chaos in the stands became a desperate panicked route as flashes of fire were complimented by dozens then scores then finally hundreds of spears plunging into the humanoid spectators as what had once been mocking catcalls and raucous laughter from those man-eaters quickly became desperate shrieks and screams as the orcs, gnolls, goblins, even a handful of ogres fought for all they were worth against the growing legions of undead and a monster of a Contender who had managed to slay over half a dozen Bronze in less than a handful of minutes.


    Caliban felt his wife hold him close. ¡°Who is he, really, my love?¡±


    ¡°He is our queen¡¯s lastborn son. The heir to an empire that rose from the ashes of its own destruction in a single night.¡±


    His wife flinched, knowing what his words meant.


    ¡°Husband...¡±


    The hidden prince bowed his head. ¡°I had to declare myself. I had no choice. Had I not¡­¡±


    Haunted eyes gazed into his own. ¡°Arlen Ort found us. He¡¯s why me and the children are here, love. What we thought might have been the greatest of gifts where no expense was spared, was, in fact, the ultimate declaration of vendetta,¡± she whispered. ¡°Only in this moment, having seen firsthand the death of the shaman that bound me, may I speak. That monstrous bastard cousin of yours declared it fitting that your final moments would be watching me die before you. And now that we actually survived¡­ He will do all he can to kill us.¡±


    This earned a bleak smile. ¡°Somehow, I think that Arlen will get far more than he bargained for, if he dares enter Terran space ever again, assuming Aurelia hasn¡¯t taken care of him already.¡±


    His wife gazed at him for long moments, the pair holding their sobbing daughters between them. ¡°The mother of our people, our tribe...¡±


    ¡°Has ascended.¡± Caliban shut his eyes, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. ¡°I felt it in my soul.¡±


    His wife sighed, chuckling bitterly. ¡°So did I. I so wished to deny it¡­ but none of us can. Our ultimate queen, now a goddess racing through the cosmos. And here we are¡­¡±


    Her husband raised an eyebrow, looking toward Eric, then back at her.


    She flushed and lowered her gaze. ¡°Our hero. Her grace blesses us still.¡±


    In far less time that Caliban thought should be possible, desperate roars and screams died out in suffocating silence. Even the flash of a well-hidden blaster rifle could do nothing to stop the inevitable as a final screeching panicked goblin met his doom in a catastrophic explosion of ruptured flesh washing over half the stadium in a sanguine mist.


    Then a sudden awful pressure filled the air, Caliban and every other elf struck sudden dizziness as the air came alive with crimson arts that left him reeling as countless hundreds of shredded enemy combatants slowly began to rise in perfect unison once more.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    The words echoed pitilessly through the air, before the clang of nearly two thousands bronze vambraces smacking against rune-etched bronze breastplates


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    ¡°Damn right you, do! Till the final days, boys!¡±


    And before Caliban could finish collecting himself and soothing his terrified girls, the wild-eyed young Contender wearing his madcap grin was before him once more.


    Caliban quenched the sudden surge of dread, bowing his head in profound respect. Grateful that the boy at least had the self control for a human smile.


    ¡°Great news, buddy. Our former foes had a change of heart!¡± He gestured fondly at the thousands of smartly saluting revenants radiating far more discipline and power than the original horde ever had, all with their cornel wood spears pointed straight up in parade formation.


    Eric winked at Caliban before calling out to the shaken former captives. ¡°Don¡¯t fear our new friends! Their job is to guard you, provide cover for you, and keep you safe and alive if any trouble comes your way!¡±


    This earned an odd mixture of desperate cries of relief, sobs of gratitude, and at least a few furious shouts.


    ¡°Thank you, hero!¡±


    ¡°We owe you our lives!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your faction, boy? Sign me up!¡±


    Eric grinned and winked. ¡°Strictly free agent! But my sister, who just happens to be the head of the Sylvan Alliance, can always use good people by her side.¡±


    Caliban let loose a tense sigh. So, they¡¯d be traveling to Queensland then. He nodded thoughtfully. It made perfect sense, with the strongest White-tier Contender he¡¯d ever seen or heard of in Elonia¡¯s pocket, no matter the fictitious pretense of neutrality they all knew was a complete farce, and at that moment, Caliban couldn¡¯t give a fig.


    Of course that was when a certain wild-eyed gnome just had to share his own five silver.


    ¡°You! This is all your fault, you abomination!¡± The three-foot tall Linus with a clearly inflamed proboscis still dripping blood hobbled from the crowd, jabbing his fingers Eric¡¯s way. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gotten involved in Freetown¡­ if you hadn¡¯t contaminated our beautiful city with your foul tainted arts, none of this would have ever happened!¡±


    Eric just stared at the gnome for long moments, before smirking and turning to face the crowd as a whole. ¡°If any ungrateful asshole goblin sympathizer would like to join Linus in hating my arts¡­ then please! I invite you to step out of the crowds, far away from my two thousand sarissophoroi that will be guarding the rest of you, and make it out that tiny side entrance over there into the wilds beyond Freetown. Who knows? You might just survive the night without having to say you were friends with an ¡®icky¡¯ necromancer. Hell, you could have a wonderful time with Linus as your travel partner, and have him regale you with tales of the poor young classer who conveniently disappeared when he made it clear that he had found a way to preserve delve-claimed wands for months at a time without having to sell them to Linus for pennies on the dollar!¡± Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have loads of fun. Just don¡¯t do anything to suggest you¡¯ll cut into his profits, or you might not be getting up out of your shared camp, anytime soon.¡±


    Linus¡¯s features paled in abject horror. ¡°Lies! Those are bald-face lies! Stenton was a braggart without a lick of talent! I did nothing to that little fool! I was at the golden cup the entire night. All of my compatriots will tell you the same!¡±


    Eric¡¯s lips stretched wide in a feral grin. The gnome blanched and stumbled back, only to find a handful of hard-eyed youths radiating a Classer¡¯s strength that Eric pinged at around Level 30 rapidly making their way through the crowd, their fists clenched.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, I swear it! Now back off, our I¡¯ll strike you fools dead!¡± A suddenly panicked Linus shrieked, holding a wand in his hands that crackled with odd flickering tendrils of fire and darkness.


    Quickness check made!


    Before blinking in wide-eyed dismay when the wand seemed to disappear from his hands.


    Eric smirked but didn¡¯t even bother looking at a suddenly panicked Linus screaming for help as he toddled as fast as he could for the distant exit.


    The trio of adventures exchanged hard looks. Yet a single head shake from Caliban and they immediately froze, saluted, and stepped back.


    Eric turned to face Caliban once more.


    ¡°So, as I was saying! Stay here, rest up, and yeah¡­ maybe these will help if anything comes your way while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    The Blue Corp survivors¡¯ eyes lit up with desperate hope, as did those of everyone staring his way, when Eric made a half dozen blaster rifles, along with what were hundreds of pilum and an equal number of swords of different sizes, manifest in a pile by his feet.


    ¡°So, I don¡¯t suppose there are any gunners, cannoneers, or anyone who messed with black powder artillery as a Civil war reenactor?¡±


    And much to Eric¡¯s surprise, a half dozen hands were raised. Three were a trio of sheepish young women who¡¯s cheeks were blazing as they gazed Eric¡¯s way, another three were middle aged men who clearly weren¡¯t classers, though Eric wondered what would happen if they touched his Tier-2 Ascension pod and actually got offered some choices. Regardless, they made it clear that yes, the 24-pounder cannons mounted on undead braces that Eric had just metaphorically pulled out of his ass, complete with powder and shot, were something the half dozen Classers and hobbyists could use to devastating effect.


    ¡°Now if you could aim it for the choke points where more of those abominations would flood in from the city¡­¡± The hobbyists gazed at Eric in wide-eyed disbelief when Eric effortlessly manhandled the multi-ton artillery.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± The oldest of the three hobbiests frowned, sighting along the long gun¡¯s length. ¡°We just need a couple degrees elevation¡­ wow, that¡¯s incredible!¡± he said when Eric made the necessary adjustments before shaking his head with a smile. ¡°Now I halfway wonder if I should have dared the pods, no matter the risks, to have such strength!¡±


    ¡°Believe me, it doesn¡¯t work that way for most of us,¡± whispered the closest gunner girl, giving Eric another bashful smile. ¡°He¡¯s sort of beyond anything or anyone I ever met before.¡± The two girls beside her solemnly nodded. The closest took a steadying breath and approached Eric, looking far more like a high school senior than any badass classer, or a girl that should look so ashamed when she caught his gaze.


    ¡°Um¡­ we¡¯ll do our absolute best to keep everyone safe.¡± She even saluted, though her friends cringed and rolled their eyes. ¡°Sir.¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the cannons in your capable hands.¡± He gave her a pointed look. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have the points or level credits or however it works for you to alter them?¡±


    The girl nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Can we? That would be awesome, and a hell of a lot cheaper than bringing a new one into existence without another massive fucking experience point penalty.¡± She flushed. ¡°Um¡­ assuming that¡¯s okay with you?¡±


    Eric gave her an encouraging smile. ¡°Feel free to do whatever you like with them.¡±


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s¡­ yeah, I will,¡± She said. ¡°I mean¡­ we will.¡± She gazed at him for long moments, soft lips opening, though no words came out.


    ¡°Ask him, Gwen. I swear, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Hissed the middle girl with a mock glare.


    Eric raised a polite eyebrow their way. The two other girls flinched and bowed their head, whispering furiously to one another.


    ¡°He¡¯s looking at us! Staring right at us!¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s angry?¡±


    ¡°Of course he¡¯s angry! But he¡¯s so fucking hot I just want to¡­¡±


    ¡°Shh! Gwen¡¯s growing a spine!¡±


    A smirking Eric turned to face a now furiously blushing Gwen.


    ¡°Um¡­ when this is over, can we join the Sylvan Alliance?¡±


    Eric was going to nod, but she squeezed his hand. Before her hand darted back like it had caught on fire. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! It¡¯s just that, well¡­¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know there aren¡¯t too many ways anyone¡¯s going to get access to an Artillery Class. Not unless they found themselves working for a certain class of employer.¡±


    The girl¡¯s face crumpled, looking ready to burst into tears. Eric quickly spoke on.


    ¡°And that¡¯s fine! I could care less about how you got to where you are right now. What matters is that you are here, right now. You nearly got yourselves thrown into a Goblin Soul Forge, and are now ready to fight for team human and elf. If you want to Join the Sylvan alliance? My sister would be happy to have you. Especially after you spent the night guarding your fellow humans against monsters far worse than any nightmare.¡±


    The girl looked at him for long moments. ¡°You aren¡¯t mad that we¡­¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°My girlfriend used to hunt for the orcs. Believe me, I know about hard choices and just doing what you have to, in order to survive.¡±


    The pair of girls behind Gwen sighed with relief.


    ¡°So, you have a girlfriend?¡± Gwen said so softly even she seemed surprised by her words, her soft brown eyes wide with horror. ¡°I mean¡­ oh no.¡±


    Eric smirked, gently patting her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll leave these cannon in your capable hands, Gwen. Make sure our hobbiests actually know what they¡¯re doing with theirs. And on that note¡­ I¡¯m off!¡±


    Caliban blinked. ¡°You¡¯re not escorting us to Queensland?¡±


    Eric¡¯s laughter was manic, filled with dark glee that had all three girls lurching back in sudden panic, as if realizing that for all his wild captivating looks and gentle words, he was every bit as savage as the humanoid invaders he had just slaughtered to the last invader.


    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯ve now got a defensive cannon battery to blast the shit out of anyone heading into the arena from Freetown proper. And all the weapons my minions collected from the corpses of our foes before I converted them to fresh recruits willing to serve me until the end of time are now a glorious pile by your feet that I¡¯m pleased to see the more bold among you are picking through even now!¡± Eric smiled at a few frank, assessing glances being sent his way by men who clearly knew their way around both gnoll short swords, orc battle axes, and the plentiful orc pilum and spears.


    E ¨C And I got a certain puppet-master asshole I need to hunt down, and not a lot of time.


    Caliban flinched and paled at the message. Of course he understood.


    Fortunately, the classers didn¡¯t hesitate to claim whatever suited them with Eric¡¯s friendly nod of assurance, earning both grateful smiles and coolly assessing looks in return as the newly armed citizens formed something of a company of their own close to a number of women and children and Blue Corp¡¯s own freshly armed men and women who might have been Professionals, by and large, but certainly knew their way around both spear and blade.


    Eric gave a satisfied nod. ¡°I think about five hundred of Freetown¡¯s own are well on their way to being properly armed, and I¡¯m betting at least half of those are red blooded classers! Best of all, you¡¯ve now got about two thousand fiftieth level pikemen guarding your asses. This colosseum¡¯s just become the best fortified place in the entire territory! And on that note, I have an ENTIRE FUCKING CITY TO CLAIM! And the fun, Calibro¡­ the fun has just begun!¡±

 Chapter 384 - Battle For Freetown: Part 6

    Eric raced through the strangely empty cobblestone streets, his forced manic mirth of moments before replaced by a growing sense of dread.


    Even now he could feel that awful node of infestation in his mind that had radiated such terror just moments ago easing to smug satisfaction that slowly became malicious glee.


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound, recalling Caliban¡¯s final whisper, a tidbit that might seem so trite, but could truly prove the difference between life and death.


    Yet just before he made the turn ahead that he had been so carefully avoiding while playing the clueless idiot and shouting, ¡®where are you, fucker?¡¯ as he raced through the streets, that was when Kevin made his move.


    The pain was horrific¡­ and Eric had been expecting it as he was thrust into frigid waters once more, now crackling with fire. The same hideous burning as he had once felt when he had dared an orc fire pit for the sake of his sister.


    He didn¡¯t even feel himself crash to the ground. Aware only of pain, choking darkness, and bubbling laughter.


    ¡°You thought you could get the best of me, fool?¡± Kevin roared inside his head. ¡°Thought you could get away with destroying my foundry, torching my pieces, and claiming the spoils for yourself?¡± Eric¡¯s ears roared with monstrous laughter as he fought just to control his body, like he was lost in a dream. A nightmare.


    ¡°Thinking I¡¯d let you claim two thousand happy drones right out from under me. Oh, that¡¯s rich, kid. But you know what? I¡¯m okay with that. You know why? Because all you did was show me how WORTH IT it is to master the build that is you, Eric Silver. To master you so damned well that I can run Tier 66 maps with your build faster than ZeetHog ever could!¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t even bother responding, fighting with everything he had to escape the nightmare of drowning and burning he found himself in. Gasping for breath, mind screaming in panic, in that awful sleep paralysis he had when he was younger and knew he was asleep and just couldn¡¯t wake up¡­ before taking comfort in a trick he had learned and mastered years ago.


    Because it was all about breathing. Manipulating the most important muscles of all. Your diaphragm that was both voluntarily and involuntarily controlled. You visualize yourself breathing heavy in your dream, you soon become aware of your actual body doing the same as you jolt awake in bed.


    He began visualizing himself taking slow deep breaths.


    Feeling the connection to his real self, his body now stumbling BACK TOWARDS HIS FRIENDS! As his breathing started to quicken, started to feel more real. And then it was him wheezing for air as his arms and legs tingled and he opened his eyes with a jolt, having been anchored by his own sense of breathing as he came to himself once more.


    Contest of Wills modified by Class Boons: Success! 99 Willpower means you actually regained control! (For now!)


    Eric opened his eyes in a wave of relief that was almost profound before it became horror, his worst fears already coming true.


    ¡°No, fuck no. FUCK NO!¡± He gazed about him in dismay, along an unfamiliar block. Realizing that he had been moving at quite the pace, and he had no idea where he was.


    ¡°FUCK!¡±


    Which could only mean that, for a few terrible seconds, he hadn¡¯t been in control of himself at all.


    ¡°You think you can fight me off that easily, you goddamned prick? I finally got control of you, you little shit. Ha! I did it once, you damn well better believe I¡¯m going to do it again!¡±


    To this gloat Eric could think of only one response. Even as he leaped for a rooftop to get his bearings without accessing his interface map lest that be a tell¡­ he filled his mind with the image of a phoenix, covered in the transcendent flame so far beyond the paltry sensation of heat that no mind-robbing psychopath couldn¡¯t hope to understand it. A higher order manifestation that had shattered starships. Worlds. And just seconds ago, near half a dozen elite heavily armored monsters as if their mithril fiber armor had been made of spun glass..


    ¡°No! You¡¯re tapped, motherfucker! You must be!¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t bother arguing, leaping from building to building as fast as he could, bypassing first one then half a dozen lurching puppeteers with slithering tendrils bursting from their necks, as well as dozens of drone slaves armed with swords, wands, or Tech II mechaware. One or two of the poor possessed classers spotted him, or at least their tentacles did, but Eric¡¯s superhuman stats meant that he could avoid them by using the rooftops. That, along with his Speed Racer perk and superhuman stats meant that he was all but flickering from building to building that fortunately didn¡¯t collapse under his weight and perk-enhanced inertia, effortlessly dodging the sporadic javelin, spell, and blaster fire that never even came close to hitting him as he finally reached his objective.


    He allowed himself a single fierce smile as he sensed the increasingly frustrated passenger in his mind howl in fear as Eric abruptly darted a hard left and leaped right over the wall to Blue Quarter, showing his seeming desperate efforts to flee the city altogether, as if hoping to get rid of his unwanted passenger by putting as much distance between them as possible, had been nothing more than a ruse. Caliban¡¯s whisper, and reminder that all defenses were down, had been all the information Eric had needed to know what his next step must be.


    Because whether you loved them or hated them, everyone knew the choicest high-end pads were located in Freetown. And where better for a puppet-mastering Contender and his coterie to hole up than in the Blue Palace itself? And Eric knew just the pads with the sweetest amenities that any gamer could want. Including endless anime favorites now playing in Blue Corp colors, and what was effectively the chance to play the most elite and realistic ARPG imaginable using one¡¯s own template, or whatever design anyone fancied.


    So how much would he bet that the Blue Corp chef was busily working downstairs with a single crimson tendril assuring poison-free food while Kevin lost himself watching Super Punch Man while playing a character just like himself on the highest-end gaming rig imaginable?


    Somehow, Eric thought the odds were actually pretty damned high.


    And if the monstrous shadowy presence suddenly manifesting as the Blue Palace emerged like a crown from the most scenic retail district to be found anywhere in this brave new world, then Eric was definitely getting close to his goal.


    Eric¡¯s lip curled with growing frustration and impatience, knowing he was close¡­ even as the brilliant nighttime sky darkened with gloom, and the smooth blacktop road he jogged along grew thick with shadowy black mist chill as the grave, desperate screams now echoing through the ether.


    Eric braced himself as the shadows coalesced into a coldly smiling man dressed in leather armor that seemed to be made of liquid shadow, an obsidian blade glowing with eldritch green light in his left hand, his right covered in a burgundy glow.


    The air rang with hollow laughter. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your tale ends here, Contender. You may call your executioner Malcom, if it would give you comfort to know the nature of your doom.¡± The would-be killer flashed a mocking smile. ¡°Alas, my name whispered by your dying lips is the last bit of solace you will ever receive. For here¡¯s where your story ends, and my brother¡¯s begins.¡±


    Eric frowned at those words. ¡°You know, that¡¯s not quite right... Malcom, is it? Because your brother¡¯s already taken over the minds of over a dozen Contenders, not to mention the Bronze-tier mercenaries. So your bro¡¯s story is hardly just ¡®beginning.¡¯ Clearly he¡¯s been at this for awhile.¡±


    Eric smirked at the other man¡¯s expression. ¡°No, wait, let me guess! It sounded catchy the first time you headed off some poor fool desperate to put Kevin down before it was too late, am I right? Because it¡¯s not like you can say, ¡®Here¡¯s where your story ends and my brothers continues.¡¯ Because that doesn¡¯t rhyme and it sounds cheesy with the double ¡®s¡¯es said back to back. You feel me?¡±


    This earned a confused blink. ¡°Who the fuck do you¡ª¡±


    Iado skillcheck made!


    DOOMFLURRY!


    You have critically struck your foe one dozen times in a single second!


    You have refrained from infusing your blade with higher order concepts or any arcane elements whatsoever.


    Brilliant mithril flashed in the darkness so fast that no mortal eye could follow it. Only the after-image.


    The shadowy figure stumbled back, a panicked expression flashing over Malcom¡¯s shadowy features before he forced a laugh.


    ¡°FOOL! You can¡¯t touch me! No physical attack can harm me, idiot. Your attacks are worthless against me! Whereas mine, on the other hand...¡±


    Malcom wasn¡¯t a complete idiot when he feinted high before darting low and lashing for Eric¡¯s wrist, Eric would give his opponent that much credit.


    Even if the man¡¯s look was comical when Eric deadpanned absolute indifference, his fifty pound mithril blade instantly snapping into mid guard before a casual flick sent Malcom¡¯s saber cartwheeling through the air.


    The shadowy contender stepped back. ¡°No. No one can move that fast. My Quickness and Strength are both over 150! I¡¯m good. I know I am. There¡¯s no fucking way¡­¡±


    But Eric no longer paid attention to his opponent¡¯s words. A true tactician was eternally flexible, well able to adapt to any situation. As impressive as it was that his foe had laughed off a slashes with a mithril blade like it was nothing, Eric couldn¡¯t help but notice the way Malcolm had grabbed his own wrist, when Eric had wrenched his blade out of his hand. And if that was the case¡­


    ¡°Hey, what the¡­ Get the fuck back here! That¡¯s my blade!¡±


    You have successfully claimed Eldritch Saber!


    Warning! This saber is inhabited by a Spirit of Possession!


    Eric yanked back his hand just as the obsidian blade began to glow with furious killing intent.


    Nonetheless, for a split second his mind was filled with a cacophony of screams he saw red, snarling as he leaked tears of blood.


    Blood Ward has mitigated Psionic Attack!


    You have taken one Medium Wound.


    Kevin has suffered one Medium Wound.


    Note! Your Sylvan heritage hinders your otherwise Flawless Formation! Disorientation can be alleviated, but health damage from Psionic Attacks will not heal until System Reset (1 hour¡¯s undisturbed rest) or Greater Healing from Bronze tier healer or better occurs!


    Eric groaned as his roaring opponent slammed into him, a fist crackling with lightning pounded into his floating ribs, and he was surprised to find himself breathless as the bastard cackled in his ear.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, motherfucker! I can hurt you! Surprised? Don¡¯t be. I got a window into your soul, motherfucker,¡± Malcom said, quickly reclaiming his blade. ¡°Which means all your defenses are worthless! Whereas my attacks¡­¡±


    Fire Fist!


    A furious surge of panic before Eric snapped back into focus, psionic attack and dizzying pain having thrown him off his game for just a heartbeat as he lashed out with what was for him, the most natural strike in the world, and totally magic free.


    He couldn¡¯t help smirking when his opponent went ragdolling through the air to smack into the extremely hard Alutopaz alloy what would give high grade tempered steel a run for its money. Yet Eric¡¯s relief was short lived when his foe sprang up like a marionette popping back to his feet, and Eric suppressed a groan, sensing that he was now most definitely in trouble.


    ¡°Well fuck me to hell and back. This is what it feels like to be you? Fuck yes! Faster than fast and strong as sin!¡±


    With those words, his foe was charging forward, a mad gleeful glint to his eyes as he lashed out with a furious barrage of feints, thrusts, and whipping slashes strung together in a deadly flurry that would have utterly shredded Eric¡¯s sword arm if his Quickness had been any less than what it now was. Even the Eric of just a few weeks ago would have been crippled right before being run through the heart, his once glorious tale coming to a bitter end before the sneering man so eager for his death. Yet his explosive growth, not to mention four feet of razor sharp mithril and a foot long hilt, gave him the reach, reflexes, and leverage he needed to keep from getting slaughtered in just a handful of seconds.


    ¡°Fool! Think you can stop me? Steel can¡¯t touch me and your power just makes me stronger! I¡¯m the perfect trump card against everyone, asshole! I¡¯m the ultimate fucking build!¡± Malcolm laughed as he said it, wrenching Eric¡¯s sword high before a surprise kick to the gut had him stumbling back.


    It was all Eric could do to force down the first tendrils of dread as he confronted his sneering opponent. As the man¡¯s surprisingly painful kick, mocking confession, and the cursed blade Eric dare not even touch made all too clear... against this foe, Eric had no good defense at all. His resistances would be sliced through just as easily as he had sliced through power armor with higher order concepts of Ice and Fire. Elements he sure as hell wouldn¡¯t use now, not when his gift of a single basic punch enhanced by Fire Qi alone, had been all that was needed to turn his opponent into a true monster.


    Quickness check made. You have successfully avoided crippling blow!


    As evidenced by the cratered Alutopaz wall that a furious hilt bash had caved in as easily as the asshole no doubt wanted to do to Eric¡¯s skull.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Afraid? You should be! Now I got you on the back foot. Now you know I can HURT you! And even if I don¡¯t kill you, you¡¯ll still be my brother¡¯s slave by the end of the day! You¡¯ll be the perfect pawn we¡¯ll use to take over the entire northeast, and we have you to thank for it!¡±


    This earned a mad cackle as Malcolm roared and went on the offensive once more. Of course that was when Eric¡¯s vision began to fade, Kevin choosing the worst possible moment possible to launch his most powerful attack yet, hammering against Eric¡¯s psyche like a howling storm eager to wash all resistance away.


    Because of course his enemies were working together.


    No doubt they had taken care of overconfident idiots like himself more than once before, working together in ways that most Contenders, having to fear threats and fierce competition for ranks and titles, not to mention the fear of a supposed ally claiming their heads for a sudden boost to their own power¡­ never could.


    ¡°Fuck NO! It does not end HERE!¡± Eric screamed in his head, immediately tuning into his own breathing as he inhaled deep, squatted down to dodge the blade he knew was aimed for his neck before he went blind, felt pain beyond agony searing his left hip from Malcolm getting in one good blow before Eric sprung as high as he could, filling his mind with the transcendent ideal of flame.


    Enough fire to set the entire world ablaze.


    As he had by his mother¡¯s merciless side, a dozen times before.


    ¡°No! What the hell are you?¡±


    You have successfully bested your opponent in a contest of wills!


    Your mind is still your own! (For now)


    You are currently looking down upon your present opponent: Malcom.


    Malcom has scored one Light Wound upon your hip.


    Your defenses have been pierced due to Blood Magic and laws of Similarity and Contagion! Damage resistance does not protect!


    Eric clenched his jaw as he fell back to Earth, knowing that he was in serious trouble.


    His physical blows did nothing. Even if he could parry the idiot¡¯s enhanced strikes, he could never land one of his own. And even if his Fire fist had cracked against the fool¡¯s chin and sent him flying, the asshole had only grown stronger once he popped back to his feet. Not weaker.


    It was like Eric himself had somehow gifted Malcolm with so much of his own power!


    Eric felt a chill he refused to call dread as he finished falling back down to earth, having gotten a good look at the pocket realm his enemy had somehow put him in when forcing this duel. Because in whatever direction he looked¡­ there was Malcom. As if space warped around an infinite point that was this fight that he would be forced to endure.


    The gift of a miniature world he would use to kill his prey was what Malcom would give everyone forced to face him.


    And the smug look of satisfaction on his features as he strode so calmly over to Eric made it clear that he knew exactly how effective his trap truly was.


    ¡°Sorry, asshole. You¡¯re not going anywhere. In case you¡¯re as stupid as you look and you haven¡¯t figured it out yet, this is a 4-D pocket realm, and all points lead to me, it¡¯s master.¡±


    ¡°Dominion over land. And your brother, dominion over the mind,¡± Eric said.


    Malcolm snorted. ¡°Dominion over all you fucks is the bottom line.¡± His lips curled up in a cruel smile. ¡°Now, how about you give me everything you got. I want to blaze so fucking bright that I never come down!¡±


    The madman roared and charged, somehow even faster than he was just seconds ago, and that was when it all clicked. Even as his abdomen burned with sudden fire, thanks to a blade flickering so fast that it was all Eric could do to keep from getting disemboweled, he finally understood!


    When he had lashed out with his Fire Fist, he had somehow given his opponent access to his power. Were he to strike and lash out with the full force of his flame, he would effectively be gifting his foe the secrets needed for his own wild ascension, for he too was a Contender perhaps just as capable of limitless growth with the right catalyst, and Eric refused to let that catalyst be himself.


    You have FAILED a Quickness check! Your opponent has manage to slice open your wrist!


    Vitality check successful. Tendons intact. You can still hold your blade without penalty!


    Eric¡¯s mind snapped back to the moment, having drifted for half a second as Kevin tried yet again to torment him with sensations of drowning and ever growing pressure. With helplessness and despair. Yet for whatever reason, Eric was increasingly certain that his foe hoped that Eric would just give up. That his surrender, gifting Kevin and Malcolm both with unquestioned victory, would be the sweetest and most lasting way they could win.


    Eric spat blood and flashed the now inhumanly fast swordsman before him a hate-filled smile.


    Because he was finally getting an inkling of what was going on. And if the way Eric had almost flung Malcom¡¯s much lighter blade free of his hands yet again was any indication¡­ his foe might have his Quickness, but he lacked his Strength, even if his earlier kick had been a doozy. No doubt if Eric surrendered to his growing sense of panic and lashed out with all force and fury¡­ he¡¯d be giving his foe access to all his attributes and powers as well.


    The man before him laughed, eyes twinkling with malicious glee as they both stood upon the now featureless plane as the Blue Corp buildings, parks, and roads all melted to oblivion, with nothing remaining but the howling wind upon a featureless plane and each other. ¡°That¡¯s right, asshole! It¡¯s over! You¡¯ve already lost! So unless you can pull a miracle, you¡¯re here forever! You¡¯re here until I cut you into so many pieces that¡­¡± Malcom¡¯s words abruptly died out, furrowing his brow at the cool chill around Eric¡¯s clenched right fist.


    ¡°Wasting your time with another right hook? Ha! Go for it ass¡ª¡±


    His words died out with a surprised gasp when Eric rammed forward, trapping his foe¡¯s obsidian blade against his own dachi¡¯s mithril hilt with his offhand as he continued to pound forward, sprinting unimpeded on this desolate plane.


    ¡°Think you can trap my blade again, asshole? You can¡¯t hurt¡ª¡±


    Sneering words of outrage became a surprised cry when Eric¡¯s fist smashed Malcom¡¯s nose, spraying them both with his blood.


    Malcom¡¯s eyes widened with horror. ¡°NO! No fucking way! You can¡¯t hurt¡ª¡±


    Whatever he was going to say was cut off by a furious right hook as Eric jerked free Malcom¡¯s blade with his left hand, his mithril dachi disappearing back in his storage space as he delivered a kidney punch that had a now weaponless Malcom groaning before a knee bomb smashed in his teeth and sent him cartwheeling back in a dazed heap.


    The man¡¯s startled cry and angry growl quickly became a desperate shout, than a pitiful scream as a roaring Eric embraced the martial art he had learned by Sam and Pavel¡¯s side and REALLY went to town.


    Because he was done giving his enemies any taste of his power. Now, he was taking it back.


    You have successfully struck your opponent with Doom Strike! You are draining Vitality, Mana, and Qi!


    Your modified Consumption (Cold) & Dominion Essence modifier of 6 Surpasses your opponent¡¯s Dominion Rank of 4!


    Your opponent FAILS to save versus transcendent attack!


    You have discovered the weakness of your opponent¡¯s power! What can be so easily given can just as easily be taken back!


    Eric ignored the interface messages as he roared and pounded his would-be executioner with everything he had, ignoring every overhand right, gut punch, and spinning backfist that his foe, clearly no amateur to the boxing ring, delivered in turn.


    At first, Eric found himself spitting up nearly as much blood as a snarling Malcom, who was whaling against Eric¡¯s ribs with crackling fist of lightning the cracked bones and scalded flesh. But Eric refused to let up his pace, even when a knee to the liver almost sent him to what had suddenly become the cage match mat.


    ¡°You want to end it all this way? Fine, motherfucker! Let¡¯s do this!¡± Malcolm roared.


    Yet the awful pain only heightened Eric¡¯s his resolve. Because finally, FINALLY he could hurt this smirking motherfucker. And as the endless round continued Eric saw the man¡¯s sneering arrogance and disdain start to wain, face clenching not with contempt but with pain¡­ and growing fear.


    ¡°You think you can take me down, you little shit? This is nothing! I was fighting in amateur bouts while you were snorting coke off hooker¡¯s asses, you party-boy pussy!¡±


    Eric¡¯s only answer to that was an overhand right that filled the air with Malcolm¡¯s spurting blood, when nose cartilage cracked against his clenched fist. Because mescaline one time with a drunk fling was not snorting coke off hooker¡¯s asses, no matter what the tabloids said. And he had left that party-boy lifestyle, the most realistic role he had ever embraced, just as soon as Aurelia didn¡¯t need his excesses to cover for his sister¡¯s fall from grace.


    Besides, now he had far healthier ways of dealing with life¡¯s stress than getting loaded and laid.


    Now there was the rush of conquest, dominion, and slaughter.


    Draining dry the sweet, sweet potency of entire regions and the deadliest foes.


    Greatest fucking high there ever was.


    And even if his opponent actually had a background as an amateur fighter, it didn¡¯t matter. Because they weren¡¯t playing for points, they were fighting for survival. No judge was there to cry foul when Eric¡¯s knee smashed a snarling Malcolm¡¯s groin a split second before his right elbow cracked his wheezing opponent¡¯s left orbital socket.


    The man had time for only a surprised groan before Eric seized the initiative, now pounding into his nemesis with absolutely everything he had. Picking up his pace with every bloody blow, cracking bones and bruising flesh so bad that blood was flying as skin ripped and tore, his foe now curling up in a ball as Eric roared, kicked, and heel stomped the ever-loving-fuck out of his foe. Howling with the sweet, sweet rush of crushing his foe and tearing back every last iota of power and potency this asshole had thought to leech from him, even if only so long as necessary to assure Eric¡¯s death.


    ¡°NO please, mercy. Mercy!¡±


    The words washed over Eric as the meaningless dribble it was.


    ¡°I give up, man. The fight is¡ªgod that hurts! Please! I¡¯m sorry, alright? Please!!¡±


    Eric yanked his trembling foe by the greasy hair on his scalp to glare in his eyes before a fresh right hook cracked against Malcom¡¯s jaw, shattering teeth and bone as Eric ripped free the strength of enamel and bone.


    He could see the bitter truth in Malcom¡¯s one intact eye. His desperately calculating mind looking for some angle, any angle, reduced to a panic animal¡¯s desperate need to flee. Now pleading fr the mercy of a second chance that a roaring Eric would NEVER show either brother who had worked hand in hand to doom an entire city, and would no doubt do so again.


    ¡°I can tell you where the gold is!¡± Malice¡¯s opponent pled with the broken voice of a teen. ¡°Please! We got the best of those goblin shits¡­ oh fuck, please, that¡ªI can give you the gold! Please! Stop hitting me!¡±


    But in that moment of terrible sublime fury, Eric was far less interested in financial prosperity than in the sweet, hot joy of POUNDING the ever-loving shit of the bastard who had thought him an easy mark. His wrath so hot that even Kevin¡¯s desperate clawing of his mind was ignored, the man¡¯s terrified screams and despairing wail for his doomed brother less than nothing before Eric¡¯s wrath.


    But much to Eric¡¯s growing frustration and fury, he just couldn¡¯t kill the sublime asshole, no matter how severe his superficial injuries looked. He was still trapped in Malcolm¡¯s pocket world.


    Eric¡¯s glare hardened. Even his limiting acting abilities were sufficient to spot it when someone else was hamming it up, suppressing a groan of his own when Kevin began tearing at Eric¡¯s psyche with desperate flailing octopedian limbs.


    ¡°You little fuck.¡±


    Malcom smirked, revealing teeth that, though bloody, were very much intact. ¡°You got a mean right hook, I¡¯ll give you that, Eric Silver,¡± he said in a reedy voice that grew stronger by the second. ¡°But you¡¯re forgetting the perk that makes all the fucking difference. We¡¯re in my world. Where I hold sway! So sure, you can hurt me. Hell, yes, you can. Beat the ever living fuck out of me as you steel every last iota of power from so many fucking kills and you better believe I¡¯ll be getting my cut back when you¡¯re dead, you little shit! But you can¡¯t kill me, you fucking asshole! Because this is my world! My realm! And here you¡¯re going to stay until my lazy ass brother finally gets his claws in¡ª¡±


    His words cut off as horrified eyes widened at the sight of Eric¡¯s smile.


    Stretching so wide.


    Revealing countless rows of serrated teeth.


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    It was as if Malcolm could finally sense it, his smug confidence suddenly waning to despair as Kevin screamed in the back of Eric¡¯s mind.


    Sensing that whether or not he held dominion over his own lands that would best any orthodox Contender¡­ he was now facing a disciple of the Path of Consumption.


    The Winter Queen¡¯s chosen scion.


    He who had consumed the power of entire worlds.


    Compared to the howling feats of horror he and his mother had committed this night alone¡­


    Destroying a shadow realm would be no problem at all.


    And how curious it was, the tiny sane part of Eric¡¯s mind thought, that Malcolm and of course a screaming Kevin, could sense those terrible truths with Eric¡¯s gleefully growing smile, Euclidean geometry fracturing into a thousand tortured screams as Eric¡¯s grin grew so wide that it could devour an entire world.


    Without warping the sublime grace of his sensual lips¡­ his mother¡¯s lips, at all.


    ¡°No! Stop! I¡¯ll let you go, stop! Stop!¡± Kevin howled in the vast yawning darkness of Eric¡¯s mind.


    Malcolm shuddered, tears streaming down his cheeks. ¡°Of fuck, fuck! He¡¯s gonna kill me in my own world, bro! He¡¯s gonna¡ª¡±


    A single effortless snap and the sweet sweet sparkly taste of bubbly wine and the greatest rush of all, as the headless corpse spurting blood stiffened in Eric¡¯s arms before he took a second ravenous bite, ribs shattering and heart rupturing with the same glorious explosion of flavor as feasting on cherries dipped in dark chocolate. Bonbons filled with poppy extract. And yes, the sweet rush of a line of coke with a girl just as fucked up as he had been before losing himself in the sweet ecstasy of an ENTIRE POCKET REALM being CONSUMED as a howling Eric finally gave in to the Ravager¡¯s Path that he swore he¡¯d deny himself for all time.


    Because one deadly hit was all it took for him to embrace that sweet, glorious rush, chasing that dragon of a high and catching it! DEVOURING it as Malcom¡¯s remains shriveled to ash, all power and potency and a thousand lifetime¡¯s worth of potential consumed by Eric walking a path worthy of the Winter Queen herself.


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain Malcolm Jackson, an opposing Contender!


    You have dared this feat while walking the Path of The Ravager, consuming an entire pocket realm as you devour your prey!


    If a man can play king in the castle of his home, then you will happily CONSUME both king and castle, until their power is forever your own!


    A portion of Malcolm Jackson¡¯s endless potential (5% of his key attributes) is now forever your own!


    Soul Reserves have permanently increased by 16 points!


    Arcane Potential has permanently increased by 15 points!


    Quickness has permanently increased by 7 points!


    Strength has permanently increased by 8 points!


    (Note! Multiple modifiers have significantly enhanced this boon!)


    Experience earned!


    Even approves of this battle.


    You are now a Level 42 Death¡¯s Disciple!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 27.


    Swordsmanship is now Rank 33.


    2nd Tier Core Saturation is now at 16%.


    You have CLAIMED 1 Rank of Dominion¡¯s Essence!


    You are now just a heartbeat away from an evolution that terrifies you!

 Chapter 385 - Battle For Freetown: Part 7

    It was all Eric could do to hold himself together, shivering under the titanic flood of power and potency now roaring through his soul. It was a desperate struggle to hold fiercely tight to the image he had of himself, that he had always had when he was sane, sober, and at peace with himself and his place in the world.


    He ignored Kevin¡¯s furious screams like the shrieking winds of a hurricane he crouched under as best he could while taking deep breaths, holding on to his calm, his sense of self as the pocket realm, which by some miracle of System fuckery poor former Malcolm had actually made for himself, began to fade away to the glimmers of impossibility once more. And who knew what wondrous uses it might have had¡­ had he walked any other path save the one he had chosen.


    Breath in and out.


    Eric opened his eyes, finding himself upon the perfectly smooth surface of the scenic boulevard that was Blue Quarter¡¯s exclusive and surprisingly intact shopping district once more, mixing retail with parks and recreational facilities so well it was like stepping into the most tastefully high tech tourist mecca he could think of. The soothing rustle of cherry blossom trees magically altered to shower vanilla scented petals upon flower beds filled with roses, marigolds, and countless other beautifully blossoming flowers that didn¡¯t mind the dark or cold at all, were a soothing contrast to the desperate shrieks in his mind.


    Shrieks that he somehow managed to ignore for precious seconds as he slowly wobbled upright on shaky feet, catching sight of no less than three furiously glaring abominations that were stumbling former contenders covered in bulging tentacles, glaring red eyes and seething hate, leading bands of clearly controlled puppets, including goblins armed with normally illegal plasma blasters and the largest of halberd-wielding ogres, stumbling to see Eric in what was near pitch darkness.


    Eric¡¯s monstrous perception and unified perception, on the other hand, allowed him to take in pitch blackness as well as vanilla Skydragon night which was as bright as day save for a slight purple tint. And Eric, for one, always favored games and real life hunts where he perfectly.


    Perception was king and a smirking Eric happily sprung for the nearest extremely sturdy Alutopaz roof without engaging at all.


    Because as ruthless as the night had been, he wasn¡¯t a complete monster. And if his sense of his twisted opponent was accurate, then Jeffry still had a dozen hapless puppets who had once been powerful Contenders with lives and dreams of their own, now forever slaved to his will.


    Eric flashed a bitter smile. As deadly an opponent as he was proving to be, Jeffrey still seemed completely unaware that their mental connection was becoming a two way street. If there was any chance that Eric could free those captives without killing them¡­


    He shook his head, knowing that the odds were infinitesimal. But he could at least try to avoid them before being forced to make a certain, terrible choice that would have irrevocable consequences. Because he had sensed it, a certain skill so perilously close to leveling up in a way that was beyond unorthodox, even for his crooked path. So much insight and dark revelations revealed with his last fight that it would have been so easy to level up and evolve what was perhaps his greatest gift along the darkest of paths¡­ and that had been one evolution he was in no hurry to embrace.


    Or so he thought with a fierce smile as he stood atop the second highest building in Blue Quarter, save for the Blue Palace that soared far higher still, sending out a message to a friend, his strained smile belying how desperately he hoped for good news.


    E ¨C Are you okay?


    M ¨C I¡¯ve been a hell of a lot better.


    Eric winced, sensing that was a vast understatement, and that a certain crow had been buffeted by etherial and mental storms that would have shredded any mortal crow to bits.


    Still, it was vital, if their plan was going to work.


    Heart now hammering, Eric asked the question that most needed answering.


    E ¨C Did you find him?


    For long desperate moments, Eric held on to a faint strand of hope.


    M ¨C I¡¯m sorry, Eric. Wherever he is, he¡¯s long out of Freetown. It¡¯s clear that our enemies will stop at nothing to keep their trump card safe, especially if it means our fall.


    The warm post-battle glow that Eric had allowed himself to savor, buoyed by the candle flame of hope that he might actually have a shot of ending this night in control of his own mind, sputtered to streamers of smoke and chilly despair as Morlekai gave the bad news.


    ¡°Well fuck.¡± Eric laughed bitterly as he sat his ass down on the surprisingly comfortable rooftop accommodations, having been set up so that patrons much like himself could enjoy the rooftop pool, bar, and amenities, even if most guests would have taken the elevator or stairs to get up there.


    If he was lucky, really lucky, Kevin would be so piss-ass scared that he¡¯d flee both this region and this world, and do all he could to avoid Eric.


    But as the sudden bolt of shrieking pain tearing through his skull made agonizingly clear, Malice¡¯s twisted cards of fate meant that there could be only one outcome.


    You have been struck by PSIONIC BLAST!


    Sylvan bloodlines provide no natural Psionic Defense! (Even if a Mental Resistance of 82 means you¡¯re all but immune to magical equivalents, faerie enchantments, entrancements, or even a Mind Lord¡¯s attempts to crush your will. Yet you¡¯ll always be vulnerable to outright Psionic Attacks!)


    You have suffered one additional Medium Wound! (40 points of damage that will NOT heal until you enjoy at least 1 hour¡¯s uninterrupted rest or quiet meditation.)


    Eric cried out as bright flooded him, his right eye bulging with such sharp pain that he was terrified that his foe was somehow actively trying to blind him, as Kevin¡¯s furious voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡°You fucking monster! You killed my brother! He begged you to let him go! I begged you to let him go!¡±


    Eric was flooded by Kevin¡¯s furious despair, a thousand flashes of a shy, bullied boy ignored and neglected by his own parents, whose only friend in all the world was the brother who always stuck up for him, always had his back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro, we got this.¡± Malcolm¡¯s charming smile had always soothed away Kevin¡¯s brooding anxiety, always serving as an anchor, all the more so when they both dropped out of high school, left their drunk-ass parents, and with a little bit of a cyber hustle and some unofficial and very bloody cage fights, actually made a life for themselves. And so what if Malcolm¡¯s girlfriends pitied his ugly frail self? Malcolm always made sure they treated him with respect, were never mean or rude, and after every score he¡¯d go see Candy, who made it clear that cash was king and she would worship him an hour every week because who the fuck said that love wasn¡¯t transactional?


    Then the world ended, Candy died, and it was just he and Malcolm against the world. And for once, they were finally winning! Putting all the smug bastards who had treated them like second-class shit in their place, and were well on their way to becoming kings of the world. That was until yet one more arrogant spoiled asshole, a lazy partying fuck living off his mother¡¯s excesses with a silver spoon up his goddamned asshole went and killed the one person that Kevin actually cared about!.


    Kevin¡¯s fury buffeted Eric, sensing so much in the young man¡¯s howling fury. Just a few years older than himself.


    And maybe Eric would have felt pity. Maybe his heart would have gone out to him and Malcolm both. If the pair of absolute fuckwads hadn¡¯t been helping the goblins slaughter twenty thousand innocent souls, just so they could grab a few more essences to boost their own twisted powers.


    And somehow Kevin sensed Eric¡¯s rejection of his monstrous pain, and the crushing guilt he thought Eric should rightly feel after butchering the only person who meant anything to him in this awful twisted world.


    ¡°You think you get to shrug it off, you fucking inhuman freak?¡± Kevin screamed from the back of what Eric now sensed was a Veli going full fucking throttle across the vast territories that had stretched and warped as if mana-space-time was now so vast that once twenty mile wide regions had ballooned to forty, then eighty as palest Orange turned to deepest red, and the fool Kevin couldn¡¯t even sense the goblin mercenaries¡¯ fear as they steered his veli past the roaring T-rexes and stalking allosauruses that filled these wild plains, to say nothing of countless sauropods devouring the towering conifers or nibbling on fruit-bearing plants that their historic counterparts had never known, including stegosauruses and massive herds of brontosauruses pounding across the plains, earning the name thunder lizards as the now most definitely Red-tier territory supported far more dinosaurs per square mile than would have ever historically been the case.


    All this Eric sensed in a flash, even as a howling Kevin lashed out with a mind blade made of such vile lethality that Eric couldn¡¯t help but scream and flinch as his snarling foe thrust it deep in Eric¡¯s psyche.


    You have suffered one additional Medium Wound!


    You have failed to save versus pain.


    You have failed to save versus disorientation!


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Willpower check: Critical Success!


    Eric crumpled to the rooftop, groaning in pain. He sensed that his nemesis was making use of basic attack patterns taught to him by his squid-brain masters, getting flashes of tall octopedian eyed figures covered in writhing tentacles shaping an all too willing Kevin¡¯s mind into their vessel. And the fact that their connection was becoming increasingly two-way didn¡¯t make a lick of difference in the injuries Eric suffered, in his utter inability to defend his mind, or in the blinding fury Eric was buffeted by as his nemesis hammered his psyche with a furious need not to simply destroy, but to utterly and forevermore control.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to claim you, motherfucker!¡± Kevin shrieked so loud that blood poured free of a groaning Eric¡¯s ears as he shivered upon the chilly Alutopaz rooftop, the endless night sucking all heat away. ¡°And the first thing I¡¯m going to do is make you strangle your own whore of a sister! How do you like them apples, you absolute piece of necrotic filth!?¡±


    Eric howled as Kevin lashed out in a desperate frenzy, his spiritual hands now massive as he tore Eric free of his mind and thrust him into oblivion¡¯s trenches, finally claiming control as Eric¡¯s ears rang with Kevin¡¯s furious cackles and, worlds away, Malice¡¯s wheezing laughter as a teary-eyed Aurelia, blazing like the sun, held her unharmed firstborn child close. And a wheezing Malice smiled indulgently on, while doing all he could to destroy the lives and worlds of all her other children.


    Eric howled in helpless fury, feeling his psyche swirling through the ether, like a tiny mote in the monstrous psyche of his foe, eager to consume him for all time.


    He had never expected it to end this way. The only thing more shocking was the companion that had just manifested on his shoulder, completely unfazed as Eric struggled just to maintain his flickering awareness, before it was lost for all time.


    BunBun gave him a disappointed look, one ear flopping halfway down in clear disapproval. ¡°Dude¡­ seriously?¡±


    Eric¡¯s momentary flash of comfort became nothing but fury and despair. ¡°Fuck you, Bunbun! I¡¯m doing everything I can just to survive, but our enemies aren¡¯t even bothering with any pretense of fair play! They¡¯re going to rape Earth of all her potential and resources and throw the broken survivors in whatever soul forges they can find! A gentle ascension was bullshit! We were all doomed from the start!¡±


    His bunny familiar gave a gentle nod, patting Eric¡¯s shuddering brow with a sympathetic ear. ¡°I know, fearless leader. I was the girl who¡¯s final moments were trying to scurry under a bed screaming for some magical class evolution that would never come to this once hapless mortal girl before the smirking orc assholes tore off the bed and tore me to pieces while doing unmentionable things to me before eating me and my entire family alive.¡±


    Even in his horrific circumstances, struggling just to keep his soul alight in a sea of Kevin¡¯s roaring contempt, Eric was pained by his familiar¡¯s frank confession. Yet she wasn¡¯t gazing at him with recrimination or contempt, just gentle bemusement, her bright blue eyes peering into his own.


    ¡°What I don¡¯t get is why you¡¯re playing such a defensive game, beloved master? Ooh, our daughter sends her love, by the way. And she¡¯s winning HARD! Can you guess how?¡±


    Even in his agony, desperately fighting just to breath in a pounding ocean¡¯s worth of crushing contempt, he couldn¡¯t help but find a tiny speck of comfort in Bunbun¡¯s soothing patter. ¡°No idea.¡±


    ¡°By taking the OFFENSIVE! Just her and a few hundred thousand of her closest Elven buddies, and your Chevalier and his wanna-be wife. Thanks for letting us grab Emily and Richard and all of Elonia¡¯s actual paladins, by the way, and we are kicking the EVERLOVING SHIT out of these goblin fuckheads. And you wanna know our secret?¡±


    Eric forced a smile through his clenched teeth! ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡±


    ¡°We take the offensive! Blitzcreiging new forts, towns, and cities every day. What we do NOT do is sit around trying to defend some camp, letting our enemies amass all their forces so that a dozen snipers are perforating our princess before she even knows what¡¯s going down.¡±


    Even near death, Eric was horrified by the thought.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why we keep moving, fearless leader! Striking fast, hard, and we¡¯re out before their increasingly shattered and broken defenders can formulate any sort of response, or straggling companies of mercs have any shot at chasing us down. By day, it¡¯s Brain Blasting and Blood Lightning, and at night its our most elite companies racing at top speed while princess beauty sleeps in her palanquin. Do you get it, hero and father of my cute little bebe? She is ALWAYS moving. She is ALWAYS on the offensive. She is never still.¡±


    Eric nodded with relief. ¡°Good. At least our daughter will have a chance. Claiming a world of her own. I think that¡¯s what Aurelia wanted all along.¡±


    ¡°From the moment she knew she actually existed,¡± Bunbun said with an agreeable nod. ¡°So, what are we going to do about you, clueless wonder?¡±


    Eric chuckled bitterly before choking back the bitter salt waters of oblivion. ¡°Now I try and hold on just a few more fucking minutes¡­ for as long as I can. I won¡¯t let this Kevin asshole can puppeteer me without a fight!¡±


    The spirit of Bunbun sighed, gazing sadly at Eric. ¡°My question is why are you limiting yourself to a strictly defensive play? Even the best fighter will crack, eventually, if his opponent gets to hammer at him relentlessly.¡±


    Eric blinked at this, before drowning in pain once more. ¡°Fuck, Bunbun, there¡¯s nothing I can do! I¡¯m not like Lilly! I¡¯m not a natural Psionicist! I can¡¯t attack him that way without hurting myself!¡±


    ¡°So why the hell would you choose that path? Attack him on another front.¡±


    ¡°What other front?¡±


    And Eric could taste it, his familiar¡¯s good-natured snark, a wry answer on the tip of her metaphoric tongue that would shake Eric¡¯s very foundation when she laid it all out.


    Which was the very instant that the connection was cut, and all there was was icy cold blackness and the distant screams of his familiar. And he could feel it. Even as Eric howled with ever growing despair and dismay, he could feel Malice¡¯s chortling glee at hurting Eric in every conceivable way that he could, even as he took a dying gasp, expending resources he could ill afford to lose, just for the satisfaction of destroying all Aurelia¡¯s creations, save for the child now in her arms.


    ¡°Not that expensive, little fool. Your familiar has already overextended. And I can¡¯t tell you how sweet it is, to hear you both scream.¡±


    Those taunting words like nothing else had Eric howling his helpless fury.


    Yet he was just a tiny spec of a flickering consciousness in the seas of his opponent¡¯s towering contempt. Even the memory of the fires that had once blazed so hot that mantels had cracked and planetary cores exploded was no more than a gentle warmth in those endless dark seas.


    Warmth that was, by darkest coincidence, the temperature of the human body as Eric¡¯s perception shifted, sensing himself drowning not in endless dark waters, but in the pounding tides of his opponent¡¯s blood.


    Despairing howls stopped and he smiled, even as he was forced to surrender control over his body. Because that one simple shift in perspective, along with Bunbun¡¯s own, changed everything.


    He wasn¡¯t drowning in oceans of inevitability.


    He was lodged in the beating heart of his enemy.


    And what was that his familiar had alluded to? The only way to win a war was to go on the offensive. Because even the largest titan would fall if hammered with enough blows, and all it took was his daughter to go on the absolute offensive with admittedly absurd Exile¡¯s-Paths-worthy damage multipliers to bring an entire continent to its knees.


    And as helpless as he had felt, a lone frightened fool against a mocking master of the mind¡­ the connection between Kevin and himself was now absolutely undeniable. It transcended mere sight-lined attacks or any lesser ritual. It was a binding that even Eric with his Contender¡¯s might and fury couldn¡¯t deny.


    It was blood that bound them, from the moment an octopedian tendril had whipped through his flesh in the one tiny heartbeat he was vulnerable, thanks to Silver-tier Malice.


    Yet now it was he who had been reduced to little more than a vessel of hate, killing intent, and crystal-clear memory. Everything he was or had ever been, trapped in a drop his own blood.


    The strongest and most primal of all his arts.


    The memory of Eric stretched lips wide in a killer¡¯s grin as he began racing across endless crimson fields of territory so RIPE for the taking.


    For his enemy had been focused on pristine offense, all his soldiers invested in controlling his puppets from afar. Which meant that there was an entire territory ripe for the taking in the vast chasm between the body and soul¡­ between flickers of awareness and the pounding beats of a pair of hearts pouring oceans of blood.


    Blood which would be his to control once more.


    One converted corpuscle, one sprouting tendril at a time.


    Find Weakness skill check (finally) made! You sense the weakness in your foe¡¯s otherwise unbreachable barrier!


    Cultivation affinities of Wood, Wind, and Fire are now in play!


    Essences of Wrath, Dominion, and Fire are now in play!


    Rank 32 Blood Mastery engages in Contest of Wills versus Lythid Prodigy!


    Rank 31 Spirit Mastery engages in Contest of Wills versus Lythid Prodigy!


    Rank 25 Flesh Sculptor engages in Contest of Wills versus Lythid Prodigy!


    ¡°Mollet, Iram, Herbam, Ignis, Plures, Attentio! Round two, motherfucker!¡±


    Eric sensed the pounding heart that was the tides of this crimson ocean turn from placid turpidity to a roaring maelstrom of conflict. And he welcomed the crimson storm of sudden dismay as he embraced the very same tactic that had allowed him to strike Freetown with his enemies¡¯ pants down.


    He quit worrying about the choice target everyone expected him to defend until he was ground to dust and instead embraced the glorious opportunity before him. For just as his opponent had utterly breached Eric¡¯s defenses, the crimson arts upon which their contest had raged meant that his foe had been breached in turn. Even if his winning hand had consigned Eric to the tiniest of subjugates within Kevin¡¯s crimson Maelstrom, that made no difference to Eric.


    Just as he had overrun entire territories, he¡¯d happily take over his foe¡¯s crimson soldiers, one bloody cell at a time.


    Until one cell became hundreds, then thousands of cells.


    ¡°Hell Vines!¡±


    Twisting into ropes of crimson flesh, consumed and conquered as Eric strove to overthrow his enemy from within. Yet the tiniest of thrombi was nothing compared to the vast size of his prey.


    And he was running out of time.


    He sensed that as assuredly as he sensed Elonia¡¯s doom and Malice¡¯s cackles of twisted glee, just minutes away from soul riding the perfect vessel as Aurelia¡¯s heart began to thaw one last time.


    ¡°You won¡¯t win, motherfucker! You hear me? My mastery of Dominion is greater. I control YOU!¡± Kevin roared, Eric and his tiny creation torn free of an arterial wall and sent hurtling toward the lymphatic system, soon to be flushed and purged by a vindictive spleen into oblivion when Eric quite holding back and finally embraced the skill evolution he had been so CLOSE to taking.


    So terrified of embracing.


    Yet now was the absolute perfect time.


    So a tiny effigy of Eric accepted the path that would become his own as he opened his tiny sharktooth maw wide...


    And finally began to feed.

 Chapter 386 - Battle For Freetown: Part 8

    ¡°I got that fucker! Finally!¡± Kevin hooted, raising his stick-thin arm in triumph as the howling winds that slipped through the veli¡¯s field whipped back his greasy hair. Not that it was his fault that he didn¡¯t look like fucking Cruise. Because when had he been given any time to tend to proper hygiene with an entire city to overthrow? Damn class didn¡¯t even give him free points to rank up his Strength and Charisma. Which meant that if he wanted to look like an Adonis, he¡¯d have to actually hit the weights and sweat it out. And he didn¡¯t care if his former friends and now devoted slaves had bragged about how easy it was to bag at least a couple Strength points if he put in the work. This was the Post-apocalypse! Just surviving sober was a fucking chore, why make life harder on himself?


    No. If he wanted a good workout to prove how much better he was than all the other losers out there, then all he needed to do was find a choice specimen and crush their soul right out of their body. Then they were a puppet he could reshape to suit his fantasy. Whenever a loyal footsoldier actually helped Kevin out of the good of his heart, not even sensing the cords of Dominion that Kevin had wrapped so tightly about him¡­ whenever his former female party members who could barely stand him just a few months ago were now his slavish devotees living for his every pleasure, those were the triumphs that made life worth living. That was the very definition of power!


    So why the fuck did he need to work out, or worry about proper fucking skin care, when he could personally take over anyone and everyone and feel just how good it was to take deep breaths of air that left one¡¯s powerful muscles tingling, able to run for hours at a sprint, feeling no more fatigued than running in a dream?


    And now, as the veli shook under his driver¡¯s tight-knuckled grip, racing along at wild speeds to get to New York as fast as possible, Kevin had once more embraced sweetest triumph with yet another victory. His grandest one yet!


    His lips curled in a smile equal parts vindication and ire.


    ¡°Turn around and head back. We got business to take care of in Freetown¡­ and Queensland!¡±


    ¡°But master, we¡¯re in the middle of outrunning a pack of carnivorous theropods! I can barely keep this thing straight without tipping us over!¡±


    Those words froze the sharp taste of iron bitterness crawling up Kevins¡¯ throat. It would be so easy to demand that his pilot gouge out his own eye with his finger and present it to Kevin so that he could pop it and smile at the man denied even the right to flinch. But it wasn¡¯t time for that, especially with the driver desperately trying to keep them alive.


    And why the fuck were they fleeing? He had won!


    ¡°It¡¯s over! I finally got that crazy wildcard fucker! You here me? The little shit actually thought he could take out my brother without paying the ultimate price. Well sure as shit, I¡¯m taking out his entire fucking faction! And I¡¯ll make sure he¡¯s awake and aware the entire time I¡ª¡±


    His words cut off in surprise when blood began shooting from his nostril.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    The pair of goblin mercenaries beside him gave excited nods. ¡°Good. Good! You¡¯ll get a fat prize for securing that threat to our tribe. We¡¯ll head back just as soon as we¡¯ve outrun the¡­ Master, are you aware there¡¯s a vine coming out of your nose?¡±


    Kevin rubbed his own nose in disbelief, surprised to find that the booger lodged in his nose that he just couldn¡¯t pick out was, in fact, a vine that had just pushed through.


    A vine covered in sharp thorns that stung his flesh.


    And eyes.


    So many sky-blue eyes that popped open to pear into his own, filling the veli with a high-pitched, tinny voice Kevin could hear all too clearly.


    ¡°Round two, motherfucker.¡±


    Kevin began to scream. Which did absolutely nothing for the already panicked driver, his vehicle taking on a growing swerve as Kevin tore at his own face, trying desperately to dislodge the vine, crying out in pain when he tore it free with a final bloody yank, dismayed to feel his own bone grinding. That thing had grown roots!


    Then he felt it, the awful tingling itch at the back of his neck.


    His ire turned to a panicked sob as the pair of goblins beside him began to curse and glare, raising their blasters as one.


    ¡°No, you fucks! Don¡¯t shot! The car¡¯s jostling! If you hit it wrong¡­¡±


    Plasma flashed. Kevin screamed. The vehicle began to list as vines whipped forth from the back of his neck, now wrapping around the limbs of the suddenly gurgling goblins, claiming their blasters just a heartbeat later.


    ¡°I¡¯m hit!¡± Kevin realized to his horror, his left leg ending at the charred stump of his knee. Yet by some miracle there was no bloodloss, and almost no pain either.


    ¡°Did my Vitality actually¡­ no¡­ oh no, no, no, no, HELP! MOMMY!¡±


    Kevins words died off in a scream when vines covered in thorns and blinking eyes popped free of his leg, only for the flaps to fold back, revealing a giant sharktoothed maw that sensed his own leg stump and stomped down, devouring it as effortlessly as a boa would a mouse.


    ¡°Abomination!¡± Kevin screamed. ¡°Abomina¡ª¡± before his words were cut off with an agonized wheeze as a massive vine burst from his stomach, a bug-eyed Kevin now squeezing his own belly in pain and unspeakable horror the massive vine wrapped itself around the closest squealing goblin before its tip opened wide like a mantis¡¯s mouth full of serrated teeth as it chomped down on the panicked sniper, managing to shove it in its maw in a single bite as the air filled with fresh shrieks and blaster fire that tore a dazed Kevin¡¯s arm wide off but didn¡¯t effect the vine in the slightest, the blaster fire stopping when the lamprey maw snapped off the head of the second goblin mercenary a second later.


    Then the car was filled with desperate shrieks and dying screams as Kevin desperately fought for control of his prey. ¡°No! You can¡¯t do this to me. You can¡¯t do this to me! I control you. I control you!¡± He sobbed in pain and growing panic, only to find that, to his dismay, his assertion was only half valid. He could control the shell that was Eric Silver just fine, even if it was at a painfully slow lurch, because they were already dozens of miles away, he could still pilot the fucker back to the arena and happily watch Eric¡¯s body kill all his friends.


    But for some awful reason that was doing NOTHING to stop this viny bloody abomination that could only be Eric¡¯s spirit, that far from being obliviated to nothing with Kevin¡¯s seizing Eric¡¯s body, had instead broken free of his metaphoric cage before enacting the ultimate coup from within Kevin¡¯s own body.


    ¡°No. How? Powers don¡¯t work this way. You can¡¯t do this!¡±


    His stunned dismay turned to shrieking horror even greater than the driver¡¯s panic, only seconds away from cartwheeling right into an entire pack of velociraptors.


    Because the massive vine that had just devoured both of his sworn bodyguards was very much aware and attuned to his prey, immediately turning to face Kevin, lamprey maw opening wide as that bastard of a Contender popped open ice-blue eyes INSIDE the mouth of the blood lamprey consuming them all.


    ¡°You know, I have this theory, Kevin. You want to hear it?¡±


    ¡°No, please! Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Sure you do. Okay, it goes like this. You¡¯re a mind lord, I¡¯m a half-elf. As far as playing to my weaknesses goes, I¡¯m utterly fucked, and I can¡¯t really do shit about your mental invasion. But I¡¯m also a Necromancer AND a Bloodmage. And really, how far does my soul have to go to see things through? I just hop on the blood link YOU forced between us, motherfucker, and the solution¡¯s simple.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go. Please! I¡¯ll let you go!¡±


    ¡°Sure you will. Anyway, my guess is that the moment you¡¯re a corpse, I¡¯ll be free. And even if I¡¯m not¡­ you¡¯ll still be dead. So it¡¯s a win/win/win in my book. You dig?¡±


    ¡°No, please! I¡¯ll swear to serve yo¡ª¡±


    ***


    Kevin¡¯s dying plea was cut off in a spray of blood, Eric able to sense all too well his foe¡¯s final moments of exquisite agony. Agony Kevin FORCED him to feel in a final desperate link as Eric¡¯s lamprey maw of inwardly spiraling shark teeth clamped Kevin¡¯s mangled body tight.


    Eric¡¯s tormented spirit, now suffering severe Soul Strain from the madness that he dared, cackled with laughter. ¡°You think that¡¯s pain, bitch? How about I give you a taste of what it means to run through fire!¡±


    And just for shits and giggles, he allowed Kevin¡¯s dying moments to be of seeing his terrified brother crawling around inside an orcish hellpit as Eric closed the maw of his trap and began to feed.


    Yet far from jumping into that pit to save the memory of his brother, and perhaps earn the mercy of peaceful slumber in a hospital as he gently faded away, passing on as the better version of himself that might have been if there had been no apocalypse¡­ Kevin instead pivoted around on his skinny legs and ran for all he was worth, fleeing the memory of his desperately pleading brother whose soul had truly been there, only to find each and every bellowing orc and terrified human snapping around to face Kevin at once. All of them opened their mouths impossibly wide before clamping down on every square inch of a desperately struggling Kevin. Taking out chunks of raw bloody flesh, Kevin¡¯s limbs spurting blood as he was devoured alive, his dying screams blending seamlessly with the System messages now flooding Eric¡¯s interface as he snapped back to himself with a triumphant roar.


    Only to find himself heaving for his breath, stumbling to his knees inside an arena filled with far too many horrified spectators.


    Thousands of mortals and classers that Eric wanted to sob tears of joy that he hadn¡¯t slaughtered, surprised and a little bit dismayed to find his eyes leaking tears of blood.


    And wherever his crimson drops touched the parched ground, the soil gobbled his sacrifice before tiny vines spurted from the ground, all of them sporting thorns and tiny oddly patterned fruit that could so easily be mistaken for eyes.


    It was when they matched Eric, blink for blink, that he was forced to concede that it was no mistake at all.


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain Kevin, an opposing Contender!


    You have dared this feat while embracing and CONFIRMING your ties to the Path of The Ravager, fusing the primal arts with which you had first unlocked the Path of Consumption in order to consume the Mind Lord who thought to master you in turn!


    You have achieved Rank 15 in the Path of Consumption!


    You have CONFIRMED your ties to the Ravager¡¯s path!


    How do you wish to shape your Destiny?


    A. Embrace the Ravager¡¯s path to the fullest! You know what it means to devour the might and destiny of a dozen worlds in the single night you ascended to Gold by your mother¡¯s side! Your nature is unmistakable, your dentition legendary, your destiny one that will bring fear to the hearts of all who would oppose you!


    As a Crimson Ravager you will enjoy DOUBLE all previous stat boons for ALL territories you consume, leaving NOTHING but utter desolation behind! Fellow Contenders already know the price of crossing you. Absolute consumption! Now you will take those crimson lessons and teach the entire WORLD the price of crossing you. Save this world? HA! You held off on quick consumption so you could SAVOR every morsel of power you might SQUEEZE from this world and rise as a Golden Phoenix even MORE powerful than your mother!


    Embrace your destiny as the ultimate Crimson Phoenix, consuming ALL that would oppose you!


    B. Embrace the Crimson Contender¡¯s Path!


    You live life by your own whims, and follow your own path! You choose to grant blessings to your prizes after a delicious sip, so that they might blossom and give you even more prizes in perpetuity! For the Path of Endless Bounty means endless profit, and great PR! But should any Contender dare to cross you, you will show them that you have mastered as well the art of Consuming your prey UTTERLY!


    You may now consume your fellow contenders as if they were territories! Foes using unorthodox, abstract or metaphysical attacks might find previously assumed invulnerabilities actually serve as the perfect staging grounds for blitzkrieg assaults they never saw coming!


    You enjoy +6 to Find Weakness skill checks against any Contender you¡¯ve formed any sort of blood or soul link with, and upon consuming them, you may consume them UTTERLY! You enjoy a 50% Boon over and above the baseline 5% of key Contender attributes as your OWN Crimson Bounty torn free of your prey! (Effective baseline consumption is 7.5% of key attributes, further modified by attribute enhancement boons!)


    You will also automatically claim at least a single rank of any essence to which you have any affinity! (You have chosen to claim no Essence that don¡¯t synergize with the four paths of the Golden Phoenix!)


    C. Crimson Blessings. - Your Necromantic Consumption has blossomed in the boons granted and the gifts received in return as you grow in ever closer harmony with the world you both saved and forged! You now enjoy 100% bonus to baseline Strength and Vitality boons and all territories whose destinies you shape will now enjoy the bounty of 4 Lesser and 1 Greater land enhancement!


    NOTE! You are presently unable to ascend your gift along the Path of Balance! Your present skill evolution MUST be along the Ravager¡¯s Path!


    Eric allowed himself only a moment¡¯s frustration that his hand had been forced in such a way as to be unable to develop his second most precious skill along the path he had originally intended, but the inconvenience was absolutely laughable when it came to the sweet joy of being himself again, being in control of his own body, and now knowing exactly what steps he needed to take to protect his psyche from any future mind lord that might think to force him to serve as their pawn or patsy.


    So he didn¡¯t cry too many tears when he chose option B, which left him just as able to shape reality while on the cusp of transcendence with each new territory claimed, as he had been before. Only now, by some twisted miracle of desperation and transcendence, he was able to walk the Path of Consumption while claiming fellow Contenders as well as territories. Yet for the foes he faced, there would be no restoration arc, no Path of Endless Bounty. To them he would only be the Ravager, tearing free every last of iota of power and potential as he could from their soon-to-be desiccated frames. Like a vampire on steroids, a thought which sent uncomfortable shivers down Eric¡¯s spine, now no longer able to deny just how similar a path he walked to his friend¡¯s Morlekai¡¯s.


    You have chosen to embrace the Crimson Contender¡¯s Path!


    Now, a massive portion of Kevin¡¯s Endless potential (7.5% of his key attributes.) is forever your own!


    Soul Reserves have permanently increased by 20(+10) points!


    Arcane Potential has permanently increased by 16(+8) points!


    Psionic Potency has permanently increased by 5(+2) points!


    Experience earned!


    Eve approves of this most unusual battle! She will fully permit unorthodox powers in a battle of the minds! (And one you came damned close to losing!)


    You are now a Level 43 Death¡¯s Disciple!


    Blood Mastery is now Rank 33!


    Spirit Mastery is now Rank 32!


    Flesh Sculptor is now Rank 26!


    2nd Tier Core Saturation is now at 20%!


    You have CLAIMED 1 additional Rank of Dominion¡¯s Essence!


    You have finally accepted your nature and have EMBRACED an evolution that once terrified you!


    Eric howled his triumph like the predator he was. All hesitation, regret, and rueful acceptance of the bittersweet path he walked had been replaced by the sheerest ecstasy of drinking so DEEPLY from the endless potential of not one but two exceedingly powerful Contenders, only now having the chance to truly savor the power and potency of his kills, such that they hit him at once.


    It was a rush that transcended any pharmaceutical high. It was the euphoria of utter mastery and absolute power made all the sweeter by multiple massive attribute bonuses for so many of his stats, making almost all the boons he had gained between 80 to 90% greater than they would otherwise be.


    Eric roared with manic glee that echoed eerily off the still intact buildings of Blue Quarter, filled with a near euphoric sense of well-being and a rapidly growing hunger he now refused to deny.


    When his interface lit up with dozens of flaring reds, rapidly approaching the arena, his 433 Perception picking up the rapid-fire communications of multiple Bronze-tier mercenaries coordinating what would be a full on assault against him and the remaining survivors of Freetown, what he felt wasn¡¯t terror or fear, but an incredible sense of glee.


    New friends were coming to the party, and he was eagerly looking forward to DEVOURING them all.

 Chapter 387 - Battle For Freetown: Part 9

    From within the safety of the massive fortress of stone and twisted steel with just the thinnest veneer of polished marble, the screams, shouts, and distant explosions had faded to a constant background roar. Yet still the small scaly humanoid hiding and shivering under his teller¡¯s window refused to get up, lest the handful of humans wielding swords and a handful of pilfered Blue Corp T-1 blasters might see poor Glick and think to do unmentionable things to him like they had Snaz and Iglit, after they had fled back into the bank, only to find they couldn¡¯t pass the gate or slip through the bars.


    ¡°Open up, fuckheads! I want to make a withdraw!¡± shouted one of the Confederate States troopers, chuckling coldly as he stepped over the bodies of both human mercenaries and panicked goblins that had been cut down by one faction after another for the past two hours, before giving the reinforced bars made of blackened Soul-Steel a half-hearted kick.


    ¡°Fuckers locked tighter than fort Knox, Phil. I told you the goblins aren¡¯t fools. They probably scurried off with all the gold back when our collards were poisoning those asshole Spockian elves in Blue Quarter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit, Tom! They didn¡¯t even pay us! Fuckers broke their own contract, and we had to kill those women just to make sure loose lips sunk no Confederate ships.¡±


    Tom spat, glaring at the gate made of blackened bars of steel that revealed so much, yet allowing no passage at all. ¡°Yeah, I knew working for those assholes wouldn¡¯t end well. They¡¯ve been collaring more slaves than we¡¯ve been!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not collaring slaves, Tom. We¡¯re drafting upstanding American citizens as the first step to taking back our country.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Phil. Say that to the women who lost their heads when you sprung the collar blades, right after we promised to free them. Free them from the burden of life! That shit kills me. Not literally. Unlike them.¡± Tom frowned at his companion¡¯s cool expression. ¡°You have no sense of humor, Phil. Point is, these assholes owe us three million credits and free banking forever, in case Blue ever finds out just how badly our little whores fucked them over before we cut our losses. Literally! Ha. At least the goblins laughed. But that¡¯s all beside the fucking point. IF those goddamned goblins are now robbing their own bank¡­ that¡¯s a fucking problem.¡±


    ¡°It is, Tom. Only upside is that we made out like fucking bandits pillaging Blue quarter. It¡¯s going to be sweet having access to one of the only working entertainment centers in the entire United States! If that doesn¡¯t make us popular with the woman, nothing will.¡±


    Tom snorted. ¡°As if the captain and colonel won¡¯t be confiscating everything except our blasters. If we¡¯re lucky.¡±


    Phil cursed. ¡°This is bullshit. We have no gold, the posh quarters in the city we were promised is never gonna happen, and the goblins are fucking fleeing! It¡¯s like we lost. How? How did we lose?¡±


    Tom shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the fuck¡¯s going on any more than you do. We did our assignment perfectly. Working with those off-world bucket heads, our girls brought Blue Quarter to it¡¯s knees! And none of that matters. The Captain just gave us orders to gather the men, all the goods our slaves can carry, and get ready to head back to Virginia.¡±


    The soul steel grate was kicked a final time before the pair of men left, and all was quiet in the building once more as a trembling Glick peeked out from under his table, checked once more to make sure that the soul steel gate was closed and that the tiny golden key he held would open it. Because even if those humans would never have been able to slip through the bars¡­ had they thought to shoot between the bars and spotted poor Glick, or tried throwing fire bombs inside out of spite¡­ it was good that he had remained hidden.


    Glick took a deep, steadying breath as he took in the now nearly empty bank, having had only a skeleton crew when Lord Greed the terrible himself had pulled so many of his employee slaves out for his own ends, locking it all tight.


    Save for Glick, who had been stuck on the copper pot for a very a painful hour since fresh rat was a delicacy he could never turn down, and rotting rat was every bit as delicious as ripe cheese. When the two were mixed together in quivering chunks of delicious raw funk¡­


    Sheer rapture.


    And he saved so much on his food bills!


    Yet he sometimes paid a price for his culinary daring.


    At least the squirming things were now out of him, and that¡¯s what counted, he supposed, having another sip of lemon water to soothe his belly as he slowly slunk through the always soothing collection of twigs and wires placed at strategic locations that made the humans uncomfortable but always filled him with soothing happiness.


    Almost as much happiness as when he dared to contemplate a plan so bold that his mother would have hugged him, once¡­ and his father tear out his throat, lest his daring doom their entire clan.


    But still. Even if it was only a fantasy, as he tiptoed across the marble floor past the desk where his former screaming superior worked, he couldn¡¯t deny how exciting it felt, to think that there was an entire bank full of gold.


    And no one of significance here, but him.


    It was almost as if¡­ somehow, by default, the gold belonged to him?


    He couldn¡¯t help dancing a happy little jig. Knowing it was fantasy. Foolish fantasy. Dangerous fantasy.


    Almost as dangerous as slipping off the ID card from the pile of stripped equipment Greed had made security surrender before appropriating them all, and heading down the glossy steps to the bowels of the bank.


    He couldn¡¯t help rubbing his hands together. Even if he wouldn¡¯t dream of touching the gold bars, perhaps he could savor a few private moments gazing at all the pretty gold? Perhaps it would be just enough to spark another epiphany. Maybe he would finally hit Level 15 in his Profession! Oh, how glorious that would be, after the level ups he had already earned, coming to this mana rich planet.


    Even if it would eventually be consumed¡­ the people and potency, for the sake of his people¡¯s soul forges, at least he could certainly enjoy it for now!


    A comforting thought that gave him the courage to approach the final corridor leading to the grand holy grail of the entire bank¡­ the golden vault.


    ¡°Psst. You there! Yes, you! Come here at once. That¡¯s an order!¡±


    Glick froze. Trembling before the authority in that voice, his lowly self all but compelled to obey as he turned his snout to the narrow corridor secured by bars where the banks handful of prisoners were kept. Not that many were alive. Just a few emaciated humans looking on with souless, dead eyes, much like those worn by that Contender¡¯s mate and child, guests of the bank shortly after their man had dared to establish a competing bank. Yet Greed had eventually ordered their enemy¡¯s companions fed as well as watered, and released into his care. But still, there was at least one figure who looked well-fed and quite out of place in a prison where undesirables were placed and forgotten about until they eventually died and were no trouble for anyone at all. Hence why there was a reinforced steel grate within the corner or each chamber that served as both toilet and waste disposal when the prisoners eventually starved and died.


    They were all well-watered, of course. Blue had forced very stringent requirements about minimal sanitary requirements including clean air, water, temperature and humane treatment of all temporary detainees! The humane treatment clause was the only reason why Eric Silver¡¯s companions hadn¡¯t been violated and tortured hourly. They could thank Blue for that mercy. But temporary detainees? Did they have some fantasy that they¡¯d be released into Blue¡¯s legal custody at the end of a business day?


    Glick shook his head sadly. Silly Blue. Didn¡¯t they understand that all detainees were temporary? They stayed until they starved and died, and then they were detainees no longer!


    And why was he gazing so intently at the catatonic prisoners? They were someone else¡¯s problem, namely waste disposal¡¯s and certainly not his. He was here to look at the shimmering piles of coins and bars of gold that he was sure he could make out through the barred door at the end of the hallway.


    He carefully avoided even looking in the direction of the left-hand corridor leading to the VIP branch of the bank where the incident had occurred. The lights had all died out from unspeakable mana surges. Even now the air from that wing crackled with odd waves of deadly heat and bitter cold. Fortunately, VIPs were to be fawned over and pampered while being coaxed out of ever more of their resources. Certainly they weren¡¯t actually given anything save wine, women, and praise. And access to their personal trinkets in safety deposit boxes, of course. So that wing was as far from the actual vault where the gold was kept as it was possible to be.


    Yet before he could take another furtive step toward his ultimate destination , that same voice froze him where he stood.


    ¡°Glick. Is that you? I see you, Glick!¡± Hissed a voice that Glick, to his horrified dismay, realized that he recognized. It was the voice of a petty tyrant who exuded all the properties one expected of a quality backstabbing opportunist. It was none other than¡­


    ¡°Tis I, Sir Snickles!¡± The goblin said with a proud glare from the other side of the bars of his cage, still wearing his fancy gilded robe, even if it was looking a bit worse for wear.


    He flashed a triumphant smile when Glick froze.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me. Your boss! And I see you¡¯re down here in the bowels of the bank without permission!¡±


    Glick whimpered, ears going back like a whipped dog while Sir Snickles eyes lit up in triumph.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I see you are guilty of multiple infractions! Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll walk away Scot-free from this, Glick! Your only hope is to beg for clemency, plead for my forbearance and I might¡­ just might¡­ see fit to forgive you.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ I only wanted to make sure that the vault was¡­ secure, sir.¡±


    This earned a cold snort. ¡°Or steal our bank¡¯s precious treasures, more like.¡±


    Glick froze in horror. ¡°Never, sir! Never never never!¡±


    ¡°Prove it! Sir Snickle¡¯s roared. ¡°Stand right here before me and take the Oath of Obeisance to obey me in all things like the good little slave you are and MAYBE I will believe the sincerity of your words!¡± He jabbing his finger before bars of his cage. ¡°Now, Glick. Do it now!¡±


    A whimpering Glick quickly scurried over, before being stopped cold by the barred door leading to the holding cell wing. Half a dozen dying men and women who had been lost in their own misery seconds before were now gazing at a trembling Glick with desperate intensity.


    Glick swallowed, his eyes before the locked gate, as common sense, of a sort, finally clicked into place. ¡°Um¡­ Boss Master Sir Snickles¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Supplicant?¡±


    The cool eyed arrogance of the goblin trying to intimidate him from across two locked gates was impressive, Glick had to admit.


    ¡°There¡¯s sort of a locked gate between me and you. Two, in fact.¡±


    Sir Snickles rolled his eyes like Glick was the biggest idiot in the world. Which wasn¡¯t at all unusual.


    ¡°This is why you¡¯re just a teller, Glick. Utterly incapable of pursuing the sweet joys of default collections like the true movers and shakers of this bank! You¡¯re failing to see the bigger picture, Glick!¡± The other goblin positively glared, though he did have to shift his face through the bars to do it. ¡°You¡¯re failing to live up to your own potential!¡±


    The smaller goblin sighed and lowered his head. Which of course helped his thoughts clear just a bit. Clear enough that he was beginning to register something unexpected, despite years of whippings and beatings and being firmly taught his place by his loving parents and siblings, which was as the lowest of the low, and if he didn¡¯t have a basic sense of how numbers work, he¡¯d probably be shoveling shit with his brothers somewhere, still being beaten daily. As if to assure them all that no matter how miserable their lot in life, Glick¡¯s was always worse. Yet much like a shaft of particularly strong moonlight abruptly piercing the perpetual smog over his birth city, illuminating the bleak caverns of his mind, Glick was aware that now things were just the tiniest bit different.


    Because he, Glick, was on the side of the bars that led to the warm golden heart of the bank. A bank sealed by soul-steel grates and reinforced bars that would assure that not even the most desperate customer could barge in after-hours.


    Not even the Bronze Ranked mercenaries that had left Glick peeing his robe with the awful pressure they radiated from their cores when they came marching in by Prince Greed¡¯s side just days ago. No matter how powerful their Tier-3 plasma blasters!


    This bank was effectively protected by the same alloys used in their battleships that they sold to the galaxy at large at super-competitive prices! Which meant that there was no way in hell any third-world native was breaking in. It also meant that no one in the holding cells, no matter how strong, was breaking out.


    Glick took a shuddering breath, realizing, perhaps for the first time, just how unique his position within the bank truly was.


    And the look in Sir Snickles eyes made it clear that his boss¡­ former boss?? Recognized the shift in power dynamics as well.


    As of that moment¡­ Until Greed used his soul-linked talisman on the gates, of course, Glick was the only one with access to the bank. And all the treasures therein.


    For the first time that Glick could recall, he felt the faintest of smiles lifting up his fangs toward his superior.


    Sir Snickle¡¯s eyes bulged. He screamed and shrieked and banged on the bars of his cage. ¡°You will open the gate and prostrate yourself before me, Glick! You will do it now! You will do it now! You will do it now!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Glick felt his heart lurch at that word of defiance.


    A whisper, really. But it was the first time he had ever defied an order or challenged a supposed superior.


    There was a sudden awful intensity in the air. The half dozen prisoners¡­ because that¡¯s what they were, prisoners effectively sentenced to death for whatever whim struck a particular manager at the time. Maybe they had gotten a bit uppity. Maybe they simply smiled a bit too much when paying off their loans on time. For whatever reason, they were trapped in the same containment facility (death camp) as Glicks (former?) boss.


    And a tiny part of Glick¡¯s mind wondered what would have happened if he hadn¡¯t so slavishly fawned over his many bosses¡¯ legs whenever they needed a whipping boy to take their frustrations out on... If he hadn¡¯t had a knack for always bowing obsequiously and heaping praise upon his employers at just the right moments¡­ would he be locked in those cages as well?


    Glick shivered, feeling once more the weight of the half dozen doomed gazes locked within those cages. For the first time appreciating just how terrible those cages were.


    ¡°What did you say to me, Glick Halfbutt or the Halfbutt clan? You worthless little piece of excrement seared on the soul cauldron pits of Tartus X? Do you dare to defy me? Your direct superior, you vile little shit? You will pay for that, Glick Halfbutt!¡± Sir Snickles shrieked his outrage before giving into his more primitive instincts as he rattled the cage with all of his limbs before throwing a piece of rock hard excrement Glick¡¯s way.


    Excrement which Glick expertly dodged, even if his boss was an old hand at throwing it, even through multiple rows of soul-steel bars. After years of abuse and extracurricular activities he tried not to think too deeply about, he had earned bonus points to Quickness and Perception both, so was quite good at dodging excrement and all other manner of waste that people tossed his way.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t a complete fool. Anyone at the bank who tossed crap at him he¡¯d gratefully let spatter him before bowing and apologizing profusely for his many failings.


    And that, he realized with a cold chill that tasted of a feeling terrifyingly close to anger that Glick DARE not feel¡­ was probably the only reason why he wasn¡¯t in the cages with those half dozen humans who, now that he thought about it, looked oddly familiar.


    ¡°Timothy Longbow, right?¡± Glick was almost surprised to hear his own voice echo oddly through the tiny prison wing, and if the six doomed souls had looked intently at him before, now their eyes were blazing with a desperate hope that left Glick¡¯s stomach roiling.


    Wierd, alien, and very ungoblin-like thoughts began invading Glicks mind.


    Though he was pretty sure it was probably indigestion from the rat salad he had enjoyed earlier. Maybe he hadn¡¯t quite pooped out all the worms?


    He shook away the distraction, instead focusing on the reedy, exhausted voice that was nothing like the strong baritone he had last heard just¡­ what had it been, days ago?


    ¡°You remember!¡± Timothy actually managed a smile. His eyes reddened, as if he wanted to cry, though no tears were exuded by his parched body.


    Glick nodded. ¡°Of course I do! You were always polite to me when you took out your savings and your guild always paid your debts in time. Always! I was so glad, because it¡¯s such a headache filling out all the debtor forms, even if half my coworkers say that¡¯s the best part of the job.¡±


    Timothy sighed as the parched-looking girl beside him crumpled down in sobs.


    Glick¡¯s eyes lit up once more. ¡°I know her, that¡¯s Bethany! She¡¯s your wife, right? She actually offered me a piece of chocolate cake! No one¡¯s ever given me cake before. Not ever! Not for anything!¡± Glick¡¯s eyes lit up with cheer. Truly, the best part of his day was his job at the front, working as a bank teller. And the dark secret he kept close to his heart was he didn¡¯t want any other position. He wanted to see happy customers who were going places and always paid their loans on time. He didn¡¯t want to see their warmth and cheer¡ªwarmth and cheer they sometimes shared with him, like these two did, as if he were a person, as if he actually mattered¡ªfade to anxious desperation like it did for so many others who came to the bank.


    Yet his good cheer instantly turned to a heavy painful feeling in the center of his belly as Bethany continued to cry.


    Would his lunch give him no mercy?


    Timothy raised his eyes from his sobbing wife, meeting Glick¡¯s own. ¡°Glick, I know you¡¯re just a young goblin following orders, but it would mean the world to me if maybe you could give my wife and I¡­ and our companions... a flask or pitcher of water? Anything really.¡± He forced an anxious smile. ¡°I fear that, in the panic that infected this bank, however many days ago it was¡­ no one has given us anything to drink. Or eat. But mostly, we¡¯re all feeling a bit parched, friend Glick. And if you could do us a solid until we get everything sorted out, we¡¯d really appreciate it.¡±


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Glick froze at those words. Eyes lightening with a frisson of wonder and hope he had never felt before.


    He could actually do something to bring a warm smile to people who had been nice to him. People who he actually liked! And best of all, most importantly, it was within the rules!¡±


    ¡°Glick! Turn around and face me at once! You know better than to talk with prisoners in the holding cell! They¡¯re there for good reason!¡± Sir Snickle¡¯s voice had had taken on an odd panicked timbre.


    Glick turned around to glare at Sir Snickles from his cage. ¡°The edicts we signed for our bank charter are clear, Sir Snickles. All detainees are to be treated humanely for the duration of their stay. No torture, no abuse, and they are not to be deprived of water. The codicil is very specific. We risk our very charter if we break it!¡± His voice had turned to a hiss that surprised even him. He then quickly turned away from the door before his former boss¡­ definitely former¡­ could throw more dung at him.


    He frowned, eyes used to scanning the adjoining guardroom for any morsel of food to eat, quickly spotting the cobbled-together pantry the guards clearly used to treat themselves when securing both prisoners and the gold in this portion of the bank. Not that anyone was ever breaking through those bars, but still.


    Yet he frowned, before turning back to the holding cells. ¡°Sorry, Tim. I don¡¯t see any water¡­¡± He winced at the despair that flashed in their eyes. ¡°But I did find this nice bottle of wine!¡±


    Tim winced. ¡°Alcohol when we are this dehydrated.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! We¡¯re classers!¡± Hissed one of his companions, a young exhausted-looking man in what well-worn mages robes, still radiating protective enchantments that tickled Glick¡¯s nose. ¡°Anything liquid will save our lives. We just can¡¯t keep drinking our ever dwindling piss!¡±


    Bethany froze, gazing at Glick for long moments, crumpled features softening with a hopeful smile. ¡°I told my husband you were good people, Glick. No matter what else happened, I know that much is true.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯d be grateful for your lovely wine!¡± declared a once powerfully-muscled girl who now had dark circles under her eyes, looking at him so desperately through the bars of her cage. ¡°And we can only hope you¡¯ll be good enough to share it with all of us?¡±


    Glick froze in surprise with the bottle of wine in hand, instinctively dodging Sir Snickles¡¯ increasingly displeased ire, before actually finding it within himself to smile again. The girl looked so friendly! Patting the seat beside her in her cage as if she actually wanted to share a drink with him. His heart warmed. Of course he would do no such thing, but just to see that smile!


    ¡°Sure! Hold on. First I have to open the door.


    ¡°Which you cannot do!¡± Sir Snickles screamed. ¡°You need me to direct you to the keys, you low-level nothing! Just like you need me to direct you to doing anything! You can¡¯t even properly file a payment default. You¡¯re worthless to this bank, Glick! Absolutely¡­¡±


    Sir Snickles words died off in a dry whisper when Glick opened the door with a single expert flick of his claw.


    ¡°No¡­ you¡¯re no Thief, no Rogue. How did you¡­¡±


    But Glick, whose background Class he tried desperately hard not to think too much about, which he had only taken to survive very hard times back home, and maybe help his father and brothers out a time or two... or twenty. Not that he had ever gotten anything but kicks and a full belly after every job¡­ and it certainly couldn¡¯t compare to an actual honored Profession that he made absolutely sure was the only thing to show on his Interface sheet! All that mattered was that his father had kept his promise, and on the day that Glick had shown up to take the royal Banker¡¯s test, he had the gold required to pay the fees and had had the advantage of both books and tutors.


    Even if those tutors had enjoyed kicking him and throwing dung at him just as much as the rest of his family, at least they had admitted, with a glare that had pained them, that Glick actually had the makings of an accountant!


    Glick quickly shook away the memories of times best forgotten, before being struck by the too hopeful gazes of too many people gazing his way.


    The ache in his chest had come back, this time worse than ever!


    Perception check made!


    You have successfully dodged Spite-filled Dung!


    Dodge has gone up one Rank!


    You have earned experience in your ¨CHIDDEN-- Class!


    Tim gave him a strange look when he flickered past his screaming boss¡¯s missile. Glick winced in apology, grateful he hadn¡¯t dropped wine bottle or cups.


    ¡°Sorry. This really isn¡¯t the best place for you to refresh yourselves, is it?¡±


    Tim actually managed to chuckle warmly at that. ¡°No it isn¡¯t, friend Glick. But we make do with what we have.¡±


    Glick could now smell quite well the contents of the cages beside Sir Snickle¡¯s own. The small goblin winced, really not liking the pain he was now forced to see close up, that even Tim¡¯s forced bonhomie cheer couldn¡¯t completely hide. It was so much easier cheering along with all his fellows when their masters roared about the glorious manifest destiny of their people when not seeing any victims firsthand. The actual scent of despair and fear sweat were awful things. Things he had experienced far too often in his own life to ignore now. Things he had done his best to make sure never happened on his watch, over half a dozen struggling guilds owing him more than they¡¯d ever realize when he made certain never to take advantage of legal traps and grey areas that Sir Snickles and the others absolutely expected and all but demanded that their slaves and underlings take full advantage of.


    Yet Glick never did.


    He was uniformly considered a stupid buffoon by his fellows, with an uncommon knack for numbers, so was a bit too valuable to kill out of hand, especially when Glick had leveled up his Fawning skill to such an absurd degree. So he was assigned to the window with the absolute minimal chance of default bonuses being earned, which was exactly how he liked it. No matter how much he filled his head up with goblin spite to mask his thoughts and get through the day. And because he was never so foolish as to think that Greed or another overseer wasn¡¯t indeed so powerful that he could actually read their mind. He was sure that they did. Such as the thing with all those writhing limbs around its mouth, even now haunting the upper reaches of the ¨CDon¡¯t think about it!


    So he kept his thoughts firmly in line, and pushed away exactly WHY he did things the way he did. His customers smiled, his many bosses knew that he, at least, would catch any accounting shenanigans committed by the executives in other offices, so was probably still breathing for that use alone¡­ and that was all fine with Glick.


    Even if he hadn¡¯t been paid since the day he got here and had to beg for scraps or use old skills to pilfer a few perishables from the upstairs pantry, he was fine with it all. So long as a few people gave him smiles, his day was complete.


    Sir Snickle¡¯s voice took on a curious urgency. ¡°Don¡¯t lower your gaze to these miscreants, Glick. Come, tend to me right now, and all is forgiven.¡± His boss forced a laugh, a desperate light suddenly in his eyes. ¡°You know I¡¯ve always had a soft spot for you, dear Glick. And with just you and me as the only people left in the bank¡­ why, surely no one would mind a few gold treasures lost in all the confusion¡­ don¡¯t you think?¡±


    The wild-eyed goblin locked gazes with a disappointed Glick. ¡°Free me, Glick. I know where the backup manager¡¯s keys are. Together, we can open the vault and grab a fortune that everyone will blame on the Bronze-tier bucket heads! We¡¯ll get away Scot-free and be rich! Filthy rich!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think he¡¯s that stupid?¡± Bethany snapped, glaring daggers at Sir Snickles. ¡°That he doesn¡¯t know that the minute you con him into taking the fall for robbing the bank, he¡¯ll have signed his own death warrent? Because the minute you¡¯re out the door and holed up someplace safe, you¡¯ll stab him in the back with that holdout dagger you think we don¡¯t see you flashing in the dark, gazing at us like you¡¯d like to kill us at our weakest to grab ALL our experience pools. Then all the gold will be yours and you avoid any and all curses for stealing it! Isn¡¯t that right, ¡®Sir Snickles¡¯?¡±


    The goblin in question glared daggers of absolute hate Bethany¡¯s way. ¡°That absolute filth like you would dare suggest such a base act from such an august and noble personage such as myself!¡±


    This earned a cold laugh from the exhausted looking mage. ¡°So says the asshole planning to kill us before we all die of dehydration. Thinking it will grant you the skill evolution you need to break out of this hell hole that you¡¯re locked in just like the rest of us!¡±


    Tim flashed Glick a strained smile. ¡°Forgive us, Glick. I fear that we¡¯re not the best of company for our favorite teller right now. It¡¯s probably to do with us not having had anything to drink in what feels like days. And to be perfectly honest, my friend, I don¡¯t think we have that much time left before even our classes crack under the pressure of our thirst. So if you would do us the kindness of sharing a cup of wine with us¡­¡± Tim held Glick¡¯s gaze for long moments, promising so much with that simple desperate smile. ¡°We would forever be in your debt.¡±


    ¡°Lies! Do not listen to their filthy lies, Glick!¡± Sir Snickles roared. ¡°Now come! Attend me, serve me well, and you and I will leave this place filthy stinking rich, our pockets filled with gold. Together! This I swear!¡±


    ¡°Sure. Until the coast is clear, then you cut his throat. Right asshole?¡± Bethany snapped. ¡°And no doubt you¡¯ll be right behind him the whole time, so if any of your cronies come along, you can cut Glick¡¯s throat and play the hero. Probably even get a finder¡¯s fee for the gold you claim!¡±


    She shared a quick look with the mage who chuckled mockingly at the goblin, cheeks flushed, trembling with rage.


    ¡°What do you think, Steve? He¡¯ll probably get no more than a 5% Recovery fee, if that. Still, it will probably net him 25% of a single gold bar. Damned cheap sellout, if you ask me.¡±


    The mage flashed a Cheshire grin of his own. ¡°Sir Snickles, the idiot who doomed his entire bank? Ha. I¡¯ll bet the finder¡¯s fee is a mere one percent, and he¡¯ll be glad to claim it. Isn¡¯t that right, Sir Snickles? Because one percent really is all you¡¯re worth.¡±


    ¡°How dare you insult me, you pustulent filth! The finder¡¯s fee is twenty percent! Not, one, twenty! You think Blue¡¯s the only one who understand the power of a fifth? It¡¯s the same exact cut I personally got for freezing your accounts and making all your funds disappear before you could pay off your well-deserved debts or leave the bank! And you better believe the word¡¯s gone out! You pay your debts on time, or it¡¯s the slave collar for you. And you will only increase the amount you borrow, always maximizing your new withdraw limit, and never even thinking of paying down your debt, or you¡¯ll disappear altogether!¡± Sir Snickles cackled like the vindictive madman he was.


    Steve and Bethany¡¯s lips curved in matching bitter smiles and Glick frowned in puzzlement, realizing that they looked very similar to one another. Perhaps they came from the same litter?


    ¡°They really are an odd mixture of brilliant cunning and arrogant stupidity,¡± Steve whispered. ¡°Aren¡¯t they, Beth?¡±


    Bethany shook her head sadly before locking gazes with Glick.


    ¡°And there you have it, friend Glick. Sir Snickles wasn¡¯t going to slice your throat for a one percent finder¡¯s fee and the restoration of his good name.¡± Bethany glared at Glick¡¯s now dumbstruck employer. ¡°He was going to do it for twenty!¡±


    Glick blinked in surprise. To see such an angry, venomous glare from the always sweet and kind girl who had never once called him a pustulant sack of filth, or a blight upon goblinoid honor. Not once! Yet here she was, the girl who always had a forgiving smile and kind word for everyone, except perhaps the other tellers. She did make an effort to hop into Glick¡¯s line, as did a number of the happier looking adventurers, now that Glick thought about it¡­ yet now she was gazing at Sir Snickles as if he were the slime that bubbled up from the cesspools when they weren¡¯t maintained properly. And when were they ever?


    ¡°Bethany¡­¡±


    And that was when he sensed it.


    The dung he would be unable to dodge. Not unless he wanted it to smack right in the face of Bethany who was now gazing up at him as if he was some¡­ he didn¡¯t know what. Good thing? Kind person? The kind of person he used to hear in tavern tales before things had gotten so hard in Freetown, when Greed had finally taken off the mask of good-natured bonhomie and began grinding the populace down so hard they didn¡¯t even dare to dream anymore? Glick didn¡¯t know what he would call it, or the weird twisting feeling in his belly, or the odd ding in his interface, a choice he didn¡¯t dare let himself be distracted by, suddenly before him.


    He only knew that when the foul dung covered with toxic bile rammed for the base of his spine, he dare not dodge or it would smash Bethany right in the face and she would choke on the excrement and die within minutes.


    And she had given him cake.


    You have been critically struck by toxic projectile!


    Background bonuses and training are now in effect.


    You have successfully saved against poison!


    The air rang with Sir Snickle¡¯s furious shrieks, no longer bothering with subterfuge or reason, instead sharing his hate, and toxic dung, with the world.


    Glick sighed when his glass and bottles were shattered, the acidic dung eating away the cheap lining of his scratchy work robes and revealing his one and only concession to comfort, the exquisitely comfortable cloak that had served him so well as his father¡¯s most put-upon and useful tool, once upon a time.


    He had kept the cloak, of course, which had infuriated his father to no end.


    Personally enhanced Rogue¡¯s cloak counters toxic barrage! You are now approaching the prison cell of your former employer.


    ¡°Sir Snickles. You are creating a toxic work environment and are breaching the accords for humane treatment of our clients and those temporarily kept in our holding cells.¡±


    Sir Snickles snarled and screamed, throwing fresh dung Glick¡¯s way before shrieking his displeasure. ¡°I will see you burn for this, you little shit! Do you hear me? I will see you burn!¡±


    Sir Snickles began to cackle loudly. ¡°And I won¡¯t stop with you. Oh no, you little sell-out cesspool shit. You¡¯re just the beginning! You think we don¡¯t know where you come from? You think we don¡¯t know the rotten dung-keeper who spawned you? The half-dogs you call brothers and sister? They¡¯ll all pay for your transgressions, you little sack of putrescent filth! Ha! You should have accepted my offer and taken the gold!¡±


    ¡°So you could stab me in the back?¡±


    ¡°At least your family would live, you little piece of worthless dung! At least your family would live!¡±


    ¡°And these six. They¡¯re here in holding because you wanted a 20% cut of their accounts. And for no other reason?¡±


    Sir Snickles gazed at Glick like he were the biggest fool in the world. ¡°What kind of idiot are you, Glick? Of course we took advantage of page seven, paragraph six, line four! We can temporarily freeze their accounts at any time for any reason, so long as it¡¯s not more than 24-hours! And if they should freeze just minutes before it¡¯s time for them to pay off their loans in full, they¡¯ll be subjected to standard penalty fees! Should they be unable to pay, then of course it¡¯s the holding cells and then the charnel pits for them. Don¡¯t you get it, you brainless idiot? We¡¯re not actually bringing them banking opportunities. We¡¯re pillaging this planet and claiming their souls!¡±


    Glick turned to smile apologetically at the doomed party of adventurers, half of whom had slumped over once more, looking too exhausted to move.


    Tim gave Glick a sympathetic smile. ¡°It¡¯s always painful when idealism is replaced by life¡¯s painful reality, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Glick sighed. ¡°It is. It really is.¡±


    Sir Snickles snarled and spat in Glick¡¯s face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you say or do, you little shit! You¡¯re locked in here, same as me! I¡¯m the only one with a manger¡¯s key needed to get out of here, so you¡¯re working with me, or you¡¯ll be strung up by your entrails when Greed gets back here. Do you hear me, you little shit?¡± He snarled and spat in Glick¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not just your boss, I¡¯m your master!¡± He gloated coldly, pulling out a document that crackled with energy that sent roiling shivers through Glick that, unlike Bethany¡¯s smile, didn¡¯t feel good at all.


    ¡°Those fools were in such a rush to throw me in here, thinking soul-steel was the beginning and end of the defensive measures they needed that they didn¡¯t even strip me of any of my toys! Ha! What fools! And now you see that I STILL OWN YOU, GLICK!¡±


    Glick gazed at his (former!) boss for long moments, took a deep breath, and forced his spine straight, his voice now sounding nothing like the meek servile little worm that had managed to fit in so well in a bank that had at least one Lythid squid-lord working within it.


    ¡°I never signed any contract to that effect.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Sir Snickles screamed, heedless of the subtle transformations overcoming his most servile employee. ¡°It¡¯s the paper ALL our slaves sign off on every time they take home a single month¡¯s pay!¡±


    ¡°I never cashed a single check either.¡±


    Sir Snickles eyes lit with gleeful malice. ¡°You think that matters, you little shit? You think that will get you anywhere in a goblin court of law? I¡¯m your superior! If I say you signed it, you signed it!¡±


    Glick nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s true, actually.¡±


    ¡°Damn right it¡¯s true!¡± Sir Snickles chortled coldly. ¡°And I think you know exactly what you have to do, if you don¡¯t want to spend the rest of your life in chains. Or better yet, have your broken body thrown into a soul-steel cauldron along with every Terran fool to come between us and our manifest destiny!¡±


    Glick flashed an oddly sad smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. I do.¡±


    He then drew his class-concealed holdout blaster and aimed right between Sir Snickle¡¯s eyes.


    The former high ranking bank executive froze. ¡°No, oh no. It can¡¯t be you. Ilzgeth made it clear that your mind was that of a broken worm! There¡¯s no way you could¡­¡±


    His words were forever cut up in a flash of plasma and an explosion of superheated gore splattering against the metallic steel rear of the cage as the headless corpse slumped to the ground in erratic spatters of blood as the dying heart pumped its last.


    You have taken 2 seconds to Zero in on your target!


    Find Weakness Skillcheck made!


    Multiple Class Perks are in effect.


    You have critically struck Sir Snickles for Catastrophic damage!


    You have Killed your target!


    EXPERIENCE EARNED!


    YOU HAVE HIDDEN YOUR TRUE IDENTITY UNDER THE AUSPICES OF A LYTHID MIND LORD FOR OVER 1 YEAR!


    ELITE TITLE EARNED!


    You are now a Master Infiltrator! ALL Assassin primary attributes have gone up 5 points!


    Assassin Perk Boon earned! - Effortless Disguise. You now have +10 to all disguise checks. You will now truly BE your role! Not even Mind Lords can pierce your veil!


    You may now EFFORTLESSLY hide your class from everyone!


    Fellow goblins and assassins will see you as a Professional Accountant OR an Assassin!


    Terran adventurers will see you as an Honorable Rogue OR a Professional Accountant.


    You may change these settings at will! The choice is yours!


    Congratulations! You are now a Level 25 Assassin!


    You have had a Class Breakthrough!


    Class Profession changed from Assassin to ¨C Honorable Rogue!


    All those of noble heart are worthy of virtue and redemption!


    Even if some paths are a bit more windy than others.


    Willpower check made. You have SUCCESSFULLY thrown off your guise. Your mind is now your own once more! What will you do now¡­ Honorable Rogue?


    ***


    The doomed adventurers gazed at Glick with expressions ranging from stunned disbelief to terror. The young blond-haired adventurer shivering beside the wizard keened her terror. ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s going to kill us. Why? Why is this happening to us? We just wanted to pay our debts and have a clean slate in Ashland!¡±


    ¡°Shush, Lisa,¡± said a Sympathetic Steve, holding the sobbing woman close in their shared cage as Glick slowly approached, his soft brown dog-like eyes fastened onto Bethany who was clenching her partner¡¯s hand so painfully tight, even as she desperately gave Glick her most motherly smile.


    ¡°So, what happens now, hero?¡± She asked.


    Glick gazed at her for long moments before pulling free several ice cold bottles of water, his smile somehow matching Bethany¡¯s own, despite their difference in race. He was again feeling that odd curious twisting warmth in his gut that was both painful and wonderful as six pairs of eyes gazed with tearful fondness into his own.


    ¡°Thank you, Glick!¡± From the bottom of our hearts¡­¡± Tim burst into tears that were totally unmanly, but Glick didn¡¯t mind.


    In less time than it took Steve to curse, Glick¡¯s fearsomely sharp and exquisitely coordinated claw popped open the lock of first one, then all four of their cages.


    He politely stepped back as all six adventurers sobbed and cried out, hugging each other close, sharing quips and strained laughter, before turning to Glick as one.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re way too good for this city, Glick,¡± Tim said with an almost fatherly smile after chugging down the remaining half of the water bottle Glick had handed his wife. So Glick handed him another water bottle. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have plenty.


    Just in case.


    ¡°How¡¯d you like to join our party? We¡¯d love to have you adventure by our side.¡±


    Glick froze. An unconditional offer of not just acceptance but comradeship from a native delving party. A prize that was beyond priceless. And of course these silly children had no idea just how generous they were being.


    The two halves of Glick, the servile puppy and the trained assassin, both raised by the same insane father, were both simultaneously touched.


    ¡°I have a counter proposal for you,¡± Glick said. ¡°How¡¯d you guys like to help me shut down this bank for good?¡±

 Chapter 388 - Battle For Freetown: Part 10

    ¡°Talon company, are you in position?¡±


    High pitched signals pinging over multiple standardized interfaces earned hard smiles from the squad of power-armored mercenaries that had just stepped through the crackling gate behind them.


    The tallest of the quartet, his reinforced visor raised to breathe in air rich with the scents of smoke, spilled blood, and wild magic, so different from the sterile station hub they had just ported from, gave a satisfied nod.


    ¡°We¡¯re in position,¡± He said, before turning to his companions. ¡°Check your blasters, boys. We Just got the green light on an automatic 5 million credit bonus to each of us upon mission completion, with 100 million split between whatever party actually brings this wildcard asshole to the ground.¡±


    He received a nod from the trio as they diligently checked the blasters in their hands. They then tapped their wrists, generating humming force fields just visible in the electromana spectrum, before unsheathing a few inches of the vibroblades at their hips.


    ¡°We¡¯re good, sir. These sweet Mark-IIIs will utterly obliterate any native that thinks he¡¯s hot shit because he can kill a couple raiders. And the vibro-blades will pierce through anything below mithril-tier. Not even polymer reflectives will buy this asshole who thinks he¡¯s hot shit a free pass,¡± declared the closest of the three after giving his blaster a love tap after finishing his equipment check.


    They all quickly took in their jump point. Unlike the mercantile district which the goblins no doubt planned to make extensive use of for their own ends, Blue Quarter¡¯s most exclusive residential neighborhood had certainly been hit hard.


    Where there had once been post-card perfect homes adorned with lush green gardens and all the modern electromana amenities, there were now only ash, soot, and smoking ruins. Particular attention had been paid on those homes that had actually been claimed by up and coming adventurers who actually thought they were allowed any life save as goblin chattel, with clusters of bodies slaughtered at the exit points of a countless homes. It spoke of malicious, methodical planning, the invading force taking the time to set homes countless homes ablaze, then wait to ambush and slaughter anyone who tried to escape the death trap.


    It was the bitter end to what should have been dozen happy endings that were cut brutally short with a surprise twist that had Malevolence written all over it. Even now, the panicked cries of a baby could be heard coming from the remains of a nearby house that had fared better than most. A child whose parents would never answer the doomed infant¡¯s cries, their parents nothing but charred corpses at the doorway at what should have been her perfect childhood home.


    The air rang with the child¡¯s increasingly frantic sobs that carried so well in the cold, uncaring night sky.


    It was a scene that didn¡¯t phase these hard-eyed mercenaries in the least.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± queried the shortest and evidently quickest of the four, having checked his gear and taken a gunner¡¯s crouch in the time it took the others to finish their gear check. ¡°Because with a five million guaranteed show bonus after the pot doubles from fifty to one hundred million in the space of a single goddamned night, there¡¯s gotta be a major fucking catch. Especially with the goblins. I mean, come on, Bjorn. They let us jump in with full new citizen rights on a world that¡¯s been in ascension for less than two years? Without signing a contract?¡± He coolly shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re all between Bronze Rank twenty and thirty. Standard immigration is limited to Base Level thirty. We¡¯re a full fucking magnitude above norms, so our goblin friends must have paid a shitload of bribes to make that happen. Not even newly forged Bronze Scions from the most elite clans just looking for any legal pretext or golden ticket to jump in and steal the show can match us, at least not when they start. If they¡¯re letting us in on this gig, centuries before any outsider should technically be allowed in... Someone miscalculated and miscalculated big.¡±


    Bjorn snorted and spat a wad of dark spittle. ¡°Damn right there¡¯s a catch, Reese. We got a wildcard contender who managed to invoke the ire of no less than five of the most powerful factions in this little nook of space and time that we call home. There was no time for any briefing, boys, because it was a flash offer I had to accept before imperial edict officers can close this whole glorious circus down. I was not going to let this opportunity pass us by. All I know is the bare minimum. The kid¡¯s name is Eric Silver. Less than 20 years old, and he¡¯s already head-hunted at least four Bronze between levels 1 and 10. That much has been confirmed. Of course that doesn¡¯t mean shit to us, but if he¡¯s growing this fucking fast, he¡¯s a menace that has to be put down, tonight of all nights, before he risks disrupting the delicate balance of power that our employers very much want intact.¡±


    The pair of mercenaries that hadn¡¯t spoken yet chuckled and nodded their heads, though Reese, proving himself to be a sandy-haired man with a nervous tick when his face-mask snapped up and he glared at his superior while scratching odd purple sores on his cheeks, didn¡¯t look very happy. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, Bjorn. We¡¯ve been in this game long enough to know that when something looks this good¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fucking matter!¡± Bjorn snapped, now glaring at the suddenly flinching smaller man, before his killing ire eased. ¡°Look, I get you, Reese. Whole system¡¯s been shaking from serious reverberations, and the comms are flooding with a thousand rumors about the Sylvan Alliance being destroyed, the Goblinoid Alliance being destroyed, and entire fleets being wiped out by some complete no-name actually ascending to Gold!¡±


    ¡°Fucking bullshit. People are just running scared because no one knows what the fuck is going on,¡± muttered the leftmost merc.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Bjorn said. ¡°And that¡¯s my entire point! With a night this crazy, with high rank Silvers doing who the fuck knows what in some odd corner of our quadrant, everyone¡¯s panicking just because some punk-ass kid¡¯s enjoying a non-linear growth curve. So we do what we¡¯re paid to do whenever new hotheads show up on our screens, threatening the way we do things. We nip them in the bud early, so they don¡¯t present any problems later.¡±


    Reese blinked, an oddly relieved smile crossing his scarred features. ¡°So, this is just a standard pruning contract, only everyone¡¯s panicking because of all the rumors flying around our system hub.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Bjorn clapped the shorter man¡¯s shoulder, the air ringing with the gong of exotic polymer alloys making contact. ¡°So no fucking need to worry! We do our cleanup, profit like the professionals we are, and most importantly¡­¡±


    ¡°Enjoy two centuries worth of no-contest access to the hottest jewel of a world in this sector!¡± Chirped in the mercenary beside Reese, earning smiles and nods all around.


    ¡°You got it, Enz. Still, we didn¡¯t get this far by playing stupid,¡± Reese cautioned. ¡°But seriously, boss, are you telling me we jumped without getting any information chit on this Eric Silver kid? Powers, affinities, family associations, favored tactics, known vulnerabilities, pawns we can use as leverage against him?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I got you covered there, gentlemen!¡± Assured an enthusiastic young man with silky black hair tapered in the short buzz to the sides with a cowlick on top that seemed to be all the rage with invading mercenaries these days, blessed with handsome features, high cheekbones, and dark, almond-shaped eyes. Thin of stature, he was dressed in a silver white uniform looking quite similar to what a number of mercenaries that had invaded the Northeast Sector wore. He appeared to be free of any armaments or protective gear, save for a regulation T-1 Blaster sheathed comfortably on his hip, holding nothing more threatening than a clipboard in his hand.


    His eyes twinkled in the moonlight, his flawless features not flinching in the least when a quartet of T-3 Plasma rifles zeroed in on him with deadly matching hums promising oblivion.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Smith Freeson of the Freeson Clan. I¡¯m your concierge, contact, gofer boy, and all around helper. Ha ha!¡± He looked down at his clipboard, completely unfazed by the show of military might, flipping a sheet over before his eyes lit up with satisfaction. ¡°You would be¡­ Talon Company led by a Captain Bjorn, is it?¡± The boy frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have more confirmatory details, but the orders to meet up with you were so rushed that I barely hit the teleporter in time! But never mind that. We¡¯re all professionals here, am I right? Alright, our target is one Eric Silver. Let¡¯s get the basic briefing¡­¡± He looked down at his notes, ignoring Reese¡¯s angry mutter and Bjorn¡¯s ice-cold frown.


    His eyes widened. ¡°Oh my, looks like we got ourselves a choice assignment, lads!¡±


    Bjorn glared. ¡°What the hell do you mean ¡®we¡¯?¡±


    Smith held up his hand meekly. ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m not cutting into your profits, no sirree! But if we actually manage to bag and tag this wildcard, I¡¯m up a half million credits in bonus stipends myself! So you better believe I¡¯ll be your left-hand man in all things while you¡¯re here. And I happen to have passing familiarity with Blue Corp resources and affiliations¡­ including an inside track on their most private communications with our contact, ha ha. So I was a shoe-in for this assignment,¡± he said with a wink, before hurriedly looking all around.


    ¡°Now if you gentlemen would like to follow me, I¡¯d be happy to set you up in some of the sweetest accommodations you¡¯ll find anywhere on Earth. And if my information¡¯s right, Blue Palace kitchen stiff is actually still among the living, so it¡¯s sweet accommodations for as long as we¡¯re here. Especially if we can make a good impression with this hunt!¡±


    He turned on his foot and walked at an unhurried pace for the Blue Palace. One of the few structures that seemed to be completely intact, save for a blaster-scorched front entrance. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s claim ourselves some top tier accommodations before any other company beats us to the punch!¡±


    Reese frowned, glaring suspiciously at their concierge¡¯s back. ¡°I don¡¯t like this, Captain. Meeting up with us so neatly, out of the blue? With just the information we needed, when we could have just been given the relevant documents at the station? This feels like, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Like a full third of our missions, keeping all the pertinent details on a strict need-to-know basis?¡± Bjorne noted with a deadpan expression.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah. But I still don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, neither do I. No more than I like these Quasi-combat Intel Professions flash-sent info with their Class Perk. Those bastards are almost all double agents, but that¡¯s not our problem, so long as they don¡¯t fuck with us while we¡¯re on assignment.¡± He turned to glare at their fixer. ¡°Hey, kid! Smith!¡±


    The youth immediately stopped and turned around. ¡°Yes, Captain?¡±


    Bjorn glared. ¡°Nothing personal, but I¡¯ve been on more than a few missions with a setup like this. So let me tell you exactly what I tell all my contacts and fixers. If things go smoothly, you can expect a glowing recommendation and a discrete bonus that will make whatever tidbits your bosses give you seem like chickenfeed in comparison.¡±


    Smith¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°No kidding! Boy am I glad I ended up with your crew, then.¡±


    ¡°But if you fuck us over¡­ we¡¯re not just taking it out on you.¡± He flashed a cold, ruthless smile that was mirrored perfectly by Reese. ¡°We¡¯ll collect your head, stick it in a pain vat, and let you live just long enough in constant agony, with your mouth perpetually open in an endless silent scream, to watch us take out everyone you ever called kin.¡± The air grew dead still with the sudden pressure between then. ¡°You feelin¡¯ me, kid?¡±


    Smith gave a curt nod. ¡°Loud and clear, Bjorn. Good thing I¡¯m not planning on fucking you all over, then. Shall we?¡±


    Bjorn smirked. ¡°Sure, Smith. But we¡¯re not heading to any Blue Corp pad. You¡¯re going to give us everything you have on this brat, and you¡¯re going to help us track him down. You prove to me that you¡¯re not wasting our time, and not only will you get to live, we¡¯ll be paying you five hundred thousand credits ourselves, whether or not we bag or tag this asshole, so long as you help us make contact with him even once.¡±


    Smith¡¯s eyes brightened with unfeigned excitement, seeming to see only the carrot and paying no attention at all to the price of failure. As if such an outcome was absolutely unthinkable for an up-and-coming go-getter like him. ¡°Really? That would be awesome! I mean¡­ yes, yes, of course, sir. I got you covered.¡±


    He immediately turned along what looked to be a major boulevard. ¡°Come on. This is the way to the remnants of Blue Corp¡¯s forces. They¡¯re holed up with most of Freetown¡¯s survivors just outside the city. I¡¯ll give you the lowdown on what we know so far and¡­ yes! I just made contact with someone affiliated with Blue Corp. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any problem at all coaxing them to give us all the information we could hope for, especially if we can promise them safe passage to the nearest stable settlement.¡±


    The smallest of their number glared. ¡°And why the hell would Blue Corp assholes help us?¡±


    Reese snorted. ¡°Because, newblood, they appreciate the bottom line. I mean, just look at the neighborhoods we passed!¡± Reese gestured back to the smoking ruins where more than one child¡¯s voice could be heard crying out for loved ones they would never see again. A sharp contrast to the still intact upscale shopping centers, parks, and dining areas that they were passing through now. The only area of Blue Quarter that hadn¡¯t been reduced to smoldering rubble. ¡°Blue Corp obviously spent a fortune trying to get this tiny corner of the world half-civilized and now everything but the commercial district is a smoking ruin. We all know who must be responsible, and that¡¯s a problem that has to be taken care of.¡±


    Bjorn nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t invest in places like this unless you know you can turn a profit. And that means stable planets without wildcard contenders threatening what would otherwise be an extremely profitable operation for Blue Consortium. The boys in blue now how to make a fat credit wherever there are wars of attrition, so long as treaties are followed and neutral factions and territory rights are zealously respected. Whether Orc, Sylvan, or any of the other major players, all of them are known variables with entire planetary systems completely under Blue Corp care. So those factions have every reason in the world not to fuck with Blue and break centuries-old non-aggression treaties for the sake gaining a temporary edge in a tiny corner of an unclaimed world.¡±


    Bjorn scowled, taking in the devastation all around them. ¡°Wildcard Contenders suffering exponential growth, on the other hand, are under no such stricture. Nothing¡¯s stopping them from pillaging whatever territory they like, for any reason under the sun. There can be no stability or significant commerce in a region where pacts of neutrality or nonaggression are ignored on a whim. Power-mad assholes like that, especially those enjoying a fucking exponential power growth curve, are a goddamned threat to the entire System.¡±


    The other merc shrugged. ¡°Sure, makes sense.¡± He then frowned at the youth intently gazing at his chart. ¡°Still, that kid is way too chipper. And our hardware isn¡¯t phasing him at all.¡±


    Reese gave Smith a hard stare, slowly nodding his head. ¡°Trust me, Enz, I¡¯ve got my eye on him. We¡¯ve worked with a lot of odd cases over the years. Most of them proved stand-up, by mission¡¯s end. Some cut and ran, and good riddance. Very few were actually stupid enough to try to outright fuck us over. If this punk actually helps us make a connection? We make him rich. If he tries to snow us, it¡¯s over for him. It¡¯s that simple.¡±


    Enz took a steadying breath. ¡°Sure. But you know this is my first mission outside of an adventuring crew. I just hope it works out like Bjorn says it will.¡±


    Reese smiled fondly in memory. ¡°Yeah, those were the days. Spending so many months and years adventuring beside companions I thought would walk by my side for a lifetime. Great for ascending up the ranks, that¡¯s for damn sure. I shot up all the way to Bronze 25 before I finally stalled. But by the end of it all, I had nothing material to show for it, save for a string of fucked up relationships, three kids who don¡¯t even know what I look like, Essence scars that itch like mad in high mana zones, and a mountain of debt to my name.¡±


    Reese locked gazes with Enz. ¡°Trust me, mercenary work was the best thing that ever happened to me. Smartest move I ever made was switching from hunting exotic critters for potency that never ignited into a fresh level, to hiring on with the very corp that was sent to collect my debt.¡± He gave a rueful chuckle. ¡°Paid off my balance in less than a year and then I¡¯m their golden boy, going from mark with a bounty on his head to rising star in record time. That¡¯s where I met Bjorn, and here we are, with a sweet ticket to making an absolute fortune. And if the Captain¡¯s right about things in a newly ascending world¡­¡±


    ¡°We might reignite that spark, and shoot up the ranks faster than we ever dreamed we could,¡± Enz said with a breathless whisper. ¡°And as the soon to be highest ranked Mercs in the whole fucking System, they¡¯ll be throwing money at us to join one faction or another. We¡¯ll be fucking rich by the time Earth finally emerges as a fresh jewel of the galactic commonwealth!¡±


    Reese chuckled. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re still so green you¡¯re still hungering for that next level you just can¡¯t quite hit. Not that I blame you, and you know what? You¡¯re right! If there¡¯s one place where we¡¯ll find the insights and epiphanies we need to ascend after stalling, or at least find ways to soothe and heal the scars that come from botched ascension attempts, it¡¯s here. And just one level earned within a rapidly ascending world so connected to the System as this one might be all it takes to catalyze us for the next twenty or thirty levels! We¡¯ll be rich, and shattering all the barriers that held us back. Hell, if we play our cards right, we might ascend all the way to Rank 50 Bronze when it¡¯s all said and done.¡±


    Enz¡¯s eyes lit up like saucers. ¡°The specializations we could pick. The bounties we could take on!¡±


    This earned an indulgent chuckle. ¡°Damn right, newblood. Now enough bullshit fantasizing. Let¡¯s focus on the Captain. He¡¯s finally got the kid comfortable. It¡¯s time to squeeze this Smith character for all he¡¯s worth.¡±


    The captain, however, looked less than pleased as he glared down at the smiling Smith. ¡°You¡¯re giving this sweet song and dance about how taking out this contender will profit all of us. How easy it will be. Now why don¡¯t you cut the bull and tell me why our friends¡­ what we¡¯re their names again? Snivelpuce faction, right?¡±


    The affable young fixer¡¯s expression broke into an uncharacteristically hard smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid a certain banking consortium got a bit to GREEDY for their own good, and received an exceedingly malicious comeuppance. I trust I don¡¯t have to say anything more than that to contractors familiar with Bloodtear Syndicate terms?¡±


    ¡°Good. Just so long as we¡¯re clear on that,¡± Bjorn said without missing a beat. ¡°So, why don¡¯t you tell me the real reason why old Greed¡¯s got his britches knotted something fierce? What¡¯s the catch, kid? And I want it straight. We¡¯re already here. No need to butter us up with bullshit or a cute spin. I can tell a Professional like you¡¯s got his fingers on the informational pulse of this place. And the look on your face is that of someone who just got a download that he wishes he hadn¡¯t. So give us all the dirt you now got on this boy wonder, and maybe we can put him down before our employer loses any more beauty sleep.¡±


    Smith winced. ¡°You can read me that well, huh?¡± He sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Alright, turns out that we might be earning our bonus this run after all.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°The Blue Corp representative refused to entertain the idea of meeting with us when I made a direct offer to help out¡­ but he did send me a packet with everything he has on the boy. Turns out he was actually Blue Corp affiliated at one point, at least before he went crazy. Can you believe that?¡±


    Reese frowned. ¡°Seriously? This asshole worked for Blue? Why the hell aren¡¯t they hiring us on then?¡±


    Smith shrugged. ¡°Freetown seems to be a joint Goblin, Blue Faction venture. Anyway, yeah. As you no doubt know, all the factions do their best to encourage native rising stars to make the smart play and sign over any claimed territories to an established faction that actually knows what it¡¯s doing. This cat, Eric Silver, was willing to play ball, at least at the start. He and Blue had a good thing going, then everything changed.¡±


    ¡°So, what the fuck happened?¡± Enz wondered aloud. ¡°If he was smart enough to get in Blue¡¯s corner, why would he betray them?¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Who the fuck cares? Your not an adventurer on a quest, Enz. You¡¯re a merc with an assignment, the same as the rest of us. Let¡¯s just get the lowdown on this asshole, pop his cherry, and get our bonus,¡± snapped the fourth merc, glaring at Enz.


    Bjorn frowned, carefully eyeing the buildings they passed, blaster at the ready. ¡°We don¡¯t need the background. We just need an outline of what he can do and where the kid was last seen. We¡¯ll take it from there.¡±


    ¡°Oh of course! My contact¡¯s more than happy to help with both those things. As to what he can do, wow. Some of the shit on file¡¯s wild! Did you know this guy can actually raise the dead? And he¡¯s a cultivator! Supposedly. Or at least, he can make fire come out of his hands when he hits people.¡±


    Reese snorted. ¡°Bring the dead to life? Are you serious? Anyone with that kind of power would be securely in the nest of whatever faction found him, with every luxury he could ask for at his fingertips, while making his sponsors billions.¡±


    ¡°He means necromancy,¡± Bjorn said curtly. ¡°Don¡¯t you, Smith?¡±


    Smith solemnly nodded while the other mercs paled in disgust through their translucent face plates. ¡°He can indeed. And not just a handful. My understanding is he raised an entire army of hundreds of revenants, maybe upwards of a thousand, to overrun an entire Orc territory before claiming it for himself!¡±


    Several of the mercenaries winced, haunted gazes the last thing one would expect on the countenances of Bronze-tier mercenaries, even if they were considered among the deadliest fighters to be on any world.


    ¡°And this is why wildcard Contenders need to be put down. Hard. Every time,¡± Reese declared. ¡°Fucking necromancy. Violating the dead! How twisted can you get? Hell, I¡¯m surprised that there isn¡¯t an imperial edict against him!¡±


    Smith shrugged. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the thing. It seems that the kid and countless other budding necromancers were able to avoid getting purged outright, thanks to the heritage arts clause protecting countless Terrans practicing their native arts, since he¡¯s half native-born human himself.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit politics. Of course there¡¯s a loophole,¡± Reese cursed. ¡°There always is.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you said he¡¯s only half human?¡± Asked Enz. ¡°And Cultivation? Fuck, are you serious? How is that even possible if he embraces necromancy? Isn¡¯t that like anethema to a cultivator¡¯s foundation and shit?¡±


    Smith chuckled. ¡°Oh, it gets better, believe me.¡± He tapped his head and winked. ¡°To answer your other question, the info dump I just got says he¡¯s actually a half elf. And the Silver moniker, common as it is on Earth, wasn¡¯t actually from the father¡¯s side of his family. It stands for one particular clan quite famous in Sylvan circles, I¡¯m given to understand.¡±


    The mercs froze, staring at Smith for long moments.


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re fucking kidding me. The Winter Queen¡¯s making a play for Terra?¡± Reese turned to Bjorn. ¡°This isn¡¯t good, boss. I hear she¡¯s one vindictive bitch. If we kill her offspring¡­¡±


    Bjorn shook his head. ¡°Won¡¯t matter. She¡¯s oath-bound to the accords, and this isn¡¯t her first rodeo. Price of putting your pawns in boards not your own is that you risk losing them. If you win, however, you win big.¡±


    Reese sighed and shook his head, not looking happy at all. ¡°Sure, boss. Whatever you say.¡±


    Enz looked downright frightened. ¡°Wait, my first mission will be taking out the Winter Queen¡¯s brat? No, no, no, hell no! I sure as hell never signed up for that! Not that I will break my word to serve out one full mission,¡± he quickly said before Bjorn¡¯s glare. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯d be much better acting as support.¡±


    ¡°Damn right you won¡¯t betray us!¡± Bjorn glared at the man, using the comm frequency their power armor was clearly attuned to, and that they were clearly certain their concierge had no hope of understanding. ¡°And you¡¯ll serve exactly as I say you will. After all the credits we spent getting you power armored up, locking you down for the best damned evolution you could ever hope for with the one node that you were smart enough to leave open, managing with one and a hell of a lot of work and cybernetic implants, what it would normally take two nodes to accomplish? Hell yeah you¡¯ll be serving, Enz! You think we invested that much in your for one fucking mission? Are you out of your mind? It was for one fucking tour, kid. Not a fucking weekend getaway. You should know this, you signed the contract!¡±


    Enz seemed to wilt in his power armor as his commander continued to glare.


    ¡°If you see the target, you better believe you¡¯ll be taking that fucking shot! You¡¯re all bound to contract and oath, same as any faction making a bid for an ascending world. Trust me, you¡¯ll have far more to worry about if you even think of half-assing your assignment than you will from this elven bitch. So just follow orders and leave the headaches and morale quandary bullshit to me.¡± He turned his helmet to take in his whole squad. ¡°We play this right, boys, we all come out rich as lords, with what will be an entire world vying for our services!¡±


    He smacked Enz¡¯s helmet. ¡°And you should be happy as fuck, boy. We invested over twenty million credits in you, and you get to ride into glory with a powered-armor compatible class that no one else in your hick poor world could hope to grab. And all you have to do to be square with us is to savor a full century¡¯s worth of growth in a freshly ascending world! Trust me, Enz. By the time we¡¯re through, you¡¯ll be stronger than you ever dreamed possible, we¡¯ll be ruling a damned sweet chunk of this mana-rich rock before cashing out as honored lords to the winning faction, and you¡¯ll thanking your lucky stars every day that you signed up with our corp!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Enz said, bowing his head.


    ¡°So. Bottom line. When I say shoot the target, you don¡¯t even ask how many times. You just fire until I say stop!¡±


    Enz snapped a salute.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t sound good!¡± Smith said cheerily to the public portion of their chat. ¡°Because it turns out this cat isn¡¯t just some crazy-ass cultivator who can raise the dead. He also uses Fire Magic to boot! And taking a look at the goblinoid betting pools¡­ yes! Odds are that he probably claimed a Fire essence of all things that boosts both his fire magic and his fire-based cultivation. Can you believe that shit? Wild!¡±


    The fourth merc began to curse. ¡°Are you fucking serious? He¡¯s a necromantic mage with access to Fire essence?¡± He shook his head bitterly. ¡°I¡¯d kill for access to whatever epiphanies led to that breakthrough.¡±


    Smith¡¯s smile grew. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just epiphanies, you have to understand that. It was coming to terms with his own nature. Embracing the bitter crucible of fire and pain and constant peril to awaken the gifts within.¡± He turned to lock gazes with the now flinching man. ¡°Yet that was only the start. It was only when he finally accepted who he was, what he was, that he truly began to blossom into the glorious monster that he was always destined to be. Blazing through a dozen worlds in a single night¡¯s Golden Tier ascension, before finally coming back home to roost.¡±


    The entire company had slowed, matching Smith¡¯s more leisurely pace as they passed the tightly packed together buildings radiating a shabby chic air of steampunk renaissance that made up so much of the nicer areas of Freetown outside the gloriously futuristic Blue quarter.


    Yet the air still seemed to thicken with a weight, a pressure, that tasted like a killing aura.


    One now stretching over an entire city.


    ¡°Captain!¡±


    ¡°I know, Reese. Ready yourself.¡±


    Bjorn gave their supposed contact a hard smile, finger resting lightly on the trigger of his blaster. ¡°So, kid, if the Blues are too chickenshit to meet with us, where exactly are you taking us?¡±


    Smith winked. ¡°Just because Blue¡¯s scared shitless doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t willing to get in the good graces of the most powerful Contender on the planet. So they¡¯re happy to point the way in return for future¡ª¡° Smith¡¯s eyes widened. He stumbled back. ¡°Fuck! He¡¯s here! Blue betrayed us! Run! Run!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Where!?¡± Bjorn snapped just as the thunderous roar of a fired cannon could be heard from their rear as white billowing smoke filled the air.


    ¡°Reese! Locate target! We need cover, now!¡± Bjorn roared as he spun around to face the threat, taking in the city block that was to be their battlefield in the blink of an eye.


    The sight of a bronze cannon mounted on a wheeled chassis, being pulled by a dozen glassy eyed men wearing ancient bronze armor with the thousand yard stares of the long dead emerged from the white, billowing smoke. It was a sight that sent chills down Bjorn¡¯s spine for all that none of them had been struck by the¡ª


    You have FAILED a contest of Strength!


    The message flashed across Bjorn¡¯s interface in the blink of an eye. A fiery wrench as something slammed into his wrists and his beloved Mark-III twisted out of his and before he could blink. Then he was airborne!


    Bjorn¡¯s thoughts were racing, stunned by stunned disbelief as much as pain. How the fuck¡­ All his Primary physicals were over 400! There was no way in hell! Unless¡­ Fuck! He knew. In that terrible, awful moment, he knew. But how? He had multiple disguise-piercing skills. Both System interface and Bio Markers pinged their contact as being of Han bloodlines. He had even gotten a read on the class after investing in a Node that couldn¡¯t be spoofed before Silver! There was no way in hell¡­ but it didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was warning his teem.


    ¡°Ambush! Smith is the target! Kill him!¡± Bjorn screamed in his helmet.


    Yet even with his thoughts racing at a blistering pace, less than half a second between being thrown airborne and sending out the message, it was already too late.


    Before Bjorn¡¯s disbelieving eyes, their young Han informant had transformed into a wild-eyed hellion with hair that alternated between golden locks and pristine flame. Their mark had played them all for fools, actually getting the drop on them, when Bjorn had been so ready to blow him away, if he turned out to be exactly what he was. A wildcard Contender so unbelievably arrogant, so obnoxiously overconfident, as to think he could actually take a Bronze-tier company on.


    It was the most humiliating and horrifying of revelations Bjorn was forced to endure as he desperately kept his eyes on the target, even while spinning so damned slowly while airborne. Yet their mark was now daring speeds that should have had him reeling from the effects of mass and inertia, yet somehow it hardly seemed to phase him as he body checked Gil, tearing free the hapless idiot¡¯s blaster so smoothly, because the kid actually had a skill in Charging as well as unarmed combat. Which was absurd, because until Bjorn¡¯s Unveiling Eye had revealed that truth just a split second ago, there had been no such skill in the System records at all.


    Enz, the other newblood Bjorn had such high hopes for, investing so much in his potential, hadn¡¯t even registered that they were being ambushed yet. But despair turned to a desperate flash of hope when Reese, a 25% partner in his own right, showed just how much of an edge 600 Quickness would give him over an entire world, even if he was loosing out on a major Balanced Stats boon. At that moment, Bjorn swore to himself that he would never raz his friend about it again, Reese actually managing to spin around in time to confront the abomination just as he closed.


    Reese¡¯s triumphant expression was priceless, and Bjorn could only imagine the look on that charging asshole¡¯s face when the air erupted with brilliant white plasma.


    ¡°Yes, you did it! Put that fucker down!¡± Bjorn roared on the comms in a moment of euphoric relief as he reached the peak of his arc and began what felt like a slow motion fall back to earth, promising himself that he would be investing as much funds as was needed to assure power armor enhancements equipped with electromana configurations that helped neutralize inertia and allowed for gravity control. Or at least jet packs and internally mounted blaster cannons.


    But those were concerns for another day, he thought in that same split second, his hand just beginning to reach for his backup holdout blaster as good faith follow up to his friend¡¯s righteous kill when his eyes widened in desperate disbelief.


    Because the fiery plasma explosion hadn¡¯t been his friend¡¯s Deathblaze III setting off explosive cascades in a rogue AI sentinel, even if it had looked eerily similar to their last assignment.


    Instead, that brilliant flash quickly manifested into an explosion of flame and shrapnel, and Reese was ragdolling through the air, his blaster cartwheeling away in a grand arc as the monster that had ambushed them, their target, raised his fist with a cold smile, still crackling with flame.


    ¡°Fuck! Reese! Bjorn! What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± A frantic Enz cried out in his comms, finally cluing in that something was wrong when he caught sight of Reese spinning like a top through the air, before his eyes landed on Bjorn, just then crashing.


    Enz gaze a startled and completely unprofessional yelp when he finally caught sight of their target. Right in front of him. Smile stretching so fucking wide in the biggest gloat imaginable.


    Enz lurched and stumbled back, eyes wide with horror. ¡°Oh no. Oh, please, no! I wasn¡¯t going to. My wife¡­ You¡¯re not even human!¡±


    ¡°Not entirely,¡± their prey said with a wink, Bjorn witnessing a sight that would haunt him all his days as the fiery blond haired youth, now wearing nothing but blue corduroy pants and blood sigils carved into his flesh, effortlessly tore the blaster from a panicked Enz¡¯s hands as if his strength was a thousand, not the two hundred, at most, it should be for even the most gifted White-tier Classers with anything like a balanced build on the very cusp of Bronze. And such a creature as that would be a known entity with sponsors and tutors and a golden path to success, and they¡¯d never cross paths with such a promising young master at all, save to serve as backup, bodyguards, or delving support.


    And yet as shocking as the casual disarming had been, that was nothing compared to what happened next.


    ¡°No, please! I don¡¯t want to die here! I just wanted a chance to¡ª¡±


    Whatever Enz was going to say would remain forever unspoken as Bjorn crashed to earth so shaken he had no words, trembling hands finally managing to yank out his blaster pistol as Reese¡¯s words screamed painfully in his comms while he felt like he was caught in a horrid nightmare from which there was no escape.


    ¡°Bjorn! He bit Enz¡¯s head off! The fucker bit right through tri-polymer armor! How? That¡¯s... His mouth¡­ his teeth!¡±


    But Reese didn¡¯t need to say a word. Bjorn had a front-row seat to the horror show unfolding before him as a massive maw filled with serrated teeth seemed to take up the entire world. And the most horrifying thing was how the beautiful boy¡¯s features were still perfectly symmetrical, exquisitely proportioned. Even if reality was being bent and warped in nightmarish ways no sane person could fathom.


    But Reese was nothing if not a fighter. He didn¡¯t even bother hiding the terror on his face while as he aimed and fired his holdout blaster, infusing every bit of his mana pool that he could slam into it, supercharging one of his deadliest perks. Because it didn¡¯t matter if the madly humming, overheating blaster in his hand exploded in his grip. All that mattered was that this fucking abomination be put down now!


    A blinding flash of light.


    The fierce joy of Interface messages making it damn clear that he had hit!


    He had hit that fucking abomination!


    Then a blinding flash of pain, as his world became one of fire.


    You have been struck by Fire Fist For Catastrophic Damage!


    Face Plate has been shattered!


    Skull has suffered multiple hairline fractures! Vitality Perks are in play. You have saved versus instant death!


    Your jaw has been shattered.


    Your nose has been pulverized.


    Your lungs have been filled with flame.


    You have lost 23 teeth.


    Left eye has failed to save versus Blindness!


    You are suffering fourth degree burns over your entire skull!


    You are wheezing for breath!


    You are now suffering from MAJOR impairment!


    Auto Stim protocols are now in effect!


    Bjorn found himself hovering in and out of consciousness before a sudden jolt of coolness from his back plate stim patch filled him with pain killers, carefully calibrated blood clotting agents, and multiple regenerators with a good helping of Lucid-Plus serum so he could think clearly, despite his catastrophic injuries.


    The air was filled with the increasingly desperate screams of his men, being cut off, one by one. Until it was only him left, his panicked mind looking for something, anything, that could explain what the fuck had just happened.


    The first thing he did in his instantaneous combat analysis was analyze the strike that had brought him low. Dismayed by the readings.


    The blow he had suffered wasn¡¯t just absurd, it was a deadly synergism of multiple abilities, boosted stats, and unorthodox skill enhancements mirroring rumors of jealously guarded powers that only the most powerful clans had access to. Abilities and Synergisms that no White-tier abomination should even know existed.


    And yet somehow he had been struck by a blow that could have killed him, a Level 30 Bronze classer, if he hadn¡¯t been wearing his now destroyed powered armor.


    And now the boy was smiling down at him, perched on his chest without a care in the world. ¡°So, yeah. As I was saying, this Eric Silver character¡¯s a bit of a bloodthirsty bastard.¡±


    The bloodthirsty bastard in question winked. ¡°If we¡¯re not really careful, and I mean really reeaally careful, we¡¯re going to find out firsthand why Bloodtear Syndicate is offering such a huge bounty for his ass.¡±


    Bjorn¡¯s target then cackled like the power-drunk madman he so clearly was.


    ¡°How?¡± Bjorn could barely wheeze out the words, yet this Eric was nothing if not perceptive.


    The boy winked. ¡°How did I manage to get the drop on elite tier mercenaries clearly experienced at this game?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Easy. Your greatest strength is also you greatest vulnerability.¡±


    This earned a cold stare.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. Sounds like a trite platitude, doesn¡¯t it? Well, let me put it this way. My Interface made it damned clear that you have a very powerful Node ability you used to scan me down with an enhanced Identify ability. Am I right?¡± Eric smiled as the smoke-filled breeze rustled the Contender¡¯s fiery blond hair while bringing the scents of freshly spilled blood and burning oil to Bjorn¡¯s tormented senses.


    ¡°Of course I am. So, even if the odds of a concierge informant gofer boy conveniently popping up near your portal are slim. It¡¯s not that unheard of, even by your own admission.¡± He winked, tapping his skull. ¡°And it just so happens that I have very good friends who¡¯ve worked with chaps like you and informants like I pretended to be. So I could ape the class, thanks to my own weak-ass acting skills backed up by Social Perception, Know the Score, and What the Other Party wants, social perks. Hell, I even got an Acting skill rank out of this! Can you believe that? Yet still, that was some risky bullshit. But you were happy to play ball for the thought of a golden pot. And when your interface made it clear that I was just a harmless up and coming¡­ how did you put it? Quasi-Combat Intel Professional. Someone who trades in info and levels up in conflict, even if not quite strong enough to evolve as a Classer. I could feel that role so well that I could taste it. Smith was clearly hungry to be on the edge of the action. Right? I mean, it made sense. Who else would dare a hot zone like this, save a professional as eager to excel on the edge of peril as you?¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°But let¡¯s be honest. In the cold light of day, I must have looked suspicious as all hell. But your blood was up, you¡¯re looking for odd coincidence, trouble, and opportunity everywhere, so it all starts to blend into a soothing patina of mad probabilities¡­ and you said it yourself on your comms that you thought was totally private but I could hear every fucking word of. You¡¯re used to dealing with shady cloak and dagger bullshit all the time. And I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you admitted that you ignored your very human... because as far as I¡¯m concerned, you purple-eyed folk are basically human¡­ gut hunch. Because that would mean that your EXPENSIVE node slot assuring that I was on the up and up was utterly inferior to the common sense you were born with, and you sure as shit didn¡¯t want to believe it could be spoofed by a white tier nobody. And since your perk gave me the green light, all it took was a single distraction.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Eric summoned one of the Mark-IIIs ¡°Because we all know what a deadly tool of death this weapon is, even in the hands of a low level fighter strong enough to wield it properly, but otherwise with nothing else going for him, save for a decent stat or two. Now, if we stack all the perks with blasters, blaster rifles, and ranged combat that you and your companions no doubt have, well, let¡¯s just say I already know what it feels like to be swiss-cheesed by these things.¡± The young contender dipped his head with what was now a mocking smile, but at least it was a human one.


    ¡°So the only smart move was to distract and disarm you, or I¡¯ll freely admit that you all might have been completing your mission in record time. And all that it took to catch you assholes with your pants down to your ankles was firing a cannon carted by one of my multiple revenant platoons nearby. Not firing at you, oh no. I wouldn¡¯t want cheapen my victory¡ªor the potency I can gain¡ªwith cheap-ass bullshit like that. But spooking you idiots long enough to strip you of your fanciest toys and encourage you to face me with your vibro blades? That could most definitely be fun. Unfortunately, I got a bit too enthusiastic, a bit too ¡®in character,¡¯ and one of our friends paid a price.¡±


    Eric shuddered, eyes momentarily haunted. ¡°I Still got a level out of it, but¡­ fuck it. Let¡¯s see if we can do this another way.¡± Eric carefully took off the wheezing man¡¯s helmet, before gently patting the burnt ruins of Bjorn¡¯s face. ¡°Now, before we go any further, do either of us have any doubt that I¡¯ve bested you utterly and completely?¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile turned hard and cold. ¡°I need to hear you say it. Just like Reese and Gil.¡±


    Tears welled up in the one eye that hadn¡¯t been poached in it¡¯s socket as Bjorn uttered the words that left him feeling cold, old, and drained. Like a final fiery spark within his soul had just been surrendered to another.


    ¡°I surrender, you fuck. Okay? I surrender and submit. My life is in your hands. My Qi is yours. That¡¯s how you cultivator¡¯s like to do it, right?¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t bother answering right away, head tilted up with something like euphoria as he shuddered and smiled before filling the air with his manic laughter.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Fuck yes! Between you, Reese, and Gil, that¡¯s another full level! Even if it should be three for the three of you¡­ I sure as hell won¡¯t complain. There¡¯s been enough death orchestrated by the manipulative fucks you only think you work for.¡±


    Eric gave the now horribly disfigured mercenary his most winning smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m all about fresh starts. So¡­ Bjorn, how¡¯d you like a job?¡±

 Chapter 389 - Battle for Freetown: Part 11

    Bjorn was temporarily at a loss for words. The last thing he had expected when first catching sight of those awful teeth that seemed to stretch for miles, the air filled with discordant cackles as Enz lost his head¡­ was unexpected employment opportunities.


    The merc squinched his one good eye shut before blinking it wide open with awful searing pain.


    ¡°Fuck, that hurts!¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. We just got finished trying to kill each other. A couple nicks and bruises, fourth degree burns and hairline fractures all over your neck and skull are bound to happen. But that scene¡¯s over and done with. Now it¡¯s time for the next chapter of our lives!¡±


    Bjorn gazed at a politely smiling Eric for long moments. ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± he said.


    Eric solemnly nodded. ¡°As the grave. So, what do you say?¡±


    The man flashed an agonized smile, clearly suffering from his injuries despite the drugs now flooding his system. ¡°You do know we took a job, right? If we break it our word to our employer, even if we didn¡¯t have to sign a single damn paper¡­¡±


    ¡°It will have absolutely no adverse consequences for you. First of all, because tonight¡¯s a very special night with ancient talismans in play that will pretty much make everything we do tonight retroactive for all time, and second of all, because the System itself Censored the goblins something fierce for being twisted little fucks. And that, dear Bjorn, means you can exit stage left of every foul deal they ever made that might have strung you or your family up in really bad straights. And do it without any penalty at all.¡±


    Bjorn glared at Eric as if he thought the smiling young man was taunting him right before making the kill. Then his remaining eye twitched like a man rapidly reading well-buried interface messages, his horribly burned and scarred face lighting up with the first glimmers of what might actually be hope in his eye.


    ¡°Well, fuck it. You¡¯re actually on the up-and-up! Alright. Color me intrigued. What¡¯s the job?¡±


    Eric rubbed his hands together. ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯re going to love this! How¡¯d you like a long term low stress position guarding choice territories along with access to all of Blue Corp¡¯s high end features and resorts? And at very competitive rates! It will be like getting new world hazard pay while enjoying all the amenities of a fully developed sector!¡±


    Eric flashed the smile of a salesman going for the hard-sell. ¡°Best of all, upon taking a single oath, you and your companions will be able to enjoy all the amenities and opportunities to be found in what will soon be the wealthiest and largest collection of Delving rifts to be found anywhere here on Earth! Delves absolutely chock full of all the sweet, sweet potency and potential for epiphanies, level-ups, and breakthroughs that you could hope to find on any newly emerging world!


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s still a work in progress, at present, Ashland will be an absolute wonder of an adventurer¡¯s playground very, very soon. Just as soon as we get the infrastructure and construction of our first delving town with a nice Italian villa and renaissance architectural theme all wrapped up! The high rises will, of course, be behind the touristy shopping mecca closest to the first delving rift, with a few green family-friendly parks between them to keep it scenic and classy, like the best areas of Chicago.¡±


    Bjorn, wheezing for air, gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°You¡¯re serious. You¡¯re actually serious.¡±


    Eric nodded solemnly. ¡°A lot of exciting things have been happening of late, as you can no doubt tell. With added uncertainty comes added opportunity, but also the need for quality security during these perilous times. And I think you guys might really appreciate all the perks and benefits that come along with working for Blue.¡±


    Bjorn gazed at Eric for long slow moments, looking as surprised as Eric when he actually nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡­ by fuck, you¡¯re right! I can break the kill contract without any bad karma at all.¡± He swallowed, looking oddly vulnerable. ¡°Alright, Eric Silver. If Blue¡¯s hiring and somehow you¡¯re acting as their point man? Well, I¡¯ve heard only good things about working for Blue. I assume this includes my men?¡±


    Eric nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Sure! Reese and Gil are welcome to sign up too. But I think our odds are even better for a smooth transition and genuine interest if you¡¯re already signed up.¡±


    Eric then smiled at the pair of mercenaries that were presently crumpled on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re both still among the living! My guess is that their suits are doing a great job of keeping them stable, but I¡¯m betting you know that already. Now, I believe my good friend Caliban just sent you an information packet? Give it a read and sign when you¡¯re ready! Just make sure it¡¯s within the next five minutes, because I got places to be and people to kill, you know?¡±


    Bjorn took a shuddering breath, remaining eye flicking back in forth as if panicked that Eric would grow tired of waiting and just end him out of boredom. Yet surprisingly enough, Eric did no such thing.


    ¡°Signed and sealed,¡± Bjorn said with a breathless hitch in his voice that was only half thanks to severely damaged lungs.


    ¡°Awesome. I think you made a great investment in your future right there. So, why do you look so shocked?¡±


    The man just stared at Eric for long moments as fires blazed in the distance before answering. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this game for decades. A hell of a lot longer than you¡¯ve been alive. And you managed to get the drop on me, find the flaw in my Perception technique that left me so damned overconfident before disarming me of the one weapon that would have so easily...¡±


    Bjorn tried to close his eye again and could only bear it for a moment. ¡°And my life is now utterly in your hands. You¡¯re closer to Bronze 40 in stats, just from what I¡¯ve seen. Not a White tier Contender at all. Even if you lack all the Bronze tier perks that would make you a true monster.¡± He flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Of course, without our spirit-linked blasters, which you were smart enough to tear from our hands before you took us all down, you don¡¯t have to worry about our specialized perks at all. And even if Black Diamond Delves will still end you quicker than spit, if you¡¯re not very very careful with an equally elite team daring only the shallowest delves¡­ everywhere else in this primitive world is basically your oyster.¡± The mercenary chuckled painfully. ¡°No wonder so many factions are desperate for your head. If you grew this powerful this fast¡­¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°I know, right? If I play my cards right, maybe one day I¡¯ll hit Silver, and take control of a dozen worlds.¡± His smile grew. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯ll ascend all the way to Gold.¡±


    ¡°An imperial rank,¡± Bjorn chortled painfully. ¡°Considering how well you fought today¡­ I might, just might, give you a four in ten shot of hitting halfstep Silver status at least. But Gold? Come on, kid. The emperor and his dark consort are the only two who¡¯ve ever achieved that rank in the last thousand years.¡±


    Eric froze at those words, suddenly all ears. ¡°Wait, seriously? How does that even work?¡± Yet even as he said the words he had a vague impression of his mother, riding the crest of a glorious ascension who was determined to fly off to unimaginable adventures all through the multiverse after putting her final affairs in order. Not just to capitalize on her magnificent ascent, but because even she, even after consuming a dozen worlds, knew better than to stay any longer than the bare minimum needed to orient herself and go.


    ¡°Alright, who exactly is the emperor¡¯s consort?¡± Eric asked.


    This earned a snort. ¡°The mistress of death herself. Just one of the reasons why no newly forged Gold would dare wear out their welcome. Not that any have, nor are there any records of any Golds emerging in the centuries since their rule¡­ but the rumors are out there. Somehow, everyone knows that should one actually ascend to such glorious heights, they will be feted by the imperial clan itself, be given grand prizes and accolades for their clan¡­ and that they had best leave this sector just as soon as their affairs are in order.¡±


    But Eric was just gazing at the man in stupefaction. ¡°Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying that Evelyn Death is the Emperor¡¯s wife? The mother of his children?¡±


    The mercenary frowned. ¡°Be thankful you¡¯re on a newly ascending world and no one of significance cares about the blatherings of a child. Were it otherwise¡­¡±


    But Eric had already turned away, his cheeks blazing. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare look flustered after kicking our asses, kid. You¡¯ll make us all look bad.¡±


    Eric forced a very human smile. ¡°Fair. Alright, let¡¯s get you all someplace secure, where you can recuperate without any random wandering asshole making mincemeat out of all of you.¡±


    Bjorn shuddered. ¡°At any other time¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure. But that time sure as fuck isn¡¯t now.¡±


    This earned a tired nod. ¡°Alright. But my men¡­¡± His eyes widened to see two of his men on a stretcher of bone, orc skin, and sinew, being pulled along by none other than a very intact and now armorless Enz who now looked far too fucking young with his sandy hair, smooth cheeks and guileless purple eyes with his power armor off, for all that he was a Bronze classer himself.


    The man gave Bjorn an awkward grin. ¡°Reese and Gil are secure, sir.¡±


    Bjorn just stared¡­ before giving a slow shake of his head as Eric expertly and with odd care picked him up and placed him on the suddenly expanding stretcher. ¡°Do I even want to¡­ no. You know what? I don¡¯t think I do.¡± At that point Bjorn closed his eyes and went still, clearly doing his part to let his body heal.


    Eric took a deep breath, sending a quick message to his rather alarmed friend.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Did you rescue the children trapped in those houses that I pinged, Morlekai?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Alice will enjoy playing the doting aunty until we can find surviving kin and more permanent homes for them. But Eric, we need to talk. You just bit off that man¡¯s¡­ I saw you eat him alive!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a bit more complicated than that, seeing as he¡¯s walking right next to me, trying to find the courage to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°Complicated!? Eric, I was a master of blood and Vampiric magic long before there was any System! My class is now an enhanced version of my nature, System granted thanks to your Tier-2 Pod and doing some godlike force a massive favor¡­ yet not even I would dream of biting through high tech steel like it was nothing! And you didn¡¯t just drain that poor fool of blood¡­ you devoured him. Not just his physical being, but the imprint of his psyche upon reality itself! I felt myself forgetting that he had even existed, until he popped back a minute later!¡±


    Eric winced. His early devil-may-care euphoria of righteous battle, vindication, and revenge had quickly turned to shame when he was forced to judge a terrified man¡¯s soul with the spirit of his ex wife begging for clemency. Forced to witness in her pleading gaze the story of a struggling hero who had saved her and her entire clan from orc slavers, desperately playing the idealist, the hero, and actually surviving to ascend. He had lived as righteous a life as any could upon that broken world, before desperation had him progressing along unexpected paths that would at least bring hard credits to an impoverished people¡­ only to find himself hoodwinked into a century-long Terran contract, what should have been a one-off run for a complete newblood like him.


    ¡°Please!¡± The memory of that desperate spirit wept and begged, crying tears of blood. A spirit that just happened to be an elf, who had left many children behind in her husbands care after falling in battle in the war between orcs and elves, countless worlds away. A valiant champion who had blessed her husband with a final gift before her passing.


    A second chance. Life from death. So that their children would not become orphans, with only elderly grandparents to care for them. Only with a creature as strong and fate warping as a child of the Winter Queen, a Contender who had, for a time, danced as a Golden Phoenix upon the ethereal currents between stars, there had been no mercy or reprieve that she could claw from random chance. Only make her case, a desperate final plea, to the lastborn son of her ultimate queen.


    So what the hell was Eric supposed to do?


    Certainly he wasn¡¯t going to snap the begging former hero and father in half twice, when the hot blood of vindication had been replaced with the painful knowledge that, despite Bjorn¡¯s smiling threats, Enz would have purposely skewed all his shots and given the game away so that no Sylvan prince¡¯s blood would be on his, or the memory of his wife¡¯s, hands.


    Like it or not, Eric had devoured a good man. Utterly.


    Before being given a second chance to make a first non lethal impression¡­ so he had taken it.


    And he hadn¡¯t even been forced to give back the cultivation level he had earned, since his victory had already happened. Even if Eve did give him the mental impression of thinking him a softy, it had been said with a certain amount of fondness, and Eric had definitely sensed an imperial regalia about her spirit he had never picked up before. Or perhaps, never wanted to pick up before. So he was going to try very hard to forget that he had ever done the deed with the Emperor¡¯s wife, and instead focus on much more healthy things. Like world domination without slaughtering well-meaning fools who just needed a second chance.


    Eric cleared his throat, catching a stunned-looking Enz¡¯s eye. ¡°So. That just happened.¡±


    Enz stopped cold, before slowly lowering himself to his knees and kowtowing before Eric.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, merely trembled, choking back silent tears.


    Eric sighed, turning away. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get your friends to the arena, get you guys some solid employment opportunities, and we¡¯ll never speak of this again.¡±


    The clearly overwhelmed young Bronze just banged his head thrice upon the ground before standing upright once more, tears and blood both streaking down his tormented features. Eric sighed and made his way back to the arena as quick as he could as the man¡¯s desperate plea to his long dead wife was like a spear in Eric¡¯s heart, one that his exquisite Perception wouldn¡¯t allow him to ignore. And so what if he stopped on a dime when Enz dared to whisper his name, as if just trying to find the courage to speak, when Eric was being tortured by every heartfelt, humanizing confession he overheard, and the growing knowledge that, as much as he might play the hero in his own mind¡¯s eye, to countless others he was a terrifying monster to be avoided or placated at all costs.


    ¡°Prince Silver¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, for fuck¡¯s sake, Enz. Just call me Eric.¡±


    The man froze, and how odd it was that his features didn¡¯t look much older than Eric¡¯s own. He gave a quick nod, still radiating an odd mix of shame, reverence, and fear.


    ¡°Yes, Eric.¡± Enz swallowed, before taking a deep breath and forcing himself to say the words. ¡°I know that this is your world, that we are the unfortunate villains in your tale, and that we are beyond fortunate to have earned even the tiniest amount of your clemency.¡±


    ¡°True. So what¡¯s your point?¡±


    The man flinched, but spoke on. ¡°I¡­ I heard children back when we had ported in. I have the growing fear that they are not in the care of locals merely hiding from our presence.¡± The man swallowed. ¡°My¡­ forgive me, my Hero¡¯s sense¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, you have a Hero¡¯s sense? You¡¯re that much of a fucking protagonist? Why the hell didn¡¯t you tell me before I bit your head off?¡±


    Enz opened his mouth, before flashing a wry smirk. ¡°Because you got the drop on me and you¡¯re literally twice as fast as I am?¡±


    ¡°Fair point. So, you were saying?¡±


    ¡°The children, Eric. I know our lives are in your hands, but there are at least three children who won¡¯t survive much longer in this cold.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know. Don¡¯t worry about it. My friend already took care of it.¡±


    This earned a blink. ¡°But my sensors didn¡¯t pick up any¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a vampire in blood crow form.¡±


    Enz¡¯s eyes filled with horror. ¡°Prince Silver!¡±


    ¡°No, idiot. He didn¡¯t eat them. Morlekai¡¯s good people. Besides, his sister¡¯s pregnant. I¡¯ll bet her nurturing instincts are going crazy right now, and now she¡¯ll have three little ones to dote on until relatives or foster parents can be found.¡±


    Enz¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, before he closed them in shame.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trip, Enz. We¡¯re walking at a fast clip.¡±


    ¡°And now I¡¯m the one who feels like a monster, having taken credits and coin to hunt a true hero of his people.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad. I¡¯m about as bloody as you can get and still be on the hero spectrum before you kick me right off and onto the power-mad villain end of the scale.¡± He flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Honestly, dude, you throw in some self-righteous tendencies and a soft spot for cute damsels in distress, and I¡¯m pretty much there already.¡±


    Enz blinked at this, before giving Eric a sad smile. ¡°And now I think it is you who is being unfair to yourse¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yours isn¡¯t the first head I bit off tonight, Enz. I devoured two brother Contenders right before I met up with your squad. I consumed their potency and power along with their heads, embracing shockingly twisted paths of ascension in ways that I¡¯m sure would be considered absolute perversion at any other place and time. And I didn¡¯t give a fuck, how much they pled and begged.¡±


    Enz froze. Swallowed the sudden nervous lump in his throat. ¡°I see.¡± He then blanched, giving a terrified curse when a stumbling man with milky-white eyes and squirming tendrils growing on his neck lurched out of a nearby ally and abruptly collapsed at their feet, mouth opening wide to whisper twisted words of challenge and threat that send shivers down Eric¡¯s spine before collapsing in a melting pile of slimy tendrils that squirmed toward their group.


    ¡°Ignes Pilum!¡± Eric shouted, shooting out a bar of white-hot flame, quickly turning the puppet to ash.


    ¡°By the seven sacred eyes!¡± Enz shouted in horror.


    Eric exchanged looks with a horrified Enz. ¡°And that¡¯s why I took out those two opposing Contenders. Who do you think is responsible for the pile of flaming shit Freetown¡¯s become? Because seriously, Enz. Why would I fuck up my own home base? Blue Quarter, I mean. I get a 20% cut of the profit generated from all the territories I throw Blue Corp¡¯s way, without having to sweat a single trade dispute, farmer¡¯s quarrel, mining incident, or tax form. And their only real stricture was to not wipe out Freetown, no matter how annoying the goblins are. Why the hell would I shit on a set-up that sweet? Now that, Enz, would be absolute madness.¡±


    ¡°Wait! A fellow Terran was responsible for this?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°His name was Jeffrey. He almost made a puppet of me too. Then I infected his blood, popped out of his belly, and ate him alive right before his driver crashed into dinosaur central.¡±


    Enz looked genuinely horrified. ¡°Then I¡¯d say your kills were righteous in the extreme. But how is his puppet still alive?¡±


    Eric grit his teeth. ¡°Because that one was controlled by Jeffrey¡¯s mentor, the one who I¡¯m betting taught him some twisted fucking secrets before infecting his mind. I think he was the one controlling that particular puppet.¡±


    Enz furrowed his brow, before his eyes widened with renewed horror. ¡°So the madman who taught those Contenders to make fresh abominations is still around?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°And he¡¯s not a man. He¡¯s a Squid-brain.¡±


    Enz froze, the companions on the stretcher moaning softly with the jostling. ¡°Eric! Do you have any idea of the threat, the peril those things represent? They shouldn¡¯t even be allowed on a newly ascending world! Even I know the codicils that well!¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Sure. But since when have my enemies ever played fair? But that¡¯s not the fun part.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the fun part?¡±


    Eric glared at the flash-fried pile of calamari. ¡°Squid-brain just told me I have one hour to leave Freetown or he¡¯s coming for me personally, strictures be damned.¡±


    Enz¡¯s gaze turned strangely pitying. ¡°Eric¡­ I won¡¯t even say it, but I know. I loved and cherished an elven Paladin for over a decade. I knew her strengths¡­ and her weaknesses.¡±


    Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°No natural Psionic Resistance, no matter how high our stats. And the damage we suffer from Psionic blasts can¡¯t be regenerated in seconds.¡±


    Enz frowned. ¡°Eric, no one can regenerate injuries in¡­¡± He blanched when Eric sliced off the tip of his finger, cursing softly under his breath when it regrew in just a handful of seconds.


    ¡°Speak for yourself. But yeah. I know. Me taking on Squid-brain is practically a death sentence.¡± Of course he had just been cheating a bit. He wasn¡¯t in combat and he had only clipped off a tiny bit of flesh and skin at the very tip of his finger. But it seemed like even healing that much without a spell was an extraordinary feat for anyone not forged on an ascending planet.


    Enz swallowed, gazing at Eric for long moments. ¡°If only I had had that skill. Maybe I could have¡­¡± He gave a sad shake of his head. ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±


    Eric¡¯s cocky smile faded, dismayed by how haunted his eyes looked, peering back at him from Enz¡¯s oddly sympathetic expression.


    ¡°First we¡¯re going to meet up with my associate in the colosseum. He¡¯ll get you all squared away. After that? Well, I guess we¡¯ll see.¡±

 Chapter 390 - Battle For Freetown: Part 12

    Eric couldn¡¯t deny how surreal it felt, returning back to the colosseum, so many thousands of desperate anxious eyes pinning his blood-spattered form. The trio of gunner girls weren¡¯t even properly aiming at him, just gazing at him and the powerfully built mercenaries walking beside him and in the bone stretchers with an odd sort of hunger that almost made him prefer the cannons. But he wasn¡¯t a stuck-up prickly asshole about to take offense at anyone¡¯s appreciation, no matter how awkward he felt. So he just smiled and nodded their way, earning flushed cheeks and awkward smiles in turn.


    And maybe it didn¡¯t help that he was still naked, save for the marks of ritual and the blood of battle, wearing nothing more than a pair of tight-fitting jeans that somehow looked spotless, the blood and grime flaking right off, his pants smelling like he had just pulled them fresh from the dryer. As if this were a scene in a movie and he had been dressed for the part, or like he was in a Levise commercial, of all things. And it wasn¡¯t like it was his fault or he had planned it. It¡¯s just that nothing else he wore, including jury-rigged armor, survived the sheer stress and abuse that 779 Quickness and 531 Strength put through pretty much any mortal fabric or material. Too bad his Phoenix evolution had cost him his perfectly nice mithril hauberk and helm.


    Then he blinked, realizing that he was being an idiot.


    His soul-bound quilted gambeson had served him perfectly well as a padded undergarment for almost his entire ascension! Before he had blazed through, however temporarily, to Gold. He just needed some nice shirts and shoes to go with his artifact-tier pants to soul-bind with a bit of blood and a dash of panache, and he would be set with naturally resilient and self-regenerating threads!


    He sighed. He¡¯d get serious about getting some decent clothes, and some fresh armor he¡¯d bind and reinforce with as many strength and resiliency runes as he could fit on them, along with a nice heaping of his essence, just as soon as he had the chance. After tonight. When he actually had the resources and time.


    Then he forced himself to focus on his immediate environment, the massive arena filled with the stink of unwashed bodies, burning piles of porcine flesh still in the stands, even if most had been reforged as revenants utterly loyal to his cause, along with the eldritch stench of foul portal magics Eric had thankfully ruptured. Yet cutting through all of that was the enticing aroma of stew. Which meant that someone, probably the surviving remnants of Blue Corp, had managed to put together a soup kitchen for the thousands of hungry souls taking shelter in here.


    Eric thought the soup kitchen a fantastic move for establishing a sense of solace, normalcy, keeping up order and morale as well as subtly weaving and reinforcing what was now a too small faction¡¯s seniority and authority over the thousands of survivors presently being told to keep calm and stay put. Since Freetown itself still had pockets of corruption that went beyond savage humanoids and confused, disorganized slavers.


    Eric knew damn well why Caliban hadn¡¯t began organizing the newly armed classers, even if most had little more orc javelins for spears, the most classic and arguably the most favored of all ancient weapons, who could be earning experience and boosting morale with the rescue and recovery of the entire city.


    It would have been the tactically prudent move, save for one major problem.


    Eric sighed and shook his head as he slipped him and his injured and newly hired mercenaries through the crowd to the inner circle of individuals occupying of the giant-sized arena.


    Of course he knew he was just distracting himself from the looks of desperation and the angry mutters of the crowd. Or even worse, adoration and misplaced hope.


    ¡°There he is! He¡¯s the one who rescued us. He¡¯s the one who¡¯s going to save Freetown!¡±


    ¡°Destroy it, more like. Kid¡¯s a bloodthirsty savage, Marge. Don¡¯t let the handsome smile fool you.¡±


    ¡°Mommy? I¡¯m hungry. Is that man the one who made all the zombies?¡±


    ¡°Shush, dear. It¡¯s not polite to stare. Now be patient. The nice blue elves will give us food soon.¡±


    ¡°Look! Those men are wearing powered armor. And some of them are in stretchers of bone?¡±


    ¡°Well that dude Eric is a Necromancer King, right? Think he¡¯ll be taking over Freetown, now?¡±


    ¡°No shit he will. We¡¯re being held hostage by a thousand zombies.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re protecting us.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Keep telling yourself that.¡±


    Eric smiled awkwardly when too many hopeful stares met his own before dipping his head politely and doing his best to avoid everyone, especially when polite curiosity became desperate pleas for food, water, and shelter. And under any other circumstances, many of the requests would have been so easy to address.


    ¡°Please, we just want to go home! Can we all go home?¡±


    ¡°Everyone, settle the fuck down! There¡¯s plenty of soup and bread for everyone!¡± Roared a powerful baritone voice that Eric didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Lord Caliban will be authorizing a return home just as soon as the city¡¯s safe! And those of you willing to room and board any of the rescuees or families that don¡¯t have homes will receive vouchers and credits that will be redeemable in the Blue quarter! Now organize yourselves and fill out the forms your Blue Corp representatives have handed you. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can all go home and start earning credits! Those of you looking for fresh employment opportunities will be selected based on both your background skills and on your behavior here tonight!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t quite hold back a smile despite the general blood and horror of the night, the air smelling of anxiety, sweat, blood, and, strangely enough¡­ hope.


    For Caliban, master administrator that he was, was doing his best to keep up morale and bring order to what could otherwise be a violent panicked crowd at risk of destroying their own home. Yet with the soup kitchen and a friendly-sounding drill-sergeant like voice bringing order to the crowd, they were now falling into what was for many, the comforting and familiar sight of employment lines and bureaucracy. And if Eric¡¯s friend actually managed to bring stability, shelter, and work to these people in their most desperate hour, he¡¯d have devoted employees for life.


    Yet Eric couldn¡¯t quite hold back the pity in his smile, all of Blue Corp in all it¡¯s vaunted glory having been reduced, here on Earth, to what looked to be a few score of Professionals organizing and tending to the needs of the thousands in the crowd, and a handful of sickly-looking men and women who seemed barely capable of holding the Tier-1 blasters at their hip. Men and women who Alex guessed were some of the very few survivors of what looked to have been a very nasty poison. And this was after whatever resources or magic Caliban could bring to bear to aid in their recovery.


    Eric took a deep breath, even as Bjorn chuckled softly through his broken teeth and jaw. ¡°I can see why you were so eager to hire us, kid.¡±


    Eric gazed down at the man he was gently carting along in his bone-wheel supported stretcher, a solemn-faced Enz bringing along a still recovering Reese and Gil in similar necromantically constructed conveyance vehicle.


    He smirked, denying nothing. ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±


    Of course Caliban was already well on his way to recruiting both competent looking adventurers and other unemployeed mercenaries with tempting offers. But just one look at the man¡¯s desperate gaze when Eric¡¯s eyes spied Caliban across the crowd told Eric all he needed to know.


    Caliban whispered a few quiet words with what looked to be his inner circle; bright-eyed, intelligent-looking men and women who immediately saluted their leader and went to work organizing both the survivors and the sustenance being provided for them as they waited in what were now well organized lines to speak to the politely smiling men and women sitting on makeshift tables with chairs on either end, happy to receive the papers they were handed and answer whatever questions were being thrown their way. Even the questions that were more like screaming accusations they handled with aplomb that Eric found nothing short of noteworthy.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought along some new faces,¡± Caliban said with a pointed look at the four badly injured mercenaries radiating Bronze-tier potency.


    Alex smiled and nodded. ¡°My new friend Bjorn here is eager to join our winning team!¡±


    Bjorn wheezed with laughter. ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it,¡± he said, before giving Caliban a measuring look. ¡°From what I can see, you guys are on your last legs, here.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s half smile faded as his gaze flattened, saying nothing at all.


    Bjorn snorted. ¡°Your boy¡¯s a fine ace to have at your back, but you¡¯re going to need more than one wildcard hero if you¡¯re going to pull your faction back from the brink. Fortunately, if you¡¯re looking for a strong unit that can keep you guys safe and sound until you get back on your feet, your boy couldn¡¯t have run into a better team.¡±


    Caliban gave the battered and broken man with his damaged power armored chassis a pointed look, earning a chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, I know. I know. Your boy was a perfect counter to us. But you see, it¡¯s not about whether or not your champion can take us on. It¡¯s whether or not our Hyperion Mark III¡¯s can take out whatever threats will be smelling blood in the water, eager to claim this city for themselves. And the answer to that my friend, with our tactical skills, weapons training, and a chance to develop fallback positions and overlapping fields of fire is a most definite yes.¡± He then smirked at his own damaged chest plate. ¡°And we, unlike all too many of our fellow armored companies, have invested our class evolutions and gear to be fully self sufficient.¡±


    This earned a politely raised eyebrow. ¡°Are you saying that you can repair your chassis with only the equipment you brought or can find locally?¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°I¡¯m saying we can repair it with potency alone!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the most efficient path,¡± snorted a grimly smiling Bronze-tier classer a short ways off, ambling toward them in power armor that had definitely seen better days.


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Bjorn allowed. ¡°But it¡¯s great if your assignments bring you to hot spots that don¡¯t always have choice loadout facilities on hand. And if you¡¯re behind enemy lines, or find yourself in a newly ascending world¡­ it¡¯s perfect. Unless you want to go a high-mana steampunk route.¡± With that, he gave a pointed look at the man¡¯s own armor with its patchwork construction, radiating both electromana tech, and highly magical bronze-reinforced plating.


    The man snorted. ¡°Yeah, you got me there. My girlfriend¡¯s a Tinkerer and she¡¯s gaining mad levels here, so I¡¯m not going to complain. You want a drink?¡±


    ¡°Damn right, I do.¡±


    ¡°Name¡¯s Ben,¡± The man said, handing Bjorn a flask of something bubbly and wicked looking. ¡°Best sip that carefully in your condition. Now as soon as you catch your breath, how about you and I see if we can come to an understanding about what Blue Corp can do for you, and what you can do for Blue Corp.¡±


    Caliban gave the salt-and-pepper haired Ben a nod, Eric sensing a whole crap-load being communicated with that single gesture, before turning to Eric, leading him away. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Eric nodded, already feeling the heightened tension. ¡°I didn¡¯t know we had a Ben on staff.¡±


    Caliban allowed himself a smile. ¡°Grateful as I am to you, Eric, there is quite a bit you don¡¯t know about me or my resources. He says thank you, by the way.¡±


    Eric blinked at this. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°One of the women you recently saved was his wife.¡±


    ¡°The tinkerer?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s his fiance. Soon to be secondwife. She says thank you as well.¡±


    Eric just nodded. ¡°Good. I¡¯m all about saving lives when I can. I take it that this Ben is leading the military arm of Blue Corp?¡±


    This earned a bitter smile from Caliban. ¡°What little we have left, yes.¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s features tightened. ¡°Bad, Eric.¡± He sighed, refusing to say anything further until they were well and truly away from the crowd. ¡°Bad enough that if we can¡¯t secure a territory of our own before the night¡¯s end¡­ there won¡¯t be any Blue Corp at all.¡±


    Eric froze, gazing at his business partner, whom he dared to think of as a friend, in horrified disbelief. ¡°Are you¡­ just how badly did the goblins fuck us all over?¡±


    This earned a bitter chuckle. ¡°Greed and Malice really outdid themselves this time, and that¡¯s saying something. The good news, however, is that I have an inside man.¡± Intent eyes peered into Alex¡¯s own. ¡°He literally holds the key to saving our bank, and he and his companions are in desperate need of a safe escort back here.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart pounded with a mix of exhilaration and hope. ¡°So, there¡¯s a chance.¡±


    This earned a bitter smile. ¡°A chance that we can save our bank, maybe. But Eric, I need¡­ Blue Corp needs at least one territory free and clear that we can call our own. And this territory, as ideal as it would be¡­¡±


    Eric forced himself to nod and accept the dread crawling up his spine. ¡°Has basically been claimed by the Bronze-tier Squid-brain who shouldn¡¯t even be here. Not even their low level counterparts that utterly overran Gilton and no one in my family will even talk about.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Caliban concurred, the odd mixture of gratitude, worry, and despair in his eyes plain as day for Eric to see. ¡°And none of this should be your burden, I know. You¡¯ve already done so much. Not just for Blue Corp¡­ but for all of us, and our families, that call Blue our home.¡± Painfully intent eyes locked with Eric¡¯s own. ¡°After what you did for my wife, my children¡­ I will never forget how much we owe you, my partner and friend.¡±


    Eric swallowed the lump in his throat, patting the man¡¯s shoulder, forcing a chuckle. ¡°Sure you will. As soon as the day finally dawns, all you¡¯ll remember is your charming yet annoying young wildcard partner, and that however things are by first light¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how they would have always been,¡± Caliban said softly, with both awe and horror in his voice.


    Eric smirked. ¡°I just got your message. Quest accepted. I see his ping. Looks like our target holed up in a building midway between here and the bank and ooh¡­ I do see a handful of reds.¡± Eric¡¯s carefree voice turned hard and focused. ¡°Is there anything else I should know?¡±


    Caliban slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, Eric. The insider you¡¯re going to rescue is a goblin.¡±


    Eric froze. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Caliban sighed, gazing pointedly at Eric¡¯s clenched fist. ¡°Not every goblin is a conniving, penny-pinching monster, Eric. Even if their entire culture is designed to reward such behavior and ruthlessly crush any and all deviations.¡±


    Eric took a deep breath, more troubled to hear that than he wanted to admit. He jerked a quick nod. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll grab him and bring him back. But I want a favor for you in turn.¡±


    Caliban flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Considering that my faction¡¯s future and fortune is entirely in your hands¡­¡±


    Eric¡¯s icy gaze bore into Caliban¡¯s cornflower blue eyes. ¡°I need access to whatever techniques or insights there are on how best to counter a Squid Brain¡¯s perception at the very least¡­ and ideally how to ward myself from mental attacks¡­ barring simply relying on the stat that neither you nor I nor any elf or half-elf has access to.¡±


    Caliban sighed, closing his eyes, rubbing his brow. ¡°The limitations I¡¯m placed under, Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°Silver Phoenix is in effect, Caliban.¡± Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Surely if you were to explain allowed to that tiny shrubbery blowing in the breeze by the edge of the arena seats right there what any layman could do to protect themselves from unauthorized Bronze-tier Psionicists who shouldn¡¯t even be on this newly ascending world under any circumstances, anyone else hearing it would be pure coincidence. And even that shouldn¡¯t matter not at all, since all those unworthy will forget all of life¡¯s traumatic particulars by first light where what will be¡­ will have always been.¡±


    Caliban gave Eric a long look, so many words clearly on the tip of his tongue, before he actually turned to face the bush and much to Eric¡¯s profound surprise, actually did just that.


    Less than a minute later, Eric found himself ghosting through the city streets far slower than he otherwise might. Yet as much as he had every intention of performing his rescue¡­ it would mean absolutely nothing if cold Cthulian tentacles of darkest ichor and screaming revelations wound themselves tightly about his mind.


    He suppressed a shiver as he steadily made his way along a cobblestone road, the once bright bronze cogs and gears that had spun about so lively on so many homes, giving the otherwise Renaissance-fair-like quarter of the city an almost steampunk air¡­ yet was actually a cheap method of generating elecromana current, nearly enough to light up the entire goblin quarter, were all still and quiet. As was Eric. Who, at that moment, was as much the gentle drizzle raining on the slick cobblestone steps as he was the abandoned shop awnings, door lintels, hitching posts and the spindly trees swaying before the endless midnight breeze as he was the wild-eyed youth still covered in crimson runes and fashionable blue jeans and absolutely nothing else as he placed one naked foot in front of the other.


    At that moment he felt both outside himself, controlling his own body like a marionette¡¯s manipulated strings as he did the youth he was, his exquisitely sensitive and very human-looking ears bombarded by sharp screams, desperate sobs, and the hideous slithering sound of octopedian tendrils shifting their will upon the ether.


    Yet the handful of frightened looking men who might have been low level adventurers, mercenaries, slavers or just terrified townsfolk to catch his eyes, all blanched at the sight of him before spinning about and running as fast as their two legs could take them. Those that caught sight of him at all. Over half seemed to look right past him, as if his mental trick was working on them as well. And Eric paid them no mind at all, his focus only upon his objective.


    The building just up ahead, from which a woman¡¯s desperate scream could be heard from, even now.


    It was all he could do to keep up the mental exercise Caliban had conveyed so urgently to the innocent shrub. Doing his best to keep his mind still of all conscious thought. Still, and somehow incorporating his environment, every broken building of bronze, brick, and wood, every torn up cobblestones street, every mangled remains of tree, bush or flower. Because his earlier assumption that Blue Quarter alone had been hit had been a lie. Chaos had exploded forth in ways none could have predicted, save predict that such would always be the case, all the more so when Alex and his mother had first torn through the city¡­ he quickly pushed such thoughts out of mind, sensing a vague discontented pressure that had been coalescing uncomfortably close to the building that of course was his ultimate destination.


    A psionic pressure wave that was now turning back to him¡­ before the tiny flicker of interest, much like the winter breeze, gusted by with no purchase to be found upon the windswept empty streets that the young half-naked man with no real thought or plan save the tiniest of kernels in the back of his mind to bloom only when the time was right¡­ offered nothing of interest at all as a wandering Mind Lord¡¯s focus returned once more to its prey, sibilant guttural words that sounded so like a dying man¡¯s last wheeze shivered in the air.


    ¡°Return what you stole, Glick. Those papers are nothing to you. Return and you will be forgiven. Return and you will be rewarded!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to it, Glick! It¡¯s trying to trick us!¡± Cried a female voice. And Eric would have been happy to throw in his own two cents, if he were anything more than the empty streets, or the wintry breeze, blowing into the lobby of a once posh hotel that had been all but destroyed in a single night, the chamber now filled with not just a few forgotten remnants but a full dozen tendril-waving octepedian horrors that clearly hadn¡¯t fallen when Alex had taken on the brotherly duo that had thought to rule Freetown like the darkest of kings. Because it was now clear as hades that the Bronze-tier Octepedian horror was itself responsible for so much of the chaos happening within Freetown, and was no doubt well aware of the Blue Phoenix in play, thanks to its gifts and connections, and had been using those two fallen idiots as fall-guys and fronts for doing what even a harshly cursing Caliban had made clear was the most outrageous of violations that would have cost the creature its monstrous head at any other place or time.


    Yet as things stood now¡­ it was more than likely to get a free pass. All it¡¯s crimes white-washed to utter and absolute nonexistence with the light of the coming dawn.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Unless of course Alex actually found a way to kill that abomination, which was looking less and less likely as the killing wrath he could no longer hide at the sight of a dozen infections abominations plodding toward the terrified looking party comprised of exhausted looking humans and a single goblin standing protectively over the men and women behind him so much like a front line tank or a hero, for all that he was armed with a blaster he was carefully using to blast open the skulls of the closest pair of abominations that.


    Eric frowned. For an odd moment, Alex had thought the goblin a short, grey-skinned elf.


    Yet no matter how noble his countenance, the goblin was just a heartbeat away from getting overwhelmed. And now a good half dozen of the horrors were turning his way.


    In the split second he had as he sensed his foes building up their vile psionic attack, he struck, the night flaring bright with plasma fire from the soul-bound Deathblaze Eric had summoned forth, still doing his best to calm the furious passions of his heart, to rely on cold dispassionate death alone as streams of eye-searing plasma tore through the skulls of one squid puppet after another.


    And even this was calculated, as the farmost trio of upright headless corpses stiffened and collapsed, the other nine both caught the spatter of exploding skulls and brains on their backsides... turned to glare and hiss Alex¡¯s way. Before stumbling Eric¡¯s way.


    Which suited him just fine, he told himself, even as his guts roiled with horrified disgust he refused to acknowledge as lurching bodies snarled and glared before their skulls blossomed and unfurled like massive flesh petals revealing whipping tendrils covered in thorns and eyes and now all nine of the fully blossomed abominations were lurching right for him, lashing out with their eyeball laden limbs to tear through his flesh and no doubt infect him just as he had been infected by the wild card contender that had come so close to killing him.


    Yet these hideous Cthulian puppets weren¡¯t being controlled by power hungry newly awakened teenage psychopaths¡­ but rather an ancient Bronze-tier puppet master Eric was dreadfully certain would take control of his elven flesh before he could even¡­


    DUCK!


    Danger sense suddenly screaming alarm, Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to juke to the side and roll away as the ground beneath him cracked with the fearsome weight of a massive tendril that had popped free of the monstrous ogre shambling toward him even now, both arms turned into writhing masses of tentacles covered in furious glaring eyeballs, suckers, and thorns dripping with potent brain-rotting venom, Eric was damned sure.


    Were it not for his absolutely monstrous Quickness and Speed Racer perk allowing him to bend inertia so well¡­ A jolt of cold dread so sharp that he wanted to vomit washed over Eric as the ogre¡¯s lips stretched wide in a smile so hideous¡­ it reminded him of his own.


    Which was all it took to snap free of stunned horror and fire his damn plasma rifle, the eyes all over the ogre having time only to widen in surprise before a massive hole penetrated its chest. Right where the heart would be.


    Find Weakness skill check: Critical success!


    It¡¯s time you struck at the heart of the matter!


    The ogre snarled, struggling to condemn or threaten, before its hundreds of eyes seemed to shrivel and wilt, Eric¡¯s desperate hunch proving right. As horrific as the Lythid Mind Lord was¡­ it could only infect living beings and was still dependent upon living metabolic processes to work its vile arts. Even if the ogre¡¯s head had evolved into flesh petals, the neuro-networks on those specimens disseminated throughout the entire creature, all he had to do was strike the heart, still the flow of dead, and the whole damned thing would still die.


    So when he spun around, heart most definitely not hammering in a panic that another puppet who managed to cloak its presence from his interface just as he had bluffed it out on the way over and it was now sneaking up to INFECT HIM!


    He was both horrified and relieved to see that the remaining squid-puppets had lurched back to the shrieking party he was here to save. And as guilty as he felt at his own relief, the half dozen massive holes he blasted through each of the lurching horror¡¯s spines, forcing them to drop and collapse without spattering his objectives with what might be infectious glop as he roared at the survivors to race to his side, he forgave himself the moment he saw that everyone was alive, gazing at him with either fear or awe, and that it looked like they might actually survive.


    He took a relieved breath. ¡°Good. You¡¯re all alive. Come on, let¡¯s get out of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hero, look out!¡± Cried a voice in such desperation.


    But Eric was already turning, weaving past a pair of elongated tendrils covered with nerve toxin, dodging toxic spittle from a face so twisted and distorted with pulsating growths that it hardly looked human at all.


    Another tentacled horror to slip past his interface, even his Tier II Danger Sense flaring with only an instant¡¯s warning.


    Transcendent Strike!


    You have obliterated your opponent in Higher Order flame!


    Infectious Thorns FAIL to penetrate Elegant Blue Jeans! (Artifact Tier fashion!)


    Transcendent flame disintegrated all spores!


    Skill Check made! You have minimized the potency of your kick! Your charges huddling behind you suffer no fatal backlash from transcendent flame!


    A snap kick sent one swarming opponent stumbling back as Eric darted to position himself in front of the panicked humans and the exhausted looking goblin glaring down at his own cleaved off forearm, a vibro blade held in his other trembling hand.


    Eric had only a split second to grudgingly respect the goblins courage and prudece as the tiny clawed limb burst into angry looking limbs bursting accusatory eyeballs, now glaring up at Eric.


    ¡°Abomination! How dare you use higher order concepts in a contested world! That alone will see you burn!¡±


    The humans behind him winced and sobbed as the Lythid¡¯s pronouncement of doom washed over them all, echoed by all the freshly arrived puppets seeming to pop up from everywhere on Alex¡¯s interface, all swarming this location.


    ¡°This city is mine, human monkeys! And soon you will be too!¡± Chortled the inhuman voice, it¡¯s gloating repeated by what were now dozens of throats. Yet the chortles soon became frustrated screams when the ground erupted with writhing fiery tendrils wrapping all the Mind Lord¡¯s pawns in thorny limbs that blazed with white-hot fire.


    Alex turned to the handful of exhausted-looking humans and the trembling, one-armed goblin.


    ¡°So, you must be Glick and company?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Sobbed a beautiful young woman with green eyes and light brown hair reflecting pretty highlights in the blaze that Alex¡¯s Hell Vines had started. ¡°Thank you for coming to our rescue, hero! Right now we¡¯re trying to make our way out of the city, and if you would be so gracious as to accompany us¡ª¡±


    Eric lifted up a finger. ¡°One second.¡±


    He then pulled free his blade, now blazing with higher order concepts of creation and destruction in the form of transcendent flame against the remnants of Glick¡¯s arm, an instant before it could launch for Eric¡¯s throat, obliterating it in the literal blink of an eye.


    He then flashed his friendliest smile at the shell-shocked survivors. ¡°Alright, My vines should take care of the Mind Lord¡¯s pawns swarming this location, but this hotel¡¯s a goner. So let¡¯s get going while the going¡¯s good!¡±


    This earned a rueful smile from the handsomest of the humans present, Eric surprised to see the goblin more than happy to let the weaker human talk in his stead. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that easy friend¡­¡±


    ¡°Eric.¡±


    ¡°Eric. My name¡¯s Timothy, this is my wife Bethany,¡± he said, pointing to the girl with the cute fiery brown highlights, ¡°And these are our adventuring companions.¡±


    ¡°Yo, names Steve. I¡¯m the obvious caster wearing the robes and carrying a fresh new wand, courtesy of the assholes who caged us,¡± said the obvious caster.


    Timothy chuckled, giving his other shell-shocked friends who hadn¡¯t spoken yet a bemused smile. ¡°Some of us are still processing, but we¡¯ll be right as rain, after a good night¡¯s sleep. We¡¯d be grateful for an escort, but now we need a safe way out of here. The sewers are one possibility, but¡­¡±


    Whatever words the man was going to say was cut off when Eric sighed, went to the far wall, and struck it as hard as he could.


    Power Strike!


    You have successfully obliterated your target!


    The party gazed on speechlessly at the massive hole Alex had torn through the wall with his fist and an explosion of flame, a pair of shambling horrors covered in eyeball-stalks pinned under burning chunks of rubble, a heartbeat before Eric¡¯s resummoned blaster obliterated both their chests in streaks of arc-bright plasma.


    ¡°Tim, look at that wall.¡±


    ¡°I know, Steve.¡±


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s strong, but that¡¯s half a foot of cement and rebar. And now there¡¯s a ten-foot-wide hole in its place. To smash it with that much force¡­ fuck. That¡¯s like the kinetic force of a cannon ball. At least.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°And that blaster¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the blaster.¡±


    Eric grinned, deciding he had absolutely no problem roaring out one of his favorite spells to cover the entire area. Even if this quarter of the city ended up erupting in fire, which he doubted, considering the other localized flames he had seen¡­ but regardless, far better that the goblin quarter burn than he or his charges end up struck and infected by lurching Squid puppets that his interface WAS NOT PICKING UP!


    ¡°Fuck Bronze-tier shitheads and their skill evolutions,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines, motherfuckers!¡± He roared, smiling with hot satisfaction when massive clusters of whipping vines alternating with what looked like blazing oaks, because now he could visualize and summon both variants with the same spell, and was more than happy with both, so long as his vines and trees now lining both sides of the street continued to grab the lurching, snarling monstrosities covered in squid tentacles and eyeballs, and fry them all to calamari.


    Sure as hell, Eric was content to let them burn, having zero desire to animate a squid brain¡¯s former toys.


    He turned to the wide-eyed adventurers and a panting Glick. ¡°Come on, guys. Just so happens that I¡¯m on a mission of mercy, and you guys are it.¡±


    Tim and Beth looked on the verge of relieved tears. Steve laughed. ¡°Fucking awesome! What spell was that? That right there is a game changer!¡±


    Eric smirked, while gently helping even the most exhausted out the massive hole and quickly leading them down a side road where he sensed no blinking reds at all.


    ¡°What spell would that be?¡± Eric asked politely.


    Steve turned around, somehow taking in both the massive hole in the thick concrete lobby wall that they had just walked through and the half dozen fiery trees and massive examples of viny shrubbery covered in thorns and flame that were setting both the hotel and half the block ablaze, while keeping all the lurching horrors racing towards them wrapped up in fiery branches and vines.


    ¡°Umm¡­ yeah. That.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°I¡¯m calling that my protection from Cthulian horrors spell. And no, I don¡¯t care if half the block burns so long as our enemies burn with them spell. Now, shall we get going?¡±


    Wordlessly, both humans and goblin nodded and together they focused on racing back to the arena as fast as their feet could take them, Eric making full use of his 433 Perception and Soul Linked blaster to take out over a dozen shambling targets that might have been Lythid horrors or drunken idiots, but either way they were dead and Eric and his companions were not.


    Despite the fear he refused to acknowledge, his lips were curled in fierce grin, never feeling so alive as at that moment, realizing that, at least for tonight, he couldn¡¯t count on his interface to head¡¯s up ambushing reds.


    He could only count on his blaster and monstrous stats, the perk he had deferred choosing itself as Advanced Arcane Weapons hit Rank 11 without any concerns of him running out of ammo.


    Congratulations! You have chosen the perk: Power Transference! Because why should an anyone who has utterly mastered the Blueprints of a Tier-2 Advanced Arcane Weapon ever have to worry about charging any of his arcane toys? A basic skill check means that you can use your own mana to charge both plasma blasters, wands, and any other arcane toy you gain experience with! - Cautious Gunner and Mad Bomber perks detected. Synergisms are now in play! Even with a failed skill check, your weapons won¡¯t explode in your face! Isn¡¯t that wonderful!?


    Steve, in particular, was giving him a look. ¡°How? Just¡­ how?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°How what? How is it that multiple male mages I meet seemed to be named Steve?¡±


    The man snorted. ¡°Ha ha. Very funny. And the odds of that are actually higher than you think. Like finding common birthdays in a barroom bet. An alternate reality might not have Steve mages, but might have three Harvey mages all drinking together. But never mind that. How the hell is it that you¡¯ve managed to combine Druid spells and Fire magic? And how did you get your hands on a blaster like that?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    Beth screamed and lurched back when a pair of tendril-covered goblins covered in blinking crimson eyes raced from a deserted ally they were just crossing¡­ before lurching in their tracks when Eric sighted and fired on pure instinct, and obliterating the center of their chests to massive craters wth flashes so bright that not even ash remained as the perforated corpses collapsed, bloodflow instantly stopping, no matter how many miniature brains were now controlling those dead puppet¡¯s limbs.


    ¡°Like that,¡± Steve said. ¡°Nice shooting, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    One of the heretofore silent party members was gazing at Eric in slack-jawed disbelief. ¡°Jeezus. What the bloody fucking hell is that?¡±


    Eric gazed down at the massive anti-material plasma rifle nestled in his hands. He turned to Glick and winked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell them?¡±


    Timothy gave their newest companion a look. ¡°Glick?¡±


    The one-armed former assassin and now Honorable Rogue sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a Tier-II Deathblaze anti-material plasma rifle. Completely illegal in any ascending world, and a favored tool of goblin assassins. I believe our savior declared it a Prize of War, so now it¡¯s his and not even the most rabid lawyer will be able to take it from him.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Damn right. And I have a couple of perks that reinforce that claim so no, no slimy asshole lawyer¡¯s ever touching my shit, ever again.¡±


    They continued at their present pace, despite the wheezing protests of a few, not daring to stop or even slow down. The air continued to flash with additional bursts of fire absolutely obliterating their targets, and nothing else, because Eric had stopped with the Hell Vines awhile back, right before they had crossed wide boulevard that could serve as a fire break if absolutely necessary.


    Eric¡¯s devil-may-care grin turned to an undisguised look of relief when he saw that the now well-guarded entrance to the arena was just ahead.


    ¡°We made it!¡±


    Beth blinked in sudden comprehension, eye crinkling in a grateful smile. ¡°You were fronting the whole time!¡±


    Steve frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She chuckled with unmistakable relief when they were waved right through by a smiling pair of guards. ¡°What I mean is that he was playing the cocky confident hero, but he was a lot more worried for our wellbeing than he wanted to let on.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I really am that much of a badass,¡± Eric assured with a wink. ¡°Now come on. Your host is waiting!¡±


    For just a moment, his new companions froze at the sight of so many thousands of people filling the arena, protected by an outer circle of would-be heroes and adventurers armed with patchwork armaments of rawhide or oversized steel hauberks for the largest and strongest of them, courtesy of the orcs, all of them wearing either blades and bucklers at their hips or with spears in hand. Eric was pleased to note that they were still following orders, clustered protectively around the artillery battery, one of their best assets, even if it was in the form of enthusiastic middle aged hobbyists happily sharing pointers with a second squad of far too young-looking cannoneers who all turned to give Eric chipper salutes.


    ¡°Oh goody, you found more survivors!¡± One of the girls happily cheered.


    ¡°That and a fuck-ton of Lythid tentacle horrors eager to infect you with their brain juices!¡± Steven quipped back, earning a shudder from the girl, her companions¡¯ enthusiasm at their arrival fading to looks of horror.


    ¡°Steve, seriously? They¡¯re children!¡±


    Steve snorted. ¡°Former orc gunners, Beth. And I¡¯m doing nothing but warning them about the shit that could be coming our way at any second.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Okay that was a bit assholish, but you actually have a good point.¡± He turned to address the cannoneers and soldiers. ¡°Look lively! If anyone approaches with extra tentacles or eyeballs or just refuses to stop when you say to halt, before having someone far higher level than you Inspect them... you don¡¯t bother asking questions, you just shoot!¡±


    One of the youths nearby saluted. ¡°Yes, Your Grace. I¡¯ll let the armored mercenaries know.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Since they¡¯re the ones with the plasma rifles, yeah. That¡¯s a good call. The rest of you stay far away from the entrance, and any fuckers that might come our way. Come to think of it¡­¡± With a simple flexing of his will, a pair of revenants came racing from the pack guarding the inner circle before slowing to a fast march as they moved past him and began lowering the gate altogether. ¡°Let¡¯s just assume the worst, and let no one else in. Not until this is all over.¡±


    Beth gave Eric a pointed look. ¡°Your Grace?¡±


    ¡°Strictly free agent,¡± he instinctively said as they made their way to the inner circle, whereupon Steve and half the party froze in their tracks.


    ¡°Boss, hold up. You don¡¯t want to go any further!¡± Steve said with an anxious hitch in his voice.


    Tim frowned as his wife blanched and paled. ¡°Look at all of those¡­ things!¡±


    ¡°Honey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Tim said, squinting as his wife¡¯s shaking hand pointed at the hundreds of bronze-clad soldiers. ¡°Classical-era formations might not be my first choice for a military contingent, but if they have access to mines, armories, or magic that lets them kit up¡­ wow, how many hundreds of adventurers are doing the long spear thing here in Freetown?¡±


    Bethany took a shuddering breath. ¡°Those aren¡¯t adventurers.¡±


    Tim¡¯s eyes filled with concern as they slowed down. ¡°Bethany¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re undead!¡± She choked down a sob. ¡°This entire colosseum is filled with the living dead!¡±


    Tim hissed, spinning around to lock gazes with Eric. ¡°Is it true? Your faction¡¯s allowing revenants to be exposed to normal people?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Extremely. Now, if you¡¯re finished ogling the finest sarissophoroi you¡¯ll find anywhere in this era, how about I introduce you to the man who authorized your rescue in the first place?¡±


    Tim and Beth looked momentarily speechless, but Steve was gazing at Eric in a new light.


    ¡°Wait¡­ it¡¯s you. You¡¯re him!¡±


    Eric raised a polite eyebrow as Caliban sighed and quickly made his way toward them.


    ¡°Him who?¡±


    ¡°Him!¡±


    Caliban gently kneeled before the wounded goblin, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him a surprisingly heartfelt smile. ¡°I see you had something of a class evolution, my friend.¡±


    The goblin gave a shy smile. ¡°Perhaps I did at that.¡±


    The elf solemnly nodded. ¡°It suits you.¡±


    Glick slipped his one remaining hand under the armored jacket he wore, then drew out a pair of documents radiating such potency that Eric himself was momentarily taken aback, especially as he himself recalled so well signing one of those documents, though he didn¡¯t recall them glowing with import and potency the way they did now. With a bow, Glick solemnly handed the pair to Caliban.


    ¡°Here you are, Lord Caliban. And with this, my assignment is complete.¡±


    Caliban smiled warmly. ¡°It is indeed.¡± His gaze grew pained. ¡°And now it is I who must apologize to¡ª¡±


    He blinked in surprise when Glick solemnly shook his head. ¡°Say nothing. I¡¯m not blind. I see the state of your financial empire.¡±


    Caliban looked momentarily choked up for words. ¡°Your grace won¡¯t be forgotten, Glick.¡± He then took in the man¡¯s companions. ¡°And you are all welcome at the Blue Palace, for so long as you desire, just as soon as the Freetown matter is squared away.


    Bethany gazed at the man for long moments before glancing at Eric¡¯s Sarissophoroi, then back to him. ¡°My understanding is that Blue Corp is a neutral elf faction. Yes?¡±


    Caliban solemnly nodded.


    ¡°And you¡¯re okay with the living dead?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s smile didn¡¯t quite reach is tired eyes. ¡°Am I okay with soldiers controlled by the man who saved myself, my family, and nearly every soul in here from the most excruciating death you can imagine? Yes, my dear. I believe I can safely say that I¡¯ve gotten over whatever issues I might have once have had, for few things are better at knocking free instinctive prejudices than when those prejudices are used to save your life.¡±


    Beth blinked, before lowering her gaze, cheeks flushing. ¡°You¡¯re right. I apologize if I offended with my question.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s hard smile eased into something softer. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. It¡¯s been a long night for us all. Come, let¡¯s get you and your party comfortable for the duration of your stay.¡±


    Steve frowned. ¡°Stay? Why are we staying here and not heading right to Blue Quarter?¡±


    Glick sighed. ¡°You saw what was swarming us the entire time we fought our way back here. Until those things are completely taken care of, the city is safe for no one.¡±


    ¡°But that means...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Steve. It means that our host and his champion have to retake the city first.¡±


    Bethany frowned at Eric¡¯s backside as he let Caliban lead him away. ¡°He¡¯s counting on a single adventurer younger than any of us to save the entire city?¡±


    ¡°Bethany, you don¡¯t know who he is!¡± Steve breathlessly said.


    ¡°Sure I do. He¡¯s the badass sniper who managed to get us back here in one piece. But still, he¡¯s just one boy.¡±


    ¡°Who also managed to get ahold of a tactical spell that didn¡¯t seem to drain him at all, casting it half a dozen times,¡± Timothy noted. ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive, right Steve?¡±


    ¡°Yes! And you heard his name. He said it without a care in the world!¡±


    ¡°Sure. He said his name was Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°Silver! And the massive army of revenants you¡¯re somehow no longer worried about because the elf¡¯s okay with it¡­ they¡¯re not just neutral sentinels. They don¡¯t belong to Blue Faction as a whole. They all serve him, personally!¡±


    Bethany blinked. Then she paled. ¡°Wait. All these revenants are his?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I just said!¡±


    She shook her head, giving her husband a strained smile. ¡°Love, do you still have that bottle of wine? I could really use a¡­¡± Her words cut off when a one-armed Glick somehow managed to pour drinks for all of them.


    She flashed a strained smile that somehow took in the hobbyists and teenagers enthusiastically poking at their cannons, the handful of power armored mercenaries moving toward the gates, the absolute flood of people quietly organizing themselves into both soup lines and, of all things, employment lines¡­ and the hundreds of undead spearmen watching over them all, supposedly controlled by a boy wearing tight-fitting blue jeans and pretty much nothing else.


    Finally, her eyes took in the goblin bank teller who had turned into their staunchest ally and friend.


    ¡°To friendships and unexpected fortune. Here¡¯s to hoping that we all make it through this endless night.¡±


    They all drank to that.

 Chapter 391 - Battle For Freetown: Part 13

    Eric quietly followed in Caliban¡¯s wake, spotting a small handful of desperate looking refugees who had decided that now, when he was away from his underlings and looking for privacy, was the perfect time to come over and complain to the obvious head honcho¡­ before flinching under the weight of Eric¡¯s cool, measuring gaze. Most of them turned back around with apologetic grimaces or looks of actual fear in their eyes.


    Only one haughty-looking woman who could have been anywhere from late thirties to early forties stepped forward, her pinched lips leaving frown-lines that years of fading bowtox treatments could no longer handle, radiating outraged discontent. She had the air of someone used to being in charge. Her flat gaze flicked around the arena as if recording a dozen issues and slights, disapproval written clear upon her features for the state of affairs in the entire arena.


    Eric calmly turned to face her, making sure that his friend had the time and privacy he needed to peruse both their banking charter and that of the goblins. Yet for all that Eric had thought and hoped that his friend would be ecstatic with their coup¡­ he could sense the man¡¯s dismay with painful clarity.


    Eric clenched his jaw. Because there was a problem. Of course there was.


    He sighed. Why couldn¡¯t things ever be easy?


    ¡°Move aside, boy. I would speak to your supervisor at once!¡±


    Eric frowned, just a tiny bit surprised that the woman hadn¡¯t gotten the message. Maybe it was the threadbare designer suit she wore, or the understated jewelry that Eric could tell was worth a literal fortune that Eric thought her a fool to wear so casually, speaking to a life of wealth and privilege that had been enjoyed in her past, and clearly in the post apocalypse as well. Which made her allegiance and alliances painfully clear to Eric.


    His gaze flattened as he slowly shook his head.


    Shockingly, the woman still didn¡¯t take the hint. Instead, she glared as if she had every right to be there. Or as if she held the power of unemployment and destitution over him, for all that her smeared makeup and tawdry curls blowing in the breeze made her no better than any other survivor or refugee seeking shelter here and now in the ruins of Freetown.


    She crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°I will have words with your supervisor. The fool who actually thinks he knows what he¡¯s doing, attempting to organize a city¡¯s worth of citizens in this dilapitated excuse for a convention center? Pathetic.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡±


    She actually had the gall to glare in his face. ¡°I happen to be very close friends with Lord Chelton and the entire North East Council! I also have worked personally with the Snivelpuce Consortium and and have helped facilitate any number of mutually amicable accords. You will find, foolish boy, that if you but scratch the surface, you will find my signature on every accord that has led to this city¡¯s growth and advancement even as the rest of the world falls into absolute chaos! Freetown might have fallen due to tragic misunderstandings, but make no mistake, we will rise again, greater than ever! And for that we need competent people. Capable leaders and administrators! Your associate needs someone of my caliber at his back and for the good of the city, I will speak to him!¡± She positively puffed up like a peacock before his disbelieving gaze. ¡°And if you think the council will let any slights to its favored members go unpunished than you truly are a¡ª¡±


    Perception Check made!


    That¡¯s when he spotted it, what she was trying to hide underneath the cuff of her power suit.


    Her words cut off with a startled cry, when his hand moved in a flash.


    Her cashmere sleeve shredded as a burst of parchment was torn free.


    She stumbled back. Holding her naked arm, free of both sleeve, the papers it held and revealing so many ugly secrets in the form of scars up and down her withered arm as on her uncoordinated classless rump, gazing up at Eric in utter dismay.


    ¡°So, what, you were going to throw these papers in Caliban¡¯s face and seek to cripple his effectiveness with one final bit of petty lawfare, because you¡¯re just a whore for the goblin consortium?¡±


    Her eyes widened in desperate outrage. ¡°You will return my property to me, and you will do so at once! No, even better, you¡¯re his lackey! Ha! By the powers invested in me, I legally bind you to¡ª¡±


    Her words cut off when the documents burst in transcendent flame.


    Necromancer Skill check: Critical success! You now understand the nature of Goblinoid Lawfare far better than you ever wanted to!


    His jaw clenched when he so clearly heard the wails of lost souls that had somehow been trapped in that document, making the iron-clad binding nature that could seemingly bind almost anyone of any class, despite it being a mere Profession, horrifically obvious.


    They were using the power of trapped souls. No doubt harvested from other victims of their vile contracts.


    Her arrogant tirade regressed to a terrified whimper as Eric slowly lowered himself to look her right in her tragic excuse of a face.


    ¡°The thing is, I¡¯ll bet you have absolutely no idea of just how vile a summons you were holding. You¡¯re just a pathetic little lackey, desperate to be anything other than the worthless hack that you are. So here¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be. You can either shut your fucking trap and wait patiently along with everyone else while we try to save this city once you give your oath to me that you will never act against the best interest of Blue Corp or the Sylvan Alliance, and you will never again use your Profession to entrap or bind any elf or human against their will or best interest¡­ or without my or Lord Caliban¡¯s say-so, ever again. You can do that or you can leave.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a death sentence out there! Zombies, slavers, and worse!¡± She screeched in his face.


    Eric nodded. ¡°That about sums it up,¡± he said, bleak smile not touching his cold blue eyes. ¡°So, Karen, are you in or out?¡±


    ¡°I demand transportation to New York!¡±


    ¡°How about you go fuck yourself instead?¡±


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    The air cracked from the simple shockwave generated from Eric smacking his inert fist against his palm, free of any powers or enhancements, and that alone was enough to end the conversation.


    She trembled before his furious glare. ¡°Give the oath, or get the fuck out and good luck surviving the next hour on your own.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± She swore. ¡°I swear never to act against the best interest of Blue Corp or the Sylvan Alliance!¡± She stumbled back when Eric¡¯s gaze flattened. ¡°And I¡¯ll never contractually bind anyone without your or Lord Caliban¡¯s say so. Are you satisfied?¡±


    Eric could sense her racing heart. His Nose For A Bad Deal and What The Other Party Wants perks making it clear that she thought he was a fool and that she had already had gotten the best of him.


    Yet he forced his features to ease into a gentle, oddly forgiving smile as his fingertips gently brushed her brow.


    ¡°Yes, Karen, I am.¡±


    Her eyes bolted wide, the air filling with a desperate shriek as a crimson sigil seared into her flesh, leaving a red welt Eric knew from experience would fade from even the fragilest Professional with a single good night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°You marked me¡­ you marked my soul!¡±


    Eric solemnly shook his did. ¡°No. That¡¯s what YOU did. Your oath to me is inviolate. Should you break it, your soul is mine to use as I see fit upon death. To torment, give salvation, or free to whatever lies beyond the realms of purgatory and life. There is no save. If, however, you keep your oath and never cross me during either of our lives, then I shall let you slip free of my domain. On that you have my oath in turn, Karen.¡±


    ¡°You. It¡¯s YOU! You¡¯re the one Bloodtear Syndicate put the huge bounty on¡­ and my name isn¡¯t Karen!¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°It is now.¡±


    Her eye widened in horror. ¡°Heaven¡¯s mercy, it IS! You made me a Karen, you little shit! I don¡¯t even have a last name! And now¡­ oh no. Oh no! I don¡¯t even remember what my either of my names used to be!¡±


    Eric gave he a pitying smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. By the time this night is through, that¡¯s what your name will have always been. That¡¯s what every document you had ever signed will show. Your estranged daughter and ex husband will be calling you that as well. Bye bye, Karen. You can go now.¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Caliban sighed as the panicked woman fled for all she was worth before tripping over a broken heel, then stumbled back to her feet, leaking blood from her ears and tears down her cheeks as she limped away with a panicked whimper.


    ¡°Feel better?¡±


    Eric cracked his neck and grinned. ¡°Actually, yes. I do. Were it anyone less pathetic, I would have obliterated her the moment she tried Lawfare with a soul-trapped document. So, how about you tell me just how bad things really are?¡±


    His friend¡¯s thousand yard stare immediately made Eric¡¯s gut clench with an awful sense of anxious dread.


    ¡°Shit, Caliban. You¡¯re worse than a calculus test when I was taking trig! Just spill it out already.¡±


    His friend¡¯s pained gaze met his own. ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, that was a lie. I never took a day of calculus or trigonometry in my life. Who gives a fuck? Just spill the beans already! How deeply and utterly are we screwed? Because your look says we are unbelievably fucked, even now that we have not just one but BOTH bank charters. So why the hell aren¡¯t we winning the entire game?¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°Yes, what?¡±


    Caliban just sighed and shook his head, before handing Eric their bank charter. ¡°Read it. Say nothing aloud.¡±


    Eric frowned, eyes quickly skimming the parts that Caliban noted with a trembling finger. And for a supernaturally gifted Bronze-tier elf to be trembling at all was a bad, bad sign.


    Eric froze. Eyes widening in horror at what he read. ¡°No. There¡¯s no way this can be legal. Even if they had squirreled away the contract, we got it before they could change fate completely with the Silver Phoenix in play. There¡¯s no way!¡±


    Caliban sighed. ¡°Regrettably, since I was incarcerated at the time, I was unable to close certain channels that needed to be sealed to prevent access from a certain third party¡­¡±


    ¡°Third party my ass!¡± Eric roared. ¡°That fucking Arlen Ort drained us dry and took out another billion loan from the fucking goblins! And that¡¯s on top of the debt that fucker piled on us. We¡¯re almost two billion in the hole! FUCKING HELL! I WILL KILL THAT LITTLE FUCKING WORM!¡±


    ¡°Eric, get control of yourself! If you dare to manifest here¡­¡± Caliban¡¯s exhausted gaze met his own. ¡°You¡¯ll kill everyone you were so eager to save.¡±


    Eric froze, cheeks flushing with as much shame as fury, wondering just how close he had come to¡­ no. Best not to even think of it. His mouth tasted like soot and ashes, and how dearly he¡¯d love to take to the skies and tear through space and time to DEVOUR THE FUCKING HEART OF THE¡ª but no. That would be the end. The end of everything he had fought so damned hard to save.


    He took a shuddering breath, centering himself, pretending he wasn¡¯t seeing naked fear in his friend¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Alright, Caliban. What can we do to fix this?¡±


    Caliban flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Very little, I¡¯m afraid. The stashes I had as a contingency measure against even the most devastating fiscal setbacks were pilfered with calculated efficiency upon each and every safehouse we I had established on the very hour our faction was near obliterated with such fanatic savagery.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with horror and fury as it all suddenly clicked. Knowing who must be at fault. ¡°All of it. Knowing just when and where to strike, sussing out all our hiding spots, and come on¡­ poisoning your entire guard of elites? Using seductresses and their handlers that infiltrated us from the CFA of all places? It¡¯s that fucking squid brain Lythid bastard! It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense!¡±


    Eric¡¯s discordant laughter rang through the entire arena. ¡°I¡¯ll bet Malice paid a fucking fortune in bribes and penalty fees to sneak in an actual Bronze-tier Mind Lord here, making a complete mockery of whatever codicile, accord, or pretext of fairness the galactic consortiums supposedly grant newly ascending worlds. And sure as fuck, it paid off! In every conceivable way, it paid off for these assholes! And since you¡¯re an elf and my mind¡¯s just as fragile as your own¡­¡±


    Caliban flashed a bleak smile. ¡°What you and your mother did to the goblins prized fleets of destroyers and dreadnoughts that actually made them a power to be feared through the entire sector... That was our bittersweet vengeance, Eric. Because yes. Greed and his ancestor played us beautifully and utterly. They have won our banking consortium and this city and there is nothing we can do about it, save risk our brains being melted to oblivion before the one enemy we are utterly unequipped to counter.¡±


    The words washed over Eric as he trembled with a bitter hot rage so potent that it was all he could do to give his partner both banking charters before they erupted into flame.


    At that moment Caliban¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. He then gave a short, sharp chuckle, shaking his head bitterly.


    Eric knew better than to ask what the latest development was, somehow already knowing.


    ¡°Eric...¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Malice had just made contact, and was offering to buy our debt, and all rights to our charter. He will do so for a single credit. No more.¡±


    Eyes wild with fire and hate jerked up to meet Caliban¡¯s own. ¡°I¡¯m going to clear our debt, Caliban.¡±


    His friend sighed, his features filling with genuine concern. ¡°Eric, there¡¯s only one way to do that.¡±


    Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°I know. Which is why you and I are going to head to Grim¡¯s place. I have an idea. A single idea that might just work. And also¡­ we need a slight modification of our charter. One we sign in our mixed blood. Because somehow, I¡¯m pretty damn certain that Terran blood magics initiated by a Contender who already ascended will trump whatever retroactive fuckery might void our contract¡­ or, for all we know, make it so it will have always been that way, but I¡¯m not taking any chances.¡±


    His friend frowned. ¡°Eric, there¡¯s no way I would¡­¡±


    ¡°Come first light, Caliban¡­ all memory of my saving your life, you family, this city, or jumping through a monitor to wage galactic fucking war against an entire fleet of starships will vanish from your mind like a waking dream.¡± Eric gave his friend a sad smile. ¡°And somehow I don¡¯t think the you of tomorrow who sees us as business partners first and foremost, not the battle brothers we now are in all but name, is going to agree with what you¡¯re damn well going to accept right now.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s almost fatherly gaze stiffened, now gazing at Eric as the professional that he truly was.


    ¡°And what terms would those be, Eric?¡±


    Eric flashed a bleak smile, arms spreading wide to include all of Freetown. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you this city, Caliban. More grand and wondrous than you can believe, even if it¡¯s a smoking wreck right now. And I¡¯m going to break open the goblins fucking bank, fry my some fucking calamari, and keep our bank fully liquidated and ready to spread our investments to revolutionize the entire world. Or that¡¯s the plan, anyway.¡±


    His friend gave him a strange look. ¡°Eric, if you could somehow claim this territory, any territory in a single night¡­ our faction would have hope. If you could take over Freetown, and actually secure the goblin¡¯s safehouse, filled with the gold Arlen himself pilfered¡­¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Damn right. But there¡¯s a catch.¡±


    His friend looked him in the eye. ¡°Name it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re partners, buddy.¡±


    His friend frowned. ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°The bank. We own it fifty fifty. What I¡¯m saying is that from now on, ALL investing that Blue Corp does here on Earth, all investments, loans, capital accrual, all of it, will be done through our bank.¡±


    ¡°Eric we were already planning on reinvesting a significant portion of¡­¡±


    Eric slowly shook his head. ¡°No, Caliban. You¡¯re warm intentions as of this moment are appreciated, but you and I both know that the calculated profit-oriented version of yourself was planning on having the bank serve the fiscal needs of the people, which yes, will net us billions upon billions over the long run. But actual property development¡­ come on, Caliban. Tell me you weren¡¯t going to use Blue Corp profits to fund ever more projects without using the bank at all. And it wouldn¡¯t even necessarily be out of malice, it would simply be the prudent move to make to maximize profit. Only now, my friend, we are maximizing our profits together. And we¡¯ll sign an addendum right now that makes sure no further Arlen Orts will be tolerated, all withdraws having to be authorized and approved by either you or me or our direct heirs should either of us perish in the interim.¡±


    Caliban nodded. ¡°All that sounds reasonable, Eric. And was pretty much in line with¡ª¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ll both be pouring all our Blue Corp profits right back into the bank.¡±


    Eric chuckled softly when the other man blanched. ¡°Exactly. We¡¯re funding it together, encouraging its growth together, and profiting together. We won¡¯t just be plopping a sign saying ¡®please farm here,¡¯ content with a 20% scuttlebut fee on a few excess herbs sold at market as brave free spirits slowly try to put their lives together, one tiny farming commune at a time.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes lit with a certain fervor, excited for the promise of what the future might hold.


    ¡°Instead, we¡¯ll be using all that free capital to fund all the infrastructure needed to support a first-world economy. We¡¯ll own or underwrite all or most of the businesses within the territories we own and we¡¯ll pay our future employees absolutely fantastic wages, enough so that one parent can actually stay at home and take care of children that very much need a mother or father there for them after surviving a post apocalyptic hell, and we will be making billions, hell, trillions of credits when we paint the entire North American continent in glorious shades of sapphire blue!¡±


    Caliban gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°If you would have us both pour all our Blue Corp profits here on Terra from all sources into the bank¡­ Eric, you¡¯re basically making us equal shareholders in this venture.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Except for my 20% cut of the Ashland delves. That shit¡¯s mine forever. And I, of course, being a completely Free Agent, am claiming dominion and rights of rulership over absolutely nothing. I¡¯m merely offering a business opportunity that you may accept or reject as you so choose.¡±


    His friend chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°And if I refuse, the bank is lost and Blue Corp can never return to Earth.¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°And if I actually manage to take on a Bronze-tier Cthulian horror that could rupture my brain like a bloodfruit and live to tell the tale? We both might be trillionaires before our first decade here is through.¡±


    Caliban gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°Forget anything so simple as conquest. Do you have any idea the economic infrastructure we would need in place to assure that kind of income stream?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°For a high school dropout, Mother Dearest taught me a lot. I might not know calculus for shit, but I actually have a great head for accounting.¡±


    ¡°Because this was the role she had planned for you all along.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Probably. So, are we doing this or what?¡±


    Caliban chuckled softly. ¡°Very well, Eric. Let¡¯s go have a conversation with your friend Grim.¡±

 Chapter 392 - Battle for Freetown: Part 14

    (A/N - A long chapter today! nearly 8,000 words. Maybe it''s to make up for mind-lord compelled name-flipping in the previous chapter. Maybe it''s because there''s an EVIL cliffhanger! Either way, I do hope you enjoy! And if you don''t like cliff-hangers, hold off till Monday. The resolution will hopefully be epic! - MH)


    ¡°More chocolate, Your Grace?¡± Asked the anxious looking and painfully earnest youth who couldn¡¯t have been older than fourteen and had already been thrown in a pod even at that tender age. Eric pinged him as a Level 5 Conscript with the Traumatized debuff and he couldn¡¯t help but wince in compassion for the boy who didn¡¯t look nearly as savage and bloodthirsty as was ideal to survive in this brave new world. It was clear that someone had taken pity on the kid and had given him a job, here in the heart of Grim¡¯s sanctum sanctorum.


    Eric was presently taking his ease in a leather wingback chair that smelled like old money in a comfortable study lined with teak bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes that had been made by true, quality book-binders. Nothing like the typical cheap-ass crap from the typical publishing houses whose books would sour and yellow in just a handful of years. These works looked like they¡¯d stand the test of time, whether the material was literature, history, or dealt with the arcane.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eric said, taking a polite sip of cacao that was as rich and dark as any tablea drink, with plenty of honey and a shot of espresso to boot.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with pleasure. ¡°My compliments to the brewmaster!¡±


    The boy bowed, next presenting a silver platter filled with chocolate cookies which Eric happily took all of before the lad made his exit with a final bow to his master, Lord Grim, who Eric and Caliban were ostensibly meeting to go over the terms of their altered bank charter, though in reality it was about far more than that.


    The ancient Moorish gentleman turned his gentle brown eyes (cavernous skull!) Caliban¡¯s way. ¡°Does this meet with your approval, Your Grace?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s features remained stoic, flushing only the tiniest bit, yet so many secrets had been revealed in the bank vault that had been the source of so much agony, and the most transcendent of retributions. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like they wouldn¡¯t all forget come morning. Save for Eric, of course.


    ¡°Yes, Lord Grim.¡± The elf bowed his head in genuine respect. ¡°Your eloquent use of law and precedent was flawless. And by the System¡¯s own precedents, taking in precedents I myself hadn¡¯t fully considered the ramifications of¡­ the goblinoid charter now truly is subservient to our own.¡±


    Grim gave a satisfied chuckle, somehow taking a sip of his own rich black brew. ¡°I was a barrister years ago. So far back that there¡¯s no point in boring either of you with such dull history. There once was a time when sovereign law most definitely applied to princes, of which you are both, and you, Prince Caliban, have claimed both your Name and Title along the Path of Rulers on multiple worlds. Ergo, you yourself are a state, and subject to the boons and benefits of Imperial Law. So long as you can claim the necessary capital within three days of being served any legal documents, you and your fellow prince will have supreme claimance over your chartered bank that transcends even that of your nominal faction. In effect, your chartered bank is subject only to the Galactic Emperor who reigns over our little corner of the galaxy. An entity whom I suspect cares less than nothing for insignificant scuffles on backwater planets of which he has access to literal thousands, if not millions, I am quite sure.¡±


    Caliban bowed his head in genuine respect. ¡°Your insights, Lord Grim, are nothing short of commendable. Sensing such resonance without any class at all¡­¡±


    Grim chuckled softly. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t have a class? Not that such matters here and now, gentlemen. The important thing is that the documents have been signed and sealed and ensorceled in the blood of a Master Necromancer well-steeped in the powers of essence and blood. So long as our Eric recalls this night¡­ this contract will remain intact. For the fires of the Phoenix shall light up even the darkest nights. Is that not right¡­ disciple?¡±


    Eric, nodded. ¡°Quite.¡± He then turned to the seat he had been using before his break. ¡°I guess it¡¯s that time again.¡±


    Grim said nothing as Eric returned to his own exercise the moment he had finished gulping his delicious espresso-spiked chocolate and devouring his cookies. Within minutes, he was glassy-eyed once more, staring at sights only he could see. Yet Lord Grim took no offense. If anything,he looked pleased, though Caliban frowned, clearly troubled.


    ¡°Lord Grim¡­¡±


    The tall Moor, dressed as any proper 19<sup>th</sup> century English gentleman, merely adjusted his cravat and gave the tiniest shake of his head. ¡°Patience, Your Grace. You need not fear on your relative¡¯s account. He but taps into ancient arts he was all but made for.¡± His lips eased into a genuine smile. ¡°Arts he truly was bred for, dare I say it. And how proud I am to see my ancestor¡¯s ancient blood roiling to fiery life in Eric¡¯s veins. Blood so potent that he embraces ancient paths of necromancy, soul-striding not one but multiple revenants that now walk the hallways of our manor.¡±


    Caliban gazed at the ancient lich in open-mouthed disbelief. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re saying that Aurelia¡¯s children were sired by your ancestor? Forgive me, Lord Grim¡­ just how old are you?¡±


    The man just smiled, refusing to answer. ¡°The ancient roman empire was comprised of many an aspiring general and necromancer. Their legions far more powerful than most could fathom, for reasons that brought so many opposing nations to their knees.¡± Grim chuckled softly. ¡°They were called the Eternal Legions for good reason, and it wasn¡¯t simply due to recruitment and incorporation of native populations. It was only when religious doctrine demanded the cessation of various practices that the Roman Empire finally began to wane.¡±


    They then heard a far off crash, and a distant curse, Alice¡¯s angry scolding cutting through the quiet.


    ¡°Damn it, Eric, watch where you pilot that fucking thing! Morlekai! Your crows are supposed to be keeping his pets from smashing into things!¡±


    Lord Grim steepled his bony fingers, staring at Eric¡¯s painfully still form, though the twitch in Eric¡¯s cheek made it clear that his concentration was cracking.


    ¡°It appears that my newest disciple needs to improve his focus if he would soul-ride multiple revenants at once.¡±


    Yet Caliban was gazing at Eric¡¯s glassy-eyed countenance with awed dismay. ¡°Wait¡­ he doesn¡¯t know. Everything your telling me, his ancestral origins, his relation to you¡­ he doesn¡¯t even know!¡±


    ¡°Of course not. When did we ever have the chance to speak of such things? I thought his mother would make that decision before she ascended in a heavenly blaze of glory that could have blown out our world as easily as you blowing out a candle. Regrettably, time is still a precious resource now being stretched to a reality-defying minimum, for this night could end at any moment upon the screams of an innocent child. A night where a city needs to be secured and a fortune reclaimed or the fortunes of all of us within this sanctum sanctorum shall be in peril.¡±


    Grim chuckled softly. ¡°There is no time to ease my newest disciple into truths both glorious and tragic, and no time to train him in disciplines that sent my youngest granddaughter screaming and her brother crumpling in a stunned heap. For gifted as both my descendants are, their ancestral inheritance is but a single drop of that ancient, powerful communion from which all vampires, succubi, and sirens doth descend. Yet the blood of the ancient sire and damn that birthed so many fey races upon our world shared one last communion that came to fruition exactly nineteen winters ago. It was only when the Winter Queen took to Terra¡¯s stage once more that so many dormant descendants awoke to their ancient powers in full, Morlekai and Alice two treasured examples of this house. Their blood sung with power awoken when their ancient dam celebrated darkest union with the father of so many grand disciplines once more. Quickening Mother Earth with the brilliant spark of fey-infused blood magic that has become the source of so many System Acknowledged Heritage arts.¡±


    Caliban gazed at the ancient lich in utter disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Aurelia¡¯s been planting the seeds of her ascension here for literal millennia. And what... Eric and his sister were the key?¡± He groaned and rubbed his weary eyes. ¡°Of course they were. After what we saw in the heart of that awful vault¡­ of course they were. Ascending to Gold in a single endless awful night.¡±


    ¡°Eric was. Elonia was but a ploy. One Eric refused to consume, and perhaps that too had been Aurelia¡¯s plan all along. A willing sacrifice of the grandest sort, one made by her own flesh and blood. A sacrifice that only heightened Aurelia¡¯s ascension all the more. A sacrifice that no Silver-tier monster would dream of making, should they taste the wondrous possibilities of Gold after millennia of desperate struggle. Yet an innocent teenager who somehow soared past all of Bronze and Silver, blazing right into Gold in a single night? A boy who has absolutely no comprehension of what he truly surrendered? He alone might make that sacrifice for another. A sacrifice that absolutely no one else in this corner of the galaxy that was hungry enough to strive so far would ever willingly repeat.¡±


    The ancient lich chuckled softly. ¡°And we should be eternally grateful for his innocence. His forbearance. His supreme sacrifice. For he is the only reason why the air we breath isn¡¯t superheated carbonates. For if you could not taste the doom that imperiled us all when two phoenix spread their wings over the skies overhead... Until two became one. And that terrible ordeal will be remembered only as a brilliant flash of northern lights encompassing the entire world.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Caliban whispered, voice harsh and raw. ¡°The fear and terror we all felt, when the portal we had entrusted our lives to, racing for salvation, abruptly snapped shut. And the air tasted of endless possibilities, glory, and fire. A fire that could have consumed us all.¡±


    He shuddered once, gazing at Eric¡¯s twitching form. ¡°We owe him absolutely everything¡­ and I won¡¯t remember a word of this conversation when next I wake up. Does he understand what we¡¯re saying now? Will he recall anything when this night ends?¡±


    Grim shrugged. ¡°Uncertain.¡± His smile grew. ¡°Yet certainly his subconscious does and will. Which is the only gift I dare to give him, this cloaked night allowing me to stretch so many oaths in ways only allowed because I but surrender knowledge that should have already been his to claim. Besides. A tormented psyche is a wonderful way for any budding necromancer to develop focus, discipline, and absolute dedication to their craft. Sadly, the birch sticks my old master used to whip me with are a relic of the ancient past, and will do absolutely nothing to this boy¡¯s bulletproof hide. Thus the truth itself is but a tool that I, his sworn master, must employ to test and temper his focus.¡± He gave a satisfied smile. ¡°Which is well within my rights by the bonds of our contract to deliver.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Caliban solemnly dipped his head. ¡°I suspect I¡¯m not the only party who underestimated just how aware you are of the politics that have shaped this world¡¯s ascension.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Were it otherwise, me and mine would already cease to be.¡± Grim¡¯s benign smile hardened. ¡°Which is why not a word will be uttered of these things, after this endless night. So that no seer, sage, or spy will harken ancient secrets that would imperil so many of us. Secrets they foolishly thought no ancient pile of bones would glean from the cry of restless souls and the whispers in the wind.¡±


    Eric¡¯s left eye began to twitch. Something else crashed further in the manor.


    ¡°Morlekai!¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Alice! He¡¯s Soul-riding a Level 55 Revenant! What the hell am I going to do, tackle him?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes twinkled as he took another sip of his brew. ¡°You truly are a wicked wonder, Lord Grim.¡±


    This earned a surprisingly melodious chuckle. ¡°I believe I shall take that as a compliment!¡± His bemused smile turned to hard-eyed focus once more. ¡°Ah. I believe my disciple is finally getting the hang of soul-riding all three revenants. Now let¡¯s up the anty a bit more, shall we?¡±


    To his credit, Eric¡¯s glassy-eyed stare didn¡¯t waver, and if he was shivering just a tiny bit, that could have been from the massive block of ice Lord Grim had insisted he sit on. Besides, it had been a long night.


    With no signs of ending any time soon.


    *** **


    Congratulations! You have learned the Soul Riding Skill!


    Soul Riding Skill level modified by ? of Spirit Mastery Level!


    Crimson Symbiote Synergism now in effect!


    Soul Riding further modified by ? of Blood Mastery level.


    Temporary Health drain in effect! You are suffering a temporary 1900 drain to your health pool!


    Eric allowed the oddly diffuse messages to wash over and through him. All 100 shards of himself plodding through the ruins of Freetown. Just an extension of the buildings he slowly trudged past. The wintry breeze blowing through the wide boulevards and cramped alleyways of the spirit he almost was, little more than an extension of the city itself, that he was drifting through.


    ¡°Easy meat, Rich.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, no. That thing¡¯s a walker. Run!¡±


    He paid no attention to the pair of pinch-faced desperate men with no class at all¡­ strengthened only by their bitterness, desperation, and fear. Just one pair of dozens of voices that sharpened in sudden panic before fading back into the buildings from which the came.


    Buildings that were little more than an extension of himself.


    Himself and a hundred others, whose minds, at that moment, were one with his own.


    ¡°Who the hell¡¯s that kid? He looks stoned out of his mind. How¡¯d he even survive this long out here?¡±


    ¡°Who cares, man. Just collar him and let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡±


    Yet he wasn¡¯t burdened with a hundred disparate conversations, bindings between the living and the dead becoming a cacophonous imprisoning nightmare.


    No.


    Far from it.


    There was only the cavernous silence echoing with focused intention as strong as the border between life and death itself.


    A gestalt awareness that was just an extension of the city itself.


    ¡°You okay, kid? Out here in this cold dark city all alone? Shit, you don¡¯t even have a shirt to your name. You need someone to take care of you?¡±


    And when the amorphous whole sensed a threat to the tiniest extension of itself, it was nothing to resolve the issue with the gentlest of gestures.


    The nighttime breeze was now blowing past a groaning man slumped over the cratered brick wall he had slammed into, blood trickling from the back of his head. The heat and coppery tang were tiny notes in the glorious symphony that was the nighttime city alive in all its tragic glory.


    ¡°Fuck, man, that stoned asshole just took out Miguel!¡±


    ¡°Put down the shocker, Jim. Just help me pick up Miguel and let¡¯s go. That boy¡¯s giving off serious ¡®don¡¯t fuck with me¡¯ vibes.¡±


    ¡°Only thing he¡¯ll be giving off is a whimper once I taser his ass and put a collar around his fucking neck!¡±


    Though it was true that the hot-blooded youth he once had been would have been lit with fire¡¯s fury upon catching sight of any slavers¡­ a spike of pride and ego that would have been so easy for the monstrous Squid-brain psyche tearing through so many minds that night to focus on and obliterate, such was not the case now.


    Just a few casual movements and the snarls and threats and name-calling of a trio of CFA Slavers separated from their platoon ended as skulls smacked the pavement with such force that they became one with the city in the most visceral sense. Acts carried out as dispassionately as if gravity alone had tripped them, the folly of physics, as opposed to social acumen, spelling their doom.


    Certainly, there was no hot passion for anyone or anything to latch on to. No blazing locus of ego and pride that all Contenders and so many Classers ultimately were and needed to be¡­ driven to brave peril and hardship to ascend for the sake of their own glory. Such a blazing locus of passions would be effortless for any corrupted Bronze tier Mind Lord that had made Freetown its home to latch onto and destroy, the minute anyone dared to approach its nest.


    Yet there was no Contender to be found anywhere near the financial district. All that blew through the city streets now were the cool northern winds and the memories of a hundred different streets and allies all coalescing into one. Slowly and steadily, and without a single trace of ego, a hundred pairs of eyes looked upwards at their target.


    A massive imposing edifice of blood-tinged granite hiding a belly of blackened soul steel filled with priceless treasures. It was a monstrous edifice that soared high above every other building within the city. A pyramid to the glories of predatory capitalism, debtor¡¯s prisons, and the financial devastation of all who gazed upon it. So great and potent were the vile, twisted magics of blood, bone, and soul steel that a tiny shiver of dismay coursing through a hundred dispassionate pairs of eyes thought it a glorious masterwork of hypocrisy that a certain faction would dare to claim it was opposed to necromancy when it practiced one of the most diabolical sorts imaginable.


    It was a temple to greed and corruption that existed only to turn metaphoric chains of debt into actual chains of soul steel. Profiting off the destruction of entire families, clans, and races¡­ before claiming all their souls for the ultimate sacrifice in blackened steel and profit.


    The heart of Freetown¡¯s Financial district.


    A near indestructible vault of vice and torment howling in ethereal winds that a hundred risen souls couldn¡¯t help but hear echoing through them all. Bars being used to lock away an absolute fortune in gold in the depths of that vile pyramid that no force on Earth would have a hope of breaking through.


    Not unless they could tear through imperial class dreadnought starships¡­ or they had a Terran necromancer¡¯s gifts.


    And for that reason alone, Earth¡¯s heritage arts and the Terrans who dared to master them were to be purged at all costs. An edict of Malice and Greed that radiated through the entire temple and each of its granite blocks, fused and cemented together with the blood and bones of countless debtors who had come before. It was a twisted horror of capitalism gone wrong and warped necromantic arts that jolted the memory of Eric free of his trance, he who had almost faded completely away as a spiritual observer bouncing between a hundred shells, just an echo of the city he passed through.


    Awakening just the tiniest sliver of rage.


    Of ego.


    Reminding him of who he was.


    What he was.


    And why he was here.


    ¡°I sense you, vile abomination!¡± Roared a gurgling voice, now resonating through an entire city¡¯s worth of risen walkers, so reminiscent of abyssal horrors swimming through eldritch seas¡­ or perhaps the seas of the mind as the skulls of Eric¡¯s closest revenants and the crimson blood worms sprouting from each of their eyes began exploding, one by one.


    You have lost 3 revenants! You have suffered a temporary 57 health point PSIONIC DEBUFF that cannot be healed (without a full System reset!)


    Bronze-tier Mind Lord (designated: Squid-Brain) Senses your (diffuse presence!)


    Eric strove to lose himself in the hive mind of revenants and crimson tendrils covered with blinking eyes that allowed him to fuse Mixed Unit Tactics with the Soul-Riding skill his ancient mentor had so recently taught him, having not only endured Kevin¡¯s nightmare lessons involving sprouting blood tentacles¡­ lessons which he now knew as both the victim and consumer of that former contender... he had actually gone so far as to make them his own. Though his blood magic eyeball stalks would only affect the Revenants already bound to his will via multiple perks. He would never infect them upon the living.


    Of course, there was a price for what Eric dared, having to sacrifice a temporary portion of his health for each revenant he planted a crimson eye-stalk upon. And when those revenants were destroyed, he felt their pain as his own health pool diminished. A pool that would stay diminished, until he was next able to sleep. Worse, his jolt of awareness was now sufficient for the Mind Lord in question to sense him. A monster that played to all of Eric¡¯s weaknesses, just as a certain malicious mastermind had no doubt intended all along.


    Unified Perception check (Spiritual Energy & Magic ) - Critical Success!


    You have suffered the loss of 4 additional revenant. 76 additional health point PSIONIC DEBUFF is now in effect!


    To his horrified dismay, four more of his revenants collapsed.


    For his legions were sworn to him eternally, of their own will. And of the 93 eyestalk-linked shards of himself that still remained, it was as much an evolution of Mix Unit Tactics as any true fusion of mind and soul. Yet it was enough.


    Enough for Eric to lose himself in the minds of his revenants once more, now just an extension of the city, as he had been less than a minute ago. Even as a furious Bronze-tier abomination roared his hate for the one who would dare to challenge him.


    ¡°You have already lost, you pathetic piece of vile excrement! Your allies¡¯ greatest treasures have been captured! Your closest-kept secrets revealed! Before this night has ended, all you hold dear will crumble to dust! You and all those who dared to pay you tribute will fall eternally to the sands of time. Their minds and souls now forever mine!¡±


    And how bitterly the Eric that had once been would have hated just how smugly that abomination spoke, secured in the heart of a near indestructible fortress, seemingly invulnerable to all but Eric¡¯s highest art. An art that Eric could only use at melee range, which would immediately ping him to his foe. A foe that had hid so well when he and his mother had ascended together. But now that it was just Eric, his foe was content to claim his prizes in full.


    Yet it was at that moment, sensing just how massive and weighty was the burden of the rust-colored granite temple taking up an entire block, crushed by a despair so acute it nearly consumed him, that Eric understood just how futile his desperate gambit had been.


    That wasn¡¯t a small, odd-looking building that his arts might have a chance of shifting. It wasn¡¯t even the medium-sized tower he had dared to take on in a magically saturated rift, not that long ago. This was a gigantic pyramid of inconceivable mass. A brooding edifice that radiated and was cloaked by such power that it hadn¡¯t even registered in his mind, that the financial district was dominated by a massive Egyptian-style temple, until that very night. He felt a chill just thinking about it. Not even his mother had seemed to acknowledge the horror of it when they had strode Freetown like titans, earlier that night.


    It was as if the entire structure had been warded by Malice¡¯s twisted cards of fate, even if that monster¡¯s touch upon Terra¡¯s surface was limited, it had been enough to cloud even his mother¡¯s eyes, and that was a truly disturbing revelation.


    It was all Eric could do not to choke out a sob amidst the revenants both cloaking and scattering his psyche. For there was no way in hell that any mortal magic or force below Silver could hope to move that temple. One reinforced by twisted magics resonating with a branch of necromancy so foul that Eric refused to touch it, even if he could learn tainted Goblin arts. And those vile arts both reinforced its physical structure and its cloak of deception, and warded the entire structure from arcane magic as well as any Bronze-tier spell caster could.


    Unified Perception Check (Enhanced by Rank 31 Spirit Mastery) ¨C Critical Success! Not is all as it seems.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Yet before Eric could crash to his knees in despair, or flee for his sister¡¯s territory, finally acknowledging that the deck had been so badly stacked against them that they had never had a chance in hell in this world¡­ he was struck by a revelation so weighty that it almost rivaled the massive temple itself. Because there was nothing more that those spirits now trapped in steel, blood-stained granite blocks, and bone powder cement, wished to do than flee their eternal torment.


    It was a weight, an impossible spiritual weight, that would do anything to break free.


    ¡°Anything to break free!¡± Eric whispered in sudden revelation.


    An insight that might prove the key to everything¡­


    An awareness that nearly spelled his end.


    You have saved versus Catastrophic Injury!


    ¡°You think to hide from me? I found you, you putrescent piece of shit!¡±


    A jolt of terror that nearly became his end, Eric¡¯s furious spirit hounded by agony as he sensed grievous wounds that his painfully pathetic Sylvan mind had absolutely no counter for¡­ save being diffused through the dozens of revenants now beside him. He had suffered injuries that would have been crippling, did the echo of his psyche not remain intact.


    The pain was immediate and near overwhelming. And it would have given away his location utterly and instantly, had the entire temple not already been infested by a howling cauldron of suffering and agony in realms psionic and spiritual both.


    A cacophony of white noise the vile Mind Lord even now trying to destroy him had had to contend with from the very start. It had made the temple near impenetrable and immune to the magic of any pure arcanist, but it clearly had serious drawbacks. A creature would have to be a masochist or sadist of inconceivable depths to have made its nest in a massive temple where the very brick and mortars were rich with such suffering.


    It was only because Eric¡¯s agony was now resonating so perfectly with his environment that allowed him to escape abyssal tendrils now flailing for his mind, as eldritch words of his own slipped free of his lips¡­ warping reality¡¯s grip upon the nightmare edifice that so many souls were desperate to escape.


    So desperate that they would warp and bend causality itself as Eric uttered the words that he prayed would set them free.


    ¡°Inverto!¡±


    A roar that came from over 90 throats. Soon whittled to 87


    ¡°Gravitas!¡±


    You have been critically struck by: Mind Blade!


    You have successfully saved versus Dissolution! One additional Critical Wound suffered!


    ¡°Animus!¡±


    A startled jolt of dismay washed over them all.


    Not from Eric, already reeling with agony that would have been crippling, were he not just an extension of his hive mind and the city itself...


    But from the Cthulian horror, its own mind reeling as it finally took in the significance of the fortification it found itself in. An impossibly massive edifice of crushing weight and despair. A mass that no White-tier Contender could possibly hope to shift in any direction, weighing countless tons.


    A pyramid that had been made so much stronger with granite blocks fused with mortar of blood, bone, and souls in such torment, blended so completely in their agony, dehumanized and rendered as utterly insignificant, save as numbers on a ledger that all blended into one.


    One unified soul in impossible torment.


    One single burden to bear.


    ¡°Unus!¡±


    ¡°NO! Die, vermin! DIE!¡±


    ¡°Attentio!¡±


    You have been critically struck by Psionic Blast!


    Psionic Blast dispersed over multiple city block area!


    You have no natural resistance.


    You have suffered Severe Damage!


    Your revenant contingent has been obliterated!


    You have suffered an additional 1819 health debuff!


    Essence of Dominion successfully stabilizes Neural Matrix!


    Willpower check (at severe penalty) MADE!


    Eric left eyes ruptured as his contingent was destroyed. But it didn¡¯t matter. Even as his thoughts became discordant and disjointed, his neural network and his fierce tight grip to his spell held.


    He was sent tumbling through the air, as were dozens of corpses, eyes milky white, both predators and desperate survivors who had hidden here in the financial district despite Caliban¡¯s best efforts to gather all the survivors as far away from the area as possible. Because against a Bronze Tier Mind Lord, fragile mortals with a mere 100 Health or less didn¡¯t have a ghost of a chance against the monster¡¯s Psionic howls as the very world seemed to tear itself apart.


    Eric could feel the crack and boom of the entire block tearing itself apart as the quarter million ton temple that had been buried in the heart of the financial district began to shake and elevate itself as the entire district began sloping upwards, like a mountain rising, with a roar like an endless tidal wave.


    Countless dozens of buildings then shattered and splintered as the giant temple abruptly popped free of the Earth¡¯s crust like a massive pimple, tumbling through the air end over end as it fell towards the heavens, leaving behind a massive crater now filling up with rubble, ruin, and choking dust.


    Eric did his best not to look at the vacant-eyed victims as they were torn free of the crumbling buildings they had hid within as they all tumbled into the awful pit along with Eric himself, his Physical Resistance making the sensation of crashing into that pit filled with shattered buildings, concrete, and steel rebars no more arduous than jumping into his favorite pool. Yet the agony of his Psionic wounds was so great that even that jostling made him cry out.


    Yet despite his agony, fear and fury kept him on the task at hand.


    His neck craned up to keep his target in sight.


    All his desperate focus was upon the massive edifice that now just a dot in the starry night sky that Superhuman stats and Unified Perception alone allowed him to still keep track of.


    Of course what he had accomplished was absolutely absurd. It was an impossible weight of countless thousands of tons that should have been absolutely impossible for him or anyone else below deepest Silver to fling free of Earth¡¯s gravity well.


    Which was why he had foregone the physics aspect of his arts entirely, focusing on the spiritual side of things alone. He had linked his will to the desperate howling amalgamation of spiritual agony that had been ruthlessly fused into one tormented hybrid soul in ways he suspected not even the gods would have done, so vile was the path that Malice had his twisted disciples walk. For just as that fused soul of torment had been used to hold the mortar of a quarter million ton structure together, so too Eric took advantaged of arcane laws of contagion to yank free that gestalt spirit and fling it into the ether, allowing its own desperate need to break free to guide it, the spiritual horror enduring the burden of pulling the massive temple in its wake, and not Eric at all.


    And it was not a kind spirit or merciful after being tormented so hideously as it writhed and spun its prison through the air like a whirling top, that fused collection of countless thousands of spirits sensing that only here and now would it be able to exact even the tiniest sliver of vengeance upon at least one of its tormentors. For centrifugal forces were no doubt pulverizing anything and everything within as Eric flashed a crimson lipped smile, crashing to his knees as his Qi and Mana pools rapidly began to crash, now snarling and spitting blood as he coaxed the tormented spirit, visible as no more than a tiny dot in the sky, to float just a bit further south as it drifted through currents Eric had provided.


    Before they abruptly cut off, and the quarter million ton structure, now far higher than any jet Eric had ever flown through the air upon, was already falling back to earth.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened as fierce vindication turned to a growing sense of dread. Because this wasn¡¯t a human that would have limited terminal velocity thanks to air resistance. This was a quarter million ton monstrosity of steel and stone that was plummeting toward the earth at nearly 10 meters per second squared, with air resistance providing hardly any resistance at all against an object that massive.


    E ¨C Caliban! Brace yourselves! We got incoming!


    E ¨C Morlekai! Have everyone shelter in place! We got incoming!


    With every iota of energy he had left, even chewing into a health pool he knew was running perilously low, he roared for spiritual winds to continue pushing the tormented soul as far south as possible.


    Praying that his hunch was right as he saw the distant speck begin to glow white hot as it fell to Earth, far faster than even zero air resistance should allow.


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!¡±


    Heart pounding like a drum, he could only pray that his hunch was right as etherial winds pushed the tormented soul infusing the entire pyramidal meteorite with far more efficiency than any physical shift in air currents could hope to replicate.


    And then, just before an impact that he was dreadfully certain might have obliterated himself and every other survivor, the hideous temple entered the untamed territory ten miles Southeast of Freetown. A massive Orange tier territory so bloated with wild arcane potential that Eric¡¯s interface was showing that it had already evolved to Red.


    A revelation that, on any other night, would have filled Eric with dismay.


    Then there was a flash of watery light right before the ground began shuddering under his feet.


    He braced himself for the worst, dreading sudden dust storms or flash winds of superheated gas. Yet the night breeze stayed much the same as before.


    C ¨C Eric?


    E ¨C Take shelter in case falling rubble tears through the populace like cannon shot!


    C ¨C Eric, what happened?!?


    E ¨C Huddle under the Southeast arena walls. Tall as they are and reinforced¡­ maybe it will do some good.


    E ¨C Morlekai! Are you guys sheltering inside?


    M ¨C Eric, Lord Grim felt a spiritual jolt. Just what the hell did you do this time?


    E ¨C Stay inside. Please.


    Eric¡¯s heart continued to hammer with something besides the agony he was increasingly aware of, taking ragged gasps of air that, by some miracle, wasn¡¯t clogged by blazing hot winds, choking dust, or a rain of rubble that would crack the skull of any mortal.


    He kept his worried gaze upon the starry night sky. Yet no matter how hard he looked, he saw no glimmers of darkened stars presaging any shower of stony doom.


    Nothing but the twinkling lights flashing brilliant within his mind¡¯s eye, and the messages now flooding his interface.


    You have successfully OBLITERATED 374 Red tier opponents between Ranks 83 ¨C 97!


    Mad Bomber Perks in effect. You have earned 15% of Baseline Experience for your kills!


    2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation is now at 21%!


    You are the first Contender to slaughter over 100 Red tier opponents of any race in a single catastrophic strike within an adjoining territory!


    You have earned the Title: Elite Artillerist!


    All gunnery classes are now open to you, including at least one that you may advance to Elite Silver!


    All battlemech classes are now open to you, including at least one that you may advance to Elite Silver!


    Quickness has increased by 5 points!


    Perception has increased by 10 points!


    Finesse has increased by 10 points!


    As an Elite Artillerist, all ranged weapons powered by external forces (including your soul-bound plasma blaster) have an additional 25% Bonus to hit and do an additional 25% Damage!


    You earn an additional 25% (40% with previously earned perk) of baseline experience for every target you take out with said weapons, including all guns, blasters, starship weaponry, ship cannons, or any other form of artillery!


    Congratulations! You have claimed one of the most coveted titles to be found upon newly ascended worlds. Elite cadets even now porting into your world under multiple highly questionable pretexts will be FURIOUS when they find out that such a coveted title (along with many others you have stolen!) was claimed by a native.


    NOTE! The average starship gunner without multiple specialized Nodal perks earns only a fraction of 1% of a starship¡¯s crew¡¯s potency for those ships he takes out! You now earn 40% of baseline. Over forty-fold the norm!! Expect to shine in the eyes of your superiors as you rapidly rise the ranks to Imperial Commander!


    NOTE! You have destroyed one of Malice¡¯s Secret weapons! You have successfully slain the Bronze Tier Contender Zacharia Lex Richardson! A hybrid abomination infused with Terran bloodlines from breeding pens goblin flesh peddlers have hidden within countless cities long before you and your twin sister were ever born.


    Aurelia wasn¡¯t the only one cooking up unholy abominations for years behind the scenes, Malice having successfully maneuvered so many of his secret weapons all the way up to Bronze within the first year of Earth¡¯s ascension!


    And still you managed to kill Malice¡¯s progeny just hours before this night would have ended with Zacharia¡¯s legitimacy as a Terran Contender retroactively assured for all time! Claiming Freetown would have then been effortless, the remnants of Blue eternally enslaved to his will, tools that would have been used to organize his growing empire as he moved on to enslave the minds of every Bronze Tier power-armored mercenary company specifically hired to serve as Malice¡¯s youngest son¡¯s pawns. Pawns that would then be effortlessly maneuvered to slaughter you and your sister before Zacharia went on to claim all of North America for himself!


    Or such had been the original plan.


    Only now he¡¯s carbonized slag in a massive impact crater that you have localized to a single adjoining territory!


    (No wonder Malice hates you so much!)


    Congratulations! A massive portion of Zacharia Lex Richardson¡¯s endless potential (7.5% of his key attributes, thanks to your recent evolution along the Crimson Contender¡¯s Path!) is now forever your own!


    Soul Reserves have permanently increased by 5(+2) points!


    Arcane Potential has permanently increased by 7(+3) points!


    Vitality has permanently increased by 6(+3) points!


    Psionic Potential has permanently increased by 20(+10) points!


    (Note! Attributes claimed have been further enhanced by elite stat bonuses and Bronze-tier Title boons!)


    Experience earned!


    2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation is now at 25%!


    You are now a Level 33 Master Necromancer!


    You have earned NO Cultivation levels for this battle!


    Eric wanted to howl with agony that transcended sweetest bliss. For his desperate maneuver might have saved the entire territory of Freetown from being either enslaved or obliterated, but the psychic backlash of a young Bronze-tier contender¡¯s death was another story entirely.


    A howling storm snuffing out the lights of half a dozen Psionically sensitive mortals and budding Classers with the desperate final terrified moments of a young Contender, who, much to Eric¡¯s horror, wasn¡¯t a Lythid abomination at all. Or he was¡­ just as much as he was a goblin. Just as much as he was a Sylvan and a human. All of it blending into remarkably plain features that would blend in anywhere, save for inhuman irises. Yet all that was needed was a simple pair of contacts, and he could blend into any urban environment, whether city, mall, or school, without years of ostracization and abuse necessarily making a monster out of him.


    And he had done just that. Having lived a remarkably normal life, until Malice had downloaded a portion of his monstrous will, hate, and killing intent into his once innocent offspring. Warping him in ways beyond horrific as the youth¡¯s final tormented years of life flashed before Eric¡¯s eyes, summarized so neatly by overly cheerful System Interface messages encapsulating the machinations of a genius who had been playing the entire city like a harp from hell. Two steps ahead of all of them. Even Blue Corp¡¯s Savings And Loan charter had been acknowledged and factored in with every intention of Malice¡¯s pawn using it not only to master Earth¡¯s financial sectors all the more thoroughly, but as an inroad to destroying Blue Faction from within in ways that were far more artful and intricate than Greed¡¯s brute force approach.


    So many pieces moving to Malice¡¯s will, the entire board his to master! Disparate units of bucket-heads good at shooting and very little else, pawns Zacharia needed only to forge into the most elite infantry company that would reign unmatched upon Terra¡¯s surface, it¡¯s endless perilous delves neither his interest or his concern, future monster waves be damned.


    It was only when brilliant Gold had flashed so bright, shocking the splinter of Malice that poor Zacharia had become, Malice at that moment bitterly regretting that his communion only went one way. He was just an echo of his true self and all his bitter schemes, for all that he reveled in being in a body so strong, so vital! Even as his original shell withered on a well-hidden moon he had, until this very night, thought impervious to all their foes.


    Not that it mattered. This too had been accounted for, factored in, and he had contingencies, absolutely delicious contingencies that would assure absolute and utter ruin of his former foolish whore of a wife. A woman who¡¯s shattered innocence and bitter despair had catapulted him all the way to Bronze so many centuries ago, and now the absolute ruination of those who were closest to her heart would propel him all the way to GOLD as he claimed her children utterly and stole her power for himself.


    It was a delicious awareness of future contingencies and plans that had comforted the Zacharia/Malice gestalt from the moment that vile Gold corona had seared his eyes and torn asunder his original plans for Freetown. And the rage he had felt as his precious pawns were extinguished, delicious twisted schemes unraveled by blundering fools had known no equal.


    His blood had BOILED at the thought of Aurelia¡¯s weak-willed spawn DARING to approach as if he were anything other than the most fragile puff of foam and arrogance, effortlessly OBLITERATED with a single Psionic Strike.


    Now the gloves were off, his Shadow¡¯s final gambit in play as Aurelia fell RIGHT INTO THEIR TRAP! And how exquisite it would be if mother and son would be forced to pay the ultimate price together as both halves of Malice¡¯s soul ascended upon their corpses.


    Then all thoughts of convoluted schemes and sadistic delight were overwhelmed by a sense of shocked disbelief, when Zacharia/Malice actually felt the entire bank, immutable, near indestructible, shudder.


    ¡°No. There¡¯s nothing you can do to alter the fate of this edifice, fool! It is anchored deep to Earth¡¯s bedrock! To Terra¡¯s ultimate fate! Not even Aurelia¡¯s bitter storm could wash the simple illusions hiding it from you all! You can do noth¡ª¡±


    And that was the instant his sanctum was torn free of Earth¡¯s gravity, the massive structure spinning at inconceivable speeds as it whirled into the heavens, Aurelia¡¯s MONSTROUS spawn having somehow conflated the most extreme concentration of mass ever made by man upon the North American continent with the weight of a single fused soul. The mortar between his goddamned bricks! Effortless to spin about the heavens.


    And those were the final broken thoughts of a young Contender finally tearing free of the fugue he had been lost in, a helpless passenger as Malice¡¯s soul fled its doomed vessel as Zacharia, battered and broken even with his Bronze tier body, screamed for his mother in his final moments as his coffin hurtled down to Earth at shocking speeds.


    And the final agonized shriek of an obliterated soul, shredded by the thousands upon thousands of trapped spirits at last bursting free as their cement turned to superheated plasma, tore through the very few minds with any psionic potential at all as a handful of youths excited for the promise of a fresh start collapsed in lifeless heaps as their companions cried out in surprise, and Eric¡¯s own soul was flooded with the horrific revelation that Malice¡¯s final gambit was far from over.


    Now, to his horror, Eric understood the source of the desperate screams he increasingly heard echoing through this endless night.


    The screams of a child locked in status.


    The mother of an entire race, eggs harvested from her pristine shell. Awoken after countless centuries to find herself strapped down in a cell of torment, tortured by sadists, forced to endure perpetual hours awake and in agony as Malice¡¯s minions tortured her without mercy, determined to extract every last hour of torment the could from her before she collapsed in death and this endless night finally drew to a close.


    In that moment of horrific revelation, Eric understood. The doomed soul forced to endure the burden of this endless night was none other than the girl Aurelia had been so desperate to save. The one that Malice had laughed in her face over, assuring Aurelia that her firstborn child was long since dust in the wind.


    An innocent child that was, in fact, alive even now, and was being tortured unmercifully by sadists and monsters.


    Eric¡¯s firstborn sister.


    Her tongue torn free. Her mind screaming for help that would never come.


    ***


    ¡°NO!¡± It was only in the that endless awful moment, as he was torn free of his body with the psychic backlash of taking out yet another Contender dead set on destroying him and his sister¡­ another kid who had just been a puppet, literally, of his psychopathic ancestor, that Eric could appreciate just how devious and byzantine Malice¡¯s plans within plans had been. It was as if Malice had known, with his ability to twist and pluck the strings of causality, that whether Zacharia killed him first or the reverse... either way, Eric would fall and his family with him. Despite his unexpected triumph, Eric felt just as helpless to avoid that twisted fate as millions of Malice¡¯s other victims over countless centuries.


    Yet there was one crucial difference.


    No matter Eric¡¯s inconceivable sacrifice¡­


    He, unlike so many of Malice¡¯s helpless victims, had already ascended to Gold.


    He might delude himself into thinking he could forget those impossible heights to which he had, for however brief a time, ascended...


    But the quantum froth of spacetime itself still churned with the brilliant trails he and his mother had blazed through reality itself¡­ just hours ago.


    An act that echoed still in the cords of fate strummed between celestial bodies, and the System as well.


    Eric¡¯s sense of helpless futility as he was torn free of his own body with the mocking laughter of his ancient nemesis all around him abruptly catalyzed to a white hot fury that set his wings ablaze.


    His shriek became the graviton waves tearing through space-time as he roared through the heavens once more.


    Just an echo of the brilliant Golden Phoenix he had so recently been as the stars raced by in brilliant streams of light.


    And that was okay. Because he didn¡¯t need to convert the mass of the almost-ascended being who had last raced across this starway. He just had to compel the spirit of a doomed boy. As weightless as the spirits he had sent soaring to the heavens, before crashing down and obliterating yet another mixed blood child forever doomed by machinations of those far more ruthless and malicious than they.


    Eric road the trail he and his mother had already forged, lit to crimson brilliance by tragedy and despair¡­ and the reverberations of an innocent child¡¯s tormented howls.


    And then he was there.


    Locking gazes with his first sister as violet eyes filled with inconceivable horror and pain met his own.


    As one, a full dozen multilimbed abominations wearing blood-spattered lab coats spun around, snarling and hissing with forked tongues, bulging eyes filled with bitter spite glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Who dares to disturb the inner sanctum of Lord Mal¡ª¡±


    PHOENIX STRIKE!


    You have obliterated your foes!


    Eric¡¯s fury transcended mere words as the chamber became a charnel house to his Wrath. Transcendent Flame obliterated tools meant for torment, not efficient killing, as a dozen meisters and orchestrators of inconceivable pain tripped over themselves when their goal became not one of torment, but simple efficient killing while facing a spirit whose blade set reality itself ablaze. \


    Great gaping holes were cleaved through shrieking space-time, devouring every spell, limb, quivering tentacle, or torture device that tried to counter them. Leaving only superheated ash and impossibly cold ice in its wake.


    Before both sublimated at once, leaving the chamber the perfect temperature for the fragile life trapped in torment within.


    The trembling girl gazed up at Eric as he stepped through the pool of shredded corpses to approach her. She was presently strapped down to a device so horrific it had flayed off her skin, torn free her fingernails, and extracted all the bones from her hands and feet.


    Eric swallowed the lump of horror in his throat even as he sensed the entire monstrous moon coming alive, multiple alarms now echoing through the chamber in a discordant furious cacophony.


    It was then that he looked all around him, realizing just what these black steel walls were comprised of, a bitter smile coming to his lips before he looked down at his sister once more.


    Advanced arcane weapons check: Successful! You¡¯ve spotted the interface port for this device!


    He then locked the entrance latch just as the steel door began to vibrate with furious pounding before turning to his emaciated sister once more.


    Her gaze was one of such desperation, exhaustion, and hope, even if her damaged mind could no longer form any words at all.


    Yet her body continued to shudder under the currents the monstrous multilimbed device of torment was pouring through her shattered body.


    With increasing desperation, sensing that his sister¡¯s heart was just moments from crashing to a final stop, Eric scrolled down the list of command prompts, his universal translator making the commands he sought effortless to decipher as foul currents were stopped, devices of torment were extracted, and straps slipped free of a body so broken Eric sensed that it was only the drip of crimson fluid, filled with both healing magics and necromantic foulness both, that left her live.


    Blood Mastery skill check made! An absolutely absurd Rank of 33, enhanced by a Lesser Healing Perk, actually allows you to stabilize the massive injuries your sister has suffered!


    Flesh Sculptor skill check: Critical success!


    You have successfully forged a protective cage of flesh, bone, and sinew made from the remains of your Bronze-tier enemies!


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding skill check: Critical Success!


    Spirit Mastery skill check: Critical Success! (It helps when you yourself are little more than a doomed spirit yourself!)


    This stroller now resonates with all the protective wards its former hosts had once claimed as their own.


    Flesh Sculptor is now Rank 27! And you would declare this no different than wearing the treated skin of your enemies. A trillion leather jackets worn throughout the universe! How close you skirt forbidden arts outside of your home world!


    Eric swallowed a harsh sob, now holding his doomed sister in his arms before gently placing her in a protective shell formed as fast as desperation and need could compel his foes¡¯ remains to twist and crackle into a crimson bone stroller he then placed her carefully within, before shutting her eyes.


    ¡°Sleep, little one. Sleep. And when you awaken once more, this nightmare will be over. I promise.¡±


    And much to his despair and relief, she did just that.


    A Silver Phoenix talisman abruptly shattered, the awful night at last coming to an end.

 Chapter 393 - Heroes never die. They only ascend.

    ¡°Intruders have penetrated our inner sanctum! Hunt them down at once!¡±


    The corridors rang with the roars of Ogre Magi and the snarls of elite kobhold kill-squads as panicked goblins barked desperate commands beside their madly blinking electromana consoles as the air filled with the ozone stench of discharged plasma cannons and death flashed through the air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look! It will blind you!¡± Howled one desperate voice as flickering after-images of transcendent flame seemed to leave great big gaping holes in reality itself, causing more than one goblin to shriek as its mind was inundated with twisted realities and incomprehensible concepts before tearing out its own eyes, banging its head against multiple banks of monitors as death coldly walked the corridors, impossible fires flickering from the blade it held in a two-handed grip, a squeaking bone carriage rolling of its own volition right behind him.


    ¡°Enemy spotted!¡± Roared an ogre fully kitted in power armor, raising a Tier-3 Hyperion minigun with absolutely no regard for the shrieking goblins tripping over their own robes in a desperate effort to flee the area before they were chewed up and spat out by Bronze-tier plasma fire.


    Then there was a brilliant flash, cutting through the room. An awful scream, as if reality itself was snapping back from awful compression, and the massive ogre¡¯s body flaring with higher order concepts of Fire and Ice a split second before it exploded in frigid shrapnel that tore into the ranks of the snipers behind their armored guardian, before they too were cleaved neatly in half in sprays of flame so hot that reality itself bucked and shivered as ice more frigid than the deepest reaches of ancient space tore through the endless cubicles of bureaucratic nightmares that Eric found himself in.


    Countless thousands of documents radiating the foul magics of entrapment and dominion fluttered through the air, before erupting in colorful flashes of flame and fleeing souls as Eric whispered words that sent panicked goblinoid barristers shrieking about breaches of contract as they were set ablaze by their own incinerated legalese, the battleship-grade soul-steel of which the entire citadel was made warping and cracking under the weight of Eric¡¯s whispered words, carefully modulated to do nothing to the precious carriage or the cargo it held, even as the entire citadel began to thrum with the weight of so many trapped souls locked in torment, desperate to break free.


    ¡°There he is! Malice has given the order! The night is over, the girl must also be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Repudio.¡±


    A simple word resonating with higher order concepts of Dominion.


    Transcendant Abjuration immediately showed the weakness of Malice¡¯s corruption when the massive steel girders over the quartet of power armored mercenaries gave out with a sudden creak and countless tons of soul steel raining down upon the final handful of guardians Eric¡¯s spiritual interface spotted before the grand sweeping corridors of gaudy excess and gilded greed gave way to ancient decrepit halls that spoke of filth, decay, and rotting things.


    ¡°Quarter, Quarter!¡±


    Eric gazed coolly down at the massive pile of shattered soul-steel girders and bitter sharp spikes of brittle decay that had sheered as sharply as bitter souls finally fleeing torment, absolutely perforating the Excelon-Class power suits his erstwhile foes had been wearing.


    Eric and his stroller moved effortlessly past the massive mound of doomed mercenaries, even when cries for quarter became desperate pleas for help, their power suits being crushed by the impossible weight they were buried under, sensors and nodal skills all that allowed them to sense Eric¡¯s passage¡­ and he was more than content to leave them to their fate.


    For his prize wasn¡¯t the men even now wheezing their last, but the monster down the decrepit maintenance corridor that tried to twist out of his sight entirely¡­ before a whispered word shattered the illusion and Eric¡¯s measured walk became a desperate run, all too painfully aware that they were all running out of time.


    ***


    ¡°Come, Aurelia. Why do you hesitate? Our child is safe and as pristinely innocent as the day he was born! All his excesses of the last couple centuries, ha ha, forgotten with the Gold tier treasure he consumed of his own volition!


    Malice¡¯s melodious chuckle echoed through his inner sanctum, ancient skills and charm at last asserting itself after countless centuries of neglect. Eyes that were strangely gentle gazed fondly upon his wife and child in the center of that chamber now filled with gentle mist and the memories of happier times.


    Gentler times.


    Promises made ages ago.


    ¡°And promises that can now be kept. Don¡¯t you see, Aurelia? All this, I did for you. You and our child! For only now are you strong enough to care for our beloved firstborn son. Only now can you give him the foundation, the strength he needs to survive the nightmare crucible that our existence all too often is.¡±


    Of the ancient decrepit nightmare of a rotting corpse, there was no trace. In its place stood a powerfully built man wearing form-fitting silks with a silver swept rapier at his hip. He then favored the young woman before him with the gentlest smile any girl could wish upon the countenance of her lover.


    His appearance was striking, flawless. The handsome lead that every director hungered to have on his set, and countless starlets ached to have in their bed with his charming, roguish smile, and only the slightest grey tinge to his perfect skin the only sign that he was anything other than a strikingly handsome man, or perhaps a High Elf a single generation removed with the slightly muted points to his ears. And by the time one noted the silvery horns on his head, hidden by the curls on his brow, one was all too likely already being swept up in passion¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°He¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    His smile was both mischievous and rueful, his powerful hand reaching to caress the shoulder of the once blazing ember that could have obliterated him in a heartbeat¡­ before somehow becoming a wide-eyed young woman, hardly more than a girl, gazing down upon her newborn infant.


    Sensing with both awe and wonder the absolute sincerity of her husband¡¯s words.


    The little boy before him was indeed pristine and perfect, his soul glowing with a soft golden light as he smiled up at his mother¡¯s cooing form.


    ¡°Valiant,¡± whispered the young woman, clearly younger even than Eric, now racing for all he was worth through overlapping corridors of misdirection and nightmare. Aurelia now looked as young as Elonia had, just a few short years ago, when predators had first shattered her innocence. And by some immutable law of transcendence, Aurelia now WAS that young. This truth somehow becoming the only truth, countless thousands of years of strife and struggle merely a nightmare, an awful dream she was finally slipping free of.


    ¡°His name is Valiant.¡±


    ¡°A fine name for our little boy,¡± Malificent declared. ¡°Now open the gate, my love, and let us leave this tragic tale forevermore.¡±


    The young mother¡¯s joyful gaze as she gazed down upon her sleeping baby boy, so filled with an angel¡¯s innocence, lit up in sudden alarm. ¡°My daughter. Where is my daughter?¡±


    The deadly charmer gave a regretful shake of his too-handsome head. ¡°You only ever had the one child, my wife. Do you not recall? You, me, and our son. The prophesied number. All else is but purgatory¡¯s dream. Now come. It is time for us to break free of nightmare¡¯s hold. We three and we three alone are destined to return to the home we left behind.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart lurched in his chest, somehow sensing the scene entire as it played out before him, even as he raced through corridors seemingly without end.


    The pristine innocence of a child who truly had been reborn.


    The desperate hope of a mother far more than Eric could have possibly conceived of before this night, who had both transcended in ways beyond even a Golden Phoenix, now radiating an aura that blazed with light that had synergized higher order concepts of Ice and Fire to incorporate that of everything in between.


    From Phoenix to Seraphim, an eternally beautiful girl with golden wings now free of any flame.


    Because his mother truly was ascending, in directions Eric would never in a million years have suspected. Yet even now, he sensed the gate opening even as he howled with voiceless frustration as the air rang with malice all about him.


    Pinned in a trap that he, a mere ghost of a phoenix, little more than a boy, couldn¡¯t hope to make his way through.


    Compared to Malice¡¯s diabolical complexity, he was little more than a rat trapped in a maze with all the exits blocked, and death coming to consume him in the end.


    Yet even as he howled, stumbling to a halt, realizing that all directions begun and ended in that same tiny stretch of corridor, he could sense a revelation manifesting that brought life, hope, and meaning to every empty shred of pointless existence that his reality ultimately was.


    Replacing chance, quantum flux, and higher order complexity manifesting in complex cellular structures and neuronal networks that he now realized only aped sentience, awareness, passion, joy, and love. Mere biochemical echoes of what truly was the real thing.


    A world of poetic synergies and wonder.


    A miraculous ascendant dream of living, breathing joy. Consciousness manifest. A truly magical world where existence was a tale of wonder scribed by a gestalt sentience that savored every treasure blossoming within their realm. Because they too were of that realm, and every last character within.


    Eric¡¯s heart was filled with sudden aching poignancy so acute that a pain-filled sob slipped free of his stunned lips. The feeling was akin to waking up from a halcyon vision filled with laughter and adventure and impossibly perfect friends who he had felt a kinship and closeness to, beyond anything ever experienced before. The friendships and comradeship everyone secretly yearned for. Only to realize that it had been naught but a fading, barely recalled dream leaving a nameless ache in his heart, reminding him of so many mornings he would shudder awake, wiping away strange tears from his eyes as he sobbed for glimmers of magic already forgotten, before rubbing away strange, unfathomable regrets, and going about his day.


    He would then go for days streaming and gaming without rest, dreading the thought of sleep, lest he be tormented with the flickers of what he had feared was a nightmare¡­ but in truth had been a dream of such grace and adoration that he couldn¡¯t bear to slip free of its loving embrace for the cold, apathetic world that was the doom of all mortal races spat upon the earthly realm by chance alone


    Only now, it was as if that wondrous, miraculous dream was awakening in all its clarity and it was this mundane dross of a bitter life that was the nightmare. Yet soon he would soar in endless adventure besides boon companions filled with nothing but laughter and love that had always been waiting for him¡­ just as single revelation away.


    All he had to do was break free of the stupor, to follow the light now blazing in his soul.


    He fell to his knees in that horrific unending corridor of bitter steel, ancient curses, and regret, tears streaming down his cheeks.


    Not of regret, but of fierce exhilaration.


    Remembering who and what he was in that instant, his mind illuminated by golden light as his mother prepared to fly in directions beyond even the miracles they had shared for the precious moments. For their forging had been in perfect synchronicity.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Her path his own.


    Heavenward.


    His mother was preparing herself to ascend in ways barred even to the Emperor and all those who achieved Gold in this tiny corner of the cosmos.


    He could feel it then, an ache of eternal longing in his heart.


    His mother was going home.


    Eric blinked free the tears in his eyes, sensing just how close he was to the miracle of a gate forming, and just how close Malice was to ascending in ways no demon should ever be permitted.


    Eric touched the steel wall before him¡­ and why had he ever allowed brittle iron torments binding so many souls to direct his movements?


    Yet all it took was the softest whisper of one who had achieved Rank 30 in so many forbidden arts¡­ one who now glowed with the same golden light he sensed coming from his mother¡­ the same golden light now radiating from the cradle of bone he kept his sister safely within¡­ for a single touch against the black steel corridor to send it igniting in a brilliant golden light.


    ¡°Be Free,¡± Eric whispered.


    And it was so.


    Transcended Abjuration has been successfully FUSED with DIVINE insight!


    Congratulations! You have created a Divine art!


    NOTE this art may only be used by those embracing heavenly epiphanies or with the blood of Seraphim within their veins!


    Divine Abjuration has been successfully quantized at Rank 10.


    Divine-tier perk automatically chosen!


    Transcendent Mercy


    All trapped souls that feel your touch or hear your cry will be FREED of ALL Bindings.


    There is no counter to this art.


    Eric shook with both wonder and horror as words that were as much providence as System echoed through his skull. Gazing at his own trembling hands in disbelief. Shaken to his core when he noted the wings to his sides. Now as much angelic gold plumage as the memory of transcendent flame.


    Golden wings he then wrapped about the fragile broken shell of his sister, knowing that his carriage of bone could be no more. He swallowed the lump in his throat, cradling the dying angel in his care, softly kissing her brow as he faced the bitter black steel wall that would dare exist between himself and woman who had given him life.


    The angel who had given him life.


    Bitter black steel fused with countless wards and seals and the twisted strings of fate that Malice had had countless centuries to invest in misdirecting, foiling, and throttling all of his foes.


    Yet all it took was two words to change absolutely everything as Eric¡¯s wings blazed with fresh golden light.


    ¡°Be Free.¡±


    Words that echoed endlessly through the corridors as gunshot-like cracks of shifting steel echoed through the entire citadel. Yet it was nothing compared to the desperate shrieks washing over Eric, his eyes glowing with tears as he gently placed his glowing fingertips upon the impossibly dense barrier now trembling before him, and whispered the words once more.


    ¡°Be Free.¡±


    Contest of skills between Rank 10 Divine Abjuration & Rank 42 Silver-tier Soul-Binding.


    Critical Success!!


    (There is no counter to your art.)


    In a flash, the barrier erupted, exploding to cataclysmic effect in a dozen overlapping dimensions, all of them somehow impossibly far away from Eric, the precious young angel he held, and the contents of the chamber he now calmly stepped through.


    And it was all he could do not to crash to his knees, tears streaming in wonder as he glimpsed firsthand the gate promising such joy and wonder that he had but sensed spiritually, a world away. A diabolically trapped geometrically overlapping corridor away.


    Just feet away.


    Malice spun around, impossibly handsome features that were absolute perfection save for the tiniest of horns glared his way, beauitful violet eyes so much like the eyes of the sleeping girl in Eric¡¯s arms flashing crimson with hate.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here. YOU SHOULD BE DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! A THOUSAND TIMES OVER, YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!¡±


    Malice¡¯s roar howled through the chamber like purgatory¡¯s wind, only to wash over Eric¡¯s golden wings, protectively wrapped around his sister, already infused with runes of protection, warding, and abjuration that he had scribed with his own golden blood.


    The roar dispelled the mist hiding so many grotesque horrors of vice, torment, and decay.


    Yet what broke Eric¡¯s heart as much as seeing the scores of twisted steel statues depicting hapless victims locked in torment¡­ torment that those encapsulated souls truly were feeling¡­ was the thought of his impossibly perfect and beautiful teenage mother having her innocence torn free by this monster once again.


    Yet when Aurelia¡¯s gentle golden gaze met his own, Eric¡¯s heart stopped, so sharp was the ache through his soul. To know that he had been birthed by this wondrous creature¡­ and that he was just a mortal echo of a shadowy, barely remembered dream of a woman filled that had once been filled with such bitterness and torment¡­ for the Aurelia he had known all his dreaming life was just a platonic shadow of her ultimate ideal, manifest here and now a the glorious creature she had once more woken into being.


    Eric swallowed the awful lump in his throat. Knowing without question that he was a mortal of dross and cosmic dust and no more than that. Yet the precious sister he held, sired by both angel and demon, was so much more than he could or would ever be.


    And she was his sister still.


    So Eric forced himself to walk toward the girl who held his gaze with a love and an adoration that sent tears streaming down his cheeks, before kneeling before the divine queen he had once dared to call mother.


    And somehow Malice, for all his devious schemes and vile hate, could do naught but glare, his handsome, shadowy features somehow avoiding the golden light of Aurelia¡¯s direct gaze.


    ¡°Eric?¡± The young teenager shook her head in confusion. ¡°I dreamed¡­ I dreamed of a beautiful little boy so like my Valiant.¡±


    Eric swallowed the lump in his throat, eyes filled with tender rue for what truly was an innocent child in her arms, and perhaps always would be, when not shaped and tortured for centuries by a demonic abomination of a father.


    ¡°You know boys. They always fight. But¡­ That¡¯s not the brother I want to be.¡±


    Aurelia laughed, her every syllable an exercise in overlapping harmonies that Eric would have done anything to be able to record, to keep close to his heart, the sound of her voice. ¡°I always dreamed of a perfect boy and girl. Just like the two I had first given life to¡­¡±


    She froze, her impossibly beautiful brow furrowing, turning to Malice, glaring in the shadows. ¡°But my husband said we only had¡­¡±


    ¡°Her name is Seraphina,¡± Eric softly said, forcing himself to hurry forward, his golden wings opening to reveal the wilting blossom within.


    Aurlia¡¯s golden eyes lit with desperate wonder and dismay, to see the broken, horrifically used child in Eric¡¯s arms.


    With a wordless cry she claimed the exhausted child, so broken that Eric¡¯s gifts couldn¡¯t help but sense just how crippled she now was, spiritually, magically, cognitively. Malice having gone to such insane efforts to destroy Aurelia¡¯s firstborn daughter in every conceivable way with the burden of a Silver Phoenix Talisman.


    Eric had to choke back tears at the tragedy, bracing himself for a maelstrom of such righteous fury that it would absolutely destroy them all.


    Yet even as he took a deep breath and wrapped his wings about himself¡­ his mother did naught but whisper the gentlest of lullabies for the broken child. And much to Eric¡¯s awe, his sister began to glow all the brighter, before shifting from worn adolescent to sleeping pre-teen to little girl to an infant no older than Valiant, and there were now two beautiful babes sleeping against their mother¡¯s breasts, wrapped in protective wings that no mortal force could harm.


    Aurelia sobbed once, diamond tears streaming down her cheeks as she kissed both their brows. ¡°Come, children. It¡¯s time for us to go home.¡±


    Malice¡¯s eyes widened with sudden alarm. ¡°Beloved, wait! I am no longer by your side. We must needs make this journey together! For the sacred number shall still be honored, yes?¡± He said with a painfully desperate smile. ¡°For we are married! Two conjoined halves of a whole! Us and the children still make three!¡±


    And the look Aurelia gave Eric¡¯s spirit then struck him to the quick. Feeling her tender, unconditional love in the smile she gave him. Even as she completely ignored Malice, who¡¯s placating smile turned to a sudden snarl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare forget me, wife! Don¡¯t you dare pretend I¡¯m not here!¡± His eyes glowed with furious hate. ¡°You can¡¯t forsake me. Not ever! We are bonded for all time!¡± Yet when he reached to claim her, his arm passed right through her.


    He then cried out, gazing with dismay at his own withered limb.


    Yet Aurelia continued to pay the furiously screaming Malice no heed at all. The words she whispered were for Eric¡¯s ears alone.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget you, my beautiful dream of a son.¡±


    Eric gasped, shaken with sudden terrible understanding, knowing what his mother meant as so many things clicked. He had earned no experience save for the skills needed to save his sister, because he wasn¡¯t really alive.


    He was a spirit who had already passed on.


    That he had accomplished as much as he had in this state was beyond him. And it didn¡¯t even matter.


    All that mattered was seeing his beautiful young mother turning to face the gate glowing with the promise of endless adventure, love, and joyous wonder, and he could follow right behind, knowing that like an impossible miracle, a glorious gift, he was welcome! He, and the sister he loved, just one half of his soul, would then fade from this reality and fall into a gentle sleep. And when they awoke, a century or a thousand years later, they would be reborn in a world of such glorious excitement and wondrous possibilities, their souls and psyches infused with higher dimensional wonders he couldn¡¯t even guess at, only knowing that the most exciting and magical lives imaginable awaited both him and his twin.


    He laughed at the momentary twinge of fear he felt, knowing that the instant he touched that gate, the gate his mother was now passing through, that he would cease to exist in this world. Yet it wouldn¡¯t be death, merely sleep. He would wake up one day by his twin¡¯s side, and they would know joy and happiness in the arms of a mother who loved them with all the tender care and wisdom of a goddess.


    A lifetime of incomprehensible possibilities and wonder, was now just a single leap away.


    Even as Aurelia proceeded to cross the gate, Malice gazed on with horrified dismay, begging Aurelia to take him with her, going so far as to fall to his knees, his screams turning to pleas as his impossibly handsome shell cracked and shattered, revealing the old bitter husk within. Yet Aurelia gazed at him with neither contempt nor pity.


    His crimes against her and her children had earned him the ultimate punishment. He was now less than nothing to her, and would forever be shunned by heaven¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°No! You cannot forsake me! I summoned and bound you to mortality¡¯s vices! I plucked free your innocence and made you my slave! I own you, Seraphim! Body and soul!¡±


    Eric flashed what he suspected would be his final petty smile of this life or any other. ¡°Are you forgetting something, you malicious fuck? The System censored your ass. All contracts your vile faction forged, such as the one you used to pull my mother from heaven and bind her to your scummy ass, are now nul and void.¡±


    Malice¡¯s eyes widened with apoplectic hate, now entirely focused on Eric.


    ¡°You! You unwanted abomination! You vile horrific excuse for spawn that each and every prophecy swore would be my doom if you were not OBLITERATED! You and your twin should never have been permitted a single breath of life!¡±


    Eric felt an awful jolt with those words that almost tore him free of the glorious epiphany, the wondrous dream of ascension that could also be his own.


    Before he shook his head, smirking to himself, refusing to take the bait. Refusing to let that vile abomination claw its way into his mind, cause even a tiny sliver of doubt. For Eric was NOTHING like that vile demonic piece of filth, and he would give Malice no purchase upon his soul.


    And he could tell by the bitter curl of his lip that Malice expected him to respond. NEEDED him to respond. So Eric said nothing at all as he passed the decrepit ancient Silver, glaring such bitter hate. Save for two final words as he spread his arms wide, taking in the entire citadel before stepping into the light.


    ¡°Be Free.¡±


    Malice¡¯s screams were drowned out by the sense of countless millions of souls ripping free of impossibly corroded bindings with the strength of Eric¡¯s final abjuration in this life causing the moon-sized fortress to collapse in a glorious cascade of supreme destruction. Yet all that mattered to Eric was the brilliant light promising such adventure and wonder in his next life as he raced for the gate, happy to end his tale as the hero he had always dreamed of being as his sworn foe, the monster who dared to imply that he was somehow Eric¡¯s father, was buried under endless tons of corroded steel and eternal regret.


    Yet his joy turned to horrified dismay when his soul bounced off that gate, having time only for a single despairing wail before he was ruthlessly torn free and sent hurtling back to Earth. As if the galactic pathway through the stars had been a rubber band stretched impossibly tight, now snapping back at speeds far beyond light, spacetime itself scrunching up as he was hurtled right back into his shattered dying shell in the ruins of the city he had actually managed to purge of threat and peril¡­ just as his heart skittered to a stop, the glories of heaven a dream that would never be his.

 Chapter 394 - Freetowns Ascension

    Yet even in Eric¡¯s final dying moments, heart crashing to a stop thanks to the titanic damage done to both body and soul, his fading awareness was bombarded with blaring System messages that refused to be ignored.


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully PURGED Freetown of multiple Bronze-tier threats AND Contenders!


    You have successfully FREED 6,666,666 souls trapped in torment and DESTROYED the moon base of your enemies!


    You have successfully CRIPPLED a Silver tier foe (who might or might NOT be your father!)


    You have AIDED IN THE ASCENSION OF THREE DIVINITIES!


    NOTE! All aforementioned feats have been accomplished while you had slipped FREE of the mortal coil! (A spirit of HOPE and RETRIBUTION!) System is UNABLE to process rewards for Divine-tier feats.


    System WILL give DEEP SILVER Credit in the evolution of THIS your latest (and potentially final!) Territory EVOLUTION!


    You may choose THREE Lesser / DEEP SILVER TIER Perks with which to enhance Freetown (and the 400 square mile territory it resides within, AS YOU CHOOSE!


    *Note. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you choose Pristine Restoration as one of your three boons!


    Eric¡¯s shocked dismay soon turned to agonized panic as the Interface¡¯s blaring message jolted him back to reality. Whatever dreams of a magical perfect afterlife his dying mind might have been struck by , those fantasies would do nothing to end the awful burning ache in his lungs, and a mind so shattered that System shenanigans (Silver Wormies!) were, perhaps, the only thing holding his neurons together for a few more precious seconds, the damage so catastrophic not even his healing could keep up.


    That awareness jolted him out of his dreamlike dismay, grounded by the awful pain of his cells screaming for oxygen and so much more that Unified Restoration had no hope of healing, the only thing greater than his agony was the sudden awful awareness that he was alone.


    That his desperate gambit had failed.


    That all of Freetown was a baron, lifeless hellscape, and somehow it was all his fault.


    ¡°NO! Bullshit!¡± He screamed in his own dying mind. ¡°My warding worked! The pyramid¡¯s destruction was limited to that red territory alone!¡±


    Yet that did nothing to stop whatever horrific tragedy had occurred. Whether it was a final retributive strike, or a deadly doomsday weapon planted just in case the mind lord who was actually just another one of Malice¡¯s children¡­ another one of his victims... failed to claim Freetown for his master. So the bitter old bastard had made sure that no one would have it, while wiping out every competing Contender while not just spitting but outright shitting on whatever accords protected newly risen worlds from such horrific abuses of power, making an absolute mockery of it with a Silver Phoenix Talisman and a hate-filled smile.


    Yet in that moment of dying agony, his mind fading so badly he couldn¡¯t even process the desperately blinking interface options, Eric was struck anew by the wondrous light in his mother¡¯s ascending eyes. Embracing a reality so filled with transcendent meaning that reality itself was shaped by the covenants and pacts of those who embraced them. They didn¡¯t just penalize bad behavior and countenance good¡­ they defined reality itself.


    Eric shuddered in final epiphany, silvery tendrils holding his mind together flaring with sudden golden light.


    A transcendent pact had been sealed and signed by both Silver-tier puppet-masters and a goddess who had ascended.


    It was a pact that forbade the use of higher order weapons. Ergo, NO higher order weapons had been used. NO psionics had obliterated the minds of its people. No nuclear tier devastation had been unleashed the moment of the pyramid¡¯s destruction. NO Soul-stealing gate had been used to harvest the souls of Freetown¡¯s innocent.


    In this territory, under the golden light of his mother¡¯s will if, nowhere else, those breaches HAD NEVER OCCURED!


    Eric wanted to laugh with wonder and joy, snapping back to himself once more with a deep breath of sweet, life-giving air, utterly free of nuclear hellfire, toxic fumes, or the burning ash of a hundred thousand butchered and burned victims. He didn¡¯t need to open his eyes to know such glorious truths. For the pact all parties had signed to Freetown¡¯s fate was transcendent, and no breach had occurred because, as far as the soul of this city was concerned, there was no goblin presence here at all.


    An ugly two year chapter fading to dreamlike irrelevance just as utterly as a young, innocent Aurelia had utterly ignored the decrepit memory of a fading demon after plucking both of her children utterly free of his taint and influence and ascending to the beautiful heaven that was her home.


    Even as Eric¡¯s heart ached with melancholy for an impossible dream that could never be his own, he was filled with joy to see his dream of Freetown wondrous and whole, the perfect high magi-tech city filled with beautiful parks and gardens and soaring edifices of glittering Alutopaz, pristine glass, and pearlescent stone.


    Freetown was nothing short of a wondrous marvel of architecture engineering, Blue Corp having given its heart and soul to forging a glorious masterwork of a city. A city that would now serve as an inspiration to an entire world as to just how far they could all ascend, so long as they worked together in common cause. For Freetown was a community filled with happy workers making high wages within pristine manufacturing centers, glittering shopping centers, and a financial district that would be able to handle the finances of an entire nation, once this continent built itself up from the rubble and ashes of a rough ascension.


    Eric¡¯s eyes filled with tears as his mind rang with the clarion call of a System message that shook him to his core.


    Congratulations! Freetown has been the recipient of a PRISTINE RESTORATION! Over sixty thousand hard working men and women along with an equal number of children have awakened from dark dreams of slaughter, enslavement, and spiritual torture to find all such nightmares fading with the morning light!


    Moral boost gained! All citizens that now call this magitech wonder of modern luxury and arcane sophistication their home are humbled and grateful! Knowing deep in their hearts that life could be so much WORSE!


    Freetown citizens now enjoy a PERMANENT +20% bonus to moral, productivity, and happiness! For gratitude truly is a natural wonder.


    BONUS BRONZE BOON IN PLAY! - All citizens of Freetown enjoy Top-Tier facilities equivalent to a standard fully developed world.


    BONUS SILVER PERK IN PLAY! - All citizens additionally enjoy PROFESSIONS! An unknown number of citizens additionally have the potential to gain Adventuring Classes, should access to Tier 2 ascension pods be made available!


    BONUS RESTORATION BOON IN PLAY! - All Freetown visitors and founders (Free of animosity toward the Silver clan) have ALSO been fully restored to pristine health. (This includes YOURSELF!)


    Eric¡¯s mind howled with sheerest exultation, sensing reality shift and flow to his will. To become what it had always been destined to be. And as he was no god, he was doing naught but reminding it of what it had always been.


    So many perks and boons and possible advancements flickered across his mind¡¯s eye¡­ Boons that would fill the populace with incredible glimpses of insight and innovation, as if they were constantly on the cusp of profoundest epiphany such as what Eric and his daughter had enjoyed while forging themselves anew and advancing their skills to Journeyman, Adept, Elite, and, in his daughter¡¯s case, Master tier perks. - Yet he sensed as well that such profound revelations would exact a deep tole on his people. They would all blaze like comments, and not a one would live past 40 with the depths of their revelations. Marrying young wouldn¡¯t just be passion¡¯s responsibility but an absolute necessity, even as children blazed through school in just a handful of years.


    But all he had to do was recall the agony he even now recalled in his daughter¡¯s euphoric eyes when revelatory wonder had become torment, at last choosing serenity and balance over the most extreme excesses of power¡­ to shudder at the thought of forcing that burden on 120,000 souls. All now blessed with Profession¡¯s virtues, but only a fraction possessed the souls and psyches capable of withstanding a true Classer¡¯s boons and burdens.


    So he pulled away from that glorious boon even as he sensed half a dozen others that, to very mild degrees, balanced with other white-tier perks of longevity and good health that he could bring into being with his next conquest, might actually allow for harmonious balance. Perks that would fill a populace with limitless bubbling energy resulting in a 30% or higher productivity boon, or a 20% creativity boon, balanced with a Lesser Longevity and/or Pristine health boons, and most especially a happiness boon. So all would live long, healthy lives even as their minds blazed with creative, productive, or fiscal insights. At least it would be a joy and not the torment promised by Silver tier boons.


    ¡°So Silver-tier boons to change the world, but only lesser White-tier boons to enhance the mind. Noted,¡± he whispered to himself even as he strove to forge this tiny corner of existence into the glorious reality it had always been meant to be.


    Yet even as his psyche gloried in the myriad ways he could grant incredible boons to the territory as a whole, he sensed as well the devastating flaws and weaknesses of a territory that the goblins, via insidious pacts, midnight bargains, and acts of vile sacrifice and claimance, had already torn free so much of the potential of this and many other territories, leaving nothing but a bitter husk and dungeons that were less that dirt poor, demanding a sacrifice in blood greater than any rewards it might give.


    Upon such a broken decrepit foundation, so like Malice himself, there was no way in hell Eric could place any singular Silver-tier boon that wouldn¡¯t warp the entire territory to hideous effect.


    And even as Eric felt the weight of that bitter truth, his second¡¯s pause, free from euphoria¡¯s grace and blessing, let him sense another truth as well.


    The absolute peril his world was in. After such a devastating endless night, after being forced to serve as the perch for not just one but two Ascending Golds, his world was like a red giant of a star at risk of exploding even as spacetime warped upon the surface of so many territories, so many orange territories already turning to a glaringly deadly red decades or even centuries before such would normally be a problem, as the actual surface of said territories warped from roughly 400 square miles as was the norm of any white tier to the 1,600 square miles of countless Oranges before blossoming to the 6,400 square miles of countless Reds. In fact, all the hot oranges of 80 by 80 miles he had sprinted across, his friends in tow, not that long ago, were the first to blossom straight to deepest red. And few things were more chilling then sensing those reds begin to swell and ascend. For once they started morphing into the black of Bronze-tier territories and horrors¡­ the potential might be ovewhelming, but monster surges would be a threat that would then wash over the world in just a handful of seasons, not decades. And far worse, Eric could sense that the entire world would be at risk of erupting sooner rather than later.


    Euphoria turned to a surge of ice cold dread. Eric¡¯s joy was plunged in the chilly depths of imminent peril, jubilant thoughts becoming desperate focus once more.


    ¡°I have not one but TWO Silver tier perks. And a too fucking fragile territory, and an entire world in danger of erupting.¡± He whispered to himself, though whether he was in a hollowed crater, an empty arena, or perhaps, the blank white room of the System itself, with Conceptio¡¯s inhuman yet strangely kind gaze looking on, he didn¡¯t know, because he absolutely refused to open his eyes. For the moment he did¡­ he knew he would see Freetown as it had always been and any lost perks would have been nothing more than a glimmer of self-delusion and dream.


    Yet still¡­ he shivered with the anxious burden crashing down upon him. Knowing all too painfully well that so much of the Earth¡¯s peril was thanks to his and his mother¡¯s actions. No matter if they had saved the entire Sylvan alliance, all of a dozen Sylvan worlds and countless worlds owned and now effectively ruled by what was now effectively a far more Militant Blue Corp¡­ so much occurring in that endless Silver-tier night.


    So much that had always been.


    Then Eric gasped, it being all he could do not to open his eyes in wonder as it clicked.


    ¡°It was always this way. Mother and I¡­ we had always had our grip upon this world,¡± he whispered with awe. ¡°Which means that¡­. Conceptio!¡±


    His whisper became a cry.


    ¡°Yes, Eric?¡±


    He shivered, not actually expecting the System AI to be right there gazing at him so intently, so expectantly. Or perhaps the white room he was visualizing lying down within really was all in his head.


    ¡°I would like to extend my Silver-tier perks to encompass the world as a whole.¡±


    An endless pause. Eric¡¯s heart was racing with the sudden surge of tension he felt¡­ wondering if he would be struck dead for his daring.


    ¡°Under what pretext?¡±


    Eric¡¯s throat went dry. His disbelief that his declaration was even being considered being beyond the pale. But all things considered¡­ ¡°I was a Golden Phoenix with the entire world in my talons. When I felt my mother¡¯s cry¡­ I sheltered it.¡±


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    He swallowed. ¡°My feathers, fire, and blood encompassed it all. Ergo my bloodmagic should now be bound to the entire world.¡± he gasped in the silence, forcing himself to speak on. ¡°And with the endless night that had just past¡­ it was always that way. Wasn¡¯t it? I will always have an affinity with this world.¡± He quickly spoke on, in a rush, lest Conceptio cut him off for the sheer audacity and absurdity of his claim.


    ¡°So I would like to invest both of my Deep Silver-tier Territory Boons in a ley-line perk. Any territory I ever exerted claimance upon is now connected to every other territory I ever declared claimance upon, and all such territories shall be anchored, irregardless of the pressures exerted by other territories around or between them.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. And how would you anchor them?¡±


    Eric swallowed. ¡°In the form of indestructible roads¡­ and multi-lane train tracks! Roads that would both connect those territories and allow people to trade and travel. At least wide enough so they could one day support several lanes of traffic¡­ but no disgusting superhighways. And at least four lanes of train tracks between territories, because everyone knows a good train system abrogates the need for highways covering our entire world in concrete which made special interests and car companies a fortune and screwed most of America except for New York and Philly out of ever having the lively, walk-friendly cities that so much of Europe enjoyed before everything went to shit.¡±


    Conceptio¡¯s voice took on a hint of amusement. ¡°How delightfully grandios. And perhaps you would like a two lane road and double track to manifest themselves with every major town that you and your pawns in Blue Corp recognize or build yourselves?¡±


    Eric had the gall to nod. ¡°Absolutely. And part of that double-Silver boon will include elevated rail-lines and connecting roads that will attach themselves to Freetown and anchor it to the adjoining territories I once claimed¡­ will also fill in whatever pockets of rot, corruption, and impoverishment that predatory factions such as the goblins might have inflicted upon the territories I claim and keep¡­ or surrender to another.¡±


    For long, perilous moments, Eric felt the weight of the entire System gazing intently down upon him. It was enough to make him scream in his mind, his voiced locked rigid by brilliant flashes of Silvery wormies wiggling with glee inside his skull.


    ¡°An absolutely absurd bounty. How outrageous. How WONDERFUL! To taste divine potential transmuted in a world evolution that can be encapsulated and quantized. And your Divine mana which is beyond my ken shall allow it. Even as your Divine Abjuration skill passes from this world to your mother¡¯s. WELL DONE, Eric Silver!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened in surprised dismay, even as he found himself gazing at the glorious wonder of Freetown, sparkling like a wondrous metropolis of shimmering topaz and chrome with a glorious collage of parks and gardens and lush greenery such that it looked both like a faerie tale forest and the most high tech city imaginable, all at once.


    Even as Eric picked up speed, falling at terrifying speeds, finding that his Divine Abjuration skill, for which there was NO counter, at least when he was freeing bound souls¡­ had indeed been locked.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Hardly that, Eric Silver,¡± Conceptio¡¯s voice calmly explained as he continued hurtling down to earth. ¡°But since you have technically fallen from heaven and are divine no longer, neither your golden wings of impossibility, shielding you from so many Silver-tier killing blows your nemesis and relative couldn¡¯t quite pierce, nor your Divine tier abjuration, are accessible to you any longer. And to think. It was an epiphany you had while little more than a soul! An epiphany which managed to destroy an ancient soul-steel tainted moon that was such a pustulant sore that the emperor himself deigned it not worth the resources to destroy, so long as Malice never dared to strike at him directly. And you obliterated it all with a single pair of words. ¡®Be Free.¡¯ How unexpected. How EXTRAORDINARY! And utterly outside the paradigm of System protocols or this particular reality, and so had to be removed.¡±


    Eric swallowed his suddenly dry throat. ¡°What about my Golden Phoenix Class? My powers? My Essence Fusion?¡±


    ¡°All are of course completely intact, Eric Silver. Even if you are no longer Seraphim, you and your mother both achieved a Phoenix ascension well within System parameters! And considering that one is ultimately an evolution of the other, depending on your theological paradigms, the experiences you accrued, even as a free spirit, shall no doubt prove IMMEASURABLY useful as you continue to evolve your class!¡±


    Eric could sense the jubilation in Conceptio¡¯s voice.


    ¡°In fact, your revelations and experience gained this night were so profound that you have actually managed to advance your 2<sup>nd</sup> tier core saturation to an absolutely absurd 65.25% after helping three divine beings ascend beyond System Parameters!¡± He chuckled approvingly, much like the emperor¡¯s voice in Exile¡¯s Path. ¡°A wonderful accomplishment. You cannot FATHOM how rare a creature you truly are, Eric Silver. Achieving feats that would make the emperor himself take notice, if you were foolish enough to share it!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened as the entire city continued to blossom into existence all around him like the opening of a magnificent hi-tech blossom as Eric continued to hurtle right for the Blue Palace at bone-shattering speeds. Yet he didn¡¯t feel terror so much as awe as countless souls blossomed from oblivion to vigorous joyous life once more. A divine act that should transcend mortal magics altogether. Yet no edicts were shattered or rules of reality broken. Because in that moment, past and present were one.


    So Eric chose simply to smile and close his eyes as he hit the ground with catastrophic force, knowing on some level his mission was complete.


    A world stabilized.


    A city brought back from oblivion as an angel lost his wings and a phoenix crashed down from heavenly heights to the realm of mundus once more.


    Before being reborn once more in a city¡¯s worth of lush green parks, impossibly grand skyscrapers, colorful gardens, child-friendly playgrounds, and elecromagnetic wonders, all sprouting from the ashes of his own ascension.


    The agony of his own fall lasted only an instant before blissful darkness overtook him.


    And for the first time in countless days¡­ he lost himself in death-like slumber that lasted far more than a single hour.


    For three days and two nights he lost himself in dreams of soaring upon wings of fire over heavenly skies, gazing down upon wondrous storybooks forests and fields, impossibly fantastic cities stretching over countless dimensions and cozy little hamlets where everyone strove to forge a story of life of pristine joy and wonder.


    For only a heartbeat did he catch a glimpse that set his heart ablaze with joy and warmth¡­ a young mother with her babes resting in adjoining cribs, crying in the arms of a mother and father who had always loved her, always accepted her, and were glad that she had finally found her way home.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    And for just a heartbeat, he thought he caught sight of his mother¡¯s gaze smiling up at him as he soared the heavens¡­ before he fell back to earth once more.


    Jolting upright in a plush, four poster bed as thousand thread count Egyptian weave cotton sheets slipped off his gasping frame, wide eyes sparkling with a fiery corona around irises of deepest blue, flashing with the same iridescent sheen as the essence tattoos upon his cheeks that now sparkled with ruby and sapphire highlights both as twin essences defining his soul caught the glittering highlights of a well-lit room that was nothing short of luxurious.


    A shuddering breath and he caught sight of his own wide chest and powerfully built shoulders, looking very much as he always had, ever since his strength had ascended past 20. The natural maximum his frame was even capable of without extraordinary testosterone stacking protocols in place. And everything beyond that, the absolute hundreds of points beyond that, involved exotic biochemistry and the direct use and manipulation of internal mana, a cultivator¡¯s spiritual energy, and sheer raw potency as his body evolved along ever more extreme paradigms. Sure, he was now closer to six feet than five foot ten, but barring the inches gained, his proportions were harmonious and he would never bulk up quite like Arnold. A gold-medal gymnast? He flashed a too handsome smile for the mirror that actually startled him, because that physique he most definitely had.


    The body of a Gold medalist, an early Greek Adonis, but certainly he was no He-Man giant.


    He shook his head with wonder, quickly looking away from the full length mirror so like the one that had made Rica blush and smile whenever they were alone together, for the brief handful of days that had had the chance to truly savor what it meant to be young, healthy, full of life and love.


    Then everything had changed.


    He closed his eyes, ignoring the sudden hot sting of tears. Instead he breathed deep, mind racing with all the madness, wonder, and glory that he had survived, endured, and profited madly by in a night that had seemed almost without end...before being over so fast that it almost seemed a dream. The whole thing, even for him. A fellow talisman holder.


    Yet it was real. A night that had been beyond miraculous in both its transcendence and his own personal growth. And all he had to do was take a look at his complete character sheet to appreciate just how incredibly far he had come in the space of a single night.


    _______________________________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 49 GOLDEN PHOENIX (Adventurer)


    (2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation at 65.25%!)


    Rank 42 DEATH¡¯S DISCIPLE (Four Seasons)


    Level 33 Master Necromancer (1 perk deferred)


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 531


    Vitality ¨C 582


    Finesse ¨C 462


    Quickness ¨C 788


    Appearance ¨C 29


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 27


    Perception ¨C 451


    Willpower ¨C 99


    Charisma ¨C 15


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 427


    (Mana Pool = 5132)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 440


    (Qi Pool = 5291)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 125


    (Psion Pool = 1503)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 536


    Stamina ¨C 5821 Points


    Health ¨C 7272 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 113


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 58 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 82


    Qi Resistance ¨C 85


    Mental Resistance ¨C 101


    Psionic Resistance ¨C 0


    Class & Cultivation Synergism


    Essence Ability Cost 67%


    Essence Damage Multiplier 149%


    Unarmed Combat Rank 28


    Damage Bonus to all Essence Melee attacks: 254%


    ______________________________________


    40% Bonus to all Strength points above 500


    40% Bonus to all Vitality points above 500


    30% Bonus to all Finesse points above 300


    40% Bonus to all Quickness points above 500. (Speed Racer. Full Battletime boon, if Finesse+Perception together at least = Quickness!)


    30% Bonus to all Perception points above 300


    30% Bonus to all Spiritual Energy points above 300.


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned! (Additive with all other modifiers. Bronze Duelist.)


    10% Additional bonus to all ability points earned (Additive with all other modifiers: Interplanetary Contender!)


    30% Additional bonus to all ability points earned until you ascend to Gold! (Legendary tier boon bequeathed by Terra Herself!)


    NOTE! Your cultivation foundation has evolved! You now earn 15 points per level as a Four Season Cultivator! (Ice (Winter) / Fire (Summer) / Wood (Spring) / Wind (Autumn) +3 ST&Vit&Qui +4 SE +1 Fin&Per)


    Physical Age = 18 Years (+ 32 years, 10 months, 12 days, & 4 hours that Arcane Magics cannot restore! Superhuman vitality allows you to keep your youth, even if you¡¯re now burning your candle at both ends! Note! Your meridians now anchor 12 Divine Tier Spirit Peaches. Life expectancy has increased by 12($%^&^%) years!)


    Level 49 Golden Phoenix Powers.


    - Modified Cost of all abilities using any primary essence: 67% multiplicative of all other factors.


    - Damage Multiplier of all abilities using any primary essence: 149% multiplicative of all other factors.


    (Core Enhancement) - Essence Fusion ¨C Rank 10 (And once it was so much more!)


    This is now a Legendary Tier Class related power. No Nodes have been used to anchor this power.


    Essence infusion has achieved Journeyman Rank! - Enhancement Feat automatically chosen ¨C Dual Harmony! You may now infuse TWO synergistic or antagonistic elements in a unified Higher Order Transformation within any applicable skill, spell, or power that meets all necessary requirements!


    NOTE! YOU HAVE TASTED TRUE TRANSCENDENCE! All experience points earned towards evolving this skill will be twice as effective as would be for the unenlightened!


    Note! ALL immunities and damage mitigators are NULLIFIED against Higher Order attacks! - Singular exception: Countermeasures involving similar or opposing ESSENCES!


    Warning! Your evolution will earn the interest or ire of ALL known powers and principalities who find out about it. DISCRETION is strongly advised!


    Any use of Essence Fusion within rifts must save versus rupture unless YOU make a successful skill check against catastrophe!


    NOTE! You have SUCCESSFULLY achieved multidimensional stability and have FORGED A GOLD TIER PATH! You yourself dared to taste Gold¡¯s epiphanies before CONDENSING your glorious knowledge into a format that ALL your descendants can now make use of! The PATH to GOLD now lies before you, free of all burrs or bottlenecks! (Though how deep a Gold you might achieve or if you could ever ascend past it depends entirely on the strength of your foundation¡­ and your eventual sacrifice!)


    NODAL POWERS


    1. Runic Lore - Rank 30 (Soul Infusion, Tier 3 Runic Spell Evolution, Runic Focus, Blood Runes.)


    Greater runes known: Wood (Herbam), Wind (Ventus), Fire (Ignis), Wrath (Iram), Dominion. (Dicio), Freeze (Congelo)


    Lesser runes known: One (unus) / Many (plures) / Now (hodie) / Sun Duration (dies) / Weaken (debilito) / Strengthen (roboro) / Resilience (mollet) / Fulmen (Lightning) / Torment (Cruciatus) / Sanguis (Blood)


    Gravity (Gravitas) / bend/curve/warp (incurvo) / invert/reverse/turn upside down (inverto) / attentio (attention ¨C concentration duration, in other words) / Resilient (mollet)


    Fragor ¨C Rupture (Psionic Explosion)


    2. Unified Restoration ¨C Rank 15 (This Power allows you to infuse your body with your own spiritual reserves whenever you take an injury for near immediate healing, over and above your basic regeneration rate!) - Perk evolution deferred. (Potency surge ¨C using EX with this ability = healing all injuries at 140-fold basic rate!)


    3. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 9


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 6


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 8 (9)


    - Lightning Bolt - Fulmen- (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen (15 Mana & Qi, 1.5 (.50%) SR) ¨C Rank 14! (Efficency Perk)


    (This spell dispels/abjures/& can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt -Ignes Pilum ¨C (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 8


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor ¨C (21 mana / 21 Qi / 3 Psions / 42 Soul Reserve (21 with Blood Orb in play) and 42 Health!)  ¨C Rank 9


    - You have earned the free perk: Hit Them Where It Hurts! You have a chance to score a Critical Success with Find Weakness skill checks when using Psionic Rupture¡­ if you¡¯re willing to hit them where it hurts! (Note. This perk effects biological males only (for obvious reasons!)


    NOTE! You have permanently altered the nature of this spell! Fragor is now a Transcendent attack involving higher order concepts! You now ALWAYS channel Essence of Wrath with this Psionic shout!


    You will now suffer a backlash every time you use this attack with your puny half-elf mind!


    Essences Claimed:


    Fire ¨C Blazing ¨C Rank 4


    Cold ¨C Freezing ¨C Rank 4


    Wrath ¨C Rank 2


    Dominion ¨C Rank 4


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Cultivation Affinities


    Wind / Wood / Fire


    Qi Skills


    Fire Fist ¨C Rank 20 (21) (10 Qi) - Transcendent Strike 10 Qi & DOUBLE Spiritual energy cost in Soul Reserves will be expended with every Transcendent Strike you dare to unleash.


    Power Strike. - For double standard potency cost, you may now infuse your fiery blows with added explosive power! you do additional damage equal to your strength in terms of raw percentage. and increased Fire Explosion Radius!


    Windfire Strike ¨C Rank 16 (30 Qi & 3 SR¡­ 1.5 SR with Blood Orb) ¨C Bloodfire Strike ¨C Uses elements. Pierces resistance and armor and Soul Wards. - Necromantic affinities possible. - V. draining at baseline. Absorbs enemy vitality! X2 baseline b/c Vampiric Drain evolution of Blood Mastery


    Doom Strike ¨C Rank 7 ¨C Use the essence of cold to stop your opponent in his tracks, no matter how strong he is! This transcendent attack can be unleashed with either punches or kicks, draining Vitality, Mana, and Qi.


    Your opponent¡¯s speed will crumple as he is slowly crushed by Winter¡¯s eternal burden. Damage is baseline Unarmed combat with all boons and modifiers in play. Cost perk strike: 10 Qi & 2 Soul Reserves.


    Doom Strike taps into higher order concepts of COLD. Doom Strike embraces both Consumption and Dominion as you TAKE the heat, vitality, speed and reserves of your opponent and leaving nothing but bitter cold in your wake!


    Ice Fire Strike (Phoenix Strike) ¨C Rank 10 (11) combines higher order concepts of Fire and Ice, Heat and Cold, to both draw all heat and vitality away from your target while unleashing the essence of transcendent flame the width of your sword blade¡¯s edge!


    Journeyman Perk Automatically Chosen. Quarternary Harmony! - A Legendary Tier enhancement inspired by an Ascending Gold! - Your Ice Fire Strike is further enhanced by your ranks in Wrath and Dominion!


    NOTE! YOU HAVE TASTED TRUE TRANSCENDENCE USING THIS HIGHER ORDER POWER! YOU UNDERSTAND THE PATH YOU MUST TAKE TO ACHIEVE GOLD TIER MASTERY WITH THIS ABILITY! All experience points earned towards evolving this skill count double what they otherwise would!


    Due to the nature of this attack, draining your foe¡¯s own heat and vitality to fuel absolute destruction, you only pay HALF the Qi cost in Soul reserves! - Cost to unleash: 30 Qi & 15 Soul Reserves (Soul reserve cost may be cut in half with the use of Blood Orb)


    This transcendent attack presents itself as a corona of pale blue icy fire around a blade radiating transcendent golden heat! It enjoys the combined Ranks of Fire, Cold, Wrath, and Dominion essences when comparing the rank of your Transcendent attack against any higher order protections your opponent has infused with their own essence configurations! Baseline damage will additionally be multiplied by the combined ranks of all four essences for all those who save versus instant obliteration!


    Necromancer Perks:


    Basic Class Perks


    All necromantic (and blood magic) skill use is modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    All Summoned & Forged undead have their potency enhanced by Master Necromancer Level.


    All spells conjuring forth any number of creatures have summoned total modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    One additional enhanced class perk is earned every 2 Master Necromancer levels.


    Enhanced Class Perks:


    1. Soul Orb: Tier 1


    2. Undead Legion: Tier 6 (Up to 3,200 revenants may be risen after each battlefield victory!)


    3. Undead Tactical Interface map access.


    4. Vampiric Restoration


    5. Mixed Unit Tactics


    6. Mark of Resilience


    7. Call to Battle (500 mana cost to summon ? UL max at any time on the battlefield, but never more than the number of fallen bodies or remaining adversaries.)


    8. Death March


    9. Undying Phalanx


    10. Enhanced Legion (You can safely raise undead up to level = Adventurer + 2*Necromancer level )


    11. Crimson Orb: Soul Orb upgrade (Soul Orb potency now includes blood magic. ? cost to all soul point using feats!)


    - Spiritual Oathbinding


    - Soul Riding (This Skill was learned at Zero cost at the feet of your mentor Master Grim.)


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Necromancer Affinities & Skills


    Blood Mastery ¨C Rank 33 (Blood Claimance, Lesser Healing, Essence Infusion, Vampiric Drain)


    Spirit Mastery ¨C Rank 32 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Forced Obeisance)


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding ¨C Rank 31 (Tier III Path of Dominion, Ritual of Greater Spirit Summoning, *Instant Transcription)


    Flesh Sculptor ¨C Rank 27 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Basic Revenant Preparation)


    Blood Ward ¨C Rank 4


    Potency Binding ¨C Rank 4


    Necromancer Spells


    Unorthodox Abjuration ¨C Rank 23


    Transcendant Abjuration ¨C Rank 3(4) ¨C Obliterate your undead opponents and any pocket rift they dare to claim with a higher order manifestation of Dominion! (Efficiency will increase, should you dare to master this spell! - Risk of rupturing entire rifts! - Perilous to cast in dungeons until control is established! - Casting on the surface, much safer, may alert unwanted foes of your power!)


    - Cost to cast: 40 Mana / 40 Qi / 40 Psion / 40 Soul Reserves. - Repudio!


    Divine Abjuration ¨C Rank 10 (Transcendent Mercy)


    All trapped souls that feel your touch or hear your cry will be FREED of ALL Bindings.


    There is no counter to this art.


    NOTE! You are no longer Seraphim! This art has been sealed from you.


    Arcane Skills


    Elemental Wands ¨C Rank 11 (Insightful Caster)


    Advanced Arcane Weapons (Blaster Rifle) ¨C Rank 11 - (Power Transference. Can personally recharge any wand or blaster)


    Essence Related Skills:


    Burst of Strength ¨C Rank 18 (Path of Mastery)


    Dominion¡¯s Resilience ¨C Rank 3


    Dominion¡¯s Command ¨C Rank 6


    Heat Surge ¨C Rank 13 (Path of Mastery)


    Unified Perception Rank 24 (Sense Heat, Spiritual Energy, Magic, & Qi Flow.)


    Interface Recognized Skills


    Acting ¨C Rank 6


    Bardiche (Unified) ¨C Rank 21 (Cleaving Blow, Battleforged,*Piercing Strike)


    Blade and Shield ¨C Rank 11


    Boar Riding ¨C Rank 7


    Bow (All Types) ¨C Rank 21 (True Strike, Void Piercer)


    Charge ¨C Rank 5 (charge into your foes with maximum damage to them, and minimal damage to yourself!)


    Crossbows ¨C Rank 16 (True Strike)


    Small Blades ¨C Rank 4


    Demolitions ¨C Rank 14 (Path of Mastery)


    ESS Manipulation ¨C Rank 19 (Arcane Resonance Mastery)


    Find Weakness ¨C Rank 26 ¨C (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    Flail ¨C Rank 5


    Identify ¨C Rank 3


    Gunnery ¨C Rank 10 (Cautious Gunner)


    Healer¡¯s Aid ¨C Rank 3


    Iado (Fast-Draw) ¨C Rank 19 (Doom Flurry)


    Javelin Throwing ¨C Rank 21 (Piercing Strike, Void Piercer)


    Negotiation ¨C Rank 14 (Intimidation)


    Repair ¨C Rank 1


    Sling ¨C Rank 17 (Precise Shot Adv.)


    Spear ¨C Rank 26 (Piercing Strike, Battleforged)


    Stealth ¨C Rank 17 (Hunter¡¯s Grace)


    Swordsmanship ¨C Rank 33 (Doom Slice, Battleforged, Cultivator¡¯s Fury (+50% potency Qi attacks) *Piercing Strike *Cleaving Blow)


    Swimming ¨C Rank 2


    Unarmed Combat ¨C Rank 27 (Empty Fist) / (Cultivator¡¯s Might ¨C Legendary!) - All Peripheral Meridian Channels will continuously evolve ever closer to perfection with every advancement you make as both warrior and cultivator. All Elemental Qi attacks channeled through your meridians (Including Fire Fist, Doom Strike, Ice Fire Strike, Windfire Strike, & all variants) will now be 1% more potent than they would otherwise be for every rank you earn in unarmed combat, and for every level you earn as a Disciple along Peril¡¯s Path!


    Interface Enhancements


    Full Neuro-Linguistic capabilities


    Extradimensional Storage Space


    Path of Endless Bounty ¨C Rank 15 (Crimson Balance, Evolution¡¯s Crucible, Oblivion¡¯s Mercy, Crimson Contender)


    You may consume the potency of any tile you claim for a 50% bonus to baseline ST & VIT earned while granting 3 Lesser Bounties of your choice!  (Note. These bounties increase in significance when claiming territories of orange tier saturation or greater!)


    Crimson Contender


    You may now consume your fellow Contenders as if they were territories! You enjoy +6 to Find Weakness skill checks against any Contender and upon consuming them, you may consume them UTTERLY! You enjoy a 50% Boon over and above the baseline 5% of key Contender attributes as your OWN Crimson Bounty that you tear free of your prey! (Effective baseline consumption is 7.5% of key attributes, further modified by attribute enhancement boons!)


    You will also automatically claim at least a single rank of any essence they have to which you have any affinity! (You have chosen to claim no Essence that don¡¯t synergize with the four paths of the Golden Phoenix!)


    _________________________________

 Chapter 395 - Freetowns Peril: Part 1

    Eric shuddered, a part of him terrified of losing all memory of the miraculous wonders he had experienced, no matter the striking transformations and advancements displayed in his character sheet. It was then that he noted the complimentary pencils and stationary upon one of the many perfectly placed and ergonomically designed hardwood tables in the study adjoining his luxurious bedroom in what he now realized was one of the five million credit floor-sized suites among the top floors of the Blue Palace he had been savvy enough to invest in, what now felt like a lifetime ago.


    He swallowed his suddenly dry throat, his naked feet hugged by the incredibly soft and plush lamb¡¯s wool rugs complete with self cleaning enchantments as he took in the 3-D Hologram mini-theater display that had all his favorite animes. He was surprised to find himself blinking back nostalgic tears when a gentle press of a button pulled up episode one, season one, of Blue Punch man, a favorite of Rica and him both. Then, happy to leave it on, he found his eyes wandering to the highly coveted electromana computer and monitor that ostensibly allowed one to study and develop ideal delving strategies for any of the nearby delves, and he was fiercely pleased to see that it now included, to a very limited extent, the closest delve from Ashland as well.


    Yet the truth that Eric was damn well aware of, with its multiple options for hypothetical character generation and alternate dungeon and questline generations, is that computer could also serve as the ultimate gaming console that might, with a bit of high mana-tech modding, give even the legendary SkyDragon game he had so loved as a child a run for its money.


    ¡°State of the line entertainment center with 3-D anime and all the songs of a world long gone, and a gaming counsel that would make my old party mates green with envy.¡± Eric chuckled softly. ¡°And one day¡­ this will be available for everyone. And if my sense of this wonderful glorious city is right, hundreds if not thousands of elites here in Freetown are even now enjoying evenings with creature comforts very much like these. Aligning with Blue Corp was definitely the way to go.¡±


    Though he noted the warning exclamation points on the blinking monitor, declaring Ashland a Province in Opposition at present.


    Eric winced, momentarily struck with the crushing weight of all that he had lost, far too many enemies striking with far too much force and fury for him to do anything more than survive and, by some miracle, pull a single territory from the ashes of absolute ruin, even as he lost everything else. And, as far as a certain Silver tier artifact was concerned, save for minute handful of anomalies that only Gold could overcome, had effectively never had any claim to any of it whatsoever.


    ¡°I did what I could,¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°And the fight¡¯s not over. Not by a long shot.¡± The look he gave his mirror image was now the farthest thing from that of a self-conscious youth. His eyes blazed with determination. There was a hell of a lot that needed doing, and he¡¯d handle it, one step, one territory, at a time. He could only hope that Ashland and Hope territory weren¡¯t now absolutely flooded with Elite Bronze-tier mercenaries or he was pretty much screwed, especially since, from this moment onward, he dare not manifest his flashier powers embracing Higher Order concepts, like Phoenix Strike, lest he want countless factions presently forced to come for Earth with kid gloves to use that as a pretext to take off those gloves and attack full force.


    Of course it wasn¡¯t fair, but when the hell had anything about this ascension been fair? It was the situation he had to deal with. Without a Bronze or Silver talisman in play, he¡¯d be a fool to use them anywhere outside a dungeon. And there too, he had to be careful, lest he rupture those pocket dimensions that were there for a reason, so he was loath to risk their collapse without careful consideration, a focus on control over power, and a cleared and secured route back the way he had come with the exit in sight that he could sprint to. Whether at the very beginning of a delve or when fighting the final boss¡­ those were the only to spots he would dare, if he dared to use transcendent attacks at all. Though a part of him actually had hopes for the most subtle of his higher order powers, and those that mimicked a certain opponent that had come so close to killing them all... that was an issue for another day.


    His face lit up with a brilliant smile as he opened the curtains of his floor to ceiling Alutopaz windows that were every bit as clear as glass, gazing down with wonder at the bright lights of the magnificent city below. For a just second, he felt almost as if he were looking down at the heart of Paris or Amsterdam. And he was quite pleased to see that even with the city¡¯s glorious ascension, certain promises had been upheld. No nearby building blocked his view of the lake nearby, or the forest in the distance, even if the lake was now surrounded by what looked to be a fishing village, which Eric intuitively felt to be an extension of Freetown proper. And the gardens and parks below were just as lush and vibrant as ever, though his smile filled with heartwarming joy when he noted that the nice, wide spacious boulevard below, a shopping district Caliban had once dreamed would be full of happy customers and thriving workers, was now just that.


    Truly, it was a far cry from the near ghost town that the Blue Quarter had been, just days ago¡­ A lifetime ago. He shivered with wonder. Or perhaps¡­ had never been at all. Perhaps this reality, the one he now walked and fully embraced, was one where Freetown had always blossomed. Fully the property of Blue Corp.


    And that was when the crystal phone on the wall began a panicked beep and Eric felt a jolt surprise that quickly turned to dread, suddenly recalling what the tiny timer he had set in the corner of his interface was about. What it had to be about. Because of course, when he picked up the phone, the voice he heard was Caliban¡¯s own.


    ¡°Eric. Eric! Thank goodness. You¡¯re finally awake!¡±


    Eric forced a smile, no matter the surge of sudden anxiety that was now souring the wondrous joy he had felt at waking up to a high tech wonderland, the tragedy of a ruined crater of a city and visions so many thousands dead (His fault. He triggered a doomsday device! How the fuck could he have known? So many of Malice¡¯s cards used specifically to destroy him!) was no more than an awful dream he had finally slipped free of.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    He winced at the urgency he heard in his friend¡¯s voice¡­ his business partner¡¯s voice. What exactly he was to the hidden prince of an entire faction, a descendant of Aurelia and so blood of his blood, blood of an angel? Just like him. Even if many generations removed. A man he had rescued form torture and death. Whose family he had saved. And all that, no more than a dream to everyone who wasn¡¯t a galactic Contender with talismen of their own.


    ¡°Yes, Caliban. I¡¯m here.¡±


    His business partner took a deep breath, though Eric could sense the sudden spike of tension. Yet his voice, when he spoke, was measured. Precise. Controlled. ¡°Are you aware of our bank charter?¡±


    Eric winced, wondering if now, after the fact, bonds of brotherhood forgotten, his partner would chafe and revile just how overboard Eric¡¯s demands might have seen.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°All of Freetown is now tied to our bank, Eric. You understand this. Right?¡±


    Eric swallowed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A charter which will control every last asset Blue Corporation might claim or seize upon Terra. All our assets and profits, save for direct tithes paid by farmers, traders, and independent business owners, are to be channeled through that bank, of which you are a 50% shareholder.¡±


    Eric felt his cheeks flush, heart now pounding. Forcing himself to say the word. To deny nothing. ¡°Yes.¡±


    A painfully long pause. ¡°A contract signed in both our blood. Radiating Silver-tier magics and System bindings. A contract I have no recollection of ever signing.¡±


    Eric closed his eyes. Knowing they should be having this conversation in person, not over the bloody phone. And Caliban, an elite Bronze himself, was no fool. So there had to be a reason. A damn good reason. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°A contract that recognizes us both has independent sovereigns¡­ independent powers.¡±


    Eric said nothing.


    ¡°Do you know who I am, Eric Silver?¡±


    Eric swallowed. ¡°Yes I do.¡±


    This earned a pained sigh. ¡°I find myself captaining a ship with such potential it humbles me. With my wife asleep beside me. My beloved children happily studying in their adjoining rooms.¡±


    Eric swallowed, having no idea what to say to that.


    ¡°Should I tell you the nightmare I woke up from?¡±


    Eric sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°I can imagine.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what you know.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Say it!¡± Caliban¡¯s voice was unexpectedly rough and harsh.


    Eric took a deep breath. ¡°Your family and twenty thousand other innocent souls, cordoned off in the former arena that I sense no longer exists... screaming as they fought against corrupt goblins and ruthless Bronze tier mercenaries, and you helpless to save them as they were about to be burned alive, their souls in eternal torment as everyone was being forced through a portal and into a cage leading to a goblin soul-forge¡­ the only one to survive our purge. Mother and I were damned thorough on that account, especially with the final moon. Now no moon at all. In the dream, I mean.


    ¡°Or perhaps¡­ you dreamed of a massive meteor descending from the heavens. Just seconds from wiping Freetown off the map¡­ the ruins of a city in far worse shape than this one that¡¯s no more real now than a bad dream¡­ only that meteor was pulled into an adjoining red territory. Freetown Saved. Only it wasn¡¯t. A bitter enemy¡¯s retributive strike obliterated everything and everyone who hadn¡¯t already been enslaved or perished. An old enemy¡¯s spite and hate so profound that they would do anything, absolutely anything, to see every last elf damned even as he alone ascended. A demon in every sense of the word.¡± Eric caught himself. ¡°Or maybe you didn¡¯t dream that. Maybe it was only me.¡±


    For long seconds the phone was dead silent.


    ¡°I accept the charter as valid.¡±


    Eric blinked at the odd tone in his business partner¡¯s voice. Sensing arts and magics far beyond his specialty or ken. Yet he wasn¡¯t troubled by it, it did nothing to him, save make his heart skip a beat, bones shivering underneath his skin.


    ¡°Good. Now please tell me why we are having this conversation over the phone instead of in very secure quarters, perhaps in the inner sanctum of a mutual friend.¡±


    Caliban sighed. ¡°Are you aware of the fact that this priceless bank charter which holds all of Blue Corp¡¯s fortunes¡­ perhaps both our fortunes¡­ is effectively the collateral of a goblin loan to the tune of nearly two billion credits?¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m damn well aware of Arlen Ort¡¯s bullshitery.¡±


    ¡°No names!¡± Caliban hissed.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°The debt collectors are here, Eric.¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. His heart began to pound, as words slipped free of his lips before he could process them, hold them back, or deny his killing intent. ¡°Just point me to them, brother, and they will be a fucking past-tense.¡±


    For long, painful seconds, Caliban said nothing at all. ¡°Are you truly that strong?¡±


    ¡°Are they Silver?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then I will make that happen.¡±


    ¡°And just what level are you, my enthusiastic and somewhat unexpectedly full business partner?¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Forty nine. Still basic or White tier. But don¡¯t let the number fool you. I pack quite a punch.¡±


    Caliban sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter either way. These are experience barristers, and this is Bronze-tier lawfare. Our competitors are pulling out all the stops. On the plus side, we are both recognized as sovereigns, no matter how infuriating our enemies find it that they can find absolutely no records of our assets, feats, or accomplishments anywhere. The contract signed and sealed in blood, recognizes our status as sovereign states.¡±


    Eric felt a certain measure of relief with those words. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°Eric.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Caliban?¡±


    ¡°You have exactly 72 hours from this moment to somehow find and secure two billion credits worth of gold in bullion, coin, or artifact. If you can do that, we are saved. If you can¡¯t¡­ the goblinoid faction, insignificant as some foolishly believe it to be, would then have rights to both our bank charter and the goblinoid Terran bank charter that has somehow become subsidiary to our own charter, and absolutely everything that the bank owns which technically is every building and property within Freetown. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, Eric?¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Eric swallowed, his throat suddenly painfully dry. ¡°Either I pull a golden miracle, or we¡¯re completely fucked.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yes. Exactly that. I don¡¯t suppose you have access to any such miracle?¡±


    Eric¡¯s thoughts raced, eyes widening when he realized that maybe there was more than one way to save the day here. ¡°As a matter of fact, I do.¡±


    He flashed a fierce smile, pulling his eyes away from the windows facing westward, showing both a beautiful nighttime cityscape below, a peaceful stretch of forest just beyond, and far off in the distance, the dark clouds and howling storm of a hellish inferno trapped only by honorable spirits and the wildly different mana pressure of a rapidly ascending deep red tier territory.


    He shuddered, pretty sure he knew from experience with his Hope territory delve just how bad a hellhole it would be.


    But there was another path he could take, after he and his sister had pulled a glorious hustle, selling her own unwanted training core for a five billion credit prize and a free ticket to the best treatment facility in the local sector.


    He was just a second from reaching out to his sister, desperate to know how she was, but before he put it all on the line¡­ best he know now where things stood.


    ¡°What if I told you I had access to a galactic credit account that could indeed cover that expense?¡±


    The line went dead for long moments, Eric¡¯s tension ratcheting. Caliban¡¯s voice radiated barely controlled rage. ¡°The Terran Council has put a temporary hold on all credit transfers to and from Blue Corp, in and out of System, sighting ¡®accounting irregularities.¡±


    Eric¡¯s gut clenched. ¡°That¡¯s utter and absolute bullshit! On the very day those barrister assholes come? That¡¯s absolute bullshit!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been three days, Eric,¡± Caliban said with a bitter chuckle. ¡°Three glorious, bittersweet days, waking up to a beautiful city that always was¡­ and I know damn it¡¯s a miracle that my family and I are even alive, even if I remember nothing from the nightmares my entire family lurches awake from with panicked shouts, every night. Tears in our eyes. Grateful just to be alive!¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed, touched by his friend¡¯s confession. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. By my right as a sovereign state, I was able to fend them off for three days. Our foes took advantage of the delay tactic to twist the Terran Council¡¯s arms by means I¡¯m uncertain of, considering how small the goblin faction is rumored to be, despite all their bluffs and lackeys and the absurd amount of political leverage that they somehow have¡­¡±


    ¡°Now is,¡± Eric quietly said, sensing Caliban¡¯s shudder at the other end.


    ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°Not saying anything¡­ mum¡¯s the word.¡±


    ¡°And by your right as a sovereign state, you may also fend them off for three additional days. But from everything I¡¯ve been able to piece together, you¡¯re no barrister. You have no legal or administrative Profession whastsoever. Honestly, Eric, from what little I was able to glean from your public persona, you¡¯ve managed to be very¡­ discreet in your advancement.¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed at what he sensed was the tiniest bit of judgment, or perhaps it was simple concern. And what the hell did his friend mean discreet? Did he see Eric as a powerless frightened no one who never cleared a single territory or gained a single kickass title while doing so? Just one of the sheep desperate to stay out of trouble and survive as a standard classer as best he could?¡±


    Then he winced, cursing under his breath. Because with all his territories claimed, and the former talisman that his poor ancient sister had been forced to endure¡­ it truly was as if he had never claimed a single one of those territories. As if he had never done a single thing of significance whatsoever with his life.


    He shivered at the thought, suddenly feeling like he had been knocked free of the glorious heights to which he had ascended¡­ before his lips stretched in a wide, feral grin. Suddenly realizing just how awesome an advantage that might be in the right circumstances¡­and just how much of an edge that might give him in the battles to come.


    He was no longer a feared, reviled Contender.


    As far as Earth¡¯s factions were concerned, he was just a loser of a spoiled prince taking his ease in the one high tech city now absolutely filled with creature comforts while his sister was a heartbeat away from being wiped off the map.


    To his enemies, he was now no one at all.


    He spent a long wondrous moment gazing at the phoenix ring he had successfully claimed, as well as a handful of talismans now linked to his soul that he¡¯d be a fool to ever put into play before the local sector had a chance to heal from the last Silver talisman that had yanked so many things in this reality off kilter.


    It was a ring capable of hiding so many truths. A ring he had used to such glorious effect in that endless night. And it was a ring he suspected he could use again, to its fullest, even when no talisman was in play at all¡­ so long as he was willing to pay the price.


    He took a slow breath, thoughts racing.


    ¡°Are Necromancy and blood magics still considered reviled arts with the Terran Council?¡±


    ¡°Any art that raises the dead? Yes. That is considered grounds for immediate censure, shattering all alliances and serves as pretext for war.¡± His friend paused. ¡°Everywhere except in territory held in Blue Corp. Yet now, with competing factions having access to Bronze tier mercenaries¡­¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with sudden alarm. ¡°They are?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Lower level Bronze mercenaries have always been permitted. So long as various restrictions are met and penalties paid should they be stretched or broken¡­ yes. It¡¯s always been that way.¡±


    ¡°No it hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    Eric bit his lip, cursing softly under his breath. Knowing that if he had actually managed to clear out certain territories in time¡­ but he hadn¡¯t.


    He had done the best he could, and it hadn¡¯t been enough. Not be a long shot.


    ¡°Sorry, please continue.¡±


    ¡°As I was saying¡­ Necromancers are free of all persecution in Blue Corp territory. This has established precedent. Furthermore, Very very few Bronze tier mercenary corps are willing to challenge our own elites. They know damn well the fiscal repercussions, and few companies would risk alienating a key source of both resources and financial liquidity in the galactic cluster at large over disputes in a newly ascended backwater. No offense.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°None taken. That¡¯s good to hear that at least idiots won¡¯t be attacking Blue Corp out of hand, even if it¡¯s for the sake of self-interest, not fear of martial superiority at your end.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Yet unfortunately the Counsel has pushed to expand the role that Bronze tier mercenaries who are not native-born may execute. In addition to defense, guard duty, and accepting contract that can include holding conquered territory and assisting Contenders in clearing Delves or Wild territories¡­ they are now permitted to take capture and kill contracts on anyone accused of necromancy. Of course they are forbidden to be used in any military offensive or to persecute or interfere with native-born adventurers and Contenders¡­ but only a fool would deliberately choose to be on the bad side of any faction or city employing Bronze tier companies.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Eric cursed softly under his breath.


    ¡°Agreed. Earth¡¯s Global Counsel¡¯s decision is considered highly controversial, but that does no good when a newly forged necromancer¡¯s first revenant results in a fifteen-year-old¡¯s head being blown off by plasma fire after trying to clear our local forest of wild boar. Needless to say, the mercenary company responsible was severely censured for disregarding our sanctuary policy and endangering the lives of the girl¡¯s adventuring companions. They will be paying a steep bloodprice to the family if they ever wish to bank or invest with us, or purchase the limited selection of high-tech gear carried anywhere on Earth that we alone specialize in. Now please get to the point, Eric. Because you have three days to prevent seizure of our entire city¡­ lest we¡¯d risk all out war. And that¡¯s something my superiors will not allow because it threatens our ever more strained stance of neutrality and fair dealings throughout the sector.¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Give me the name of that goddamned company.¡±


    ¡°Eric! Focus on the problem at hand. You getting killed does neither of us any good, especially if we end up losing the city to assholes who would dearly love to slaughter anyone and everyone with any trace of heritage arts whatsoever.¡±


    Eric sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re right. And I¡¯m surprised you even remember that much. Okay. Here¡¯s the thing. I might just be my sister¡¯s hack of a brother who¡¯s not known for much more than chilling in his Blue Palace condo¡­ speaking of which, all the properties I purchased? They¡¯re still mine, right? This timeline we¡¯re now on didn¡¯t erase them or anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been wanting to talk to you about that, Eric, before our enemies came knocking. We have a number of prospective renters who would love to lease nearly all the floors you managed to purchase at absurdly generous rates¡­ and some are offering to pay over triple what you did for your condominiums.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, a rueful smile gracing his features as what he had hoped would happen over a couple years effectively happened overnight. ¡°That¡¯s awesome to hear! But I guess that¡¯s something you and I can talk about another time. Point is, in the very near future, you might get a System message from one Ernest Slaughter. A bad boy teenage necromancer who doesn¡¯t give a fig for finger wagging holier than though administrators and would happily give the finger to the whole damned world and all its factions if they think they can take him and his armies on.¡± Eric paused, his thoughts racing as he measured Caliban¡¯s responsiveness, but there was only silence.


    ¡°Anyway, Should anyone with that particular moniker send you a System message looking to toss his territories to Blue Corp¡­ would that be any sort of problem?¡±


    Caliban sighed. ¡°And I assume this individual will need Sanctuary status, inured to all warrants or challenges while he resides within Blue Corp territory?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then yes. We can absolutely accommodate him for a generous 10% share of territory profits generated from all sources, and immunity from persecution, in addition to assuring safe sanctuary quarters in multiple locations. We would hope, however, that he would be able to discretely maintain his armies¡­ preferably out of areas we plan on developing.¡±


    ¡°Ten percent? Caliban that seems¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already a fifty percent shareholder of the bank. And you now know exactly what that means.¡±


    Eric flushed, forcing himself to dial it back. Realizing that he would, in effect, be double dipping, claiming 50% of the banks profits and 10% of both the territories tariffs, taxes and levies and 10% of the banks profits which would effectively include a piece of Caliban¡¯s half as well. Meaning that in some cases, he might just be pulling in more than his friend on what were technically Blue Corp assets, at least in regards to sufficiently developed territories.


    ¡°And were I not haunted by dreams¡­ nightmares¡­ where the only mercy to be found was¡­ never mind, Eric. I think you know what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Eric winced, bowing his head. ¡°You know what? That¡¯s more than fair. Somehow, I¡¯m certain he will accept.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Caliban gave a dry chuckle. ¡°Then please encourage your friend to grab as much territory as he possibly can. After you¡­ and your friend, secure us the gold we desperately need. Because I find myself with 60,000 highly trained professionals and their families, with access to multiple state-of-the-art processing, manufacturing, shipping and administrative facilities, a top tier shopping and retail hub¡­ and no access to any farming hubs, and no wheat, rice, or barley contracts or food futures of any sort, and no more than a single week¡¯s worth of food reserves. And how such a potential disaster even came about is utterly beyond me. Suffice to say that over a thousand families are making preparations to shift their focus to farming, those who have Professions that allow for even the slightest adjacent bonuses. Our fishing town will do us modest good, but as you might expect¡­ goblin interests have already purchased every last grain future in any farming territory we have access to, and somehow managed the feat just three nights past.¡±


    Eric sighed, feeling the pressure ratchet up once more, even as he gazed down upon the beautiful futuristic city below, complete with a mana-rail, the elevated train track looping peacefully through the entire city, with stations going right through a number of grand, futuristic buildings. Such a high tech wonder, built on a foundation that was so damned fragile, and for all that he had gloriously high hopes, he knew he was gambling a hell of a lot on what he could only hope to pull off in the days to come.


    And he still hadn¡¯t reached out to his sister, even if he had been awake for barely half an hour.


    ¡°Understood. We need hard currency and we need food. Or even better, direct agreements with as many farming villages and fishing communes as we can find. I¡¯m guessing all our hunters are making best use of their classes?¡±


    ¡°As much as they safely can, yes. Ashland is rumored to have incredible resources at its disposal, yet for some reason it is now utterly shut off to us. The very few I tried to have investigate perished in the attempt.¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw hardened. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that when I can.¡±


    Caliban sighed. ¡°Just keep yourself safe, Eric. I sense you have stories to tell that I would love to hear, one day. But for right now you have to leave the city and do it without interacting with a single barrister or Wordsmith. Because you have no defense against them and a single curse, spell or edict could reduce your three day sovereign advantage to debtor¡¯s damnation. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°They try that, I end them.¡±


    ¡°You do that, and you force my faction into war.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± Eric¡¯s heart started to race. He immediately opened his interface map, both relieved to find it working just as he needed, and dismayed to sense reds closing in on his condominium even now.


    His eyes widened in alarm.


    ¡°Cali, I¡¯m hot. Our friends are coming for me right the fuck now!¡±


    ¡°Can you make it to the roof? An associate I trust has set up a pair of body suits, rapelling lines, and of course, there is the mana rail station on the tenth floor.¡±


    ¡°No good. Reds are above and below! They¡¯re closing in now, Caliban.¡±


    Caliban hissed with displeasure.


    ¡°Alright, I see several latches on the Alutopaz window. I assume I can pop it?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course! But there are safety measures in place to assure that no children or guests¡­¡± His voice was drowned out by a wrench and crack.


    Strength check: Critical success! You have Effortlessly removed this window pane! (And placed it in storage, before it could fly free and decapitate multiple shoppers below!)


    ¡°Alright, Calibro! I¡¯m out! I¡¯ll contact you when I get the gold. And if any goblin-faction asshole tries to fuck with me once my pockets are full¡­ I¡¯ll consider myself well within my rights to pound their skulls in!¡±


    ¡°Eric, what are you¡­ yes! Once you have the gold, you have every right to be escorted without harassment to any legally recognized conference room or neutral territory! AT that point it¡¯s well within your right to¡­¡±


    Eric paid no more heed to his friend¡¯s words, the door to his condo suddenly shaking under the hammering force of a Bronze tier monster, as a silken voice behind the roars sought to penetrate Eric¡¯s defenses.


    ¡°Eric Silver! By the pride and power of the Bloodtear Syndicate I serve you this sum¡ª¡±


    His words were cut off when Eric plugged his ears with blood, and jumped out the window.

 Chapter 396 - Freetowns Peril: Part II

    Eric hung to the window ledge by his fingertips as the howling wind he couldn¡¯t hear but certainly feel buffeted around him. His heart was racing with both dread and exhilaration as he whispered words of power that flowed effortlessly from his lips.


    ¡°Debilito gravitas unus dies!¡±


    Runic Lore skill check successful. You have successfully reduced gravity¡¯s bindings by 99%!


    Then, between one second and the next, Eric felt the gust pulling him with a fervor that had his feet pointing eastwards like a flag flapping in the breeze. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly, savoring the experience of being near weightless, as if the howling winds were like wild watery currents he could almost float through.


    Yet his joy in how effortlessly he moved, the delicious pleasure of spiritual energy and mana coursing so potently through his meridians, his will made manifest as he linked together words of power that he sensed were so close to ascending all the way to Elite tier status¡­ the sheer visceral wonder of the moment was pricked with alarm when the door was abruptly smashed open.


    It was an absolute violation of rights, boundaries, and protocols and what one could legitimately describe as an invasion of privacy. Yet it was equally clear that his Bronze-tier opponents and Barristers felt confident enough in their prowess, their ability to manipulate contract law and legal precedents, that they could perform such acts with absolute impunity while swindling the entire city from his and Caliban¡¯s grip. After all, a simple breaking and entering violation was meaningless if they could retroactively declare that they had owned everything from the start.


    Yet before the roaring thugs and the shouting barristers could bind Eric with powerful limbs and insidious forked tongues, he had loosened his grip and allowed himself to be spun away by the winds before chanting a second phrase that made all the difference.


    ¡°Roboro ventus unus attentio!¡± Eric whispered over long seconds, for now that he was near weightless, he at least had those seconds. As soon as the final word was whispered, he felt his magic coming to life once more as he went from being a leaf drifting and flipping in the wind to mastering those winds, one of the elements of his cultivation foundation that came to him so easily, so effortlessly, even if it was not one of the four essences that had evolved into higher order concepts that now defined his System Class so utterly. For even Fire appreciated a powerful breeze that could fan its flames.


    Yet troubles aside, Eric soon found himself laughing with sheerest jubilation. His dread at Lawfare he had barely been able to counter quickly melted away as he embraced the sheer joy of flight, savoring the wind¡¯s comforting embrace, moving so effortlessly with his own mere kilogram weight.


    And that was the moment he got the message that made this glorious night of awakenings and endless possibility all the sweeter.


    Congratulations! You have (finally) achieved Level 30 in Runic Lore!


    Arcane Potential, Spiritual Energy, and Soul Reserves have each increased by 9 points!


    Your first ever Nodal Power is now at Elite level! How do you wish to shape this ability?


    Eric gave himself a few minutes to glance over myriad selections that would allow him to chain various combinations of runes with greater ease and fluidity, or even reduce both the Mana and Qi costs of his chants. So too, there were paths that he could take to enhance his abilities with Blood Runes or his ability to use them to Bind spirits. And, perhaps not surprisingly, there were options to imbue his Fire, Wrath, Dominion, and Freezing runes with added power and potency, even without essence infusion.


    All of them were tempting, yet none would dissuade him from claiming what thought the greatest prize of all.


    Runic Lore has been successfully enhanced by: Tier 3 Runic Spell Evolution! Runic Spell Forger Synergism is now in play! It will now be easier than ever to intuitively learn the spell versions of your most practiced Runic Chants through diligent study, battlefield insights, or naturally, as you ascend in levels! You now enjoy a -3 (minimum 1) point cost to purchasing fresh spells outright during your level-ups!


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile with pleasure at the interface message, as he hadn¡¯t gotten any free spells in quite some time, and certainly had no time to pour hundreds of hours of dedicated study in the equivalent of Elonia¡¯s former arcane academy under the guidance of skilled teachers who understood his gifts and how best to make them blossom. Most likely, he¡¯d be investing points to purchase spells, and what amounted to a three point reduction in flash-learning complex conjoined spells without the benefit of his sister¡¯s training pod or access to any sort of arcane academy, now that his sister¡¯s had been sold at a glorious 5 billion credit profit, was absolutely worth the perk investment, and primarily why he got it. Yet it was nice to know that the potential for intuitive learning was there, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was on the cusp of truly learning a flight spell based on low gravity and wind manipulation that he could summon forth with a thought, not two combined ten second chants.


    So he spent the moments of his glorious flight both admiring the beautifully lit up city below, while also doing his best to become one with his dual chant, feeling the Qi and Mana flows caress and protect his body as he became one with the air all around him, absolutely delighting in the miracle of flying as free and effortlessly as any bird of prey.


    He howled with laughter and sheerest jubilation as he compelled the winds to send his body streaking through the air around the Blue Palace, well out of sight of any foe that might or might not be looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows of his suite, expecting to find him clinging on the side, or to have left a very loud, very visible impact crater with the risk of fatalities below. And if they thought him little more than a spoiled prince with a few bloated levels, all his glorious dark feats and territory acquisitions now scrubbed free so many minds, then perhaps they thought him a corpse already, having fallen to his death.


    Yet when they got around to checking, they¡¯d find nothing at all as Eric, mentally chortling with glee as his heart pounded while his belly did glorious flip-flops as he weaved and darted like his favorite roller coasters of a lifetime ago¡­ curbed his mirth and floated down past the glittering rows of well-lit boulevards, high end shopping boutiques, and over the heads of countless scores of Professionals dressed for a night out and enjoying the end of a productive day who were utterly clueless to his presence. He then quietly swooped right into the comforting gloom of a nearby park, roosting in one of the cherry trees.


    Yet even this green sanctuary was blessed with well-lit paths with more than one romantically inclined couple holding hands and gazing up at the stars, savoring peaceful moments in a beautiful exotic magi-tech city, a sanctuary in a world otherwise filled with terror, struggle and desperation as those less fortunate than Freetown¡¯s blessed folk found it a constant battle just to survive.


    Eric allowed himself a single fond smile for the innocent souls below, who had absolutely no idea that their savior was presently hiding in a cherry tree, enjoying the scents of exotic perfumes, fragrant cherry blossoms, and the delectable aromas of fried meats and culinary treats being carried on the crisp nighttime breeze.


    He then allowed Earth¡¯s forces and fields to affect him fully once more as he freed his captive breeze to cavort and gambol with blossoms and leaves once more as he turned his focus to the second ring he wore, opposite his serpentine ring. And though it didn¡¯t hold a certain adorable abomination by the name of Slurpy with room for countless other undead revenants, his second ring that was surprisingly plain, if one didn¡¯t know to look for the tiny phoenix insignia, held the promise of power almost as great as his necromantic treasure.


    Almost.


    And though it wouldn¡¯t hold an army of undead, it did hold the potential to cloak him from countless foes who might otherwise look his way. Even now he sensed that, here in the dead of night, he could cloak himself in whatever humanoid image he desired, so long as he followed certain guidelines and moved and interacted at a mortal¡¯s sedate pace, no opponent below Bronze would have a hope of seeing through his veil.


    And that power would do him little good against actual Bronze-tier barristers which sure as hell shouldn¡¯t be permitted here on Earth, any more than overpowered thugs that made nearly every Terran Contender a joke who were now apparently allowed to break into any residence they liked, including the most exclusive residences within the Blue Palace, with utter impunity. Because it was the combined actions of both his enemies and himself over that endless night that had forged what was now the baseline of a past that had never been, yet now served as the timeline they were all forced to embrace.


    It was a bitter blow to think that his endless delves, Tier-II ascension facilities, and the Towers of Zor had all been torn from his grip. Just like the many territories that had once been firmly in the control of both Blue Faction and his sister¡¯s blossoming kingdom. Claimed by powerful mercenary factions with access to high tech battle-mechs that were effectively power armor and Tier-III blasters, in clear violation of the Terran Accords. Yet thanks to the Silver-tier Talisman, every act both fair and foul committed that night bore the weight and inevitability of ancient history.


    No crime had been committed, for those ripe luscious territories, including the one holding his Silver-tier Peach Grove had always been the property of the factions behind the Bronze-tier mercenary companies. As far as the world and the System was concerned, he had never claimed Ashland, Picksonville, Hope Province, or Greystone Valley at all. So they had never been under Blue Corp¡¯s care. And his sister had never owned more than the tiniest sliver of land she dared to call Queensland, making her the most pathetic of all the still-surviving Contenders daring the Path of Rulers. Because were it not for the swirling dome of storms and violent winds he could only pray still held, she would have been swept from the board long ago.


    Eric sighed, taking in the sights, sense, and sounds of the not just modern but outright futuristic-looking city all around him. At least he could find solace in the wondrous sanctuary he had forged into being as if it had always been, thanks to the Silver-tier talisman that had been in play. Even if Freetown¡¯s ascension was thanks to his Contenders gifts and the System¡¯s blessing for the sacrifice of his Divine tier ability as much anything else.


    Yet even now, his inhuman senses could just make out the angry snarls and distant voices of goblin barristers and surprisingly human-looking Bronze-tier mercenaries as they began engaging in a coordinated sweep of Freetown¡¯s poshest district.


    Eric forced himself to tune out the sounds of foes rapidly approaching, refusing to let himself be hounded yet again, seemingly always and forever, with no chance to rest or appraise his situation or stock up with supplies and truly ready himself for what was to come.


    No. He would not be hounded like a whipped cur for wild broken lands of crimson death howling with raging storms of wild mana and shrieking souls without having a chance to prepare himself. Even if that preparation was nothing more than finding a decent place to store his incredible fortune in claimed prizes that yes, really WERE his, free and clear of System stricture, having been in his possession by the time the endless night had ended.


    He would damn well take the time to get his bearings, make a semi-cogent plan, and store away all his goodies. Because even if he would dare those howling winds in the adjoining territory, he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to do it without making the most of this newly reinvented Freetown now open to Bronze-tier shoppers that had somehow been this way since the ascension¡¯s start.


    Because assuming he could even find the fortune that he prayed was actually out there before mercenaries and scavengers did it for him, it would be frustrating as hell if he had to expel every other claimed treasure absolutely filling his Extradimensional Storage Space in order to do so.


    Congratulations! You have successfully Soulbound Ring of the Phoenix! - Synergisms detected. You have a natural AFFINITY with this item, no matter that you lack any class, profession, or affinity for deception or disguise.


    You may purchase multiple enhancements with Ring of The Phoenix!


    Each Enhancement has a cost in Soul Reserves = to the enhancement rating Squared!


    - The Moon¡¯s Blessing -


    Baseline ¨C You may disguise yourself as any humanoid being that you can visualize or see! Baseline beauty as a male or female of any race will be equivalent to your own Appearance without any artistry check made.


    WARNING! Disregarding Appearance baseline is NOT recommended unless you have significant artistic talent! (Just look at your character sheet. See any artistic or musical skills? No. No you do not. Remember how your SkyDragon characters came out without the mods? Yes. Yes you do.)


    This cloak will be inviolate and affects all opposing senses. No opponent below Bronze will be able to pierce this cloak.


    +1 Enhancement ¨C No opponent below Silver will be able to pierce your disguise with any ability!


    +2 Enhancement ¨C No opponent below Gold will be able to pierce your disguise with any ability!


    - The Sun¡¯s Blessing -


    Baseline ¨C Your disguise is flawless while the sun is set!


    +1 Enhancement ¨C Your disguise now works during the day as well as night, so long as you stay out of direct sunlight!


    +2 Enhancement ¨C Your disguise now works during the day as well as at night, even in direct sunlight, save between the hours of 11 AM and 1 PM where you must be indoors or with your body protected from direct sunlight (cloak, umbrella, a tree¡¯s shade) for your disguise to be maintained!


    +3 Enhancement ¨C You have glimpsed perfection and neither the heavenly orbits of sun or moon will be able to pierce your disguise. You now truly ARE the person you have shaped yourself to be.


    - The Phoenix¡¯s Blessing -


    +1 Enhancement ¨C You may now embrace your own natural Potency without disrupting your disguise! Though actively using any power will shatter your disguise, you may use your full Strength, Quickness, and athletic prowess without disrupting your cover!


    +2 Enhancement ¨C You may now embrace your natural potency and 1 Sphere of Power without disrupting your disguise! (Arcane Arts or Cultivation arts or Necromancy/Spells using Soul Reserves or Psionic attacks!)


    +3 Enhancement ¨C You may now embrace your natural potency and 2 Spheres of Power (Potency Pools) without disrupting your disguise!


    +4 Enhancement ¨C You may now embrace your natural potency and 3 spheres of power (Potency Pools) without disrupting your disguise!


    +5 Enhancement ¨C You may now embrace your natural potency and 4 spheres of power (Potency Pools) without disrupting your disguise!


    +6 Enhancement ¨C You may now access ALL potency pools and physical attributes And make full use of Essences without disrupting your disguise. (Note this does NOT include Higher Order attacks! The Phoenix¡¯s powers transcend the powers of this ring!)


    Eric froze. Both awed and dismayed by the all that his ring offered.


    For a +2 enhancement totaling just 4 Soul Points that he would permanently give up, he could forge a disguise that no one save for Evelyn Death, his mentor, or the emperor himself could hope to pierce! Yet to have a disguise that was inviolate during all hours of the day or night would cost a whopping additional 9 points, though he could reduce that cost by 5 points, so long as he kept a hooded cloak on or just stayed indoors, chilling at a cantina, for the lunch hours. Basically when the sun was at its brightest and fae magics historically were at their weakest.


    But what really seemed like such a raw deal in comparison was the cost of maintaining that illusion while accessing his abilities. The cost started out reasonably enough. A single point and he¡¯d have full access to his remarkable stats. Four points would allow him to play the Cultivator with access to his stats be and able to use his spiritual energy without any problems at all. But in order to be able to use his essences at all, he¡¯d need to purchase the +6 tier enhancement, which would cost an absolutely absurd 36 points! Even if it would allow him the ability to use his necromantic, magic, and cultivation abilities which would include his Runic Arts, and his Psion Pool. But even with maximum Soul Points poured into it, he wouldn¡¯t be using Phoenix Strike or any other transcendent attack embracing Higher Order Transformations. For such was the province of the Phoenix, a Golden Path that in its ultimate form had managed to topple the Goblinoid empire in a single night. For not even the Phoenix¡¯s ring could hide the ultimate manifestation of his class.


    Eric gave a rueful chuckle, having to admit that purchasing the ability to tear through reality as a White-tier contender who had slaughtered so many Bronze during that endless night where nothing was forbidden, and be able to do so without sending alarms shrieking through every corner of the sector now that the endless night had past, would have been the ultimate cheat. Not that his life wouldn¡¯t have still been in peril, or that he couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t do whatever he had to, if the situation demanded it. But only if it was the final card he had left to play, because sure as shit, no one would be holding back after that, and he¡¯d rather not turn Earth into a furious galactic free-for-all.


    ¡°Lord Warrant, I sense our prey! He hides in that pathetic excuse for a park!¡±


    Eric felt a sudden spike of tension when his Danger Sense pricked subtle warning, absolutely monstrous Perception allowing him to make out hostile intent in voices a full block away, now focusing in on the harsh, guttural words despite all the noises of a busy city between them.


    His Map Interface was now flaring with a dozens brightly blinking reds whose seemingly erratic earlier movements had proven to be but a feint, all of them now moving uniformly to block off all exits to and from this miniature arboreal sanctuary in the middle of this quarter of the city filled with high-end shopping and clean, beautiful high rises. What every metropolis dreamed of becoming that he sure as hell wasn¡¯t giving up to the goblins.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He broke out in a cold sweat when he sensed just how close he was to peril, all but sensing the inhalation of multiple Bronze-tier lungs that he feared would result in Barrister Shouts of power able to pierce even his crimson ear plugs if he felt the vibrations of their summons and censure upon his very skin. So he clenched his jaw, bit the bullet, and paid far more than he wanted to as he vanished from the rustling branches at the crown of the tree.


    You have infused your ring with the Moon¡¯s Full Blessing! No opponent below Gold will be able to pierce your disguise with any ability! - 4 Soul Points Spent. (Soul Reserves are now 432.)


    You have infused your ring with two ranks of the Sun¡¯s Blessing! ¨C Your disguise now works during the day as well as at night, even in direct sunlight, save between the hours of 11 AM and 1 PM where you must be indoors or with your body under full coverage to be maintained. Perception check made. You¡¯re pretty sure all you need is a wide-brimmed hat and more clothes than just your magical blue jeans at lunchtime, and no one will ever suspect a thing! - 4 Soul Points Spent. (Soul Reserves are now 428.)


    You have infused your ring with The Phoenix¡¯s Blessing! You are attempting to infuse your natural Potency and 3 Spheres of Power (Soul Reserves, Spiritual Energy, Arcane Potential inclusive of all derived arts including Necromancy, & Runic Spell Forging) In addition to the full use of Essences (which do not include Higher Order attacks). You have DECLINED to include Psionic Attacks with the Phoenix¡¯s Blessing.


    - Success! The Phoenix has ascended at the cost of 25 Additional Soul Points spent! (Soul Reserves are now 403!)


    On the one hand, he thought he just might have played the ultimate fool, using 33 Soul Points for the sake of a single artifact. But those were points after all his attribute boosting boons, so had, in fact, been far cheaper than buying the Ring¡¯s powers with raw level-up points. And if he played his cards right, this just might be a way for him to flaunt so many of the restrictions his enemies thought to use to destroy him and those like him.


    Now he could finally LET GO! And be as savage and bloodthirsty a Contender as he had to be¡­ raising entire revenant armies without a single eyebrow being raised Eric¡¯s way, even if the entire world would soon want a certain Ernest Slaughter¡¯s head.


    He could devastate his enemies, risk censure and threats of furious retribution, and be able to slip right by his foes with multiple personas that no one save for the Emperor and Eric¡¯s mentor might pierce.


    Or at least, that was his hope.


    He knew only that the typical Bronze and Silver Classers would be utterly fooled, no save allowed. But who knew if enemies with specific nodal powers could pierce his deception? In his gut, he knew the System had to allow for exceptions like that. Because a power that there truly was no counter for, like his Angelic Abjuration, had been deleted right off his character sheet once he fell back down to Earth. But sure as hell, he doubted such foes would be common.


    And he did save a whopping 16 points, simply by declining to incorporate Psionics into the mix, and being okay wearing a hat or the equivalent at high noon. Besides, there was absolutely no point in cloaking his psionic shout when that ability could now only be used while channeling Wrath as a transcendent attack, so it was one ability he could only train up as himself, and he would take damage whenever he did so, no matter how much he might regret that particular evolution. Though he couldn¡¯t deny just how damned effective it had been in a pinch.


    And as much as he hated burning 33 points in a stat that was so damn useful and had once been the limiting factor in how often he could make use of so many lethal abilities¡­ allowing for essences to the modest degree that was permissible to his ring would still allow him to boost his risen undead to an absolutely devastating degree, with Runes of Resilience and essence-infused Dominion giving them an edge that few of his foes had previously been able to counter. And edge that had just gotten all the more important in a world suddenly infested with even more wild Red-tier territories and Black-tier regions that were now the stuff of nightmares.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t actually bring his legions to cleanse the dungeons themselves, he¡¯d need a truly massive hoard to do clean sweeps of massive tracts of land that might be a thousand square miles in size, or more. He¡¯d have to go full Attila at the very least.


    Besides, Burst of Strength, infusing his body with his Essence of Wrath, synergized so damn well with his weapon perks and melee combat as a whole. And he certainly wasn¡¯t going to give up or compromise such an instinctive element of his fighting style. And now that he thought of it, even his Infravision and Unified perception as a whole meant that he needed access to his essences at all times, even if he wasn¡¯t trying to carve starships up with transcendent higher order attacks. Which, to be fair, he probably wouldn¡¯t be capable of for many years, if at all.


    But one day, perhaps he would.


    And with Bronze tier mercenaries now on the board¡­ he needed every edge he could get.


    ¡°Master, he¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Find him! Summons will be served. This city WILL be ours!¡±


    Yet no matter how hard the trio of Dark Blade assassins scoured the park, they saw naught but Professionals taking their ease upon park benches with cherry blossoms falling upon their tired yet satisfied heads after a long day working for Blue Corp, couples in love walking hand in hand, even the occasional child or teenager enjoying their freedom for a few precious hours before curfew and studies took over their lives, just as it had in the world long lost to most. And perhaps most of those youths secretly savored a warm bed to come home to, community entertainment centers in every complex and in any number of well-to-do homes equipped with recordings of hundreds of once well-loved animes and other shows there for the watching, and classes staffed by warm friendly teachers preparing the children of Professionals for all the wonders of a professional life and the promise of future employment possibilities throughout the sector.


    And of course, even here in the reforged dream of Freetown, those who had dared an Adventurer¡¯s peril were adventurers still, even if once broken, desperate youths woke up to find themselves several years younger than they had been an endless night before, now being served breakfast by beloved parents they had thought forever lost. Only to realize with a gasp of relief that it was their nightmare past that was now little more than a dream.


    Yet their inhuman attributes and abilities still remained, to the joy and dread of their parents. Blue Corp, of course, was more than understanding, not only providing specialized facilities for superhuman children to train away their excess energies but going so far as to implement weekly field trips to one of the now relatively safe and completely stable rifts near Freetown proper, where said youths might make some extra credits hunting and further perfecting their spells and skills before selling what was no considered fresh juicy meat, or saved to serve as a treat for their family¡¯s weekend barbecues.


    Of course, they were all still expected to attend class, the same as their peers, their enthusiastic teachers making it clear that anyone capable of earning an Adventuring Class could also earn a top tier Profession. And youths once free to roam and brood and carry on to all sorts of unhealthy extremes now found themselves trapped in golden cages that most would now fight fiercely to protect and defend at all costs.


    A mother and father¡¯s love. Siblings with Professional inclinations and futures. The sweet joy of stats in the 20s or 30s¡­ and for a rare few, even in the 40s¡­ with arcane training and tutoring on the side! Even if they had to attend class and couldn¡¯t play competitive sports, the sweet joy of superhuman bodies and loving families was a Slice of Life adventure they were all willing to embrace with all their hearts, at least for a time.


    But even so, even among those happy, well adjusted children, there were a few gloomy brooders, a few scowling youths and would-be edgelords that enjoyed their contentious persona far too much to give it up completely.


    ¡°Kelly, get a look at that kid!¡± Whispered a young woman wearing fashionable tights and knee-high boots, with the look of a supermodel and the physique of an amazon princess and a wand attached to a silver holster at her hip. She was walking beside a younger, far more mortal looking girl that had to be her sister.


    ¡°Cute, isn¡¯t he? And totally your type. But I didn¡¯t see him in any of our classes or in the hallways, assuming he even goes to our school,¡± declared the younger girl who might not have had a class, but thanks to Freetown¡¯s blessings, at the very least had a future as a brilliantly successful Professional. She looked up at the taller girl who had clearly walked a hybrid warrior mage¡¯s path all the way to level twenty five, at least. No doubt forced to face death and terror countless times before, losing lovers and companions until her heart turned to ice and her resolve to steel¡­ only to wake up, safe and whole, in her family¡¯s townhouse that she had somehow always lived in. The fierce temperance of a youth forged in fire replaced by the gentle demeanor of an idealist who might have lost a few points in Willpower but gained so much more¡­ every other attribute and power kept, only her scars allowed to fade away.


    Kelly smirked at the brooding six foot youth who was handsome despite his glower, curly hair hiding a scowling brow and brown eyes that took in the world and found it wanting. He was dressed in dark corduroy pants, a turtleneck sweater with a trench coat that fluttered in the breeze. He looked like any other sixteen-year-old of a lifetime ago. Not even wearing a weapon at his hips¡­ just radiating a potency she, unlike her sister, could clearly sense.


    ¡°Kids a total edgelord, Marsha,¡± the older girl sighed just as a flare of darkest shadow whipped past all three of them, earning a glare and momentarily glowing green eyes from the former adventurer whose hard look faded to a bemused smile, gently holding her sister¡¯s hand as the branches overhead rained blossoms down upon them all.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s true, even if he cute,¡± her younger sister agreed with a cheeky grin, before addressing Eric directly. ¡°So, why are you scowling at the world? Are mandatory classes and weekend workouts at a delve that¡¯s probably a kiddy park excursion for badasses like you and my sister really cramping your style that much?¡±


    Eric blinked, taking in the pair, surprised to feel a flush creep up his cheeks after having sensed so many truths about them, and about Freetown as a whole, that he hadn¡¯t been expecting at all. ¡°Um¡­ yeah. Well, I never was one for classes. Dropped out of high school back before¡­ you know.¡± He forced a laugh. ¡°So, why the hell would I give up that freedom now?¡±


    The younger girl Marsha rolled her eyes. ¡°For, like, your future? Duh. We¡¯re Blue Corp affiliated now. Do you have any idea the opportunities that will afford us with the right academic curriculum under our belt and multiple professional avenues open to us? Because we won¡¯t be stuck here on Earth. With the right skills and proficiencies, we can get work anywhere in the Sector!¡±


    Eric tilted his head. ¡°But why would I want to do that when I can already adventure?¡±


    ¡°Because the dungeons we have access to around here are low level scrub-fests,¡± her older sister snorted, even as her eyes grew haunted. ¡°Because even if we dare delves that will actually push us to our limits¡­ we both know where that inevitably goes. Even if it now feels like it was just a dream.¡±


    ¡°A dream that promises power!¡± Eric insisted, belligerently crossing his arms.


    This earned an eye-roll. ¡°Sure, if you don¡¯t mind your boyfriend and half your party dying to horrors you never saw coming, and all the sweet rush you got from your level-ups is just you trying to fill the void in your heart because everyone you love is already dead!¡± Kelly shouted, before paling when her younger sister whimpered.


    She winced and let go of the younger girls hand. ¡°Sorry, Mash,¡± she said with an apologetic smile, before turning to glare at Eric.


    ¡°Look, we both know something happened. And if you want to stay stuck in that nightmare, chasing those dreams that the rest of us are finally free from¡­ you do you. Whatever. But if you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll take advantage of all the free fucking Professional classes I know you were offered, just like I was, just like all of the others who are like us were, and see if there isn¡¯t a fuck-ton happier life waiting for you that doesn¡¯t risk you dying every time you dare¡­ whatever the hell is out there now,¡± Kelly said, glaring out at what Eric took to mean everything outside the city.


    Eric took a good long look at her, thoughts racing that went far beyond his present edgelord persona, feeling a quiet shudder of relief that the Bronze tier fucking ASSASSIN had darted right past him, not giving his persona two second¡¯s thought, making every one of the 33 points he had WASTED¡­ no, call it invested, locking in the potential of this crazy ring maybe worth it.


    ¡°I totally get what you¡¯re saying, you know. If I had the chance to isekai into a fresh, happy slice-of-life adventure and put all the glorious dark shit that made us what we are behind us? You know what, I¡¯d take advantage of it to. Name¡¯s Ernest, by the way,¡± he said, easing off his obnoxious standoffish teen persona, now that the assassin trackers had left the park, earning an apologetic grimace from the girl before him.


    ¡°Kelly. And wait, you didn¡¯t wake up in your bed at home, realizing that everything we thought¡­ that all that shit¡­ it was just a dream?¡±


    Her look was one of unbearable pity. ¡°All my friends got that reset,¡± she whispered, before flushing, eyes darting around wildly as if terrified that her even saying such allowed would pop the beautiful dream she was embracing and the dark nightmares she so clearly wanted to forget would become her reality once more.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Eric said with a wink. ¡°You¡¯re safe. You won¡¯t reset things that easily.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, before crinkling with relief. She bit her lip, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯m hoping you¡¯re right. And sorry for¡­ um¡­ calling you an edgelord.¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Why? I¡¯m totally an edgelord. In fact¡­ that¡¯s my name. Edgelord Ernest Slaughter, at your service!¡± he said with an exaggerated fencer¡¯s bow.


    Kelly¡¯s eyes widened before she snorted with laughter at Eric¡¯s wink. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. Even if you¡¯re cute.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Marsha!¡± Chimed in her younger sister. ¡°Sorry we were all judgy. We were actually just kind of¡­ worried? Kelly just got done talking her former party¡­ I mean, her classmates, out of trying to sign up with a Bronze tier merc company that actually wants to explore the territory next to ours. You know, the extremely fucked up region full of shrieking spirits and magical storms less than five miles south of here? Sheesh. Those idiots should know better than to try to hire on locals who are underage, even if it gives them a pretext to delve! Anyway, we¡¯re going to get some ice cream. Want to join us?¡±


    Kelly and Eric both gave the kid a surprised glance, Kelly¡¯s glare turning to a strained smile. ¡°Not that you have to, I¡¯m sure you have¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± Eric enthused. ¡°Are you heading to the ice cream shop near Blue Palace? I hear they also make a mean hamburger.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, perfect!¡± Marsha enthused. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t totally hopeless!¡±


    Eric soon found himself strolling right into the same ice cream shop he had once visited with Rica and her friends what now seemed like a lifetime ago. His eyes widened with surprise to actually see a similar cast of characters, including the red haired and freckle-faced Annie of Annie¡¯s Mercs and her husband. Only now they weren¡¯t wearing battle gear but the attire of a pair of professionals after a long day¡¯s work, with a trio of beautiful daughters beside them.


    Yet when Eric met Annie¡¯s gaze, he shivered, sensing with the intensity of her stare that she knew. And the look she gave him¡­ he dipped his head, pretending to be nothing more than a shy would-be badass kid bowing before a true power. Yet her gaze swept right over him, frowning to glare at the cool-eyed couple who seemed to blend right into the shadows. A pair that most wouldn¡¯t even notice and only someone like Annie, or Eric with multiple social perks and a madly blinking interface map, knew didn¡¯t belong.


    Eric was happy to see that the former merc hadn¡¯t lost her edge, even though she now wore a discrete saber and a fine enchanted mail shirt under her sleek-looking evening dress, her husband equipped with both wand and force shield secured to his business suit as well. And their children? As cheerful and lighthearted as teens could be.


    Then the oldest of the three looked their way, the one Eric was almost certain that her parents had grieved the loss of, a single Silver Phoenix ago. Yet now the girl¡¯s very real, lively, and animated face was beaming in a wide smile. ¡°Hi Marsha! You finish the survey assignment yet?¡±


    Marsha grinned. ¡°Hi Lorica! Yup, all done.¡±


    ¡°Cool!¡± The girl enthused before slipping off her seat before Annie could do more than huff, sidling over to her obvious classmate and friend. ¡°Can I copy it?¡±


    Marsha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But that would be depriving you of the chance to grow and discover your strengths for yourself! You know how our professors feel about that.¡±


    ¡°I could give you some of mother¡¯s goods from the bakery¡­¡±


    Marsha grinned. ¡°Stop by my house after eight. And you better bring those chocolate chip cookies you know I love.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°That should be a Negotiation rank right there.¡±


    Kelly snorted. ¡°As if there was such a skill.¡±


    ¡°There is.¡±


    This earned a frown. ¡°And you have it?¡±


    Eric winked, saying nothing, just taking the bill when a smiling waitress delivered a trio of super burgers and chocolate shakes.


    ¡°You¡¯re totally not paying for us,¡± Kelly said, crossing her arms.


    Eric grinned, plopping a Silver eagle on the table, earning a pair of widened eyes as he took a bite of his burger. ¡°Delicious.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ how did you? You don¡¯t have a Blue Corp account card?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Happy to pay in hard silver.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°They still take currency here, right?¡±


    Kelly glared even as Marsha gave a quick thanks and bit into her burger.


    ¡°How do you even have silver? When I woke up¡­¡± her glare turned to an anxious flinch. ¡°When all my friends woke up¡­ we all found out we were sixteen, the last two awful years that we thought had happened hadn¡¯t. But we still had our levels. Or maybe it was a dream and we really did wake up super powered, even if I have an interface declaring me both a 27<sup>th</sup> level Adventurer and an Aspiring Professional¡­ ha ha. And our parents and everyone we love is actually okay!¡± Her eyes brightened with unshed tears. ¡°And let¡¯s be fucking honest, that¡¯s the only thing that really matters.¡±


    Her sister gave her a sympathetic smile an an elbow to her ribs. ¡°Quit brooding over nightmares that the System gave you in return for 27 levels in an awesome class, you goofball cheater, and eat your burger!¡±


    Kelly laughed through her tears before hugging her sister tightly.


    ¡°Oof¡­ too strong. Too strong! I¡¯m totally stealing your milkshake, sis.¡±


    ¡°You do that,¡± Kelly said with a smile before turning her attention back to Eric. ¡°Now every adult we know somehow beat the 10% odds and turned out to be talented Professionals who couldn¡¯t care less about adventuring classes, and they¡¯re the only ones who even have cards!¡±


    Eric solemnly nodded. ¡°I bet.¡±


    ¡°So how the hell do you actually have coin to your name?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Adventuring. Clearly.¡±


    Her brow furrowed. ¡°Were you even here when¡­ all of this?¡± She glared at the shop, before sighing and rubbing her eyes. ¡°Fuck, I could use a drink.¡±


    Her sister¡¯s eyes widened. She looked scandalized. ¡°Kelly, you promised mom!¡±


    Eric flashed her a sad smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Kelly. So we isekaid into a different timeline. Who gives a fuck? Your family¡¯s alive and you¡¯re able to enjoy a fresh start. And sure, the local dungeons might be suited for fifteenth level Conscripts, but at least they give good meat now and aren¡¯t ranked as extremely poor, demanding constant sacrifices because this whole thing was a¡­¡± Eric clenched his jaw shut, chilled to feel at least a couple stares on him, though thankfully only Kelly and Annie were staring his way.


    The shadow pair from before were already gone.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°Point is¡­ We survived the fucking pods. What the fuck¡¯s a little bit of alternative world isekai hopping compared to that? Enjoy your fresh start. And once Ashland¡¯s problems are taken care of and it¡¯s open for business¡­ trust me. That Tier-II ascension pod and endless wealthy-tier delves in adventurer friendly environments will let you get a class even better than Standard and ascend as far and high as you can dream.¡± He flashed a smile. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Kelly¡¯s hands were shaking. Her burger untouched. ¡°Just who the fuck are you?¡±


    ¡°I told you. Edgelord Ernest Slaughter.¡± He winked. I think it¡¯s catchy. How about you?¡±


    She snorted, shaking her head, finally taking a bite of her burger. ¡°I think you¡¯re an idiot, Ernest. Sure as fuck, you¡¯re no clueless kid who just dreams of adventures that never really happened, even if you look exactly my age. Sixteen, which I¡¯m betting neither of us actually are.¡±


    Marsha¡¯s face paled. She suddenly looked on the verge of tears. ¡°Please stop saying that, Kelly. I¡¯m not a ghost. I never died, okay? Please stop scaring me!¡±


    Kelly sighed, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Sorry, sis. I never should have said... It¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    Marsha gave her sister¡¯s hand a gentle pat. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Come on. Let¡¯s go home. Mom will give you tea for the headache and you¡¯ll feel better by tomorrow morning. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Probably, sis. Probably.¡± Kelly gave Eric a look. And he was surprised to feel a ding on his interface, quietly pleased to find that his ring, expensive as the package he had purchased was, really was complete in its cover.


    Kelly Sands has sent you (Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter) a friend invite. - Do you accept?


    You have selected: Yes!

 Chapter 397 - Freetowns Peril: Part III

    K ¨C I¡¯m calling you Ernest. Can you tell me what the fuck is going on?¡±


    E ¨C Sure. System Shenanigans allowed for a fresh restart. Enjoy your new life. Seriously. Don¡¯t fuck it up. No third chances bullshit.


    Her eyes widened, but her younger sister was already dragging her out the door. And the look on Marsha¡¯s eyes¡­ she was clearly leery of Eric now, and thought him a bad influence. And Eric didn¡¯t blame her a bit. He probably was.


    K ¨C Seriously? Just who the fuck are you?


    E ¨C A friend.


    K ¨C Ha. Mysterious Stranger it is, then. Confession time.


    E - ??


    K ¨C You know more than you let on and you¡¯re hot as fuck. Let¡¯s meet up later and talk more about things, personally. Because inquiring minds want to know.


    E ¨C Okay¡­ what do you want to know?


    K ¨C What are you like in bed?


    E ¨C Sheer trippy badassery.


    K ¨C Prove it.


    E ¨C :) Message me in 2 years.


    K ¨C I¡¯m not really sixteen.


    E ¨C You sure? Because maybe you¡¯re eighteen isekaid into a you that never quite was, but you wished with all your heart you could be. Or maybe you¡¯re a powerful sixteen year old with flashes of memory that are almost your own.


    K ¨C Okay, seriously. WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON??


    E ¨C :( Chill. It¡¯s done. Everyone gets a second chance that no one outside this territory gets in the hell this world¡¯s become. Just enjoy this opportunity to love your family and bond with your sister. And maybe ignore my earlier bullshit. You don¡¯t need to adventure (and you shouldn¡¯t! Not before Ashland is cleared. That alone = epic loot and levels and worth your time.) You need to be there for your family. And I saw the wand at your hip. TRAIN! Train with fencing clubs, polearm clubs (because spears and bardiches rock!) AND train with your wand. That = free points at Journeyman level anyway.


    K ¨C So who the fuck are you, anyway?


    E ¨C Take care, Kelly. I enjoyed chilling with you and your sister. Have the happy life you deserve.


    K ¨C Lol. Sure. So what are you going to do?


    E ¨C Same thing I always do.


    K ¨C And that is what, exactly?


    E ¨C Slaughter my enemies and claim as many territories as I can!


    K ¨C Okay ¡®Edgelord.¡¯ You have fun. But seriously. Message, me okay? I could use a training partner.


    Eric smiled and went back to eating his burger, ignoring the odd look Annie was giving him. He sighed only momentarily at the three plates of barely eaten food, before scarfing it all down with a satisfied burp.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Eric blinked owlishly, catching Annie¡¯s measuring gaze. ¡°Wasting food¡¯s a crime, and I¡¯m as standup as they come,¡± he said, before slurping down the last of Marsha¡¯s shake. He then gave her a wink and he got up to leave.


    ¡°Sir, the bill!¡±


    Eric smiled at the waitress giving him an odd look that was half apologetic smile and half challenge, as if afraid he was going to dine and dash on her. He then flipped the Silver Eagle coin he had first put on the table her way.


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t notice. Please let me get you change, sir.¡±


    ¡°No need. Keep it. That gorgeous smile already changed my life¡­ for the better!¡±


    Annie winced at the cheese, but the doe-eyed girl gave Eric a giddy smile.


    ¡°Okay!¡± She said, biting her lip as if girding herself to ask Eric something before he quickly turned around and darted out the diner.


    And even if he was wearing a too smug smile, recalling the looks of amusement or consternation from the crowd left behind, he decided he was totally cool with that, feeling like a teenager exiting the scene of an 80s Breakfast Club movie.


    Though by the time he hit the streets and lost himself in the crowd, a young pretender¡¯s persona shifted into that of a very serious player who knew exactly what he was doing.


    He couldn¡¯t help flashing a fond, reminiscent smile for a certain wand establishment with the same Elven proprietress that he remembered, and he was pleased to see at least a few professionals with income¡­ or perhaps the memory of income, and cards that reflected it, browsing her wares.


    But before the nice elven proprietress could catch his gaze, he to turned his attention to shops stocking both potions and adventuring supplies, as well as high-end stores filled with eager looking adventurers browsing an abundance of steel in the form of deadly looking pole-arms and thick, high carbon steel plate armor that no mortal warrior could hope to wear without collapsing of exhaustion. Yet the armor would be absolutely perfect for Classers with Vitality and Strength in the 40s or better.


    Eric shook his head and smiled, delighting in browsing shops that had never graced Freetown¡¯s most exclusive quarter before.


    But in this new and very much improved version of Freetown that had somehow always been, the influx of Bronze-tier Power-armored Mercenaries now allowed to be here under one pretext or another, meant that this quarter was blossoming in ways that the Caliban of a timeline ago could only have dreamed of. And the crown jewel of the adventurers market that Eric was steadily making his way towards was a very impressive looking emporium set up to service the most needs of the elite, those who had already achieved Bronze, and perhaps their proteges as well.


    The exclusive nature of this corner of the market showed, as even if the casual foot traffic had reduced sharply in this area of the neighborhood. Strolling professionals and their families enjoying the nightlife and shopping seemed to be avoiding coming anywhere near the emporium hosting such a magnificent high-tech collection of goods, and Eric instantly understood why. Because even lower level Classers would find themselves sweating under the pressure radiating from at least half the actual Bronze-tier Classers presently browsing the displays and stands that clearly catered to them, even if an equal number of obviously high level shoppers gave off no overbearing aura at all, more skilled with control than their clumsier counterparts.


    For some reason being this close to actual serious players put a smile on Eric¡¯s face. Even better, there were no Goblin thugs, spies, lawyers, or hitmen in sight.


    Just actual adventuring and mercenary classers wearing sleek, form-fitting armor or pilot skin suits with bionic, electromana, or perhaps just class-specific implants giving their skulls, necks, and faces a very distinctive look while browsing downright impressive displays of blaster rifles, hyper-polymer aketons, full sets of power armor, and an impressive selection of Tier-1 Implants.


    Eric¡¯s heart started to race, and not just from the looks that a few jaded men radiating power far beyond what any White-tier classer would normally possess were shooting his way.


    He knew he looked out of place as hell. An obvious teenager who was no doubt one of the brats of the many white collar Professionals now inhabiting Freetown, and even if he was one of the kids who had dreams of significance and had somehow claimed a 20 or 30<sup>th</sup> level classer¡¯s abilities, that just made him a tiny minnow, a child really, in a high-end store catering to actual elites who had broken through to Bronze. A feat that very, very few would ever be able to do.


    ¡°You sure you should be here, kid?¡± Said one woman kitted in what Eric thought of as formfitting mercenary casuals that of course displayed her assets to striking effect, presently looking at fiber-weave suit ideal for fast, agile fighters. Eric noted the quality looking Tier-II Blaster she wore on a quick-draw back holster.


    ¡°I am if you¡¯re blaster¡¯s anything to go by,¡± Eric said with a smile, noting her obvious partner, a bear of a man frowning at an obviously refurbished suit of power armor.


    ¡°Sure, kid,¡± she said with a snort. ¡°And if you can actually afford what these people are charging for a Tier-II blaster, then you¡¯re clearly from money. Because no way in hell are you going to make that kind of credit Delving around here. Not at your level, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Eric said with a smirk, but the woman had already turned back to her partner.


    ¡°The prices they¡¯re charging for this patchwork shit is insane,¡± The powerfully-built man crossed his arms and glared at the selection of power armor suits that had clearly seen better days.


    His partner did not look happy with his attitude.


    ¡°Fucking deal, Ace! We and every other hotshot might have backdoored our way here, but one thing we did not plan for was mana corrosion in the Red Zones and a fucking bottleneck on access to spare parts! I told you to grab the CyberMeister profession while you had the chance!¡±


    ¡°Zen was taking care of it. We were all good.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well Zen¡¯s dead, Ace. Those Delves are far too fucking hot for our armor. So unless you actually want to start Delving like a fucking primitive Warrior and leaving half your perks on the table¡­ We stick to squad hunting or take standard contracts. And to do either of those things, you need a full set of fucking power armor! You plug a fucking potency point that I know you saved to make it your own, upgrade it like we talked about, and make it worth every last fucking credit!¡±


    Ace sighed, rubbing his face. ¡°Fuck, yeah. I know, babe.¡±


    ¡°Good evening, sir! How may I help you?¡±


    Eric stopped browsing the blasters being listed at such steep prices and gave the professionally smiling Blue Corp representative who had addressed him his full attention. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you sell items on commission?¡±


    The professional-looking elven woman gave a polite chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not how we do business here, sir. Though I¡¯m happy to do a free appraisal and inform you if anything of interest that we might be interested in purchasing from you.¡±


    Eric silently gestured for the woman to come closer. Her brow furrowed, but nonetheless, she took a step forward. ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Ernest. Ernest Edgelord Slaughter.¡±


    She gave him a flat stare.


    ¡°I mean¡­ Edgelord Ernest Slaughter. Sorry. My bad.¡±


    The woman sighed, now looking at him as if he truly were a child, her expression making it clear that he wasn¡¯t the first youth to yank her chain that day.


    ¡°I do believe curfew is in less than an hour, child. Perhaps you should head home? Even those of you blessed with superhuman physiques, dreams of greatness, and a Classer¡¯s potential are best served preparing for futures truly worthy of those dreams. Professions assure a lifetime of safety and security for both you and your¡­¡± Her voice cut off when Eric¡¯s hands flashed. Her eyes widened at the prize that disappeared just a split-second later.


    ¡°Sir! Was that a...?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°A T-III Hyperion Minigun? Wouldn¡¯t that be a remarkable thing if my ¡®dream¡¯ had left me with such concrete artifacts of all the shit we never actually had to endure¡­ in this timeline at least?¡± He smirked at her flinch. ¡°And who knows? Perhaps my revelries in the land of nod were sufficient for me to pluck free multiple sets of only slightly battered power armor from the infinite froth of quantum flux, alternate timelines, and glorious probability. And definitely of finer weave and better quality alloy than what I¡¯m seeing here, if my Unified Perception and Identify skill are anything to go by. And yeah. I might have plucked free a fair number of standard blasters as well. But you and I both know that the Hyperion miniguns are the gems that all of these gear hungry mercenaries that come in here will be salivating over.¡±


    The elven proprietress gazed at him for long moments. ¡°You¡¯re no child who woke up beside his parents three days ago, when we were all hit by those awful dreams.¡± She took a shuddering breath. ¡°You¡¯re not from Freetown at all, are you?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Never said I was. But that¡¯s not the question you should be asking, is it?¡±


    She swallowed when he stepped right up beside her, acute senses making it clear she wasn¡¯t trembling with fear or discomfort when he whispered softly into her ear. ¡°The only question you need to be asking, the only question that matters, is how much fucking money we can make, when desperate bucket-heads find out that we¡¯re the only game in town? Because if what I¡¯ve seen is holds true for the rest of the city, if the comments I¡¯m hearing a certain group of hard-eyed customers grumbling about is anything to go by¡­ we really are the only game in town. Hell, we just might be the biggest market for Bronze tier electromana gear in the Northeast, if not the entire continent.¡±


    The proprietress snapped her gaze to meet his own for long moments, totally not bothered by their sudden close proximity, eye to eye, a hairsbreadth from their lips touching, her meek demeanor of moments ago vanishing to reveal the mercantile huntress just underneath.


    ¡°We split the profits from your ¡®finds¡¯ in half, and we¡¯ll make sure all traces of System edict violations disappear long before anyone can put you in cuffs.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°You¡¯ll take a ten percent cut of goods you¡¯ll find are ¡®somehow¡¯ grandfathered in to be perfectly legal for me to own, no matter how twisted and fractal the legaleez or System convolutions become.¡±


    The woman before him blanched only momentarily, before chuckling softly, not shying away when their lips touched. ¡°A one third cut from prizes seized by an obvious Contender merely playing at being a spoiled local.¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile hardened. ¡°Twenty percent. The same exact cut that Blue Corp offers all Contenders seizing territories and throwing them your way.¡±


    Her smile matched his own. ¡°Twenty percent. Done and done,¡± she said huskily, cherry red lips pressing against his own before she broke off their kiss and whispered in his ear. ¡°You may call me Nikita. Now come in back. Let me see just what you¡¯re packing.¡±


    A smirking Eric did just that, pretty sure that her husky voice and yes, most definitely swaying hips was just for show, all the more so when he caught a few pairs of measuring eyes. Eric chuckled softly, having to admit that it was nice, even if it was really just a part of their negotiation and a way to throw off thieves and competitors.


    Then he caught a look at his own image from one of the many reflective mirrors that were all about showing off the customers and their wares to best effect¡­ and avoiding unnecessary five finger discounting. He winced, looking at a pair of dreamy brown eyes adorning perfectly symmetrical features graced with heavenly soft curls he had sensed the proprietress having to fight to not twirl about her finger when they got just a bit too close for that boundary-breaking kiss that might have started as a challenge¡­ before pheromones clicked and it became something more.


    That¡¯s when it finally clicked. No matter the occasional shockingly beautiful youth he recalled seeing in Freetown¡¯s first incarnation, so many of the Bronze-tier Classers he had encountered might have a fearsome presence and maybe rugged good looks, but very few of them had any Appearance or Charisma boost beyond whatever excellent health their Bronze-tier ascension granted.


    And even if he had thought himself a rare strategic bird focusing on Vitality before good looks¡­ some of the titles he had earned had definitely hit his Appearance stat. And maybe being permitted to freely boost Charisma and Appearance with level-up points was just as unlikely as automatically healing all wounds for anyone not born on a newly ascending worlsd like Earth. Of course there was plastic surgery. But what were the odds that superhuman physiques would naturally try to ¡®heal¡¯ it back to baseline, like any other injury? And if the recovery wasn¡¯t absolutely perfect¡­ one¡¯s face would looked stretched and deformed. Far worse than doing nothing at all.


    And here I am, strutting around with a 29 Appearance my magical ring transferred to my human persona, just like a Korean MMO where every single character is photoshop perfect! No wonder Kelly was flirting with my goofball ass after just ten minutes of me giving unwanted big brother advice and using her for cover, he thought to himself. And with a Vitality above 580 and an elf¡¯s knack for picking up on pheromone potential¡­ Eric winced, recalling all too well how close a certain velimobile ride had come to turning into a hell of a lot more than a meeting of the minds. He already knew just how quickly and fiercely elves could become infatuated with a potential mate¡­ and he could sense the sharp increase in the proprietress¡¯s heart rate as she readied herself to turn around as they discretely made their way down a tastefully decorated corridor with tungsten alloy walls and arcane wards just below the faux wood paneling, because this was a place where serious business took place.


    Nikita swiped a card through a reader at the end of the hall before gesturing for Eric to come forward while her glare dismissed what Eric was sure would normally be an assistant.


    Finesse check made!


    Eric caught the man¡¯s curious eyes. ¡°Stay,¡± he mouthed, even as he summoned the prize that had caught the shopkeeper¡¯s interest before their little negotiating dance. The man froze, clearly alarmed to see the weapon Eric held so comfortably in his grip. His features went deathly pale as the woman turned around to gesture Eric inside.


    ¡°Come on, brave adventurer. I¡¯m eager to see your¡ª¡± Her husky words were cut off, cheeks flushing prettily as she cleared her throat before Eric¡¯s cool gaze as he held the prize he knew she was most eager to claim.


    ¡°An X-Class Mark-III Hyperion minigun.¡± Nikita¡¯s pupils dilated, her voice now husky with a hunger that went far beyond the carnal. ¡°May I¡­ see?¡±


    Holding back a smile, Eric solemnly handed the woman his prize as he and the assistant now dutifully following right behind them made their way into what appeared to be a high quality assembly room, complete with microscopes, digi-scanners and what he could only assume were arcane apparati useful in ascertaining the quality and authenticity of the items they brought and sold.


    Silken pant legs swished as Nikiti quickly proceeded to one of the tables bare of exotic equipment, bright hazel eyes glittering prettily as she whispered a few quiet syllables.


    Arcane Perception check: Success! Appraisal chant in use.


    Her eyes lit up with unmistakable delight. ¡°It is authentic, and by some miracle, free and clear of any stricture! Somehow, this prize is considered an Earth-aligned relic and so may be brought and sold at our pleasure.¡± Her lips curled in a smile. ¡°I have several outstanding buy orders. I could sell it for over twenty million credits right now if you¡¯re interested¡­¡±


    Eric held her gaze for long moments. ¡°Fifty.¡±


    The assistant gasped. Nikita¡¯s playful expression flattened. ¡°These, as high end a prize as they are, can be purchased for three million credits in any major market. Even considering our location¡­¡±


    Eric, cool smile firmly in place, slowly shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re in an isolated ascending world, and somehow I wouldn¡¯t be surprised one tiny bit to find that, despite a surprising number of Bronze tier classers being permitted to ¡®assist¡¯ us in our time of transition, that any supply of high end Bronze caliber weaponry is extremely¡­ limited. Even for Tier 1 blasters. And for toys like this? All but nonexistant. Am I wrong?¡±


    Nikita swallowed. ¡°I¡­¡± She shook her head, brows furrowing with confusion. ¡°No, I do believe there is a Goblin charter, which is why we must act before we can be undersold¡­ but wait¡­ the goblin faction¡­ they¡­ they were never a part of Freetown were they?¡±


    Eric said nothing, though his eyes twinkled with mercantile joy. ¡°The important point being that there are no goblin merchants here, whatsoever. And if they had some arms-selling license tied to their bank charter¡­ well, that doesn¡¯t do them much good if they have neither bank, nor representatives here, does it?¡±


    Nikita¡¯s smile matched Eric¡¯s own. She chuckled throatily before sighing, her grin turning apologetic. ¡°Unfortunately, Blue Corp policies prevent excessive markups even with artificial scarcity, I¡¯m afraid that¡ª¡±


    Eric cleared his throat. ¡°Am I Blue Corp?¡±


    Her eyes widened.


    ¡°No. Indeed, you¡¯re not. We¡¯re selling on commission. We¡¯re merely the facilitators!¡±


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Eric nodded. ¡°And you can hardly be blamed if some egotistical self-important adventurer insists on selling an item that could arguably be considered priceless as power armor specialists¡¯ levels and accrued wealth rises, even as their gear inevitably takes a hit. And for those willing to stick it out with lesser blasters for the moment¡­ we both know grabbing this prize will become the goal of a hell of a lot of them. So let¡¯s make it a nice round number. Because we don¡¯t need them all thinking the price we list it as is acceptable. We just need the one thirsty merc that¡¯s desperate enough to buy it.¡±


    ¡°Well said, sir.¡± Her assistant quietly commended, dressed impeccably in a perfectly creased uniform, looking for all the world like a snappily dressed butler with his hair slicked back, gazing Eric¡¯s way with the warm fondness of a born bootlicker.


    Nikita gazed thoughtfully at Eric. ¡°Your position has merit. But our competition could undercut us by ten million and they would still lock in a forty million return for any mercenary or lucky adventurer willing to sell their prize.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Because sometimes things happen, and a prize just ¡®turns up¡¯.


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°But what if we have all the prizes in play?¡±


    Her brow furrowed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡­¡±


    She gasped, gazing at Eric in awed disbelief when he then pulled out a second Hyperion Minigun, then a third, then a fourth. And finally a fifth.


    ¡°Where¡­ how¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I also have a T-III Sniper Rifle! Check this glorious bad-boy out.¡± Eric solemnly pulled out a thing of beauty leagues beyond even his incredible T-II kickass Hyperion Blaster. ¡°Though we¡¯re putting this one up for a hundred million.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd!¡± She spat out on pure reflex.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Yup. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t actually expect to sell it. If no one claims it, I¡¯ll take it back, no harm no foul, when the miniguns start selling. But it still serves a vital purpose, market-wise. It helps raise the bar of what is an ¡®acceptable¡¯ price here, making the fifty mil for the mini¡¯s seem relatively reasonable in comparison. And you know sucker psychology. The more they see a certain good going for a certain price, the more they¡¯ll think that price is an acceptable norm, even if it¡¯s well beyond their means.¡±


    ¡°Ruthless,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°But he does have a point, Lady Nikita, and the onus is on him, not the Blue Corp name,¡± assured her assistant.


    Eric smirked. ¡°That¡¯s right! Let them all hate on me. I¡¯ll be crying all the way to the bank. But it always pays to have a bit of added padding, just in case. So, on that note¡­¡±


    With an exaggerated wave of his hand, Eric began pulling out a full half dozen power armor suits in nearly perfect condition, and another half dozen that were little more than scrap.


    Nikita¡¯s gaze went from bemusement to awed admiration to caution born of fear.


    ¡°This¡­ is a most impressive collection, Lord Slaughter.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Lord now, is it, sure. Ernest Edgelord Slaughter. It does have a ring to it, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    She gave him a look.


    He ignored the flush in his cheeks. Social Perception and What The Other Party Wants were both proving incredibly useful for hitting all the right notes during their negotiation, and making it painfully obvious when he was straight up playing the fool.


    ¡°So, tell me what Blue Corp would normally sell these suits for, and again we¡¯ll double it and round it up. Because we are the suppliers and we¡¯re making the market. By the time those poor suckers are done being bombarded by sticker shock, their mushy minds will be putty for whatever we put on sale.¡±


    ¡°Truly wicked, my lord. I stand in awe!¡± Whispered the flunky that was definitely growing on Eric. Quite the likable chap, really.


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Now as for the lower end blasters¡­ yeah. I get the feeling the Mark-I¡¯s are common enough that we won¡¯t be able to squeeze the market like a bloodfruit with them.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not, Lord Slaughter,¡± Nikita commiserated, looking for all the world like she felt the loss just as acutely as he did. ¡°Though by no means common enough for White-tiers to get ahold of them, not unless they¡¯re being actively sponsored by an elite mercenary company, their price point is around 450,000 credits and that¡¯s been stable for as long as we¡¯ve been here.¡±


    Eric smirked, but let that go. ¡°Alright then¡­ how about Mark-II Death Blazes?¡±


    ¡°Between 3 and 5 million.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°How many do you have in stock?¡±


    ¡°Three at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Here¡¯s ten. Let¡¯s mark them at nine million each. We¡¯ll put them out, bold as day, apologizing for nothing. Calling it top tier versus secondhand. Once people buy out the secondhand, which they¡¯ll do like people worried about toilet paper during Covid when they see how much pricier the new stock is¡­ then the market is ours.¡±


    ¡°Brilliant, my lord!¡± Declared Nikita¡¯s assistant, who showed himself to be more than just a talented bootlicker when, with brisk efficiency, the man had all the weaponry presented in all their glory upon black velvet cloth with a whispered chant cleaning them of all dust, gore, and superficial scratches polished to a shine.


    The armor took longer, and Nikita seemed perfectly content to let her assistant who, despite his supercilious charm, was obviously both a Professional and a Classer, handle the displays while she wrapped up the paperwork with Eric as soon as they finished negotiating over a few final toys which included quite a large bulk amount of miscellaneous gear that Eric was happy to offer for lot sale for what he knew was too high a price, yet after the rich promise of profitability with all the other delicious items for sale, Nikita was more than happy to put up with. Which suited Eric just fine, since Nikita was now effectively holding miscellaneous toys and treasures Eric would gladly pick up after his primary mission that demanded an absolutely empty storage space¡­ knowing that no one was going to buy all his miscellaneous shit for an absurd ten million credits.


    He had held back a few truly choice items, of course¡­ just in case desperation or a desperate bribe would make all the difference¡­ gear he was more than willing to carry in his own bloody hands if it came to that, should he achieve his goal and still have to run all out for Freetown.


    ¡°It truly has been a pleasure working with you, Ernest Slaughter,¡± Nikita said with a certain twinkle in her eye, clinking her champagne glass with his own, before sliding a vellum card holder across the table. ¡°And this is for you. Along with an interest-free ten thousand credit extension from us. My assistant took care of the details, so no need for you to worry over it.¡±


    Eric blinked, surprised to find a Blue Card with his alias, though without the Edgelord moniker. In truth, he was surprised. He thought they needed a drop of his blood. But apparently not? He beamed with pleasure.


    ¡°Thank you! This will make things easier, since I won¡¯t need to pay for everything with coin all the time.¡±


    ¡°If only more adventurers had your problem,¡± Nikita said with a fond twinkle in her eye.¡± She tilted her pretty head, giving him a thoughtful smile before taking a sip of her bubbly wine. ¡°So, how does it feel to know that you¡¯ll soon be filthy rich?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯m eager to kit up our brave boys in steel blue with the best gear that money can buy.¡±


    ¡°Cheers to that!¡± Her smile grew as she eyed him thoughtfully over the rim of her glass. ¡°It occurs to me that you¡¯re actually a new face here in Freetown. How would you like to see the sights with a native? I¡¯d be happy to give you the grand tour...¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°If only I had the time. Now that I¡¯ve unloaded prizes won in gambling halls best never mentioned, I need to disappear for awhile.¡±


    Nikita froze, her ardor immediately cooling. ¡°You do know that we sell only high end goods of impeccable background, yes? And trouble sent our way will not be tolerated.¡±


    Eric¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Don¡¯t get cold feet now, Nikita. Our contract is signed and sealed. Besides, you saw for yourself that everything I sold was fully sanctioned by the System. Everything was claimed far and square.¡±


    Nikita froze, before slowly giving a nod. ¡°That¡¯s true enough, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Though if you wanted to double or triple security with Blue Corp¡¯s finest for awhile¡­ we both know our profits will more than cover that expense.¡±


    Her brow furrowed. ¡°I was going to offer limited overtime¡­ but you¡¯re right. With this much capital invested in our venture, triple standard security will serve as both a show of force to deter theft, while underscoring just how valuable our prizes truly are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Eric declared. ¡°And as long as I¡¯m here¡­ maybe can get geared up myself?¡±


    This earned a bemused smile. ¡°I note you¡¯re wearing American teen casual. As a disguise, I¡¯m guessing? Surely no one would have suspected that you have a net worth in excess of half a billion credits worth of goods, assuming we actually manage to sell it at your listed prices, and I have no better gear in stock than the Tier-IV Hyper-Polymer skin suits you yourself are putting up for sale through our emporium.¡±


    Eric crossed his fingers and rested his chin on them, gazing at Nikita with a whimsical smile. ¡°True. Though I can think of one prize even better than the hyper-polymer.¡±


    ¡°And that would be¡­¡±


    ¡°Mithril.¡±


    Nikita blinked, giving Eric a slow, measuring look. ¡°Ah. I see.¡±


    Eric ignored the twisting in his gut, enduring her too knowing stare. His Nose for Trouble was completely quiescent, but he had already proven to at least one group of overconfident Rank 30+ Bronzers the price of relying on perks alone to suss out any situation.


    Still, enough was riding on the line that he was happy to quietly sip what tasted an awful lot like his mother¡¯s favorite Champagne while undergoing Nikita¡¯s thorough scrutiny, now almost certain she was accessing one data bank or another, no doubt more than a bit curious about the mysterious stranger before her. Of course him triggering her alarm implying that he was just a lucky bastard who had ripped off a Bronze merc company in shady gambling halls somewhere should have made her cautious, and it was on its surface unbelievable, save for the uniquely odd talents that Terran Contenders popped up with, as he had noted more than one opponent cursing to their frustration. So why not one that allowed him to out-hustle pretty much everyone?


    No, he wouldn¡¯t regret his alluded to story. Because no other explanation made sense without outright declaring himself a powerhouse at a time when he absolutely wanted to avoid serious attention being sent his way with Bronze tier professionals and Classers after him, and how the hell did that come to pass when the goblin faction had been all but wiped out?


    He kept his half-smile in place, enduring Nikita¡¯s scrutiny while her lips curved in a bemused smile, eyes twinkling with an odd sort of excitement once more. ¡°You truly are an intriguing one, aren¡¯t you, Ernest? Well, it just so happens that a full suit of mithril armor was recovered by a mercenary who I¡¯m all but certain had a highly advanced Treasure Hunter perk.¡±


    Eric froze, ears roaring with the pounding of his heart. It had been a shot in the dark. He hadn¡¯t seriously thought that he might actually luck into what he had been desperate for since first robbed of so many treasures right before the endless night began. Still, he¡¯d be an absolute fool to give away just how desperately he wanted such a treasure, Nikita¡¯s long pause suddenly making sense. She hadn¡¯t been doing a background check for its own sake¡­ she had been building up tension, trying to feel him out.


    To see just how much such a prize would be worth to him.


    He took a careful sip of his drink. ¡°Fascinating. How much did he sell it to you for?¡±


    This earned a warm, throaty chuckle, Nikita¡¯s smile revealing brilliant white teeth.


    ¡°Why Ernest, that would be telling!¡± She said with a playful wink. ¡°And the best part is, the treasures are actually Wind affiliated, is that not fascinating? Cultivation treasures found here in Freetown where there isn¡¯t a cultivator to be found anywhere. Quite a remarkable find! Wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    Eric shrugged, the interest fading from his eyes as he gave a restless crick of his shoulders. ¡°Actually¡­ I was hoping for a mithril blade.¡±


    He smirked, patting the prize radiating magic that he had claimed from a mercenary that had been dead set on killing him, not that long ago. A prize he had slipped in its sheath under his coat just seconds after leaving the ice cream parlor. ¡°A gladius like this, that our merc friends seem to love with a force shield, for close melee-range shield bash and killing, is pretty badass when you¡¯re fighting in power armor. Hell, this prize is actually a vibro blade and more than capable of cutting through half the shit I saw on display. But it doesn¡¯t really suit my sleek, badass fencing style. I can¡¯t look dashing twirling a short range hack and thrust blade around like this, can I?¡±


    He then casually unsheathed his blade and put the tiniest trickle of mana through it, suppressing a smirk a the way Nikita¡¯s face absolutely paled, Eric suddenly acutely aware of just how deadly that cutting vibro blade was.


    His interface suddenly spiked with a dozen warning messages about the risks of causing harm to a Blue Corp associate and how absolutely stupid that would be.


    He immediately withdrew his will and mana pool from it, sighing sadly as it took long seconds to power down before resheathing it. ¡°I can¡¯t even show off a proper twirl. But a nice katana? Or even better, a dachi? Have you seen half of Blue Corp¡¯s anime? Heroes look so BADASS flashing those blades around!¡±


    Nikita blinked, thoughts clearly whirling as she reoriented herself. ¡°It just so happens that I might be able to locate such a blade for you, Ernest. But just to be clear, do you truly have no interest in mithril armor?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Do you think it would match my badass trench coat? I mean, my next stop is to see if I can get it enchanted by this really hot¡­ I mean, very gracious and kind enchanter I helped out of a pinch the other day. So¡­ yeah, I mean, it might not hurt to have an extra layer of protection and all, and it would make a super sweet gift I bet if I ever find a cute elven warrior princess who wants to adventure by my side¡­ as long as it¡¯s not too crazy priced.¡± He furrowed his brow. ¡°Do you think I could have them melt it down and make me a nice katana or dachi? I got a few character points I could use to flash learn an absolutely badass combat style, I just know it!¡±


    Nikita¡¯s look was one of quickly suppressed horror. ¡°To use your infinite ability to shape your soul on such a¡­¡± she took a deep breath, quickly getting a hold of herself. ¡°Ernest, I would be more than happy to direct you to several very skilled trainers who could teach you both the basics and the finer points of numerous combat styles. Men and women who are currently working full time polishing the skills of countless youth who woke up with the memories of warriors and adventurers from either a different world or era. They would be more than happy to teach you, and would counsel you to save every last one of your precious ¡®points¡¯ to achieve elite attributes or the absolute highest ranks of the skill, after you¡¯ve achieved Journeyman level on your own, which itself will prove a remarkable and hard-won feat more than worthy of your time!¡±


    Eric grinned, more touched than he wanted to admit by her obvious concern. ¡°Great! So I can melt it down if I decide it isn¡¯t for me and my future adventuring companions prefer the shit I¡¯m selling here to shiny chain mail. So, how much would it cost me to get whatever mithril scrap you have?¡±


    Nikita¡¯s anxious look turned to a rueful chuckle, her gaze both playful and scolding.


    Eric kept his expression neutral, his Social Perception making it clear that he had overstepped.


    ¡°My dear boy, I almost think you¡¯re trying too hard! We don¡¯t sell scrap. We sell treasures! And I¡¯d be happy to sell you a certain pair of treasures¡­ mithril hauberk and helm, for one hundred million credits.¡± Her smile grew. ¡°Even better, since I happen to have so many of your wonderful toys on collateral, we could make the trade right now, a deduction from whatever profits you make from your commissions, without you being short a single silver coin.


    Eric clenched his jaw, knowing he had fucked up, but determined to play it off as simple disappointment. ¡°I see. Well, I¡¯m sorry I wasted your time then,¡± he said with a sigh, getting up from his chair. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a week, or you can System message me once we make sufficient sales that its actually worth my time to pick up my cut?¡± he forced a smile, dipping his head at her tightened expression. ¡°Thanks for the Champagne. It was my mother¡¯s favorite.¡±


    For some reason, this made Nikita pale.


    But it was only when he turned his back and made his way for the emporium exit that her warm golden laughter washed over him once more.


    ¡°Ernest¡­ Ernest! Come. There is no reason not to finish your drink! I have an entire bottle for us to enjoy. Perhaps there is something else you desire?¡±


    He forced a thoughtful nod. ¡°Well, you did mention that you might be able to source me a blade. I¡¯m guessing the guy who found the mithril armor probably kept the sword? Yeah. You can let me know if you find it, sure.¡± He patted the blade at his hip, what truly was an odd fusion of magic and high magitech artistry, a Bronze tier weapon that he was almost certain wouldn¡¯t have any problems surviving even the most chaotic territory or delve chock full of wild magic. But maybe it was worth soul-bonding after all. A quick hold-out weapon he could ram under an assassin¡¯s ribs in the instant someone attacked him in the dead of night.


    He let his resolve show on his face. ¡°And you know what? You made a damn good point. Why burn a precious level up point when I can earn free levels just by training my lazy ass? Thanks for getting my head straight on that.¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°I think a certain lucky windfall of my own almost made me lose my common sense.¡± He grinned. ¡°And there¡¯s no way I¡¯m paying a hundred million for shiny chain mail. That¡¯s a sucker¡¯s price, Nikita. You and I both know it.¡±


    Her gaze narrowed. ¡°So, you are interested.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll pick it up for the same price as the best power armor we¡¯re selling desperate Bronze tanks, which I¡¯m most certainly not. It¡¯s cute, but like you said, the Tier-IV Hyper Polymer skin suits are top of the line, and you¡¯d better believe that I kept one for myself.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen million¡¯s an insult!¡± Nikita glared.


    Eric crossed his arms. ¡°So was high-balling me with bullshit. So let¡¯s do twenty.¡±


    ¡°Forty. For just the hauberk.¡±


    ¡°Thirty for hauberk and helm, and you try to get me that mithril blade for ten or less.¡±


    ¡°Thirty five for the hauberk, five for the helm. And that sword, if I can even get it, will cost you another twenty!¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    And so fast it was almost magic, an amendment was signed and Eric found her assistant ushering him to a private showing room where both sparkling mithril hauberk and helm were adorning a mannequin that had never looked so majestic. Eric held in a shuddering breath, eyes flashing with exultation he did his best to keep in check. Yet it was clear from the half-smile Nikita was giving him that she was reading him like a book.


    ¡°Would you like to try it on?¡±


    Not trusting himself to speak, lost in the glorious sparkle of a prize that called out to him so sharply, all he could do was nod.


    Her warm laughter caressed his spine. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, Ernest, I¡¯d think that this prize was worth far more to you than the forty you¡¯re paying.¡± She said as her assistant quickly removed the priceless treasure from it¡¯s mannequin and presented it to Eric with a bow.


    ¡°A prize worthy of a king! Masterful negotiation, my lord,¡± her assistant said, handing Eric the mithril treasures. And it was only in that moment, heart in throat, that Eric dared to acknowledge the terrible doubt in his heart.


    They hadn¡¯t been won in battle. What if these prizes refused him?


    Yet much to his awed relief that he revealed only then, the mithril armor flowed into his arms like silk, resonating warmly, happily, with his cultivation base.


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but chuckle with fierce satisfaction, eyes twinkling with mirth when he finally understood.


    Nikita blinked. ¡°Why do I suddenly feel like you would have paid your entire fortune to secure that armor?¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin was all teeth. ¡°I guess it¡¯s fair to say¡­ I won that negotiation round, no? Of course, that¡¯s the beauty of our Blue Corp mercantile empire. By meeting each other¡¯s needs, we both come out winners.¡±


    Nikita frowned, giving him an ever more thoughtful look. ¡°You¡¯re not lying.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°When you said ¡®our mercantile empire¡­¡¯ you meant it. As if you also had a stake in this grand, glorious game that we play. How fascinating.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart started to race. Because as a fifty percent stakeholder in the bank that technically owned the entire city and all the real estate and businesses therein¡­ he did indeed mean it. And he was an idiot not to think that a merchant like her had some sort of lie detection skill.


    His cheeks flushed. Which meant that she knew he had been stretching the truth regarding the origins of so many prizes now being sold on commission. Because sure as shit, he hadn¡¯t won this gear with opponents gambling. Not unless you counted the bets as being nothing less than the very lives of his opponents. His prey. But even if she caught that, she would have also sensed that he was entitled to every last piece of high tech hardware he had claimed from the killing fields of a world, or a timeline, that now somehow never was. Or had always been. That endless night somehow baked and backended into the bedrock of causality itself.


    He felt a cold prickle of concern, if not outright alarm. Now pretty damned certain that he had only been half as clever as he had thought, and that Nikita now knew far more than he had intended to let on. But all she did was bow her head.


    ¡°It has been a genuine pleasure working with you, Lord Slaughter. I look forward to our next engagement.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Myself as well. Now if you¡¯ll permit me a few minutes to change¡­¡±


    This earned a bemused eyebrow. ¡°That hungry, are we? No longer playing? Good. Now I know I could have gotten that hundred million from you.¡± She sighed, giving him a rueful smile. ¡°Well played, Ernest. Well played indeed.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°And you¡¯re still up 40 million. I¡¯m betting that¡¯s triple what you bought it for.¡±


    Her eyes twinkled. ¡°That would be telling, wouldn¡¯t it? And a good merchant never reveals her clients¡¯ secrets. Now go change. I¡¯m eager to see just how dashing you look!¡±


    For getting the best of a skilled Professional while still assuring that you both come out ahead, you have achieved 1 additional Rank in Negotiation!


    Congratulations! Negotiation is now Rank 15!


    Note! Your Acting skill has failed to level.


    Almost in a daze, Eric solemnly did just that. Fighting to swallow the lump in his throat when he gazed at his own reflection. Not as Ernest, but as Eric, tears streaming down his eyes, his ice blue irises now surrounded by a corona of gold and violet, fire and ice, shimmering the same as his ever fainter and increasingly exotic looking essence tattoos gracing both his cheeks.


    In that moment he could admit it. Even with the exotic polymer skin suit serving as padding, the mithril armor fit him perfectly. He looked like an elven prince out of his mother¡¯s grandest productions, ready to take on a world and claim his throne.


    He closed his eyes, ignoring the tears streaming down his cheeks, squeezing his hands as Ernest came to the fore once more, mithril half-helm disguised by the power of his ring and the wide-brimmed hat he wore once more.


    When he stepped out of the changing room, his acute perception picked up the voices of outraged sounding mercenaries, placating security, and he knew he had fucked up.


    Not because of the healthy commotion in the front of the store that was a sign of lively capitalism and exploitative pricing at its best, but because of the look of awe in Nikita¡¯s gaze.


    Awe and fear.


    FUCK! He should not have eased the power of his ring, not even for a second. Because she had seen. She must have! And why the hell wouldn¡¯t she take a moment to glimpse whatever secrets her customers were stupid enough to reveal in a changing room? Maybe it was a safety and theft precaution too. No need to assume malice, even if mild predatory capitalism was something he had somehow persuaded her to engage on his behalf. But still.


    ¡°My lord, please. You have to leave. Now.¡±


    Eric froze, jaw clenched. ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°Goblin elites and barristers are heading this way, Your Grace. If you would save our city, you have to disappear before they can find you!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    She knew.


    She had pieced it all together with a single fucking tell.


    Of course she had! She was a Blue Corp executive with enough competence and pull to run the most lucrative and dangerous branch of their entire operation! Catering to power hungry Bronze elite. And why the hell had she zeroed in on him, a casual-looking kid, within seconds of him entering the plaza, just one more browser among many?


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed, realizing that, as skilled and clever as liked to think himself, he was a babe in the woods playing with centuries-old masters who actually had classes in arenas where he only had a few perks and a Negotiation skill. Did she know from the start? Had their entire negotiation just been a song and dance for his pleasure?


    No. He couldn¡¯t let himself spiral down that line of thought.


    His Negotiation skill advancement gave him a tiny sliver of comfort in a sudden sea of worry, and his failure to level up the lower level Acting skill suddenly made perfect sense. He always had been playing to his weakness in that arena. It would be a miracle if Acting ever became a strength. Even if Rank 6 was, technically, strikingly good compared to most mortals, and the Eric of today wouldn¡¯t have been nearly the embarrassment to the Silver name that he had been just a few years back. It didn¡¯t change the fact that his social opponents today were the farthest thing from classless mortals.


    He quickly reigned in his racing thoughts, Battletime in full effect as the world seemed to slow, processing so much in the time it took Nikita to blink just once. Whether or not she had known from the start, and had been desperately messaging Caliban on how best to handle him, or only in the second he had dared to reveal himself in what he thought were private chambers¡­ to sense himself in the Windridge Clan mithril mail as himself, his true self, so he could Soul-Bind his prizes at just half standard cost, being as familiar with the mail as a second skin¡­ it didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was that the hour was so late and the stakes so high that social niceties and pretexts were being put aside for survival.


    The survival of Freetown as the magical second chance he had intended it to be for countless thousand of souls hinged upon him getting the hell out of this city and retrieving a fortune in gold just as fast as he could.

 Chapter 398 - Freetowns Peril: Part IV

    Eric refused to waste another second. Speed Racer and his own Cultivation and arcane affinities allowed him to ignore both inertia and air resistance as he darted past Nikita so fast that he appeared to vanish before her eyes.


    Thanks to Battletime, he had more than enough time to shift his posture and stance, now gazing at the world through emerald green eyes with fiery locks of hair framing Ernest¡¯s face, thanks to the phoenix ring he had invested so much of himself into. A quick look in the mirror showed a younger version of what could have been his cousin, though his features were so eerily symmetrical and airbrushed flawless that it was almost chilling. Especially when the too handsome youth¡¯s wince was his own. Clearly he wasn¡¯t escaping his Appearance stat just by trying to look different.


    But if anyone had somehow made a connection between the brooding brown hair, eyes, and the semi-goth attire worn when he had entered, he looked entirely different now. If nothing else, at least the polymer mesh skinsuit he had donned that was the favored badge of status worn by mercenaries when off duty fit just as comfortably as he could hope, and looked like he belonged in it. Even if it did earn more than a few appraising glances when he finally strutted free of the secluded hallways where Eric assumed more than a few discrete transactions with VIP clientele took place.


    Even when a whistle cut through the air, Eric refused to flush, well recalling just how randy things had been in Freetown not that long ago, regardless of race or gender, so long as one had the Appearance stat to back it up. And like it or not, now he most certainly did. He kept his walk casual, wearing a bemused half-smile of someone who never minded flattery and was more than comfortable in his own skin. He also made sure that both his magitech vibroblade and the force-shield he really should have practiced using were in easy, instinctive reach while doing everything he could to radiate confidence, poise, and a deadly grace that only earned more glances of casual curiosity or outright hunger from both men and women.


    Very much like what life had been like just a few years ago for him, though more often than not, his mother and sister would steal the spotlight, leaving him in relative peace.


    Haunted by bittersweet memories he tried not to show, he coolly strode into the plaza proper, greeting both surprised looks and hungry gazes with a cool superior smirk of his own.


    He refused to feel embarrassed about anything. Eric gloried in his appearance, his grace, his mastery over any bedroom, boardroom, or battlefield. Or such was the look he strove to convey. A powerful Contender who had just gotten the best of another negotiation, and was now about to celebrate his triumph.


    It was a demeanor he wove about himself so thickly that when a monumentally ugly evolved goblin who looked like a cross between a pig and an impossibly greasy used-car salesman glowered his way, his eyes passed right over Eric. Eagerly looking for the prince who was preventing the Bloodtear Syndicate from stealing a city they were no doubt eager to claim. Certainly they had neither time nor interest in a haughty-looking battle-mech pilot. But Eric knew better than to stare at the creature he both loathed, was desperate to avoid, and more eager than he wanted to admit to wash the room in that abomination¡¯s blood. So Eric allowed his eyes to wander, flickering over what was now an impressive crowd of over half a dozen Bronze-tier mercenaries enjoying a free show as a pair of powerfully built men radiating power and outrage glared at none other than Nikita¡¯s assistant.


    ¡°Fifty million credits for a standard minigun? Are you out of your fucking mind? They sell for 3.5 Mil, tops, in any galactic hub!¡± Roared one of the mercenaries.


    The second man glowered, cracking his knuckles. ¡°They¡¯re making a mockery of us. If Blue Corp thinks they can get away with clear extortion without alienating every single merc corp in this sector, they got another thing coming!¡±


    ¡°Please, please, gentle sirs. Of course we appreciate your business, and of course Blue Corp direct sales always follow our markup policy, even for the most destitute and isolated worlds now forbidden from accessing any standard market for the duration of Earth¡¯s ascension.¡±


    Despite his meek expression, Nikita¡¯s assistant¡¯s voice rang with an authority that put both glowering men on the back foot. As if forcing them to recall that this world was ascending with all the magnificent promise and potential such had, and that they now got to enjoy front row seats normally forbidden to their kind, or anyone else, really, save for easily conned and hustled natives and the elite spawn who were supposed to be the true beneficiaries of worlds like this, as any merc worth their salt instinctively knew. Yet somehow, they were here, even if their origins before hitting Bronze had been those of common grunts, and they should be damned grateful. Certainly the powers-that-be weren¡¯t going to make things any easier for them by allowing easy access to toys that were normally forbidden on newly ascending worlds entirely.


    ¡°These items were placed for sale by an anonymous third party,¡± Nikita¡¯s assistant continued to explain. ¡°We have absolutely no control on the price they choose to set. All we can do is strive for fairness and integrity with all transactions and assure that the Blue Emporium has done a most thorough check on each and every one of these top-of-the-line miniguns. And every other item put up for sale, including half a dozen suits of Power Armor suitable for Bronze Ascenders all the way up to Advanced Rank 40 without any further investment needed by you. Of course they additionally have plenty of further room to grow for those willing to invest their ascension potential in some of the best suits of armor you¡¯ll find on the planet, I¡¯m sure!¡±


    The man flashed a cheerful salesman¡¯s smile that took in the whole room. ¡°And it goes without saying that ALL our commissioned goods are in pristine condition, ALL have fully charged electromana pacts dimensionally stabilized to assure no untoward discharges, and we can absolutely assure you after a very, VERY thorough data-dive that the beauties that have currently caught your eye are the only Tier-III Hyperion miniguns to be found anywhere at all in this particular corner of the world. And of course, we additionally have many, many more items for sale. Including both Tier II and Tier I blasters, the latter going for a mere 450,000 credits each!¡±


    Eric¡¯s breath caught in his throat, his heart hammering as he gazed upon the crowd of mercenaries. Not simply because over half the men present were actually gazing at the miniguns with newfound interest, up to and including giving their counterparts wearing different patterned polymer skinsuits side-eyes, leaving the glorious possibility of hyper-competitive purchases that would net him an absolute FORTUNE!


    No. That wasn¡¯t what pulled his gaze like a lure dangling such a tempting prize in plain sight, here of all places.


    It was one particular mercenary gazing at the weapons with a thoughtful frown, who just happened to have a sheathed mithril dachi on his back every bit as long as a Swiss two-handed saber that could only have come from the Windridge clan.


    It was a weapon that called out to him. Unaltered by higher order transformations¡­ still infused with its Wind element, it would allow Eric to channel his Bloodfire Strike, deadly and potent, a skill he now had absolutely no way of unleashing¡­ and it wouldn¡¯t trigger a single goblin seer¡¯s sight or otherwise cause him a shred of political fallout.


    It was a prize he was desperate to claim.


    And it was all he could do to wipe that desperation from his features when the man he approached abruptly spun around, hand reaching for a weapon that wasn¡¯t there, before instinctively reaching for the back hilt of his mithril blade. A momentary fumble that would have happened to fast for any mortal even to register.


    Quickness and Finesse both around 300. He¡¯s a badass. Eric mentally noted, even as he gave a respectful nod.


    Perception check: Successful!


    ¡°Hey there, are you a fencer? That¡¯s a nice blade.¡±


    The man blinked, his scowl turning to a rueful chuckle. ¡°Didn¡¯t even see you there for a second. And I¡¯m no slouch. I¡¯ll tell you that much for free. Name¡¯s Lone.¡±


    ¡°Ernest.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure, Ernest. What can I do you for?¡±


    Eric smiled, doing his best to embrace a professional mien as he took a step back, crossed his arms, tilted his head, gazing at the man before him appraisingly. Pretending he didn¡¯t notice the way his heart was now hammering. Or the fact that his ring¡¯s transformative powers was still constrained by his Appearance stat, unless he was artistic or foolish enough to try to mold his face himself. And since Obliviation and SkyDragon character generators made it pretty damned clear what happened when you fucked with a face with no artistic background¡­ he¡¯d accept the templates he was given.


    He frowned thoughtfully. ¡°I can¡¯t help but note the way your hand jutted for your hip, first thing. I¡¯m guessing to reach for a gladius that isn¡¯t there. Maybe a vibro-blade variant? Like the ones I see your companion¡¯s wearing?¡± he said with a Perception check and a smile as a pair of similarly uniformed men casually browsing nearby idly turned their attention to face Eric and their companion, tuning out the argument still going on about overpriced Mark-IIIs and the sale that Eric just KNEW was incoming.


    Both of those mercenaries had blades and force shields at their hips very much like Eric¡¯s own.


    Lone scowled, before he gave a wry chuckle, shrugging his powerful shoulders. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s just how things go. You win some, you lose some.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, cause you¡¯re an idiot, losing the captain¡¯s prized gear on a bet,¡± snorted the sandy-haired man to Lone¡¯s left, earning a scowl and a glare.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up Myl.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the idiot who lost it, on a bet of all things. With goblins? Are you out of your fucking¡­ never mind,¡± Myl snorted. ¡°You¡¯re just lucky you found that Mithril blade and that we¡¯re all in this ascended bullshit together, or you¡¯d be out on your ass, and you know it.¡±


    Lone flushed while his other companion wordlessly clapped his shoulder in obvious sympathy, making it clear there was a bond, snark aside.


    ¡°Fuck-ups happen,¡± the latter said. ¡°What matters is we overcome all obstacles and rise to the top.¡±


    ¡°And now we can,¡± Myl said, a look of wonder flickering across his features. ¡°Here and now, I can feel it. WE call can feel it. If we had stalled before¡­ sure as hell, we¡¯re not stalled now.¡±


    All three men nodded solemnly at that. Instinctively, Eric did as well, sensing by the solemn gravitas those words had over what seemed half the plaza just how vital the opportunity to be able to ascend and level up once more was for these mercenaries, finding themselves on a world embracing its earliest growing pains, all that potency just begging to be claimed.


    At that moment Eric did his best to mirror their expressions, the flashes of unguarded hope mixed with bemused cynicism, finding it effortless to fit in.


    He didn¡¯t flinch even once when the nearby Goblin barrister snorted. ¡°Fucking losers¡­ come on, fools. He¡¯s not here!¡±


    Eric made sure not to crack a smile when his foes left. Both the barristers and the pair of shadowy assassins he hadn¡¯t sensed at all until that very moment, sending fresh chills down his spine.


    ¡°So, you like pretty blades then?¡± Said Lone, apparently eager to continue their conversation.


    Eric flashed an enthusiastic smile. ¡°As a matter of fact, I do.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to see mine?¡±


    Myl laughed. The other merc flashed Eric an apologetic smile. Fortunately, Eric was a someone who knew how the game was played, having survived, like his sister, advances from both predatory and well-meaning producers and fellow actors in both California and New York. So he wasn¡¯t afraid to fill the air with a good-natured chuckle of his own, making it clear that no feelings were hurt, that he was in on the joke, and that was all it was.


    ¡°I would love to,¡± he assured, eyes twinkling with good-natured mirth. ¡°As long as it¡¯s the mithril one on your back.¡±


    Lone blinked, then smiled. ¡°By all means.¡± He solemnly unsheathed his blade and handed it to Eric, hilt first.


    ¡°May I?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Eric slowly, almost tentatively clasped the hilt in his hand.


    Instantly feeling the connection.


    Like magic.


    Like coming home.


    It was all he could do to hide the excitement on his features. How dearly he wanted that blade.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    And one look at Lone¡¯s knowing eyes made it clear he understood that as well.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    Lone opened his mouth, about to give the obvious answer, before giving a sheepish grin when Myl elbowed him with a glare.


    ¡°You have no idea.. absolutely no idea how much I want to work something out with you. But you know how it is.¡±


    Eric nodded solemnly, thoughts racing. ¡°Trust is everything. So is uniformity in gear. If everyone¡¯s suited up the same, your squad leader and captains¡¯ bonuses multiply.¡±


    Eric said it so matter-of-factly, even if it was just an educated guess, his only real experience with those truths being with his own raised revenants. Yet the casual nods as if it was common knowledge were still a relief to see.


    ¡°You got that right. And since I played the fool once already¡­ I don¡¯t dare fuck up a second time.¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°Believe me, I know how that feels. But what if instead of fucking up, you got a second chance to make things 100% right with your CO?¡±


    Lone furrowed his brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Eric winked, patting the hilt of his force shield and vibroblade at his hip. ¡°What the fuck do you think I mean?¡±


    Lone blinked. ¡°But then you¡¯d be in just as much hot water as me. We all use standard gear for a reason. We¡¯re interchangeable when the truly big shit will start manifesting in a few years. Decades if we¡¯re lucky, or just seasons if things truly go to shit. And all our commanders will then be working together for some fucking monster-sized contracts.¡±


    Eric chuckled once more. ¡°No worries there, buddy. I hunt down exotic treasures, not living targets. Which means I¡¯m a free agent.¡± His teasing smile grew. ¡°So, Lone, what do you say?¡± He patted his hip. ¡°Even trade. A handsome mithril treasure for a treasure hunter like me, and an absolutely deadly force shield and vibro-blade for you.¡±


    Lone froze, seeming to have to collect himself, pupils dilated, nostrils flared, swallowing rapidly.


    ¡°Take the fucking deal, dickhead,¡± Myl hissed. ¡°You can flirt with him later. Hell you¡¯re halfway there already! Now take the deal and make the captain smile and thank your lucky stars he fell into our lap!¡± Their unnamed third nodded in solemn agreement.


    And within seconds it was done.


    Lone was giving Eric a look that was equal parts, joy, relief, and apology, as if knowing he had gotten the better end of the deal and hoping that Eric was okay with it.


    For his part, it was all Eric could do not to roar his exhilaration, hands trembling as he held the hilt of the blade, sensing its wondrous nature and absolutely profound potential. Even if, to all outside appearances, it was an inert mithril blade.


    And so it was.


    Yet it was all but made for him, its weight and balance, the way it kissed and cleaved through the air with the most graceful of gestures before he slipped it in the sheath an oddly staring Lone gave him. It was nothing to clip free the original Windridge sheath of exotic hides it had come with free of the mechanized back sheath that would keep it from encumbering a mecha merc like Lone. Eric handed the back sheath contraption back with a wink before fastening the original sheath straps to his belt so it hung free at just the angle needed for an Iado Fast-Draw which he hadn¡¯t practiced with the weapon it was made for¡­ he was made for... in far too long.


    Lone and Myl exchanged measuring looks.


    ¡°Our new friend here looks like he knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± Myl said.


    ¡°Now I hardly feel like I took advantage of him at all,¡± Lone smirked.


    ¡°Got that right,¡± said the third.


    Lone tilted his head, thoughtfully gazing Eric¡¯s way. ¡°You ever thought of signing up with a company, mister ¡®free agent?¡¯¡±


    Eric blinked, thoughts racing, a sudden fierce smile blooming across his features. ¡°That depends. What¡¯s the pay like?¡±


    Lone chuckled. ¡°Now you¡¯re speaking my language! We¡¯re Bronze. Elite. No matter the backgrounds that got us here. And in a newly ascending virgin world like this¡­ we command a premium. We make a flat 10,000 credits a week just for showing up, and doing whatever guard or escort assignments we¡¯re given. If we actually see action, we can rack up some serious bonuses. And assuming any local around here finally gets the stones to go the conquest route and clear out a wild territory, where the real money¡¯s at¡­ then we¡¯re getting 100,000 per week, safely ratting the wildlife at a distance, and that shit can take weeks or longer, just to clear a single red territory!¡±


    Myl nodded. ¡°And if you¡¯re really lucky, we¡¯ll get a well-connected scion who actually has a clue as to what really gets you ahead to clear a fresh dungeon.¡±


    All three men¡¯s eyes lit up at the thought. ¡°And you know just as well as we do how fucking valuable that is, even if there isn¡¯t a single crystal or arcane fruit worth mentioning and nothing more than tough hide and even tougher meat!¡±


    Eric grinned at their chuckles, knowing exactly what they meant, and finding it interesting that even here and now, they didn¡¯t say a word about the sweet, sweet twelve¡­ no, fifteen potency point gain, in addition to any and all experience points earned, with a first-time Red Delve clear.


    Just as good as any advanced title.


    ¡°And the concentrated experience in delves lets us push our own boundaries that much further, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Eric said with a comradely grin. ¡°Becoming legends, tied to the mythos of this ascending world, helping us to ascend the Ranks in turn.¡±


    All three men solemnly nodded as one.


    ¡°You got it,¡± Myl said. ¡°But just¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Watch them cute lips of yours, wouldn¡¯t want to get in trouble with the natives,¡± Lone said with a chuckle.


    Eric grinned, knowing that Lone meant no harm with his flattery. ¡°No worries. Remember, Treasure Hunter here. All sorts of perks and benefits to the class. So. If I actually signed up with your corp, I¡¯d get 100k per dungeon run?¡±


    ¡°You got it,¡± Assured their third. ¡°Names Naje, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure, Naje. Name¡¯s Ernest. Ernest Slaughter. So, what¡¯s the sign on bonus like, and how much would I earn for a simple three day escort mission into, say, the neighboring Red territory?¡±


    Naje furrowed his brow at that, but Myl grinned.


    ¡°Boy¡¯s speaking our language already!¡± Myl said. ¡°Well, let me put it this way. If the way you hold that sword is any indication, you might just get a pretty nice sign on bonus indeed.¡±


    Eric gave a pleased nod. ¡°Wonderful. And I know of at least one gentleman looking for a Red territory escort. How much would we get if I could bring him on board, working with us?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to complain about, that¡¯s for sure. In addition to a headhunter¡¯s fee, you¡¯ll get thirty thousand credits for three day¡¯s escort in a hot zone, easy,¡± Myl assured. ¡°Even if we¡¯re exploring a newly ascending world¡¯s Red tiers, where the mana¡¯s sharp and spicy as fuck, the critters shouldn¡¯t possess any problem for us, so long as we have a good Mecha Specialist to keep our gear in tip top shape so we don¡¯t start shorting the fuck out.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Even better if you have an Adept tier class, rare as that shit is, where you¡¯re truly one with your gear.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s so long as we¡¯re avoiding trouble,¡± Lone qualified. ¡°And if the mana¡¯s quiescent. If it¡¯s a hot storm, like that territory to the south¡­ shit gets expensive. We might have to go in old school gear, if we¡¯re not Adepts or better. And who the fuck is at Bronze? Plus side is then we¡¯re talking about triple that baseline, so 90K credits for each of us for a three day stint out there. Maybe captain rounds it up to an even 100K for 3 days out there. And if we¡¯re dealing with hunters who want to clear, not just transport, then the bonuses get all the sweeter. But you¡¯d damn well better have a polearm proficiency or old school spell or wand access, ha ha! Especially if it¡¯s surging like crazy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous work,¡± Myl said, giving Lone a look as if to curb his enthusiasm. ¡°But damned profitable. And that¡¯s why a good merc¡¯s almost as good with blade and halberd as he is with his blaster.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Lone said.


    Then all three men¡¯s heightened perception had them turning around as Nikita walked at a fast clip towards Eric. ¡°May I speak with you for a moment, sir?¡±


    Eric blinked, before giving a slow nod. A bit chilled that she had zeroed in on him that quickly. did they have what amounted to cameras all over? Of course they did. Which meant that they saw his subtle transformation even in that empty hallway. And if the goblins got access to that¡­ even if otherwise they were completely clueless...


    Lone exchanged a look with his companions.


    ¡°Stay there. I¡¯d like to continue our conversation,¡± Eric said to the three mercs before following Nikita.


    The moment they entered the discrete corridor leading away from the open plaza, Nikita turned back around, giving him a too knowing smile.


    ¡°A thrill, isn¡¯t it? Having a trio of boys in the palm of you hand. And I see you¡¯ve secured yourself exactly the prize you were looking for. I hope you didn¡¯t promise more than you¡¯re truly comfortable giving?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°A role my sister taught me, and quite well. Not that many years ago. And like you said, some things are far more important than personal comfort. Especially if all it takes is a bit of courage and playful spirit to flow right into that role.¡±


    Nikita¡¯s playful smile turned brittle. ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re playing a perilous game even being¡­¡± she cut off her words, shaking her head. ¡°But it¡¯s perfect. You¡¯re¡­ perfect. Impossibly beautiful. Radiating such predatory sensuality that will inflame both sexes, causing so many to look your way twice.¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°Let the hunters chase the fleeing fox. Not the one sleeping peacefully in the den right under their feet.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah. Til I¡¯m out of the city and I¡¯m me again, sure. I don¡¯t mind pretending I¡¯m at a photo op. God knows I had to do enough of them, not that long ago, and people will always be people. Some with more self-control than others. That shit never changes, and my sister had it a hell of a lot worse than me. But don¡¯t sweat it, I¡¯m not so thin-skinned that I can¡¯t laugh off a drunken idiot¡¯s fumble, or a dreamer¡¯s impossible dream. No hard feelings on my end.¡±


    Nikita took a deep breath, centering herself. ¡°We have an offer for your miniguns, already.¡±


    Eric blinked, a pleased lighting up his features. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a catch,¡± Nikita said.


    ¡°Of course there is.¡±


    ¡°Twenty million credits up front¡­ and one million per month until the balance is paid off.¡± She waved her hand as if to forestall any protest. ¡°And that¡¯s a lien that the merc company itself is bound to, not any individual mercenary who might perish, sadly or, ahem, leave unexpectedly. And these are Blue Corp bonded companies, so they will definitely think twice before reneging on our deal. Tarnishing their name like that truly isn¡¯t worth it in the long run, and everyone knows it.¡± Nikita gazed intently at Eric¡¯s hungry smile. ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s perfect timing. Though it would be even better if they could pay for even the tiniest portion of it in gold.¡±


    Nikita froze. ¡°You do know that if we actually get any gold whatsoever, where it has to go. Immediately. Even if we end up with no profit at all.¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile hardened. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m doing all this in the first place? Of course you give it to you-know-who. And don¡¯t be afraid to offer discounts. Deep Discounts. To any merc or player willing to put down a good chunk of gold.¡±


    Nikita blinked, anxious lips curving into a relieved smile. ¡°So all of this¡­ you¡¯re doing it to help us.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°And to make a fucking killing¡­ but what good is any of it if the city I love is¡­¡± he sighed sadly, refusing to say a word, just in case certain Bronze tier spies were listening in, even now.


    Nikita dipped his head before leaning close, warm lips sending shivers down Eric¡¯s spine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything was scrubbed. And if we all get through this¡­ I hope you¡¯ll let me say thank you.¡±


    She winked, squeezing a now definitely blushing Eric¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re card?¡±


    Nikita¡¯s fingers lingered on his own when she took the card.


    A pulse of mana and something that tasted the tiniest bit like soul magic, and the card was handed back.


    ¡°Now updated with a twenty million balance you can use anywhere. Including recruiting those boys hanging off your every word.¡±


    Eric bowed his head, truly impressed. ¡°I think I could learn a lot from you,¡± he admitted, earning a warm chuckle.


    ¡°And there¡¯s a hell of a lot I¡¯d like to teach you, you beautiful boy. But those lessons will have to wait.¡± Her sigh turned to a playful smile. ¡°Assuming you were interested in learning from me?¡±


    A flushing Eric took a ragged breath, stepping back. Bowing his head before he could fully register the flash of hurt in Nikita¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a fool. And you¡¯re just a child.¡± Nikita gave an apologetic shake of his head. ¡°Unforgivable of me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hardly a child, and you¡¯re hot as fuck,¡± Eric admitted with a soft chuckle. ¡°But there are things I have to do. And I¡¯m not really sure if I¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please forgive me. I never should have even thought of distracting you when all our hopes are in your¡­ you understand.¡±


    Eric bowed his head in genuine appreciation of the card and Nikita¡¯s aid. Knowing all too well what it was like to pine for someone and end up playing the absolute fool, in a world where instead of sympathy, your heart on your sleeve would be met with condemnation and shame if you weren¡¯t charming as hell with perfect timing who happened to catch a prospective partner right when they wanted to be flirted with.


    ¡°Nothing to apologize for. Really. It¡¯s not you. It¡¯s me. You¡¯re a catch. And I have to go. Thank you, Nikita. For everything.¡±


    Eric quickly made his way back to the central display room, and he couldn¡¯t hide the smile blooming upon his features when he noted the three mercenaries standing right where he hoped they¡¯d be. For just a moment, he let himself revel in the glories of an absurdly high Appearance attribute, making him feel like he was the starring in his own movie right before reigning it back. Because the hopeful look in Lone¡¯s eyes was something he wouldn¡¯t be able to follow through on. Yet there was one promise implied by his smile that he could absolutely keep.


    The enticement and promise of good hard credits. Everyone¡¯s friend.


    ¡°You take care of everything you needed to?¡± Lone asked with an oddly shy smile.


    ¡°You need help with anything¡­¡± Myl began, earning a hard look from Lone.


    Eric was positively beaming. ¡°Not at all, gentlemen. As a matter of fact, Everything¡¯s going to plan, and I¡¯m feeling fucking fantastic. So, let¡¯s talk to your captain. I¡¯d like to hire you boys for a three day expedition out into the very territory you were good enough to mention, Myl. And if possible, I¡¯d like to leave by first light.¡±

 Chapter 399 - Treasure Hunt I

    Eric felt a tightness in his chest after sensing more than half a dozen powerful agents cloaked in shadow searching for him in the time it took him just to join his new friends in their souped up velimobile.


    Despite his tension, Eric kept his expression carefree, trusting to his treasure hunter disguise while enjoying the feel of the breeze blowing his locks of crimson hair as Naje, their pilot, sent their hovercraft ripping along the boulevard far faster than he knew they should. But with a massively boosted Quickness and Finesse, everyone was safe and Naje¡¯s stunts caused no harm to passersby, save for a few raised eyebrows and a curse or two. Everyone was fine, and Lone and Myl were laughing it up like a couple jocks in high school, even going so far as to pull out some truly strong bottles of Fizz Ale and pass one to Eric as well.


    ¡°It will give you a buzz, Ernest!¡± Long said with a wicked grin.


    Eric snorted. ¡°Doubt it!¡± he declared, taking a pull from the longneck, enjoying the bitter tang with just a hint of lemony sweetness. He leaned back and closed his eyes, so damned happy to slip right out of the goblins'' noose relaxed and happy, sipping ale, not sweating bullets while dodging a dozen sharp-eyed shitheads. Even though he was juggling a half dozen balls right at that moment, appearances were everything, and he knew he looked like a joyriding cadet without a care in the world.


    And that was fine.


    Because mercenaries taking their ease were the last thing that Bloodtear was looking for, and he had every intention of giving his new friends an equally exciting joyride in the high experience department real soon. But for the moment, with the breeze whipping his hair back, enjoying he sight of a starry night sky with Fizz Ale burbling happily in his belly, he felt strangely content. Not to mention that he now had a whole exploration kit put together by a still too apologetic Nikita who had assembled it herself in the five minutes Eric had talked shop with Myl and Lone while Naje got their ride and gave their boss a call. Which meant that he now had everything he needed for the next step of his mission.


    Getting to where his interface pinged that the ruin of a certain temple to Greed and Malice had obliterated a good portion of a territory now elevated to crimson status, even if wild mana flows and even wilder life meant that not everything had been obliterated. Still, if his hunch was right, salvation was at that impact sight.


    But still, he¡¯d be an absolute fool not to assume the worst, and if so¡­ there was one final card to play.


    Even more importantly, he had a twin sister to check up on. One that too may enemies hunting for Eric a bit too intently had completely prevented his from contacting in any way until now, the first free handful of moments when he could actually catch his breath and regain his bearings since waking up. But since he didn¡¯t dare message her directly. So he did the next best thing.


    A ¨C Yuki, you there? I¡¯m not sure if you remember me, but it¡¯s very, very important that we talk.


    Eric winced as the seconds marched inexorably on. Did Yuki even have an interface capable of pinging messages? He had thought that his status as a Contender would allow him to ping pretty much anyone, just like corrupt asshole administrators did, only he wasn¡¯t a corrupt asshole administrator. Still, his relaxed mood was rapidly evaporating with tension as the seconds stretched on and a too enthusiastic Lone waxed long and boring about the benefits of joining Rising Sun Corp. As if he weren¡¯t interested in simply hiring them outright.


    Even Myl was giving Lone a look.


    ¡°Chill, man. he¡¯s not a recruit. he¡¯s a client.¡±


    Lone winced, chuckling awkwardly at his own spiel. ¡°Yeah, sorry. My bad.¡±


    ¡°No biggie,¡± Eric assured. ¡°And will you check out Blue Palace! Isn¡¯t that sweet structure a treat? It¡¯s almost as high as the Shanghai Tower once was.¡±


    Myl glanced back, smiling in mutual appreciation for the massive brightly lit Blue Palace, like a beacon in the starry night sky.


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s a Shanghai?¡± Lone asked.


    Eric smiled sadly. ¡°Just a bit of old world history. Never mind.¡±


    Y ¨C This is Yuki. Who the hell are you? You sure you got the right person?


    A ¨C Yuki! It¡¯s me! A new friend from your latest delve ;) You¡¯re currently holed up at ¡®E¡¯s place, am I right? - You were part of a group with Jack and Emily, Richard and Steve¡­ and Ron was an asshole who only cared about Emily¡¯s safety and didn¡¯t give a shit for Jack or Steve, coming from poor roots. Ring any bells?


    Another long pause.


    Y ¨C Just who the fuck are you, and what do you want?


    A ¨C Lol! Not the response I was hoping for. Look, do you remember your last delve, a certain maze you all were exploring when suddenly your connection to the surface snapped? And some wildcard asshole with a collar around his neck suddenly made an appearance?


    Eric¡¯s guts twisted in a knot when Yuki went completely silent for far too long.


    Myl flashed a pleased smile when they made it out of Freetown proper, heading toward what looked like a high-end lakeside cabin that Eric had no doubt would look absolutely picturesque when seen by daylight, with the soothing lake in the foreground, a lush forest filled with evergreens and maple to the rear, and a glimpse of Freetown¡¯s glittering towers of glass, Altopaz, and chrome in the distance.


    It was his tension that kept his from noticing the wonder they were so casually using, when suddenly it clicked, especially when he saw the horse-drawn carriage filled with fresh fish packed in ice smelling of arcane origins even now making its way to the city.


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re not hovering over grass¡­ were making use of an actual road! Two wide lanes, a narrow bike lane on each side as if its needed it. And fuck, look at those shiny train tracks!¡±


    Myl gave his a curious look. ¡°Well, yeah. Terra¡¯s always had roads and tracks. At least this territory does, resonating perfectly with the ley-lines actually keeping this region from bloating like a red sun. We suspect it also helps channel and stabilize mana resonances and differing spiritual pressure isolating this region from the neighboring wild territories, keeping us safe from mana bleeds or wild storms, especially those originating from the red zone just a couple miles to our south.¡±


    Myl then barked a laugh. ¡°To think that with such a wonder right in front of all your faces, some of you natives claim Terra had no magic at all, pre-ascension.¡±


    Eric swallowed his awed surprise, giving a rueful chuckle. ¡°Good thing I¡¯m finally getting out of Freetown. Too much time studying dusty tomes for secrets and clues. Not enough time experiencing the real world in all it¡¯s glory.¡±


    Lone gave his an amused smile but said nothing, taking another pull from his bottle.


    Y ¨C Who the fuck are you talking about?


    Shit! Eric¡¯s heart sank. To think that all the friendships he had forged, the alliances he had made, that all of it meant absolutely nothing with that endless night now over. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. No matter how sweet it was to wake up with certain perks and advantages or treasures grandfathered in as if they had always been¡­ it still cut like a knife to lose precious connections and friendships that he had hoped might one day lead to so much more.


    A ¨C Your Sister and her GF are now very close to a younger Contender, but they¡¯re all radiating PC protag vibes, so you know you don¡¯t have a chance of breaking up their drama-romcom. Expect to be an aunty less than a year from now.


    Y ¨C WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?


    Eric winced.


    A ¨C Once, in a life you never quite lived. I was a friend. A fellow adventurer thrown into a delve with you. I mean come on, do you even recall how you came to end up where you now are? Why you¡¯re in really comfortable digs¡­ or did you wake up always belonging to a certain faction? - Look, it means nothing now, but we once tossed the phrase ¡®System Shenanigans¡¯ around. Believe me, that¡¯s in play. We used to be friends¡­ almost more than friends¡­ but that doesn¡¯t matter. What does matter is that I really need you to give ¡®E¡¯ a message. The person in charge, a message. Please? Will you do that for me?


    Y ¨C Fuck off. That shit isn¡¯t real. The bad dreams AREN¡¯T REAL! They never happened.


    A ¨C Fair. Just please tell E that a certain someone who once did a movie with her is worried about her and is doing his best to look out for her. Please tell her to message me, and I go by Ernest Slaughter now.


    Y ¨C Okay now I KNOW you¡¯re fucking with me. The boy I dreamed about¡­ that sure as hell wasn¡¯t his name.


    A ¨C Please, just message her? And is the whirling whirlpool of friendly air currents still keeping everyone safe and comfy?


    Y ¨C Now you¡¯re just looking for intel, motherfucker.


    A ¨C NO! That was a stupid question from me. I apologize. Say nothing. Just¡­ please tell you-know-who that her you-know-what is very worried about her and is HERE for her. I¡¯ll be tied up for a few days, but then I¡¯m whatever she needs me to be, wherever she needs me to be. Tell her that, okay?


    Y ¨C Prove you know me. All bullshit aside. Tell me SOMETHING I¡¯d only tell someone that I was close to. Prove you¡¯re not just a desperate figment of a bullshit dream, or a SPAI.


    A ¨C Okay. But forgive me if it¡¯s¡­ you know.


    Y ¨C I¡¯m a big girl. You can tell me.


    A ¨C You¡¯re uncle was an asshole. You broke free. I thought you were beautiful and awesome and I didn¡¯t care about what past bullshit you had to deal with. It didn¡¯t make the you of today any less special or beautiful or precious to me. So¡­ yeah. We had that conversation. And I sure as fuck was no angel when I was younger either. And I know about um¡­ the knack you have that you¡¯d best tell NO ONE for obvious reasons.


    Eric winced, almost certain he had written too much. But he quickly pulled his worried expression into an excited grin when their veli stopped beside what truly was an awesome looking lakeside retreat. The grand cabin retreat looked more like a billionaire''s idea of a luxurious getaway manor with a cabin theme than any sort of weekend getaway home. Certainly the varnished hardwood exterior was pretty, though Unified Perception made it clear that it was really just covering for an Altopaz structure that would at least make the building resistant to muskets and blaster fire from the more common Mark-I variants, so long as it wasn¡¯t shot by a perk-centric specialist. And it even had lakeside dock with several sailboats and fishing skiffs.


    Eric smiled, taking a breath of fresh lakeside air, his eyes twinkling when he caught sight of a guy and girl radiating Bronze potency and a hell of a lot of passion getting up to no good in the lake just a short distance away. It might be closer to midnight than not, but with their Perception, everyone knew the score.


    ¡°Welcome to our little home away from our actual Jitan hub homes. But considering that we¡¯ll be here for decades, I guess this really is our home,¡± Naje said, ushering Eric inside the cozy building.


    ¡°Dining room¡¯s down the hall. We have access to Blue Corp entertainment modules upstairs, and the training room is our forest-sized back yard. And whatever you and the captain work out, stay for breakfast. The giant snapper¡¯s a treat when properly grilled up, and Riz, our mecha specialist, is also a mean cook, even without taking up that particular Profession.¡±


    Eric soon found himself walking down a hallway of varnished hardwood and hunting trophies before Naje knocked on the door at the end of the hall leading to a spacious room with windows overlooking the lake, comfortable leather recliners, and a scowling man with lines on his cheeks and salt and pepper hair who was taking his ease on the other side of an executive desk.


    Eric blinked, surprised to find the man radiating signs of aging as well as potency. Or perhaps he had only truly ascended when well into middle age? Certainly he was powerfully built and looked quick, deadly, and ready for a good fight. Yet the look he gave Eric was that of a shrewd businessman.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Bennett, head of the Terran chapter of our little organization. You must be Ernest Slaughter,¡± he said, rising to clasp his hand.


    ¡°Yup. As far as the System and Blue Corp contracts are concerned, that¡¯s most definitely my name. But my friends call me Eric when we¡¯re not being city-formal, and I do hope that we¡¯ll all be good friends very soon,¡± Eric said with a cheeky grin as an interface message flashed across his mind¡¯s eye.


    Contest of Strength in effect: You have voluntarily failed!


    He pretended to wince the moment he sensed the man giving his hand a squeeze around the 200 point mark.


    Bennett¡¯s grip eased the moment Eric showed the slightest trace of discomfort, yet if anything, the man looked impressed, giving a slow nod.


    ¡°Please, have a seat. Lone, get us some drinks. Now I understand you¡¯re interested in hiring our outfit for an expedition?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I am indeed. An expedition into the territory just south of the mana fields stabilizing this one.¡±


    Bennett furrowed his brow. ¡°You know that¡¯s an outright hot zone, right? The mana¡¯s not just untamed, it¡¯s outright wild. Red tier. Recently inflated from orange and that, as you probably know already, is a very bad sign. The monsters tend to warp in regions like that. They¡¯re always aggressive, and tend to be on the bloodier end of the crimson spectrum.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°If it was a cakewalk, I wouldn¡¯t be here willing to pay good credits for no more than three days of your time, now would I?¡±


    Bennett crossed his arms. ¡°Three days in wild crimson with swarming critters and mana-corrosive sands forcing our mecha specialist to work 24/7 just to keep our armor in pristine shape? That¡¯s going to cost you a pretty penny.¡±


    Eric chuckled, Social Perception, What The Other Party Wants, and Know the Score perks giving him a rough sense of just how the conversation would flow¡­ and what his present opponent and future ally was really after.


    ¡°Come now, Captain. You and I both know that when all¡¯s said and done¡­ you¡¯re thrilled. A sanctioned mission from someone authorized to give an unlimited number of them. And that¡¯s all the excuse you need to get the sweet, sweet potency that you can ONLY get in an Ascending world, putting so much pressure on whatever bottlenecks you, me, and all your underlings are struggling against that they can¡¯t help but burst open as revelations flood your soul and you revel in your explosive ten-fold rate of growth compared to anywhere else as you embrace a tiny chapter in the tale of this world¡¯s own ascension. Terra¡¯s legend slowly becoming your own. And who knows just how far you¡¯ll ascend? Deep Bronze? A half-step Silver with a thousand or more bonus years to savor all of the galaxy¡¯s delights when our little ascension here on Terra has reached its peak?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes twinkled as he gazed at the captains¡¯ frozen expression. He leaned forward, lips creasing in a tiny smile. ¡°Take my contract, captain. If fortune favors us, the monsters will EAGERLY swarm, and we will slaughter them, together, and break past all that ever held us back before.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Bennett took a deep breath, his gaze hardening with hawk-like intensity. ¡°My understanding is that you¡¯re a treasure hunter of sorts? Not a battle-fiend.¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°And why the hell can¡¯t I be both?¡± He sighed and leaned back on the leather recliner, gazing up at the ceiling, legs crossed, hands behind his head, the picture of self-confidence. ¡°Whether its an easy cakewalk earning your men thirty thousand a day, or a slaughterfest where they¡¯ll be making triple that and leveling up as well, either way, this contract spells pure win, and you know it.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me the details of this expedition of yours.¡±


    ¡°Your oath this stays between us?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Dreams and legends, captain. Am I correct in assuming that you, like pretty much every other Classer that¡¯s stationed here, has had some pretty colorful dreams of late?¡±


    Bennett scowled. ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°My point is that with the right class, those dreams MEAN something. And if my hunch is right, the tragedy of a timeline that isn¡¯t quite ours, lives we never quite lived, STILL manifested as a very real treasure that we most definitely can claim in this timeline¡­ but only for the next three days. After that?¡± he sighed, flashing a sad smile. ¡°After that, it¡¯s as if it had never been.¡±


    The captain steepled his fingers, gazing at Eric for long moments.


    ¡°Ten million.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re out of your fucking mind.¡±


    Bennett smiled mirthlessly. ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing, we all enjoy potential of this world like nothing I¡¯ve ever savored before. But the risk of peril is also greater. Have you set a single foot inside the wild reds or are you all talk at this point?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Not even the toxic moons of Verradune are quite so corrosive to our mana-tech. Why, our specialist has leveled thrice since we got here, because the mana discharges are almost as bad as Hyperion Radiation!¡±


    Eric flashed a cold smile. ¡°Sorry, Bennett. I know just how deadly Hyperion radiation is. The territories here are a cakewalk compared to that shit.¡±


    Bennett snorted. ¡°Fair. It¡¯s still bad, though. And I have gear to maintain and men to care for.¡±


    ¡°Men who will make one hundred thousand each, triple that if it¡¯s nonstop battle. If you bring a crew of let¡¯s say¡­ half a dozen? That¡¯s six hundred thousand right there. Now I know you think you¡¯re hot shit, Bennett, but are you really worth six of your own men?¡±


    Before he could answer or huff in protest, Eric smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to just table that conversation and say yes. Yes you are. And worth every penny. So that¡¯s a baseline of 1.2 Million. 1.2 Million that I¡¯ll stretch up to 3.6 million if a single one of your men actually levels up during our expedition. So that¡¯s a double¡­ triple? Win for you and your men. More than fair, I think. So, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°My men and I aren¡¯t going anywhere near that hot zone for less than five!¡± Bennett roared, standing up and placing his powerful hands on the table, glaring down at Eric. ¡°And if you think any other merc company will even touch you with a twenty foot force rod, you¡¯re out of your damned mind!¡±


    Eric flashed a brilliant set of perfectly white teeth. ¡°So long as I get double share of whatever loot is found¡­ and all the gold, of course, I accept. Do we have a deal?¡±


    The man stared at Eric for long moments, his hard glower cracking into a smile when Eric pulled out his Blue Corp card.


    ¡°And you can pay that offhand, right now, kid?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Bennett gazed at his for long moments. ¡°You should know that gold is one of the few things that delves rarely have, right? Or is this one of those exceptions?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a lost city of gold. Maybe it¡¯s a quirk of my class. Maybe I¡¯m just thinking lucky thoughts. Either way, any gold we find is mine. All other valuables? I get a double share. Now if it¡¯s something more nebulous or bulky than that, I guess we all take what we can carry¡­ but if you¡¯re bringing vehicles, and you damn well better be¡­ I still want a double share.¡±


    ¡°And if there¡¯s nothing at all to be found after three days of searching?¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw, but still he knew better than to reveal just how perilous the stakes truly were. ¡°Then we extend the contract another three days. Do we have a deal?¡±


    A powerful rugged hand clasped Eric¡¯s own.


    ¡°We have a deal.¡±


    ¡°Fucking awesome. So, can we leave by first light?¡±


    ¡°Damn right we can,¡± Captain Bennett said, flashing a grin and sharing a celebratory toast when Myl hurried in with a bottle of bubbly and several glasses.


    ¡°Sorry, Captain. There was a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stow it and grab yourself a glass. We just got a contract. We leave at first light. Spread the word,¡± he said, Myl immediately snapping a salute and giving Eric an approving nod before darting off.


    From there, it was just a short matter of drawing up and signing a basic contract and surprisingly, Captain Bennett was more than happy to give Eric free run of both entertainment facilities and the training facilities outside, after escorting him to his quarters, and bidding him a good night.


    Eric supposed it made sense. After all, he was someone looking to do business with them, and he had just signed a mutual confidentiality and do-no-harm pact. Which meant that his secrets were safe, though he didn¡¯t plan on sharing any, and that if he stole a damn thing or bit the hand that was feeding him and holding his money, his cultivation base would be very unhappy. And since he wasn¡¯t just hiring them but had already put down 5 million in advance¡­ why the hell would he fuck with his own investment? he assumed that was the logic they were using. That, and the confidence that came from being Bronze tier professional hunters and killers. After all, what could the average chump do before he just got himself killed, fucking with the wrong people?


    He sighed with contentment, sinking into the luxurious soft stuffed mattress allowing himself just to take a deep breath and let the tension ease. For all that the deadline was like a ticking bomb of anxiety in his head, he gave himself permission to take a breather. Five stress free minutes. Because he had accomplished the first crucial step! He had escaped the city without any soul-tainted edicts or warrants forcing him into nightmare legal traps of submission or forced compliance, and he hadn¡¯t needed to paint the city red with his enemies¡¯ blood, forced to declare vendetta and fight a no-holds-barred war of genocide the very fucking hour he woke up, still trying to get his fucking bearings. No. He had escaped the initial trap and had just hired what he hoped would be excellent cover with which to slip past any goblin checkpoints or other shit that might block his way or hinder him. Because he might not fear any fight, but he sure as fuck he feared administrators and barristers¡­ at least until he managed to secure the gold. So why not use the same merc crew that had helped him slip out of Freetown to escort him right to the gold?


    Why not indeed.


    So when he felt his head snuggling into the soft down-stuffed pillows he didn¡¯t fight it too much, giving himself just a few minutes to lean back on the plush thousand count Egyptian cotton sheets and take in the most luxurious looking lodgings any high-end corpo could want, including a Jacuzzi and a wet bar that was stocked with a variety of ales, liquors, and a number of narcotics, stimulants, and aphrodisiacs that looked exactly like the high end shit he had seen in too many New York parties that he saw in both vial form and wrapped up like party candy. But what really caught his eye was the home entertainment system that apparently worked just fine, seeing as the lodgings were equipped with Blue Corp tech and entertainment modules, from what Myl had said.


    Best of all, while the guests were enjoying themselves, they could take in a glorious view of both forest and lake from the floor to ceiling windows that he understood were really transparent Altopaz panels that could resist small arms fire, and of course it made it all the easier for his hosts to make sure he was enjoying himself and not up to trouble in his quarters as well.


    After just a few minutes relaxing and coming just a bit too close to nodding off altogether, Eric shook away the sleepies and got to work.


    First thing he did after his Interface Map made it clear that there were no reds or greens hovering around his quarters or right outside the lodge in sight of his windows, was shut the drapes and don his mithril prizes, taking the time to carefully cinch the mithril hauberk tight to his waist, and make sure his belt and hanging scabbard were aligned for the smooth unsheathing of his dachi. He then donned a thin parka that would protect against dust, debris, and cloak his priceless armaments from casual observation, before departing from his temporary quarters with the too-tempting plush bed and headed out back to the training area.


    First, he took a few moments breathing deep of the late night forest air, enjoying the sharp scents of pine, cedar, and night blossoms perfuming the breeze. He allowed his senses to expand, sensing roughly the whereabouts of the near dozen battle mercs and the handful of auxiliaries that called this compound home. Most of them were resting quietly, a couple were fucking, and no one seemed to be paying his any mind at all.


    On the one hand, one might think he still should have had an escort, no matter how confident they were in their own prowess or his common sense not to be an idiot. On the other, it was almost two in the morning, and if he was supposed to be up by six, he¡¯d be a fool to exhaust himself now. Perhaps most importantly, he wasn¡¯t stalking their rooms triggering who knew what sixth sense or perimeter alarms they had. Instead, he¡¯d left the lodge completely.


    He took another deep breath, allowing the tension and worry to ease completely away. In this 2 to 6AM bubble there was no stress. He was in a safe zone in his own personal timeline where he could rest and grow. He would let tomorrow take care of tomorrow.


    Now, the only thing troubling him was that he still hadn¡¯t received any messages from Elonia or Yuki. He could only pray that his sister was sleeping and that Yuki would reach out to her first thing in the morning. It made sense, he supposed. All she knew for sure was that a stranger spouting uncomfortable truths wanted to talk to Elonia. Yuki was right to put that sus conversation on hold, at least until first light, when Elonia was well-rested and ready to handle yet more drama.


    Or perhaps Yuki had effectively System-blocked him, in which case there was nothing more he could do until Freetown and the 120,000 people inside were safe. Then he¡¯d race back for all he was worth, and probably be pushed to the limits again trying to save his sister, because that¡¯s just how things seemed to role, post apocalypse.


    But one thing he was not going to do was flip identities in a house full of high-strung Bronze killers to message Elonia directly. Not when it would immediately ping his foes as to where he was, foiling his attempts at slipping free of the net he was sure Bloodtear Syndicate had in play, and putting the Rising Sun company in the sights of his enemies for no good reason. Hell no. He had already learned just how paranoid resourceful his enemies were in Freetown, even though they still thought that he was just a spoiled clueless scion.


    The disadvantage of having hit his enemies so hard during that endless night was that now so much of the remaining goblinoid resources, Bronze tier resources, were now all focused on securing a foothold here on Earth by any means necessary. Clearly, they were desperate to claim Freetown which would change their fortunes dramatically and cripple Eric¡¯s dreams of bringing the former USA back to even a semblance of the prosperity and safety it had enjoyed just a few years before, all former political bullshit aside.


    No matter what it took, he would not allow Bloodtear Syndicate or any other surviving goblin faction to fuck over his city. And if that meant keeping to his present guise indefinitely, then so be it. It was as Ernest that he would learn to move and flow through both mithril mail, helm, and blade, before binding them all to his soul. Good thing they had near identical body types, even if his boyish features, green eyes, and bright red hair was considerably different from what his sister would recognize. Or perhaps she would. He looked more like his own nephew or cousin than someone utterly unrelated, and could only hope that the phoenix ring would keep anyone save his twin from making the crucial connection.


    Eric flashed a rueful smile, refastening the belt over both armor and the light warding poncho he wore. A tad bit more cumbersome than he preferred with the fast-draw, which was why he had to to do his best to get used to it and adjust. And adjust as well to fighting in boots. Because Eric might be a badass happy to fight in indestructible blue jeans, bare feet, and nothing else, but Ernest Slaughter was a different story, and he had mithril gear that needed soul-binding and mastery both.


    With that resolution in mind, he got to work.


    ***


    ¡°So, what do you think, captain?¡±


    Captain Bennett peered thoughtfully at the hologram screen presently depicting a teenager embracing katas with his dachi that were nothing short of perfection. Each fluid movement flowing effortlessly into the next as his he weaved, struck, and darted about an imaginary battlefield.


    Bennett took a sip of his drink, far stronger than the champagne he had enjoyed with their newest client earlier, and exchanged a look with both a smiling Lone and a very focused Myl.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear the kid¡¯s good. Elite Rank, at least.¡±


    Lone whistled. ¡°Jeez, that¡¯s something! It took me ages to reach Adept with my blaster, and that was doing it the hard way. Do you think he took advantage of this world¡¯s potency and force-ranked it up with potency points?¡±


    Bennett gave a slow shake of his head. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t look like a System imprint. You can clearly see how he¡¯s woven together Sylvan dueling techniques with the Windridge Sect fencing style. You know, the style used by the very faction that made the sword you sold to him for a song?¡±


    Lone flushed. ¡°It was a fair trade. You made it clear that I was to do whatever I could to secure a regulation vibro-blade and force shield, and the gear he traded is top line. Even Riz said it was a solid trade!¡±


    The captain snorted. ¡°That may be. But what are the odds that you¡¯d actually run into a practitioner who¡¯s a perfect fit for a dachi half a foot longer than standard? Not to mention all the mithril that he has to know our sensors can read on him. Not unless he really is as clueless he looks. Either way, our client¡¯s wearing well over a quarter ton of mithril, and he moves in it like he¡¯s wearing a silk gi. Not that anyone with two hundred Strength will find it any sort of hindrance, but you don¡¯t move that comfortably in it unless you¡¯ve trained for it like we have our power suits.¡±


    Myl furrowed his brow. ¡°Windridge cultivators favor mithril armor and weaponry, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°They do.¡±


    Lone sighed. ¡°Shit. We¡¯re working for a cultivator?¡± He chuckled ruefully. ¡°He totally played me. Had I known, I could have squeezed his for a fortune!¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t know, Lone, and that¡¯s the point.¡±


    Bennett smirked, taking a sip of his drink as he watched the athletic display on the hologram, admiring just how well secured the mithril mail was on the kid, even if his poncho was already shredded and discarded. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s so interesting. Just in the half hour we¡¯ve watched him, he went from someone grasping at greatness to moving with the grace of a master. As if he was polishing long dormant skills. Yet how likely is that? He¡¯s clearly too young for that.¡±


    Lone grinned. ¡°He¡¯s a treat, ain¡¯t he? Not even ageless. He looks like a teenager!¡±


    Bennett glared at his man. ¡°He doesn¡¯t just look it. He is.¡±


    Lone blinked. ¡°No way! That¡¯s impossible! Not unless¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. he¡¯s a native. he almost has to be. And I¡¯m betting a Contender as well. There¡¯s no other way a child could have two hundred Strength!¡±


    Lone groaned, rubbing his brow. ¡°And I was actually flirting¡­ I thought he was a grown man who had really lucked the fuck out with his Bronze Ascension. At least a hundred!¡±


    Myl whistled. ¡°Two hundred strength? In a kid? How the hell do you get there without having¡­¡± the man blinked and flushed. ¡°Right. Ascending world. Contenders. Unlocking powers and shit we can¡¯t even dream of. So, you think he¡¯s on par with the newbloods in our corp?


    Bennett shrugged. ¡°Maybe, or¡­¡± His eyes bulged. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°Look at the fucking image!¡±


    All three of them stared at the youth embracing katas just as fast and fluid as any skilled mercenary with a balanced enough build to maneuver a 50 pound blade at 200 Quickness.


    ¡°Shit. That¡¯s not a freshly forged Bronze¡­¡± Lone¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°Oh fuck it all, he was holding back!¡±


    Their murmurs trailed off as the boy in the image began to go faster. Moving at what their system pinged as 300 Quickness. Then faster still. Much faster. Until he began to flicker, the vid cam now having trouble keeping up with his speed.


    ¡°Fuck it. I can¡¯t even follow¡­ how fast is this kid?¡±


    Lone and Bennett ignored Myl¡¯s soft curse.


    ¡°How fast?¡± Lone asked long moments later.


    Bennett took a shuddering breath. ¡°According to the training scanners we spent a million fucking credits instilling in our base¡­ it doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lone scowled at the image. ¡°What kind of cheap fucking¡­¡±


    ¡°It goes up to 500. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Myl rubbed his face. ¡°So this kids¡¯s quickness is over, what, 500? And he has the Strength needed to maneuver that 50 pound blade with the kinetic energy he¡¯s generating¡­ 300 Strength at least. At the very least.¡±


    Bennett chuckled softly. ¡°Right now that four foot long mithril blade will be striking with the kinetic energy of an orc cannon ball. He was faking that wince when I tested his grip strength. I knew something was off! ¡°


    Lone whistled. ¡°No wonder he ditched the parka. he literally shredded it! Oh fuck, what¡¯s he doing now?¡±


    Bennett¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°Necromancy.¡±


    Lone and Myl both stared at the youth who was now kneeling upon the ground, holding out his blade, brilliant emerald green eyes gazing out at the sky.


    Eyes that were now leaking blood.


    Blood that trickled down his mithril shirt, that took on the same glistening hue.


    Blood that trickled over his blade, before it lit in furious crimson flames.


    All three mercenaries, veterans of countless battlefields, felt their hearts pounding. All the more so when the boy¡¯s graceful lips curved in a positively fearsome grin. A grin that began to stretch wide¡­. Too fucking wide.


    His howl of triumph chilled them all to the quick.


    Then he began to dance once more. Only now his blade was alight with crimson fire that flashed through the air, doubling the length of his mithril dachi.


    Myl and Lone exchanged a look, before turning to the captain who was now gazing at the screen with the same intensity as when analyzing a battlefield.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s our play, boss?¡± Myl whispered.


    The man met their questioning gazes with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°Our plan is we get some sleep. We have an expedition starting tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°But boss!¡±


    Bennett gave a curt shake of his head. ¡°But nothing. A contract was signed. We keep each other¡¯s secrets, we do each other no deliberate harm. And now I know why he was so focused on that particular clause.¡± He flashed a rueful smile. ¡°If there¡¯s one upside, those who dare mystical classes¡­ especially cultivators, take their oaths very, very seriously. And I was wrong. It wasn¡¯t necromancy. Not exactly. he used blood magic, a far lesser crime. Besides. All practitioners of even the foulest arts have been granted unlimited asylum within Blue Corp territory, so long as they adhere to Blue Faction laws and cause no harm to citizens, tourists, or property while sheltering within those territories.¡±


    Bennett chuckled. ¡°Not to mention we risk serious repercussions, accepting any goblin bounties with our base just outside of the most technologically sophisticated city in this entire backwater world, which is 100% Blue Corp owned. Besides, Elly would absolutely bust our asses if we worked with the goblins in any way whatsoever. So relax. If he were any kind of spy, he¡¯d know that we¡¯re recording everything he¡¯s doing, that there are no secrets in this compound that we¡¯re not aware of, and he wouldn¡¯t be showing off his powers like this. So, if anything, you all can rest easier tonight than you have in quite some time.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that, boss?¡±


    ¡°Because with this Contender on our side, our odds of perishing in a hot zone tomorrow, low as they are, just got cut in half.¡±

 Chapter 400 - Treasure Hunt II

    You have successfully attuned yourself to Mithril Armaments!


    You are now one with Mithril Blade.


    You have successfully Soul-Bound Mithril Blade (50lb weight) for 1 Soul Point.


    You have successfully Soul-Bound Mithril Armaments (500lb hauberk & helm) for 10 Soul Points.


    You have successfully Soul-Bound Tier-IV Hyper-polymer Skin Suit for negligible Soul Point cost.


    Mithril Helm, Hauberk, Skin Suit, and Blade have been infused with the Essence of Dominion.


    Mithril Helm & Blade have been have been enhanced with Runes of Dominion and Resilience.


    You have full access to Windfire & Bloodfire Strike once more.


    You revel in unleashing your arts!


    Eric held his blade up high, his face a mask of exultation as he howled with fiercest glee as the moonlight washed over him.


    He wanted to laugh. He did laugh! How good it felt to finally, FINALLY be kitted in proper armaments once more. To tightly grip in hands trembling with exhilaration, exertion, and wonder a blade that could now channel arts related to Wind as well as Fire. Of course he could sense his original mithril blade, now just an extension of himself, so profoundly that it transcended even his ES space. But that particular class-linked artifact could harness the Wind no longer, and was a blade he didn¡¯t dare manifest right now, shimmering as it did with higher order concepts that, even when not lashing out with Ice Fire directly, he feared would still serve as a tell to Goblinoid Sages and Seers looking for any reason at all to declare Earth¡¯s strictures nul and void before enticing their allies to flood the entire planet with ancient Deep Bronze players eager to tear free whatever wealth and resources they could while slaughtering everything and everyone that got in their way.


    He shivered at the thought, his momentary euphoria replaced by the awful sense that he was running out of time, hating how perilous a tightrope he had to walk. Knowing that the very powers with which he had saved one galactic empire by his mother¡¯s side and doomed another could now be used do doom and damn the very planet he had sacrificed so much to rescue.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I now have this pretty sword,¡± he reminded himself aloud, grateful that he could flow through his martial dance equally well as Eric and Ernest both.


    He took a deep breath of crisp autumn-scented air, not even sure what season it was or how deep the effects of different Regio and mana levels of wildly different adjoining Territories were having on the weather. But it definitely felt like autumn.


    He then lowered his balance, hand on the hip of his instantly resheathed sword, glaring into the dark at unseen opponents¡­ before unsheathing and striking in the blink of an eye.


    DoomFlurry! - You have successfully struck imaginary target 1 dozen times in 1 second! Each strike counts as a Doom Slice! (Zero cost ¨C you have tapped into martial mastery (Elite-ranked Swordsmanship boon ¨C 30 minutes cool down or 10 minutes meditation needed before this can be recharged.)


    He flashed a fierce smile, enjoying the incredibly deadly feel of a blade he sent cleaving through the air in a series of overlapping cross-cuts with such force and momentum that to be struck with it would convey the kinetic force of a 12-pounder cannon ball at the very least. And that was without even factoring in the massive power multiplier of Doom Slice or the 50% Damage multiplier he got through Cultivator¡¯s Fury, his Elite-tier Swordsmanship perk, whenever he channeled any ability with a Spiritual Energy component through his blade. And that was in addition to multiple other damage multipliers based upon both his cultivation and System classes. He even had a boon from his unarmed combat skill that included melee weapons as well as fists which also came into play whenever he channeled Qi while swinging his sword.


    Eric then took a few minutes to meditate and focus, refreshing and clearing his mind before summoning a subtle crimson orb now orbiting his head that very, very few would understand the significance of before embracing his dance once more. Only now his mithril sword had erupted in crimson fire, extending a full four feet beyond the length of his blade. A blade he now swung like a nagamaki, focusing on double zwerches and overlapping crosscuts as he whirled and spun about the backyard, slaughtering countless imaginary opponents with his furiously blazing blade. Though there was a major difference, as his Soul Reserves slowly but steadily trickled down to utter exhaustion.


    Had he been fighting actual opponents, his Bloodfire Strike would be rejuvenating him even as it devoured his foe¡¯s life force. But as things were, forced to pay the full cost of his own exertions, he had definitely gotten a good workout. Hell, he was actually panting as he caught his breath! And even if it took only seconds before he recovered, he absolutely REVELED in feeling a burn in his shoulders, thighs, and forearms that he had thought out of his reach as his Strength roared past 500. But whipping a sword around with cannon-ball force was a damned good workout, even for him.


    Then he dispelled all such extraneous thoughts. He took a single focused breath as he lowered his stance once more, shifted his foot, hand caressing the hilt of his resheathed blade¡­ and struck one final time.


    The night erupted in a furious burst of flame.


    DoomFlurry enhanced Bloodfire Strike!


    You have struck your imaginary opponent 1 dozen times with Doom-Slice enhanced Bloodfire!


    360 Qi and 43 Soul Reserves expended.


    You have obliterated your imaginary foe!


    He couldn¡¯t help but give a whoop and a holler before cracking a yawn, realizing it was 4:30 already, and if he wanted to get a full reset and feel bright and fresh in the morning, he needed at least an hour¡¯s sleep. But two couldn¡¯t hurt. So he sent a quick message to Bennett that they¡¯d all have an extra half hour¡¯s sleep and not to wake him until 6.30. Only then did he make his way back toward the lodge.


    Before stopping cold. Recalling that the structure might be made of Altopaz with a pretty hardwood cover, but with a Strength of 531, and Quickness of 788¡­ if he started thrashing with night terrors, he could destroy the place. And that was not a good look.


    ¡°Good thing I like camping,¡± he said to himself, quickly setting up both tent, sleeping bag, and blood ward before taking full advantage of his Soul-Bound treasures and consigning both armor and skin-suit, which was basically serving as his gambeson for now, into his ES Space before dipping his naked self into the lake just beside the lodge.


    He sighed as the frigid waters embraced him, feeling the bitter numbness as nothing more than a delightful tingle. It was a resistance he was sure most of his Bronze acquaintances had. Certainly the two lovers skinny dipping earlier had benefited from it, even if his resistance was a bit higher than most. Thanks to the absolutely insane heat and cold resistance he now had, both from his Elemental Resistance and his Hyperion Blazer perk, a 50% bonus to resisting all forms of radiation meant that not too much was affecting his in the heat or cold department, and he had no complaints there. Of course he suspected that being completely reforged as a Phoenix where he was literally one with Higher Order concepts of Fire and Ice meant that his resistance was now far beyond what even the numbers were showing¡­ because how often did the System have to deal with Golds descending back to their home world? His best guess was that no one psychopathic or desperate enough to claw apart the galaxy for that kind of power would trade it all for love of kin, homeland, or any number of beautiful girls he¡¯d love to spend the night with, without the horror of their world coming to an end in a phoenix¡¯s fiery ascension.


    Of course that thought put a blush on his cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold. But the thought of kissing a certain girl before doing so much more was way too distracting two hours before a mission where the lives and well-being of 120,000 people depended on his getting the gold fortune that he prayed was actually out there.


    He emerged from the waters and whispered a few runic syllables to dry himself before resummoning his skin suit right on his person, then racing back to his tent and crawling into his sleeping bag. When he closed his eyes it was with the intent of recalling every moment of his martial dance to consolidate his gains. Instead, he snuggled up against his soft down-stuffed pillow and fell right to sleep.


    ***


    ¡°So how you feeling, boss? Ready to start the expedition?¡±


    Eric looked up at an oddly formal Lone while digging into the piping hot trout Riz had caught and prepped while the rest of them had been asleep. Light and flaky with a dash of salt and lemon, they were pure deliciousness.


    ¡°Ready as ever,¡± he declared, a bit surprised that the merc hadn¡¯t flirted with him at all during breakfast, but appreciating the courtesy. Not that he¡¯d blame the man for late night banter after midnight. Lone had given Eric a good deal on his mithril blade after all, and had been receptive to the idea of connecting him with his boss for an extremely time sensitive mission.


    So long as Lone was professional during their actual mission, he was all good in Eric¡¯s book. Still, his stomach growled, less pleased to leave than he. He couldn¡¯t help gazing sadly at the massive platter filled with fish before plucking three on his plate and popping the whole thing in his ES space before smiling brightly up at a smirking Lone. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You put our fresh catch in your pouch of holding? And did you actually invest in a skill to put shit in it that fast?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Eric admitted.


    Lone chuckled. ¡°Suit yourself, boss.¡± He then led Eric outside to the mighty impressive eight wheel all terrain vehicle built like a cross between a range rover and a tank. It even had a rooftop remote controlled plasma cannon that Riz would handle, while the company itself would make use of low-tech gun slots.


    Then Eric froze, gut clenching as a trio of reds began furiously blinking in his Dominion Map Interface when he saw a velimobile coming to a sudden stop after racing down the compound driveway before three Bloodtear goblins stepped out with sneers and hostile glares, just feet away from the AFV.


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. his heart started to pound as their cold eyes and oily sizes gave his and everyone else a once over. Before discarding most of them as irrelevant, their gazes finally settling on Bennett.


    Surprisingly, the man somehow managed to keep a pleasant smile on his features while being confronted the three sneering goblins, one wearing a shaman¡¯s robes, another a barrister¡¯s cloak, the third dressed in jet black polymer armor, holding his T-II Plasma Rifle, the exact same model as Eric¡¯s Soul-bound Deathblaze, with casual ease.


    ¡°Can I help you gentlemen? Are you looking to hire Rising Sun Corp for a job?¡± Bennett politely asked.


    The barrister sneered. ¡°You. You¡¯re the mercenary planning on entering a hostile zone. Correct?¡± He said while the glowering shaman¡¯s nose perked up.


    ¡°Contraband,¡± it whispered, before scuttling right under the AFV.


    Bennett¡¯s formerly polite smile turned to a hard frown. ¡°Please tell your man to quit sniffing around our vehicle. All Blue Corp holding laws have been obeyed.¡±


    ¡°Answer the question, mercenary!¡± The Barrister hissed. ¡°Freetown Administration is required to log in all incursions into wild territory involving mercenary companies. You all know that non natives like yourselves attempting to enter delves or otherwise cleanse said territories without a native Contender is¡­ forbidden.¡±


    Bennett flashed a hard smile. ¡°The fact of the matter is that yes, we are representing a client. The contract was approved by Blue Corp HQ less than five hours ago, and I find it extremely interesting that you somehow knew of that or have any interest in the goings-on of a different faction, let alone felt the need to drive all the way out here, just to interrogate us.¡±


    ¡°I come as a representative of the Northeast American Counsel!¡± The Barrister hissed. ¡°Now, you will prove the authenticity of this¡­ Terran Contender, or face immediate fines and censor!¡±


    Lone¡¯s eyes flashed with sudden heat. ¡°Who the hell is this stuck up jackal to tell us how the fuck we run our operation?¡±


    ¡°Fucking bullshit politics,¡± snarled Naje.


    Bennett raised his fist, instantly silencing the murmurs of his crew before turning to stare coldly at the sneering goblin. ¡°According to section 44-C of the Terran Protocols, I¡¯m required to inform Blue Corp HQ alone of such details. The Mercenary Accords additionally protect client confidentiality. The contract is signed and sealed, only to be opened before a Blue Corp Representative, should our mission be called into question at a later date. You have no authority here, barrister, particularly as your faction has been accused of multiple treaty violations and is considered hostile to the local populace.¡±


    ¡°Lies and Slander!¡± The barrister screeched. ¡°Lies and slander that shall NOT be tolerated!¡± He pulled out a fluttering black piece of paper filling the air with a barrister¡¯s twisted arts.


    Before freezing when not one but half a dozen crimson dots pricked his forehead.


    ¡°You pull out that tainted barrister shit and we¡¯ll ventilate you, motherfucker,¡± snarled Lone, Mark-III Minigun instantly pulled out of nowhere¡­ along with every other active duty mercenary, most fully armored, that had popped into an ambush formation out of absolutely nowhere.


    The assassin paled, feeling hot dots on his forehead too.


    At that moment, the shaman pulled himself out from under the ATV. ¡°No contraband,¡± it said sadly.


    The barrister stiffened his spine, straightening up to his full four-foot zero inches status, features filled absolute disdain. Yet Eric couldn¡¯t help noting how fast he made that tainted warrant writhing in the air with the weight of a bound soul disappear.


    ¡°Your recalcitrance and refusal to cooperate with a representative of the Northeast Counsel WILL be noted!¡± The barrister snapped, before spinning on his heels and walking stiff-legged back to his velimobile


    The obvious assassin sneered at the coldly glaring Bronze-tier mercenaries that could turn his skull into superheated plasma in the blink of an eye before casually turning around and strutting back to the veli along with the others, the trio driving off just seconds later.


    The mercenary company stared at the sight of the rapidly shrinking vehicle darting off into the distance.


    ¡°What the fuck was that about?¡± Lone said with a puzzled look, scratching his head.


    Bennett glared in the direction of the retreating goblins before turning to catch a slender olive-skinned gentleman¡¯s gaze. ¡°Scan the ATV for bombs or bugs, Riz.¡±


    ¡°Already done, Captain. I detect no mecha or electromana tech of any sort,¡± said the thoughtful looking man, giving off the vibes of an active Professional, but with nothing like the killing aura that the Bronze mercenaries were putting off, before reigning in their auras now that the threat was gone.


    ¡°Basic incendiaries?¡±


    ¡°None, Captain.¡±


    Bennett sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Fucking politics. Alright, Give Blue Corp HQ a head¡¯s up. They¡¯ve clearly got a mole on the inside. Because there¡¯s no way in hell they¡¯d ever be informing their mercantile competitors about their business, especially if it led to harassing the very mercenary companies giving Blue Corp a sweet cut of the action.¡±


    Lone snorted. ¡°This is just all sorts of fucked up. Did you get a snapshot of those fuckers?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Riz will be sending it along.¡± Bennett turned to Eric, an apologetic smile gracing his features. ¡°Sorry about that. And no need to worry. We¡¯re well within our rights to escort you anywhere, even if you¡¯re not a Contender. And since you¡¯re just treasure hunting... hell even regular hunting¡¯s alright, so long as you¡¯re not attempting to conquer the territory or lock in delve stability with first-clears¡­ you don¡¯t need to show us any authentication of Contender status at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Myl chipped in with a smile. ¡°Your credits are good enough for us! But if you were a Contender and wanted to do a bit of conquering¡­ we got your back there as well,¡± he said with a cheeky grin. Before wilting when the captain glared his way.


    Bennett cleared his throat, gesturing to the ATV with his hand. ¡°Anyway, make yourself comfortable. The seats are padded, and we¡¯ll have a nice view through the gun ports. The Alutopaz panes that only look like glass are latched and easily slide open if shit comes running, and we need to fire through them. Otherwise they do a fine job of keeping road dust from filling the cabin.¡±


    Eric did just that, making himself comfortable in the rather boxy interior. Yet he couldn¡¯t help but notice that even the seating was minimal and only on the sides, with gear lockers underneath all of them. The center of the vehicle was clear of all gear and supplies. He frowned thoughtfully before realizing it made perfect sense. Should shit happen, the mercenaries could pivot effortlessly in their power armor and secure the insides or shoot through any portal, using the modified seats as knee cushions, without them even getting in the way. Whereas a classic van setup would utterly kill their maneuverability and leave them little more than sitting ducks in case of an ambush.


    ¡°I like the setup,¡± Eric said. ¡°But seeing as this is a high tech all terrain vehicle, and you all are clearly high-tech baddasses. Why not use automated turrets to blast any ambusher away? I mean, besides the one you already have.¡±


    ¡°Because high-tech hardware looks nice, but this way we can put our full perks into play and maximize the potency fraction we get for any kill through the ports, since the System counts it as basic cover if we¡¯re just shooting through what¡¯s effectively a hole, not rigged to seven separate weapon ports,¡± Lone had explained.


    ¡°And because it¡¯s a fuck ton cheaper this way,¡± said Naje with a chuckle, getting inside the AFV.


    ¡°That too,¡± Lone conceded.


    Eric nodded, more impressed than he wanted to admit by the vehicle thrumming with an unusually sturdy electromana surge, at least compared to the far more exquisitely fine-tuned and delicate pulses his Unified Perception picked up from the mecha suits whenever the mercs moved. And as much as the vehicle was a boxy tank and not sleek and badass looking in the least, it would fit their whole gang of seven fully kitted mercenaries, himself included.


    ¡°We all ready to go? Everyone suited up? Lone! Get your ass in gear!¡± Captain Bennett snapped. ¡°Alright, let me make introductions. Everyone? This is Ernest Slaughter, Eric to his friends...though he specifically asked us to call him Ernest in the city proper. Don¡¯t know why, it doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s now our Treasure Hunter class employer. And no, don¡¯t ask me what exactly that class entails, though the title should make it obvious enough. As should our assignment. We¡¯re letting his class perks guide us to what we hope will be a ripe haul. What we¡¯ll find there? Your guess is as good as mine. Just remember that were being paid for escort duty and the contract was sealed and signed. You¡¯re all going to make damn fine wages, and if we actually find a treasure haul, that will be a sweet bonus. Any gold we find... I know, rare as hell, that¡¯s Eric¡¯s. The rest we split. Generous, right? We get escort pay and salvage rights. Though of course were giving our employer a double share of whatever our haul happens to be. Any questions? No? Good.¡±


    He then started pointing at the men and women wearing nearly identical armor once they got seated and moved out with a low rumble of the vehicle. All of them presently had helmets in hand and were gazing at Eric with warm smiles or dispassionate expressions. Eric kept his smile firmly in place. his monstrous perception and Sylvan heritage made a certain class of pheromones all too easy to spot, instantly picking the mated pair.


    ¡°Alright, you already met Myl, Naje and Lone. Riz, our indispensable mecha repair specialist, handyman and cook, is driving us as we speak. He¡¯s also the one who controls the automated turret, since he¡¯ll actually gain potency points from doing so, which is damn rare in a Professional and we¡¯re all about growth here. Now the tall blond and beautiful giving you that heartwarming smile over there is Svena,¡± The woman in question, who looked so much like a high-tech version of Scandinavian princess, save for the trademark purple irises possessed by almost all non-Terran-born humans, gave a throaty chuckle.


    ¡°Good to have you on board, handsome,¡± she said with a teasing wink.


    ¡°Glad to be with a solid crew,¡± he said right back, enjoying the warmth of her playful regard, and glad that the captain clearly wasn¡¯t the jealous type. Because her scent was all over the captain, making it obvious who had warmed his bed last night.


    ¡°And our graceful faerie of destruction over there is Elly. We¡¯re a mixed race crew. I assume that¡¯s not a problem for you?¡±


    Elly gave the captain a look, upswept ears showing through her silver-white tresses, before sharing a cheeky grin with Eric. She was the only one with eyes that weren¡¯t a shade of purple but were instead emerald green, much like his own.


    ¡°He clearly doesn¡¯t know,¡± Eric noted.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Surprising, since he¡¯s worked with me for over a decade.¡±


    Bennett furrowed his brow. ¡°Explain.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you can¡¯t tell just by looking at me.¡±


    Bennett snorted. ¡°I can tell a lot more than you might think.¡±


    His confident smile grew strained when Eric lifted his thick crimson hair he had deliberately left a bit long for most 21<sup>st</sup> century guys, but not so for a Sylvan male, revealing the upswept ears they had clearly hidden so well. Especially when he was wearing his mithril helm, or the hat he had embraced with his edgelord persona. One more bit of distraction and misdirection, even while telling the truth. Because he was Sylvan, partly, even if he didn¡¯t normally have the ears that one would expect. Only now, as Ernest, he did.


    Lone¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a high elf too?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Elven blood does indeed flow through my veins.¡±


    Bennett blinked. ¡°But wait, I thought you were a¡­¡± he gave a shake of his head. ¡°Never mind. Like I said, it doesn¡¯t matter in the least, so long as we all honor our commitments and know our roles.¡± At that moment, the ride along the System forged ley line roads that had been so smooth that Eric had hardly noted the motion was replaced with a jolt and shuddering vibrations followed by rocking that made it clear that they had just entered the red zone nearby. As did the howling storm of spice-scented winds whipping across the their vehicle, the air rich with the sharp scent of wild magics.


    Wild magic far more potent than anything Eric had ever experienced before.


    He could feel his features lighting up in a hungry smile even as half the mercs paled, the others taking on grim countenances, save for Elly, whose smile matched his own.


    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s worse than I thought!¡± Riz¡¯s voice crackled over the speakers. ¡°These sands are infused with arcane ions. They¡¯ll short out our suits in an hour! Boxy here will break down in half a day!¡±


    Bennett¡¯s jaw clenched, clearly unhappy with the news. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you say anything sooner? You¡¯re supposed to keep abreast of the nearby regions.¡±


    ¡°Give me a fucking break, boss! This is a newly ascending world! This red territory¡¯s getting hot so fast that there¡¯s no fucking precedent!¡±


    Those words alone quenched Eric¡¯s delighted smile, guts roiling with sudden tension.


    Because if it wasn¡¯t just isolated to this territory¡­ if even the distant reds zones were being set ablaze with so much energy that they might start warping space and expanding all the way to black¡­


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Lone said, no fool, instantly getting it. ¡°Monster swarms inside a year.¡±


    ¡°Not on my fucking watch,¡± Eric snarled. His flash of outrage turned to embarrassment when half a dozen too intense stares¡ªbecause absolutely no one who actually managed to make it to level 100 and ascend to Bronze was a fool¡ªwere now looking a bit too intently his way.


    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± he asked, to shift focus as much as anything else.


    Bennett flashed a hard smile. ¡°Now, unless you can pull a miracle out of your ass, we head back and I use pretty much the entire deposit you gave me outfitting our vehicle and at least a few of our suits to handle these caustic sands.¡±


    ¡°And how long will that take?¡±


    Bennett scowled. ¡°As long as it takes. If we¡¯re lucky? Four or so days.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± the captain said sympathetically when Eric grimaced and closed his eyes. ¡°Whether I actually turn a profit or no, I¡¯m a man of a word. We¡¯ll get you to your sight, or do our damned best trying. I promise you that.¡±


    ¡°No good,¡± he said softly. ¡°We only have three days.¡±


    Bennett scowled. ¡°Is there something you¡¯re not telling me, kid?¡±


    Elly glared at the captain¡¯s choice of words, Svena just looked concerned.


    Eric flashed a bitter smile. ¡°If I can¡¯t pull off a miracle in less than three days¡­ Freetown is fucked. And no, you don¡¯t need to know the details. Worst comes to worst, I¡¯ll handle it, like I always fucking do.¡±


    Bennett gazed at his for long moments. ¡°You¡¯re no simple treasure hunter, are you, Ernest ¡®call me Eric¡¯ Hunter?¡±


    Elly smirked. ¡°The kid¡¯s clearly a Contender. Terran-born. Why are we even pretending otherwise?¡±


    Svena blinked. ¡°But wait, he¡¯s an elf, right? Elves aren¡¯t native to Terra, are they?¡±


    Elly grinned, looking up at Eric. ¡°Half-elf, am I right?¡±


    Eric sighed, dipping his head and conceding the point, feeling his cheeks blaze, realizing that badass as he was at swinging a sword, in so many other ways he was swimming in the deep end, and these players had been in the game for literal centuries, combined.


    If there was one bright side to his having clearly underestimated his contractors, it was that he no longer had to hold himself back. He focused on the captain once more, awkwardness transformed to cool focus. ¡°Can you patch me in to Riz?¡±


    The captain scowled, but slowly nodded. ¡°Do you have a mecha-aligned gift? That would be useful. Sure.¡±


    ¡°This is Riz! Captain, our time out here¡¯s limited. What¡¯s our play?¡±


    ¡°Riz, this is Ernest. But call me Eric.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re our employer? Sure, I¡¯ll call you whatever you want. Pleasure to meet you, though I regret that we¡¯re having some complications right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I wanted to talk to you about. What do you need right now to survive what I think will be¡­¡± he furrowed his brow in thought, suddenly sensing so clearly where the meteor of a temple had crashed, overlapping what his Dominion Interface Map was pinging as the nearest delve in the territory. ¡°A thirty mile journey South, Southwest?¡±


    ¡°Can you give me exact coordinates?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eric forced himself to say, ignoring the increasingly piercing looks he was being given by absolutely everyone sharing the back compartment with him. ¡°As a matter of fact I can. Do you have a Dominion Interface Map?¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°Sorry, kid. I¡¯m not a Contender,¡± was the wry reply.


    Eric winced. Of course. And now the whole crew knew for certain what at least a few had already suspected.


    ¡°Have you studied typography or galactic map designs of any sort?¡± Riz asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t even finish Terran high school, so I have no idea how the fuck to translate my interface map coordinates to something you might understand,¡± Eric admitted. Because why hold back now?


    ¡°So, you¡¯re an intuitive savant, I take it?¡±


    ¡°I guess. So, now that we¡¯ve established that I¡¯m not a techie¡­ break down for me in the most basic terms what we need so we can keep moving. And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell you when to turn left or right.¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°Sure, kid. We need anti-entropic compounds to completely encase both Boxy here, and to reinforce and stabilize the power armor electromana circuits and coils. That will take at least half a month, no matter how much our captain wishes that I could pull a Scotty and get it done in four days.¡±


    Eric quirked an eyebrow. ¡°A Trekky fan?¡±


    ¡°Blue Corp¡¯s got all the back episodes. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Fair. Now tell me why.¡±


    ¡°Why is Blue Corp so interested in Terran Science Fiction along with all the Japanese fantasy anime it can get a hold of and buy rights to? I¡¯ve no idea. You¡¯d have to ask them.¡±


    ¡°No! Why exactly do you need the anti-entropic compounds?¡±


    Riz sighed. ¡°Because, kid, We¡¯re in a red-tier territory that¡¯s apparently turned to a Desert-Dune style dust bowl. And I¡¯m not calling it spice, but the sand flecks are spicy enough with mana that it will rip the flesh off a classless mortal, basically dissolving them, in maybe ten minutes. A few seconds exposure will give them second or third degree burns and either mana poisoning or maybe opening up an Adept-tier class, if they actually have potential and are crazy enough to dare it. Not that I¡¯m recommend it. And it ain¡¯t too good for our hardware either!¡±


    Eric nodded, a relieved smile coming over his features. ¡°So, basically you need the wind to stop, am I right? How long will the gear last if spicy sand isn¡¯t frying all your circuits?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you can achieve that, and if I have an hour to maintain everyone¡¯s gear every night¡­ and the captain has the backup T-IIIs he was looking to get¡­ then we¡¯re good for two weeks out here, at least.¡±


    ¡°No chance of grabbing any T-IIIs. Some fucker was listing them for fifty fucking million a pop!¡± Bennett snapped.


    Eric kept his features absolutely still with that pronouncement, all his focus very carefully on Riz¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Alright, then one week with no problem.¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°That I can handle.¡± he turned to Bennett. ¡°Permission to let loose some spells, Captain?¡±


    Bennett nodded. ¡°Boxy can handle basic spells just fine. A fuck ton better than the sand storms, certainly. You need to go out?¡±


    Eric frowned thoughtfully. ¡°Not sure. But just for safety¡¯s sake, yeah. Let me out. Between you and me? I love the spicy tingle in the air.¡±


    Elly chuckled. ¡°You are a wild child, aren¡¯t you? Glad to see you¡¯re at least respecting your heritage. What¡¯s your school of arcana? Are you accessing Mysteria¡¯s theorems?¡±


    ¡°Nope! Runic magic. Mana Spiritual Energy fusions tied to words and symbols of power. The hidden language defining reality itself¡­ or at least, this layer of reality.¡±


    Elly¡¯s smile faded. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing, child. And I would know.¡±


    Lone beamed with pride. ¡°That¡¯s right! Our Elly was something of an arcane meister, once upon a time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s neither here nor there,¡± Elly snapped.


    Lone winced in apology. ¡°Sorry, Elly. It¡¯s just that¡ª¡±


    She gave an angry shake of his head. ¡°Irrelevant. My own foolishness cost me everything, and it took everything I had to forge a new path forward,¡± Elly said, armored fist smacking her chest plate. ¡°And if I can protect another bright star from burning out the way I did¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to worry on my account,¡± Eric assured. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard of it because its an art I made up myself.¡±


    Elly gave his a long look. ¡°An art that you made up yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yup! Now if you will excuse me, I have a vehicle to save.¡±


    He turned to the captain. ¡°If you would be so kind?¡±


    Bennett gave his a measuring look. ¡°Are you sure, kid?¡±


    Eric nodded.


    ¡°Alright, helmets on, people. Integrity¡¯s about to be breached.¡±


    Elly gave Eric a long look before sighing and slotting on her helm, along with all the others.


    Two seconds later the hatch was opened, the comfortable interior suddenly filled with glittering yellow particles as the howling winds filled the entire vehicle.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hell, I¡¯m already getting static, Captain!¡± Lone complained.


    ¡°This territory¡¯s already halfway to wild black,¡± Svena snapped. ¡°You can taste it in the air!¡±


    ¡°Impossible. A change like that normally takes years, even on an ascending world,¡± Naje said.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s happening regardless!¡±


    Eric ignored the debate, breathing deep of air that tasted so wild. So incredibly ALIVE!


    His heart was racing as he clambered on top of the slowly moving vehicle, staring out at a landscape of broken basalt, shadowy ravines hiding who knew what, swirling sand, and lightning crackling mustard-yellow clouds high above.


    He chortled with sheerest ebullition, savoring the raw power in the air as delightful shivers raced up and down his spine.


    He spread his arms wide, breathing deep of raw primal chaos, echoing the crackling fires of his soul, before belting out the words that needed to be said, no matter how INVIGORATING he found the desperate storm of howling winds, arcane sands, and power.


    ¡°Debilito ventus plures dies!¡± he cried, only for his voice to be swallowed up by the wind.


    The storm not abating in the least.


    Eric glared at the howling storm for long seconds, sensing that something wasn¡¯t as it seemed.


    The ATV speaker crackled.


    ¡°You okay up there, Eric?¡± The captain asked politely enough, even as Elly chuckled dryly. ¡°Child¡¯s playing with forces he doesn¡¯t understand. Why the hell can¡¯t we educate newbloods on newly ascending worlds before they destroy themselves?¡±


    ¡°Because the elites want them to destroy themselves so there¡¯s less competition for their own offspring,¡± Myl said with a snort. ¡°You know how things work.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. I was speaking rhetorically, Myl.¡±


    ¡°How about you all shut the fuck up so I can figure this out!?¡± Eric snapped, glaring at the speaker, maybe a bit sorer than he should be by the ultimately well-meaning crew.


    He then glared into the howling winds that refused to heed his cry to any extent at all, wondering what he could be doing wrong. Then it suddenly clicked.


    He peered up at the heavens from which a massive quarter million ton asteroid of a temple had crashed into the ground at apocalyptic speeds, space and time and shifting mana gradations and the spirits of all those trapped victims both isolating and intensifying the backlash, maybe all that was preventing another ice age, or at least a few really chilly years, thanks to dust clouds that might otherwise be sweeping over the entire world.


    ¡°Spirits. That¡¯s what I¡¯m missing!¡± He whispered to himself, suddenly getting it. Because he hadn¡¯t lifted that massive temple by the laws of physics. No way in hell that anyone below Silver would be capable of that feat, he was sure. He had used the laws of similarity and contagion fused to his necromantic mastery, and had appealed to what had effectively been both one and a million collective spirits locked in perpetual torment, making up the brick and mortar of the entire damned structure.


    And now the air was filled with those spirits, one with those spirits, and such a wind would heed no call that didn¡¯t pay respect to them as well.


    So Eric took a deep breath, ignored Elly¡¯s murmurs about foolish idiots at risk of obliterating their mana channels, and allowed the swirling storm of both mana and spiritual energy to flow through his meridians, feeling it build and build in a way that was both painful and gloriously satisfying before he sensed it was potent enough to finally let free.


    ¡°Debilito ventus animus plures dies!¡± Eric roared, the fiery red hair slipping free of his mithril helmet standing on end from the sheer arcane power in the air as his chant seemed to echo endlessly against the broken basalt ravines and endless desert sands.


    In the blink of an eye, the howling winds went deathly still.


    Eric shivered, trapped between jubilation and awe that his worst fears were proved true.


    This desert, the entire howling basin, was being fueled to catastrophic critical mass by the hideous infusion of souls that had been sacrificed within that temple. And what if they weren¡¯t the thousands freed of torment in Freetown, just a tiny timeline fluctuation away? What if they were, in fact, the countless millions that the goblins faction had sacrificed over centuries to empower their vile ships, and Earth¡¯s ascension and the temple¡¯s fall had somehow provided a rift or portal where they could escape whatever nightmare hell they had all been consigned to?


    He swallowed the lump in his throat, truly having no idea, though the grim burden of that possibility had quenched the jubilation he had felt just seconds ago, no matter that the mercs in the cabin below were outright cheering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. he did it. he actually did it!¡± Lone chortled over the ATV speaker.


    ¡°Not a trace of wind anywhere that the sensors can pick up, Captain!¡± Concurred Riz.


    ¡°Wait, seriously? Just how fucking powerful is that spell?¡± A shocked Svena asked.


    ¡°A spell worthy of the Winter Queen,¡± said Elly in an awed voice, sending shivers down Eric¡¯s spine, for all that it earned a snort from Naje.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. That¡¯s just a legend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Naje, and you¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t challenge you for that slight to my people. She may have ascended countless centuries ago, but I assure you, she was very real.¡±


    ¡°Really? Not just an elf, but an angel? Ascending right to heaven?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Snapped the captain. ¡°You know better than to judge another¡¯s beliefs, or their religion.¡±


    ¡°Yeah but captain, it¡¯s a fairy¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    ¡°Sorry captain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not me you should apologize to.¡±


    Naje sighed. ¡°Sorry, Elly.¡±


    ¡°Elly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. What the fuck are we waiting around here for? Get moving, Riz!¡±


    ¡°We good, Riz?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s head out.¡± His voice continued to crackle over the speaker, Eric hearing every word.


    ¡°Eric, you ready to get back inside, kid?¡±


    Eric took a deep breath, surprised to find tears streaming down his cheeks, four hundred plus Finesse doing nothing to ease the tremble in his hands.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to focus himself, and meditate. he was here, alive, enjoying the wild mana within the fiercest wildest territory he had ever entered, and it was absolutely glorious!


    And the thought of that endless night ascending beside his mother, imperfect as she might have been while he was growing up, before blossoming into a transcendentally beautiful, wise, and loving woman she should have been along when free of mortality¡¯s vices and chains¡­ when remembering who she was, what she was¡­ finally becoming divine once more.


    And here he now was, just a handful of hours and a power nap after he had finally experienced the unreserved love and adoration he had seen in the eyes of a girl no older than he was now. Feeling it, truly feeling it in his heart and soul for the first time¡­ the only time¡­ his mother¡¯s love, and now she was gone. A void in his heart, a yearned for connection that he would never experience again.


    Yet what for him had been just hours ago¡­ too early for him to even properly miss her¡­ in this world, in the timeline he now called his own, thousands of years had passed since his and his mother¡¯s ascension, and she had already been relegated to myth and legend.


    He swallowed the painful lump in his throat, surprised by how much it hurt to know, unequivocally, that he would never be seeing her again.


    ¡°Fucking weak-ass body. Why the hell am I crying? What¡¯s wrong with you, Eric?¡± He whispered to himself, smacking his fist into his thigh.


    He froze, sensing someone clambering out of the portal, surprised to find none other than Elly giving him an oddly sympathetic look through her faceplate, which she immediately snapped open, taking a deep breath, though her smile held a wince. Yet it didn¡¯t stop her from crossing her legs and sitting next to Eric, who was furiously wiping away his stupid tears still. Yet all Elly did was look over the horizon.


    ¡°Desert¡¯s beautiful. Isn¡¯t it? As long as you don¡¯t mind the yellow-tinged clouds.¡±


    Eric flashed a sad smile. ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±


    Elly sighed. ¡°There once was a time when I could savor mana like this, wild and spicy, and sharp, for hours. Now I know better than to spend more than a few minutes without my rebreather on.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Elly chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I was a wild, daring, headstrong fool. And yeah, I was once a Contender like yourself¡­ A long time ago. There was nothing I liked doing more than pushing myself just as hard as I could. Stretching my magic wide on glorious wings of improbability.¡±


    ¡°Sounds awesome,¡± Eric said approvingly.


    ¡°Oh it was!¡± Elly grinned, leaning back, taking in the sky of sulfuric mustard yellow clouds. ¡°I had quite a sweet run of it at that. Then I pushed myself too far. At just the wrong time and place. After a string of crazy, improbable successes, it all came crashing down with a single magebane bolt, and the next thing I know, I¡¯m being tortured to within an inch of my life before being sold off as slave chattel as a final insult.¡±


    Elly flashed a bitter smile at that. ¡°At least I got to savor their screams in the end¡­ but it was so many years later it was like they weren¡¯t even the same people. The two assholes who actually had families¡­ holding their kids like loving fathers in my sights when I had finally hunted them down¡­ I didn¡¯t even have the heart to kill them. They never even knew I was there, or how close they had come to death. The other three?¡± She chuckled coldly. ¡°Honestly, the assholes should have killed me while they had the chance, but I think my degradation and humiliation earned them an extra level.¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°It sounds like you had to go through a hell of a lot to get to where you are today. But you¡¯re here now. Looking absolutely badass in your power armor. That means something, right?¡±


    Elly smirked. ¡°Yeah. By some miracle, I actually managed to make it this far. Seared out mana channels and once endless potential, potential to one day hit Silver, instead became just enough for cybermancer surgery and a class change that gives me complete mastery over my battle-mech suit.¡±


    Elly flashed a cheeky smile, no matter the pain Eric saw in her eyes. ¡°I can power up my armor¡¯s force wards far more efficiently than most of these knuckleheads, and my plasma rifle will sear through pretty much everything.¡±


    ¡°But you can no longer cast spells.¡±


    ¡°Nope. I sure as hell can¡¯t. Not unless you count my Baking profession. But I¡¯m alive, and against all odds, I actually made it to Bronze. And even if I¡¯m in constant pain, it fades a bit more every year, and with every level I had once earned until I finally stalled out.¡± She flashed a saucy grin. ¡°And nothing beats a hot boy to turn restless nights to sheerest bliss.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes crinkled in mirth. ¡°So that¡¯s why you favored that ice-cold lake. The numb chill probably took the last of the pain away, leaving you with nothing but tingles and ecstasy.¡±


    ¡°You got it! And if fortune favors us, maybe this world will be a blessing. Maybe we¡¯ll break through all our bottlenecks and reshape our bodies and our souls to fit our wildest dreams and aspirations. But between you and me? If I can just gain a few more levels, numb that pain down to a permanent twinge and no worse? I¡¯ll consider myself blessed for life.¡±


    ¡°Cheers to that,¡± Eric said.


    Elly laughed. ¡°Cheers indeed. So, genius, how about you break down that wonderfully beautiful spell that managed to calm an entire howling desert as far as the eye can see? And please, don¡¯t let that idiot dissing our cultural myths bug you. He¡¯s an atheist and a cynic, and he doesn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    ¡°Aurelia¡¯s no myth,¡± Eric said, gazing intently at Elly as he did so. ¡°I know that firsthand.¡±


    Elly waved away the words. ¡°Oh, I know. Her fighting spirit and determination lives on in all of us.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°It certainly does. More literally and viscerally than some people realize.¡±


    Elly frowned, before his eyes twinkled. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not one of those elves who believes you¡¯re a direct descendant, are you?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°There are elves that believe that?¡±


    ¡°More than you might think.¡±


    ¡°Can I meet them?¡±


    ¡°Sure, once Terra¡¯s ascension is complete, however many decades or centuries that takes,¡± she snorted.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Right. Seriously though, how did you manage to tame an entire desert?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Simple. Since the air here is filled with the howling spirits of all those once tormented by goblin contracts and cartels, I made sure that my second chant simultaneously asked both the wind and the spirits if they wouldn¡¯t mind chilling for awhile. Clearly, they were agreeable, which is why we can now see a massive flock of¡­ FUCK! Velociraptors are coming our way!¡±

 Chapter 401 - Treasure Hunt III

    Eric¡¯s mind roared into overdrive with Battletime as a flock of oversized velociraptors radiating deadly potency far beyond their mortal counterparts and clearly evolved for desert hunting raced from the shadowy ravine from which they had been hiding so cleverly in the storm to swarming over the ATV in less than three heartbeats.


    A single beat. ¨C Elly¡¯s hand desperately reached to Eric. ¡°Accept my party link!¡±


    Eric instinctively did so, already knowing the advantages of a delving group versus fighting without any sense of one¡¯s companions, where they were, or what they were doing.


    Rising Sun ¨C Mercenary Corp


    Party Stats


    St / Vi / Fin / Qui / Per / Mana / Qi Pool / Soul Reserves /


    Bennett - 400/400/400/400/400/ 2800 / 280 / 100


    Lone - 200/200/300/300/300/ 1400 / 152 / 42


    Myl - 200/200/300/300/300/ 1400 / - / 76


    Naje - 200/200/300/300/300/ 1400 / - / 55


    Svena - 200/200/300/300/300 1400 / 140 / 35


    Elly - 200/200/400/400/400/ 2800 / 70 / 65


    Ernest - 531/582/462/788/451/ 5132 / 5291 / 392


    NOTE! BRONZE TIER PARTY GESTALT IS IN EFFECT! You have NO PSIONIC defense. You have voluntarily fused your will to Captain Bennett! - Incompatibilities detected! Elves Eric & Elly have been subdivided to Top-Roof Gestalt (No boons save for Hive-mind are in effect.)


    - Soul Bound Phoenix Ring HIDES IDENTITY & SURFACE THOUGHTS!


    A second heartbeat. ¨C Eric¡¯s eyes widened as his perception and sense of self suddenly expanded to not just include Elly but their entire party, instantly understanding that Riz, loved as he was, did not have whatever level or potency was needed for the captain¡¯s gestalt, and that the near uniformity of the party¡¯s stats, despite their variety of personalities, was both awe inspiring and chilling. They were saving up absolutely hundreds of points before slotting them in blocks, and almost perfectly mirroring one another. Eric could only guess that such somehow led to massive efficiency boosts, both in stat costs and, of course, in how well the captain could control them as a single gestalt.


    A third heartbeat. ¨C Eric, to his horror and wonder, realized he was now one with the Captain and his crew. Yet before Bennett¡¯s mind could truly fuse with his, Eric instantly sensed the captain¡¯s spike of dismay and ruthless practicality, deliberately splitting from Elly and Eric on top of the ATV to focus on the four minds that he was now not so much controlling as simply being one with, as Elly and Eric became their own separate unit.


    Heartbeats twinning, Eric felt a startling mix of competency, wisdom, and the dull thrum of Elly¡¯s pain that Eric understood all too well, it being so similar to Elonia¡¯s own.


    Just as Elly felt the fearsome potency radiating from the monster that had hidden himself so well. A Gold-tier Phoenix roosted in a White-tier shell, radiating the monstrous power of a Rank 70 Advanced Bronze-tier Classer. And he would have sobbed tears of joy for his faith to be so powerfully vindicated, one of the Winter Queen¡¯s lastborn children now one with her soul, were abominations that a part of her was so EAGER to fight not swarming their mobile battle platform at that very moment.


    Eric would have felt dismay that his secret was revealed, had he not been weaving and dodging for his life as an entire murder of red-zone-enhanced Velociraptors leaped for the rooftop, necessitating the cessation of all extraneous thought, as he embraced the crucible of battle once more.


    Quickness check made! You have dodged Disemboweling Strike!


    Power Strike!


    You have obliterated 3 Warped Velociraptors (level 106) with a fiery fist of destruction for 20 Qi!


    Fire backlash is well within party member Elly¡¯s armor absorption parameters!


    Crimson Orb successfully summoned!


    Enemies are swarming your other half!


    BLOODFIRE DOOM FLURRY!


    You have obliterated an additional 6 Warped Velociraptors!


    360 Qi & 18 Soul Reserves expended.


    Enemy vitality claimed!


    AFV rooftop is secure!


    The notifications flickered past his mind¡¯s eye as the air rang with the shrieks and cries of an absolute swarm of terror birds, flooding over the ATV in a wave of talons and death.


    Yet their wild charge was skillfully broken by the multiple streams of brilliant plasma fire now flooding out of all the gun ports facing the charge. Of course more than a few of those predators sought to escape searing plasma by leaping high to pounce onto the vehicle from above, and the results would have been devastating if those claws radiating such deadly sharpness had been allowed to connect with the roof and tear through it unimpeded. Instead, their screeches were cut off mid-squawk by the crimson fires of Eric¡¯s blade, cleaving through their flesh as effortlessly as a blowtorch through butter, his foes erupting in scales, viscera, and so very much blood.


    Eric¡¯s soul howled with furious ecstasy as he weaved past disemboweling talons an eye-blink before his killing blade ripped through yet another raptor, the crimson fires of his sword infusing him with a roaring tidal wave of Vitality, drinking deeply of his foe¡¯s life force and blood. In that bittersweet moment, he understood all too well the other path he could have taken, the one his mother had forced aside, that could have led him along a path of fiery crimson predation unlike any other. Forging himself into a Vampire Lord the likes of which Earth had never seen before, transcending the limitations that a Tier-2 pod had once warned him of, with an alternate fourth essence that he could have claimed.


    Yet he had no regrets as he darted under another pack of velocis before spinning around and cleaving through three pairs of legs presently clawing and tearing up the tungsten-reinforced polycarbonate armor of their ATV¡­ before crashing to that very surface in squawks and crimson sprays before a final jerking slash ended their cries forever.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    A desperate cry through the link, no time for words.


    Eric spun around as fast as 788 Quickness and Battletime would allow. Just in time to see the largest Terror Bird yet to pounce on Elly, tear free his plasma rifle with a furious wrench, as it slammed it¡¯s deadly beak down on her¡ª


    DOOMSLICE!


    You have successfully decapitated Level 150 Veloci-Boss!


    25 Temporary Soul Reserves expended!


    He had no time to do more than swing his blade at speeds that transcended even what he was normally capable of, for just a heartbeat becoming one with the memories of countless System warriors that had come before, visualizing flashes of desperate last-second saves, heroes willing to do whatever it took to save their friends.


    Even if that meant accepting what would have been a disemboweling gash to a weaker version of himself, desperately racing forward as he swung his blade, momentarily off balance, which was all that the veloci swarm needed to slam him right off the ATV with what would have been a powerful organ rupturing kick to anyone else.


    But not before Eric had grabbed a stunned Elly, both of them rolling off the vehicle before an absolute rain of velociraptors could pounce on and disembowel them both, even as the ATV paid the price.


    ¡°Watch your fire!¡± Eric screamed in the party link as he and his wounded companion hurtled through the air, Eric desperately belting out the words he needed to say, even as he tumbled through the air.


    ¡°Inevitable Doom. Hell Vines! Hell Vines!¡±


    And in the impossibly long second it took him to fall, the kick having thrown him off his feet not of his on volition, so no Speedracer inertia-manipulating perk was in play¡­ with absolutely no time for a twenty second chant, he did the only thing he could think of, surrounding their ATV with the massive fiery trees covered in black-thorned whipping vines or blazing branches that eagerly reached down to grasp the velociraptors.


    Of course the giant raptors were lightning fast speedsters at level 106 with Quickness that Eric pinged at being at least 200, absolutely monstrous compared to any common beasty he had ever faced that wasn¡¯t a Contender or a dungeon boss. Not surprisingly, they dodged the blazing branches more often than not, a few birds even stopping to claw and peck at the fiery trunks, though most shied away from the resultant burns.


    But Eric didn¡¯t need perfection, just a distraction. A breather as he landed and darted right back to the vehicle now covered in Velocis.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Bennett! Open the portal!¡± Eric screamed as his latest whipping tree¡¯s tendrils both tore raptors free of the rooftop and kept the portal clear.


    ¡°What the hell is going on!?¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Elly¡¯s Hurt! I can¡¯t guard her and fight!¡± Eric screamed in their party interface, speaking far quicker than words would normally allow. Fortunately, the captain at least sensed his coming and knew just the instant to open the portal as Eric tossed Elly in then immediately spun around to face the quartet of charging raptors EAGER to crash inside and tear up the intruders within that would be in no position to fire their blasters inside the ATV.


    So Eric charged into them with a snarl and happily began embracing another skill that he was eager to level up as fast as he could.


    You have embraced your WRATH!


    Burst of Strength temporarily doubles your might!


    Fire Fist enhanced by 18-Fold Damage & Explosion Multiplier!


    You have OBLITERATED 5 Velociraptors! 4 Additional Velociraptors have been critically injured.


    ***


    ¡°Captain! Elly¡¯s Stable!¡±


    Bennett twisted around from glaring out the gun port to gazing at Lone injecting a still unconscious Elly with Regen-7, the strongest biogen booster they dared give Elly with her brittle, semi-synthetic mana channels. His thoughts raced, an echo of the rest of his party, horrified to see his battle-sister come so close to death on what should have been a routine assignment on a newly risen world. And by a creature that had only recently broke through to Bronze¡­ the whole territory truly on the cusp of ascending to Black. Yet their foes were speed focused with talons that had a vorpal enhancement, perfect for cleaving right through the low-grade mecha armor that was all they were allowed in this world, requiring far too many level-up points or outright nodal perks to transform into elite-tier gear. Yet now they were forced to face down creatures whose claws were tearing through the triple-reinforced armor of their AFV like axes to brittle plywood.


    ¡°Got another one of those fuckers!¡± Svena cried.


    Bennett grinned, having eased his gestalt after the first few seconds to let everyone focus on their specialties, and if Rank 20 Bronze mecha specialists were good at anything, it was absolutely obliterating lightly, even medium-armored opponents with blaster fire in a shockingly short period of time.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t escape the dismay he felt, knowing all too well that the highly maneuverable velociraptor pack with vorpal talons could have so easily have caused them multiple casualties, were it not for the young Contender, hardly more than a child, who had somehow surrounded them with magical trees covered in flames, thorns, and vines that eagerly swept their ATV free of raptors before they could tear through the armor. And whether or not the trees actually managed to kill the terror birds or not, the simple act of sweeping their too vulnerable ATV free of peril so that Bennett¡¯s team could focus on devastating blaster fire was making all the difference.


    Of course those birds were fierce, and more than a few of the fiery trees had already been destroyed. Yet whenever that happened, the impossibly fast streak of fiery flashes and explosions of flame that was their too young employer would somehow sense it, quickly belting off a handful of words that made absolutely no sense from what Bennett knew of arcane magic, which was considerable, and a new thicket of fiery trees would form. And even if they were a sight hindrance with their field of fire, at least the kid knew not to block line-of-sight through the gun ports.


    Bennett gave one final prayer before locking onto yet another raptor, before sighing when that and the trio next to it erupted in a fresh explosion of flame.


    ¡°Fire Fist!¡±


    ¡°Fuckin hell, Captain. That kid can fight!¡± Naje said with an awed whisper, before unleashing another stream of plasma of his own, stitching a fresh veloci from neck to groin, the creature crashing to the desert sands to spasm its last, before all the ports were bathed in another hot backlash.


    ¡°Power Strike!¡±


    Lone whistled. ¡°And there¡¯s another handful of those fuckers killed with an explosive fiery punch worthy of Blue¡¯s mascot hero. And us risking third degree burns with the backlash through the ports, if we weren¡¯t fully armored.¡±


    ¡°And why does he feel the need to scream his moves through the interface like Super Punch Man, anyway? Myl asked, wincing with the fiery explosion.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s a child who¡¯s been thrust into the crucible no more than a year ago,¡± Elly said with a tired smile through her face plate. ¡°It helps focus his abilities and use them more efficiently. And to be fair, he doesn¡¯t say it out loud. Well, not most of the time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah he just screams it in his mind, and this kid¡¯s mind is powerful. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think him a Psion-Knight,¡± Lone said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Elly corrected, wincing while forcing herself upright in a seated position. ¡°He¡¯s got far too much Sylvan blood flowing through his veins. Even half-elves have no natural resistance against Psionic Attacks, no matter how strong our minds are versus charms, enchantments, or spiritual invasions. Without specialized training and extremely talented instructors, all he¡¯d get pursuing a Psion-Knight¡¯s path is brain damage, assuming his mind was capable of forming any sort of Psion pool or learning any sort of active defense at all. Now someone hand me my fucking gun!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, all we have is a backup,¡± Bennet said, giving her a concerned look. ¡°I know what the group link says, but are you sure you¡¯re up for round two?¡± He asked, handing his a standard T-II Deathblaze secured in the weapon locker under their seat.


    Elly frowned at the gun, then shrugged with a shaky nod. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, check it out, he switched weapons again! Those fists of third degree burns for that flaming sword trick.¡± Myl whistled as Eric weaved and spun past the massive swarm of velociraptors that were now all focused on the boy. Though Myl did visibly shiver when Ernest ¡®Call me Eric¡¯ looked their way.


    When anyone sane would be terrified of losing their lives as a swarm of flesh-hungry velociraptors snapped vorpal-sharp teeth at them, all Eric did was smile, eyes glittering with a manic hunger as his blade flashed with crimson death as yet another raptor crashed to the ground, intestines splashing across the desert sands.


    Just a heartbeat before a fresh pack led by yet another raptor larger than the others raced in to pounce their young employer, eager to rip him to shreds from behind.


    ¡°Shit! Cover the kid!¡± Bennett yelled in fast-time through their interface. They all saw that Eric was about to get swarmed, and their blaster fire, triple perk deadly as it was, only picked off the ones closest to the gun openings before the other half dozen closed. Yet just when it seemed that he was about to lose his head, Eric spun around in a blazing flash of crimson, the air cracking with the hypersonic speed of his attack.


    ¡°Doom Slice, Motherfucker!¡± Eric mentally screamed through their interface as yet another pack-leader¡¯s skull was cleaved completely in half, confused eyes gyrating wildly in their sockets as the body collapsed in a spray of ruptured brains and blood.


    Bennett¡¯s eyes widened, his party link allowing him to sense all too well the surge of fierce potency Eric was claiming from his kill as he began weaving and spinning about the smaller raptors. The crimson flames on his sword only grew thicker, more potent, with each theropod sent crashing to the ground. And all the while Bennett felt his own stamina reserves perk up as Elly gasped.


    ¡°Fucking hell!¡±


    ¡°Elly?¡±


    ¡°That kids a fucking vampire! And we¡¯re party linked.¡±


    Bennett¡¯s worry and relief snapped to cold hard focus.


    ¡°How worried should we be?¡± he asked in hyper-text, their conversation happening in the literal blink of an eye.


    ¡°Give me a moment¡­ Thank Aurelia, no dark taint. Just a Contender¡¯s odd powers. But he clearly has unorthodox affinities, so sure as fuck don¡¯t let the goblins know or accept any of their contracts. You know they hate my kind, and are just looking for any excuse to kill elves or those with native arts of any kind.¡±


    ¡°No shit, Elly. You sure we¡¯re okay party-linked to this boy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If anything, my meridians feel soothed.¡± Elly¡¯s blood-flecked lips split into a wide grin. ¡°The fiery pain, it¡¯s the best it¡¯s been in a decade! We¡¯re fine¡­ yes. We¡¯re more than fine, but only if we do our part and keep him alive. Those fuckers are looking to swarm him again!¡±


    DANGER INCOMING!


    Bennett¡¯s eyes bulged open as instincts that had served him well over countless engagements abruptly flared to life once more.


    But before Bennett could react or warn his people to brace themselves, their ATV was sent hurtling through the air.


    Spinning like a top with G-forces so insane that any mortal would have been pulpified to jelly as the entire crew was slammed to the sides of the ATV.


    Elly sent flying out of the portal that popped open with the devastating blow.


    Lone flew out soon after.


    Red lights were blaring.


    The world was spinning.


    Alarms shrieked in and out of Bennett¡¯s power armor.


    The entire party¡¯s stunned panic washed over Bennett as they hit the ground, slamming into the nearby basalt gorge in a crash before bouncing and going airborne once more, and Svena was flung free.


    A blaring interface warning made it clear that Riz, their one Professional that they had done so much to elevate and ascend to a degree that few Professionals ever managed, was now suffering catastrophic injuries.


    ¡°Benny, help!¡±


    His lover¡¯s mental scream tore through his spirit as the velociraptors that had been hanging back in the ravine abruptly surged forward, now that some unseen monstrosity had so effortlessly slammed their entire party into the nearby basalt chasm. A rift that hid countless ambush predators choosing this moment to spring, enjoying nothing better than devouring wounded prey.


    ¡°We¡¯re hot!¡± Bennett screamed. ¡°To me! Regroup and establish cover! Svena! Lone! Elly! Head to my ping now! Now! Now!¡± He knew it was futile as the ATV rocked with furiously screeching terror birds doing all they could to rip open the hyper-polymerized tungsten alloy and much to his dismay, were actually succeeding.


    ¡°Die, motherfucker!¡± Naje roared, carefully blasting the beak trying to breach their cover, Myl following suit, the only two members of his crew that hadn¡¯t been torn free of the vehicle. Yet even with their desperate last defense, mad skill ranks and perks keeping plasma ricochets from frying them inside their own crumpled vehicle, Bennett was filled with nothing but furious despair.


    How?


    How the fuck had it come to this?


    An ambush from a cloaked ravine filled with scores of velociraptors so warped and bloated that their beaks and claws could tear through power armor and tungsten steel like it was rice paper. Far deadlier than their level suggested, just showing one of the awful perils of a world bloated and boiling over with such hideous, deadly power. More than enough power to reforge them all and allow so many broken Bronze to ascend past countless bottlenecks. And more than enough power to obliterate them all with the tiniest miscalculation, a full party of Rank 20 Bronze Classers and their captain in a territory that was technically red.


    Even if their present foes were firmly in the black. Tier one Bronze with 200 Quickness and armor piercing talons, guided by a hideous intelligence that most definitely wanted them dead.


    Naje¡¯s disciplined voice was colored by fear. ¡°Captain, they¡¯re breaking through!¡±


    ¡°Benny! My leg¡¯s broken! I¡¯m out of ammo!¡± Svena¡¯s panicked voice rang through Bennett¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Hold on, babe. I¡¯m coming!¡± Bennett¡¯s words were filled with desperate intensity. Yet before he could even make it out the portal door, knowing he was being an idiot leaving his only scrap of cover, a pair of screeching velociraptors ripped the portal off the hinges, forcing their vicious maws through.


    Bennett howled with despair before unleashing hot death in the form of hypercharged plasma particles that carved right through their vicious snapping mouths like a laser through butter. Their skulls exploded with the resulting pressure wave as the pair of corpses collapsed¡­ only for more raptors to claw at their remains, so desperately eager the were to devour the Bronze-tier classers just beyond.


    ¡°I found cover!¡± Lone cried. ¡°I¡¯ll provide overwatch¡­ Oh fuck, poor Riz! The velis ripped him free of the drivers carriage! They¡¯re¡­ he¡¯s still alive!¡± Lone sobbed. ¡°He¡¯s screaming! They¡¯re eating him alive!¡±


    ¡°One of them found me, Benny,¡± Svena¡¯s husky voice rang through his skull on their private channel. ¡°And all I got is my vibro blade. Damn. Should have married you when I had the chance. See you around, handsome.¡±


    ¡°Svena!¡±


    Bennett roared, his Mark III minigun giving off a crimson glow as furious desperation drove him along paths that could ultimately destroy him. But not before he did a number on his foes, blindingly bright plasma now ripping through an entire murder of velociraptors as he fought just to break free of the death trap that the ATV had become.


    ¡°It¡¯s been an honor serving you, Captain.¡± Elly¡¯s voice rang through the ATV with eerie finality, Bennett grimly aware of what his second was planning. And the horror of it was, he didn¡¯t dare try to dissuade her. Even if it did more than obliterate her mana channels, even if it outright killed her¡­ they were all dead anyway. Right now, they had nothing to lose.

 Chapter 402 - Treasure Hunt IV

    You sense your party¡¯s PERIL!


    Willpower check successful.


    You have avoided Overwhelming Despair!


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding with something painfully close to panic when the earth exploded, unleashing an inconceivably massive wyrm erupting free of the desert sands like a massive skyscraper, only bigger, exploding free of the earth with such force that the AFV it had been under was sent hurtling hundreds of feet into the air.


    Eric¡¯s stomach knotted with horror, seeing several bodies fly free, before snapping his focus back onto the threats that could so easily kill him.


    Perception Check successful!


    Yet even as his gaze was absolutely captivated by the sight of the massive scaled desert titan exploding free of the desert sands like a volcanic eruption of serpentine doom, radiating the potency of a Deep Bronze monstrosity so hideously powerful that it might as well be called a Half-step Silver, its triple jawed maw opening wide to reveal multiple rows massive grinding teeth spiraling all the way down its gullet, he caught sight of something almost as chilling.


    Each and every one of the oversized half-step Bronze velociraptors, instead of hissing in surprise or fury or terror at the massive erupting titan-sized desert wyrm, they paid it no attention at all. As if it was no threat to them at all. Instead, each and every raptor kept their glittering orbs locked upon to the vehicle spinning through the air before crashing into the nearby ravine with such devastating force that Eric thought it a miracle that his party link showed no one dead.


    At least not yet.


    And then he spotted it, a quick flash of the AFV¡¯s chassis. Strobing once to Mana Sight, radiating crimson magics he knew all too well.


    Eric felt a lurch in his gut, now seething with outrage. Suddenly certain that he knew why they had been so furiously swarmed so quickly.


    Not that such knowledge would do him a lick of good right now. All he could do was lash out one final time and lessen the tide of destruction surging for his friends by a tiny amount before he was forced to pour every ounce of his attention on the titan that could so easily destroy them all.


    You have critically struck 2 Velociraptors with Bloodfire!


    Bloodfire Strike is now Rank 17!


    The desert thrummed and Eric found himself struck by a sonic blast as he was sent hurtling back, momentarily deafened as the titan wyrm roared its fury. And no matter how adept he had become at forging furious focus where fear normally fled, he couldn¡¯t deny the fluttering in his chest, the cold chills racing up and down his spine when he felt a Deep Bronze titan¡¯s killing intent focusing on him and him alone.


    You foe attempts: Crushing Barrage!


    Eric dispelled extraneous thoughts and just ¨C MOVED!


    The air exploded in sand and basalt rock pelting his frame as he dodged the massive abomination of a worm. The air roared and the ground shook with the passage of a multiple stadium sized abomination crashing into and through the sand and stone as if it were no more solid than water.


    A desperate scream crawled up the back of Eric¡¯s throat, Speed Racer and Battletime perks white-hot in his mind¡¯s eye, barely giving him the friction free speed and processing ability needed to avoid being smashed to pulp, like a furious titan pounding the desert sands like a fly swatter.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    Each time the earth exploded as if multiple bunker buster bombs had struck. It was only because the Titan Wyrm erupted completely out of the sands, flinging itself through the air before crashing back down where Eric was, that allowed him to dodge obliviating death and the shrapnel that would send even his extremely well-padded and protected form flying.


    ¡°Sanguis Fulmen!¡± Eric screamed, snarling against his own desperate panic just long enough to glare behind him and lash out with crimson lightning as the massive wyrm dove back into the sands.


    The good news was that a titan that large was hard to miss.


    Yet the almost mocking blink of the interface message made it exquisitely clear just how utterly and completely fucked he truly was.


    Your foe possesses Essence of Impermeability!


    Your foe is IMMUNE to ALL White Tier arts!


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with dismay. All the more so when he realized that, unlike the swarm of reds flooding the ravine below, he couldn¡¯t sense the massive worm at all, not even his with his Dominion Interface Map, when it was under the sands.


    Which meant that it was blocking all forms of divination, even System information gathering arts as well. It also meant that Conceptio had done him a solid hidden beneath the System snark, when it spat out that final message.


    If he wasn¡¯t VIP, he doubt he¡¯d know anything at all.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Thoughts racing, he was forced to appreciate just how utterly fucked he was, with so many deadly tools forbidden to him. His thoughts raced, desperate to find some way OUT of this death trap, even as the sands rumbled beneath his feet.


    SHIT! It was SMART! It knew that flinging itself in the air gave him too much time to dodge, even if the weight and force of that titan crashing down, churning the earth and stone to liquid before forcing it all down its grinding spiraling maw would probably spell instant death for anything below Silver¡­ that was the wrong tactic for a pesky little bug like Eric.


    A cold chill racing down his spine¡­ a sudden spike of terror that was danger sense telling him to MOVE! Was all that saved him.


    Quickness Check SUCCESS!


    Rank 2 Danger Sense & Speed Racer perk lets you AVOID Crushing maw!


    And the sands erupted once more in an explosion of fifty yard wide bubbling sand crushed and snapped together by massive jaws as the titanic wyrm sought to catch Eric as it erupted from the sands¡­ not when it crashed back to the ground.


    It made sense in a horrific way, Eric thought as the wyrm sprung completely free once more before hurtling back down into the sands a distance away. Who cared if the death wasn¡¯t instant when it slowly closed its grinding jaws? Eric was a gnat in comparison and would be in its power, utterly, as the creature exploded through the air¡­ before crashing down once more. All Eric would have was a few extra seconds to appreciate his doom before impact was made again.


    He choked back the desperation crawling in the back of his throat, having absolutely no time to focus on the words to a chant he really, really should have always at the ready!


    All he could focus on was his pounding heart, his wheezing gasping breath as he tore across the basalt flats, his inner ear focusing desperately on ground tremors and danger sense before sensing¡­ NOW!


    Just the moment to leap, before sudden death tore free of the sands, snapping shut its triple trap jaw once more.


    Before forcing his cowardly, panic-strucked legs to STOP! TURN AROUND! - STRIKE!


    And then in an act of supreme madness, he was racing toward the massive wyrm as it exploded from sand and gravel once more. Stones ricocheted of his mithril armaments and helm, inhuman Damage resistance all that saved him from crushed ribs and shattered bones as shotgun slugs of stone pounded into him.


    Yet Eric clenched tight to his terror, now lashing out with his mithril blade furiously hot with crimson flame.


    Burst of Strength enhanced Bloodfire Strike FAILS to pierce Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability.


    You have FAILED to harm your opponent!


    Only to gaze in dismay when the bloodfire that he was pretty damned certain could cut through tungsten carbide as fast as he could flick his blade, did naught but scatter across the beast¡¯s prismatic scales.


    He screamed with frustration, even as he weaved and dodged for all his was worth as the beast¡¯s body continued erupting forth, before the entire thing was airborne, twisting in the air to crash into the sands, maw first, right where Eric was standing. And still¡­ even as the shock-waves of basalt becoming temporarily fluid as rock nearly rocked him off his feet as the massive wyrm plunged deep underground once more¡­ his map was showing him nothing! No signs of the devastated battlefield, no clue that this horrific abomination that, for all he knew, was just a half-step below Silver¡ªand why the hell was it in a red zone!??!¡ªSTILL wasn¡¯t even showing up on his Dominion Interface Map!


    ¡°This is utter fucking bullshit! Why the hell isn¡¯t it showing up in my map? This is absolute¡ª¡±


    His panicked curses cut off as awed terror became desperate hope, even as he sensed the ground vibrating underneath his rapidly pounding feet once more. Suddenly knowing, and dreading, the move he¡¯d have to make. The only move available to him if he didn¡¯t want to be harried right out of the desert, abandoning both the doomed mercenary companions and the meteor crash sight he was betting so much on.


    Which would no doubt fill the Bronze Tier Shaman that had cast the ritual on the chassis of the now destroyed AFV with cackling glee. Because it had crawled under the chassis right in front of them while the barrister served to distract them. And who the hell else would be using the dark ritual magics that looked so damned similar to the glyphs and sigils he had seen in Malice¡¯s temple of soul steel and horrific depravity?


    No one.


    It was all out war.


    Even with their race shattered, the remaining goblins, clearly the rotten cream on top, wouldn¡¯t surrender until they had clawed every advantage and resource they could get their vile little claws on, before purging their opponents as ruthlessly and vindictively as they ever had before.


    And Eric was more than happy to return the favor.


    But first he had to take care of a massive abomination a good quarter of a mile long.


    A sand wyrm titan that was immune to white-tier magic by some insane twist, and that was completely invisible to even System standard divination map interfaces.


    And that alone gave Eric a fierce surge of hope.


    Deliberately slowing his pace, even as he turned fear into FOCUS! Ignoring the fucking terror crawling down his spine as he screamed out words that his life would soon depend upon.


    He visualized whirling winds all about him, growing tighter and tighter, tasting those four words that he understood so well, before attempting to infuse it with the sense of so many wonders forged out of transcendent insights, desperation, and dream. Forging miracles from nothing but profound need.


    Acts of sacrifice, devotion, and creation.


    Something from nothing.


    A concept so profound, so inverted from the path of furious destruction and absolute oblivion he so often walked that it shook him to the quick.


    An ephemeral flicker of meaning that he desperately leaped to claim.


    A teasing wisp of potential.


    A light which hadn¡¯t been there before.


    The tiniest spark of potential Eric grasped and claimed holding tight to the kindle of possibility, illumination and desperation as the tiny spark roared to brilliant life.


    THERE! He HAD it!


    He gave a cry of wonder almost equal to the terror consuming him when he finally understood the profound word of power that had, in a sense, been a word he had known from the very moment he had transformed Gilton from an orc infested ruin to a natural life-giving wonder of arboriums and multilevel hydroponic farms.


    A revelation of creation so great thahe stumbled under the weight of its profundity, which came so close to killing his as he leaped free of massive building-sized jaws snapping shut once more.


    Jaws he was determined to avoid at all costs¡­


    Until it was time to leap feet first into oblivion.


    ¡°Creo! Ventus! Incurvo! Unos! Dies!¡±


    ¡°Congelo! Terra! Plures! Dies!¡±


    The instant the words were said his face was surrounded by a flood of life-giving, oxygen rich air. Fresh, pristine, and utterly free of particulates or the tang of iron, magic, sulfur and blood that the air was otherwise so rich with that he noticed it only it its absence. Even as his feet felt like ice, the sands underneath clumping as his mind blazed with not just one word of meaning pulled free of Peril¡¯s Crucible but two. For the commonalities of both bedrock and desert sand blazed upon his mind upon these moments where all was in such utter flux, including his very life. He could only hope that both chants would work. Otherwise...


    He flashed a desperate smile, even as he slowed his pace once more, praying that his madness would¡ª


    The sands boiled under his feet once more. Speed Racer and his chant feet all that kept him from sinking in the quicksand-like effect as massive maws snapped shut. He could see his doom seal shut so clearly with near 800 Quickness Battletime in effect.


    Yet he did nothing to break free.


    Even as his heart pounded, knowing he had only seconds before the creature was entirely airborne and crashed into the sands once more, manipulating G-Force as well as physics itself. The pressure of all that grinding sand he was now safely on top of would then disorient and crush him utterly when the quarter mile long creature slammed into the ground once more.


    Terror clawed at his throat, no matter the sweet breath he gasped.


    His death was now all but assured.


    The whirling mask of air keeping him from choking in the fume and dust-filled maw he was presently trapped in was only buying him a few extra precious seconds of life.


    Yet despite his heart pounding with dread, he flashed a fierce smile even as a the gullet of an absolutely massive half-step Silver prepared to grind him to pulp.


    ¡°There are disadvantages to perfect White-tier magic immunity, motherfucker. Especially when the System can¡¯t even detect you. Let me show you just ONE of them!¡± He screamed in his mind as fast as thought, even as he raced for one of the three jaws already pressing inward, already increasing the pressure within to unfathomable degrees. Had he been trapped in the sand that his freezing feet solidifying under him, his flesh would have already been pulpified. Already as hard as concrete, as the air pressure shot up to ear rupturing, eye rupturing degrees, even for Eric. Yet he didn¡¯t stop his furious charge, safely on top of the sands, Unified Perception and Find Weakness STILL sensing his target, where the brain and sensory organs of this creature happened to be in relation to its massive maw, for even it needed to be positioned to sense what would be titan sized prey.


    You are experiencing Half-Step SILVER Pressure Wave!


    You have FAILED to save versus Deafness.


    You have FAILED to save versus Blindness!


    You have taken 1342 damage!


    You have saved versus collapse!


    Fury (and Unified Perception) guides you forward!


    The words echoed through his mind as his mental screams of anguished mirrored that of at least one party member suffering at the hands of the Velociraptors.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Men and women he could do nothing to help in that instant, except BRING DOWN THIS ASSHOLE RIGHT NOW!


    It was with a furious scream that a deaf and blind Eric lashed out with absolutely everything he had, relying on heat sense alone.


    A heat sense boosted by 461 Perception that spotted the tiny pulses of heat from the firing neurons of a monster so hideously powerful that it was just a heartbeat away from Silver.


    Eric could sense it.


    Sense how close it was to ascending into something truly horrific.


    His fury spiked with sudden terror when it suddenly clicked, the direction the monstrous creature had leaped. His horrified dismay echoed with the cackling mirth of distant goblin seers, knowing exactly where this horror would head, once it had digested and claimed the soul of the Contender who would dare Gold.


    Freetown.


    Just as soon as Eric had been ground by those massive spiraling rows of teeth even now greedily sucking down the giant mouthful of stone and sand.


    The giant chamber of a maw rang with a furious scream as the doomed contender held absolutely nothing back.


    ¡°TRANSCENDENT STRIKE!¡± he roared in his mind as the massive maw lit up impossibly bright with pristine flame.


    A hyperion core flashing as bright as madness itself.


    Consuming everything save for the Phoenix blazing in its heart.


    An explosion that echoed endlessly through the valley as the quarter mile long Titan Worm slowly crashed to the ground.


    Burst of Strength in effect. Power Strike in effect! 18-fold Damage multiplier enhanced by 149% pristine essence damage multiplier!


    You have embrace a Higher Order Attack! Golden Phoenix Essence Fusion in play! Wrath & Fire Essences have enhanced your strike 6-fold!


    Your foe has 2 Rank in the Essence of Impermeability!


    Contest of Powers in effect.


    GOLDEN PHOENIX TRUMPS SERPENTINE DOOM!


    You have overwhelmed your opponent¡¯s defenses!


    YOU HAVE CRITICALLY STRUCK YOUR TARGET FOR 164-fold Damage!


    All further immunities and damage mitigators are NULLIFIED against higher order attacks!


    YOU HAVE OBLITERATED YOUR OPPONENT!


    Find Weakness is now Rank 27!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 28!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 22!


    Essence Fusion is now Rank 11!


    You have discovered one of the hidden meanings of creation!


    You have discovered on of the hidden meanings of earth!


    2 Lesser Runes discovered!


    Runic Lore is now Rank 31!


    Eve approves of this battle!


    You have earned 1 additional cultivation level!


    2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation is now at 66%!


    CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE FIRST CONTENDER TO DEFEAT A BEAST READY TO ASCEND TO SILVER ON THIS PLANET! - THIS IS A BRONZE TIER FEAT! - TERRA ITSELF RECOGNIZES YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!


    YOU HAVE EARNED A 5% BONUS TO ALL BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS!


    YOU WILL ADDITIONALLY RECEIVE A PERMANENT 5% MULTIPLIER TO ALL FUTURE STAT GAINS ON OR OFF OF TERRA!


    * ANOMALY DETECTED *


    BRONZE TIER FEAT EARNED AS WHITE-TIER CONTENDER.


    ALL BOONS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!


    NOTE!! - SILVER TRUMP CARDS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLAY!


    * YOUR BOONS ARE NOW IN DISPUTE! *


    Transcendant Heritage Detected.


    Golden Heritage Detected.


    Gold-tier Ascendants are FORBIDDEN from engaging in games of ascension!


    Silver Trump holder requests immediate extermination of Rogue Player.


    Eric¡¯s regenerating eyes widened with outrage.


    Subspace trembled with the phoenix¡¯s furious roar.


    Yet before twisted chains of spite could be snapped into place, before the phoenix could blaze in furious rebuttal, no matter the inevitable horrific cost, caustic wrath was soothed by the sussurating  waters of divine intercession.


    VIP STATUS DETECTED.


    TALISMAN STATUS DETECTED.


    ALL WRITS OF EXTERMINATION ARE RENDERED NUL AND VOID.


    BRONZE TIER BOONS HAVE BEEN STANDARDIZED.


    Congratulations! You are the first Contender to defeat a half-step Ascendant beast upon this planet! Though only a tiny fraction as deadly as a true Silver-tier monster, this is still a feat worthy of Terran legend!


    This is a Bronze-Tier Feat! Terra herself recognizes your accomplishment!


    You have earned the title: Master Beast Hunter II!


    You have earned a 5% bonus to all baseline characteristics!


    You will additionally receive a +5% multiplier to all future stat gains on or off Terra!


    You now enjoy +5 to all Find Weakness checks against non sapient (monster) opponents!


    Your attacks will automatically overcome 25% of all non sapient (monster) defenses and resistances!


    All Assassin and Bounty Hunter classes are now open to you!


    Multiple Silver-tier class evolutions are now available to you!


    You are an elite hunter, and it shows!


    Quickness has ascended past 800!


    You now enjoy a 50% bonus (now a total of 100%, inclusive of all other modifiers) to all additional Quickness points earned!


    You are now faster than any other native-born Contender on EARTH! (This does not include opposing abominations or Bronze & Silver opponents that have slipped through the cracks!)


    You have ignored ALL range modifier boons offered!


    You have chosen to ENHANCE Speed Racer perk!


    Speed Racer II! - All terrain is pristine! You may race through the air with zero air resistance and may manipulate your inertia at will! You may race through liquids at reduced resistance penalties! (Solid materials remain fully impermeable)


    Quickness check: Success! You have transformed from Eric back to Ernest Edgelord Slaughter before residual Essence of Impermeability fades!


    No Goblin seer spots the spoiled scion of the Sylvan Alliance within this territory! Your use of a Higher Order Attack was successfully cloaked by the very creature that was otherwise immune to your deadliest arts and spells!


    Eric howled with triumph when the entire massive Sand Wyrm¡¯s skull exploded, showering him with gore as the titanic body slowly crashed to the ground. Yet Eric was already moving, intuitively choosing his 800 Quickness perk, finally deducing why this stat and this stat alone was being offered awesome deliciousness at key evolution points. It was in the title even now blaring across his interface as he found his Class and World-Reigning Attribute forcefully posted to the world board, along with every other ranked stat.


    He was now the fastest native-born Contender on the planet. Not just in the Northeast Quadrant of the nation of his birth¡­ but in the entire world.


    And every other Contender and Administrator with access to those boards now knew Ernest Edgelord Slaughter¡¯s name.


    His other identity was hidden, for the moment, and he was determined to keep it that way.


    Even if it cost him five more Soul Points, it was a price that he knew he needed to pay. Because all it took was one fuck-up, and sure as shit, he had no wide-brimmed had for desert cover. Such gear would probably disintegrate within 10 seconds of his next fight. Besides, wide-brimmed hat or no, his party link would probably flare bright as the sun come 11AM, and somehow he doubted the ring would graciously scrub his true identity from anyone¡¯s mind once his cover was vulnerable. Assuming he could even keep his doomed party alive. And that he was absolutely determined to do.


    You have further enhanced your Soul Bound Phoenix Ring! Now Sun and Moon both heed your call! Not even midday will reveal any deception, for you now truly ARE Ernest Edgelord Slaughter, as even the deepest Silver will attest!


    5 Additional points invested. Soul Reserves are now 404.


    He had only seconds before all of his companions perished, and damn if he would let that happen to his party, whether they were hired help or no. Elly¡¯s gentle concern, Bennett¡¯s genuine love for his crew, Lone¡¯s cheerful yet determined nature¡­ they were all real living breathing people with hopes and dreams of their own and he knew exactly how it felt to be disemboweled by a theropod, so sure as shit, he wasn¡¯t about to let his friends die that way.


    No matter what secrets he had to reveal, he thought, even as he embraced the perk that absolutely called out to him. Because specialized slow time like archery perks in SkyDragon might be sweet as fuck, and being able to embrace Battletime on Quickness alone would be nice, but NOTHING would serve him better than being able to race through the thickest underbrush¡­ or even the air itself¡­ at a dead 834 Quickness sprint as if he were racing along a straight track, able to pivot on a dime, inertia his to control.


    ¡°Speed Racer for the win, baby! And why the hell are you shits sleeping on the job!?¡± Eric roared down at the butchered theropods below, no longer lost in free-fall as the entire quarter mile long titan wyrm slowly crashed to the ground in what would have been a massive dust cloud of epic proportions, if the air, so saturated with desperate spirits sensing his powers, weren¡¯t still heeding his will.


    Now he was racing at full speed straight DOWN at several hundred miles an hour, before abruptly turning and pivoting so he was racing in line with the ground, absolutely REVELING in this opportunity to give a big FUCK YOU to the entire Terran counsel as he screamed the words he never thought he¡¯d be uttering as a brooding edgelord¡­ but it seemed like he¡¯d be role-playing a goth Vader wanna-be full out, this play-through.


    Fuck it.


    Why not?


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Eric¡¯s words seemed to echo and reverberate through the desert plains.


    The desert winds grew hot and restless, as if the hot air itself were a living, seething, breathing mass. (So many millions of trapped souls, eager for life!) as first one, then a dozen, then the entire killing field of perforated, decapitated, disemboweled and shredded Velociraptors began to twitch and writhe, ropy tendrils of blood and entrails acting as pseudopods pulling together all the various slaughtered bits of theropods together once more, until they were patchwork Frankensteinien abominations. Then cold green flames roared across their surface, sealing their scarred hides completely shut once more as the Velociraptors all stumbled back to their feet.


    Only two out of the thirty seven slaughtered terror birds declined rebirth, yet before their shells could erupt with those wild theropod spirits slipping free of the ether, the shells were exuberantly stuffed with multiple spirits swirling in the air that were so desperate for rebirth, more than willing to serve as Eric¡¯s devoted revenants in return for a chance to savor the warm desert air and the sands under their feet once more.


    Undead Legion perk in effect. You have successfully raised 37 Velociraptor revenants into your eternal legion at zero cost after having claimed the battlefield! Modified level of your Velociraptor Revenants is 106+33 = 139!


    Note! Your act has been witnessed by: ENEMY AGENT! Multiple Goblin and Orc Shaman Seers EAGER to cause as much grief for native practitioners as possible have triangulated your Force-revealed identity on the Terran Leader Boards (Terran Counsel Directive 147-C) and DEMAND that Ernest Edgelord Slaughter be censored and eliminated!


    Unified Terran Counsel has declined to rule on this motion.


    Local Northeast Terran Counsel has accepted this motion!


    Eric Hunter is now Persona Non Grata within the Northeast Quadrant of the former United States!


    No faction within the Northeast is permitted to shelter or trade with Ernest Edgelord Slaughter. All his holdings are now considered forfeit. A ten million credit bounty has been authorized for his kill or capture. This fugitive from Counsel retribution is to be arrested by all counsel affiliated cities and free states on sight.


    Note! Blue Faction has enacted Sanctuary Status! - No practitioner of heritage arts may be persecuted within Blue Corp territories or holdings. Any attempt to assault, harass, kidnap, forcefully transfer, or hinder any native practitioner of Heritage Arts will be met with significant penalties! Said parties will additionally be in Violation of Blue Accords!


    Note! Sylvan alliances refuses to accept censure of any native practitioner of Heritage Arts without due process and proof of criminal intent!


    Bloodtear Syndicate and 27 allied orc, gnoll, and ogre Factions demand that the Unified Terran Counsel sanction Blue Faction.


    Unified Terran Counsel has declined to rule on this motion.


    Bloodtear Syndicate and 27 allied orc, gnoll, and ogre Factions demand that the Northeast Terran Counsel Sanction The Sylvan Alliance.


    Northeast Terran Counsel accepts this motion!


    No faction within the Northeast Quadrant of the former United States is permitted to trade with The Sylvan Alliance! All Sylvan Alliance holdings are now considered forfeit! War may be invoked without penalty!


    Note. Blue Faction pre-established Freemarket Trade Status is exempt from this ruling.


    Eric wanted to howl with frustration. Why the hell hadn¡¯t Elonia just kept her metaphoric mouth shut? Why had she felt the need to declare anything at all? Was she that desperate for a necromancer, any necromancer, to ride under her banner?


    Of course she was.


    Desperate for another miracle equivalent to the one he had pulled off just months ago? It had to be that. That was the only explanation. And of course their enemies were now happy to use his sister¡¯s desperation against her. Even if all she did was demand proof of any crime being committed. Yet that was more than enough for a completely corrupt counsel to effectively declare war on her. Because of course the orcs and remaining goblins would use any pretext at all to eliminate his sister¡¯s sliver a holding, a mere two mile sliver of Sylvan Alliance holdings protected by a whirling storm within a territory that the Dominion Interface still considered contested.


    Thanks to his VIP Status, at least the System saw fit to inform Eric that some fucker was spying on him right now. The same VIP status that protected both his boon and his ass when he earned yet another Bronze Tier title. Even if his incredible Golden Phoenix evolution did come with the catch that he would now only be receiving the standard 5% boon to all his stats and a 5% additive increase to all future stats with each fresh Bronze-tier title earned. Still, his previous boons remained untouched, and with his combined attributes, even the 5% he had just earned was a truly phenomenal gain.


    A part of him wanted to howl with joy. He had done it! He had obliterated a monstrous Titan Wyrm that had been so close to ascending to such a monstrous degree that it would have been impossible even for him to stop it as a White-tier Contender. Yet stop it he had. And the reward was leaving his limbs tingling with sweet, sweet potency, Eric never having felt so in tune with himself as he did at that moment.


    Yet he refused to play the fool. Now making the most of his suddenly enhanced reflexes and cognition not to glory in his triumph but to search desperately for the assholes that were spying on him and his doomed friends even now. Probably the same three bastards that had worked so hard to set them up. But he didn¡¯t see any trace of them, too many other reds blinking on his interface, and he had absolutely no time to spare. The damage was done, and he had people to save.


    Eric¡¯s revenants gazed at him with absolute adoration through their bright yellow eyes, radiating such furious deadly power like razor blades and coiled springs.


    He quickly pushed all thoughts of his sister¡¯s plight away, ignoring the bitter ache in his heart, knowing he had absolutely no choice but to press forward.


    To move forward and save his friends, claim the gold, rescue Blue corp from economic ruin and goblin capture.


    And then rescue his sister. And he had to manage all that before doing whatever he had to in order to assure that Freetown wouldn¡¯t starve in a matter of weeks.


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    The revenants exchanged uncertain looks.


    ¡°No, not you. Your orders are simple. Race down the ravine and take out any velociraptor attacking any of my party members. And don¡¯t chew the people, even if they fire at you out of fear. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be recruiting your brothers to join us, soon enough.¡±


    Her flock didn¡¯t hesitate, dipping their heads as one and racing down the ravine far, far faster than his former orc revenants could, those soldiers needing Eric to lead the charge.


    ¡°Barrett! Keep it together! Friendlies are coming your way! Don¡¯t shoot my revenants!¡±


    And Eric had every intention of being right behind them. Leading them, even.


    Yet he sensed a strikingly profound opportunity right here, right now, in the heart of the once more howling desert sands... the air stinking of shredded wyrm, fried scales, and a potent spicy musk.


    He gazed at the titanic remains of the beast before him with so much locked potency EAGER to be claimed. Potency that had been just a half-step from reforging itself from Bronze Titan to Silver World Eater. A Wyrm evolution it chilled him even to think about. And all of that glorious, horrific potential was being further enhanced by what his Necromantic affinities made clear were literally millions of souls.


    Because his hunch had been right.


    He had indeed saved every precious soul that had once called Freetown home.


    And that wasn¡¯t all. The millions that had once been trapped within Malice¡¯s sanctum sanctorum were here now as well, after Divine Abjurations and his mother¡¯s heavenly ascension served as the catalysts they had needed to break free.


    Yet their desperation now threatened to rupture this entire territory that had just recently ascended from orange to red tier¡­ but it wouldn¡¯t remain so for long. The territory would soon go dark as night. A flash from his earlier transcendence made it clear that perilous cracks were now forming in various regions that might cause Venusian style eruptions of unbridled chaos that could destroy an entire world¡­ and he sensed that one possible fault line was right here. Yet all of that served as nothing more than background flavor to the wondrous epiphany now shuddering through him. For in that glorious, impossible moment, Eric sensed a path that was both perilous and forbidden and promised SO MUCH POWER!


    Eric flashed a fierce smile, already knowing the hideous price for overextending as a Necromancer, and deciding that he just didn¡¯t give a fuck. Not here. Not now. Not with the whole world both metaphorically and literally out to destroy both him and the only bit of family he had left.


    He closed his eyes, took a deep, shuddering breath, and slammed both his hands against the massive carcass that was nearly as wide as a skyscraper, and was as long as a string of football fields that had crashed before him.


    He roared aloud the words without fear or reservation, that might shrivel him to a husk, far beyond what even the boon of a dozen Pristine Spirit Peaches might grant him in years. Or it might elevate him as a necromancer far beyond what anyone before him could possibly have dreamed.


    It was an act he would never have dared, had the creature¡¯s hot blood not still been steaming, with millions of souls and a Master tier perk waiting to be invested right here, right now.


    ¡°Surge Centuria!¡±


    The entire desert plain seemed to tremble and shake with his words.


    WARNING! You are attempting to Raise A Half-Step Silver Titan! - Level 99+ Bronze ¨C Possessing Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability!

 Chapter 403 - Treasure Hunt V

    WARNING! You are attempting to Raise A Half-Step Silver Titan! - Level 99+ Bronze ¨C Possessing Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability!


    Even as the message flashed across his interface, Eric felt himself get sucked into a massive howling whirlpool of spiritual doom. Only in that moment could he truly appreciate just how titanic his foe¡¯s spiritual pressure was, compared to every other revenant he had claimed so easily, so effortlessly, in comparison.


    In a flash, he saw himself in a realm of perfect twilight lit up by a handful of torches, on his knees before a massive god-like titan wyrm of soul-stone and fury as countless millions of souls shrieked and whirled about them both.


    ¡°Yield, mortal!¡± Hissed the crushing spiritual weight of the wyrm¡¯s spirit, even now attempting to do exactly what Eric wished to accomplish. To bind Eric in chains of servitude, and make him its eternal puppet.


    Eric howled even as his knees crashed to the ice cold flagstones, eyes widening with furious dismay to find his very back being bent over, crushed by the spiritual weight of the Pristine Bronze just a sliver away from a shockingly powerful ascension that would have made the entire world tremble.


    It was only by trickery, luck, and a mad confluence of strengths and hidden transcendent attacks that he should never have a been allowed access to, hiding his treachery in the very bowels of his foe. A single desperate lucky hit, blowing apart the brain when a strike to any other part of the titanic wyrm might have injured it, but not before it had crashed down and crushed and ground Eric to an absolute pulp.


    By luck and fortuitous circumstances alone was this mosquito with a poison stinger still permitted to exist, when ninety nine times out of a hundred the master would have smacked it to oblivion. And he now had the gall to think he could master the titan before him?


    Crushing doubt had Eric leaking tears of blood.


    Just how much of a headstrong fool was he? His mind filled bitter scorn.


    He choked out a sob as the soul he had thought to best grew large and terrible, thick as blackest night that trembled and shook with merciless laughter, a million stars tearing open to reveal countless bleeding eyes glaring down at him.


    You have been critically struck by Deep Bronze Tier Ego Whip!


    95 Mental Resistance Mitigates Blow.


    You have suffered 1 Critical Wound!


    Your body is no longer entirely your own!


    ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    Eric screamed under the sudden awful pressure, as his very bones began to writhe and crack, a desperate scream ripping free of his lips as the air filled with chortling laughter.


    ¡°You are MINE now, Necromancer! MY vessel with which I shall inflict MY WILL upon the fiery cauldron that will be this worlds ascension. MY ASCENSION!


    NOW YIELD, MORTAL!¡±


    Eric screamed his defiance. His fury.


    Heart pounding with furious despair. Knowing he needed to run. DESPERATE to run.


    Even now in the endless darkness filled with the crimson eyes of so many predators, he must flee like the cowardly little mouse he was.


    ¡°FUCK NO!¡±


    Yet even as his tiny rodent legs tensed, ready to spring free of the body wracked with such hideous pain, flee to the deep safe bosom of the spirit realm where he could only hope to hide from the soul crushing FEAR that he felt¡­ some mad insane part of him REFUSED to flee.


    Yet even as his inner mouse squealed with desperation, the larger part of his soul glared down at the bones crackling free of his broken flesh, snarled up at the massive half-step Silver Titan dominating him so utterly, swallowed down the terror that he was an utter fool who should RUN While he had a chance, and snarled his defiance.


    ¡°Surge Centuria!¡±


    His mind screamed with white-hot fury as he dared to think that four levels of essence would actually allow him to defy a creature once worshipped as a god.


    You have been struck by Deep Bronze Tier Soul Crusher!


    95 Mental Resistance mitigates blow.


    You have suffered 1 additional critical wound.


    You have saved versus SOUL RUPTURE.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough.


    For all that he sensed the strain being suffered by the massive alter of an ancient god of destruction, a creature once feared as a World Eater as dark religions and nightmare terrors brought to hideous life a thing that should have been left in dream¡¯s eternal waters¡­ it was nothing compared to the strain he himself felt, like a naked broken supplicant placed before an alter by massive shadowy sentinels determined to sacrifice him for their dark god.


    A brutal example to fill the hearts and minds of their enemies with fear.


    Even now he could sense the shadowy smiles of those black specters of fear and despair clasping tight, gripping his bones as they cracked and twisted, EAGER to cleave his heart free of his chest.


    Yet they couldn¡¯t stop one final bellow from slipping free of Eric¡¯s lips.


    A howl of fury and defiance.


    For that which refused to yield to Dominion alone he would strike with the essence of his Wrath.


    Lips curled in a bloodthirsty grin, recalling so well the lessons of stone and steel as taught by the construction companies that had once helped build his mother an empire. For as much as stone resisted compressive forces with unparalleled resilience, they were reinforced with steel. Always. Because the one thing stone could not handle were shockwaves of tension.


    So when Eric howled his final words of defiance, he did it with a bloody smile on his lips, knowing that if the wrong people sensed it¡­ he no longer cared.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± He screamed, mentally gripping himself against the backlash of awful pain from an attack that shuddered through his mind. Yet it was nothing compared to the cracks in the titan before him.


    You have dared a Higher Order Psionic attack!


    You have suffered 42 Damage that cannot be healed without System intervention!


    Internal Supports MITIGATE Catastrophic Damage!


    Essence of Wrath has struck your target for 1 Serious Wound!


    ¡°YOU DARE TO DAMAGE MY FORM, MORTAL? PAY IN BLOOD!¡±


    The awful thrum of bones cracking and twisting became Eric¡¯s world as he drowned in seas of fiery pain, sensing every organ within him twist a shriek in agony, knowing he was only moments away from being torn free of his own shell, his spirit becoming just one more doomed ghost howling in etherial winds.


    Fingers desperately gripped the hull of his doomed ship as stormy arctic winds howled through the ruins of his soul. He felt like a little boy about to fly off a train, hanging on with a tiny hand just seconds from flying off to the shrieks of his terrified family and the echoes of his own cracking body and wailing soul.


    Yet even as terror sought to consume him, a single flash of golden light from somewhere, nowhere¡­ jolted a single memory free. Understanding all too well the hideous struts, supports, and beams that were making that stone statue all but indestructible. And just how vulnerable those struts truly were.


    With a bloody smile to his lips, Eric choked out the words that needed to be said, even as he bid the howling storm of spirits to flee for all they were worth, lest it doom them¡­ or free them. Which he didn¡¯t know.


    Nor did it matter.


    All that mattered was whispering the words that would set so many trapped souls free.


    Free of the clutches of the would-be god before him.


    Free of the blackened soul deep in that effigy of impossible stone.


    ¡°Yield before me, mortal. Like the worthless trash you are!¡±


    Eric only answer as his eyes burst once more was to whisper the word his foe should fear above all others.


    ¡°REPUDIO!¡±


    Even as countless thousands of souls that hadn¡¯t fled fast enough slipped into the hereafter beyond even Eric¡¯s ability to recall, the air rang with a thousand gunshots of shattered steel. Cracks that raced across the entire titanic wyrm, as wide as his mother¡¯s grandest apartment building, as long as half a dozen football fields strung together. And then, just because it fit, Eric uttered two words that of course now had absolutely no power at all.


    ¡°Be Free.¡±


    He could hear the crack of countless tons of stone breaking free of the screaming titan that was now pummeling his mind with Ego Whips, Spirit Strikes, and Soul Rupturing attacks. Yet even as he sensed his health pool plumming at an absolutely catastrophic rate, Eric¡¯s lips still stretched in a bloody grin.


    ¡°DIE, SCUM!¡±


    ¡°Not quite yet, worm. Now that your steel support¡¯s all crumbled to the next life, let¡¯s try that again, shall we?¡±


    And much to Eric¡¯s surprise, even through his shocking wounds and hideous agony, he actually thought he sensed a twinge of fear from the titan before him.


    ¡°NO, WAIT! WE CAN MAKE A¡ª¡±


    ¡°FRAGOR, MOTHERFUCKER!¡±


    The air rang with a stream of rapid fire explosions as stone erupted from the massive statue now covered in hairline fractures, the once whole and intact being of titanic will and hate now fragmented to a thousand shrieking pieces of desperation and fury.


    It was all Eric could do to regain his feet, DEMANDING that his spirit take the form of an Eric whole and uninjured, even if his health pool refused to believe the conceit. The killing pressure bearing down upon him was so great as the fragmented soul of his foe shrieked its fury in a thousand echoing wails that the flagstone crumbled to powder under his feet. Yet it failed to force Eric¡¯s compliance, any more than it did to stop his palm from smacking against the soul stone before him, belting out the final words to the chant his opponent was doing all it could to tear from his lips.


    ¡°Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    The spiritual purgatory he was trapped in was suddenly filled with a desperate storm of shrieking souls as the monstrous titan roared.


    Stone cracking.


    Even shattered in a thousand pieces, the Titan wyrm still refused to be bound to Eric¡¯s will.


    Eric snarled against the surge of anxious dread. Suppressing as best he could the panic he felt as his potency was claimed and his life-force began to plummet once more.


    Now it wasn¡¯t him resisting the Wyrm¡¯s furious attempts to bind him. It was he attempting to exert control. Just like the first time he had pushed himself too far. Almost killing him. And what he was facing now was far more horrific even than that ancient lich.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    In desperation, he belted out the words that needed to be said in a furious scream.


    Words that echoed with the essence of Dominion itself as he sacrificed both an unclaimed perk and a portion of his own soul in his quest to make this titan his own.


    ¡°Surge Centuria!¡±


    You are attempting to FORCE mastery over a Greater Underlord!


    All stored potency has been expended! Necromantic Orb Depleted!


    Life force depletion mitigated 99.4% by ABUNDANCE of lost souls sympathetic to your cause!


    You have lost 374 days of your life!


    Eric howled as the words continued to flow from his lips, his pink frothy lifeblood pouring free of his dessicating flesh.


    You have suffered and additional 2754 damage!


    WARNING! Your health is now less than 20% of maximum!


    You have saved versus Soul Rupture!


    ¡°Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Eric crashed to his knees, wheezing for air that just wouldn¡¯t come as the cracks in the edifice before him began to bleed.


    Blood filled with the howling fury of an eldritch lord eager for sacrifice, to consume the fool who would dare bind it to chains of servitude.


    ¡°I will destroy you utterly, you insignificant mortal wretch!¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile before the massive maelstrom of blood forming the shape of a massive maw eager to consume him. For his fragmented foe was now trying to claim his soul.


    The hive mind was trying to consume him directly.


    ¡°Give it your best shot, asswipe.¡±


    The torrent of blood washed over Eric as he opened his own lips wide.


    Yet when the dark blood thought to overwhelm, it found only a fearsome, monstrous hunger.


    Where it thought to terrorize, it met only laughter as the object of its hate, such a tiny insignificant teenager, grew a mouth as vast and wide as the heavens, as twisted as the fractal geometries of an abyssal rift without warping his beautiful smile.


    The creature shivered in sudden fear.


    Yet before the torrent of spite-filled blood could flee, it was already falling endless over the precipice of its doom, not drowning a mortal boy so much as being consumed by an endless maw of desperate hunger so EAGER to feed and CONSUME the howling shrieking titan, devouring every last crimson drop to wash down its gullet until absolutely nothing was left, and the horrific wounds pockmarking Eric¡¯s tormented soul began to heal.


    The eldritch being¡¯s furious snarls became the desperate wails of the dead as it was consumed for all time.


    Yet the titanic shell of its body remained. The shell, along with the memories and potency it contained, was slowly being filled up with the swirling potency of countless souls EAGER to embrace life once more. Transforming itself into a ten thousand soul gestalt of an ancient Eldritch Underlord, now swearing itself to Eric¡¯s service for all time.


    A combined 8 Essences of Dominion and Flame and Rank 33 Blood Mastery have successfully countered and consumed Tainted Eldritch blood!


    That which sought to consume you has been consumed in turn!


    You have successfully Healed 5864 Damage!


    All Spiritual wounds have faded!


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully FORGED your first Underlord!


    Master Necromancer is now Level 34!


    Blood Mastery is now Rank 34!


    Spirit Mastery is now Rank 34!


    Transcendent Abjuration is now Rank 5!


    Deferred Master Necromancer Perk invested in Underlord Tree!


    Warning! You have not met the prerequisite perks!


    Trial of Combat (including potency and life-force paid) trumps all prerequisites!


    Rank 1 Underlord: Rank 1 of this Perk tree allows you to select powerful Bronze tier opponents to serve as the generals, advisors, flotillas, and champions of your armies! These Underlords serve as the defining cornerstones of your legions and may be elevated to a fully autonomous state, able to strategize and act upon their own initiative in carrying out your orders, whatever they may be! These Underlords may also directly manage and rule over your holdings and territories as you see fit!


    Cost to Claim Underlord = Standard Potency and/or Life force costs + Permanent Soul Reserves = to Bronze tier level divided by total number of enhanced class perks and perk ranks derived from Necromancer Class & Necromancer Affinities & Skills. - Master Necromancer Perk total = 18. Perks derived from Necromancer Skills = 15. Deep Bronze Sand Wyrm level = 99.


    Total Permanent Soul Point reduction = 99/(14+18) = 3.09375 = 4 Soul Points.


    Your Sand Wyrm Underlord maintains ALL abilities enjoyed while alive, including Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability!


    Underlord Perk tree is the ONLY way (as a White-tier necromancer) that you may claim Bronze tier Revenants and their powers! (All other Bronze Tier revenants raised will achieve only White Tier status with normal level cap penalties. (This level may exceed 100 but revenants will remain White-tier).


    NOTE! You may only claim 1 Underlord at present! This number increases by number granted with all previous ranks per Underlord Rank. (F-Sequence Progression)


    Eric opened his eyes, howling with unbridled joy as he shuddered with a fierce sense of rapture and triumph unlike any other. He sensed another spell evolution on the tip of his tongue as he gazed up in awe and wonder at the impossibly massive Titan Wyrm, just a heartbeat away from evolving into a Silver-tier World Eater now gazing down upon him with what amounted to a perfect mirror of Eric¡¯s own Unified Perception as it arched up hundreds of feet and opened its triple mawed mouth before giving a pleased hiss that was a roar that shook the world.


    A roar that Eric mirrored, savoring that moment of pristine triumph even as his Dominion Interface Message Box filled with countless administerial messages radiating censure and malice that he casually flushed away to oblivion, furious protest contingencies washed away by Dominion¡¯s essence, effortless to expunge after the ordeal he had just survived.


    And the title he had earned made the boon all the sweeter, even as his companion¡¯s desperate cries echoed through his skull.


    CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE FIRST NECROMANCER TO RAISE A PRISTINE BRONZE REVENANT UPON THIS WORLD! YOU ARE THE FIRST NECROMANCER TO FORGE AN UNDERLORD!


    THIS IS A BRONZE TIER FEAT ¨C TERRA ITSELF RECOGNIZES YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT!


    YOU HAVE EARNED A 5% BONUS TO ALL ATTRIBUTES!


    YOU WILL ADDITIONALLY RECEIVE A PERMANENT 5% MULTIPLIER TO ALL FUTURE ATTRIBUTE GAINS ON OR OFF OF TERRA!


    * ANOMALY DETECTED *


    BRONZE TIER FEAT EARNED AS WHITE-TIER CONTENDER.


    ALL BOONS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!


    NOTE!! - MULTIPLE BRONZE TRUMP CARDS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLAY!


    * YOUR BOONS ARE NOW IN DISPUTE! *


    Transcendent Heritage Detected.


    Golden Heritage Detected.


    You have dared to ascend an outlawed branch of arcana!


    Gold-tier Ascendants are FORBIDDEN from engaging in games of ascension!


    MULTIPLE Bronze Trump holders request immediate extermination of Rogue Player.


    MULTIPLE Bronze Trump holders request immediate extermination of Forbidden Class!


    Eric clenched his jaw and braced himself for the absolute worst. He could only assume that somehow some very, very powerful galactic players had their fingers on the strings of the cosmos, on the lookout for any wildcards that might threaten the established order, or simply fuck with their own descendant¡¯s chances of reigning supreme on a newly ascended planet, so were more than eager to snuff out the competition any way they could.


    They might not even have any way to communicating with one other. They only knew that there was no way in hell they would permit a blossoming necromancer to live, explaining the play of multiple cards which Eric could only guess either manipulated the System, or Fate, or perhaps both. Which itself told Eric just how profoundly deadly his Master Necromancer class could be in shaping a world¡¯s destiny, so long as no one was allowed to snuff out his wick before he could truly set the world ablaze.


    Yet before twisted chains of spite could be snapped into place, the System intervened once again.


    VIP STATUS DETECTED.


    TALISMAN STATUS DETECTED.


    NATIVE HERITAGE ARTS ARE SYSTEM-SANCTIONED WITHIN HOME WORLDS WITHOUT RESTRICTION.


    ALL WRITS OF EXTERMINATION ARE RENDERED NUL AND VOID.


    BRONZE TIER BOONS HAVE BEEN STANDARDIZED.


    Congratulations! You are the first Necromancer to raise a Pristine Bronze Revenant and Forge an Underlord upon this World!


    This is a Bronze-tier feat! - Terra itself recognizes your accomplishment!


    You have earned a 5% bonus to all attributes!


    You will additionally receive a 5% bonus to all future attribute gains on or off Terra!


    You have earned the title: Lord of The Dead II!


    You may now raise DOUBLE the number of Underlords and Revenants that you otherwise would be able to!


    Countless Liches and Vampire Lords are now gnashing their teeth at the prized boon you have stolen!


    Congratulations! You are now equally reviled in outerworld courts and underworld crypts alike!


    Eric¡¯s mind and body shuddered under the onslaught of transformative power now shivering through his soul.


    As if existence itself had frozen as reality rang like a bone tuning fork, Eric finding himself warping in ways that screamed of glorious forbidden power, thews thrumming with monstrous potency and strength beyond compare, even as he sensed his pristine cultivation base straining ever more to find harmonic grace. Yet the glorious beauty of evolution was that life always found a way. Death or transcendence, one generation at a time. One battle at a time. One life or death struggle at a time.


    He spared only a heartbeat for regrets beyond his control, instead choosing to revel in how easily and utterly necromantic energies now caressed his spirit and elevated his soul, his mind fizzing with rapid-fire streams of consciousness that might be transcendent genius, or perhaps simply the mania of too many cups of coffee after pushing oneself way too far.


    Either way, his growth and triumph had been beyond profound. Yet he spared only a quick look at the foremost page of the character sheet of his soul, finding a split-second¡¯s solace in just how profound a change had been wrought, even as manic glee turned to desperate panic, finally free of the nearly fatal struggle that had lasted mere seconds, and desperate to reach his friends before all hope was lost.


    _______________________________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 49 GOLDEN PHOENIX (Adventurer)


    (2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation at 66%!)


    Rank 44 DEATH¡¯S DISCIPLE (Four Seasons)


    Level 34 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 595 (You can shatter tanks with your fists.)


    Vitality ¨C 648 (Your Vitality is beyond monstrous.)


    Finesse ¨C 511 (You¡¯re nearly as deadly as a Bronze-tier sniper. Even without all their perks!)


    Quickness ¨C 875 (You¡¯re well over 40 times as fast as an Olympic Fencer. ABSURD!)


    Appearance ¨C 32 (If this were pre-apocalypse, you would star in all your mother¡¯s movies!)


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 30 (You¡¯re still yourself, but your thoughts are clear and your memory is sharp!)


    Perception ¨C 499 (A deadly marksman who always spots his prey. No one¡¯s sneaking up on you!)


    Willpower ¨C 109 (You were forged in fire, and it shows!)


    Charisma ¨C 17


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 471 (An Archmage would be proud to apprentice you.)


    (Mana Pool = 5658)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 494 (An elder sage would be pleased to have you as his disciple!)


    (Qi Pool = 5929)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 138 (You¡¯re almost worthy of a Psion Knight¡¯s regard.)


    (Psion Pool = 1657)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 423 (You could be a Master Necromancer... You ARE a Master Necromancer!)


    Stamina ¨C 6481 Points


    Health ¨C 8007 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 126


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 64 health per second


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 91


    Qi Resistance ¨C 95


    Mental Resistance ¨C 100


    Psionic Resistance ¨C 0


    Class & Cultivation Synergism


    Essence Ability Cost 67%


    Essence Damage Multiplier 149%


    Unarmed Combat Rank 28


    Damage Bonus to all Essence Melee attacks: 256%


    ______________________________________

 Chapter 404 - Treasure Hunt VI

    ¡°I should have married you when I had the chance. See you around, handsome.¡±


    Svena clicked off her transceiver, unable to bare her lover¡¯s cry when she turned to glare at the Velociraptor darting forward, hissing in her face.


    Snapping powerful jaws that radiating a vorpal sharpness that might tear through even her power armor. But not the crackling force shield she rammed into its snout, before it sent her shield slamming into her face place with an abrupt jolt. Even if it was technically weaker at 150 or so Strength, it was whipping its whole body forward where she was splayed on the hard stone ground barely covered with a splash of sand that had done nothing to cushion the bone cracking blow. And how crazy it was that she had managed to shatter her knee. At her level. With her stats. Leg splayed out, spasming with agony that sent tears to her eyes. And she didn¡¯t dare take anything, not a damned bit of the cheap first gen pain killers they had, lest they dull the hyper reflexes that were all that were¡ª


    Duck!


    Her instincts screamed at her as she twisted desperately around. But not quite in time to avoid the agony of her shoulder clamped by a second raptor that had been aiming for her skull. Before jerking her upright, shaking her, sending jolts of agony through her tortured shoulder even as the hyper-polymer armor warped and crumple into her arm all the deeper, rendering it immobile and in nearly as much agony as her knee.


    Then the creature twisted and lifted her up, eager to dash her on the ground.


    But not before she managed to plunge her vibroblade in its throat.


    ¡°Gotcha, motherfucker!¡± She forced a smile that turned to a scream when the doomed creature, spurting blood, managed to slam her to the ground even as it spasmed and bucked, its clawed hind legs catching her and sending her spinning before another pair of raptors could tear their beaks into her, which was both a win and a loss because her leg was hyper extended again, and she couldn¡¯t hold back the scream as the pair of hissing birds charged for her while the heavens were suddenly eclipsed by the sight of a Titan Wyrm which she had only seen in holovids depicting the final years before monster swarms rendered ascending planets uninhabitable without Silver Sentinels directly intervening, which very few did.


    Only it was here. In the start of year two of the ascension.


    If there was one bright side to the horror of what was to come, it was that she wouldn¡¯t be alive to see it.


    She inhaled to scream the cry of her people as the pair of raptors charged in tandem, but all she could do was wheeze.


    It was still enough for her to force up her crippled arm to take one final beak slamming against it before a furious lunge channeling a centuries worth of attributes and killing experience plunged into its eye, Svena ending its life with a snarl and a twist.


    Before she cried out as her guts burst into flame, the final raptor taking the opportunity to strike. It¡¯s sheering bite aimed not for her head or neck, but for her flank. To her bulging-eyed dismay it didn¡¯t just mark and dent her armor. Unlike the first velociraptor this fucker snapped through it like it was a fortune cookie, ripping out a good mouthful of her intestines as blood and entrails spurted across the parched desert.


    Her scream locked in her throat as her helm flashed desperate warnings, auto-injecting her with coagulants, stabilizers and pain killers.


    She was sent tumbling to the ground, a tiny corner of her mind regretting so many lost opportunities. Claiming a Profession in a sane, stable, upwardly mobile mega corp like Blue Federation. Letting past regrets and losses go and finding a nice man to love and cherish and settle down with. Raise half a dozen happy children with. Fantasies of smiling baby boys and girls in skirts, learning her people¡¯s dances upon windswept fields filled with golden flowers as the spring sun warmed mother and laughing children.


    Bitter tears blinked away for what would never be.


    But what slipped from her bloody lips wasn¡¯t regret but a howl of rage. The fury for the creature that would claim her dreams, her hope, her life. A creature even now diving in not even to kill her, but to tear through her entrails once more.


    She could sense that as well as she could her own pounding heartbeat, which mean she knew exactly how to¡ª


    A flash and a boom that sent both her and the velociraptor flying.


    Slow-time kicked into full gear as she saw the monstrous Titan Wyrm that glowed with the crackling corona threatening a World Eater ascension in days¡­ or weeks¡­ or just hours. Only for its head to explode in an eruption of liquid flame.


    She found herself blinking in confusion even as her clever vibroblade arm knew just where to plunge and twist as the velociraptor, slave to its appetites, charged for her gaping wound once more.


    Because artillery strikes didn¡¯t look quite like that, not even ones unleashed by elite Deep Bronze weapons tier platforms run by extremely elite specialists that could pierce even a Titan¡¯s near indestructible body. What mystics declared was infused by actual essences of Impermeability.


    There was no way in hell any of those weapons platforms would be¡ª


    Wandering thoughts became a jolt of hellish pain.


    The FUCKING raptor had just snapped off her sword arm!


    Her eyes bulged in horrified disbelief as the raptor glared at her before tossing up her armored arm and chomping and shredding it with mouth and talons, eager to get the meat out like cracking a king crab, her inert vibroblade utterly ignored.


    ¡°How! I stabbed that fucker! It should be dead! I should have won! I should have fucking¡­¡±


    Svena gazed with horrified dismay, choking out a sob, seeing the scrape by the creature¡¯s eye socket. That it was only by the narrowest of margins that she had missed. And that was all it had taken to assure that this would be her final chapter.


    She clenched tight her trembling jaws, knowing that it was only her flesh that was buying her a few seconds¡¯ time. All she could do was close her eyes and scream in her mind, knowing that she had absolutely no hope, and that only a horrific agonized death awaited her. She didn¡¯t even have a kill switch in this cheap ass fucking excuse for mecha suit. All she could do was suffer through it.


    ¡°Fucking hell it ends like this!¡± She sobbed, desperate to get her one arm moving, to pivot past the crushed shoulder. She ignored the pain and agony of strained ligaments, aching muscle, cracked bone¡­ she needed to reach her holdout blaster. She needed to do¡ª


    A deadly caw.


    The velociraptor perked up from its devoured meal, blood¡­ her blood and viscera... staining its jaws.


    And now it was glaring at her as she kicked futilely for space with her one working leg, struggling desperately to move a gear-locked arm while the other shot arterial blood that the coagulants were taking too fucking long to seal¡­ armor so badly mangled it wasn¡¯t snapping shut¡­ suit screaming for authorization to clamp shut at the shoulder, losing the entire arm¡­ and it didn¡¯t even matter, because the fucker was pouncing and Svena was screaming and¡ª


    A sudden LURCH!


    She was sent flying through the air once more, screaming in sudden pain as the suit emergency clamped her entire right arm in a desperate attempt to stave off blood loss and it didn¡¯t even matter because¡­


    She blinked, feeling so dizzy, so weak, as her spinning body came to a jolt against hard stone once more¡­ knowing she was suffering a concussion, laughing through her tears and broken teeth as she gazed at a sight so improbable that only here on this mad force-evolving world would she see fresh raptors launching themselves at the one so eager to feast upon her flesh.


    Her consciousness was fading, yet she couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight of her would-be killer being eaten alive by a larger raptor with glowing yellow eyes, ripping out its throat and feasting on its flesh.


    ¡°You get ¡®em, Squawk. Kill that fucker dead,¡± she whispered, drifting off on clouds of oblivion.


    Before being jerked out of the warm comforting haze that had almost claimed her, when the piercing yellow eyes locked on her own.


    The deadly predator slowly approached.


    ¡°Please. Please!¡± She sobbed, her broken voice pleading like a panicked child. And she hated her weakness, her terror, her exhaustion, hated sounding so vulnerable, so needy, but not nearly so much as she absolutely hated the fact that there was no heart or soul to reach. This was a beast, not a human with a shred of mercy or decency. It was a creature that saw her as nothing more than food. So why the fuck am I begging!? She screamed to herself, yet that didn¡¯t stop her desperate lips from uttering the words.


    What stopped her desperate broken plea was the sight of the creature tilting its head and turning right around.


    Now it was in front of her. Not even looking her way, just glaring at the basalt rocks and whirling sands, locking onto the sight of a whole flock of velociraptors now racing across the rocky plain. And if Svena didn¡¯t know better¡­ she would think they were hunting.


    Not her and her blood brothers and sister¡­ but rather the other raptors.


    She took a shuddering breath. Did she dare to hope that this creature was guarding her?


    Much to her awed disbelief, when a fresh trio of brown-eyed velociraptors raised their heads and hissed at the sight of her¡­ sending her heart lurching in fresh panic¡­ her guardian lifted its beak, bloody with its own kind, flapped its proto-wings and hissed.


    ¡°You tell ¡®em Squawk,¡± Svena said with a teary smile, her heart swelling with gratitude for this crazy bird that for some reason was guarding her.


    Yet the moment she dared think there could be a happy ending for her¡­ the three brow-eyed raptors made it clear they were hungry, and weren¡¯t taking no for an answer.


    ¡°Oh fuck, fuck, fuck, this isn¡¯t fair. It isn¡¯t fucking fair!¡± She sobbed.


    And that¡¯s when she froze. As did the velociraptor guarding her, when the air filled with the freezing words of death itself. Ancient sibilant whispers that made her soul shiver in her broken shell of a body, feeling dark stormy winds howling with shrieking spirits, just a single dying whisper away.


    Svena choked back a sob. Tasting death in the air.


    Worse than death.


    Undeath.


    Necromancy.


    A worker of forbidden arts was here.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    And that¡¯s when she saw it, a sight that filled her with existential dread.


    The sky turning black as midnight, crimson lightning flashing and exploding against the barren wastelands as the air shrieked and howled with the cries of the forsaken as the monstrous Titan Wyrm, so close to World Eater ascension and quintupling in size, rose again. Only now it radiated an awful deathly presence, a half-step Silver¡¯s killing aura that she could feel, even from here!


    An aura of the living dead.


    A horror beyond imagination.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A horror radiating pressure so significant that even the trio of raptors eager to make a lunch of her and her unexpected champion hissed and turned to flee.


    Before the air flashed with brilliant lines of crimson heat, and all three velociraptors collapsed, spurting blood from their neck stumps as their heads tumbled to the ground.


    Svena lurched with a drugged gasp. Blinking in dazed confusion as she caught sight of the absolute last person she had expected to see.


    But there he was.


    An impossibly beautiful half-elf boy who belonged in her first daughter¡¯s bed, married off when they were both 18. A century ago when she had had her first family, before the raiders had come, changing what had been an adventurer¡¯s early retirement to a furious saga of disciplined training and bitter retribution.


    And the boy¡¯s beautiful green eyes were filled with such empathy, such compassion, that she felt herself sob with desperate relief and pain and a sudden flare of hope which made her pain all the worse. Because how? How did some kid move so impossibly fast that she, with 300 Quickness, could barely register his movements, let alone the dizzying speed of his blade?


    His hand gently touched her faceplate.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he soothed. ¡°My revenant will guard you while I take care of the rest of these assholes. Then we¡¯ll be back in business like this shit had never happened.¡±


    Then he actually winked.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± he said, before stepping back and racing away so fast he was a blur.


    Almost as much of a blur as Svena¡¯s own racing thoughts. Forcing herself to feel out the word that had slipped from the impossibly beautiful lips of her young champion. Her savior. A boy that, a century and a half ago, before she had met her first husband, she would have happily claimed as her own.


    His revenant.


    His.


    Revenant.


    It was him.


    The Necromancer King who had just broken countless edicts and laws that the galactic counsel had put into place for damned good reasons¡­ the Contender with such monstrous power that he could raise a half-step World Eater Serpent, even if it was still technically a Titan, was a teenage boy.


    Earnest ¡®Call me Eric¡¯ Edgelord Slaughter.


    The very one that the local Northeastern branch of the Terran Counsel was now screaming their heads off about on the unified Terra Message board open to all Bronze tier mercs. And the bounties they were now placing on the kid¡¯s head were absolutely absurd.


    Five million credits.


    Ten million credits.


    Twenty million credits.


    Fifty million credits.


    A kid who, according to her party interface, had just claimed two Bronze tier titles in under ten minutes.


    A kid who had just saved her life when she had been screaming and sobbing and pleading for a miracle, a hero, someone to save her sorry, bleeding, desperate to live and start over ass.


    A Necromancer King.


    The very kind she had hunted so fiercely, once upon a time.


    Back when roving bands of zombies, skeletons, and revenants far weaker than the monster guarding her even now had threatened to wash over her entire kingdom, so many years ago.


    Only now Terra¡¯s most wanted outlaw was a boy who had just saved her life.


    And if the furious cries, shouts, and desperate cheers of her lovers and friends were any indication, he was well on his way to saving the lives of everyone still alive that she cared about. That she would put her life on the line defending.


    Saved by a teenage Contender who clearly had no idea what he was doing.


    Then she laughed at the absurdity of her own words, neck craning up to see the monstrous World Eater a good quarter of a mile long, gazing down at them all with its monstrous tri-fold mouth open wide, letting loose a low shriek that shuddered through her soul.


    He had known enough to pull off a feat that was a centuries-old lich¡¯s wet dream.


    The half-elf boy was an abomination that had to be stopped.


    And she owed him absolutely everything.


    ¡°Bennett, can you hear me?¡±


    She smiled, feeling the drugs carry her off like a fading dream, as her lover¡¯s relieved voice came over the speaker.


    ¡°You¡¯re alive! Thank all the gods¡­ YES! You crazy woman, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    The words perked her up from her dreamy daze. ¡°Bennett?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll marry you. Were done. After this mission? We cash out. Buy ourselves one of the nice houses with the fancy yard and access to all the amenities in Freetown¡¯s most elite quarter, and we settle down. Have a family of our own. Train the best and brightest of Terran¡¯s contenders and open up the Battlemech and Cyberknight classes for them, and spend our nights safe at home.¡±


    Svena swallowed the lump in her throat, sobbing uncontrollably. ¡°Bennett. I fucking love you, Bennett. With all my heart!¡±


    ¡°Good! Alright, love. Our crazy unbelievable madlad of a hero just managed to slaughter seven velociraptors so fast that I¡¯m fucking speechless. I have no words. And his Quickness¡­ did you check his stats on our party interface? It shot up almost 90 points since we met him! It¡¯s over 870! How the hell¡­ and it doesn¡¯t even matter. The kid¡¯s as juiced as any 80<sup>th</sup> level Advanced Bronze Classer and it doesn¡¯t even matter! Hell, Svena. We both saw those System alerts, blaring for all the world to hear, as is the case of all Bronze tier titles. We both know what it means. Especially the second title.¡±


    She winced. Knowing exactly what he wanted her to say.


    ¡°And Svena?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± His words, so filled with warmth and love just moments ago, hard turn hard as ice.


    Svena shivered, suddenly terrified of losing the man who now meant everything to her.


    ¡°I mean it, Svena. He saved our asses. Our lives. I know what your White-tier class was. Why you have such damned high magic resistance. Why lesser undead fall apart if they get too close to you. But I gave my oath, and he could have left us to die. Hell, he could have left us to die and raised us himself. You know it.¡±


    Svena swallowed. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t have to like it. I fucking hate it. But¡­ I know.¡±


    ¡°We owe him everything.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Svena.¡±


    ¡°I promise. Alright? There¡¯s no way in hell I could touch that kid. But even if I could¡­ after getting a look in his eyes when I was leaking bloody tears¡­ I got one working limb right now, babe. The fucking raptors ate my arm! And I¡¯m down a spleen. But there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to betray the boy¡­ the angel that saved me.¡±


    ¡°Svena! Fuck, just hold it together. We¡¯re coming for you now. Okay? Don¡¯t move. Eric¡¯s going to be taking us all back to the compound.¡± He gave a shuddering laugh. ¡°Those of us who made it? We¡¯re all fucked up good, love. So we¡¯re heading back.¡±


    ***


    Time passed in an agonized blur for Svena, slipping in and out of consciousness on a stretcher in a protective frame she shuddered to look at, but knew was made of bone. And the look that boy had given her, when the undead straps and braces he had put on her began to dissolve...


    ¡°Really?¡± he had said, quirking his brow at her like her teenage firstborn when she said something particularly silly or absurd, so many decades ago.


    She had swallowed, heart spiking with dead, terrified that he knew what it meant, that he would strike her dead and he raised his arm and she could sense Bennett¡¯s flare of alarm and all he did was touch her straps, whisper words as blood dripped from his hand and suddenly her stretcher and braces were shimmering with so much life and power and how? How was that even possible? And they were real. So utterly real it was her that suddenly felt like a dream knowing what it meant. Knowing that the kid had infused raw essence and his own living blood into keeping her safe. Secure. Not holding her White-tier class against her at all.


    And the whole time she was closing her eyes, trying not to look to either side, terrified she¡¯d cry out, knowing it was absurd. She had bottlenecked as a level 20 Bronze Mech Warrior and never regretted everything it had taken just to ascend to Bronze and come this far. Infused with well over twice the strength she had enjoyed as a Level 99 Witch Hunter. Best of all, unlike poor, dear Elly, she still had access to all her spells, skills, and powers. She could still increase all her skills and rank up her abilities, even if she could never ascend another level. And that was okay. She had the best of both worlds.


    Even if right now she was sick and dizzy and in critical condition with Elly squeezing her hand with such tender care. Elly, who Svena had seen being so tenderly carried in Ernest-just call me Eric¡¯s- arms just minutes ago. Infusing her with life, essence, power. Healing something, somehow, that had been broken inside. Exactly how or what, Svena wasn¡¯t sure. But the look Elly was giving that boy told Svena so much as Ernest gazed out to glimpse the vast horizon of dark, unforgiving stone and howling sands for miles in all directions, herds of velociraptor and distant bogs and carnivorous plants pinging off her interface in all directions. Truly, a nightmare of a red territory.


    And not a single predator dared to approach them.


    Probably because of the massive Titan Wyrm they were currently riding upon, all of them now a good fifty yards above the ground that the creature half swam, half slithered through.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Elly asked gently, turning away from admiring the red-headed view to gaze down at her friend.


    Svena forced a smile. ¡°Like I came so fucking close to dying that I¡¯ll be having nightmares for weeks. For months. And every moment I¡¯ll be gazing at the sunrise with gratitude just to be alive. Alive and happy, with those I love.¡± She choked back a sob. ¡°Even if we lost Riz.¡±


    Elly flashed a tear-filled smile. ¡°I feel the same.¡± She took a deep, shuddering breath. ¡°I was so ready to enact a ritual that could have only one outcome, to fry my brittle channels with one final assault that would make even using my power armor an impossible feat. Only for that beautiful mad boy to me stop in my tracks, and before I can register anything more than his smile, the cluster of raptors eager for my flesh perished in an explosion of flame.¡±


    Svena wheezed with mirth, though it pained her. ¡°His Super Punch man fists of medium intensity, right?¡±


    Elly snorted. ¡°He called it a Power Strike enhanced Fire Fist, but pretty much exactly that.¡±


    Svena grinned. ¡°The child¡¯s absurdly strong.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not actually a child¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? You asked him how old he was?¡± Svena delighted in the bright flush of Elly¡¯s cheeks. High Elves truly wore their emotions out for all to see.


    ¡°I did. He¡¯s nineteen.¡±


    Svena quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that young for an elf?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but he¡¯s also a human. He um¡­ definitely emphasized that part.¡±


    Svena chuckled despite the pain, eyes twinkling at her friends awkward expression. ¡°Relax. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re taking advantage of him, or possibly could. Bennett¡¯s rocking 400 in all his primary stats and I tingle with such envy¡­ and this insane boy tops him in every one.¡±


    ¡°And right now we¡¯re riding his massive third of a mile long World Eater, with a full fifty velociraptor terror bird escort.¡± Lone, looking after a bandaged Myl and Naje, said. ¡°So¡­ yeah. We know he¡¯s not interested in me. So go for it, Elly. He clearly likes you.¡±


    ¡°Mind your own affairs, Lone,¡± Elly said, despite the twinkle in her eyes, gazing so intently at the boy patting the impossibly vast body of his mount.


    A half-step Silver terror.


    ¡°So, what will you do now, Elly?¡± Svena asked her friend as a distraction as much as anything else.


    Elly¡¯s sighed, gazing reflectively at the mustard-tinged clouds, high above. ¡°Well, for one thing, if we¡¯re really deciding to call it quits? I¡¯ll see about opening a bakery in Freetown. Maybe settle down in the neighborhood we all were looking at for cover with our last mission.¡±


    It was all Svena could do not to squeal. ¡°Oh that would be fantastic! We could all live close by, just like in our lodge!¡±


    ¡°Yup. Our home away from home. Only we¡¯ll have two homes. One by the lake, and we¡¯ll work in the city instead of in the field. Because when I really get into the zen of baking and gardening¡­ feeling like an extension of my plants and my home¡­ it¡¯s almost as good as sex and those neuroblockers for handling the pain. And I¡¯d rather be doing something creative and beautiful¡­ or holding close someone beautiful, then spending my days in a drugged haze,¡± Elly said, enjoying the fantasy as well as her friend.


    Svena sighed. ¡°Of course we have to get home safely first.¡±


    Elly¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°That we do.¡±


    ¡°We took a lot of damage with that assault. Do the photovaultics still work?¡±


    Elly gave a fierce, pleased smile. ¡°The million plus credits we invested to actually be able to take authenticable pictures on an ascending world were so fucking worth it. Even if we had no idea we¡¯d be using it for our own benefit and not just for our future clients¡¯ sakes. But now we have documented proof of exactly what went down. Bennett already sent a copy to our employer and the head administrator of Freetown itself, per his insistence.¡± She then sighed, shaking her head. ¡°But without Riz around to keep it and the rest of our gear in tip-top shape¡­ gods know we won¡¯t be taking too many pictures after today, especially with the electromana radiation oozing out of this wild territory, even without those spicy winds tearing through our gear.¡±


    Svena blanched. ¡°Wait, we¡¯re bothering Lord Caliban with our petty shit? We¡¯ll be lucky not to be kicked out of the city entirely!¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Elly assured. ¡°Remember, this was a calculated assault. Attempted murder, in fact. Using both dark rituals and information that could only have been gathered from a mole on the inside. Grievous offenses that even the most jaded and hands-off lord would want to be kept abreast of. We¡¯re doing him a favor, and it¡¯s per Ernest¡¯s insistence. Between you and me¡­ the way our employer speaks of him, I think they¡¯re on a first name basis.¡±


    Svena gave a thoughtful nod. ¡°All our intel points to Lord Caliban being the farthest thing from a fool. It makes sense that he¡¯d be on familiar terms with the up-and-comers within the Northeast Sector.¡±


    ¡°Still, we¡¯re going to have to think of something once we get close to Freetown Territory, because this isn¡¯t exactly subtle,¡± Elly said with a sigh, patting the Underlord¡¯s impossibly thick scales that they were presently secured to via bone chairs, recliners, and arts that all of them were grateful for, even if they''d never dare say it aloud where anyone else could hear.

 Chapter 405 - Treasure Hunter VII

    Eric¡¯s thoughts were racing, no matter how he tried to keep his mind void of all brooding, guilt, and recriminations. Still, he tried to distract himself, just focusing on the magnificent if stark view all around him.


    The endless horizon of broken basalt, obsidian crystal, and whipping sands with its myriad flocks of velociraptors and the massive sauropods he saw barest glimpses of in the distant bogs. The fuel source for the raptors, he supposed, assuming they weren¡¯t feeding off the wild arcane energies this region was radiating so intently, so fiercely, as it continued to grow in size¡­ pressure, metaphysical mass¡­ so close to exploding into a black-tier nightmare territory right next to Freetown that he got a cold sweat just thinking about it.


    And there were the screams, of course


    The desperate screams of a man in way over his head, intestines spraying, howling and thrashing and writhing as vicious maws tore into his desperately raised arms, spasming legs, and ripped out his throat.


    Just a heartbeat before eight feet of crimson flame turned the ravenous, blood-smeared countenances of those vile raptors into a desperately fleeing flock when death inexorably came for them, unable to flee as talons were cleaved from forelegs, spines severed, hearts pierced, and bloody maws cleaved free of dying brains in a maelstrom of the furious screams and roars of a young elf who had dared to let himself get distracted with delicious mad dreams of conquest and power and DARING to push himself beyond what any delver or necromancer had ever dared to do before in this world, embracing that madness, laughing in the face of his own folly and at the cost of just another year forever torn free of his soul¡­ he had actually managed to bind a titan to his will.


    A titan!


    And all it had cost was the desperately struggling life of Riz.


    A goodnatured Professional who was everyone¡¯s friend, if the tears being shed were anything to go by. A good man who might have one day become a good friend, even to Eric.


    Only now he was dead.


    Eaten alive in the most horrifically agonizing way imaginable, because Eric¡¯s revenants had been busy taking out so many other bands of terror birds. Not quite enough around to save poor Riz.


    He swallowed the lump in his throat, filled with sudden guilt. Even if he had refused to raise that final pack of birds, instead destroying them utterly and completely while Riz¡¯s friends gathered and wrapped up the remains.


    For just a heartbeat, he had wondered if his Blood Mastery could somehow pull some sort of miracle¡­ until getting a good look at the remains. How little there was left.


    It had been all he could do not to vomit.


    All he could do to help gather his badly wounded party. And how odd it was that it was the party of veteran Bronze-tier mercs who, just hours ago, had viewed him with not so much patronizing as big brotherly warmth¡­ and now they were the terrified children he had to soothe and reassure that yes, the Titan Wyrm they conflated with World Eaters was tame, docile, and Eric¡¯s sworn servant in all ways.


    Yet the looks his companions had given had only grown in dismay when Eric¡¯s Underlord and mount had seemed to sink into the bare rock like it was water until it was effortless for the whole gang to make their way onto his mount¡¯s crest. Then Eric had quickly secured the bone stretchers and supports he had made, effortlessly fusing it to the scales of his wonderfully helpful titan, assuring his friends, especially his injured friends, a perfectly smooth ride.


    Even the AFV, made of such exotic alloys that it was actually salvageable even if it would require half a million credits, at least, and a skilled professional to get in anything like working order once more, was also strapped and secured to the back of his massive mount.


    His fists clenched, as he desperately peered at distant targets so very far way save for his perception¡­ almost making them out¡­ there!


    His heart pounded with furious exultation.


    He had just marked the trio that kept exactly a mile back as he did a wide circle through the broken plains as countless flocks of reds raced ahead or darted away, eager to escape the massive titan wyrm that could destroy them all.


    Which could only mean one thing.


    ¡°I found them,¡± he whispered to Bennett.


    The man was gazing out into the bleak rocky flat-lands seeing nothing save the shape of his own misery, Eric was sure of it. Though he jolted at Eric¡¯s words, turning to peer at him, his rugged face a mix of barely suppressed rage and a clenched jaw. ¡°Where?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Do we have access to anything like a group map interface?¡±


    Bennett gave a cold snort. ¡°Do you have any idea how much you have to level up the requisite skills to facilitate such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Not a clue. Alright, look through this.¡± Eric summoned his soul bound Deathblaze plasma rifle, sighted the tiny velimobile with the trio of goblins inside, and Eric felt a lurch in his stomach. The assassin was actually gazing at them through the scope of his own Mark II. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Yet their enemy didn¡¯t fire, not that that would buy them any clemency in Eric¡¯s book.


    ¡°Look through there.¡±


    Bennett did, and immediately began cursing. ¡°They set us up. Those fuckers set us up!¡±


    ¡°That they did.¡± Thoughts racing, Eric called back to the rest of the party. ¡°How stable is everyone?¡±


    ¡°Myl and Naje are cursing their broken legs and a few missing fingers but we¡¯re good, buddy!¡± Lone assured.


    ¡°The pressure suit¡¯s keeping Svena perfectly stable,¡± Elly calmly replied. ¡°The neuroblockers are working well. We should be fine until we get back.¡±


    Eric took a deep breath, girding himself to ask the question he knew he must. ¡°How long will Svena be okay if we we¡¯re delayed? Maximum case, how long can we go without external care and assure with 100% probability, that she¡¯ll be okay?¡±


    Even as he said the words, he kept his gaze locked with Bennett¡¯s. Forcing himself to ignore the wide-eyed blanch, the momentary look of fury, then the thoughtful frown. Because he wasn¡¯t such a coward that he¡¯d flinch while asking questions that would seem so callous to the wellbeing of the girl Bennett had all but proposed to, less than an hour ago.


    ¡°Captain?¡±


    The man glared at Eric for another moment before nodding. ¡°Tell him, Elly. I¡¯d like to know myself.¡±


    Elly sighed. ¡°Days. Svena¡¯s White-tier class came with a number of significant perks and spells she worked diligently to master. She can fully regenerate with her channeling so much of her Mana Pool into self-recovery. Regenerating her intestines will take days, at least, but a Bronze tier body means that she has far more control over metabolic functions than mortals and her internal healing will keep her quite stable while she does so.¡±


    ¡°It still fucking hurts like hell,¡± Svena¡¯s voice was still too soft for any mortal to hear, and speaking clearly pained her, but she did it anyway. ¡°But I can keep going for as long as I need to, now that my blood¡¯s staying in my body where it belongs. It will take a good month to regenerate all this fucking damage on my own, even if it will earn me a new skill rank.¡±


    She flashed a humorless smile, then closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m only sorry that I can heal so little beyond my own body. A rapier thrust to your entrails¡­ yes. I can stabilize you. Help you to recover. Eliminating infection, helping a sick parent or child break their fever... Yes. No problem at all. In the right time and place, I would have... had been a healer. And I can heal mortals just as well as a Classer¡¯s injuries. Very few Classers gifted with actual healing spells¡­ rare as they are¡­ can say the same. But against a feral boar, or a velociraptor? That kind of damage¡­ If I could go back and choose a different path, a true Healer¡¯s path¡­¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°You never would have been a part of our corp and Riz would still be gone. So there¡¯s no point in second guessing yourself, beautiful. Now rest. That¡¯s an order,¡± Bennett said with a tender voice and a heartfelt smile, before turning back around to measure Eric with his gaze.


    ¡°Now why don¡¯t you explain why we¡¯re even having this conversation?¡±


    Eric glared out to where he knew the velimobile was still pacing them.


    ¡°Because those are three elite Bronze Goblins. Because they know that their best shot at clawing whatever power they can on this world is to make absolutely sure I don¡¯t reach Freetown alive in the next three days. Not with the prize I expect to find. They want to claim the city for themselves and have everyone enslaved to them, one way or another. Believe me. In another time and place, the results of countless thousands being trapped by goblinoid contracts and usurious debt was nothing less than their souls and eternal hellfire. And I mean that abso-fucking-lutely literally. And they will do absolutely anything they have to in order to make that timeline a reality once more.¡±


    Elly¡¯s eyes widened with horror. Eric could feel it even without looking her way.


    ¡°Captain, we can¡¯t let that happen!¡±


    ¡°I know, Elly.¡±


    ¡°If we head to the compound¡­ we¡¯re at risk. We¡¯re all at risk!¡± Elly hissed. ¡°While we¡¯re at our weakest. That¡¯s when they will strike. Bronze tier assassins? Our compound could already be rigged to blow up!¡±


    Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m afraid of. Believe me, I¡¯ve seen just how fucking deadly elite teams of level 30 assassins are. If the goblins truly are pulling out all the stops and the very few Bronze-tier teams they have left are coalescing here and now¡­ how long do you think it will be before your food is poisoned, your compound is destroyed, and you all are picked off, one by one?¡±


    Barrett¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Those fuckers will pay if they think that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Those fuckers are protected by contract law and more treaties than you can shake a stick at,¡± Eric said. ¡°Believe me, they love nothing more than goading you with potshots and assassination attempts, then using your very outrage, your need to strike back, as pretext for the entire fucking counsel to declare war on you and grind you into dust. And the goblins will be laughing in your face even as they¡¯re fitting everyone helping them for slave collars¡­ meaning that we¡¯re all just a bunch of suckers destroying ourselves for the goblins¡¯ own benefit. And most won¡¯t realize it until it¡¯s too late and they¡¯re so deep in contractual debt that they have absolutely no choice but to comply.¡±


    ¡°Because the head of their entire faction is a fucking demon lord!¡± Elly hissed with unbridled fury, earning scowls and jaded looks from her friends.


    ¡°Elly, we need to think about this¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Eric said, cutting off Lone¡¯s attempts at soothing his companion. ¡°Not that that matters, save to know that these assholes are as vicious and malevolent as you can imagine¡­ with a few noteworthy exceptions,¡± he said with a sigh, forced to recall a certain Noble Rogue of a goblin, showing what their race was capable of becoming, had they not been damned and twisted with deliberate malice over countless generations. But still. Knowing what he now knew... The blood they shared. And he and his mother had destroyed so many¡ª


    It¡¯s done. It¡¯s over. It never happened. It had always been. DON¡¯T think about it. Now¡¯s not the time! He desperately told himself. ¡°Anyway, point is, the minute we get back, those assholes will be doing all they can to take you out and even if I¡¯m there to stop it¡­ let¡¯s just say their barrister¡¯s got a 1-2 punch that I damn well better be wary of, or Freetown¡¯s still lost.¡±


    Barrett¡¯s glared out into the distance. ¡°SO. Let me make sure I got this straight. If we head back, we have to worry about goblin assassins taking us out, picking us off at our weakest, and our compound¡¯s integrity being utterly compromised. What, because we dared even to work with you and they¡¯re determined to make everyone pay, just out of spite?¡±


    Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Regrettably they aren¡¯t completely stupid. So they know who I represent, even if they¡¯re not truly sure of my identity. So yes. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll kill us all, just to make an example of us and to make sure that no one will ever dare work with anyone on their shit list ever again.¡±


    Barrett frowned. ¡°So, you¡¯re also working for someone else. We¡¯re your subcontractors. And you¡¯re contract could get us all killed.¡±


    Eric locked gazes with the man. ¡°Don¡¯t get it twisted, Barrett. I¡¯m not the one that just ambushed our crew. I¡¯m the guy trying to pull us all through.¡±


    ¡°Barrett, he¡¯s right. None of this is his fault. His only crime is trying to help save a city,¡± Elly concurred.


    Their captain snorted. ¡°Yeah, I get that. Sure doesn¡¯t change the fact that this contract¡¯s been a disaster.¡±


    ¡°But if we can actually pull a win¡­ we¡¯ll all be heroes of the most technologically sophisticated and what will soon be the richest city on the entire continent. I can all but promise you that,¡± Eric assured. ¡°Hell, I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if a few choice top-tier Blue Palace condominiums were to somehow fall into your possession.¡±


    ¡°Shit, are you serious? Those pads are now worth anywhere from five to fifty million!¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Wait. Seriously? I thought a 300% markup was crazy. But that¡¯s five times what the apartment-sized condos were originally going for¡­ and that¡¯s tenfold what I paid for the top floors!¡±


    Eric winced, realizing he had been speaking aloud only after. feeling the pressure of half a dozen battle-hardened Bronze warriors focusing on him.


    ¡°Wait, fucking hell! The waiting list on the Blue Palace is insane! And the prices keep going up with the entire top two floors all brought out! You mean the asshole playing hard-to-get, just smirking and leaning back while all the movers and shakers are frothing at the mouth to get a piece of the tallest building in the entire city¡­ is you?¡± Long stared at Eric with an odd mix of envy and sheer disbelief.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s actually a very good question.¡±


    ¡°Ernest?¡±


    ¡°Eric¡¯s fine, Barrett.¡±


    ¡°No bullshit, do you truly have access to Blue Palace real estate?¡±


    Eric gazed off into the distance, pointedly ignoring the stares and murmurs behind him. ¡°How¡¯d you guys like a hero¡¯s bonus, Captain? We hold off on leaving this territory so our enemies and their lawyer have no chance of serving us papers or plasma or poison or explosive death, and the minute we complete our mission is the minute your corp is up an exclusive Blue Palace luxury suite.¡±


    ¡°Top floor.¡±


    ¡°Bottom.¡±


    ¡°Middle, you cheap bastard!¡±


    Eric cracked a smile, holding out his hand to a surprised Barrett. ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have access to any of those beautiful homes just outside the Blue Palace shopping district?¡± Svena asked in a soft, teasing voice.


    Eric glanced back at eyes twinkling with good humor.


    ¡°Sorry, Svena. I never got a chance to make any such purchase.¡± He sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Too much craziness happening way to fast, and here we now all are.¡±


    He turned to the captain. ¡°Well, what do you say? All bullshit aside, if we¡¯re going to do it, best I turn Wormy here around. At her pace, it will be at least an hour before we get there.¡±


    Barrett gave Eric an indecipherable look. ¡°Wormy.¡±


    Eric nodded, patting the scales of his titan wyrm. ¡°Yup.¡±


    Barrett gazed back at his crew. ¡°So, who wants to see if we can score a bonus high-end condominium before we head home?¡±


    Elly flashed a hard smile. ¡°If it puts a dent in the goblins plans and fucks with their ability to overtake Freetown, I¡¯ll back that play to my dying breath.¡± Her fiery gaze then softened as she gazed down at her friend. ¡°But only if you¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right we¡¯re going to make those bastards pay!¡± Svena snapped, before a haunted look overtook her features. ¡°And I don¡¯t fancy having to fear poison or proximity explosives or a sniper in the forest while I¡¯m recuperating at our cabin. Better if we get this done and break whatever stronghold the goblin fuckers have in Freetown now, before they can target us or our apprentices still at the cabin.¡±


    Lone furrowed his brow. ¡°No way in hell am I letting those little pipsqueaks get the best of me. And you¡¯re forgetting the most important reason why we aren¡¯t backing down.¡±


    Myl gave him a look from his prone position. ¡°And that would be?¡±


    ¡°Treasure!¡±


    Naje¡¯s eyes widened, he and Myl both seeming to temporarily forget their wounds. ¡°That¡¯s right! This is an exploration mission. A dig! With those three assholes hanging back and their ritual glyph discovered and countered for, because our employer is actually a Necromancer of all things¡­ now¡¯s the perfect time to hunt down whatever loot we can, with those goblin a safe distance away and our World Eater between us!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not actually a World Eater, but it is pretty epic,¡± Eric agreed, patting his Titan Wyrm.


    Barrett gave a satisfied nod. ¡°I guess it¡¯s decided, Eric. Take us wherever your treasure sense is leading you to. Your pets will keep us out of line-of-sight, and the raptors will be more than eager to befriend anyone coming in close, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Eric grinned, shifting his titanic mount with a thought, now making his way right for the ruins of a bank that, in this version of reality at least, had never existed at all.

 Chapter 406 - Treasure Hunt VIII

    It was strange, a tiny corner of Eric¡¯s mind thought as he took in the massive Aztec-like temple of carved stone flashing with the lightning crackling from the clouds overhead, how painfully quickly exhilaration could turn to dread.


    The shadows moved oddly across its surface, coalescing in odd effigies of torment, silent screams of broken souls as howling devils gloated over their despair.


    Only to fade to whisps of nothing an eyeblink later.


    Until shadows twisted and writhed like the tentacles in the necks of one of Kevin¡¯s puppets, all of them flashing wide smiles of bitter shadows and violence¡­ glaring right AT Eric who felt tiny and small and helpless and terrified, never mind that he was riding a quarter fucking mile long Titan Wyrm half-step from a World-Eater, so why the fuck should he be afraid of any shadow whatsoever?


    His guts clenched as his companions began whistling in dismay or cursing under their breath.


    ¡°Fuck, Captain. That¡¯s no hidden treasure. That¡¯s an Ebony tier dungeon. FUCK! I knew this place was getting close to a black break!¡±


    ¡°Chill, Long,¡± Barrett snapped in their party link, all of them speaking subvocally, as fast as thought. An instinctive reaction to the peril they were all sensing from those ruins. ¡°Elly?¡±


    ¡°Half-step Ebony, first tier. As in equivalent to our rank. Ha. As if mecha idiots like us had a chance in true black. Still, it¡¯s glowing deep red more than anything else. Could a party of half-step Bronze, Level 99 White-tiers who knew what they were doing take it on? Probably.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Captain,¡± Said Myl. ¡°I get a fucking bad feeling about this place that just won¡¯t go away.¡±


    ¡°Well good thing you¡¯re not going in then,¡± Lone noted with a strained smile. ¡°I guess you, Naje, and the girls get to luck out and stay in our little bone pavilion on top of a World Eater surrounded by seventy veloci piranhas that chew through tungsten carbide like I would a ham sandwich. Because we have a Necromancer King on our side, and now it makes sense why all the fucking powers that be hate them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, too much of a challenge to the happily corrupt status quo,¡± Elly snorted. ¡°And were they not an ungodly abomination utterly against the natural order¡ªsorry, Eric, but it¡¯s true¡ªI¡¯d be rooting for a little transformative change myself.¡± The odd smile she gave Eric pierced his dismay with something close to warmth, though he couldn¡¯t quite parse what the twinkle in her eyes meant. She truly was dismayed by his arts, he could sense that, but it didn¡¯t prevent her pupils from dilating whenever she looked his way. And the pheromones she was giving off¡­


    Eric forced a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s cool. Not everyone can appreciate the awesomeness that is Wormy.¡±


    Elly¡¯s teasing smile tightened. ¡°You actually named this abomination ¡®Wormy?¡¯¡±


    Eric mimed a pout. ¡°Hey, come on! That¡¯s a perfectly acceptable name. I mean, you haven¡¯t even met Slurpy.¡±


    She blinked. ¡°Do I want to meet Slurpy?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ if you don¡¯t mind lots and lots of eyes and a huge mouth full of independently moving octopedian tongues then¡­¡±


    Elly held up her hand. ¡°Please, Eric. Just¡­ no.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. Took it too far then. Sorry.¡±


    The elf sighed, her expression turning solemn. ¡°Are you sure about this, Eric?¡±


    He flashed a strained smile. ¡°Yeah. Unless we want Freetown to fall into goblin possession and the citizens to endure a fate just like the ones those FUCKING shadows FUCKING with our minds are playing over and over again on the sacrificial alters it¡¯s teasing us with¡­ then yes. 120,000 souls are sort of counting on it.¡±


    Elly gazed up at him for long moments, before slowly dipping her head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°No, Elly. You were injured! You know protocol in times like¡ª¡±


    The captain¡¯s words were cut off when she clenched her fist. ¡°Stop it, Barrett. You know damn well I heal faster than most.¡±


    He blinked, before slowly dipping his head. ¡°Of course. But Elly¡­¡±


    ¡°No butts. Old injuries that the System refuses to reset for me aside¡­ as a Magebane bolt now ¡®defines¡¯ me, ha ha, all it takes is an hour of perfect stillness¡­ and I¡¯m back in the game.¡±


    Eric blinked, suddenly recalling her words that he had taken in such easygoing stride when first hearing them. Only now understanding their true significance. ¡°Because you¡¯re also a Contender.¡±


    Elly flashed a sad smile. ¡°Once upon a time. And I¡¯m nowhere near as resilient as a first flush prodigy enjoying the second year of a world ascending so rapidly that I¡¯m terrified we¡¯ll all supernova. But yes. My Vitality also allows me to regenerate all injuries, scar free, after an hour¡¯s rest. Physical wounds, at least.¡±


    Garrett glared at the hideous temple of crackling purple lightning, vile shadows and silent screams. ¡°Alright. Our treasure pickup and transport¡¯s turning out to be a full-fledged delve. I know half of us, hell, all of us, were expecting just that, however surprised our client looks.¡±


    He gave a dismayed Eric a clap on the shoulder.


    ¡°Lone, Elly, and I will be accompanying Ernest into the delve. We¡¯re doing a cautious first-pass, adjoining entrance rooms only! If beast types are understood and threat level¡¯s judged minimal? We proceed. If we find ourselves dealing with multiple unknowns or threat level: Perilous¡­ we come out and reassess. Sound fair?¡±


    Eric gulped, suddenly feeling too many eyes on him, understood what was being asked between the lines, and having no problem with it. ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll make a good-faith conjoined effort to tackle the delve and get the loot. But you and Lone both have superficial injuries still, though I see you¡¯ve almost regenerated, and half our crew will be staying here, resting, with my crew keeping everyone as safe as seventy elite mercenary guardians and a half-step ascended monster can.¡±


    He took a deep breath, saying what he knew Barrett wanted to hear. ¡°If, after an exploratory dip, you feel the risk to our half-party unacceptable¡­ I¡¯ll accept the ¡®unreasonable risk¡¯ clause of our contract and release you from your commitment, penalty free.¡±


    Eric instantly sensed the tension in everyone¡¯s gaze easing to pleased smiles and approving nods.


    ¡°Good man, Eric. It¡¯s a pleasure working with clients who understand the realities of our situation.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. But I will expect you all to stick around when I go on ahead.¡±


    Barrett blanched at that.


    ¡°Captain, did he just say that he¡¯d run the delve alone if you judge it too perilous?¡± Said a disbelieving Lone.


    Eric nodded, ignoring the concerned and irritated looks he was getting.


    ¡°Boy¡¯s being a damned fool. And if he falls¡­ so do we,¡± Svena noted softly.


    Eric winced at that.


    ¡°Our number one priority is to keep you and ourselves alive, Eric,¡± Barrett gently reminded him.


    ¡°Fair point. My primary goal is to keep 120,000 people forever free of goblin collars, chains, and soul forges. And seeing as its a choice of either running this dungeon or all-out faction warfare, which my partner most definitely wants to avoid¡­ I have to clear this dungeon. No matter what.¡±


    Barrett cursed under his breath. Lone gave Eric a strange look.


    ¡°Buddy, you have what, nearly six dozen of those raptor revenants at your command after taking out those packs stupid enough to follow us? Why not just take the whole damned flock with¡ª¡±


    Svena shook her head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way, Lone. Necromancers can only control their minions in the actual world that spawned them, channeling the world¡¯s potency to master their undead legions. The minute you enter a pocket realm, the bodies are just that.¡±


    ¡°Because pocket realms are as much dreams made flesh as reality,¡± Elly declared. ¡°Which is why there is the potential for such magic and wonder. Glorious artifacts and arcane treasures that have no equal in any arcane crafter¡¯s shop¡­ so many fragile wonders that can be pulled free with first-runs¡­ so long as you have attuned party members or bind them to your soul before they can fade under the sun.¡±


    Svena grinned. ¡°Or tomes uncovering paths of magicka thought lost to time. So many precious treasures to bind to your soul. Though one must still exercise prudence, lest the last item bound truly be the last item you ever uncover.¡±


    For some reason Elly and Lone both shivered at Svena¡¯s gentle warning.


    Eric, however, just grinned. ¡°Good thing I have a knack for claiming treasures then,¡± he said, deciding not to emphasize his Soul Reserves or the boons his Blood Magic gave him with efficient Soul-binding. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t encountered much in the way of prizes¡­ just things trying to kill me.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Elly gave him a pointed look. ¡°And yet here you are¡­ ¡®Treasure Hunter?¡¯¡±


    Eric gave an awkward chuckle. ¡°Yeah¡­ alright, we all settled then? Let¡¯s¡ª¡±


    His words were cut off when a message pinged off his interface, one of the very few he was more than eager to acknowledge.


    El ¨C Who is this?


    ¡°Guys, hold on, something just came up!¡± Eric said breathlessly, feeling such a surge of hope and relief as he typed a quick reply.


    Er ¨C Thank heavens, you¡¯re okay!!! Please tell me you¡¯re okay? Everything¡¯s alright? That the ward is holding?


    El ¨C You still haven¡¯t told me who you are.


    Eric cringed, sensing the walls hardening, realizing he was being an idiot, just sounding like someone feeling her out for crucial intel.


    FUCK! He was messing up again.


    Er ¨C Please don¡¯t hang up (lol) it¡¯s me. The absolute idiot whose back you had when he just had to go rat hunting¡­ risking yourself because I was so desperate to be more than a weak little nothing. And the results of my own pigheadedness when I should have waited¡­ it pains me to this day. I¡¯m sorry, E. I love you, you¡¯re my better half, and I let you down. But thank HEAVEN you¡¯re alive!!


    El ¨C ?? You¡¯re alive? FUCK! YOU¡¯RE ALIVE! Thank god. Thank god! I was so worried. Where¡¯s mom? Why can I hardly remember her? Why can¡¯t I even remember my childhood? What happened, bro? I feel like I¡¯ve woken up as a sleeping princess, with weird jumbled memories my servants tell me can¡¯t possibly be true, and somehow we¡¯ve always been here, but that¡¯s bullshit. I¡¯ve SEEN THE MOVIE! I made them all watch, where we¡¯re both teenage actors, but I can¡¯t remember anything but the films I¡¯m offering Blue Corp big credits to make in their electromana format and the minute I see the movie I remember it all! The coworkers, the directors, the parties, the boyfriends :( what an idiot I was! To the point I wish it all was a dream, but it¡¯s not. It¡¯s all real. It all happened. For good or ill, bitter and sweet. And the pain¡­ at least I think I know what caused it. The pod. You saving my life. The pain of that fire pit that never stops burning¡­ and YOU you¡¯re real. Thank GOD! I KNEW you were real!


    Eric winced, so desperate to confirm, but not daring.


    Er ¨C Please, call me Ernest! - And YES I¡¯m real. YES it all happened. And YES I have to be very discrete since very bad people want us both dead. So thank you for NOT using my name. But¡­ just so you know I¡¯m me... You left me a crumpled up chain mail shirt with riveted and soldered links, none of that butted bullshit, as well as a dashing hat, a pink scarf, and a letter that touched my heart.


    For long moments there was no answer.


    El ¨C Ernest.


    Eric swallowed the anxious knot in his stomach.


    Er ¨C That¡¯s the name I¡¯m going by right now. So less fuckhead assassins and elite pawns can dial in on me and snipe my sorry ass from angles I can¡¯t even fathom. But you know who I am. You KNOW me. You already know my name. And let¡¯s never say that aloud until I have a chance to visit and you ID me for yourself! Then, only then, can we speak as we should.


    El ¨C Ernest. That name sounds¡­ Fuck. You¡¯re not Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter? A leader board monster who also happens to be a necromancer and half the elites put a fifty million fucking bounty on your? No. Fucking. Way. I¡¯ve been trying to recruit you!!!


    Eric winced.


    Er ¨C Yeah¡­ sorry, better half. I¡¯ve kind of kept my interface box turned off, so if you¡¯ve been trying to do it through third party channels¡­ far too many barristers and corrupt administrators trying to use contract curse magic to bind my soul or otherwise trap me so I¡¯ve been kind of flushing everyone¡¯s messages down the metaphoric toilet.


    El ¨C 0_0


    Er ¨C Sorry?


    El - :) It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m just fucking glad that you¡¯re alive! So, better half, wanna come join my team? It¡¯s about 2 square miles, with no real resources and less than 100 brave souls under my banner, and the whole Northeast Counsel has declared me fair game for everyone to kill so¡­ yeah! GOOD TIMES!


    Eric couldn¡¯t help chuckling even as his heart filled with dread.


    Er ¨C I walk a VERY unorthodox path. I hate to say it, but I have limitations¡­ but NOTHING says I can¡¯t protect my better half, especially if I get nothing out of it. Just family helping family.


    Okay. Here¡¯s the deal. I got massive shit to take care of to protect the largest tech city in the Northeast that I think/hope you can consider yourself good friends with¡­ that will acknowledge you and won¡¯t betray you¡­ but once things are stable, I¡¯ll do my damnedest to get over to your neck of the woods and take out ALL the fucking trash that assholes left on your doorstep. But seriously. Elonia¡­ if you need me to come right this second¡­ I can.


    A painfully long pause.


    ¡°Everything okay, Eric?¡± Elly gently asked.


    Eric clenched his jaw, slowly shaking his head before the followup message came.


    El ¨C My windward still holds. It¡¯s now being supported by the mana of my very small, very tiny territory. I don¡¯t know for how long, though. I hope it will for a lifetime! It could give out in half an hour, and there¡¯s a flood of Reds surrounding me.


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding.


    Er ¨C Do you know their race or power level?


    El ¨C Not a fucking clue.


    Eric squeezed his eyes tightly shut, taking deep, steadying breaths.


    Er ¨C Okay. You don¡¯t have to confirm, I already know. You should have a card with a HEFTY balance. We won¡¯t say it aloud. But if you want to make VERY good friends with Lord Caliban, the Blue Faction administrator who¡¯s not hiding his status in this timeline, ha ha, I¡¯d send him a message. You might find him more than willing to extend Bronze Tier units for protection or extraction. And if you were to invest in his city¡­ assuming I can pull off a miracle¡­ I think you¡¯d get EXTREMELY fat returns!


    El ¨C Are you serious right now, bro?


    Er ¨C I want to keep you safe. If you have Blue Corp bronze mercs ready to pick you up and keep you safe, I would feel so much better.


    El ¨C Lol, you really aren¡¯t a Contender are you? I somehow thought you were?


    Er ¨C Hmm¡­ let¡¯s just say, hypothetically, that I am. What am I saying or doing that¡¯s so clueless that you¡¯re now totally doubting me?


    El ¨C Because, goofball, the minute I reach out for help like that is the minute I¡¯ve conceded my tiny piece of land to Blue Faction. Then I¡¯m just another pretty princess and socialite enjoying a happy life in Freetown. And I can even still call myself a princess. Yay. A gracious courtesy extended despite by only being the sovereign of a 2 square mile chunk of land that would then forever be under Blue Corp management.


    Eric winced.


    Er ¨C I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize. I¡­ yeah, I¡¯m not following the Path of Conquest.


    El ¨C Obviously. Which is strange, considering how much you like to organize and fine-tune things. Right, bro? You¡¯re very hands on.


    Er - :( No I¡¯m not. I¡¯m a lazy couch potato bum who¡¯s only good at fencing or streaming kick-ass Exile¡¯s Path streams that are nothing compared to my daughter¡¯s. And Mother Dearest gave me a fuck ton of great insights for starting up some sweet real estate ventures... but day-to-day management is something I¡¯ll HAPPILY leave to someone else because I¡¯m ALL about the big picture and leaving management hassles to Blue. Or You and Mom. So long as I don¡¯t have to deal with stressful shit. I do NOT like stressful shit unless my life is actually on the line and I can KILL the threat and level-up.


    El - :) Okay, you pass. I missed you, better half.


    Er ¨C Worse half! Even if I was first.


    El ¨C You were SO second :) Now tell me about your baby?!? I¡¯d say you¡¯re lying you¡¯re ass off, but I halfway remember something. Didn¡¯t you have a Cherokee girlfriend you knocked up a few years back? Did mom totally hide it? Is that why you guys were always fighting? You wanted to marry her?


    Eric flushed, realizing it was confusing, and now Elonia was reasonably trying to fill in the blanks of what could have been, mixed with what actually was.


    Er ¨C I did have a girlfriend I could have fallen in love with¡­ but she found refuge in a better place when things got crazy :( I¡¯m afraid I might never see her again. And I DO have a daughter. But¡­ - Shenanigans ensued ¨C and now she¡¯s currently fighting under a VERY cool girl¡¯s banner ;)


    El ¨C 0_0 No. Way. General Lilly is your DAUGHTER? That¡¯s not possible.


    Er ¨C Tell that to the System. Resurrection¡¯s a no-no. But conception and fatherhood is not. - Read between the lines -


    El ¨C But is she really?¡­


    Er ¨C Yes. Biologically, she is my kid and your niece.


    El ¨C That is both terrifying and extremely cool. Why aren¡¯t you watching her back?


    Er - :( Things played out a certain way. I did what I could. As much as I was able to. You know I¡¯m not an ass. I would have done even more if I could have. Besides, for what it¡¯s worth? BunBun reassured me that her daughter¡¯s kicking ass.


    El ¨C Wait¡­ WAIT! I remember. That¡¯s your familiar! Wait¡­ Eric¡­


    Er ¨C No. System Shenanigans. Before BunBun was my familiar she was Lilly 1.0 ¨C The girl I brought to life, Lilly 2.0, is a genetic recombo of me and Lilly 1.0. You know. Just as if we had actually hooked up and had a kid together. But if I was fully human, so my genes recombined 100% like every other humans. As opposed to us both looking like near identical versions of mother dearest, even if I¡¯m the masculine version. Which is why Lilly 2.0 actually looks like both you and me and Lilly 1.0 from her streaming days. Whereas if you marry some handsome asshole I¡¯ll have to make sure knows his place ;) your girls will look just like you :) Very cute¡­ but near identical. Mother Dearest¡¯s phenotype is VERY strong. It¡¯s MANY generations before that breaks down.


    El ¨C Okay. Just to be clear¡­ you and Lilly never actually hooked up? Because I know she had the hots for you back when we were in recovery together¡­ or was that just a dream?


    Er ¨C It was real in the original timeline. Don¡¯t ask. But it¡¯s okay. And no. We didn¡¯t actually hook up. We talked about doing a co-stream together, though. She took pity on my micro-small audience. And I was like \_0v0_/ But then the world ended, so that never happened.


    El ¨C I miss you, better half. I wish you were here :(


    Er - :) I WILL be swinging by to say hi to all your red friends :D ¨C Just as soon as I take care of business here and earn Blue Corps eternal gratitude.


    El ¨C Good. Because I could really use a helping hand... when you get a chance :)


    Eric took a deep breath, coming back to himself and feeling the weight of everyone¡¯s gazes.


    ¡°Sorry, just making sure that someone I care about is okay.¡±


    He looked toward the dungeon, the temple of stone, blackened steel, twisted shadows and silent screams that made his flesh crawl. Because somehow, it almost felt like it was waiting for him.


    And that it was hungry.


    He turned back toward his worried-looking companions, forcing a smile that he knew was little more than a strained grimace. ¡°Looks like we got a fresh delve waiting for us, guys. Who¡¯s up for some sweet, sweet first-clear points?¡±

 Chapter 407 - Treasure Hunt IX

    Eric stiffened before the gate, near hypnotized by the pearlescent sheen of glittering stars, the chilling sight of endless blackness as the odd liquid medium that was a portal to a pocket realm¡ªor perhaps a simple state of living dream¡ªcontinued to twist and writhe and scream subsonic reverberations as Eric realized to his growing horror that he had been wrong.


    There weren¡¯t multiple delves within this territory. Just spikes of growing hot zones, as Bennett put it, the entire region at risk of catastrophically evolving from red to black in what would have only been a handful of days from orange. Yet in this timeline, in this version of reality after a galaxy-defying Silver Phoenix had been in play, which, now that he thought about it, had amounted to a divine tier artifact of impossibility and had been incalculably more powerful than any actual Silver-tier monster, this red-tier pustule of barren deserts, eerie swamps, howling winds and shrieking souls had been here for countless years. An ascension that had somehow just begun yet had always been¡­ warping and twisting reality as he understood it in so many ways.


    Yet beyond all those terrifying fluctuations which pointed at beast tides washing over the entire continent before the decade was out, if drastic steps weren¡¯t taken¡­ the only actual delve in this territory was the one before him.


    The portal continued to warp and twist, revealing glimmers of wonder as miraculous impossibilities of living dream manifested in all their pristine glory before being transformed to hideous abominations, liquid shrieks and razor sharp screams tearing against Eric¡¯s shivering soul, promising such monstrous malevolence, countless lifetimes worth of despair bubbling up from the cracks of oblivion as if they would reach out and consume him...


    Before snapping back to himself as Bennett approached, the man¡¯s steel-covered gauntlet gently clapping Eric¡¯s mithril-covered shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Eric. You still want to be point man?¡±


    Eric frowned and rubbed his eyes, realizing that the horror before him was just a gate, guilty of nothing more than catching the mustard yellow light filtering from the clouds high above.


    Eric turned to get a look at what would be his delving companions. Unlike their nearly identical suits of power armor, all three of them were now kitted up in custom fit armaments of wildly contrasting forms and styles¡­ bespoke masterworks of steel, tungsten, and bronze, including expertly crafted chest pieces, lamellar hauberks, and shirts of plate and mail, every individually crafted piece radiating potent runes and wards. Their armor was absolutely exquisite, breathtaking in their arcane construction. And of course, not a single one of them was rocking any high-tech electromana gear at all.


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°That¡¯s right. Power-armored badassery is a late stage advancement, right? For most of your adventuring careers, you all were warrior types or battle mages, I¡¯m guessing? So how could you not have had your fill of selecting, finding, and forging some pretty badass armor out of epic beast hides or enchanted steel and the like. Am I right? And those polearms!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but dip his head, admiring the halberd, naginata, and glaive.


    ¡°Gotta admit, I like the look!¡±


    Bennett smirked, turning to exchange grim smiles with his companions, all of them wearing variants of barbute helms allowing for maximum environmental awareness while being damn good protection against anything but a perfect spear thrust to the mouth or eyes. Not at all an easy feat, and thus it was perfect protection against any beasty or ambush critter where Perception was key to survival.


    ¡°It¡¯s been awhile, hasn¡¯t it? But I can¡¯t say that I haven¡¯t missed the opportunity to earn some ¡®hands on¡¯ experience.¡±


    ¡°Right on, Captain!¡± Agreed Lone with his glaive raised in approval, both of them turning to the elf smiling so brightly, her tears causing her emerald green eyes to positively glisten.


    ¡°Elly?¡± Lone asked with soft concern.


    Her smile grew. ¡°This feels absolutely grand. Come. Few things in life are sweeter than first clears and the wondrous boon of attribute points they bring. Especially to those who have bottlenecked¡­ and few things are more likely to help us break through.¡±


    The four shared a look then, three pairs of eyes dancing with barely concealed excitement, and one filled with definite reservations. Yet Eric didn¡¯t hesitate to match them step for step as they reaffirmed their party link and stepped through.


    ***


    ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± Lone scowled at the decrepit cobblestone city streets of the Freetown Eric knew all too well, the distant bellows of orcs, cackles of hyena-like gnolls, and outright roars of ogres making it clear exactly what period of reality this delve was echoing. And it didn¡¯t even matter that those humanoids themselves were threats that Eric thought he understood. It was everything else that sent his guts churning with anxiety.


    ¡°Poorly constructed houses of stone, brick, and wood, traces of crude electromana steamworks and the smell of ash, soot, feces and blood,¡± Elly noted with a cool detachment. ¡°A cross between renaissance and steampunk era manifestations of a fantasy configuration. I would expect our foes to be armed with low tech. We should be well-matched for the threat,¡± Elly opined. Her earlier show of excitement and wonder had been replaced with the cool professionalism worthy of any competent mercenary or Blue Corp officer.


    ¡°Good,¡± Garrett said. ¡°The standard formation should be in order. Elly to my left, Lone to my right.


    He then turned to Eric. ¡°Preference, Ernest?¡±


    Eric forced a grin. ¡°Eric is fine, so long as we¡¯re not in a formal setting, like, say, under goblin gazes or signing contracts. As for preferences? Yeah. You guys might want to pull out your force shields and vibro blades.¡±


    Garrett frowned. ¡°Please explain.¡±


    Eric sighed, glaring down the central boulevard and the many offshooting roads that looked not just like a warped nightmare version of reality, but exactly like what Freetown had looked like, a single short timeline ago.


    ¡°Captain, we¡¯re not alone!¡± Elly cried, all three of them getting their weapons in high hanging two handed guards that would both protect their lines while allowing for devastating thrusts, or devastating windmilling strikes that would chop or slash downwards to devastating effect. And since they were between ten and twenty times as strong as an Olympian power lifter and at least fifteen times as fast as any mortal fencer, the force generated would be absolutely catastrophic.


    As they quickly proved when a quartet of gnoll champions that Eric¡¯s Identify skill pinged as being exactly Level 25, not 70, or 90 but the exact same level as they were in Freetown, burst from an alleyway, eyes bulging in surprise.


    ¡°Just where the fuck do you think you assholes are going?¡± Screeched the closest gnoll. ¡°Greed¡¯s elites are supposed to¡ª¡±


    Yet before the creature could say another word, Eric¡¯s companions had already darted forward, polearms plunging with effortless ease through necks and eye sockets, three dying in the blink of an eye, leaving only one left to scream in the instant it took Eric¡¯s companions to rip their weapons free of fallen corpses.


    A gnollish scream that was instantly silenced when its skull made catastrophic impact with Eric¡¯s fist. He blinked, genuinely surprised at just how effortlessly his fist had burst through the gnoll¡¯s skull in a glittering spray of crimson droplets, grey goblets of brainmatter and white fragments of bone spraying out for dozens of yards in a glittering spray of life and death, moving through the air so slowly before Eric realized that his Battletime had instantly revved up to maximum intensity, 875 Quickness making the rest of the world move shockingly slow in comparison.


    He then allowed time to snap back at the standard 200 Synergized Quickness/Perception/Finesse pace that his companions were most used to processing data, a hair under a fourth of his own speed, yet still ten times quicker than any mortal.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight shiver of awe at just how utterly the crucible of peril and the glories of ascension had pushed him, while still feeling just the same as he ever did. Even if moving his body was now an effortless joy and pleasure, and scents had never before been quite so sharp¡­ tastes never so sweet.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. Just thinking about how fucking bizarre it is that punching through a gnoll is now as effortless as punching cotton candy. It just feels¡­ wrong.¡±


    Garrett flashed a hard smile. ¡°Yeah, it is pretty sweet, isn¡¯t it? We really didn¡¯t need to use our polearms at all. We¡¯re only doing high-low cleaves and thrusts, of course. No side to side montante bullshit, since we¡¯re a tightly clustered and disciplined party. That said, we are party-linked and we¡¯re feeling the adrenaline and mana roaring through all our channels simultaneously, so, yeah, it¡¯s a fucking rush when your foes explode like bloodfruit thrown off a ledge.¡±


    He then gave Eric a pointed look. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t already figured it out, kid, that kind of power gets to some people¡¯s heads, and they start treating life itself as a game. Thinking that mortals don¡¯t matter, that they¡¯re no more real than the critters we¡¯re fighting in here. Psychopaths, mostly. So let¡¯s hope you never walk that path.¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw, shaking his head. ¡°Never. No more than I would ever hurt a child, even when I was mortal.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no shame in slaughtering these delve abominations. They¡¯re not even real,¡± Lone assured.


    Elly nodded. ¡°Exactly. Plenty of time to pretend were like everyone else, pull back our power, and sink into a more peaceful mental speed when were back topside. But for now? We need to embrace every fucking edge we can get.¡± She gave Eric a thoughtful look. ¡°But you¡¯re frowning pretty hard for a kid who just found out he¡¯s an absolute badass when fighting monsters that are Green tier at best.¡±


    ¡°Not even Yellow!¡± Lone agreed. ¡°Those Level 25s are at the low end of Green. I thought this was a high end Red about to ascend?¡±


    Bennett snorted. ¡°Let¡¯s not jinx ourselves. Dungeon delves don¡¯t always match the surrounding mana layer. It¡¯s just a guideline. And even if the first-clear payoff isn¡¯t anything extraordinary, every last point helps, and we can be fucking grateful if this is actually an easy run.¡±


    Lone and Elly nodded a bit too fervently at that.


    Which made Eric feel all the worse, being the bearer of bad tidings. ¡°Yeah, quick head¡¯s up. IF this follows the script that I think it does¡­ then there¡¯s a lot worse here than Level 25 gnolls.¡±


    Bennett spun around so fast that even Eric was impressed. ¡°Explain,¡± he said, quick and to the point.


    ¡°Well, besides the ogres and orcs you can hear roaring in the distance, there¡¯s also professional mercenaries and abominations that would be eager to infect your body with a domination seed if you let it.¡±


    All three mercenaries were now staring at Eric in deadpan silence.


    ¡°What kind of mercenaries, and what exactly do you mean by abominations?¡± Elly quietly asked.


    Eric sighed, having hoped for more orcs as a warm-up, but of course the thing now racing toward them at full speed with an ululating scream was anything but a warm-up dummy.


    ¡°I mean like that,¡± he said, pointing to the wild-eyed man covered in sores and stringy hair who looked like a burned out toothless meth fiend, yet the seven fleshy tendrils covered in glaring eyes sprouting from his neck were as vibrant and healthy as they could be, whipping through the air as Elly screamed, Lone cursed, and Bennett lashed out just a tad bit quicker than the others.


    Before all three stumbled back in a daze from the sudden flash of light and heat.


    Quickness check made!


    You have effortlessly slipped under deadly Dominator¡¯s barrage!


    Fire Fist!


    You have elected NOT to enhanced this strike!


    You have done Catastrophic damage to your prey!


    You have OBLITERATED Level 55 Dominator¡¯s Shell!


    Finesse modified skill-check made! Explosive radius does not wash over yourself or your companions!


    ¡°What the fuck was that!¡± A cursing Lone asked a few seconds later, glaring with disgust at the charred mass of broken and mostly obliterated flesh. ¡°And did you have to flash us so hard?¡±


    Eric flashed a tight smile. ¡°Believe it or not, that was me holding back. And it was a level 55 Dominator¡¯s shell. But don¡¯t let the name fool you. They can deposit spores or seeds in your naked flesh if they can land a hit with their tentacles that will, I¡¯m pretty damned sure, make you a puppet of the big bad honcho of this entire delve.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s bad!¡± Lone hissed.


    Elly¡¯s eyes crackled with heat Eric sensed she was desperate to unleash, yet didn¡¯t dare. ¡°It is. And it¡¯s damned useful intel. Is there anything else we should know, Eric?¡±


    He winced at the pointed look she was giving him. That the whole crew were giving him¡­ so obviously wondering how he knew what he knew but allowing him to keep his secrets. For now. So long as his intel kept them alive.


    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± he said, hearing a high pitched electromana crackle way sooner than he wanted to, the emergence of multiple elite mercenaries so like his friends, though geared up in full suits of power armor with miniguns even now being whipped around making it clear that they were already running out of time.


    ¡°Garrett!¡± Elly cried in dismay, as the air filled with blazing streams of superheated plasma and--


    SpeedRacer bridges the gap!


    POWER STRIKE!


    You have struck your foe with 20-fold Fire Fist!


    3 Opponents have been stunned.


    1 Level 15 Bronze Tier mercenary has been slain!


    ***


    Elly¡¯s heart was pounding loud enough for her entire party to sense, eyes wide with awed disbelief as the air roared and flashed with a series of explosions so rapid it was one continuous roar.


    She caught flashed of their employer¡¯s face. They all did. Piercing fey green eyes so like her own, and a shock of bright red hair nothing like her own. Yet in a certain light, when the backwash of exploding power armor lit it up just right, she felt chills¡­ catching for just a heartbeat a glimpse of a queen lost to myth and legend centuries ago. It was almost as chilling as the sight of a full squad of mini-gun wielding elites decked out in full power armor she could almost swear was the real thing, sensing that their electromana resonances were somehow geared for this place and time.


    All of them moving their weapons with the ease of mastery, aided by deadly feats perfect for slaughtering both tanks and speedsters that Ally knew all too well.


    Yet the shockingly fast movements of their newest party member, who seemed able to outright ignore things like inertia and air resistance, allowed him to move with eerie grace and supernatural precision so great it almost seemed a choreographed performance, plasma weapons their opponents tried to bring to bear with speed every bit as great as Elly¡¯s own, yet Eric weaved and dodged under them so effortlessly. Miniguns that stitched the entire block with streams of plasma that caused the buildings to erupt with explosions of superpressurized rock erupting, splattering Elly and her companions with rocky shrapnel that thankfully didn¡¯t do anything but bang against their reinforced armor. Armor that would have been vaporized had they been the ones firing those miniguns with their own perks in play. And whether or not these monsters mirrored the outer world that well or not¡­ it was a horrifying enough experience seeing just how well this dream realm mirrored reality for magitech to work so damned well.


    ¡°Fuck, that minigun could have stitched us!¡± Lone hissed even as Ernest continued to weave and dance past his targets. ¡°What the fuck. The kid¡¯s so fast! Why doesn¡¯t he put them down with more of those karate fists of his?¡±


    Elly blinked, wondering the same thing before the truth revealed itself a heartbeat later, when a furious wrench tore minigun free of grunting mercenary, the crack of palm strikes shattering wrists and elbows even through armor was audible even from here, as were the high pitched tinny cries Elly actually heard with her Sylvan ears and inhuman Perception that she just knew she would be able to properly make out if they were actually wearing their armor.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Armor she was suddenly sure should work perfectly fine down here.


    Yet in the time it had taken her to share her observation, Bennett was already slamming her to the ground as the world lit up with another stream of plasma that could have spelled her end.


    ¡°Fuck! Asshole!¡± The boulevard flashed with sudden heat. ¡°Sorry, guys! I thought I could pull three free! Only got two, and that was way too close. But I think I actually have two suits of working power armor we can grab!¡±


    Bennett was back on his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t play games with our lives, kid! When we have an opportunity to take our opponents down, we take it! You¡¯re damn lucky that shot didn¡¯t hit Elly.¡±


    Elly winced, praying that the boy that she now had absolutely no doubt could end them with shocking ease, holding back so much power like the most elite of scions, wouldn¡¯t take offense at Bennett¡¯s words.


    She choked back a whimper when she saw the sudden frustrated heat in Ernest¡¯s gaze¡­ before he took a deep breath, and bowed his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I apologize.¡± And the smile he sent her way, worried and hopeful, sure as hell shouldn¡¯t be making her feel such a soft warm glow where she had so tightly held only fierce dedication and pain for too many years.


    ¡°Are you okay, Elly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hero. Yes I am,¡± she said with a teasing twinkle in her eyes, for a second forgetting who and what she was, feeling like she was only thirty, barely out of the commune, daring to delve beside the first boy to ever touch her heart.


    And the look in Ernest¡¯s (that¡¯s not his real name) eyes. Pupils dilating, somehow sensing exactly what she was thinking and feeling and how? How did he know? Because she did want him. Gazing at him along a smoke strewn boulevard with gnoll corpses and burnt bodies that looked too fucking human for comfort stripped of power armor so fast that even she was impressed¡­ she wanted him as fiercely as she had wanted any man in years. And not just to escape her pain.


    Her cheeks flushed, seeing the tear in his emerald green eyes so like her own¡­ sensing some awful poignant regret¡­ and that he hungered for her as well.


    For a long, timeless moment, their eyes met, a promise exchanged as pheromones peeked and she was almost ready to¡ª


    ¡°Elly. Focus!¡±


    Her jaw clenched, glaring a surprised Bennett¡¯s way.


    ¡°Elly?¡±


    She shook away her glare, pretending she didn¡¯t see the flicker of hurt confusion Bennett would forever be too tough to admit to anyone, save Svena, who he had all but proposed to in a move so sweet and heartfelt that she had been filled only with happiness. Even knowing that she would never make love to either of them again.


    Bennett and Svena were forming a pair bond, and that was sacred.


    She rubbed her face, muting her ire, which was pure foolishness, exchanging a glance with a kid who wasn¡¯t even twenty! Before turning her focus back where it belonged, on her captain. ¡°Captain?¡±


    His features tightened briefly, before he pointed at the boy with his chin. ¡°Check out the armor and the mini-gun. Is it legit?¡±


    She blinked, castigating herself for an idiot, not having checked that the instant there was a pause in battle, instead falling into the gaze of a too handsome boy so bright with the promise of living legend that she was in danger of losing herself in the sweet heat of his flame.


    ¡°Silly girl. You already had your chance at love and ascension. Focus on what matters. You can dream impossible dreams later.¡± Gentle thoughts said with a mother¡¯s exasperation to her inner yearning child who longed to be free of pain and regret and filled with a young woman¡¯s innocent optimism once more. Yet even with the pain she had suffered, she knew to be grateful for a century¡¯s worth of wisdom, skills, and power earned, for all that so much of it had been taken away.


    What hadn¡¯t been hindered in the least was her exquisite Arcane Technician skill, a talent that allowed her to both sense and fine-tune the flow of almost any arcane tool, whether wand, blaster, or suit of power armor. Fact was that she had served as the unit¡¯s perpetually busy and drained repair-girl, until they had met Riz, who¡¯s affinities and profession had blown her efficiency away by several hundred percent. But with him gone¡­ she was now all they had. And if Lone gave her one more snide message about her changing her Profession when Baker was what brought her so much happiness, pain-free peace, and filled all their bellies with joy, and had filled her own family¡¯s bellies with happiness so many years ago¡­ no. Lone could stuff his Professionless ass and let her live her own life, or pick up a wrench and arcane goggles and unlock a Profession for his own lazy self.


    She sighed, purposely stilling her internal dialogue as she carefully examined the mini-gun the boy handed her so casually, as if there was absolutely no risk of it melting to slag or blowing up in his face and her her mind was suddenly screaming, flaring bright white with the marvel before her. Flooded by dozens of images of overlapping diagrams and arcane channels and YES!


    She trembled with disbelief, her own pounding heart helping to pull her free of the marvel of flashing blue prints and diagrams blazing through her psyche as she gazed into a suddenly worried looking Bennett¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Elly! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She swallowed the lump in her throat, chuckling softly. Refusing to say a word. Instead she squeezed TIGHT The glorious artifact that shouldn¡¯t be real, shouldn¡¯t exist, but DID! And used one of the very few talents from her original class still open to her. Stronger than ever, after years honing what little she could do, in fact. She spent a single arcane point binding the absolute treasure in her hand, this absolutely perfect wand of absolutely destructive power, before turning to a smiling Lone.


    ¡°Get back.¡±


    She quirked a grin at his instant compliance before the smoke-laden air lit up with superheated plasma and the brick wall on the far side of the boulevard grew white hot as plasma ripped through the limestone face before the entire building erupted and crumbled to the ground.


    For long moments, the crew was breathless.


    Ernest¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°You actually Soul-bound it? How? I mean¡­ that¡¯s incredible! Did you master the electromana circuitry that fast? That well? How many Soul Reserve points did it cost you?¡± The boy winced in sympathy. ¡°Fuck. I know most people don¡¯t have that many. I hope you didn¡¯t push yourself too far.¡±


    To this, Elly gave a throaty chuckle that rang through the air like wind chimes. And the look in Ernest¡¯s eyes, nostrils inhaling sharply. Marking her. Wanting her. It brought a wicked little grin to her cherry red lips.


    Yes. When all was said and done, assuming they survived this, she¡¯d definitely be savoring a fine young buck and rocking his world as best she could.


    And if he actually managed to steal her heart, she¡¯d fill his world with the heavenly scents of cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate, baking the tastiest treats he could ever hope to have.


    Then she shook all such silly thoughts away, answering candidly, for her crew¡¯s benefit as well as his own.


    ¡°None, of course. No technique like that is taught in any academy, and for good reason! Who would dare to waste their limited Soul Reserve binding perilous treasures from the deep? It costs me just a single Mana point to bind, no matter the size, weight, or exotic nature of the prize. So long as I make a skill check. The same as what every mage spends to bind their very first wand.¡±


    Then she blinked, taking in his crimson armaments of mithril and the blade by his hip.


    Her jaw dropped.


    ¡°For fucks sake, Ernest! Don¡¯t tell me you spent¡­ how many Soul Points binding your¡­ you used Mana points, didn¡¯t you? Just a single Mana point is all it takes if you have the right classes, talents, or skills. That¡¯s how everyone does it!¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks blazed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ never mind.¡±


    She closed the distance between them, ignoring her Captain¡¯s words, gently pressing Eric¡¯s face with the back of her palm. ¡°Ernest?¡±


    He force a strained smile. ¡°Please, call me Eric.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, Eric. But please, tell me how you¡¯re feeling? Are you feeling dizzy, sick, disoriented¡­ strained?¡± She bit her lip, looking genuinely worried.


    ***


    Eric blinked, surprised to see Elly suddenly so close to him, utterly ignoring the stern look in her captain¡¯s eyes to gaze into his own, filled with such obvious concern.


    He forced a smile. ¡°Can¡¯t you see my stats in the group interface sheet?¡±


    She pouted, giving him a mock glare. ¡°Your physical stats are absolutely absurd. What does that have to do with the state of your soul?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t see the¡­¡± He snapped his jaw shut, realizing that he must be seeing even more than they were and no doubt the captain would not be happy to hear that. ¡°Anyway, are you serious? You can bind that minigun for a single Mana point?¡±


    Elly flashed a cheeky smile. Before darting forth to press her lips against his own.


    Filling his world with the scents of vanilla, lemon grass, and a sweet, fierce hunger.


    His eyes widened. Cheeks flushing when he found himself acutely aware of just how fertile, and receptive, she truly was


    He froze, unable to pull away from what had been just a gentle caress, really, ashamed by how much he suddenly hungered for her. A hunger so different from what he had felt for Rica¡­ and so very much like what he had felt for a certain trio of Sylvan ladies that had come so close to claiming him.


    He took a shuddering breath, heart racing from more than just recently passed battle.


    ¡°So, it would only take you a single mana point to bind to that armor?¡± He asked, voice huskier than he had intended.


    She bit her lip and smiled at him. ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± she whispered, caressing the suit with a surprisingly delicate touch, for all that Eric knew damn well that 200 Strength could warp steel.


    Her eyes bolted open.


    Eric felt a sudden jolt of fear, ready to tear her free.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡± Bennett snapped in alarm, catching Eric¡¯s determined gaze. Then in a calmer tone, ¡°She¡¯s fine. She just needs to process.


    ¡°Oh fuck yes!¡± Elly¡¯s eyes snapped open. She gave the captain a quick look. ¡°Cover me!¡±


    Eric nodded even though the words hadn¡¯t been directed at him, hand on the hilt of his blade as he glared down the boulevard, sensing a fresh cluster of reds heading their way.


    ¡°Elly, this really isn¡¯t the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Humans! They don¡¯t wear the insignia! Intuders! At¡ª¡±


    Bloodfire Strike!


    Decapitation!


    You have successfully decapitated 7 orcs in 1.2 seconds! (Minimal experience earned.)


    Eric took a deep breath as he flicked his blade clean and resheathed it, less concerned about how little potency he could absorb from such weak things with his own core becoming so dense¡­ and more satisfied with his own growing mastery over his techniques. To move so quick from a dead stop, maximizing Battletime and Speedracer so effectively that his foes had time only for a single blink before his blade was unsheathed and it was over in a flicker and blur of crimson slashes that had effortlessly cut through the building the orcs had been beside as well as the seven fresh corpses themselves.


    Eric then spun around, darting back as fast as he came.


    Lone blinked. ¡°Teleporter! That kid actually learned a teleportation power, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Bannett rubbed his chin strap. ¡°Not sure. Definitely a movement technique, which I hear that Windridge practitioners specialize in.¡±


    Eric¡¯s satisfaction turned to a strained smile. Because he was still down a certain movement technique that a certain beautiful elf by the name of Sufia whose 12<sup>th</sup> node he had opened owed him. But she was now, literally, a world away with the tome in question¡­ or did Jinni have it? Was she part of Blue Corp without ever having branched off to start a cultivation academy on his behalf? Did that exotic Windridge movement technique even exist in tome form in this timeline? Or was Sufia¡¯s opened 12<sup>th</sup> node containing that priceless technique so deeply ingrained that it was now a part of her to absolutely glorious effect which incidentally made her the only beneficiary of that prize?¡±


    A part of him wanted to laugh at the irony of it all, but he knew darn well that with all his boons and advantages, he had absolutely no right to feel anything but extreme gratitude for just how far he had come.


    Gratitude like Elly who was both sobbing and laughing as she actually made the power armor come alive, minigun now in hand, firing a quick burst of plasma through another brick wall.


    ¡°What¡¯s the mana drain like?¡± Bennett asked, though the hungry look on his face as he approached the second set made his thoughts clear enough.


    ¡°Far lower than it should be! Keeping the entire set of power armor going costs as much as active use of our force shields, and no more! And the plasma shoots out at a fucking-A 1 mana point per charge depletion! So a burst of 20 is 20 mana. And you could single shot it all day!¡±


    Those words froze Bennett stock still. ¡°Elly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Bennet. I know. These treasures are priceless.¡±


    ¡°With what those miniguns are going for in Freetown, if we can offer purely arcane versions that are actually usable in delves, so the so-called weakest of all delving classes can show the world just how powerful we truly are¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Elly whispered. ¡°Even if there are no charge packs. Even from our own mana. So cheap. Yeah. The guns especially¡­ a hundred million. Especially if we¡¯re smart about it and offer it only to some elite friends who will pay in installments.¡±


    ¡°Assuming we want to tell anyone at all,¡± Lone said pointedly. Before raising his hands at Bennett¡¯s pointed look. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just saying that this is a way to get ahead. So fucking ahead of pretty much every other company! If we can break through our bottlenecks¡­ hell, with the concentration of potency we all feel in this territory alone, perilous as it is¡­ I¡¯m saying Deep Bronze.¡±


    Elly and Bennett froze, exchanging looks.


    ¡°I think he might be right,¡± Elly admitted with a dreamy smile. ¡°I almost¡­ I almost felt like I was on the cusp of a revelation¡­ an epiphany unlike anything I¡¯ve experienced for a very, very long time.¡±


    Bennett swallowed, taking long, steady breaths. ¡°Okay. New plan. We hunt carefully. Methodically! Not to slaughter but just to surround and disarm.


    He turned to Eric. ¡°Can we count on you to do what you do so well? It goes without saying you¡¯ll be profiting with a damned sweet double share, if we can actually manage to pull this off.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°Of course, Bennett. I¡¯m always happy to help out my friends.¡± His gaze turned thoughtful, even as Long and Bennett exchanged a bemused smile.


    ¡°He¡¯s a good kid.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Bennett said, even as he poured all his focus into the minigun he now held.


    Eric frowned, sensing that it was costing the man a bit more than it had Elly. But all worry faded when a beatific expression crossed his features.


    ¡°It worked,¡± Bennett said with an awed smile. ¡°And I just broke through.¡±


    Lone¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Wait, are you serious? After all these years now you¡¯re Level 41? And all it took was binding yourself to pure arcane power armor and mini-gun?¡± He gave a frustrated chuckle. ¡°Fuck, I wished it came as easy to me as it did you two!¡±


    But Bennett said nothing, lost in a soft glow that filled Eric¡¯s heart with a joy he hadn¡¯t expected to see. He smiled gently into Elly¡¯s anxious eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll cover for us while the captain cultivates and consolidates his gains, ha ha. We got that much time. I¡¯m sure of it. Besides. If we¡¯re going to do this¡­ I really should practice my spells, since incapacitation, not death, is the name of the game right now.¡±


    Elly¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re a caster on top of everything else!¡± She flashed a teasing smile. ¡°I do believe I sense a fresh band of gnolls approaching.¡± She was suddenly in his face, soft lips breathing into his own. ¡°How about you show me what you can do?¡±


    And he did.


    ¡°Mollet roboro herbam plures dies!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t deny how nice it was to see Elly¡¯s look of awe, no longer gazing at him like he was an absolute idiot, paying a fortune to bind treasures it had cost her only a single mana point to claim.


    She admired his shield of reinforced crimson wood. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°And it provides a nice buff to my Mana, Qi, and soul attack defenses. And oh, look! Friends are definitely heading this way.¡± He smirked. ¡°Gnolls showing on my interface as Spear Masters. And these are actually a decent level.¡±


    Elly nodded. ¡°True elites. For gnolls. Are you going to show me how well you can parry their spears?¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. If he had been furious about the betrayals that had occurred in Freetown before¡­ it was now clear that his enemies had broken every precedent and rule out there. No thirty level limit followed at all. Not even fifty. These creatures were Level 70 at the least.


    ¡°Fuck that. I¡¯d rather freeze them in their tracts.¡±


    The gnolls glared and screeched at them from a good fifty yards, clearly girding themselves to attack.


    Eric snarled, letting the words flow from his lips, even as his shield whipped out to parry spears thrown with such cracking force that it was clear that Orc Javelineers weren¡¯t the only demi human ranged weapon class worth noting.


    Elly¡¯s brow furrowed when the air cracked with a second, then a third spear, all parried in an instant.


    ¡°Eric, please be¡­ they¡¯re charging!¡±


    And so they were. Before being blown right off their feet by howling wind so fierce that they tumbled to the cobblestone ground, some distance away.


    ¡°Roboro ventus! Iram congelo! Plures attentio!¡±


    Elly¡¯s eyes widened even as she shivered. ¡°Shit, Eric, one of them actually burst on impact. And according to my interface¡­ it was level 70! And thanks for sharing the kill.¡±


    Yet Eric didn¡¯t move, his face a study of concentration as he tried to feel the magic flowing through him. Recalling the words he had said to both spells and repeating them over and over again. Praying that he could make use of this dungeon¡¯s endless potential in the way that he was now desperate to.


    Realizing only now a crucial weakness in his plans.


    Saturating his core a second time was all well and good. But what good was a skill enhancement that allowed him to learn spells cheaper than ever, if he had absolutely no points to flash learn those spells? Not to mention no time to spend months in arcane academies learning spells the old fashioned way, assuming any arcane institutions even existed at all, thanks to their enemies taking over Elonia¡¯s territories. His only hope, besides actual combat breakthroughs, was that if he focused on runic magic sufficiently in dungeons, then maybe it would serve to enhance or grant spells instead of pouring all earned points into boosting the underlying stats. Not that he wasn¡¯t grateful for both, but he could really use some more spells.


    Especially if this dungeon had the final boss that he was almost certain that it did.


    A boss that put the glory and joy of uncovering priceless artifacts that any mecha warrior would kill for, armaments that would actually make them delve-viable, in it¡¯s proper place. Because if he couldn¡¯t take out the boss¡­ Freetown was doomed. And what the hell were a couple of miniguns compared to that?


    And if the boss was, in fact, the reincarnation of the young Contender that was the result of a force-bred operation with a Cthulian mind-melting squid-headed nightmare¡­ then Eric¡¯s goose was truly cooked. And the worst part of it was, he had no real choice but to go forward. The inevitable outcome from the moment he had jolted awake in his Blue Palace suite, after ascending beyond all his hopes and dreams.


    And if he wasn¡¯t bloody careful and prepared countermeasures ahead of time¡­ his brain would explode just as quickly as the gnoll who¡¯s flash-frozen skull hit the cobblestone road.


    You have critically struck 70<sup>th</sup> level Gnoll Spearmaster.


    Fatality! Experience earned!

 Chapter 408 - Treasure Hunt X

    Eric couldn¡¯t help grinning at the looks of wonder and jubilation in his friend¡¯s eyes, a look repeatedly mirrored when Myl, Naje, and Svena all alternated through the portal. Though they always kept to delving best practices, with at least one if not two members forever outside, anchoring their place in this pocket realm on the off chance that it might reset, transform dramatically, or abruptly close, forcing a one-way confrontation with the final guardian before any can leave at all. Even as Elly, far more experienced than Eric was, filled him in on the fascinating varieties of delves that she had encountered in her day, she assured him that most of the time, dungeons were just as stable as the land they originated from with spacetime just as one would expect.


    ¡°But this is a first clear of an alien delve showcasing artifacts of a quality and nature none of us have ever seen before!¡± Elly said breathlessly. ¡°So best we play it safe.¡±


    ¡°You got that right!¡± Myl said enthusiastically, so ecstatic to be able to claim both power armor and blaster rifle of his own that regenerating limbs and other injuries did nothing to slow his exhilaration. ¡°Two mana points and I¡¯ve just locked in a hundred million bonus. Fucking awesome, captain!¡± Myl flashed Eric a positively giddy smile. ¡°Boy am I glad we hooked up with you, kid. You necromancers are alright in my book, and I¡¯ll say that to anyone¡¯s face who dares imply otherwise!¡±


    Eric laughed off the awkward, almost apologetic looks several other party members given, fully understanding the spirit in which Myl¡¯s praise was given.


    ¡°Thanks, Myl. You¡¯re not so bad yourself! Hell, if you guys decide that retirement isn¡¯t your thing, there¡¯s no telling how far we can go, delving as a crew with you all in Delve-ready power armor!¡±


    ¡°And what a fucking contradiction in terms that is,¡± Bennett said with a hard twinkle in his eyes, gently supporting a still seriously injured Naje. ¡°Alright, lock in your prizes, boys, and let¡¯s get my girl her own set of custom perfection.¡±


    He then gave Eric a meaning-filled look. ¡°How are we?¡±


    Eric grinned, hearing the distant roars and shouts, louder than ever.


    ¡°Both orc and gnoll companies are coming this way. I figure we got a minute, give or take.¡±


    Eric gazed with a certain amount of satisfaction at the writhing forest of fiery vines and stately flame-oaks absolutely filling the boulevard for a good hundred yards and choking half a dozen side streets and alleyways. Sure, it was transforming the entire area into a smoldering blaze, but seeing as how he now had a clean air enchantment over both himself and the entire entrance, it wasn¡¯t hindering him or Bennett¡¯s crew in the least. But the distant coughs, squeals and angry grunts made it clear that the denizens of this doomed pocket realm weren¡¯t enjoying it in the least.


    So too, he allowed himself a certain smile of grim satisfaction as the hell-vines told him everything he needed to know about the reds pushing through, and those keeping back that were blinking on his interface, even as he caught sight of a surprised-looking Svena, instinctively flinching to hear the roars, see the flaming ruins, and curl in on herself as an injured woman not wishing to be exposed to more peril, before her tension turned to cheerful awe when the man she adored presented her with a brand-spanking new set of Power Armor Eric had gotten very good at claiming with hardly any damage to the chassis or helmet at all.


    ¡°Fucking hell, love. Is that what I think it is?¡± Svena whispered with a certain amount of awe, her one fully intact limb trembling only slightly when she reached out to clasp the T-3 Sniper Rifle, the same model Eric had listed for a hundred million, before shuddering as a single mana point bound it forevermore to her soul.


    Her eyes welled up in tears. ¡°This is everything!¡± She whispered, not hesitating to bind the power armor suit that, much to Eric¡¯s bemusement, could be adjusted to fit a number of sizes and frames, using nodules and a complex array of shifting plates, bearings, and fluid capacitors that made absolutely no sense when Lone tried to explain why it was tech, not portal magic, that had their mecha suits fitting them like gloves.


    Svena then turned her gaze to meet Eric¡¯s own, mouthing words that filled Eric with warmth and brought a lump to his throat, showing such naked gratitude to someone she had known for barely more than a day, just another assignment, before he found himself fighting so fiercely for their lives and wellbeing.


    Only in that moment realizing what a complete and utter FOOL he was being.


    They weren¡¯t fighting in some Terran dungeon where mad evolution encapsulated by dream and nightmare gave rise to mindless abominations or even creatures echoing life over the last hundred and fifty million or so years.


    No. This rift, with its impossibly precise artifacts mirroring magitech marvels so well, was an echo of a past that had almost happened¡­ HAD, in fact, happened, save for a twist of fate and a Silver-tier Talisman fueled on the dying blood and tiers of an innocent child who¡¯s heart pounded with the blood of angels and demons both before she had finally been freed of nightmare, carried by the mother they both shared to a heaven Eric knew he would never be worthy of.


    But at least he could be worthy of his friends.


    At least he could use common fucking sense!


    Svena had just bonded with a priceless sniper rifle that Eric had claimed off an overconfident mech warrior making his way through back roads and debris, not expecting a calculated counter strike via opposing mechs and a speedster from what was effectively an alternate reality to these people that he was increasingly certain were very self-aware and, to their own minds at least, just as real as Eric and his friends.


    But just because they had tagged one fool didn¡¯t mean that there weren¡¯t other snipers in the works even now gaining elevation and scoping down vulnerable targets. One, maybe even half a dozen Bronze tier power armored snipers now eager to take a cocky, overconfident Eric and his friends down in one deadly¡ª


    DANGER!


    When he felt a sudden flair of warning washed over him, Eric¡¯s thoughts were already in overdrive and he was raising TOWARDS, not away from the sense of threat, leaping right on top of the most vulnerable member of their crew. Svena, who had time only to widen her eyes before the air filled with deadly hyperion radiation that blasted into and completely ruptured Eric¡¯s warding shield spell before searing flesh and scattered off his mithril mail.


    You have been struck by Sniping Blow with T-3 Hyperion Deathblaze!


    3 Triple Slaughter Perks have been mitigated! - You have taken the shot meant to eliminate another!


    Hyperion Blazer Title gives EXTREME RESILIENCE to FATAL Hyperion Radiation!


    (You¡¯ve clearly danced this dance before!)


    Mithril mail Scatters Deathstrike!


    Your party has successfully saved versus Stunning Blows!


    Your party has taken 4 Medium Wounds!


    You have saved versus Catastrophic Injury!


    You have taken 2436 Damage!


    Adrenaline keeps you on your feet!


    ¡°AMBUSH!¡± Eric screamed with his mind. ¡°Get everyone through the portal. Now! Now!¡±


    ***


    Svena allowed herself a moment of pure happiness when the power armor closed around her far more snuggly than any cybermancer¡¯s mechanized toy. Because this truly was a magical artifact, caressing her form just as well as the soul-bound artifacts that had served her well for so many decades before she had dared the Crucible of Bronze, forging herself in so many unexpected ways, so hungry she had been to ascend.


    But she had never forgotten her mystic arts, or the feel of priceless treasures that had served her so well in taking out so many foul abominations that had once plagued her ancient home. And not one of those prizes could compare to the massive boons and buffs granted by her prized mecha gear that had required such exquisite care in shaping her final node to allow her to walk a Mech Warrior¡¯s path. Yet here and now, she found her injured body so comfortably embraced by an arcane prize that anchored onto her memories and mana pool alone, with full access to the perks of her class, without even needing to access her final node at all.


    She swallowed the painful lump in her throat. For the wonders of an ascending world were truly priceless, and the boon she had been gifted, a boon that would now allow her and her closest friends to dare the depths of countless rifts and ascend like mystical phoenix ascending to the heavens, was a prize beyond compare. All thanks to the too realistic ruins that so closely mirrored nightmares she was all too happy to wake up from. All thanks to a boy who had embraced rituals of unlife so impossibly foul that the entire faction of Witch Hunters would have cried out for his head, no matter how many treaties had to be shattered to make that edict come to pass.


    Yet even now, her instincts were screaming. Even now she could taste the bitter poison lacing the sweetest fruit of her dreams.


    In desperation she raised her weapon, even knowing that her doom was all but certain, her life a notch in a soulless monster¡¯s belt. Yet the instant before her eyes could burn out when flashing with the pinkish golden light of Hyperion radiation, none other than the same insane would-be hero of a necromancer had gathered her up in his powerful arms and thrown her through the gate, even as she caught a glimpse of his body lighting up with radiation that should have disintegrated him in a heartbeat.


    And then she was through.


    Head throbbing, heart pounding as the shrieking sands howled overhead, yet somehow she was safe in the shelter of the massive World Eater of a wyrm calmly surrounding them in a Spike Ball-sized arena of space, Lone even now racing toward her. She could sense him, but not see him clearly, still blinking away dazzling after images, her eyes at least protected by arcane power armor that by no right should exist yet would function just as well in a Red Zone as in a deadly rift, holding a mirror of the weapon that she feared had just killed the most noble child she had ever met.


    A Necromancer King, whose secrets she would keep with her to the grave.


    ¡°Svena! What happened? Messages are fucking blaring¡­ the captain¡¯s taken damage!¡± Lone¡¯s voice rung with panic. ¡°Fuck, I have to go in¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! We¡¯re being targeted by a sniper. An X-class T-III Hyperion Blaster is in play! You go in, you¡¯re just another target!¡± Svena sobbed. ¡°They already shot Ernest. The stupid kid guarded me with his body. Took a shot meant for me¡ª¡±


    Her words cut off when the gate shimmered. Heart in throat, she watched one friend after another, stumble through the gate. Myl and Naje, beautiful Elly, who crumpled into a ball and sobbed.


    Her heart was pounding, not daring to say a word or even look at her party link, the dazzle in her eyes replaced by frustrated tears that she was so injured, so near fucking helpless even with the prizes she had bound which she would give up in a heartbeat if only¡­


    The gate flared once more.


    Svena let loose a sob when her beloved stumbled through, armor pockmarked with the telltale sign of hyperion radiation holes, but at least he was alive. Her beloved was alive!¡±


    Lone was rushing over to Bennett¡¯s side, helping to take off his helmet, clearly in a panic.


    ¡°Captain! I got the extra med-stims from the ATV!¡±


    The man flashed a smile, and Svena¡¯s heart twisted when blood began pooling in her fiance¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Good,¡± he wheezed. ¡°Come on. Help me get inside. Hell, let¡¯s all get in side. I could use a break from the bone chairs. The seats are fine, even if they¡¯re clawed up, and at least we know the med unit¡¯s still viable, even if the chassis is cracked and we don¡¯t dare try to drive it.¡±


    A pale-faced Elly popped open her face plate and rubbed away her tears. ¡°Alright, Captain. I can seal up the cracks with plas-foam. The emergency generator and air filters still work, even if the engine¡¯s shot. It will at least shelter us from the winds kicking up. I¡¯ll fold out all the seats into beds.¡±


    The captain gave a curt nod before collapsing with a groan, Lone darting around to support the captain and help him toward the towering Titan Wyrm that somehow knew to lower itself and allow them all access to their ATV. The group forewent the bone seats that Ernest had gone to such trouble to make for them, though Lone did manage to unlatch a couple of the more comfortable-looking ones from their bone mounts, as soon as he helped Bennett sit back down. Fortunately, the damaged vehicle Elly managed to plas-foam in record time could still serve as excellent shelter and a good place to rest, now free of all dust and grit with cool fresh air already circulating inside.


    ¡°Bennett!¡±


    He smiled reassuringly at Svena¡¯s panicked countenance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, babe. I¡¯m fine. That crazy kid took most of the heat. I was just the bait for the time it took me to jump through.¡± He gave a bitter chuckle ¡°Damned sniper that pinned us was clearly Adept tier, and at least a Rank 50 Bronze. I don¡¯t know what the hell Ernest thinks he can do, but considering that he saved at least a few of our lives, throwing us through with his damned useful air resistance canceling perks¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be a bit surprised if he actually pulls off a miracle.¡±


    Lone froze after adjusting the bone recliners with their seat cushions and actually making surprisingly comfortable-looking beds. ¡°Wait! That kid was hit? And he¡¯s still in there alone with a fucking elite sniper?¡±


    Bennett¡¯s features hardened. ¡°We were in a killbox and we didn¡¯t even realize it until Ernest was already on top of Svena, blocking a shot that I¡¯ll never forgive myself for not seeing coming.¡±


    He gave Svena a look that sent her cheeks blazing like a girl of twenty.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can make it up to me. Later. When you¡¯re in one piece,¡± she said with a hungry look that earned a low chuckle.


    ¡°Damn right I will, love. When we¡¯re both in one piece.¡± He turned back to Lone. ¡°And yes. The kid insisted on playing the fucking hero. He made sure we all got out and made it damned clear that he¡¯s going to stay until he gets whatever the hell he really came here for. Says he can¡¯t risk a reset, that he thinks he has just one chance to claim his prize.¡±


    Bennett sighed, slumping over as Lone tisked and handed him both cold brew and one of the sandwiches Elly had made for them all, her still perfectly functional Professional magic keeping it as fresh and delicious as he could hope for.


    ¡°Not that you need me to tell you that. It¡¯s all in the group chat logs. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m going to make full use of the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Captain!¡± Naje¡¯s voice was in a panic. ¡°Reds are coming this way!¡±


    ¡°Details!¡± Bennett snapped, nearly shattering the bottle in his hand.


    ¡°Oh fuck¡­ Raven company. And I recognize the veli riding alongside their ATVs! It¡¯s the same one those three murderous assholes were riding!¡±


    Svena¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Fuck. Raven Company¡¯s working for the goblins now?¡±


    ¡°Alright, look alive, people!¡± Bennett snapped. ¡°Everyone get in position! Shit, we need this wyrm to¡­¡±


    His words broke off when the massive wyrm their ATV was perched upon sank the rest of the way into the ground. Both massive behemoth and even their bone recliners slipped underneath the surface as if the sand covered rock was water.


    ¡°Oh no. Now we¡¯re fucked, Captain!¡± Lone said, before giving a mirthless chuckle. ¡°Would you believe I actually hoped Ernest¡¯s creations could help us¡­ but that was stupid. They¡¯re undead. Not sapient, and their master¡¯s some kid who has no idea what the fuck¡¯s going on!¡±


    Svena cursed softly under her breath, flashing a concerned-looking Elly a warm smile. ¡°Take the Sniper Rifle. We both know you¡¯re a better shot than I.¡±


    Elly smirked. ¡°Bullshit. But yes, I will. Let¡¯s pray those assholes see common sense.¡±


    Svena gave a raspy chuckle before wincing with pain. ¡°Would you believe for half a second I was hoping that thing would be enough to scare Raven Company off?¡±


    ¡°No doubt the titan wyrm¡¯s under self-preservation commands,¡± Elly noted. ¡°And Eric doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening out here.¡±


    ¡°Shit, the raptors! They¡¯re not submerged, so maybe they¡¯ll be able to¡­¡± Lone¡¯s words died off when the velociraptors raced and hid within a nearby crevice so fast it was as if they were following orders. ¡°Fuck. It look¡¯s like we¡¯re on our own, then.¡±


    Elly¡¯s jaw clenched as the dots they could only make out with their weapon scopes soon came into view sufficient for 300 Perception to make out each of the half dozen vehicles racing across the flatlands. ¡°Fuck. We¡¯re in trouble, Bennett.¡±


    ¡°Details, Elly!¡±


    The elf sighed, cursing softly under her breath. ¡°It isn¡¯t just a spotter squad. They¡¯re bringing everyone. I count at least eight elites, and shit! All of them are armed with T-IIIs! How¡¯d that fucker pull that off? And another four ATVs stuffed with newbloods carting T-1 and T-2 sniper rifles. No fucking doubt about it, they¡¯re planning on breaking in their new recruits with this mission.¡±


    Long¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°So the rumors are true. Fuck!¡±


    ¡°What rumors? Myl asked with a painful groan. ¡°Fuck, help me prop myself by the gun port. I can still use a mini gun, even if my foot¡¯s still a fucking mess.¡±


    ¡°Word back in the hub was that they bind their new recruits with black contracts. Once they¡¯re marked with the titles those deeds will earn, no change of heart will save them. Raven company and similar block-ops are the only ones that will take them, and most of those operations have a shockingly low 5-year survival rate,¡± Long whispered, an instant before the air rang with the tinny sounds of a voice echoing across the barren lands with the help of an odd looking megaphone.


    ¡°Bennett! You still alive out there?¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Bennett cursed, forcing himself to rise to a seated position as Long wordlessly handed him their own mana powered microphone, sticking it out a gun port to respond without giving anything unnecessary away.


    ¡°Hakan! Fancing meeting you out here! You escorting your new friends for an archaeological expedition like we are? No harm in it, but you know how those claim-jumping accords are. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to get the wrong idea as to your intentions. No need to get black marks on your corporate green card this early in the game, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    Bennett flashed a hard smile when the air rang with laughter. ¡°Aww, Bennett! Come on, old friend. Claim jumping? Archaeological expeditions? Really? That¡¯s the story you¡¯re going with?¡± The man¡¯s exaggerated shake of the head could be seen even from the good mile distance still between their parties. ¡°Come on, Bennett. You and I both know that¡¯s not what this is about.¡±


    ¡°Really? Fact is, I have a contract stating exactly that. I¡¯m here to escort our client on an archaeological find. You¡¯ll find a duplicate of our copy in Freetown¡¯s Blue Corp records, contract branch. Feel free to shoot city hall a message if you doubt me.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The mercenary captain known as Hakan gave a pitying chuckle. ¡°I think we both know that this has nothing to do with any archaeological bullshit and everything to do with forbidden arts outlawed by the counsel.¡±


    Bennett mimed blinking and looking around. ¡°And what forbidden arts would those be?¡±


    ¡°Necromancy, as you know damn well, you filthy human!¡± Screeched on of the goblins, pulling out a microphone of his own. ¡°And by the powers vested in me, I demand that you sur¡ª¡±


    Bennett, however, had calmly plugged his ears with his fingers as his companions turned off the comms in their helms, smiling coolly as the goblin blustered and screamed, throwing down black papers that did nothing but flash with green flame from such a distance, his words ignored by Bennett¡¯s entire crew.


    Hakan glared at the incensed goblin, waving him down, before raising his megaphone once more. ¡°Sorry about that, but my high strung client does have a point. You¡¯re treading in dangerous waters, my friend. Very, very dangerous waters. Necromancy, as you no doubt know, has been formally censured by the local branch of the Terran Counsel, and all those practicing it or even daring to voice support for it are in deep, deep shit. Automatically declared outlaws, to have all their assets seized and to be hunted and executed on sight.¡±


    The mercenary flashed a wicked grin while waving off his own words with a chuckle. ¡°Fortunately for you, you¡¯re a mercenary! Guilty of nothing more than upholding your contract. Which means that you get a penalty free fresh start! Even better, old friend, you now have the perfect out on your contract! Since your contractor, one Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter, has been censured as a wanted criminal, you¡¯re allowed to sidestep your papers without being obligated to pay any penalty fees or deal with any stain to your spotless record whatsoever!¡±


    Lone¡¯s eyes widened, the younger mercenary radiating an odd mixture of hope and shame.


    ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    Bennett raised his clenched fist, instantly silencing a flushing Lone before he could so much as whisper another word, though his eyes were locked on a still distant Hakan and Hakan alone.


    ¡°Now that might be true, old friend, but that¡¯s only when one can make a good-faith ¡®clean break.¡¯¡±


    Hakan snorted ¡°Well then, there should be no fucking problem, Bennett. Because I assure you that the Council¡¯s censure was up front and above-board. Even the System acknowledged it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about, Hakan. Fact of the matter is, if I know that my client¡¯s acted in good faith and I feel that it¡¯s politics, not ethics, that¡¯s driving a warrant for his arrest and extermination, then I am most definitely compelled by my contractual duties to defend my client¡¯s life at all costs.¡±


    Hakan chuckled coldly as he stood atop his ATV, his band refusing to halt, the pressure between the groups mounting as the vehicles slowly bridged the gap between them.


    One mile.


    Three quarters of a mile.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Elly hissed.


    Half a mile.


    And all the while, Bennett did nothing.


    Elly and Lone exchanged anxious looks, before locking gazes with Bennett.


    ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°Silence! I think we¡¯re selling the kid short.¡±


    Lone furrowed his brow at that.


    Elly paled. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    Bennett snorted. ¡°It sure as fuck caught us off guard.¡±


    ¡°But if you¡¯re wrong, Captain¡­¡± Lone said.


    Bennett sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°Yeah. If I¡¯m wrong¡­ we¡¯re in for a world of hurt.¡±


    Svena chuckled softly. ¡°By which you mean we¡¯re dead.¡±


    Only when the distance had been reduced to a third of a mile did Hakan speak once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you credit for loyalty, like an old hound pining after a long dead master, but there¡¯s loyalty, and there¡¯s stupid. And I know damn well that you¡¯re the farthest thing from stupid. You¡¯re working for a necromancer, Bennett! There. I said it as a third party. Now you¡¯re free to jump ship and join the winning team. It¡¯s an offer I¡¯m making for old-time¡¯s sake. You did me a solid on Centura-IV, so consider this returning the favor.¡±


    Bennett laughed coldly. ¡°I pulled your ass out of a clusterfuck beyond all reckoning, and you know it. If you want to do me a ¡®solid,¡¯ then consider this. You say I¡¯m working for a necromancer?¡± Bennett raised his arms, deliberately empty, masterfully hiding his injuries with the angle of his positioning by the gun port. ¡°Well then, where the fuck are these so called undead?¡±


    His lips curved ever so slightly at the looks of consternation they all saw, not just on Hakan¡¯s face but on the newbloods as well, though Hakan¡¯s core crew just gazed on hard and focused, over half a dozen T-3 miniguns aimed for center mass on Bennett¡¯s armor.


    Hakan frowned.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Hakan. There aren¡¯t any. You know why? Because my client¡¯s not an outlaw practicing forbidden arts. Farthest thing from it! But we¡¯re in a hot red that could blow up to Black-tier status at any moment, and we all know it. What we needed wasn¡¯t an attention-getting bloodbath, but to put the fear of god into these creatures. And for that fear, we needed access to a Contender¡¯s arts and odd powers that you won¡¯t find anywhere else but on an ascending world.¡±


    ¡°He raised the dead,¡± Hakan snapped. ¡°No matter what name he has for it, or the System has for it, a cardinal transgression was made. An accord breached! You know the consequences for that as well as anyone, Bennett!¡±


    Bennett coolly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m assuming your referring to that giant wyrm? So massive it managed to scare away pretty much every other bad boy in the area?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± the goblin Barrister chortled triumphantly. ¡°You acknowledged it, therefore you are bound by that acknowledgment!¡± He then pulled out another twisted globule of darkness and frozen screams in the shape of a playing card, sneering coldly as he prepared to flick it Bennett¡¯s way. ¡°Therefore, by the honor and majesty of Bloodtear Syndicate, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Will do absolutely NOTHING! Because you fools are chasing at shadows! Illusions, Hakan. Do you get it? The reason why you see no wyrm here is because there¡¯s no wyrm to see!¡±


    Bennett glared into the silence. Because even if he knew of half a dozen inconsistencies with his bold declaration, it didn¡¯t mean that his opponents knew squat.


    The goblins¡¯ eyes bulged. ¡°No. Impossible! We saw the World Eater. All of us saw it!¡± The goblin Shaman hissed.


    Bennett¡¯s smile widened, recalling a few key details that the kid, his client, had let slip. Details that might make all the difference. Because one thing that Essence of Impermeability and master illusions actually had in common were their limitations... which in certain circumstances could also be their strengths.


    ¡°You say you saw it. Of course you did. It was a masterwork. My question is this: Did it pick up or ping as anything on your interface? Because if it didn¡¯t¡­ then how could it be anything but an illusion?¡±


    The shaman¡¯s eyes bulged, eyes glancing everywhere frantically while the assassin seated beside him glared coldly at the shaman, cursing under its breath. ¡°No. Impossible! I saw it. I know I did!¡±


    ¡°You sure about that, buddy? Mindless monsters don¡¯t have access to any System maps or interfaces of any sort. They aren¡¯t Contenders with internal System-sanctioned conquest maps echoing inside their skulls. They have no electromana hardware that ping with threat displays of any sort. They have nothing but weak psyches and hyper-acute senses that are so very easy to fool. Kind of like a goblin¡¯s senses, perhaps. But surely you all weren¡¯t fooled so easily, right?¡±


    The goblins began hissing and screeching amongst themselves. Yet despite the uncertain looks between the trio of goblins, Hakan¡¯s stare didn¡¯t waver. His warm, bonhomie expression turned hard and cold.


    ¡°Last chance, Bennett. Quit playing the fool and join us. If you actually help us take this kid out, I¡¯ll give you a double share.¡± Hakan then flashed a bonhomie grin that radiated nothing but sincerity and goodwill. ¡°Now that¡¯s a trade you can get behind! We¡¯re talking a good five million for each of your surviving crew! Now how about that?¡±


    Bennett sighed, slowly shaking his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Hakan. I formally assert Via Contract and System that ritual magics that have nothing to do with Necromancy and everything to do with either enticing or scaring off wild beasts, have been in play since before your goblin friends first started keeping tabs on us in the desert. If you strike now, you¡¯re striking out at a crew who have committed no proven sanctionable crimes. A crew you acknowledged a blood debt to, just minutes ago.¡±


    Bennett¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°That¡¯s a double black mark, my friend. Not a good look, whether we¡¯re in an ascending world or not. And the more educated our clients become, the more that will burn you as the years tick by. Now the kid did me a solid. A real fucking solid. If I fuck him over now, my foundation will crack just as bad as these lands. So let¡¯s just put a stop to this bullshit and come to an accord. If your treasure-hunting friends want in on the action? I¡¯m sure we can come to a reasonable compromise.¡±


    He took a deep breath, steeling a quick glance as a dismayed looking Elly, and a wryly smiling Svena. They at least understood. Even if Ernest would be furious, their job was to keep him alive.


    ¡°What do you say to a fifty-fifty split?¡±


    Hakan gazed at Bennett coldly for long seconds. ¡°You sure you want to do this?¡±


    Lone¡¯s hopeful gaze turned to a look of dismay. ¡°Oh, fuck. Captain...¡±


    ¡°Fifty-fifty¡¯s a more than fair deal to make for your old buddy on Centura-IV, and you know it!¡± Bennett shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Hakan said with an audible sigh, even from that distance. ¡°Unfortunately, my new employer doesn¡¯t do splits. You got ten seconds to come out with your hands up, old friend. Best I can do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re new employer isn¡¯t worth two black marks and bottleneck you¡¯ll find hard as hell to break through,¡± Bennett warned in a too anxious voice as time seemed to slow, Ellen and Svena exchanging looks as they gazed through the primitive silver mirror angled to reveal so much while remaining under cover. As did lone and everyone else.


    Only Bennett, their fastest, strongest, most socially savvy member kept himself visible, parlaying words with a man he really didn¡¯t want to have to fight.


    ¡°Ten¡­ Nine¡­Eight¡­¡±


    ¡°How about a duel then, old friend?¡± Bennett gamely cried. ¡°A fight of honor. Everything on the line. That supersedes all contractual issues right there! You want to make a clean claim right here, right now, no marks against you, no compromise permitted? Well alright then! We duel, vibro blade and force shield, the way our ancestors have for a thousand years! Because if there¡¯s anything that will break us through our bottlenecks¡­ you know damn well that fight will push one of us through!¡±


    Bennett flashed his best smile. ¡°You can feel it, can¡¯t you, old friend? Here and now? On this world, in this territory about to erupt with too damned much pressure as Terra¡¯s ascension unfolds? Tell me you can¡¯t feel it! I dare you!¡±


    Bennett blinked, clearly having expected his old friend¡¯s eyes to light up. His smile to curve into a knowing smirk, to give the slightest of nods¡­ but Hakan¡¯s stony glare didn¡¯t waver.


    Not even for a second.


    ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    Bennett glared at Lone and angrily shook his head.


    The choice had been made, the dice had been cast. What happened now depended upon¡ª


    Duck!


    A blare of warning instinct as Bennett dove for the ATV floor as the air flared a bright actinic blue.


    Elly barely had time to inhale for a scream when the entire side of the ATV began to glow with sudden awful heat, Hakan¡¯s cold words and the sudden storm of firepower it brought to bear making it damn clear what their ultimate fate was to be.


    ¡°¡­ One. Kill them,¡± Hakan coldly said.


    Only in that moment did Bennett¡¯s eyes widen with genuine dismay, as if only realizing right then that he had overplayed his hand.


    Whether or not he had expected having literally saved his opposite¡¯s life to have carried more weight, or even simply brought them more time, or even offer an Oath of Capture instead of slaughter which would have had no black marks or experience penalty whatsoever... none of that even mattered.


    His former ally hadn¡¯t even argued for a 70/30 split or any other middle ground.


    Bennett had misjudged the board and now they would pay the ultimate price.


    His heart hammered with dismay, finally accepting just how utterly outmatched he and his injured friends truly were. This wouldn¡¯t be a contest between equals. His hope for a duel that he had been all but counting on proved itself to be nothing more than a desperate dream.


    No romantic duel of idealism, honor, or desperate breakthroughs were to be found here¡­ just the ruthless extermination of pests while in pursuit of the ultimate prize.


    Yet before Bennett could even finish inhaling to roar final orders as he prepared to scoop Svena and Naje and dart for the rift, death trap that it too was, having made sure to angle himself so that he would have the doomed ATV as cover for those perilous seconds¡­ everything changed.


    As the earth began to shake and vibrate, everything changed.


    As sneers, cold laughter and the shouts and cheers of newbloods and old vets alike turned to a dull roar¡­ everything changed.


    Elly screamed.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Myl sobbed, all their instincts screaming as the supposedly near indestructible ATV armor began to warp and melt, even the Altoplaz gun-windows Bennett had desperately slammed shut began to overheat and crack, Bennett¡¯s mind screaming that they had no time, that it was too late, that they were already DEAD when he felt hot plasma sear right through his armored calf and he stumbled, desperate to protect his screaming beloved for their final moments¡­ when everything changed.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± Lone¡¯s awe filled voice as the world shuddered and exploded.


    All of them were thrown back when the earth erupted with the force of a bunker-buster bomb, or a newly emerging volcano exploding through Earth¡¯s mantel.


    But it wasn¡¯t any of those things Bennett saw as he curled up, spinning around and holding his beloved and friends protectively close while gazing over the white-hot heap of warped and half-melted metal that their ATV had been reduced to in a shockingly short period of time, and how the hell Hakan had managed to get that much firepower on a White-tier band of native recruits who hadn¡¯t even hit 40<sup>th</sup> level in addition to his own elites was a question that would never be answered because Hakan was, at that very moment, frantically looking about with horrified disbelief as the world seemed to rise all around him in the form of a massive triple jawed World Eater bursting through the mantel like a Goliath Tigerfish bursting out of a lake to devour the foolish hunters daring to invade its territory.


    The desperate look Hakan flashed Bennett brought a wince, even if the man had been trying to kill him just seconds ago. And the veteran mercenary was no fool, even now struggling to reach the lip of those triple jaws and leap free with a jet pack that didn¡¯t do shit as the massive World Eater burst from the earth with such furious force that Hakan was knocked flat as his doom rose high into the air.


    ¡°Bennet! I yie¡ª¡±


    Panicked words cut off when the monster abruptly snapped it¡¯s fifty yard wide maw shut.


    Bennett hissed, lurching back even as he was flooded by sudden potency, unwanted potency, as the air filled with panicked screams when the near five dozen lightning fast velociraptors gifted with vorpal sharp talons and teeth, truly a monstrous mutation that didn¡¯t belong in any red zone and had nearly killed Bennett and his crew, poured forth from the crevice they had hid so well in, racing across the territory at lightning speed to wash over the ATVs filled with young innocent recruits and naive fools who had had absolutely no idea what they were signing up for when they were overrun by monsters.


    ¡°We surrender, we surrender!¡± The open channel they all had access to filled with desperate screams and shouts of panicked men and women and, Bennett was horrified to realize, kids that couldn¡¯t be any older than Ernest.


    ¡°Oh fuck, oh fuck!¡± Naje sobbed. ¡°Captain! Those fools are innocent!¡±


    Bennett¡¯s pained glance said it all as the channel and air filled with desperate shrieks, as what had been well-coordinated and multi-perk enhanced gunfire just seconds ago became the panicked scattered blasterfire of kids in way over their head, before the plasma bursts and the screams were abruptly cut off..


    ¡°Please, I yield!¡±


    ¡°Mercy!¡±


    ¡°I want to go ho¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tech Support!¡±


    ...one by one.


    Until there was nothing left. Nothing save for a trio of desperately staring goblins and four velimobiles swarmed by ravenous raptors and bodies being shredded, torn up and devoured in literal seconds before the birds darted back en masse for the rift from which they came.


    ¡°Jeezus¡­¡± Lone whispered as the bright day turned dark with shadows. ¡°We couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± He swallowed desperately. ¡°Not a damned thing.¡±


    Elly sobbed, shaking he head. ¡°There were children amongst them. We could here their cries!¡±


    Bennett gave a sad shake of his head. ¡°No children, Elly. Not even Goblins could force contracts with them.¡±


    ¡°Sixteen isn¡¯t a child?!?¡± She screamed.


    Bennett rubbed his eyes even as his ears rang with a dull thrumm that could only mean one thing. Though he didn¡¯t bother looking up, merely hunching over.


    ¡°You will pay for this!!¡± Shrieked the goblin shaman. ¡°We have recorded everything. All your transgressions and crimes will be known the minute we report them. And we will, human fools. Yes we will!¡±


    It shook it¡¯s fists as their velimobile darted away.


    ¡°Why. Why the fuck didn¡¯t they take out those fucking goblins?¡± Lone asked despairingly.


    Bennett flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Look up, Lone.¡±


    Lone furrowed his brow and did just that, just in time to see the awesome sight of the massive Titan Wyrm that had launched itself up through the mantel that had parted like liquid fast enough and with enough G-force to claim over a half dozen Bronze elites inside its maw before snapping it shut had done so at the cost of gaining major altitude. Like a round shot into orbit. Or at least one that had gotten so much momentum as to allow for a thirty fucking second hang time before the massive multiple football stadium-sized abomination to crash right back down to earth.


    Now aiming right for the velimobile darting away at top speed.


    ¡°Holy FUCK!¡± Lone¡¯s voice was a bare whisper of awe, and Bennett would have liked to think that all three goblins had had a moment to glance up and appreciate just how fucked they were¡­ before the World Eater crashed down upon them with so much kinetic force that it should have equaled a low yield atomic at the very least. Yet by some miracle, it didn¡¯t hit with a shockwave of force that would doom Bennett and his entire party. Instead, it entered the earth with just the barest ripple, even if the fifty yard wide patch of land containing the goblin¡¯s veli had been utterly consumed.


    Bennett and his crew gazed at the absolute ruins of an assault force that could so easily have been their grave as well. Yet nothing was left, save for a few vehicles that had been warped and shredded by impossibly sharp claws, and a single desperately grasping arm, still holding its T-1 blaster, even now being covered by the sands whipping about once more.


    Elly was utterly silent, gazing at the battle-sight with tears glistening down her cheeks. ¡°They didn¡¯t even have a chance. Doomed from the moment they woke up, and they didn¡¯t even know it.¡±


    ¡°That could have been us, Elly,¡± Lone reminded her with a raspy voice. ¡°We came so close to¡­ and that fucker wouldn¡¯t compromise. Wouldn¡¯t even duel the captain!¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we had a choice.¡±


    Elly gave a bitter laugh. ¡°You¡¯re right. We had no choice at all. There was absolutely nothing we could have done to stop that slaughter¡­ even if we had been foolish enough to try.¡±


    Svena nodded, her armored form held so protectively by her captain. ¡°We¡¯re just pawns in a twisted game between tyrants and Necromancer Kings, Elly. No more than that.¡±


    ¡°Yet one of those parties is our employer, and the other party would have happily killed us,¡± Bennett gently reminded.


    Svena flashed a weary smile, even as the sands began to whip and howl furiously. ¡°Fuck. I think our employer¡¯s attempt to calm the desert¡¯s spirits has just expired with that slaughter.¡± Yet even as she said the words, the massive World Eater made its presence known once more.


    Svena whimpered, she couldn¡¯t help it, as the impossibly massive creature slowly emerged from the ground like a sea serpent popping up from the water, reemerging all around them, leaving them in the center of a hundred yard shelter as the creature began to curl about itself, effectively forming a massive dome with a single opening on top.


    The bright glaring light was cut down to a gentle gloom as the party was suddenly free of the wild-mana infused sands whipping into their armor and exposed flesh.


    Elly¡¯s eyes widened with a mixture of awe and despair. ¡°Even now that thing shelters us.¡± She choked back a sob. ¡°It was protecting us! Ernest¡¯s fucking Underlord¡­ it had orders not to attack, except in self defense.¡±


    Naje gave a cold chuckle. ¡°And it was fucking smart enough to hide. So those fools might be overconfident enough to attack.¡±


    Lone blinked, before shaking his head with a rueful chuckle. ¡°Our World Eater was baiting them! It was actually smart enough to goad those idiots into signing their own death warrants!¡±


    Bennett gave a cold nod. ¡°It¡¯s a creature that¡¯s nothing at all like us, yet it¡¯s savvy enough to feel out it¡¯s own bindings¡­ to work out how it could feed itself without violating Ernest¡¯s orders.¡±


    Svena paled. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re saying it was using us as bait! As¡­ as a fucking lure?¡±


    Bennett groaned, rubbing his temples. ¡°Either that, or it was just doing exactly as Ernest intended. Either way, it saved our lives. And Hakan was given every fucking chance in the world to leave. He didn¡¯t take it. So he paid the ultimate price.¡±


    ¡°What now, Captain?¡± Myl asked.


    Bennett flashed a hard smile. ¡°Now we do the only thing we can do. We wait, and hope like hell that Ernest makes it out of that kill box alive.¡±


    ¡°Because if he doesn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re worm food,¡± Svena said with a tight smile. ¡°And what we thought was our nice guardian monstrosity that¡¯s now protecting us so carefully will turn out to be our captor keeping its lunch nice and secure.¡±


    Lone groaned. ¡°You just had to say it, didn¡¯t you, Svena?¡±


    She chuckled bitterly. ¡°I was a Witch-Hunter for over half a century. I know revenants and I know exactly how this will play out. The only wildcard I didn¡¯t account for was a boy both so powerful and so idealistic that he could summon this monstrosity¡­ and not use it to take over the world.¡±


    Elly flashed a wry smile. ¡°Who says he won¡¯t do just that?¡±


    Lone snorted. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be something?¡± He turned to Bennett. ¡°What do you think, boss? If our idealist decides to go the blood and fire route¡­ do we back him?¡±


    Bennett flashed his old friend a hard smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been at this game as long as I have, Lone. You know damn well what the answer to that question is.¡±


    His friend nodded. ¡°Damn right I do, boss. When a fanatic idealist with the power to tear apart the world is recruiting... you say yes, and you do it right damn quick. Get on the winning team and get in good with the VIP players. Because by the end of it all, we¡¯ll either be title-holding lords, or no better than the sorry fucks filling the gullets of those raptors my sensors still can¡¯t fucking pick up.¡±

 Chapter 409 - Treasure Hunt XI

    ¡°Anomaly acquired and locked, sir.¡±


    ¡°Purge it. Then secure the gate.¡±


    The words washed over Eric in odd counterpoint to the brilliant flash of actinic color searing through his retinas, marking his flesh, his Danger Sense flaring just a heartbeat too late to keep from being perforated by a stream of plasma enhanced far beyond the limits off any weapon relying on physics alone.


    You have been CRITICALLY STRUCK By X-Series T-III Hyperion Anti-material rifle!


    Triple Deathstrike Perk IN PLAY!


    2 Ranks of Deathstrike mitigated by Tier 2 Danger Sense!


    Fatal Strike mitigated by Mithril hauberk to Critical Wound!


    Hyperion Blazer Resiliency means that otherwise deadly burns went only skin deep, but you¡¯re still running with a hole in your liver! both corneas have been flashed fried, and your skin has been charred crisper than a well-done steak!


    It was all Eric could do not to scream from the agony of a whole seared right through his overconfident flesh, peripheral scattering of deadly, perk enhanced radiation leaving him feeling just as crispy-fried as when he had last jumped into an Orc Hell-Pit, where he had been barbecued to an inch of his life and beyond. Still, it was only thanks to having considerable experience with this degree of horrific pain that he was able to continue lurching and slamming through brick buildings that didn¡¯t stand a chance against his monstrous Strength or Vitality as he tore through them like a bull in a china shop, desperate to escape the overwatch that his enemies had so skillfully put into place, his enemies coming terrifyingly close to pinning him and shutting him down for good.


    Even blinded and wounded, even while desperately using Blood Mastery to keep from bleeding out like a stuck pig, he didn¡¯t have time to plan any clever counters. He didn¡¯t even have time to think as one caustic blast of plasma after another charred holes in brick and stone and floorboards and wherever he had been standing just an instant before, never fucking mind the advantages that infravision now so acute that he could sense his environment with his entire body, as if it was all a blurry heat-sensing eye so knew just where to weave and stumble before cool blue blocks of stone became white-hot with plasma after-images and Eric was juking back and forth and racing for all he was worth. Just that single glimpse of the cold sneer of his nemesis that had so easily blinded him, radiating such poise, power, and contempt, was now forever seared into his mind.


    He wanted to scream at what a fool he had been, they all had been, to think for even a second that a few easy low level early encounters meant that they could cherry pick the entire delve.


    He had realized from the start that this delve echoed all too closely the timeline that now effectively never was, at least for Freetown. Because in that timeline, the entire Blue Quarter had been ruthlessly taken down in just a handful of hours.


    How?


    How did the crown jewel of a faction known for both its fairness and tactical savvy, known to be equipped by actual Bronze platoons, get so easily taken out by just a handful of honey traps and tainted stew?


    Bullshit. He should have KNOWN that was just spin. Hype covering a far darker truth.


    That somehow Greed and Malice had arranged for entire platoons of not just competent but outright elite Bronze-tier mercenaries to invade Earth and position themselves for an absolutely devastating strike that had all but annihilated Blue Faction.


    And he, like a complete and utter dumbass, had thought that some low level Confederate States of America hacks, along with a handful of just barely ascended Bronze thugs and a litter of bloodthirsty brainless humanoid grunts, had somehow pulled off such a deadly coup?


    Bullshit.


    Even Kevin and Jeff¡¯s freaky tentacled abominations had been hideous, yes, and might have even taken down a couple of half-step Bronze grunts, but against Blue Corp¡¯s disciplined organized crew? For them not to have put up a damned good fight against a couple oddball contenders who only gained such leverage in the chaotic aftermath once Blue Corp had actually fallen and disorganized chaos had ruled? Bullshit!


    Kevin and Jeff might have been great mind-lording scavengers, but sure as fuck, they hadn¡¯t initiated the initial coup.


    ¡°Target re-acquired.¡±


    DUCK!


    It must have been this very high level company he was now facing, the elite of the elite, that had served as the ice breaker shattering all resistance before other factions had swarmed the breach and made Blue Corp all but a past-tense, until Eric had rewritten that tale.


    Only now he was back in an original version so real that the weapons and armaments his friends had claimed really DID work! To awesome and undeniable effect.


    Because they were being used by mercenaries every bit as deadly as the ones that had brought Blue Corp low¡­ and Eric had managed to catch the ire of their leader. A dungeon monster¡­ no, an exceedingly self-aware being who even understood that his entire unit was trapped in a city-sized containment, and was now eager to break free.


    But first, their commander was determined to kill the invading anomaly, which would be Eric himself, before doing so.


    You have been critically struck by Plasma Fire piercing 3 Building walls and 4 additional forms of cover. You have taken 1 additional critical wound!


    Blood Mastery in effect. You have successfully avoided fatal bleed-out!


    Unified Restoration Potency Surge in effect: You are regenerating at 140-fold your basic rate!


    Eric choked back a fresh scream when yet another stream of plasma tagged him, and this was with himself protected by multiple buildings and levels of cover, and he couldn¡¯t see any trace of his foe, never mind his mad stats!


    He grimaced against the pain, overwhelmed by just how utterly outclassed he was by a monstrous opponent far beyond him in levels and Class power evolutions.


    For him to think he had even a ghost of a¡ª


    You have successfully dodged Fatal Snipe-Shot!


    You avoid panicked desperation!


    You continue to juke and weave about the battlefield.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    Eric was utterly outclassed. The monster he faced was a high level master. There was no denying it, or point in trying to deny it. Deadly as he might be at short range, his foe was keeping him at perfect distance and could spot him through multiple walls and barriers.


    Forget his original plan to practice and hone his arcane arts. No chance in hell of doing that now.


    Forget about even having a chance to do a clean sweep of this massive delve.


    He¡¯d have to do it ugly and pay a devastating cost in life force. He had been fucked from the second he had awoken, his doom all but assured, Malice¡¯s paws on every dark twist over the last two days and there was NOTHING he could do about it except suffer through it.


    Just as that dying fucker had no doubt intended.


    But fuck if he¡¯d make it easy.


    Fuck if he wouldn¡¯t at least TRY to pull a win.


    Even if it killed him.


    Or aged him to a withered old husk.


    Eric suppressed a groan, already knowing what he had to do, the monstrosity he had to face as he was being herded into yet another killbox.


    So instead he juked left, toward the brooding Aztec temple-looking edifice that did indeed worship every foul, corrupt, and soul-draining practice of predatory banking to a degree that would have had the Dark One himself, and countless payday lenders, green with awe and envy.


    ¡°Target re-acquired.¡±


    Eric wanted to scream with frustration as, suddenly and completely counter to his sense of the battlefield and ability to predict his enemy, the Doom-Squad was hovering before him once more. Both the cold-eyed captain of this entire Eric-slaughtering shit show, and the four, count them¡­ four tank-mechas linked together and generating such a monstrous force-field around the monster Classer that Eric knew he didn¡¯t have a chance in hell of breaking through.


    Not without embracing arts that would rupture the entire rift¡­ as he desperately weaved and dove past deadly blaster fire yet again.


    ¡°Bravo Company! Target has shifted objectives! He¡¯s heading for the bank! Intercept at all costs!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart pounded as his acute perception and Universal Translator picked up the high pitched frequencies that were, in truth, the only reason why he was alive¡­ his singular edge against these monsters.


    ¡°Understood, Captain. Will be at Berth and 6<sup>th</sup> street in seventeen seconds. There¡¯s no way in hell he¡¯s getting in that¡ª¡±


    The man¡¯s voice cut off in a burst of static and screams that changed absolutely everything.


    ***


    The cold-eyed killer hunting down far too annoying vermin blanched when he realized he had been played. Before being rocked midair when a pressure-wave caused even him to lurch back and curse, cold grey eyes widening at what met his gaze.


    ¡°Temple command, do you copy?¡±


    ¡°We copy, Lord Rin. Report.¡±


    The captain glared at the oddly warping bubble of screaming reality and darkness where his prized squad had been, just seconds before.


    ¡°Target has broken free. Repeat. Target has broken free. And we have another anomaly.¡±


    ¡°Shit. What¡¯s the nature of this anomaly? Is it like the other?¡±


    Lord Rin gave a shuddering shake of his head as he gazed at the steadily growing rupture. ¡°No. It sure as hell is not.¡±


    ***


    Eric refused to scream as he charged toward his death, encountering a second squad just as nightmarishly over-prepared as the first, a singular impossibly deadly sniper along with a trio of hyper-reinforced force-field generating Tank Classers that had effectively linked together, forming the ultimate force field.


    The only difference, Eric thought, as he weaved and dove in all directions, including racing up and down the adjoining buildings as plasma fire road and spat massive rents and holes through blacktop and brick walls¡­ was that this second squad hadn¡¯t reached the point where they could generate the incredibly potent forces and fields boosting their defensive abilities so monstrously and be airborn while doing it. They had to be on the ground. But the T-3 Hyperion cannon being fired Eric¡¯s way was so damned lethal that Eric¡¯s absolutely insane 875 Quickness, Speed Racer, and Battletime perks were only reasons why he wasn¡¯t dead already.


    Yet the Captain¡¯s second-in-command didn¡¯t look fazed at all as a screaming Eric closed.


    No doubt because he was a veteran of a hundred battles and dozens of desperate natives and fools trading their lives for one final attack that would be completely countered by the impossibly potent force-field between Eric and his prey.


    And that remained the squad leader¡¯s final thought as the Liutenant squeezed his trigger for a final round of plasma fire that tore right through Eric¡¯s abdomen¡­


    But not before Eric had swung his blade faster than he ever had before, revealing a secret so desperately hidden.


    A secret that threatened to shatter a realm, to destroy this miniature world, as his sword suddenly lit up with higher order concept of transcendent flame.


    The Lieutenant had time only for one final blink. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Before his head and shoulders were flash-frozen, save for an impossibly narrow, impossibly hot line of oblivion that had blazed right through the still stumbling corpse, just a heartbeat before impossibly extreme temperature and pressure differentials caused the entire frozen half of the corpse to explode like a shrapnel bomb that of course did absolutely nothing to its master architect or the party tanks still gazing Eric¡¯s way with stunned disbelief.


    Phoenix Strike! You have struck your opponent for 36X base damage!


    No opposing defenses are in play. All defenses have been pierced by a Transcendent Attack!


    Your opponent FAILS to save versus Oblivion!


    You have OBLITERATED your opponent!


    WARNING UNSTABLE RIFT HAS BEEN FORMED!


    ¡°No shit!¡± Eric wheezed to himself with a cold chuckle as a certain asshole captain¡¯s blaster managed to tag him from behind. But not before a roaring Eric managed three additional cleaving blows as fast as 875 Quickness could whip his reality-defying rift-slaying blade through the air, and three more impossibly tough Elite-tier Bronze who had warded themselves with a starship-grade defensive barrier crashed to the ground in explosions of bitter cold ice and transcendent flame.


    And Eric dared to imagine that he saw a flicker of actual dismay on the captain¡¯s face even as his internal interface shrieked warning that the anomaly behind him had only grown.


    ¡°Of course it has!¡± he bitterly thought, now racing towards the captain much like a mosquito, buying himself only a single eye-blink¡¯s worth of confusion when Eric weaved and juked IN THE AIR as if he were on flat steady ground as he raced through the air to his target, losing only a piece of his calf as plasma fire tore through his leg and then he was finally close enough, even if the coldly glaring asshole commander who had most certainly orchestrated the butchery off Blue Corp¡¯s elite forces in a life no longer lived finally cracked a smile, knowing that there was no way in hell Eric was avoiding getting his brains blown out as Eric felt triple perks lock about his soul as he raced through the air, totally out of cover and his enemy was now coldly squeezing the trigger one final time.


    ¡°REPUDIO!¡±


    The word cracked through the air like an endless gunshot as reality itself twisted and snapped under the twang of such extreme pressures that it had managed to erupt interdimensional gates, not that long ago.


    So it was more than enough to cause the commander¡¯s squeeze to result in nothing more than the crack of his own weapon when it shattered under the man¡¯s suddenly desperate, confused grip as he began to fall to the earth, as did his entire quartet of now powerless shield-tanks falling right alongside him.


    But not as fast as a roaring Eric, racing through the air and not giving a FUCK about anomalies as the air behind him shrieked and howled with his latest rupture, yet not his last, as his blade, crackling with higher order concepts of creation and destruction cleaved right through Commander Asshole¡¯s furious, desperate countenance before the entire frozen corpse of a statue burst in an explosion of icy shrapnel an instant before his three liutenants erupted in ice and flame no matter their desperate shouts and imprecations.


    Eric paid the shower of blazing ice shards that had been his toughest opponents no more mind than he did his Interface congratulating him for eight elite tier Bronze kills, though no fresh cultivator ranks, and a skill up of one of his most prized arts even as he fled certain doom from the ever growing rip in local space-time as his as he now raced all out for the temple just as fast as he could.


    Congratulations! Phoenix Strike (Ice Fire) Is now Rank 12!


    Second-tier Core saturation is now at 69%!


    WARNING! UNSTABLE RIFT WILL REACH CRITICAL ENERGY STATE WITHIN 79 SECONDS!


    Eric wanted to howl with bitter mirth as he desperately raced for his target, completely ignoring the obvious entrance of the massive temple of doom before him even as he sensed the hideous pressure wave of the awful entity that he knew could obliterate his mind in a heartbeat growing ever closer.


    Forced to accept that he already knew just who is ultimate opponent absolutely had to be.


    The one opponent who seemed all but designed to counter all of Aurelia¡¯s decendants masterfully.


    The vile warped being, Malice¡¯s lastborn mutated son with the blood of Lythid Squid-brains pumping through his head, awaited him within.


    Had Eric played it cautious and entered the entrance, trying to stealth his way through, perhaps he could have managed to make it to the treasure vaults below, had he kept his mind utterly blank of anything save existing in the moment, just as he had while Soul Riding a hundred different revenants, not that long ago. And perhaps that¡¯s how he should have handled the whole damned Delve, seeing if blood worms and this unique environment would actually allow him to slip free of supposed Necromantic Strictures that he didn¡¯t even know for sure applied to him.


    But as it stood¡­ he now had less than 80 seconds to face his greatest fear and eliminate it, or die in the process. And thanks to the flash of a certain furious contender¡¯s final thoughts before forming this rift with his dying hate¡­ he thought he knew exactly where the bastard was hiding.


    So instead of an hour skulking in the bowels to avoid a foe that would of course be waiting right where Eric least expected it¡­


    He slammed his hand against the Soul Steel reinforced hellish temple to higher order usury and snarled the word that had broken so many souls free of eternal torment once before.


    ¡°REPUDIO!¡± And softer, even knowing that this was but a mirage of reality, a projected pocket realm, he whispered¡­ ¡°Be Free.¡±


    And the absolutely indestructible Soul Steel that should have repelled any delver too stubborn to go through the standard entrance and face whatever traps and ambushes lay within¡­ the Soul Steel resonating with tortured screams in the ether even now, disintegrated in sparkling motes of light so fast that Eric was as stunned as the pale faced Contender who was now gazing at him with a blink of confusion from the ruins of what looked like a high end suite, complete with Blue Corp holo-entertainment system and electromana-friendly gaming rig.


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding, now finding himself facing a startled boy that could so easily have been Eric¡¯s cousin lurching out of his seat, the monitor split to show the bank front entrance and the kill sight of the final band of elite mercenaries that had drilled so many fucking holes in Eric that still hurt like hell¡­ and now reality was warping hideously, strangely, in a thousand eerie undefined colors both at Eric¡¯s back and on the computer screen.


    As for the boy... he looked so normal, so familiar, that it caused Eric¡¯s stomach to knot. Save for the odd hour-glass shaped pupils of someone with Lythid blood in his veins¡­ A single odd trait that with just a single pair of contacts or aviator shades could be so easily hidden. Shades the kid was even now putting on as space began to warp and buck in flashes of screaming light and bleeding howls all around them, System Interface messages screaming warning that rupture was imminent, and Eric immediately felt the startled, terrified thoughts of a boy who somehow hadn¡¯t sensed the tormented screams trapped in the Soul Steel at all, despite his class.


    A high school junior. At most.


    HE was just a freekin¡¯ kid! No older than the girl who had flirted with him at the ice cream shop! What did Eric think he was¡ª


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± Eric shouted, embracing the attack he had kept so close to his vest, refusing even to use it on the battlemech mastermind who had come so close to killing him, even if it would have made Eric¡¯s life SO MUCH easier with less holes perforating his abdomen. But he hadn¡¯t. He had saved it for this very instant. Only daring to unleash his final trump card here and now. Against a kid. No matter the searing sharp dagger of shame he felt, the horrific feeling of regret.


    Refusing to look away from Inky Dark eyes that, for all he knew, were just desperately lonely and looking for a friend.


    Eyes that now widened with dismay, disappointment, and killing rage.


    Eric felt it then, the sudden awful, AWFUL pressure bearing down on his mind from directions he couldn¡¯t even fathom or conceive of as blood spurted from every orifice of his skull.


    Yet right before his FRAGILE Sylvan brain with no natural defense against Psionic attacks was crushed to oblivion, the skull of Zacharia Lex Richardson, who might well have been Eric¡¯s half-brother¡­ who certainly looked like a half-brother, as much as Eric was horrified to admit it... exploded in a spray of crimson gore.


    And before Eric could even scream in horror, regret, or dismay, he felt the world shredding to impossibility as every quark and atom of this reality simultaneously ruptured.


    Yet before he was pulled into the hideous black void between space and time and ruptured rifts as he had been once before, he was surrounded by a sudden flash of bright light as a fresh barrage of interface messages flickered across his mind¡¯s eye.


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have successfully defeated the final boss of Delve TIRA-37846e!


    For successfully stabilizing this rift with a first clear, you and all linked party members successfully drawing potency from this delve have been awarded 3 Attribute points in Strength/Quickness/Perception/Spiritual Energy/Psionic Potential. Those party members who lacked such attributes HAVE THEM NOW and may FREELY boost their Psionic Potential and evolve their classes to Psion Knights with appropriate training!


    NOTE! ALL PREVIOUS PARTY MEMBER BOTTLENECKS HAVE BEEN LIFTED! Whatever insignificant specs of galactic flotsam they were before, they have dared to bind their souls to the fate of a TERRAN CONTENDER with UNLIMITED potential!


    Eric could sense it then, the flood of power and potency flowing into his companions, they too being inundated with the same messages as he had been. Yet, oddly, for all that he felt nothing but sweetest exhilaration mixed with horror for the youth he had been forced to kill¡­ even if he had just been a shadow of an actual living being¡­ he sensed his companions¡¯ distant screams, their bodies and minds transformkinf in ways that were perhaps beyond what they would have knowingly been willing to endure, not understanding the cost of truly pushing past ones limitations¡­ limitations in accordance with ones natural proclivities. Limitations that kept one safe.


    Limitations that had just been ground to dust as each and every party member was reforged, all in the blink of an eye.


    And then came the most important message that Eric had been waiting for.


    Desperate for.


    A message upon which the fate of an entire city depended upon.


    NOTE! As a Contender capable of walking the Path of Rulers, you may shape Delve TIRA-37846e as you see fit!


    Standard Delve: This echo of a time that never was will continue to enjoy the Unique properties of highly sophisticated Arcane arms and armaments of an electromana paradigm! Expect to engage with a wide variety of opponents from level 25 Gnoll champions to a Level 80 Deep Bronze Commander! Enjoy the opportunity to claim some of the deadliest armaments any dungeon delving Mech-Warrior could hope to claim! Just be sure to play it smart and escape before the Commander gets wind of your artifact grab and enjoy the opportunity to make a KILLING! (Note This priceless Delve is Lunar aspected! Priceless treasures and one-of-a-kind artifacts reset every full moon! This delve is now STABLE! There is zero chance of Dungeon overflows terrorizing the local region with Bronze-tier power armored echoes of a time that no longer was!)


    Advanced Black-tier Delve: This echo of a time that never was will continue to enjoy the Unique properties of highly sophisticated Arcane arms and armaments of an electromana paradigm! IT turns out that Commander Grishum was far more ruthless and brilliant than even his former overlords had realized, quickly taking hold of the populace and facilitating unorthodox means of production to revolutionize a Freetown that never was for his own ends! Expect to encounter multiple squads of potent Bronze-tier Mecha Specialists sporting the deadliest T-3 Miniguns and Anti-material rifles to be found anywhere in this corner of the quadrant! With Shielding specialist and expert tactics, they¡¯re sure to prove a challenge for even the most dedicated and jaded Deep Bronze Delvers! Of course the rewards are commensurate with the risks, with a full artifact reset every 7 days! Do you dare take Commander Grishum on?


    Warning! This dungeon DOES have the opportunity to overflow if Grishum¡¯s forces aren¡¯t cut down by at least 50% at least once per year. On the other hand, it¡¯s quite likely that a brilliant tactical genius could sense and appreciate the daring Contender who would forge such a dark wonder into being. Who knows? Perhaps a yearly tribute of high tech gear made in his pocket realm slave-forges will find itself in a certain Blue Corp holding account, a tribute that will only grow as Commander Grishum¡¯s territory increases as one of the VERY FEW paths by which living dream can earn the right to ascend in a newly blossoming world is forged! - Will you be Commander Grishum¡¯s hidden champion, or his ultimate nemesis, raiding and pillaging his resources to supply your own future armies every week? - The choice is yours!


    Stable Pocket Rift With Survivors! ¨C A dungeon rift mirroring a time that never was? Hardly anything so simple! This delve serves as a portal to the ACTUAL LOST version of Freetown on the very night of its pillaging! YOU now have a chance to rewrite destiny¡¯s tablet and rescue the survivors of this lost city! Bring over seven hundred survivors through the rift to a new life with your heroic daring, or dare to found a community in a pocket realm that will now forever be your own. Now truly one with Terra¡¯s fate, as is the pocket realm you yourself once forged into a world! (Even if this pocket realm is limited to a single square mile!)


    NOTE! Due to your background, one further option is available to you!


    Path of Consumption. - As a Crimson Contender, you have no use for the temptations of a pocket realm. Not when you can CONSUME it utterly! Who cares if this will lead to even greater territory instability?!? Embrace your darkest desires! CONSUME forevermore all the hopes and dreams trapped within this tiny pocket realm and grow into the Predator that the world is so RIGHT to fear! (Counts as a Lesser Territory) You may freely devour this territory for a PERMANENT +7.5 to Strength, +7.5 to Vitality, & + 5 to Soul Reserves!


    NOTE! All boons will be further multiplied by all applicable titles and attribute multipliers!


    BONUS BOON DETECTED!


    Though you will have to bear the burden of each trapped soul you failed to consume during your clear, you will enjoy the grandest of prizes! That priceless boon that allowed so many impossible permutations of this delve to manifest in the first place! (Of course you can¡¯t be sure it is what you think it is. All you know is that if it isn¡¯t, Freetown¡¯s fall... and intergalactic war (because you won¡¯t take that fall sitting on your ass) are all but assured!!)


    Knowing he didn¡¯t dare hesitate even a second, Eric made his choice.


    And the screams of desperate souls pleading for a savior, a champion, only to find themselves consumed to oblivion, were just as horrific as he had dreaded they would be.


    Each scream clawed at his mind like fingers against the chalkboard of his soul as he frantically raced along endless bank corridors he desperately held together with his vision before it all faded to oblivion, feeling the fires lighting the wick of his soul blazing to fresh hot life. Devouring additional months even as his body infused itself with yet more monstrous power. Power that turned Strength and Vitality boons all the way to +15 in each, after modifiers, and another 8 points in Soul Reserves as well.


    Yet even with Strength and Vitality now both in the 600s, it was all he could do to force shaking limbs to continue DOWN the funhouse mirror-filled hallway, having to pass so many images of himself old and withered with a shock of white hair¡­ or glimpses of desperate men and women, even children, reaching out to him, begging him for help¡­ yet when his hands desperately reached out to wrench at least one soul free of oblivion¡­ there was no thing but wisps of shattered dreams laced with the bitter taste of regret.


    Until he screamed. Screamed with such wrath and fury that could only be vented in a shout.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    And the funhouse mirrors of regret and despair shattered, as did the fading whispers of Malicious intent, revealing that which something or someone had tried so desperately to keep hidden from him.


    A sealed vault he just KNEW held the keys to an impossible fortune.


    A vault sealed by nothing more than a simple combination padlock that he knew no force on earth could destroy.


    So instead he spun the dial with trembling hands.


    And this time, unlike the lock to a certain bunker vault, it was his birthday, not his sister¡¯s, that opened the way to an entire vault filled with the breathtaking glitter of countless bricks of gold.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, flashing a smile of fierce jubilation but refusing to waste a single SECOND as he jammed his hand against the closest golden brick. Visualizing them as ALL being connected just a heartbeat before the image faded to dreams and bitter regret.


    Yet before he tore himself apart playing the fool once more, he spat out his holdout soul-bound blaster rifle, not even bothering to secure it from fading into oblivion as he claimed the prize he prayed would be enough to save the city he had all but died to forge and defend.

 Chapter 410 - Rescuing Freetown I

    Congratulations! You are the first Contender in the Northeast Quadrant to achieve 500 Perception! You now enjoy a +40% Bonus (100% inclusive of all other modifiers) to all additional Perception points earned!


    Congratulations! You are the first Contender in the Northeast Quadrant to achieve 500 Spiritual Energy! You now enjoy a +40% Bonus (100% inclusive of all other modifiers) to all additional Spiritual Energy points earned!


    Congratulations! You have achieved Rank 10 in the spell: Psionic Rupture!


    Journeyman Tier achieved! You now enjoy a permanent +3 to your Psionic Potential!


    You may now choose to evolve your spell along multiple paths!


    Potency ¨C Because nothing says FUCK YOU to your foes like popping their skulls with the MIGHT of your WRATH! Enjoy a permanent +50% raw damage output, multiplicative with everything else, every time you unleash this spell! Of course you yourself will also suffer 50% more damage backlash, but with over 8000 Health, what¡¯s a few more points of damage to assure that your enemy¡¯s skulls ALWAYS explode with the essence of Wrath cutting through ALL resistance with your higher order attack sufficient even to kill your Mind Lord Half-brother! (Not that we¡¯re actually going to admit the bio-part out loud, are we, hero? Fallen Seraphim blood alone (ha ha) fills your bloodthirsty veins! - Because remember¡­ there IS no fight club! Only GLORIOUS skull popping explosions every time you unleash your FAVORITE SPELL!)


    Grace ¨C Sure! You can blast skulls and steel doors and one day tanks with your mind alone. But how about unleashing your deadliest attack with such grace that you don¡¯t end up popping the poor skull of the hot elven chick you TOTALLY want to hook up with once you get back to Freetown? Because nothing says ¡®I love you¡¯ to the mother of your future ? Elven, ? Seraphim, ? (CENSORED) babies than NOT popping mommy¡¯s skull like an egg being smashed against a concrete wall every time you shout out your FAVORITE SPELL! (As an added bonus, you¡¯ll stop taking catastrophic & near-unhealable damage from your own attack! Won¡¯t that be nice?)


    ADDITIONAL OPTIONS DETECTED


    You have Achieved over 500 in Vitality!


    You have achieved over 500 in Perception!


    Vitality & Perception are in the top 1% of Terran Leaderboards!


    Your Vitality & Perception are Ranked #1 Within your local quadrant!


    Your Willpower is over 100!


    You have forged a Half-step Silver Underlord with Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability.


    You have survived a Mind Duel with a Bronze-tier Psionicist!


    A UNIQUE ASCENSION PATH IS NOW OPEN TO YOU!


    DENSE NEURONS. - You¡¯re no genius. Far from it! As far as the Psionicist¡¯s arts go, you UTTERLY lack the neuro clusters allowing most Psionicists, even base humans, to develop Psionic Counter Resonances that naturally appear in any Classer or Mortal with 20 or more in Psionic Potential!


    What could one expect? You¡¯re (supposedly) a half-elf!


    HOWEVER you¡¯re monstrous Vitality and unbreakable Willpower has given you the potential to be SO MUCH MORE than most Sylvan flotsam so commonly at the mercy of any and every Mind Lord! Thanks to your recent battle with a Mind Lord who died just heartbeats before he could CRUSH YOUR BRAIN, your 500 Perception allowed you to sense with exquisite clarity attacks emanating from the Psion Dimenson (so utterly different from the quasi-spiritual realms of charm, seduction, and horror Sylvans and Seraphims use to persuade, enrapture, or destroy the minds of their lovers and foes!)


    Perhaps you didn¡¯t focus on improving your Psionic Shout at all during your final boss-fight!


    Perhaps your most recent struggle simply provided you the breakthrough needed to ascend in ways few elves could dream of, understanding with exquisite clarity just how to reinforce and enhance your Synaptic links to have just a SLIVER of Psion Resistance that ALL elves (normally) lack completely!


    Though you will only receive a fraction of a fraction of the Physical and Mental resistance normally used to counter charms, enchantments, and physical abuse, and your defense will have nothing to do with your Psionic Potential, it will be SOMETHING. And that could make all the difference between Life, Death, and instant obliteration! NOTE ¨C Your Psionic foes can STILL read (save for Phoenix Ring interference) your absurdly simplistic Sylvan mind. It¡¯s just that your neurons are now so absurdly reinforced that they will find it at least a bit harder to destroy your brain than they otherwise would!


    In the timeless moments that Eric found himself thrust from one dying pocket realm to a violently ascending territory, his mind flashed with a stream of interface messages that sent chills through his soul. He did his best to ignore the unusually spicy quips that his interface was giving him, pretty sure that was the price he had to pay, the existential dread of being forced to accept just what vile ichor might be crawling through his veins¡­ the farthest thing from any casual hit & run midnight fling of his mothers. To think that he might actually be half¡ªAnd none of that mattered in the least as he was presented with a possible evolution perk that could change absolutely EVERYTHING!


    As much as a part of him was beyond eager to follow in his daughter¡¯s footsteps and see just how absurdly Potent he could make his attacks, as much as another part of him was eager for the ability to unleash Fragor without having to worry about Elly¡¯s safety, a strikingly capable and resilient woman who he was increasingly willing to accept that he found both hauntingly beautiful and utterly alluring, no matter that she was well over a century old. Even if it was just Sylvan instincts compelling him, he was so tired of being alone, so wanted someone he could hold and cherish and who, as a Bronze-tier Contender herself with 200+ Strength, was strong enough that he didn¡¯t have to worry about her safety, should he surrender to his passions in her embrace...


    It was the final option that called out to him like no other.


    Even if it would do absolutely nothing to enhance or make any safer his one Psionic attack. Even if the boon he would gain would do absolutely nothing to enhance the shout itself¡­ that didn¡¯t matter. After being forced to endure feeling so vulnerable for so long against a Psionicist¡¯s displeasure, fearing for so long in the back of his mind the Lythid menace that he was pretty damned sure had already overrun Gilton, turning his garden hydroponic sanctuary into Squid-abomination breeding grounds¡­ knowing that one day he would have to face down those abominations, no matter how utterly vulnerable he was¡­ a final Malice card to assure that whatever happened to Earth the elves sure as hell weren¡¯t getting it¡­ the idea of receiving any Psionic Defenses at all, even if it was just a tiny fraction of his other resistances, was still INFINITELY better than having no defense at all.


    So it wasn¡¯t a choice to ponder. The instant he was aware of the possibility, it had retroactively became his reality, his profound epiphany after feeling the HORROR of his half-brother coming so close to squeezing tight and OBLITERATING his terrifyingly vulnerable mind. It was in that instant that he felt a shiver of revelation, knowing EXACTLY how he had to strengthen his pathetically fragile synaptic links. His mind rapidly blossomed under countless insights and epiphanies as each and every precious neuron managed to reinforce themselves with a portion of his Physical and Mental resistances.


    A fraction of a fraction that ended up being far more significant than even he had dared to hope.


    Yet he had been shockingly foolish not to understand the inevitable consequences of his choice as he collapsed to the ground, screaming, silvery blood pouring from every orifice of his skull as his irises turned a fiery Silver hue, interface words lancing his brain as the system¡¯s worm-like sapient threads slivered through every synaptic link of his neuromatrix and reforged him anew.


    Evolution Successfully Embraced!


    You have SAVED versus catastrophic neuronal cascade (with a little help from your friends!)


    Your increasing mastery over Psionic forms normally alien to you tribe has borne fruit! After daring to take on a Mind Lord that could have so easily destroyed you, your mind now knows how to naturally adapt to extra-dimensional attacks that would otherwise assure your doom.


    A counter-resonance shell will NEVER be within your purview!


    But Neurons infused with Conceptio¡¯s own Silbion filaments are now your own!


    Rejoice! For this trait will now be lovingly passed to ALL your descendants, intricately woven with the System¡¯s blessings for ALL TIME!


    Every future phoenix blossoming from your loins to realms of Golden wonder will now bear the System¡¯s GLORIOUS MARK! Allowing your fragile tribe to better weather life¡¯s Psionic storms.


    Your Psionic Resistance is now = to ? of your Physical Resistance + ? of your Mental Resistance.


    You now have a natural Psionic Resistance of 58!


    ¡°Ernest! Are you alright? Ernest!¡±


    It was long moments before the awful haze of disorientation, confusion, and the hideously awful feeling of cold silvery worms slithering through every facet of his quivering shrieking mind finally abated, leaving Eric feeling dazed, drunk, and filled with such horror.


    It was long moments before he could even form a single cogent thought, taking scarce comfort that Elly¡¯s shrieks were every bit as loud as his own.


    It was only when he finally caught his breath, regained his senses as his fingers clawed and left deep furrows in the basalt that the last of his sobs died off.


    ¡°Ernest! Are you awake, buddy?¡± Lone¡¯s concerned violet eyes met Eric¡¯s own as he drew a shuddering breath, finally coming back to himself, gazing at the world through brand new eyes, noting that everything seemed clearer and sharper with his latest Perception breakthrough, forcing himself to focus on the simple feel of a thousand grains of sand caressing his flesh, the warm throbbing power of a physique so monstrously strong that his might was the equivalent of thirty Olympians and that his mind hardly felt like it had been devoured by millions of tingling silk worms squirming through every nook and cranny of his brain.


    Instead he, focused on the absolutely wondrous, gloriously absurd number that he had never expected to see. Far beyond the painfully glaring Zero it had always been before.


    His Psionic Resistance¡­ he actually had it!


    And if a single point of Physical resistance meant he could take a punch, and 20 points meant he could take a 9 millimeter bullet¡­ If 30 points meant he could survive a shotgun slug or an orc musket ball fired at close range with only a bruise to show for it, and 100 points meant he could survive a 12-pounder cannonball with only a few ribs cracking¡­


    He shook his head, tuning out Lone¡¯s increasingly worried tone and the near catatonic state of half the party, allowing himself to savor for just a few precious glorious moments a number he had never expected to see. Never dreamed of seeing!


    He would have been happy with a Psionic Resistance of 10. Outright ecstatic if it was all the way up to 20, praying it would be enough to allow him to survive at least non-focused Psionic Screams from low level squid brains who could otherwise pop his skull with a thought.


    The number blaring across his interface was 58.


    By some glorious miracle, thanks to granting him a full 1/4th of both Mental and Physical Resistance, as if both stats together were what was strengthening his neurons in a direct, physical sense¡­ he now actually had a Psionic Resistance of 58!


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure if he wanted to laugh or cry.


    For long moments, he just let his exhausted mind drift, feeling as if he had just run a marathon and barely had the energy to think¡­ while simultaneously never having felt as strong, invigorated, and whole as he did right then.


    Even if he simultaneously wanted to claw open his own skull and scrub clean his own brain.


    Since that wasn¡¯t really an option, he just closed his eyes and took slow, deep breaths. Focusing only on this moment, letting the absolute horror of what he had endured in what had objectively only been an eyeblink in time slowly fade away¡­ focusing on his connection to the reality all around him.


    The reality of his own existence.


    He took desperate comfort in the tingle of the hard basalt slab covered in gritty sand, the warmth of the sun upon his shivering flesh¡­ the glare of one of the very few members of his mercenary crew that were actually upright and functioning, not slumped over in an exhausted and stunned heap, just like him.


    ¡°Ernest! Snap out of it, bro. We need you!¡±


    Eric groaned, suppressing a shudder as he stumbled to his feet. He caught Lone¡¯s concerned gaze as the world started spinning, mustard yellow skies flipping places with basalt rock and he fought the overwhelming urge to hurl. Then, with a single lurched step and a deep breath of spice-scented air, it passed.


    He blinked and swallowed, all his focus now on the anxious-looking man before him.


    Despite his queasiness of a second before, it was all he could do not to grin, his body tingling with a sense of wellness, his muscles ripe with a sense of explosive power he didn¡¯t think he had fully appreciated until that very moment.


    And his mind¡­ never had his thoughts felt so sharp, so clear!


    So resilient. He shuddered, caught between the horrific epiphany of recalling in contrast how hideously vulnerable he had been just seconds ago¡­ like a man in full plate missing only the chest piece to cover his heart racing into battle¡­ and now that piece was finally intact, right where it belonged! The transient flaw of a fiery phoenix that had no fleshly vulnerability, or a 4-Dimensonal Seraphim whose natural form transcended any such flaws at all¡­ but Aurelia compressed in a mortal shell had indeed been so horrifically vulnerable to that one branch of overlapping forces and fields¡­ a vulnerability she had passed to all her children, playing so many cards of fate and folly to assure no Mindlord would hunt down such easy prey over who knew how many ascensions.


    Until this one.


    The final one.


    The crucible of her ascension¡­.


    The killing fields of the demon lord so eager to destroy all her progeny, save for the tools he¡¯d used so ruthlessly in his attempts to ascend to heaven.


    Before being foiled at the very end.


    And now Earth had been infested with Squid-brains and Psionic Classers in at least a few discreet pockets Eric damn well knew he¡¯d have to face down sooner or later.


    Because as weak and vulnerable as he still felt, against those foes, his sister¡¯s entire faction had absolutely no defense at all.


    It was for that reason and that reason alone that Eric told himself that he was okay with what had been done to him, his body and mind and very DNA infused with the blessing of an AI that Eric was both grateful for and absolutely terrified of, forced to wonder if he was even himself at all.


    The air cracked with the sound of snapping fingers as Captain Bennett was suddenly in his face, intent no-nonsense violet eyes gazing into Eric¡¯s own.


    ¡°Ernest, you got yourself together? Because half my crew is out, our ATV is ruined, and the windstorm has never been worse!¡±


    That alone jolted Eric out of his stupor. ¡°Elly, is she okay?¡± He gazed about even as he said the words, earning a snort from the captain.


    ¡°Worried about my ace-sniper? Good. Because whatever the hell happened hit her hard and the sooner we can finish this mession and get out of here¡­ the better.¡±


    Eric tensed up at those words, shaking off the last of his dazed horror, already fading away like a dream as he snapped his focus into the here-and-now. ¡°Details.¡±


    The captain gazed at Eric for long moments, his expression utterly unreadable. ¡°Did you know?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    The increasing weight of Bennett¡¯s gaze brought a flush to Eric¡¯s cheeks, suddenly recalling some of the final cheerful interface lines flickering across his mind¡¯s eye before he had been overwhelmed by an utterly brutal transformation of his own.


    Yet the captain¡¯s only answer was to turn to Lone. ¡°Status?¡±


    ¡°Elly¡¯s still unresponsive. Svena, Myl, and Naje are out cold.¡±


    Eric¡¯s stomach twisted at those words.


    Bennett gave Eric a measuring look. ¡°Are you ready for us to head back to Freetown?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, though I think we need to be careful. Because clearly the Bloodtear Syndicate¡¯s not above pulling out all the stops, and for all we know, used every last credit they could beg, buy, or borrow to hire additional mercenary companies to bar our way back.¡±


    Lone chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what the captain said just five minutes ago, while you were frothing on the ground.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Seriously? I was frothing?¡±


    ¡°And kicking your heels, screaming like your soul was on fire. But we knew better than to get too close. You see all the cracked stone you were cratered in the center of? Yeah. That was you, buddy. Besides, the interface said you were in perfect health. Never better, in fact, so we left you well enough alone. Don¡¯t worry, though. Our power armor protected us from the shrapnel.¡±


    Eric winced, deliberately not looking back at the crater of shattered rubble he had stumbled out of during his still dizzy moments. Instead, he looked at the prone figures Lone was tending over. ¡°System says everyone¡¯s fine,¡± Eric cautiously noted.


    ¡°Yup, that it does. Even if Elly¡¯s catatonic and the others won¡¯t wake up.¡± Lone gave a tired sigh, flashing Eric a rueful smile. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you can get the monstrous World Eater coiled up in a dome all a round us to unslither and give us all a ride to Freetown?¡±


    Eric felt an unexpected ache in his chest, jogging over to Elly¡¯s side. ¡°Elly, are you with us? We¡¯re going to be heading to Freetown now, okay?¡± He swallowed, gazing down into Emerald green eyes leaking tears before gently patting her hand.


    ¡°She¡¯s been like that since I woke up,¡± Lone said, his own gaze filled with an odd mixture of concern and wonder. ¡°It¡¯s the oddest thing. I don¡¯t even remember stumbling out of that delve. It now feels no more real than a dream, despite the priceless prize of a T-3 minigun that will actually work in a delve! But what I feel so viscerally is that now, well, like anything¡¯s possible.¡±


    Eric turned to the man, meeting his intent gaze. ¡°It sounds like you had a breakthrough of sorts.¡±


    Lone blinked, exchanging a look with the captain, before turning back to Eric. ¡°Yeah, Ernest, it does.¡±


    He tilted his head thoughtfully as Eric patted the side of his Titan Wyrm and the massive giant slowly and carefully began to unwind and submerge into the rock that parted like water for it. Of course that cost them their shelter as the glaring light and howling winds washed over them once more.


    In less than a minute, the wyrm had slid its massive body so that only its apex where the bone seats and reinforced recliners were located was above ground, and in less than a minute, Eric had his sleeping and comatose friends secure once more, though he took an extra minute to gently squeeze Elly¡¯s hand before wrapping a thin strip of cloth over her eyes to protect them from the glare.


    He then took a deep breath, daring to laugh with wonder as his half-step Silver Underlord raised its head high, giving Eric a magnificent view of the surrounding desert, despite the howling winds.


    ¡°Ernest¡­¡±


    Eric turned around, smiling at the captain. ¡°Eric¡¯s fine, remember?¡±


    The man snorted. ¡°Sure. Any reason why you¡¯re not calming these winds?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Actually yes. It¡¯s like Elly said. The desert sands cut down visibility so much that any goblin spotter lacking a reinforced vehicle, your power armor, or my resilience will find themselves sporting mana burns if they¡¯re not stripped of flesh entirely.¡±


    ¡°Sure. But like Riz, may he rest in piece said, it does hell on our equipment!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but smile at that. ¡°Really? Tell me, Captain, did you change out of your enchanted Power Armor now bound to your Mana Pool the second you slipped free of the portal, or are you still wearing it?¡±


    Bennett¡¯s eyes widened. He exchanged a look with Lone. ¡°Shit. We didn¡¯t¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin widened. ¡°And I¡¯d be more than a bit surprised if spicy mana-rich sands is doing jack shit to what are, after all, delve derived arcane treasures. But if I¡¯m wrong? Tell me.¡±


    This earned a pair of scowls, but it was obvious from their expressions that whatever they were looking at, the results surprised them. ¡°Fuck, captain. He¡¯s right! My armor¡¯s still at 100% Hell, my mana reserves aren¡¯t even being touched! It¡¯s like it¡¯s running happily on the ethereal mana alone!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± the captain grumbled.


    ¡°Not if it¡¯s magic, am I right?¡± Eric flashed a cheeky smile. ¡°Even better, we both know what will happen to anyone looking to intercept us at this point, don¡¯t we?¡±


    Lone chuckled approvingly. ¡°Fucker¡¯s ATV¡¯s will be breaking down hella fast. And as long as your mount quits making those bone jarring thrumming calls it favors, our foes won¡¯t be able to track shit!¡±


    ¡°Not visually,¡± Bennett agreed. ¡°But if they have the right vibration sensors¡­¡±


    ¡°Which they don¡¯t, captain. I¡¯d bet money on it. No more than we did.¡±


    Eric smiled in approval of the man¡¯s insights, quietly instructing his mount to keep it¡¯s excited cries with the sheer joy of LIFE as it flowed effortlessly through seas of sand and stone at a far softer decibel, Eric and Wormy both reveling in the feel of the sun upon its massive scales and the delightful tingle of wild magic in the air.


    Eric took a deep breath and laughed for sheer joy at the wonder of it all, before looking back with a worried smile for his still comatose friends, though he felt a fierce surge of relief to see Elly¡¯s smile now matching his own, her blindfold removed, finally awake in full.


    Her chuckle matched his own as she sprung from her seat, stretched, and sauntered over to where he stood on his mount. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m waking from a nightmare into a glorious dream,¡± her soft voice whispered into his ear, sending a delightful shiver down his spine. When Eric felt her hand slip into his own, he couldn¡¯t help but grin. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.


    He turned to gaze into beautiful emerald green eyes, her power armor face plate lowered, allowing her strawberry blond curls to whip freely in the howling wind.


    Eric¡¯s smile matched her own. ¡°Morning, beautiful,¡± he quipped.


    So she leaned over and kissed him, filling him with a warmth and hunger that he refused to deny or regret. His heart started to race, happy to ignore the cheers of their companions, savoring her lavender scent, and the spicy aroma of so much more.


    Yet the kiss was awkward as hell in her battle armor. But before he could break away with a chuckle the barrier between them was gone and it was the warmth of her skin-tight mesh-suit was suddenly against his mithril mail. And the way she laughed at his look of surprise as she hooked his ankle and fell on top of them was priceless. Fortunately, the massive width of Eric¡¯s mount and their superhuman Finesse meant that they were in no danger of falling off, though Eric let loose of husky groan, not giving a crap that they were very much on display, so desperately hungry for the striking Sylvan beauty with high cheekbones, pouty lips, and a hungry smile as she gazed down at him with bedroom eyes. ¡°I want you, Ernest Slaughter.¡±


    Eric swallowed, heart pounding. ¡°Me too.¡±


    She snorted at that. ¡°So take off your clothes and make love to me.¡±


    ¡°In front of everyone?¡±


    She chuckled throatily. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    Eric¡¯s wicked smile met her own as a half dozen velociraptors suddenly leaped onto Wormy, forming a discrete barrier between a snorting Captain, chuckling lone, and Eric and the girl he was suddenly so hungry for that he had no words.


    Just lips to quench her husky chuckle, and mithril armaments and skin suit that desperate fingers pulled himself free of and into the care of a raptor playing gracious butler, keeping Eric¡¯s priceless treasures that he could no longer internally store safe.


    This earned a throaty chuckle even as Eric¡¯s eyes widened with sudden worry, finally thinking past the fog of passions so long denied. ¡°Elly, the wild mana spice!¡±


    Before he could say another word, she bit his lip and dove in for a passionate kiss, parting for air long seconds later, with her mischievous hands wrapped around a prize of a different sort. ¡°Healed.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened at those words, tender hands brushing her cheek. ¡°Elly. Your Mana Channels! Are you saying what I think you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    She cut off his words with a kiss, fierce and savage and desperately hungry as she guided Eric to blissful warmth that filled him with a joy so sharp and profound that he cried out in her arms.


    ¡°Healed. Thanks to you, Ernest. I¡¯m free of pain. For the first time in decades, I¡¯m free of pain! And my magic. It¡¯s back. All of it! Healed as if that magebane dagger had never struck me, a Bronze Tier monster had never doomed me, a greater ritual hadn¡¯t ruptured at the worst possible moment. As if that trifecta of grief and pain had never happened. I¡¯m healed, Eric,¡± she sobbed even as Eric shuddered with desperate need.


    ¡°I¡¯m whole again. Myself again. And I know¡­ you don¡¯t have to say a word, but I know it¡¯s because of you. You sweet, beautiful, glorious Contender, pulling miracles out of your pants and saving us, restoring us, redeeming us...¡±


    Her eyes, now taking up his world, locked with his own. ¡°Claiming us. Giving us what we so desperately needed. Now prove to me just how much of a hero you are, Ernest Slaughter. This elven maiden needs you desperately, so don¡¯t you dare let her down!¡±


    Her throaty chuckle turned to a gasp and a cry of sweetest bliss as Eric did his absolute best to show her just what he was capable of.


    ***


    Eric allowed himself to drift off in sweetest bliss. Hugged by a bed of soft mesh suits, wrapped in the arms of a beautiful woman singing a soft melody as she stroked his thick crimson locks, smiling as he felt her soft fingertips stroke his chest before feather-light lips caressed his own.


    Twinkling green eyes filled with a mischievous smile made him grin in turn.


    ¡°Thank you for rescuing this damsel, gracious hero.¡±


    ¡°Any time,¡± Eric grinned back, kissing her softly in turn as he wrapped her in his arms and held her close, blinking away an unexpected tear even as he felt his heart melt with warmth, which was absurd. This girl was a nearly two centuries-old mercenary, a Bronze-tier Classer, and fellow Contender who had fought on countless battlefields and certainly didn¡¯t need his goofy 19-year-old ass playing protector. Even if she hummed happily and seemed to melt in his arms, as if enjoying his touch, his protective embrace.


    ¡°Thank you for that,¡± she said huskily, before swallowing and giving a laugh that sounded almost like a sob. ¡°No¡­ I mean¡­ thank you for everything.¡±


    Eric kissed the nape of her neck. ¡°Please, just call me Eric.¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s your real name?¡±


    Eric swallowed, suppressing the sudden spike of dread he felt, gazing into her suddenly serious eyes, knowing that it was very important, the choice he would make right now would determine whether this was a one-time fling¡­ or perhaps so much more.


    Yet knowing how complex the System truly was¡­ how precarious a dance he walked with so many enemies playing spiritual cards filled with such malice and spite¡­ he knew he had to tread his words very carefully¡­ without breaking this beautiful elven girl¡¯s heart.


    Her expectant grin turned to a wistful smile. But before she could slip free of his embrace, he winked and whispered in her ear. ¡°Not as far as the Leaderboards are concerned. And the wise hero wears a cape he only slips off for the ones worthy of his heart.¡±


    Elly chuckled. ¡°And am I one of those worthy¡ª¡± Her eyes widened, suddenly get it. ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s right! The leaderboards can¡¯t be fooled, can they? And with those bounties on you head¡­¡± Her cheeks flushed, she lowered her gaze, which pulled Eric¡¯s eyes to luscious prizes far beyond the bounty on his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m a fool. Forgive me¡­ Ernest. I, of all people should know better than to pry into¡ª¡±


    Her words cut off when Eric¡¯s hungry lips met her own, the gentle spooning they had savored quickly turning to a different sort of caress.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he whispered huskily. ¡°I¡¯m betting there¡¯s a way you can make it up to me.¡±


    She gave a throaty chuckle and proceeded to do just that. And if a recently woken up and fully recovered Svena, her missing spleen and maimed injuries having miraculously healed, could be heard chuckling behind them, it was behind a wall of patient terror birds dutifully guarding Elly¡¯s honor. So Eric decided he had far more important things to worry about. Like giving Elly as much happiness as he possibly could in the precious time they could savor together before things got deadly serious once more.


    ¡°So what happens now?¡± Elly asked as she held him close, winding her fingers through his hair, her wearing her skin-suit and he fully kitted for battle once more. Fortunately the crimson mithril was now clean of scent and gore and the exquisitely constructed mail was as comfortable as armor got, so Elly could hug him almost as well as she could a few minutes before, when their hugs had been so much more.


    Eric smiled and leaned into Elly¡¯s touch. ¡°Now, we figure out the best way to slip past any more Bronze tier mercenaries without having to make it a slaughter fest, and I do my best to keep Freetown City truly free against all those eager to steel its fortunes and grind its people to dust.¡±


    Elly sighed, kissing his cheek as she leaned her chin against his shoulder. ¡°It will be dangerous, Eric. The bounties being offered¡­ the Bloodtear Faction has already enticed multiple companies that just signed on. That much Bennett could spot just by keeping an eye on the channels open to all of us Bronze mercenaries.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, his gaze never wavering from the windswept horizon that his 500 plus points in a Unified Perception allowed him to see far clearer than most.


    ¡°Any idea about their number, loadouts, and power levels?¡±


    ¡°Captain?¡±


    The clearly visible Bennett snorted, the pterodactyl decency squad having gone back to their patrol beside their Underlord. ¡°We¡¯re ready to get back to work then? Fine.¡±


    Eric smirked at that. All of them agreeing to pretend that Svena and Bennett hadn¡¯t been equally busy as the other guys pretended to nap.


    His voice turned serious. ¡°I see two major mercenary companies and¡­ crap¡­ seven smaller ones have all green-lit Bloodtear¡¯s open-ended contract for a hundred thousand retainer. There¡¯s a significant bonus just to make and report a sighting, so they aren¡¯t all necessarily looking to make a kill. But with Blackthorn and Red Reavers in the mix¡­ yeah. The big boys aren¡¯t doing this for small retainers, they¡¯re in it to score. From what I recall, both groups have fifty plus members, at least half a dozen of which will be elite, like ourselves.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Small fry scouting just trying to make a buck, and two major groups, each with half a dozen core members that we gotta watch for who will be shooting to kill. Any way I can differentiate how they ping on my Dominion Interface Map? I¡¯d rather not be killing innocent local classers just trying to level up and make some money who are in way over their heads.¡±


    Elly flinched at those words.


    Eric looked back at her in sudden concern. ¡°Elly?¡±


    Elly gave Eric a strangely sympathetic smile, darting in for a kiss and tousling his hair after exchanging a look with Bennett. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, hero. But no. From my Contender days¡­ unless you declare war against those specific companies¡­ there¡¯s no good way to distinguish them on our CIMs.¡±


    ¡°CIMs?¡±


    Elly smirked. ¡°Contender Interface Maps. Sorry, Eric. War is a bloody thing. It always is, it always was. And if you try to hold back too much¡­¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°I know. If you don¡¯t fight with ruthless zeal, all your good intentions and ideals will be bloody topsoil for the crops grown by ruthless psychopaths far crueller than you. You have to be ruthless during war and gracious during times of peace, or all the idealism in the world won¡¯t save your realm.¡±


    Elly gave him an odd look, before quirking a smile. ¡°So you are a student of history, then!¡±


    Eric blinked at that. ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of Aurelia Silver¡¯s most quoted phrases, at least among the worlds¡­ our worlds¡­ that comprise the Sylvan Alliance. We recognize her as the mother of our race. Her empire is our own, her lessons taught in Sylvan military academies to this day.¡±


    Her soft husky voice sent shivers down Eric¡¯s soul. It was all he could do not to claim her, again, right then and there. And the quirk to her luscious rose-colored lips made it clear that she could sense his hunger. Teasing eyes daring him to do just that. Then she furrowed her pretty brow. ¡°But Earth has been in ascension for just over a year¡­ right?¡± She shook her head in sudden confusion. ¡°Somehow it feels longer¡­ so much longer¡­ anyway, how do you know the phrase?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just something my old trainer used to say.¡±


    She blinked. ¡°You had a trainer?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°My mother¡¯s boyfriend, actually. But he was a great fencer and a fair tactician, or at least had charming English airs and caught my mother¡¯s fancy and somehow became my almost full-time trainer to whip me into shape for a movie that never did hit the big screen.¡±


    Elly¡¯s eyes widened with delight. ¡°Oh, your family was into performances? Wonderful! I would love to watch any recordings you might have.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sadly, Earth¡¯s tech only counted for a limited number of forces and fields of reality, and both computational science and all electronics pretty much crapped out when magic came fully online, back when all this started.¡±


    ¡°But Blue Corp is wonderful at archiving media from all sorts of technological paradigms and copying it in usable formats for entertainment, posterity, and research.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll have to see if I can commission a bunch of my sister¡¯s films.¡± His eyes then widened. ¡°Hell, I should have had that commissioned months ago! Once I found out we could save Super Punch Man¡­ I should have made that a priority with Caliban.¡±


    ¡°There you go, name-dropping again!¡± Snarked Svena.


    ¡°You know you love it,¡± Eric quipped.


    ¡°Not as much as I do,¡± Elly teased. So Eric kissed her, and got distracted all over again.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Bennett snapped, some time later. ¡°We¡¯re less than two miles out. We need a plan.¡±


    Eric pulled himself from lips promising paradise, but not before squeezing Elly¡¯s hand. ¡°When all this is over, you have to let me take you to my favorite restaurant in Freetown.¡±


    Elly¡¯s eyes widened. A slow flush crawled up her cheeks. ¡°I would love that,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Elly¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Captain.¡± She turned to Eric, her mana-linked power armor suddenly encasing her form, her gaze that of a professional once more. ¡°I think we need to take this seriously, lover. But it¡¯s definitely a date.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I agree,¡± he said, furrowing his brow as he pulled up his Dominion Interface Map, gazing thoughtfully at what it displayed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there are all sorts of ugly surprises that will spring up on my map the minute we cross territories. So, I say we avoid them altogether.¡±


    Elly smirked. ¡°A lovely option. So how do we do that, hero?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°By not exiting from this territory at all.¡±


    This earned a confused stare.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Look, instead of going up North, how about we go west, cross into the neighboring territory, then head north, then east. We¡¯ll enter Freetown territory from it¡¯s northwest side, where hopefully no one¡¯s expecting us.¡±


    Bennett frowned thoughtfully, before his craggy face broke in a hard, approving smile. ¡°I like it. Even if it means we¡¯re ascending up a half mile-high plateau we have absolutely no data on, it¡¯s the last place anyone would expect us to be coming from.


    Eric¡¯s smile was tinged with a sudden seed of doubt. ¡°Wait¡­ so no one has any idea what that territory holds at all?¡±


    Bennett chuckled coldly, eyes twinkling in challenge. ¡°Not a damned clue.¡±


    Eric sighed, closed his eyes, and focused on his Dominion Map Interface, before he lurched upright with a hiss. ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Problem?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah, there¡¯s a problem!¡± Eric swallowed his suddenly parched throat, pointing up at the star-filled sky. ¡°I¡¯ve just been informed that if I don''t make it back by the stroke of midnight, any claim I have to my assets in Freetown are nul and void.¡±

 Chapter 411 - Rescuing Freetown II

    The entire mercenary company froze at those words as Eric¡¯s eyes flickered over his sister¡¯s panicked message again.


    ES - EMERGENCY! Caliban¡¯s trying to get through to you. He¡¯s been trying all day! He says he can¡¯t, I don¡¯t know why! Anyway, the goblin assholes pulled another fast one. You thought you had 3 days to get what you needed? Wrong. The goblins just declared whatever happened in that Red Zone an act of war! They demanded that the counsel enact ¡®emergency precedents!¡¯ What that basically means is that during times of war, all goblin factions have the right to call in ALL outstanding contracts and debts within the day of declaration! - Do you get what I¡¯m saying bro? Caliban¡¯s so panicked that he actually told me just how much you need. 2 Bil in Gold? How? How are we supposed to get anything like that? So I told him don¡¯t do it! Caliban says he has no choice! That a disputed contract full of goblin clauses lacking iron-clad conditions...a contract he has no recollection of signing yet somehow did¡­ somehow you both did¡­ left the deciding vote to the hands of a Planetary Council that we know is in the goblin pockets? How the fuck could you be so stupid!?


    ES ¨C Fuck. Sorry, bro. This is not your fault. None of this is. Asshole elite scummy barrister professionals aligning all their political pawns against 18-year-old kids is not fair, but it is what it is, bro. Caliban made it clear that Blue Federation will demand he YIELD to the goblins for the sake of their non-aggression accords which are somehow strained because they helped our ancient ancestor take over a good chunk of the sector. But it was 2000 years ago, yet they¡¯re still on thin ice? Does this make any sense? Why does this feel so otherworldly to me? Why do I not already know this? Why do I feel like we were in the thick of something¡­ just a week ago? - Doesn¡¯t matter. All that matters is that if you can¡¯t pull off a miracle, you and me and whatever ¡®friends¡¯ you can bring will be taking on the goblin faction and all their assassins without any Blue Corp allies in the sector.


    ES ¨C I think maybe it¡¯s time for that emergency parachute we somehow have? 5 Bil to our name (not in gold, sadly, just Blue Corp credits. Good EVERYWHERE but for this contract, ha ha.) and we leave this fucking rigged game.


    Eric paled, clenching his fists with rage.


    ¡°Those fuckers set us up. There was no fucking way we could win,¡± Eric said, fighting not to laugh at the twisted irony of it all.


    ¡°Explain,¡± Elly asked, her professional mien cracking with obvious concern for the boy she had just made love to.


    He flashed a bitter smile. ¡°The asshole goblins that tried to set us up to be monster food. When that didn¡¯t work, they sent out a major mercenary corp to eliminate us¡­ those asshole goblins? Well, they just informed the Northeast Counsel that they are at war with me after I somehow took out their precious killers, and so they now magically have the right to demand immediate payment of all contractual debt between them and any other party!¡±


    Elly gazed at Eric in open-mouthed disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    Bennett gave a cold chuckle, shaking his head with a hard grin. ¡°Just like a fucking goblin to arrest you for the crime of escaping their own twisted charges.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s complete fucking BULLSHIT!¡± Eric snapped. ¡°I sure as SHIT never signed anything with any weak-ass clause like that on it, but of course that¡¯s what I woke up being forced to deal with, and now the corrupt asshole Northeast Counsel has legitimized the goblin¡¯s emergency precedent! So if I don¡¯t get my ass to Freetown with a pot full of fucking gold by the stroke of midnight, the Goblins, at least as far as my own fucking human faction is concerned, get Freetown and both banks and we¡¯re completely screwed. Unless I then formally declare war with the entire goblin faction! And Caliban¡¯s not allowed to declare war because doing so will jeopardize Blue Faction¡¯s stance as a peaceful neutral party so he¡¯ll have to take one up the ass for the fucking team and this is UTTER AND COMPLETE BULLSHIT!¡±


    The entire crew gazed at Eric with an odd mixture of dismay and pity.


    Eric knew he was giving away far more than he should, but at that moment he was too furious to care.


    Lone whistled. ¡°Wow. I knew that the goblins played hardball but I never thought¡­ shit.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I guess every single last account I heard about goblin treachery was true. No matter how good a deal with those motherfuckers is, assume the goods are hot, always pay up front, in cash, 100% and never, ever, ever, no matter how enticing the terms might look¡­ never sign any paper any goblin or their representative sends your way.¡±


    Bennett¡¯s gaze was that of a commander awaiting orders. ¡°Alright. According to our System clocks, we have exactly 1 hour and 37 minutes to get through any barriers our foes put in our way and get you to your meeting spot in Freetown. Do you know where exactly it is?¡±


    Eric blinked, feeling a cold chill at that. And a sudden jolt of insight as well. ¡°Hold on a minute. I have an idea!¡±


    ER ¨C Calibro! It¡¯s your friendly neighborhood Necromancer King! You Blues offer Sanctuary status, unlimited legal representation and VIP pads to any cool cat sliding territories your way, right? All that along with a 10% cut of the action. Am I right, my man?


    Eric clenched his jaw, already preparing for his next step as he sent his Underlord a quick series of mental instructions. A single bob of the massive head that had Lone cursing under his breath and Myl laughing with delight despite the seriousness of the situation made it clear that his orders were understood and would be obeyed.


    C ¨C This is Lord Caliban Caerulus. That is correct. This is Ernest Slaughter?


    Eric swallowed the lump of relief in his throat, grateful his friend wasn¡¯t wasting time.


    ER ¨C That¡¯s right, my man Caliban! I don¡¯t got no hot territories to flip for some quick cash yet, but I will soon, believe you me! In the meantime, I need some place safe to store my sweet, sweet, CASH! Gold doubloons and all the good stuff! I don¡¯t suppose we can meet at my peep Grim¡¯s house? He¡¯s a man who understands the finer things in life and all the dark crimson goodness that is out there!


    Eric clenched his jaw, realizing he was making a crucial mistake. But just to be sure


    ER ¨C Lord Grim. This is Ernest Slaughter. Necromancer King. I went by another name once in a timeline that was everything, just three days ago. In that timeline, there was a grandson with the initials S.O. once thought lost who was found and rescued. And even though he never returned to his Freetown home, in a twin world he blossomed into a beloved cultivator in a lifetime that bloomed in a single season. A world now connected to a territory I will be reclaiming VERY soon.


    ER - Of course, for all I know, in this timeline S.O. Is alive and well in Freetown still¡­ but I sense the golden cords connecting and stabilizing 2 sacred worlds that not even the talisman in play can break, so if you ever had dreams that S.0. Is alive and well¡­ or his great great grandchildren are alive and well, cultivating in a beautiful valley full of clear blue lakes, grand sparkling waterfalls, and endless groves of peach trees perfuming the air with countless peach blossoms¡­ let¡¯s just say that you are not alone in that dream, my friend of a lifetime ago.


    Eric swallowed, hating the fact that neither figure was messaging him for painfully long moments even as he turned to address his mercenary crew, already knowing what his next move had to be.


    ¡°Alright, Bennett, here¡¯s my next step. I¡¯m going to head directly to Freetown, going as fast as I can.¡± He flashed a hard smile. ¡°And believe me. That is fast. In the meantime, I¡¯d like to have Wormy bring you guys back to your compound. He¡¯ll take an indirect path, skirting an orange territory before hitting the Southeast edge of Freetown territory and sliding right into your neck of the woods. Once he hits White territory, he¡¯ll be all but submerged. You¡¯ll basically be on a floating rug just a few feet above him, and our velociraptors will hunker down like thick ridges on his skin. Hopefully that should allow you all to head home without anyone being the wiser.


    ¡°Wormy will then circle around your compound with plenty of space, because he¡¯s a fucking World Eater, and he¡¯ll only pop up if reds come your way. Any reds come your way, he¡¯ll order the velociraptors to eliminate the pests coming for you while wormy himself raises himself up and loops around the compound like a big Titan Wyrm force dome. Sound good?¡±


    Bennett frowned. ¡°Did I not have to worry about goblin assassins who hopefully won¡¯t even be looking your way, I¡¯d say it¡¯s an insane spur-of-the-moment plan.¡±


    ¡°But it does assure seventy half-step Bronze revenants and an actual half-step Silver titan are watching our backs,¡± Svena noted with a wry smile.


    Bennett sighed. ¡°That it does. And it would increase our durability and firepower by an order of magnitude. So yes. We¡¯ll accept. On the condition that this situation is temporary and you reach out to us the instant the situation at your end changes, for better or worse.¡±


    Elly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a big world out there, Eric, and there are other settled and sane cities we could set up shop in. New York, Philadelphia, Evergreen, Boston, even Richmond. All stable cites in white tier territories, at least a few ruled by democratic city counsels.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°And a few ruled by slavers and tyrants, and New York is yet another bastion of the goblin faction, even if they don¡¯t own it outright. Yet.¡± He forced his bitter smile to soften. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elly. I got this. By this time tomorrow, we¡¯ll be checking out all that Freetown has to offer. Together.¡±


    Elly¡¯s hopeful gaze hardened with concern.


    ¡°Eric, what are you going to do? You can¡¯t charge right through three layers of scouts, snipers, and heavy artillery specialists waiting to take you down!¡±


    Eric chuckled softly, stealing a kiss on Elly¡¯s perfectly soft and smooth cheek. ¡°Watch me,¡± he whispered in her ear, before taking off like the wind.


    You have embraced Speed Racer II! You may now proceed in any direction on any surface as if it were flattop! Inertia and wind resistance may be mitigated by 2 orders of magnitude!


    Eric couldn¡¯t help chuckling at the friendly reminder of the absolute sweetest perk evolution he could have hoped for, now putting every last point of his utterly absurd 882 Quickness to the test as he sprinted for all he was worth, racing in a straight line for where his map interface still pinged Grim¡¯s manor as being, no matter what was under his feet.


    ¡°Shit, Bennett¡­ he¡¯s running on air! That kid is running on air as fast as a bullet train!¡±


    ¡°I know, Naje. I see it too.¡±


    ¡°Is that what it¡¯s like to be a Contender, Elly?¡±


    Laughter filled the air. ¡°Sure as hell, that wasn¡¯t what it was like for me. We were already three centuries in. I could just barely taste living legend. Ernest? That boy IS a living legend. Forging a tale that will humble us all.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t quite hold back a smile, now moving so fast that the sound behind him was no longer hitting his ears, despite his monstrous Perception. It was via the party interface alone that he made out the words at his back.


    In that moment, racing across flattop made of nothing but air, with wild winds blowing all around him but not touching a hair on his head, Eric laughed with joy and wonder at the sheer madness of racing fifty yards above the ground as the stars glittered overhead, and the air filled with sudden flashes of plasma as the first blockade of scouts and snipers made themselves known.


    Eric didn¡¯t both striking back. Partly it was prudence. A hard to identify target whipping through the night time sky was the farthest thing from confirming his nature with runic spells tearing apart the land or the flash of his crimson blade. Partly it was mercy. The thought of looking into what could have been Ella¡¯s eyes, a beautiful woman that had filled him with such joy to embrace, just knowing that she had a wealth of insights, humorous anecdotes and special moments to share with him, should they both be brave enough to unveil their hearts and seriously get to know one another. And all that could have been forever lost, with a single bad choice and mission away from her death, or his, being a tragic reality. How many of these mercenaries would go home to loved ones after their mission? For all he knew, they were told that Ernest Slaughter, the Necromancer King, was a genuine threat to the entire city, and they¡¯d be heroes for bringing him down.


    But mostly it was practicality. All his focus was in weaving and juking and diving low as he transitioned from howling desert winds that barely brushed his skin to the rich scents of forest loam, wildflowers, and pine as cracked basalt sand-swept lands were replaced by scrublands quickly turning to a lush forest underneath a star-filled sky.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    A forest he raced on the treetops of, now angled so that he was all but impossible for any of the light blinking reds on his map to even sense let alone get a lock on, the handful of perk-boosted shots that still had no hope of hitting him quickly dying away to nothing. And how easy it might have been to think that Eric had been nothing more than a wild mutated bird flashing across their interface, then gone.


    That was when he heard it, radio-frequency signals cutting through the air.


    Perception + Universal Translator check made! You can actually parse and decipher power armor transmissions within close proximity, even when the senders are not in your sight!


    Eric blinked at that. It had been one thing to parse high frequency communication between the occasional power armored opponent he was just a few feet away from. But for his brain to actually be at the point where he could catch and decipher at least a few of those messages while racing through the air?


    He shook his head in awed disbelief before groaning, suddenly aware of a background static hum he suspected he would have far rather remained blissfully unaware of, not really wanting what was effectively low-grade tinnitus.


    Fortunately, his ability allowed him to tune it out, even as high pitched crackling signals instantly translated as voices became clear.


    ¡°Target lost, Sergeant!¡±


    ¡°Damn. Did you at least confirm its identity?¡±


    ¡°No, Sarge. Stone thinks it was a Low-flier with a roost nearby. He thinks we should do a perimeter sweep tomorrow. Their colonies are a pain to root out if we delay, and the eggs are worth good credits.¡±


    ¡°Stone¡¯s an idiot. There are no Low-fliers on Terra.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ you think maybe they¡¯re force evolving? That would be a problem. If you or Stony confirm any more Low-fliers, you let me know. In the meantime, keep an eye out for our target. Now show me you¡¯re actually awake. What are you keeping an eye out for?¡±


    ¡°Young Caucasian-looking Sylvan or Terran male. Brown or green eyes, brown or red hair, wearing either fancy silvered armor or trench coat and dark pants, and who achieved a Bronze-tier Necromancer Title we have no way of verifying without him revealing it to us or joining our party, though no one¡¯s sure how he even got it or what it means. So he could be at the head of an army of any undead horror you can think of. Or wandering alone with nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°Good. And you¡¯re orders when you encounter any suspect that partially or completely matches that description?¡±


    ¡°Demand their surrender. Shoot to wound if they try to flee without attacking us, shoot to kill if they draw a weapon and aim it at us. Even if that vague-ass description matches half the white-tier kids heading to the nearby joke of a rift, and they were sent home crying to their Professional parents, two suffering the after-effects of stun-shots, because they ran away from us in naked terror, the same as I would have at sixteen, once we ID¡¯d them. Because being confronted by power-armored Bronzes was more than their stomachs can handle. And it¡¯s a kid like them that we¡¯re hunting down like a terrorist threat because the goblins hate him for reasons that they absolutely refuse to share.¡±


    ¡°Tem!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡±


    ¡°Did you pay off your parents¡¯ loans or not?¡±


    ¡°I did, sir.¡±


    ¡°Using whose money?¡±


    ¡°Raven Company¡¯s, sir.¡±


    ¡°Damn right. Now shut your damn mouth and do your job. Be worthy of that fucking loan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t quite hold back a smirk, glad that he had held off an unleashing bloody chaos, promising himself that he¡¯d be offering this Tem and his friends a drink some day soon. And maybe a lucrative employment opportunity as well.


    Assuming he could actually get to Freetown safely.


    And if the countdown on his Interface was anything to go by¡­ he was running out of time.


    He did his utmost to pick up his speed. To truly feel the burn in his quadriceps, his lungs heaving like bellows, grateful that his Speed Racer II perk didn¡¯t adversely effect his ability to gather fresh lungfuls of sweet, sweet air.


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m actually getting a burn!¡± He said to himself, half in bemusement, half in awe. Not so much at the wonder of actually getting a good workout with his stats, but at how quickly Freetown, had manifested on the star-filled horizon, the glittering cityscape of topaz alloys, glass, and chrome shown forth in all its majestic glory. A futuristic marvel of brightly lit buildings and countless tree-lined boulevards, neighborhoods, workplaces and shopping districts that the goblins would do anything to destroy.


    Now coming into clear focus so damn fast it was like a SelfTube video on fast forward, Eric racing around the periphery between forest¡¯s edge and the nearby lush farms that could feed only a tiny percentage of Freetowns¡¯ 120,000 citizens but at least it provided fresh fruit and produce and milk as well. Though the gardens and fields were presently being camped by a good four dozen reds in sight of the nearby wide and perfectly paved road, complete with train tracks that Eric himself had visualized into being¡­ Eric had no plans of entering anywhere near the entrance.


    Not when he could fly.


    And just as he prepared to loop around a good quarter mile before making a dart past the treeline, Eric¡¯s interface blinked with a fresh message.


    LG ¨C You have intrigued me, young Necromancer King. Your name and Bronze-tier accomplishments do echo upon the ether in ways that very few who don¡¯t walk our path will be able to fully understand and appreciate. What is it that you would ask of me?


    ER - I hope you will permit me the honor of hosting a meeting on sacred ground to all those who walk our path. A meeting that will be beneficial to both our houses and Freetown as a whole. Lord Caliban might also appear at this meeting, should you be willing to permit such a thing. The third party of our meeting, the party whose schemes we wish to prevent coming to fruition, would be the goblins so eager to steel our city and destroy all practitioners of heritage arts.


    ER - With your help, with permission to use your sanctum as neutral ground to conduct our exchange¡­ I believe we can avert disaster. - I know my request is both presumptuous and forward, and for that, I sincerely apologize. But time draws short. Freetown¡¯s fate will be sealed at the stroke of midnight if safe harbor where I can perform the necessary exchange is not secured.


    And much to Eric¡¯s profound surprise, his desperate gambit didn¡¯t blow up in his face.


    LG ¨C A meeting of the minds between Freetown¡¯s most powerful factions. Heritage Arts Practitioners, enlightened capitalists, and predatory merchants. What a delightful engagement this will be! By all means. I shall be happy to offer my sanctuary as neutral grounds for your negotiation.


    ER ¨C Thank you, Lord Grim. This one is exceedingly grateful for your courtesy. And on the off chance that overlapping time streams fork off quicker than expected, may I have the address of your present abode?


    LG ¨C And did you know it before? Truly?


    ER ¨C If you ever found yourself struck by the odd fancy that your glorious 18<sup>th</sup> century manor (that grew quite a bit when you constructed a school for the Heritage Arts) abutted the actual city walls¡­ know that in at least one time and place, that was exactly so.


    LG ¨C How Fascinating! 667 Silvercrest Blvd. is our current address. I shall await your arrival with baited breath.


    ER ¨C Ha Ha ;)


    LG ¨C Excuse me?


    Eric¡¯s cheeks blazed with sudden shame.


    ER ¨C Please forgive this foolish student for the familiarity risen in dreams. Its for me to prove my worth as a disciple and friend in the here and now before I allow my awful humor to trouble your refined senses. Again, my apologies.


    LG ¨C So you know, then.


    Eric winced, even as he raced for all he was worth, breathing harder than he had in a very, very long time.


    ER ¨C I do. And I was never so foolish as to make light of it, even before. I blame exhaustion and fighting nonstop against multiple groups trying desperately to kill me. Again, my apologies for a very poor attempt at wit. And now I must get back to outwitting some very irate bucket-heads. I look forward to meeting you in person and hopefully redeeming my fumble shortly.


    For too long, there was a pause and Eric wanted to pull out his own hair. He knew damn well how charismatic he really was when forced to socially interact outside of face-to-face negotiations. Hi perks and his Charisma stat worked best when he was physically close! Just like weapon perks did. The more steps removed, most especially shooting messages across an interface, the more likely he¡¯d end up with his foot in his mouth, even if What The Other Party Wants and Nose For A Bad Deal and Know The Score would blare bright and loud in a headache inducing trifecta when cursed Admin messages tainted with malice, hate, and countless legal pitfalls and traps tried to flood his Dominion Interface Mailbox. Fuck that.


    Fortunately, the next message he was sent made it clear that even if his earlier overly familiar jests hadn¡¯t been entirely forgiven...because why should Grim forgive some unknown asshole poking fun at his closest secret (you¡¯re such an idiot! Now dodge that fucker¡¯s blaster!) but the next message he got put the heart-in-throat tension of fearing that he had fucked everything up at ease, even as his brooding thoughts were cleared as he made contact with a T-2 Deathblaze wielding power-armored mercenary bursting out of the woodwork, literally, to draw a bead on him.


    ¡°Captain! I found him! He¡¯s right¡ª¡±


    You have critically struck your opponent! You have caused Severe Damage to Power Armor! Power armor is now off-line! You have stunned your foe!


    You have suffered 1 Light Wound and no significant injury! You have successfully avoided destroying Mark-II Deathblaze!


    You have claimed you foe¡¯s Mark-II Deathblaze. (Rifle strap broken.)


    Congratulations! Charge is now Rank 6! - Slam into your foes with maximum damage to your targets and minimal damage to yourself!


    Eric allowed himself a single tight smile as he saw his unexpected opponent doing lazy somersaults through the air, both enjoying the growth of an absolutely absurd skill that would have made him a varsity legend if he were in Highschool or college, even enjoying the mild sting on his shoulder that he damn well better toughen up and get used to if he actually thought he¡¯d be able to handle a cannonball fired at his ass one day.


    Still, he slowed his pace and took his focus off his Interface messages. Both to make sure no other blinking reds that he should have had absolute focus on had zeroed in on him and, yes, to make sure that the guy who was knocked out cold by the equivalent of getting hit by a high-speed rail line was still among the living, all to aware that had the man not been enhanced by node perks buffing that power armor and a Bronze-tier vitality, he would have exploded like a watermelon thrown off a ten story ledge. Because Eric had hit with what was damned close to cannonball force with his charge.


    ¡°Ixis! You copy? Ixis!¡±


    Fortunately, 500 Perception and slowing down enough to fully register sound made out the man¡¯s skittering heartbeat so Eric left without wasting another second, counting it a miracle that the Mark-II blaster he had claimed had even survived the snatch and grab, even if the strap had snapped like confetti.


    And for all that his focus was now firmly on slipping inside Freetown while avoiding the major roads into the city proper that he could now see were well guarded by multiple mercenaries casually scanning the few professional farmers, craftsmen, and romantically inclined couples slipping inside and out of the city proper¡­ when Caliban¡¯s message pinged against his interface, he pulled it up in a relieved heartbeat.


    C ¨C Lord Grim has extended us both an invitation to use his property as neutral grounds for our negotiation. Our opposites have, of course, refused.


    Eric clenched his jaw at those words before reading the follow-up message.


    C ¨C Fortunately, their own insistence on Goblin law and the power of senior contracts is something we can now use against them. I have called in the handful of favors that I can (for our city profits a number of third party interests, as is the case with any bastion of economic prosperity) and even the Northeast Counsel¡¯s more¡­ zealous members have conceded that as the senior property holder (Our bank holds their own charter ¡®captive¡¯ as it were, in goblin terms) and the city is (until Midnight, Eric!) a fully owned Blue Corp holding¡­ I am well within my rights to choose a neutral territory.


    ER ¨C Understood.


    C ¨C Good. Because you have less than 30 minutes to get here, Eric. My Blue Sentinels have secured the block. But a number of mercenary companies guard the gate. I hesitate to threaten, lest they¡¯re aware that in 30 minutes my points will be mute. They might decide it¡¯s in their absolute best interest to eliminate you (or attempt a coup) if they fear exile, should things go our way.


    ER ¨C Understood. I think I know how to slip inside without embracing the Path of Slaughter.


    C ¨C That would certainly be preferred. Now please hurry!


    Eric clenched his jaw. Painfully aware of the fact that every way into the city was now absolutely littered with spotters and snipers. And not just Bronze elites. At least a hundred White-tier natives, no doubt looking for what seemed to them the best way to move forward as adventurers and obtain elite training, learning buffs and an extremely powerful path forward was to enlist with actual Bronze elites.


    Because really, what could be a better choice, if the only other option was floundering around with a spear or sword and hoping they¡¯d be able to scrape enough copper killing rats to learn any sort of useful skill or advance at all? The smarter adventurers were probably also aware that they were so deeply in the dark that they didn¡¯t even know the questions to ask, let alone the right answers.


    So when elite players could offer customized advancement paths actually worthy of Bronze Tier mercenaries¡­ helping them to avoid dozens of pitfalls most Terran survivors probably didn¡¯t even know was there, and offer them training with plasma weapons and armor that would save their lives right now, and offer a sweet pay check?


    Hell. Even Eric would take up that offer in a heartbeat. So he promised himself right then and there that he wasn¡¯t going to slaughter fellow survivors whose only crime was trying to find themselves the best path forward to actually ascend as a Classer worthy of the title, without themselves being easy prey for others who learned the arts of Power Armor and how to use plasma blasters if they were too stupid or stubborn to take the opportunity to do just that themselves.


    And if he wasn¡¯t going to slaughter a bunch of young adventurers who, for all Eric knew, thought they were actually heroes protecting Freetown from terrorists or the like¡­ then he had to do it without being a sitting duck dodging a hundred streams of blaster fire. Because it was becoming increasingly clear that the savvy mercenaries had concentrated their troops where they would do the most good, especially since now the meeting location was known.


    Eric groaned, forced to accept that there was really only only option. And even if he had been encouraged to expand his horizons while learning the basics of acting, there were still certain roles that made him feel extremely self-conscious. And it looked increasingly like he¡¯d have to take on one of those roles in just a few seconds'' time.

 Chapter 412 - Legal Loopholes

    ¡°Fuck it. Don¡¯t be so fucking self-conscious. You have to do this!¡± The husky voice insisted. ¡°Unless you want high-strung kids firing their Mark-I plasma rifles into noncombatants just enjoying a late night out. So man the fuck up and handle it!¡±


    Now that very human speeds were being observed once more, it was easy for the bow-wielding traveler to make out the murmurs and soft voices of late night bikers and veli-riders slipping out of the city to enjoy stargazing in the field of luscious night blossoms giving off the most exotic scents of cardamon, jasmine, and honey, blown by a surprisingly warm breeze that played with a rapidly approaching traveler¡¯s golden curls bouncing against high cheekbones as low-heeled boots clacked against the pristine blacktop road leading right into the city.


    The traveler deliberately slowed her pace as she approached a pair of smiling guards who might have been wearing power armor, but at least had the courtesy to raise their face-plates and present pleasant smiles to the grumbling drivers whose velimobiles were checked as they declared their destinations as being either the adjoining fields or the lake nearby.


    ¡°A pleasant evening to you, ma¡¯am,¡± said the second power armored guard courteously enough as he took in her appearance with a growing smile. ¡°Any luck in the hunt?¡±


    The woman solemnly shook her head her head. ¡°A beautiful buck, so majestic that it touched my heart. And when it¡¯s eyes met my own, I knew I couldn¡¯t fire.¡± She sighed, flashing a gentle smile. ¡°So a truce between us was forged and what was to be a glorious hunt became a pleasant evening under the stars.¡±


    The guard laughed politely. ¡°Regrettable, huntress. Though if you¡¯re still hungry for the hunt and would like a guaranteed dinner¡­ my shift ends in two hours, and I would be more than happy to give you an adventure you won¡¯t soon forget and a night you¡¯ll never regret.¡±


    The woman couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly at the man¡¯s flirting. ¡°Sadly, this huntress is fit for nothing save a good night¡¯s rest in her wife¡¯s arms. But if you¡¯re anywhere near as good with a bow as you are with your boom stick, perhaps I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. One day.¡±


    The man snorted. ¡°Boom stick.¡±


    The woman smirked, lifting up her golden tresses to reveal her pointed ears. ¡°It is what we call it.¡±


    The man flushed and bowed his head. ¡°Of course. Well, it just so happens that once upon a time I hunted with more than just a plasma rifle. So perhaps I will take you up on that offer one day¡­¡±


    ¡°Winona.¡±


    ¡°Winona. I¡¯m Godfry. A good night to you, fair lady.¡±


    ¡°And you as well.¡±


    With those words, the young elven huntress was permitted into the city, and although she earned many looks from both increasingly anxious power-armored sentinels and wild-eyed teenagers who shouldn¡¯t have been let anywhere near even T-1 Plasma rifles, not a single one of them was after her head. Though at least a dozen offers, both awkward, endearing, and oddly charming made it clear that her heart was another matter entirely.


    Winona took it all in with good grace, having learned far more from her sister than she had ever let on. And with the confidence born of someone who had nothing to fear, she took no offense from even the pushiest of fellows, sensing that it was awkward desperation, loneliness, and young men¡¯s hopes, not malice, that motivated them.


    Save for one notable exception.


    ¡°You lost, girl?¡± whispered one voice that sent an uncomfortable twist in her gut when she found herself glaring down a shadowy alleyway, less than two blocks from her destination. ¡°You need some assistance? Maybe I can help you out.¡±


    Winona soon found herself looking into the cold grey eyes of a greasy-looking man wearing leather armor that didn¡¯t completely hide his prison tats, whose hungry gaze made it clear that he was the farthest thing from an awkward goofball with the charm of a desperate puppy.


    This was a wolf, eager for the hunt. And if the thug she sensed with the metal truncheon sneaking up behind her was anything to go by, he wasn¡¯t one to take no for an answer.


    Winona glared at the would-be predator before her. ¡°You get one chance. I suggest you and your friend leave. Now.¡±


    The man behind her froze for only a second.


    ¡°Now!¡± The grey-eyed man snarled. ¡°Hot-eyed slut like you is gold in the bank, bitch!¡±


    A metal slave collar flashed in the dim light.


    And a heartbeat later, the cold grey alley was painted in a shockingly bright patina of crimson.


    The stalker dropped his truncheon that clattered on the pavement, stumbling back. ¡°You¡­ you monster! You bit off his¡ª NO!!¡±


    Seconds later, a short brunet wiping the blood off her sensual rosebud lips stepped out of the alley, glaring at the world with her ice-blue eyes. And if her bright blue dress was spattered with crimson, it faded to nothing seconds later. Forgotten just as quickly as the pair of predators whose very existence faded like a fragment of bitter dream with the warm morning sun.


    The girl grimaced, taking a glance up at the gibbous moon and hurrying her steps along the quaint picturesque boulevard that could so easy have passed for a European town¡¯s take on a Renaissance fair with a bit of a steampunk flare as bronze cogs and gears channeling free mana for power clashed beautifully with elegant Tudor homes and stately buildings of trade and commerce that in another life would have revealed shabby construction, even desperation, underneath a brittle gloss¡­ yet now the buildings all radiated both expert craftsmanship and genuine care.


    The girl kept her walk fast and her gaze hard, rebuffing the occasional hopeful glance with nary a word, stealing a quick glance down a certain street, not needing her multiple social perks and Danger Sense screaming warning to spot multiple ambush points and traps, or to know that her safety was by no means, assured, no matter how well-intentioned the Blue Sentinels she saw guarding a certain pair of grand gates. Because sure as hell, they weren¡¯t making out the glaring Bronze-tier masters of death hidden in the gloom of alleys and rooftops all around.


    She sighed, giving a quick shake of her head before heading away from that all too tempting trap, instead making her way for a particular shop that was oddly juxtaposed between catching a tourist¡¯s eye and being quickly passed over by the far more enticing pastry shop that even now filled the air with cinnamon, spice, and joyful delights, or the genuine wand and arcana shop so invitingly painted just a few steps beyond.


    No. For all that it was touched by grace and elegance, the building the young woman who now looked nothing like a certain huntress had stopped before looked more a home than any business establishment, easily passed over by anyone, no matter how much they might admire the architecture, the added ambiance it gave the quaint block.


    Fortunately, any elegantly dressed lady or well-to-do gentleman wouldn¡¯t look at all out of place giving the door a polite knock.


    Though the hour was late and no doubt a few neighbors would be furrowing their tired brows when the knock became more insistent.


    Though surprisingly, when she turned the doorknob, it twisted without any resistance at all.


    Slowly the girl entered the abode, stepping from foyer to a well-appointed parlor with a pair of stressed leather wingbacks before a crackling fire. The fire popped, light glinting off the crimson eyes and a crystal glass filled with burgundy held by a coolly smiling gentleman wearing a custom fitted suit that the girl recognized from the first time she had seen the man.


    The man silently pointed to a second glass filled with drink. ¡°Please, make yourself at comfortable. We have things to discuss.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile at the handsome blond-haired man who fit his nature to an absolute key. ¡°Great, you¡¯re here!¡± Said with a sense of profound relief. ¡°Come on. We don¡¯t have time to waste. We have fifteen minutes to take the secret tunnel leading to Master Grim¡¯s inner abode, so let¡¯s get going.¡±


    The young man¡¯s indulgent smile hardened. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before in my life. And you¡¯re not going anywhere until I know who you really...¡± His eyes bulged in surprise when Winona seemed to disappear. A smiling Eric suddenly in her place.


    ¡°Good to see you again, old friend.¡± Eric¡¯s warm grin turned to a pained grimace when Morlekai¡¯s confused look didn¡¯t abate to a hard smile or a warm chuckle. Rather, he peered at Eric as if he was haunted by something, eyes widening, a trembling hand reaching¡­ before he jerked his head in firm negation, taking a fortifying sip of his drink.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Eric flashed a sad smile. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t remember me? Not even in your dreams?¡±


    The man before him blanched. ¡°How could you possibly¡­ no.¡± He shook his head in firm negation. ¡°Before we go even one step forward, I need proof that you¡¯re anyone save an¡­¡±


    ¡°An underground city you, Alice, Drake and Louie helped elevate from a hoard of disorganized desperate survivors into a fully functioning community. Playing the role of godfather in the most benevolent sense of the word, Louie and Drake helping to build so many of those properties and keep the tunnels safe. Then you met a new bright-eyed and pretty fugly looking recruit who had enough scars that no one would ever forget his run-in with the orc barbecue pits¡­ remember?¡± Eric¡¯s voice took a strange intensity, all the more so when he saw the growing look of uncertainty in Morlekai¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Do you remember, Morlekai? What you called that scarred well-intentioned kid¡­ in your dreams at least? Dreams that included taking out massive lizards, a hoard of undead¡­ even shutting down a portal that would have resulted in an actual lich turning Junk Town into a night of the living dead more awful than any movie. Before we were all betrayed in the end. You really don¡¯t remember?¡±


    The man licked uncertain lips, revealing a flash of that which he didn¡¯t bother hiding. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Eric smiled. ¡°Boy scout. You called me boy scout, once upon a time. Before we were betrayed by the very mayor we had sacrificed so much for the sake of the city we allowed him to run. In return for a set of codes and a promise¡­ a promise he thought selling us out to the CFA would assure that he never had to pay.¡±


    Morlekai¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The heist. The heist I dreamed of!¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Central Bank of Gilton. Where the Black Book Federal repository had been.¡±


    The man gazed at Eric with an odd sort of longing, before giving a rueful chuckle. ¡°Yet I see no such fortune now¡­ and those dreams were of a Freetown far more archaic and chaotic than this one happens to be.¡±


    ¡°Yet the gold is real,¡± Eric dared to whisper, pulling out a near 25 pound brick of solid gold.


    Morlekai¡¯s eyes bulged. Eric grinned.


    ¡°The heist was real, old friend. Real in a timeline so close to this one that almost everyone directly involved remembers the differences, just a dream away. A dream so many forget. For what does it matter? Causality is retroactively what it always had to be for the now to be the now that is¡­ even if not what it always once was.¡±


    Morlekai swallowed. ¡°But you. A boy far handsomer than I recall. Yet¡­ I can taste it. Which means that you forded the rivers of dream. Another reality manifest.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Honestly, who can say? Did I and a select handful actually hop to an alternate reality, or did reality forge itself around us? Who knows. Who cares? All that matters, old friend, is that in about ten minutes the goblins will be able use twisted contractual loopholes to seize Freetown for themselves. Utterly and completely. All assets in their entirety¡­ and if the shudder your giving me is anything to go by, you know exactly what that means. Even if it¡¯s only in your dreams.¡±


    Morlekai flinched, unable to hide his dismay. ¡°A night of such horror¡­ men possessed by monstrosities. Thousands damned to an actual hell¡­ because those goblins¡­¡±


    ¡°Yup. Blood of an actual demon flows through their veins. So let¡¯s play heroes one more time, Morlekai. Shall we?¡±


    Morlekai swallowed. ¡°I believe you,¡± he whispered, eyes widening as if surprised by his own words. ¡°I¡¯ve just notified grandfather. You¡¯ve been given permission to enter, and you are to proceed with all haste. Come, let me show you to¡ª¡±


    He blinked in surprise, realizing he was alone, with nothing but the memory of that strikingly beautiful boy¡¯s smile. A youth he felt such an odd kinship towards, even if he thought, for some reason, that he should be covered in far more scars.


    ***


    ¡°You¡¯re too late, Caliban!¡± Wheezed a decrepit shaman wearing a painfully tacky robe radiating both goblinoid crimson arts and shockingly bad taste. He sneered at the cleanly dressed and cool-eyed Caliban accompanied only only by a quartet of elite Bronze-tier Sylvan mercenaries also wearing clean, crisp, Blue-corp uniforms. The goblin pounded his gnarled staff upon the floor tiles in eerie unison with the other pair of goblin shamans whose staves weren¡¯t quite so knobbly or twisted, their robes not nearly as garishly decorated, yet their malice was a trifecta of contempt, gloating, and greed.


    Three goblin barristers sitting besides them stretched their simpering smiles in equal images of a Barrister¡¯s greed, folding their arms in smug satisfaction, all three wearing puce-toned plaid suits and tweed hats that elevated seedy, greasy lawyer to an art form, all three knocking their knuckles against Lord Grim¡¯s fine oak conference table.


    ¡°Less than seven minutes before midnight, elf,¡± declared the midmost Barrister, consulting his golden pocket watch whose ticking second hand sounded like a starved elf¡¯s death-rattle. The Barrister¡¯s sneer was unmistakable as he pointed to both contract and an admittedly impressive pair of briefcases filled with golden coins and bars of bullion both. ¡°And I¡¯m afraid a hundred and fifty three million credits worth of gold does NOT honor the terms of our contract!¡±


    This he said before turning away from Caliban to flash a wide shit-eating grin for the swirling orb attached to a bone shaft being held by one of the three quiet assistants in back that seemed to fade into the near non-existent gloom of Lord Grim¡¯s surprisingly well-lit study, numerous book cases filled with leather-bound treasures plainly visible lining all the walls, interspersed with exquisitely rendered portraits and busts of countless ancestors, and only a fool would think those three figures the eyes wanted to skim right over were anything other than a trio of Bronze-tier killers assigned to record these proceedings to masters unknown.


    Caliban, of course, was no fool.


    He flashed both chief Shaman and Barrister a tight-lipped smile. ¡°We still have seven minutes.¡±


    ¡°Six minutes and fifty five seconds!¡± Screamed the leftmost shaman.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°And as the contract before us plainly states, we need only initiate complete payment by the stroke of midnight. And this 153,967,000 credits that you felt the need to round down does indeed fulfill the terms of our contract.¡±


    For some reason these words caused all three Barrister¡¯s expressions to light up with glee. ¡°Wrong, you inconceivably stupid peacock of an elf! You must initiate complete and TOTAL payment by the midnight hour! Should you lack immediate access TO the full TWO BILLION CREDITS, it¡¯s as if you paid us nothing at all! In fact, if you¡¯ll look at clause 450 of Subsection Zz, you¡¯ll see that we¡¯re entitled to an immediate penalty fee equivalent to WHATEVER amount of capital that¡¯s in Blue Corp possession at the time of turnover. And that, you obnoxious prick of an elf, includes every COIN on your person, every gold crown and bar on this table¡­ and best of all, it includes EVERY WARM BODY within Freetown!¡±


    The middle Barrister¡¯s eyes lit up with undisguised glee at the look of barely contained outrage upon Caliban¡¯s features.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, FOOL! We will now exercise our LEGAL RIGHT to assume possession over the ENTIRITY of FREETOWN! For this contract gives us FULL control over every physical object of worth, every warm body that invoked forfeiture in using OUR treasures, and every last SOUL that DARED to be reborn within OUR territory!¡± He squealed with twisted glee. ¡°Fools thought they could escape our master¡¯s soul forges?¡± A wide wicked grin flashed across the Barrister¡¯s features. ¡°Those precious souls were ALWAYS ours and will always BE ours, you filthy wretch. And nothing you or any other fool daring to use forbidden artifacts will change that!¡±


    ¡°It mean¡¯s no such thing, cur!¡± Caliban roared, blood pounding, suddenly radiating a killing aura that had all six Shamans and Barristers blanching, as the trio of shadowy killers caused a certain elven prince¡¯s interface to scream warning.


    The quartet of guardians surrounding Caliban instantly moved into possession, all of them giving off a crackling thrum as a force-field of Deep Bronze strength suddenly surrounded the prince.


    Caliban Caerulus glared his killing hate at the sneering pack of goblin serpents before him, already knowing what his next move had to be. ¡°Should you dare to threaten or harm a SINGLE citizen of Blue Corp holdings without due process and free exit rights where all dissatisfied citizens, ALL of whom are debt free, may leave unimpeded as even this contract insists upon, then you will have effectively declared war on Blue Federation, and you may rest assured that we will respond in kind!¡±


    The elder Shaman¡¯s laughter only grew with twisted mirth. ¡°Stupid fool. Do you not understand yet? You LOST, as your kind ALWAYS will! The instant we obtain possession of this city, each and EVERY fool who dared to set foot within OUR domain will CEASE To be considered as ANYTHING but flesh chattel! They are our PROPERTY, fool! Not citizens at all! But CHATTEL to use as we desire!¡±


    All six seated goblins turned to the swirling orb being held by the centralmost assassin as the air filled with laughter so cold that Caliban¡¯s guts twisted with dismay. A tiny shrieking corner of his mind realizing that he recognized that voice.


    ¡°No. It was a dream. A nightmare! Impossible.¡±


    ¡°Caliban Caerulus. The hidden heir. Or should I say¡­ former heir? Ah. How tragic, the political machinations of a doomed, desperate faction. For I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re no longer the heir, foolish elf. Someone far more suited to the role has been elected to take your pace.¡±


    And just when Caliban thought the moment couldn¡¯t get any worse, the air filled with warm bonhomie laughter that might have been free of a Silver-tier demon¡¯s malice, but was, in its own way, even more vile.


    ¡°Caliban! How are you, my dear distant cousin? Arlen Ort here. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have too much time to chat or spend on fringe-world disputes, doing my best to help the family business, but don¡¯t worry. I promised to keep an eye on our Terran operations and make sure our name always shined with integrity and promise! Oh, I know it can get hairy dealing with the natives, but Uncle Meadow wanted to make absolutely sure it was understood that in absolutely no circumstances were any contracts to be breached for any reason. Ha ha, I¡¯m sure you knew that already. And of course, my primary reason for reaching out to you, per Meadow¡¯s insistence, was to let you knew that we were all here for you! Rooting for your economic triumph! If there is any way at all that we can help, do let us know! If only our help could be more concrete, I know. Sorry about those unfortunate embargoes! We¡¯re doing ALL that we can to prove ourselves worthy of unlimited trade rights just like before our ancient founder decided to double our assets in a single night, all those centuries ago. Ha ha! And of course, should the worst come to worst, you need only give the signal and Meadow will personally fly his ship in System to pick you and your family up. Because your safety and wellbeing are FAR more important than you economic success! Take care, cousin. I hope this message gets to you safely! I certainly paid a pretty penny to see that it does! - Arlen out.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s fists squeezed with helpless fury while the air rang with the mocking laughter of conniving goblins and the cold Malice of an ancient monster who had made it shockingly clear just how utterly fucked Freetown was.


    ¡°Do I detect an elfin prince¡¯s tears? How quaint. How wonderful! I do believe they go for quite a tidy some of gold in the right markets. Tell me, Caliban Caerulus, soon to be permanently replaced by far more suitable¡­ moldable pawns, do you think you can cry a bucket of tears before the night is out?¡±


    Mocking laughter filled the room. ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear prince. I will happily HONOR the terms of our contract. For you have indeed initiated payment in full. So take all the time you need to cough up every last tear you can manage to¡ª¡±


    Malice¡¯s mocking words and the bitter sobs of a prince were cut off when the force warded door behind Caliban was torn right off its hinges, to reveal a manically smiling redhead gazing at the tableau with guileless green eyes that saw absolutely everything. ¡°Did someone say we had ALL NIGHT to make that payment in full? FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!¡±


    Eric smirked as he sensed multiple goblin assassins zeroing in on his form as he strode into the room, a brooding and furious looking Lord Grim right behind him. The room filled with words that grated against everyone¡¯s skull as the goblins shrieked about the use of forbidden magics.


    ¡°WHO DARED TO DENY ME ACCESS TO MY OWN STUDY?¡±


    ¡°No! That door was sealed! No Terran trash should have been able to enter!¡± Sobbed the smallest of the shaman before being smacked off his seat by the largest.


    ¡°Say nothing, you IDIOT!¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter at my own service. Certainly not yours, you soul-stealing goblin asswipes. Ha ha! And you must be Calibro! Am I right?¡± Eric winked at a stunned looking Caliban, countenance a study in fury, stunned-disbelief, and desperate hope.


    ¡°So, Calibro, my question for you is, can I make a TWO POINT FOUR BILLION CREDIT deposit of GOLD BULLION into my BLUE CORP account right this fucking second?¡±


    For long moments the goblins stared at Eric in speechless disbelief as he snapped his fingers and a pair of powerfully built, almost hulking men wheeled in a massive dolly cart with a silk covered prize at its center.


    Drake wiped his face, giving Eric a rueful chuckle. ¡°Now that¡¯s a serious workout Er¡­ Ernest. Ha ha! And look at all our guests. Eyes pretty much popping out of their heads! Now hold on. Me and Louie will get the other cart.¡±


    Eric turned and winked, dipping his tricorn hat that fit his edgelord persona so very well, frock coat completely hiding his crimson mail. ¡°I¡¯ll bet you guys are fucking BREATHLESS with anticipation. Am I right? Does this cat hold an absolute fucking FORTUNE underneath this silk tarp, or is it all just a bluff?¡±


    ¡°THIS FARCE ENDS NOW!¡± Screamed the voice in the globe, several elves and all the goblins wincing as blood poured out their ears.


    Caliban¡¯s hard-fought composure twisted into a fierce glare. ¡°That constitutes an assault, Sirrah! For that alone I reserve the right to demand recompense¡­ or satisfaction¡­ once our affairs are in order here.¡±


    But the voice in the orb wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°Who dares to interfere? Who is this pustulent jackanapes of a Terran monkey that would dare intrude in the final minutes of the final hour?¡±


    Ernest winked, gazing at Grim before raising his finger. ¡°Hold that thought, gentlemen! I do believe the other half of our bluff, is it? Ha Ha. Has arrived!¡±


    Drake gave a sweaty chuckle when he and Louie finished setting up the other dolly. ¡°You sure you¡¯re going to be okay?¡± Drake asked, giving Eric a pointed look as countless Bronze-tier death glares tried to pin him and Louie. ¡°Even I can feel the tension in this room,¡± he said with a chuckle.


    Louie grabbed his friend¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, Drake. Master¡¯s making it clear that it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡±


    Eric bowed his head in gratitude, giving them both a high five. ¡°Thanks, buds. When time permits, I¡¯m making it up to you, and the party will be absolutely legendary!¡±


    Drake chuckled. ¡°Same old boy scout,¡± he quipped, earning a glare from Louie, but it was okay, since no one outside a certain click in a past that never was would even know who he was referring to.


    Eric winked. ¡°Damn right, save for the super-leet threads. Later, bros!¡±


    He then spun around, the tail coat of his frock coat lifting in the air as he gave the entire audience his widest shit-eating grin. ¡°So, who wants to call my ¡®bluff?¡¯ Ha ha! I¡¯ll bet you two hundred million in gold that I DO have 2 billion gold on me right now. Or you guys can concede and fold and leave RIGHT NOW¡­ and we¡¯ll let you walk away with the charter for a certain goblin bank which we¡¯ll sell for EXACTLY two billion gold. So the books are clean and we sign off the contract as honored, without any extra gold signed away at all. Isn¡¯t that right, Calibro?¡±


    Calibro¡¯s eyes widened with surprise and a momentary flash of fury.


    C ¨C What the hell are you doing?


    ES ¨C What does it look like? I¡¯m bluffing THESE ABSOLUTE FUCKERS! For an extra 200mil. My gold, Calibro. MINE. :/ Capiche?


    The air erupted with laughter. ¡°This last second FOOL seeks to bluff us out of our most dear prize. The very city and the tens of thousands of souls that will go so far to securing our old forges and fortunes. HA! As if we would be cowed out of our fortunes!¡± The orb was dead silent even as the middle barrister flashed Eric a cold smile. ¡°This wager is in your name, yes?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter. Just like it says on the fucking world-leader board, asshole.¡±


    The goblins shamans¡¯ eyes widened, glaring their displeasure.


    "He''s the necromancer we must take off the board before all others!" One hissed in an archaic goblin dialect that a cynically smiling Eric understood perfectly.


    He smirked and gave them all the finger.


    ¡°Well, assholes, you want to take my wager? OR you want to save yourself the utter humiliation of finding that the fortune is here? Because I promise you this, if you don¡¯t fold, you will NOT get that bank charter, no matter how much you fucking beg, because we won¡¯t sell it to you for ANYTHING!¡± Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°Hell you won¡¯t even get an account at this bank. So feel free to walk through a hot red territory with a dragon¡¯s hoard of gold on you, ha ha, and good luck making it to New York alive!¡±


    One of the shaman¡¯s eyes widened in dismay. ¡°He knows!¡± He squeeled.


    The head shaman smacked this lesser off his chair as well.


    ¡°Of course he knows. New York is our largest bastion, fool!¡± He then turned to Eric, lips curled in a snarl, eyes glittering with malice. ¡°I accept your bluff, stupid boy. And I know damn well that you can''t pay! So by goblin codicil and law, your soul will be MINE! Your undead puppet minions will now dancing to Bloodtear Syndicate''s strings for all time, fool! Ha!¡±


    Ernest blinked, biting his lip. ¡°Um¡­ are you sure? That has to be all of you¡­¡±


    The elder jerked his head. ¡°OF course it does! On behalf of the Bloodtear Syndicate faction, we accept Earnest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter¡¯s wager!¡± His lips curled in a twisted smile as he gazed at the orb. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you gobsmacked fool? Nothing witty to say now? HA! You can¡¯t back down, prevaricate or deny it! You offered, WE ACCEPTED! Our wager is now iron-clad!¡± He began to laugh.


    Ernest lowered his head and began to shiver when Caliban gave him a concerned look.


    ¡°Ernest. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Fool!¡± The elder shaman cackled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s wrong! He has no gold!¡±


    Caliban glared back at the shaman. ¡°And how could you possibly know that when¡ª¡±


    The shaman snarled, cutting through Caliban¡¯s words. ¡°The same way I know the worth of the gold you present before us, fool. I can taste it. I can SMELL it!¡± He poked his hairy, wart-covered probuscus. ¡°I know damn well the worth of that most precious, PRICELESS PRIZE! It¡¯s beyond ANY Arcane arts to hi¡ª¡±


    His words cut off in a dismayed peep when Ernest¡¯s hangdog expression curled into a mocking smile he could feel starting to stretch impossibly wide.


    Gazing at the startled countenances of so many enemies and suddenly feeling so very


    HUNGRY.


    The goblin blanched. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face¡­ NO! Impossible!¡±


    Eric quickly snapped out of his dark glee, knowing that now was NOT the time to reveal his ties (no, hell no!) to the monster on the other side of that still-glowing orb. Instead he snapped off both silk sheets flipping both in his ES Space.


    The goblins gazed in ear-wilting dismay at the sight of two massive stacks of gold bricks on the modified two-person bone dolly carts.


    ¡°No. Impossible!¡± The shaman whispered, the middle Barrister screaming foul play. ¡°It was a trick! A dirty stinking Sylvan trick! You used a double bluff, you bastard, trying to goad us out of a city for a bank that is already ours!¡±


    Eric flashed a chill smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You own a bank, you say?¡± He turned towards Caliban, flashing a positively wicked smile. ¡°Do these gentlemen own any such thing?¡±


    Caliban laughed coldly. ¡°The gold brick count alone, with a worth of well over 2.4 Billion, would indicate most definitely not¡­ young Ernest. And if you would be so good as to hand me your card? I shall make sure you receive full credit for your deposit. Thank you again for doing business with the Terran Chapter of Blue Corp Bank.¡±


    ¡°No! Impossible!¡± Screamed the decrepit shaman even as the three Barristers immediately surrounded Eric with desperate smiles. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty, young sir. Invest with us. With us! We can guarantee you a forty percent return on your capital, per anum!¡±


    Eric blinked at that, a playful smile coming to his lips. ¡°Wow, that would be something, wouldn¡¯t it? 960 Million coming to me every year, on my 2.4 Billion. Of wait. That¡¯s 1.04 Billion on my 2.6 Billion, since you chaps already owe me an additional two hundred million yourselves, am I right? Ha ha!¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, of course you are right!¡± The older Barrister oozed an incredibly oily smile, pulling out a ready-made scroll writhing with tortured scream, tormented spirits, and nightmare loopholes. ¡°Now let us ignore this stuck up elf and treat you to the life of eternal indulgence that you so richly deserve! If you would sign right here¡­¡±


    Eric snorted and stepped back, refusing even to touch the greasy lawyer wreaking of corruption and torment. ¡°Sure. And I¡¯ll bet the second I sell out this city and it falls into Goblin hands, I¡¯m instantly relegated to Chump Chattel instead of Champion, and you¡¯ll claim possession of the very account and funds you claim you¡¯ll pay me and my soul¡­ as if there¡¯s a chance in hell I¡¯ll let you claim any of that.¡±


    ¡°Oh nooz! He sees right through us!¡± Sobbed the shortest barrister, earning a snarl and glare from the larger, who had the gall to turn back to a coldly smiling Eric.


    ¡°Oh, so clever you are! So clever. That was a mere oversight. A mere oversight! We¡¯d never even DREAM of doing such to one of our VIPs. Come now. We can correct this unfortunate line in Section 357, paragraph C right now! Just give me a drop of your blood, and I¡¯ll make the correction myself! Come, come, no need to be shy. Let¡¯s assure you that cool billion every year in interest for your exquisite acumen!¡±


    But Eric had already turned away, locking eyes with Caliban as the air positively thrummed with wild spicy magic.


    Eric¡¯s gut clenched, ready for absolutely any unexpected twist that the now panicked goblins, screaming and hollering amongst themselves, might throw his way.


    Oddly, they seemed as alarmed as him.


    Caliban¡¯s measuring gaze became a fierce smile, bowing his head at Eric as one ally to another.


    One prince to another.


    ¡°If you would sign right here?¡±


    ¡°Are my initials enough?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened when Eric pricked his finger with the quill that Lord Grim had already handed him, the blood radiating a potency that immediately grabbed the trio of shamans¡¯ attention.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I smelled. Blood magic. That abomination used blood magic to hide his gold! On the cloth¡­ it must be! Crimson sigils like those orc shamans use to hide their cannons... This bastard dared to borrow our allies¡¯ arts!¡±


    ¡°Foul! We cry foul!¡­ We demand that you reveal to us those silk cloths at once!¡± Shrieked the barristers in odd unison.


    Eric, having already brushed his ears, tuned out their suspicions. The growing urgency of their demands. He tuned everything out as he calmly signed the document that Caliban had prepared for him beforehand, refusing even to heed the second sharp wave of spicy magic, or the sudden shock-wave of power that knocked near everyone off their feet. Even the deadly sibilant whisper he just KNEW was emanating from that vile orb, forked tongue inviting any listening fool along a path of twisted logic and despair that would demand absolute compliance¡­ he remained utterly deaf to.


    Ears plugged with blood infused with the essence of Dominion, for he had learned his mother¡¯s lessons all too well.


    Instead of allowing himself to be so easily distracted, he finished signing with a flourish, bowing his head as he presented the document he had checked once, because he was no fool, and only once, because he trusted Caliban, and then it was done.


    ¡°Your contribution to our bank has been signed and notarized. Congratulations, Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter. Your net worth in our bank is now 2.4 Billion credits.¡± He turned to the goblins present, waving his hand at the massive pile of gold bullion bricks that was exactly 2 billion credits worth of gold. Plus a handful of golden coins, just to make sure that there would be absolutely no question that their enemies had been paid in full.


    ¡°Paid in full. Witnessed by co-signed and System. We are done here.¡±


    The trio of barrister¡¯s blanched, Eric reading their lips as he sensed the sheer screaming malice coming from the rapidly crumbling orb.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s impossible! We refuse to sign this!¡± The central lawyer snarled, before his eyes widened in terror, now shrieking like a man who had just been dunked into a vat of soul-forge steel. Eric¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of multiple plaid pockets bursting into flames, shimmering glossy contracts erupting in a furious blaze as countless shrieking souls swirled around the now screeching barrister before shoving themselves down his throat.

 Chapter 413 - Shark-toothed Negotiations

    The doomed goblin collapsed, clawing his throat as his flesh lost the plump lustre of corruption, becoming old and withered as the dying Barrister bucked and writhed, heels drumming a death knell on the ground before shattering like a dried out husk, eyes widening with unspeakable horror before they exploded in sprays of writhing maggots that faded into the ether, the desiccated corpse then blowing away to unseen winds seconds later, leaving nothing but an ancient plaid suit behind.


    ¡°We¡¯ll sign! We¡¯ll sign!¡± Screamed the remaining pair of barristers no matter how fierce the roars from the pulsating orb that began dripping black blood before the assassin holding it slammed it on the ground with shattering force. And far from an explosion, it erupted with an ancient wheeze that Eric was chilled to hear even through his plugged up ears and then nothing at all as the assassins, ruthless but the farthest thing from fools, shoved their own masters out of the way to be the first to sign the document with hot-eyed glares.


    ¡°We are done here,¡± snarled the cold-eyed killer to a coolly gazing Caliban.


    The Elven prince gave the tiniest dip of his head as a coolly smiling Grim gestured to the door. ¡°By all means, leave with your freedom and lives while causing me and mine no further harm than you already have.¡±


    The killer snorted, turning to the duo behind him, all three seeming to fade into shadow and then they were gone.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been abandoned!¡± Shrieked the closest shaman.


    ¡°Move out of the way, fool! We must sign!¡± Screamed a panicked Barrister as the remaining goblins struggled to sign the document as fast as they could, Eric and Caliban exchanging cool smiles all the while.


    ES ¨C What the fuck was that?


    C ¨C The drawback of both goblin-derived Barrister and Administrator classes. Those who truck in souls have power far beyond what a Professional of their rank and caliber should. AS you no doubt already know. But should they betray the fundamental oath-binding nature of their twisted arts, refusing to sign or deliberately breaching their contracts without clause or pretext allowing for such¡­ the bindings securing all the souls tied to their documents, souls all too often additionally used as crutches to enhance their own aging bodies¡­ as very few Professionals enjoy the longevity of Classers¡­ well, let¡¯s just say in that instant, all debts must be paid in full.¡±


    ES ¨C So basically its a twisted branch of necromancy so damned weak that their own soul-minions devour them if they¡¯re stupid enough to give their extremely unhappy servants an out.


    C ¨C That¡¯s one way of looking at it.


    ES ¨C Master Necromancer is a FUCK TON better than that twisted shit.


    Caliban snorted.


    C ¨C Yes, of course it is. It¡¯s a Master Class.


    ES ¨C Master Necromancer = BEST CLASS EVARR! (Along with all my others!!)


    ES ¨C Still doesn¡¯t explain why everyone else is suddenly so eager to sign.


    Caliban gave him a look.


    C ¨C A bunch of cowardly, conniving goblins just saw one of their own suffer the most hideous and degrading death imaginable for not signing. They know better than anyone just how twisted contracts can be. Do you think they¡¯re going to take any chances that the penalty for not signing is limited to their Barristers alone?


    ES ¨C Good point.


    The ground began to vibrate under all their feet. Yet the alarmed look that Caliban and Eric shared was nothing compared to the panicked whimpers of the goblins. ¡°There. There! Signed and sealed. Signed and sealed!¡±


    If Caliban was alarmed, he gave nothing away to the goblins. ¡°Acknowledged. Freetown is now and forevermore under the Auspices of Blue Federation. Your former bank is now a subsidiary of our own. All charter directives have been superseded by our own.¡±


    The Sylvan Prince flashed an ice-cold smile. ¡°Now, you have exactly twenty four hours to remove your persons and possessions from Blue Corp territory.¡±


    The momentarily relieved shaman¡¯s eyes bulged in dismay. ¡°But¡­ but no! No, you can¡¯t do this! How are we supposed to transport two billion in gold? Those pathetic free-agent Assassins refused to accept standard binding contracts that their lessers MUST endure, and they have DARED to abandon us! How are we supposed to safely transport this gold all the way to New York? How are we supposed to move even a single bar without getting mobbed by what should have been our livestock? This is so UNJUST! It is so UNFAIR!¡± the elder shaman shrieked and screamed and began throwing a tantrum like a child.


    Eric just stared at the monster acting like a child. A monster who had been so willing to damn a hundred and twenty thousand families, including actual children. So he hardened his heart and felt absolutely no pity at all.


    No matter how closely related they might actually be.


    Fuck no. I am NOTHING like these little shits!


    Caliban crossed his arms, before he too was sent stumbling with the latest shock wave coursing through the building¡­ the province entire.


    Eric felt a jolt of alarm the equal of Caliban¡¯s expression, even as the goblins were completely unmanned, going so far as to kowtow before Caliban. ¡°Please, great one! Spare Unworthy Gloop and his miserable servants!¡± He flashed a desperate smile. ¡°We¡¯ll happily accept a Blue Corp card! Yes, yes we will!¡±


    Caliban stared coolly at the goblins that had been so ready to damn the entire city, before snapping his fingers as the nearest Bronze-tier elite who had been ready to wage war for her prince with force shield and crackling blade, presently sheathed, slipped into the role of deferential second, pulling a pristine document forth that Caliban quickly annotated, before flashing the goblins before him with a cool smile.


    ¡°In consideration of your confessed intentions to damn our entire city just minutes ago, combined with your status as a directly competing faction, I would be well within my rights to laugh in your face and send you out the door.¡±


    His words resulted in desperate wails and pleas.


    ¡°But, seeing as you truly are a pathetic sight, and Blue Corp is nothing if not enlightened in the arenas of equanimity and profit¡­ I am authorized to offer you a gracious exception.¡±


    Gloop squealed with relief, even as the room continued to sway, the air smelling of sharp spicy power. A scent that would have otherwise delighted Eric, yet now left him with the sinking certainty that he knew exactly what it meant.


    ¡°Thank you, noble and honorable and revered Administrator Caliban. Thank you so¡ª¡±


    ¡°It will cost you twenty percent.¡±


    Gloop¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°What?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s smile was all teeth. ¡°Expenses, you understand. And risk. Dealing with your kind poses significant risk. But for a single Bloodtear Syndicate account that may be used to make legal, aboveboard purchases wherever Blue Corp has a presence, and I believe we even have a modest selection of goods and services available in New York¡­ it will cost you twenty percent of whatever funds you choose to put into your account.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Outrageous!¡±


    Caliban shrugged. ¡°Well then, we will trouble you no further. As we now share no financial ties whatsoever, your faction is now considered anathema, and we will have no further dealings with you on Terra. You have twenty four hours to leave Blue Corp territories starting¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Screamed the shaman. ¡°Wait, wait, no need to be so hasty, ha ha! Yes, yes of COURSE we are eager to set up an account and continue our economic friendship. Ha ha!¡±


    Caliban forced a cool smile. ¡°Well then, if that¡¯s the case, we can ease certain strictures and allow for a longer time frame for your inevitable departure. And should your investments with us prove sufficient, you might even be permitted to enjoy extended stays in the most technologically sophisticated city in all of Terra for tourist and shopping purposes¡­ though business and bounty hunting are of course, both off limits. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, of course. Of course!¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Caliban smacked down a card as a second female guardian radiating both professional poise and a deadly beauty that Eric recognized all too well, flashed Eric a smile before all her focus turned to the goblin shaman.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, Nikita¡¯s exquisite countenance and discerning gaze unmistakable, even if the fierce sharp aura she radiated now was nothing like the humble professional she had pretended to be before. This was a woman well used to the killing fields of war, radiating the poise and power of a Cyber Knight and highly sophisticated professional all at once. Somehow, Eric didn¡¯t doubt that she would be as comfortable in a suit of rugged power armor as she was with the skin-tight force mesh and vibro-blade that she currently wore.


    ¡°And how much would you like to place upon your account today, Shaman Gloop, who we now formally recognize as Bloodtear Syndicate¡¯s representative?¡± Nikita politely asked, electromana bio-scanner held casually in hand.


    For some reason the shaman visibly paled, getting a good look at the woman. ¡°No, you can¡¯t possibly¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Tricky. You elves are so¡­ ha ha! Forgive poor Gloop. He is tired. VERY tired!¡± He glared at the remaining goblins. ¡°Take two bars, each of you!¡±


    The surviving goblins immediately kowtowed and did just that. Of course most had considerable strength compared to mortals, but the pair of Shamans besides the leader huffed, looking exceedingly unbalanced, waddling with two near 25 pound bars in their hands and no good place to put it, not having thought they¡¯d need backpacks or anything else. And the pair of three and a half feet tall barristers could only manage one a piece.


    Gloop¡¯s features mottled with rage. ¡°Worthless, WORTHLESS!¡± He snarled and spat. ¡°One for each of you. Good! How much does that leave us?¡± He turned to Nikita, flashing a toothy smile. 1.95 Billion gold!¡±


    Eric smirked, clearing his throat. ¡°I think you¡¯re forgetting something, hoss.¡±


    Gloop snarled, glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    Eric¡¯s flashed a very toothy smile he could feel stretching wide.


    So very wide.


    Heart hammering as he gazed upon twisted foes who had almost damned 120,000 souls HE had sacrificed so much to save and he was so TIRED of getting fucked over and manipulated at every turn and he could sense fate tossing yet another card that would demand he risk everything AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and if these little SHITS hadn¡¯t FUCKED with his friends, his family, and all he wanted to do was tear this little fuckers THROAT out and eat his HEART and¡ª


    ¡°Ernest, please put down our client,¡± Caliban said with a tired sigh.


    Eric blinked, chilled to feel the tiny creature screaming and kicking as Eric was so ready to BITE OFF HIS FUCKING¡ª


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound as he carefully leaned his head back, the screaming shaman¡¯s head popping out of his mouth without suffering anything worse than a bit of saliva and void magic disintegrating a few warts¡­ not that Eric¡¯s perfectly normal and totally not an eldritch-horror maw was anywhere near wide enough to fit anyone¡¯s head in the first place, of course.


    ¡°Monster! Abomination! He¡¯s an old-blooded abomination! We must flee!¡± Gloop screamed.


    Eric forced a very human smile, (because I AM human! WTF!) desperate thoughts racing across his mind. ¡°Oh, sorry. I was just whispering in Gloop¡¯s ear how much I APPRECIATED him so gracefully paying off his debt so his body wasn¡¯t shriveled and consumed like that foolish barrister. Sorry I yawned so inappropriately. I guess it¡¯s been a long day for all of us.¡±


    He winked at the sobbing goblin before buffing his nails. ¡°So, about that two hundred million you owe me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, FINE! FINE! Give this VILE abomination his two hundred million. So we¡¯ll place 1.75 Billion in our account!


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Nikita enthused with a bright, professional smile. ¡°Minus your twenty percent service fee, and that¡¯s a nice 1.4 Billion credits you can spend anywhere in the galaxy that Blue Corp cards are honored!¡± Her smile hardened. ¡°And though we EAGERLY await the opportunity to cater to your every legal need, please note that these credits may NOT be used to purchase businesses and equity within Freetown. It may, however, be used to secure the most luxurious hotel suites we have to offer, of course!¡±


    ¡°Sure as fuck not next to my pad,¡± Eric glowered.


    ¡°Of course¡­ Ernest Slaughter.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Gloop, however, was whimpering. ¡°How did it become 1.4 Bil Bluecorp credits? It was supposed to be two billion¡­ and our precious bank¡­ and our city!¡±


    Grim cleared his throat, even Eric¡¯s eyes watering with the sudden sharp scent of spice.


    ¡°And I pray you will all forgive the necessity of vacating these chambers, but needs must insist.¡±


    Caliban flashed their host a solemn nod. ¡°Of course, Lord Grim. You have Blue Faction¡¯s gratitude.¡±


    The distinguished Moore (lich!) bowed his head in turn. ¡°The pleasure was all mine.¡±


    In very short order, the desperate goblins stumbled out of the manor, eyes darting with clownish panic, screaming their frustrated fury when it became clear that their too independent Bronze-tier assassin guardians had taken their velimobile. But as clownish as they looked, Eric seriously doubted a trio of Bronze tier Shamans would have any problem making their way to another velimobile dealer or otherwise arranging for their exit¡­ or shacking up at a luxury hotel somewhere to sort themselves out. Because fucked up as they were, they were still up 1.4 Billion credits and that wasn¡¯t nothing. And since this was Freetown, which was made up of hardworking Professionals and contract-bound mercenaries with very few predatory assholes (2 less than an hour ago, ha ha!) who were low level trash compared to the goblins¡­ Eric was forced to admit that those buffoons would probably be just fine.


    He then turned his focus where it belonged, on a solemn-faced Caliban and Lord Grim, presently giving him such a curious, appraising look.


    ¡°Thank you again for coming to our rescue, Lord Grim. Both metaphoric, and quite literal.¡±


    Lord Grim gave a low chuckle. ¡°I must say it has been a most fascinating night, young practitioner of our heritage arts. Your use of blood magic was most impressive.¡±


    Eric grinned, pulling out both Sigil-covered silken sheets with a flourish. ¡°Blood runes infused with the Essence of Dominion. And that asshole was right. I did take inspiration from the orc shaman¡¯s techniques of warding cannons¡¯ from an elven scout¡¯s sight. I¡¯d probably have earned another Blood Mastery level out of it, if it wasn¡¯t already at Rank 34.¡± He flashed a satisfied smile. ¡°And my Blood Ward skill did just pop up to Rank 5. That¡¯s the advantage of using Essences. Everything¡¯s more real, more intense, and the gains are sweet.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Did I hear you say Rank 34?¡±


    Eric blinked at those words, smiling at the sight of an absolutely stunning Alice, peering at him so intently with wide blue eyes, flawless features, and full crimson lips with just the tiniest ivory white fangs that looked nearly human perking as she bit her lip with a curious frown.


    Eric swallowed as he felt his cheeks flush, chuckling ruefully.


    ¡°Hi, Alice. It¡¯s been awhile. How are you?¡±


    The strikingly beautiful woman gazed at him for long moments, before her frown turned into a curious head-tilt. ¡°Do I know you? I¡¯m not quite¡­ you do look like someone?¡±


    Eric forced an easy smile.


    ¡°Please, call me Ernest. And I think we have a friend in common.¡±


    She waved that away. ¡°Did I hear you right? You, a novice, with Rank 34 in¡ª¡±


    Her words were cut off when the ground jolted once more. A wide-eyed Alice stumbled back as the manor filled with startled cries and soft curses as the sharp wave of spice-scented air that smelled of ripe power and peril sent Eric¡¯s senses aflame even as he darted forward as fast as thought, arresting Alice¡¯s stumble.


    Soft blue eyes gazed at his own. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t invested so much into my Mana Pool, I wouldn¡¯t have stumbled.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really clumsy.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re absolutely gorgeous.¡±


    Eric forced a laugh, taking a slow step back. ¡°Don¡¯t let Louie catch you saying that,¡± he said with a grin.


    Alice¡¯s eye widened. ¡°Wait, you know about Louie?¡±


    Ernest grinned. ¡°I know he¡¯s an awesome catch.¡±


    He then turned to Caliban, sensing the man¡¯s sudden alarm.


    ¡°Caliban?¡±


    ¡°No time! Nikita, get the others. We¡¯ll get the gold to our vault via the ATV, but we have to leave now, before the streets erupt in panic!¡±


    He sighed, closed his eyes, and Eric felt his head ring with a System generated prompt.


    ¡°This is Administrator Caliban. All Professionals, mortals, and non-combat Classers are to shelter in place. Monster Surge Imminent!¡±

 Chapter 414 - Monster Surge I

    Eric¡¯s eyes widened even as Nikita and the others raced to comply, the woman giving Eric a grateful nod when he tossed her the silk covers that should at least hide the gold from prying eyes or arcane senses.


    ¡°Monster Surge Imminent.¡±


    ¡°Calling in MANDATORY duty for all Blue Corp affiliated mercenaries and enlisted personnel!¡±


    ¡°Peace Treaty is now in effect with all Northeast factions!


    Kit up and assemble with your designated units for Terra Defense Protocol ALPHA 001!¡±


    Eric gazed at Caliban in awed disbelief. ¡°Wait, you can do that? Call in an automatic peace treaty? Did you actually just force all the goblin, orc, ogre, and human factions trying to kill my sister and take over whatever human territory they can to agree to a fucking truce? You actually have that kind of pull?¡±


    ¡°The Crimson territory to our south is about to ascend to Black, Ernest. Monster Surges take absolute precedence over even the struggle for ascension.¡± He flashed a bleak smile. ¡°That addendum we were actually able to forge into both the local and sector accords, no matter how bitterly the goblins protested, and it cost us far more than we should have had to pay.¡± He tapped the recently signed contract he quickly placed in a jacket pocket. ¡°All factions in the Northeast Quadrant must now comply, or face significant censure.¡±


    Eric shook his head, throat going dry as his worst fear was confirmed. ¡°Monster surge. It¡¯s actually happening.¡±


    Caliban sighed, patting his shoulder.


    Eric didn¡¯t respond, dizzy with suddenly racing thoughts as he desperately tried to figure out his next move.


    ¡°How long does the cease fire last?¡±


    ¡°For at least a week after the surge is contained, though most factions find permanent resolutions or Contenders unwind their positions, often with Blue Corp assistance, turning their full time focus to planetary stabilization, and are paid handsomely for their change of focus.¡±


    Eric nodded dreading the thought that the city he had just fought so hard to save would soon have to face swarms of evolved Bronze-tier creatures.


    Unless, of course, he did something drastic and extreme, and did it now.


    ¡°I know most Terrans are uncomfortable with their young fighting,¡± Caliban continued, pulling Eric away from his desperate thoughts. ¡°But I know of over two hundred adventurers in my Admin files over level twenty that are between the ages of fifteen and seventeen.¡±


    Eric sighed and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Most only think they¡¯re that age. Do what you have to.¡±


    Caliban nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll be acting as auxiliary snipers or artillery specialists, out of direct harm¡¯s way. Fortunately, we now find ourselves with a hefty supply of T-1 Blasters.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°Caliban¡­ whatever you need¡­ take it. Take all the equipment I put up for sale. Give it to whoever needs it. We¡¯ll even call it a zero credit down super sale. I don¡¯t really need the money.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened, flashing Eric a surprisingly grateful smile. ¡°You never fail to impress me, ¡®Ernest¡¯ Slaughter.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s edgelord to you.¡±


    ¡°All former classers who REMEMBER what they were! Do the dreams speak to you? Then come to the designated spots that should now be blinking in your interfaces. Your Blue Corp Brothers will kit you up as per your skills and predilections. Help defend our city and become official Blue Corp HEROES!¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Thanks for cluing me in. I assume that was a very specialized message?


    Caliban, looking momentarily winded in the way mages using large chunks of mana tended to, gave a nod before perking up, moments later. ¡°Exactly. Though their parents might not be particularly pleased¡­¡±


    ¡°Beats being dead.¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    The earth jolted once more, the manor now filling with screams and panic.


    Grim¡¯s features hardened after re-emerging from his study. ¡°The Shamans¡¯ rituals have been disrupted. Their taint purged from my sanctuary. Now if you will allow me to see you both off¡­ I fear the hour has grown both late and perilous.¡±


    Caliban and Eric both bowed their heads once they exited the manor, quickly making their way across the grassy courtyard to the exit. ¡°It has been an honor, Lord Grim,¡± they both said in unexpected unison, earning a cool smile from their host.


    ¡°I expect you both to do your utmost to defend our sanctuary¡­ our home.¡± The Moor¡¯s entrancing gaze then pinned Eric¡¯s own as the sharp, spicy wind whipped Lord Grim¡¯s frock coat about his frame¡­ before abruptly stilling, the wind now no longer touching the powerful Necromancer¡¯s frame at all. ¡°And I expect you to do our ultimate Profession proud, Eric ¡®Earnest¡¯ Slaughter.¡±


    Eric swallowed. ¡°Damn right I will.¡± Heart pounding, he gazed intently at the lich. ¡°Is there anything you need?¡±


    The ancient figure towering over Eric and Morlekai gave a quiet chuckle as the stars twinkled and flashed with a riot of brilliant colors like fireworks, above their heads. It was both haunting and strikingly beautiful, beyond anything that Eric had ever seen in the night sky before. ¡°Regrettably, dreams of our past, illuminating as they were, did not come with the defenders we once recalled having at our beck and call. So I suspect we will be relying on the strength of our foundations more than a Necromancer should. Still, contingencies are in place so¡­¡±


    ¡°Surge Centuria.¡± Eric whispered quiet words as he squeezed tight the ring Lord Grim himself had arranged for him to have, in a life that now might never have been.


    And where there had been naught but wildly whipping grass and the footsteps of men preparing to defend a city were a dozen prehistoric predators whose glowing yellow eyes took in the world before hissing and bowing in unison before their master, their toothy maws and rending talons on full display.


    Lord Grim blinked in surprise even as a rapidly racing Alice and Morlekai darted toward their master.


    ¡°Most impressive,¡± Lord Grim solemnly declared.


    ¡°Master! High level monsters are surging in from the South! Dinosaurs moving as fast as freight trains! They could arrive in¡­ Fucking hell, they¡¯re here already!¡± Alice screamed.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Not really,¡± He said, patting the neck of his closest Velociraptor Revenant.


    ¡°I kept a dozen stored in my ring¡­ just in case.¡±


    The dozen Velociraptors then bowed in solemn unison to a delighted-looking Lord Grim even as Alice and Morlekai gazed on in awed disbelief.


    ¡°No fucking way!¡± Alice whispered, Morlekai gazing at Eric with a strange mixture of hungry envy and gratitude both.


    Eric grinned and winked at them both, before turning to Lord Grim who was even now gently stroking the closest creature¡¯s powerful neck.


    ¡°Their potency level is equivalent to that of a 106<sup>th</sup> level White-tier Quickness-focused Advanced Classer. Of course, being as they¡¯re revenants enhanced with runes of Resiliency and Dominion, they¡¯re now also as tough as fuck. They additionally have the Elite perk of Vorpal talons and teeth which a number of friendly mercs made clear is so absurdly rare on a beast that isn¡¯t super ¡®leet Bronze that it could only be found on a world ascending way too hot and fast. Joy! Ha ha. Anyway, I¡¯ve just given them orders to serve. But should anything happen to me¡­ if you would like to immediately assume direct mastery over them, you have my blessing.¡±


    With those words the debonair Moore gifted Eric with a brilliant smile, his fingers flashing with such grace as the air lit up with an impossibly complex series of recursive runes sparkling so brightly that Eric was momentarily dizzy¡­ and he was never dizzy. An eyeblink later, the dozen revenants he knew so intimately had no connection to him at all. Though they did dip their heads respectfully his way in eerie unison beyond what even he could compel.


    He swallowed, surprised both by his sudden sense of loss and by how easy, how effortlessly, the lich before him had performed the feat.


    Before he chuckled ruefully, bowing low before Grim. ¡°Student before the master.¡±


    Surprisingly, the ancient Moore halted his bow mid-way. ¡°One Master to another. For these are unquestionably masterwork forgings that will serve our sanctuary and the students and disciples depending on us for their safety, their well-being, exceptionally well.¡±


    Lord Grim then honored Eric with a bow just as low as Eric¡¯s cut off gesture had been.


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened at that.


    Eric swallowed, dipping his head before Grim¡¯s approving smile, truly feeling like an aspirant before his better.


    ¡°Do you have any limit, boy?¡±


    And here Eric¡¯s lips flashed in a wide, toothy smile. ¡°None at all.¡±


    Grim¡¯s surprisingly melodious laughter sent delightful shivers through Eric¡¯s bones.


    ¡°Necromancer King indeed. Well done, boy! Now, by all means, go out there and save our fair city, should the fancy strike you. My disciples and I will do our best to manage things here, along with your priceless gift.¡±


    Eric chuckled in turn. ¡°Sounds like a plan, Lord Grim.¡±


    Exchanging fresh bows between equals that earned looks of outright disbelief from Eric¡¯s friends, Louie and Drake now racing up to come to a dead stop when Morlekai raised his hand¡­ Eric gave them all a smile and a wave as he turned on his heel, heading out the gate with Caliban by his side, his former roguish companions exchanging furious whispers.


    ¡°That was Eric in disguise, right? Lord Grim¡¯s treating him like an equal!¡±


    ¡°Shush, sister. Some things must never be said allowed.¡±


    ¡°Shush yourself! Did you see his teeth? How fucking pretty he is? The way spaced twisted and warped around his mouth? Our family¡¯s blood must run through his veins. He has to be a member of our tribe. Nothing else makes sense!¡±


    ¡°Wait, boy scout¡¯s a vampire?¡± A startled Drake asked in surprise. ¡°Those dreams you told us might be real¡­ I don¡¯t recall that, I don¡¯t think?¡±


    ¡°Where the fuck did those things come from?¡± Asked a nervous sounding Louie. ¡°Shit. Look how fast they dart and move to our master¡¯s will! I¡¯ve never seen revenants that looked quite that¡­ fearsome.¡±


    Eric tuned out the murmurs of his friends when Caliban¡¯s intent gaze locked with Eric¡¯s own as they stood by the exit gate. ¡°Thank you¡­ Ernest. This entire city owes you a debt beyond measure.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Beyond a 10% cut for me along with personal property rights over any wonder or specific treasure Eric or I might find while claiming territories?¡± Ernest winked at Morlekai¡¯s expression. ¡°Not including Blue Corp¡¯s 20% managerial cut, of course.¡±


    ¡°Ernest¡­¡±


    Ernest¡¯s smile hardened. ¡°Every delve me or my better half might uncover...they¡¯re mine. Personally mine. My finds, my mines, if you will. Whether the treasures within are physical or monstrous. And you damned well better believe that those veins of wealth and prosperity will be a hell of a lot richer than what anyone will be finding in chance-found cracks in Terra Firma. Nope, they¡¯ll pay their 20% cut to me for delving rights and count their blessings for delves far more stable and less likely to kill them, free of goblin spite-laden sacrificial traps or ambush points that they would find elsewhere¡­ let alone whatever natural horrors and obstacles would be found in a purely natural and deadly formation without any benevolent intervention at all. And they¡¯ll be making five-fold what they would in any common tier equivalent. Somehow, I can almost fucking guarantee it.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Eric¡­ Ernest, if you¡¯re truly capable of this¡­¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin was all teeth. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time, my friend. The city needs you, and I have a role to play to.¡±


    This earned a surprised blink, before the man gave a hard smile. ¡°Fine. 60% share for yourself of any prized resource you claim of any territory you put under Blue¡¯s administrative care. We¡¯ll claim 20% ourselves as our standard administrative fee and 20% will be held in reserve for Earth¡¯s future ruler. And yes, this will include Delves that we¡¯ll write up as resource rifts! Ha! As if I could refuse the boy who just saved 120,000 lives from a goblin¡¯s slave collars, or me from being exiled from my own clan, because there was no way I would stand for a handful of slimy barristers attempting to enslave my citizens, as that bastard Arlen knew from the start!¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes flashed with fearsome heat, before his features hardened into pure professionalism once more. ¡°Alright, enough. Best we focus on the matter at hand. We¡¯re about to be be flooded by Bronze-tier abominations and my ride will be here in less than thirty seconds. I invite you to join me, Ernest. Your insights into the fauna of the territory you had so recently survived exploring may prove invaluable. But please be warned that things might be drastically different from what you recall. However fortunate you were in a Red Zone with a coterie of elite mercenaries at your back, I fear this is far worse than even you can handle.¡±


    Eric smirked at that.


    Then he heard the screams.


    Time began to stretch and slow, as his heart began to pound.


    Outside sounds grew tinny and discordant as Caliban twisted around, so slowly, eyes blinking as if in slow motion at the sight of an armored veli being torn into by a trio of velociraptors that did indeed look a bit larger than Eric recalled.


    It didn¡¯t stop him from darting forward, racing for the screeching beasts shredding advanced polymers and reinforced steel plating like paper plates covering delicious meat sandwiches radiating terrified Bronze potency from within.


    For just a heartbeat, Eric caught Nikita¡¯s shocked gaze, even as she struggled to twist around in the confined vehicle to fire at the hissing abomination. But she couldn¡¯t fire a shot in a sealed vehicle without risking herself or her teammates. Not until the second they had broken through. And Eric knew damn well how sharp those jaws were. jaws that had just now torn open the back door as the raptor dragged a screaming elf out, spurting his crimson lifeblood.


    For just a heartbeat, the terrified elf¡¯s eyes met Eric¡¯s own before the screeching velociraptor that had hooked its pray with talons that had shredded armor so effortlessly opened its maw and chomped down on absolutely nothing as its skull went tumbling through the air.


    Bloodfire Strike successfully decapitates your foe!


    You have dodged Vorpal attack!


    Nikita screamed when the Altopaz veli window shattered with a powerful kick, razor sharp talons slamming her blaster against her chest before digging in.


    Her eyes bulged as her ribs cracked.


    Before the pressure was abruptly lifted when she was sprayed by fresh blood, thankfully not her own.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± She wheezed for breath, blinking in stunned disbelief when the now headless raptor collapsed before the vehicle, her widened eyes reflecting an all too familiar frock coat and tricorn hat that were all but torn apart as the impossibly fast being they had contained danced and spun about the final remaining velociraptor.


    Wicked sharp talons lashed out, cutting deep grooves in the blacktop, yet missing their target completely as the sword-wielder danced and spun about his prey.


    The raptor screeched so loud that blood poured from Nikita¡¯s ears, yet its target radiated no fear, instead mocking the creature with laughter. It roared, snapping its jaws in a lunge that would have torn through at least half the power armored suits Nikita had so recently put up for sale.


    Yet it could not harm what it could not touch.


    Wild fiery green eyes met Nikita¡¯s own for a breathless heartbeat.


    Then a flash of crimson fire so bright that Nikita flinched. And when she rubbed her eyes with arms that thankfully weren¡¯t broken, she saw none other than Ernest Slaughter, the disguised prince of the Sylvan Alliance, shivering with unmistakable ecstasy as he was spattered with the blood of his third kill in just a handful of seconds.


    ¡°Fucking yes! Finally another cultivation level!¡± He hooted, gazing at the fallen beasts with a hungry grin, before uttering words that turned Nikita¡¯s look of awed wonder to one of dismayed horror as her ears rang with agonizing static.


    Her eyes bulged as her veli shuddered, black ichor now pouring from the speakers.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Nikita¡¯s companion, no longer playing the obsequious lickboot and dressed every inch like the competent soldier he was, gazed at the young chuckling Necromancer with undisguised horror.


    ¡°What the fuck did we just crash into, Nikita?¡±


    Nikita shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Phil.¡± Her eyes bulged. It was all she could do not to scream when the blood and viscera she had been spattered by flowed out of the vehicle before twisting into a rope of glistening gore, growing pseudopods that flailed around like a sentient thing before grasping a massive decapitated head, then dragging it back into the wildly spasming and contorted body it had sprouted from.


    The air rang with silent screams that brought fresh tears to Nikita¡¯s eyes as her veli continued to throb and shriek with electromana feedback, black ichor now streaming from her vehicle¡¯s chassis and pooling at her feet. She glanced down, unable to help herself, and stifled a cry. As if, for just a heartbeat, she had seen the faces of screaming souls writhing in the vehicle¡¯s ichor spilling all over her feet.


    She cried out, struggling to force open her car door and flee, only to be frozen to captivated horror as one fallen raptor after another lurched to their taloned feet, wobbling with heads connected only by bloody pseudopods before those wounds sealed and the trio of predatory nightmare birds stiffened like soldiers before opening wide eyes glowing with eldritch sapience that sent Nikita stumbling back with a sob.


    Then she screamed when they opened their mouths in unison and spoke.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus.¡±


    ¡°Damn right you do, til the final fucking days!¡± Hooted Ernest with a madcap grin. ¡°Glad you all decided to reanimate. We¡¯re going to have a blast, you¡¯d better fucking believe it!¡± He then turned to the trembling pair of elves gazing at him with such horrified disbelief even as Caliban and his guards came sprinting to their side.


    ¡°Really, Nikita?¡± Ernest quipped. ¡°I went from favored customer to vile abomination? Shit. Normally it takes a second date for girls to give me that look!¡± He forced a smile. ¡°Ha ha. That was a joke. And look! You¡¯re friend who had been spurting blood in the back of your veli that you totally forgot about... understandable, as your ribs were being crushed by a raptor that will now never hurt you again... is completely stable! Could that be thanks to a bit of judicious use of BLOOD magic? Hmm, could be! ¡­ no, no need to thank me for saving your asses. Just quit looking at me like I¡¯m darkness incarnate¡­ never mind.¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°I give up,¡± he said, turning to Caliban who was immediately by a sobbing Nikita¡¯s side.


    ¡°Nikita! Are you alright!?¡±


    She clenched Caliban tight in an unexpected hug, sobbing and shuddering and saying nothing at all.


    Eric shook his head before exchanging a look with the Bronze-tier killer who had been so ready to fight by her side. The man gave a melodious chuckle Eric instantly recognized.


    ¡°Outstanding performance, sir. Truly, in realms of negotiation and Necromantic diplomacy both, you are a force to be feared!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t ever change, Phil.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it, sir!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help laughing at that, before turning his friend.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Caliban whispered.


    Eric smirked. ¡°No problem. Oh, and you were right. These oversurge fuckers are larger and tougher than they were before.¡± His smile widened. ¡°But not by much. You hear what I¡¯m saying, Calibro? Not by much at all.¡±


    Caliban blinked. ¡°But that means¡­¡±


    ¡°Yup, that so-called red territory has been half-step hot since I entered. And now that that I know just what to expect¡­ I CAN¡¯T FUCKING WAIT!¡±


    The air rang with Eric¡¯s laughter. When the nearby windows exploded in screaming glassy maws, black ichor now flowing from eerily human looking effigies upon multiple walls, he decided he didn¡¯t give two shits.


    At least not until he saw Master Grim from a too far away study window that somehow caught his view, giving the slightest frown of disapproval.


    Eric cleared his throat as the eldritch manifestations eased to mist and confusion. ¡°Anyway, I got a city to save. AGAIN! Have fun securing the city until I get back.¡±


    Caliban nodded before his eyes widened in genuine horror as he took in what was now at Eric¡¯s rear. ¡°Heaven¡¯s mercy, is the hour that late?¡±


    Nikita vented a bloodcurdling scream. ¡°It¡¯s the final hour! World Eaters are upon us! We must abandon the city and secure a gate! This world is lost!¡±


    Eric blinked, turning around to catch sight of the massive Sand Wyrm giving out a mournful cry as it arched its body upwards, now soaring far above the Blue Palace, its tri-fold mouth opening wide as it fed upon the spicy magical sands now blowing in from the wild territory so close to full on rupture, just a few miles south.


    Eric chuckled, ignoring the desperate shouts and panicked cries. ¡°Chill, bros. That¡¯s no World Eater. That¡¯s just Wormy!¡±


    Caliban blinked. ¡°Wormy.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s a Titan Wyrm, sure. But he hasn¡¯t hit World Eater status yet. Those fuckers are miles long. Wormy¡¯s just a quarter mile long!¡± Eric then frowned thoughtfully. ¡°Okay, maybe he¡¯s grown a little bit since he became my Underlord. But still, no need to worry. He¡¯s my friend!¡±


    Eric closed his eyes, ignoring Nikita¡¯s furious shrieks as Caliban sought to calm her. His brow furrowed in concentration before he gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Okay, no need to worry. Wormy¡¯s got your backs. He and the rest of my pack will chow down on any assholes trying to enter the city while I take out any assholes that already slipped through. Once I¡¯ve taken out whatever raptors I find, I¡¯ll head out and handle the surge.¡±


    Caliban froze, giving Eric the strangest look. ¡°You will handle the surge.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°That¡¯s right! And my friends at Rising Sun just thanked me for the lift. They¡¯re meeting up with your elites by Blue Palace. And that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have time to babysit them in a swarming black territory, anyway. They¡¯ll be much more useful helping to protect you all¡ª¡±


    His words cut off when a fresh pair of velociraptors cut around the corner, hissed, and raced right toward Eric and the others. They completely ignored the Professional couple that somehow hadn¡¯t gotten the messages to shelter in place, and the looks on their faces made it clear that all they felt now was horror.


    Yet before the Velociraptors could pivot for closer prey or finish charging at the juicy targets radiating such sweet potency, Eric seemed to disappear.


    Nikita¡¯s blinked, yet before she could utter a word the night flashed with a brilliant explosion of flame, the closest velociraptor tumbling through the air in a shattered, blazing heap.


    The second velociraptor pivoted and hissed toward a now snarling Ernest¡­ who proceeded to weave right past the Bronze-tier beast¡¯s snapping maw, before tearing the velociraptor¡¯s throat out.


    With his teeth.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Nikita said with sob, stumbling to the ground as the wild-eyed boy whispered eldritch words that caused the vehicle behind her to crumple and twist, curling into a cocoon of warped steel, chrome, and fiberglass by her scrabbling feet. Meanwhile, two fresh terror birds twisted back to unnatural life before swearing eternal service to the laughing mad-eyed boy who gave the surviving elves a final salute before racing off faster than Nikita could blink, the pack of velociraptors disappearing as well.


    She shuddered in disbelief, gazing at the undisputed master of the entire city.


    ¡°How? How is any of this happening, Caliban?¡±


    Her prince sighed. ¡°Be at ease, Nikita. The wild magic in the air so symptomatic of a beast surge is merely finding sympathetic resonance with our young hero¡¯s heritage arts. And you and I both know that velimobiles aren¡¯t certified for high mana zones in newly ascending worlds.¡±


    ¡°Certified?!? Our vehicle¡¯s transforming itself into a giant steel velociraptor, Caliban!¡±


    ¡°I see that, Nikita.¡±


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus.¡± The vehicle creaked, before stumbling off after its pack.


    All the elves present gazed at the sight for long moments.


    Caliban pulled out a hip flask, taking a long sip before passing it to Nikita¡¯s companion. ¡°Thanks for getting Elwon out of the back seat, Phil.¡±


    ¡°I live to serve, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°How stable is he?¡±


    ¡°Remarkably so, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Let¡¯s head back to Blue Palace.¡±

 Chapter 415 - Monster Surge II (Different POV)

    ¡°Kelly, please wake up! I¡¯m scared!¡±


    Kelly gasped, jolting out of bed so fast that her sister lurched back with a cry.


    ¡°Marsha! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Kelly blinked at the harsh light flooding what had been her blessedly dark room to meet the disapproving countenance of her father, already dressed in his work suit, leaving Kelly more than a bit disoriented. Yet the blinding headache she knew she should be suffering was gone as if it had never been. She winced, and it wasn¡¯t from blinding light her perfectly healthy eyes had already adjusted to. Rather, it was the blurry memory of her mother shouting at her with tears in her eyes before Kelly started screaming herself.


    She groaned, almost certain a bottle of shattered tequila had starred in that ugly little scene somewhere.


    ¡°You would know if you hadn¡¯t been passed out, oblivious to the world,¡± her father said with a glare that so quickly turned to a tired sigh.


    Kelly lowered her gaze, hating the awful knot of frustration and shame welling up in her gut. The same way it always did when the memories became too much to bear and she drank to forget. Sometimes leaving the house entirely to meet up with friends who knew that not everything was right. That something was seriously wrong.


    Or maybe nothing was wrong.


    All of them haunted by dreams, maybe. Or discordant fragments of a life that never was, but she KNEW had been. And how fucking stupid was she being? Pining over a version of herself that had been miserable and alone and so damned furious and violent and here she was, happy, somewhat healthy, save for a tiny drinking problem, and whole¡­ and why was she acting like an idiot risking fucking up her life like the first time she had been sixteen? Just because she was haunted by stupid¡ª


    ¡°All former Classers who REMEMBER what they were! Do the dreams speak to you? Then come to the designated spots that should now be blinking in your interfaces. Your Blue Corp Brothers will kit you up as per your skills and predilections. Help defend our city and become official Blue Corp HEROES!¡±


    ¡°Holy fuck!¡±


    ¡°Language!¡± Her father snapped, before giving her a look of genuine concern.


    ¡°Kelly? What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡±


    She flashed a bittersweet smile. Her father only called her that when she was genuinely worried.


    ¡°I¡­ Um¡­ I think I just got a Blue Corp interface message from the prince?¡± Her sister and father were giving her matching pairs of jaded looks. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±


    ¡°Kelly! There¡¯s been a monster surge! We¡¯ve all been ordered to shelter in place!¡±


    Kelly blinked at her sister. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The Southern territory¡¯s gone full blackout. Wild uncontrolled mana.¡± Her father¡¯s imploring gaze sent chills down Kelly¡¯s spine. ¡°The territory¡¯s warping. Mana¡¯s surging and causing havoc with Freetown¡¯s electromana power grid. People are reporting¡­ odd manifestations.¡±


    ¡°And dinosaurs!¡± Marsha said anxiously. ¡°Mini T-Rexes, all teeth and wild eyes and they dart in so fast that they disembowel you and rip out your guts before you can even scream!¡±


    ¡°Marsha!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, dad. But it¡¯s true! You can read the reports in Community Chat. And how fucked up is it that we finally have a 3-D entertainment system filled with all my favorite anime, but we still can¡¯t take pictures without Bronze-tier equipment?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s far easier to recompile and distribute animated Terran works than it is translate fresh 4-D pictures into a format that our minds can both appreciate and fully comprehend,¡± her father said tiredly. ¡°That¡¯s one of the basic instructional media arts classes that you and your sister are both taking. And you¡¯re at least going to class, Marsha.¡±


    Marsha glowered. ¡°Yeah, but that makes no sense. How the hell is there some extra dimensional complexity that there never was before? The cardinal directions are all the same. We all look the same. Gravity¡¯s the same. But magic intersecting with electromagnetism and free will are somehow generating some extra dimension a fucking camera can¡¯t compensate for? It¡¯s fucking insanity! Right, Kelly? We now have access to laser sabers and plasma cannons. And spells! You even have a wand! So why not a decent snap-phone? Why not any phones at all?¡±


    Kelly rubbed her eyes. ¡°Ask dad. He¡¯s the Professional Physicist who woke up with an extra doctorate degree¡¯s worth of info in his skull.¡±


    ¡°Just as you did understanding how to use swords, spears, and arcane wands,¡± her father said dryly. ¡°Which is a wonderful thing, and absolutely no excuse to drink excessively and worry your mother. You¡¯re not the only girl she¡¯s mothering, after all.¡±


    As if on cue, their baby sister Quilly chose that moment to wake up with a scream.


    Her father sighed. ¡°Kelly, take care of your sister. I¡¯ll see to your mother and Quilly.¡±


    Kelly swallowed. ¡°Dad, there¡¯s an all points bulletin.¡±


    Her father turned, his normally affable bearded countenance was now granite hard. ¡°No, Kelly. I don¡¯t care if the prince himself is trying to entice every battle Professional in the city to go out there. There is no way in hell I¡¯m letting my sixteen-year-old baby be drafted to fight off black-tier abominations!¡± The man snapped. ¡°You¡¯re what, level twenty?¡±


    ¡°Twenty seven!¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°Though I never dreamed I¡¯d actually have to say it, the threats from a monster surge are level one hundred. Beyond level one hundred. They can evolve in terrifying ways. But Blue Corp security should be more than up to the challenge, no matter how enticed your friends are to try their hand at fighting beasts that will kill them before they can even blink!¡±


    Kelly blinked, gazing at her father. ¡°How do you even know all this?¡±


    Her father sighed. ¡°Kelly, it was part of the information upload we received before we ever signed up as Terran settlers.¡±


    Marsha whimpered.


    Kelly gazed at her puzzled-looking father for long moments.


    ¡°Earth, Dad.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t call it it Terra, we call it Earth. We were born here, remember? We didn¡¯t ¡®settle,¡¯ anywhere.¡±


    Her father scowled. ¡°What are you getting at, Kelly? Of course we were born here. In Illinois, to be precise. Even your baby sister. Your father¡¯s a proud UC Graduate, and if you¡¯d actually apply yourself¡­¡±


    Kelly rolled her eyes. ¡°Sure, dad. I could be a fellow alumni, assuming the university, or Chicago itself, even exists.¡±


    Her father sighed, rubbing her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on Quilly. You both stay¡ª¡±


    His words cut off to the sound of loud crashing and screams, just across the hall.


    Kelly felt her blood run cold. Quick as thought, her hands covered Marsha¡¯s mouth before she could whimper.


    Cold eyes met her sister, even her surprised father blinking at Kelly¡¯s furious glare as she put finger to lips.


    Not bothering to waste time, she dove into her closet, tossing on her chainmail hauberk and strapping on her half helm in less than ten seconds, having timed herself as a way to handle her panic attacks, with the knowledge that she was at least doing something! seven more seconds to belt and secure wand and gladius, then grab the boar spear she kept in the false panel that seemed to come standard in these odd, futuristic Blue Corp apartment complexes that seemed equally suited for high tech professionals and low tech adventurers who preferred low-tech gear.


    She paid no mind to her father¡¯s angry look, making it clear their would be a ¡®talk¡¯ later.


    Then his expression became one of naked fear mirrored by Marsha when the air rang with a second scream. Not one of anger or dismay but someone suffering in absolute extremis. Very much like that horrific recording of a man being eaten alive by a bear he had tried to befriend, now forever etched in Kelly¡¯s brain, and one reason why she would never ever bother with any sort of bullshit tamer class. Any animal looked at her sideways, it was going into the fucking stew pot. Period.


    Only this was worse, somehow, if that was even possible.


    Kelly¡¯s heart was pounding as a cold sweat broke across her armored back, knowing it was only seconds before the absolute worse would happen.


    And there it was. A roar that shook the entire building, causing the Altopaz windows to rattle tinnily as the air cracked with the sound of some hideous beast trying to break into yet another neighbor¡¯s door. And what was worse, so much worse¡­ was that it was a lot closer than the earlier banging had been.


    ¡°Fuckers are eating us like sardines trapped in a fucking can!¡± She hissed under her breath as she stumbled into her parent¡¯s bedroom, locking gazes with her mother and an angry-eyed Quilly who was furiously suckling her teething pain and terror away.


    Her mother gave her a look saying so much with her panicked, anxious, and pleading eyes.


    Wordlessly, Kelly held her mother close. Gently, for her Strength was now 40, and she was wearing mail and her mother was wearing nothing but a nursing gown.


    ¡°Come with me, mom. My bedroom¡¯s the most fortified. And if anything happens¡­¡±


    ¡°Kelly¡­¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m the one with the wand and the spear and 40 Strength. I¡¯ll fucking handle it. Or if not...maybe it will be happy with me, and leave you guys alone. I¡¯m only hearing one scream per apartment.¡±


    Her mother choked back a desperate sob at those words.


    Kelly flashed her bravest smile even as the high-rise complex rang with fresh panicked screams that soon became howls of terror and a choked off gurgling cry.


    It was all she could do to catch her mom¡¯s stumble¡­ sensing the woman¡¯s racing heart.


    ¡°Calm down, mom. Or your fear¡¯s going to set Quilly on edge and then we¡¯re truly fucked!¡± Kelly hissed, her mother flinching at the force in her tone. She took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just messaged a friend. Maybe¡­¡± she shook her head. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll actually be able to help?¡±


    It was sheer madness, thinking that a brief message to a chance-met stranger she had come on way too strongly to and never bothered messaging again would give two fucks about her now¡­ and even if he did care, he probably had a thousand better things to do than worry about one stupid girl in a city of a hundred thousand plus.


    Assuming he wasn¡¯t just another edgelord playing the handsome brooding asshole so damned well that she was totally falling for him and she would have totally dragged his ass off to class the next day if they had ended up spending the night together. But her sister was there and of course family had to come first.


    But still¡­ she had to try. Her family was counting on her.


    She was all they had.


    And she sure as hell wasn¡¯t enough to take on whatever was tearing through aluminum-topaz alloyed apartments advertised as being stronger than steel reinforced concrete when she and her family had first signed on to the settlement quota and FUCK! Now she was doing it.


    ¡°I was born here¡­ fucking implanted memory bullshit!¡±


    KS ¨C Hi Ernest! On the off chance you¡¯re get this in time, we could really use a hero right now! A rather nasty chomp chomper is eating my neighbors and I think we¡¯re a couple minutes away from being next? Anyway, there are five of us here, and if you happen to be in the neighborhood, I hope you wouldn¡¯t mind saving my family! I¡¯ll happily surrender to your every fantasy as a big THANK YOU ;) I¡¯d let you tie me up and spank me and do all sorts of other things to me all night long, if that¡¯s your kink! ;) - Or I could take you out for ice cream, your perfect virgin princess! Just please, if you¡¯re in the neighborhood, swing on by? Here¡¯s my address! - Sincerely, (your future girlfriend if you want one... who¡¯s in DESPERATE need of a hero!) - Kelly)


    ¡°Kelly!¡±


    Her baby sister started to scream.


    The dinosaur next store began to roar as they darted into the back bedroom, Kelly thinking as fast as she could, forcing them all in the hidden trap door in her bedroom closet.


    The look her parents gave her was priceless, though they were too terrified to speak.


    ¡°Wrap yourselves in the blanket. Now quick, give me Quilly¡¯s diaper!¡±


    ¡°Kelly?¡±


    ¡°No time! I can tell it¡¯s a stinker! 30 Perception, remember? Now get in there, and if you can possibly make yourselves go¡­ go! Smear it on everything, because the one thing most predators won¡¯t eat is prey covered in shit!¡±


    Her father¡¯s eyes widened, caught between outrage and what Kelly dared to think was hope. ¡°Kelly¡­¡±


    ¡°No fucking time. Get in there, now!¡±


    ¡°Not without you, love.¡±


    Kelly answered this the only way she could, physically forcing her father in with just a fraction of her Strength. And the look he gave her, forced to realize in that moment just how absurd was the difference in power between a relatively healthy 11 Strength male and a girl as strong as two Olympian Gold Medal power lifters. She flashed her father a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m your only shot. Now get the fuck in there and STAY THERE. No matter what happens. The only thing you¡¯ll get if you try to come to my rescue is two more dead daughters.¡±


    Her father blanched, gazing at her in horror. ¡°Kelly¡­¡±


    His words were cut off when she forced him inside the hidden compartment that no modern apartment should have but somehow hers did¡­ as was the case for all apartments with reborn Classers¡­ which also had a weeks worth of water and protein bars¡­ just in case.


    She took a deep, steadying breath, preparing herself for whatever was to come only to find out that, as much as she tried to play the tough badass woman, she was a scared girl who just wanted to sob in her father¡¯s arms and have him hold her safe and snug when the air abruptly rang with dreadful banging sounds.


    Only it wasn¡¯t another neighbor¡¯s door.


    It was her own.


    And that¡¯s when she got the message.


    ES ¨C I¡¯m coming. What floor?


    Kelly sucked in a ragged breath, heart pounding as she dared to hope. ¡°Tenth,¡± she said in a daze.


    ES ¨C Are you still there? What floor!


    Kelly flinched as the door rattled far too loudly. She choked back a sob, realizing she was being an idiot.


    KS ¨C Tenth floor! West wing!


    ES ¨C Cool. Open your window?


    Kelly blinked at that. ¡°Shit. He¡¯s right. I have fucking rope! Why the fuck aren¡¯t we climbing down to a lower floor? Piercing Strike will crack that fucking window even if I¡¯m dangling with my ass in the wind at 8 stories!¡±


    She forced feet paralyzed by fear to MOVE, rushing over to the window latches and pulling the window pane down. The room was immediately filled with howling winds and the sharp tangy scent of spice and magic and such a frisson of delightful power shivering through her soul that she would have laughed with sheer wonder were it not for the crack and BANG in the hallway.


    So instead, she darted into the far corner of her bedroom, choking back a whimper, praying that the smell of piss and shit wafting from the trap door and yes, her wetting herself in primal terror, might coax the monster now coming their way to looking for dinner elsewhere.


    Only there was no such luck.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    And everything she thought she knew about fear proved to be nothing more than the titillating thrill of a campy horror movie when she saw beady dark eyes just above a massive scaly maw half as large as her body snake into the bedroom, as the awful musk of dinosaur flooded her nostrils with the nightmare predator radiating such awful killing strength that was now glaring RIGHT AT HER in the corner of her bedroom free of trundle bed and workstation that still had her unfinished essay because what was the fucking point if she was going to be an adventurer and level up and learn to cast actual spells when she unlocked her 30<sup>th</sup> level Node?


    Only now there would be no further studies or adventures, because she was about to be eaten by the massive nightmare that had just opened its mouth and ROARED at her and it was all she could do not to vomit when the smell of rotting carrion and fresh meat washed over her, 30 Perception making the source all too painfully clear.


    Soon to be joined by her blood as the creature leaped with superhuman quickness and she didn¡¯t even have time to scream let alone set her spear for a charge when the air flashed with a blinding surge of crimson flame and now the creature was on her, drowning her, suffocating her in thick cloying blood as she screamed and screamed before being pulled into the embrace of none other than Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter who was gazing at her with fey green eyes so bright and hair like flame and she didn¡¯t care that his eyes and hair had changed or the sheer killing aura he radiated left her dizzy and faint or that he held a sword that seemed ready to cut through reality itself or that they were both covered in hot, sticky blood.


    All she cared about was that by some miracle, this wild child had actually come in the nick of time and saved her and then her lips were pressed against his own and the kiss was hot and sweet and her heart was racing and she really was a virgin this time around, and she wanted nothing more than to claim him here and now and she could feel his heart pounding as she sobbed her thanks in his mouth before locking lips so fiercely, so passionately with his own and she could feel him burning with need equal to his own and then Quilly was screaming and sobbing and she just wouldn¡¯t stop that Ernest broke off the kiss with flushing cheeks and a rueful smile.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked.


    And all she could do was sob in his arms.


    So his kissed her again, hot and deep and she wanted him SO BAD and the jerk had the gall to step back and tease her with a wink and a smile before moving so fast she couldn¡¯t even see him as the trap door was lifted and two seconds later the room was filled with her sobbing family, crying for relief and terror at the monstrous predator sans head that now filled up her entire room.


    ¡°Honey! Thank god you¡¯re okay!¡± Her mom sobbed.


    Her father was rendered speechless, just looking at the beast.


    Eric met the man¡¯s gaze and had the gall to wink ¡°Ernest Edgelord Slaughter, at your service. You mind if I cast a spell that will take care of this mess here?¡±


    Kelly¡¯s father stared at the young adventurer in open-mouthed awe, at an utter loss for words before he jerked a nod. ¡°Yes, please¡­ we would be grateful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Now if you¡¯ll forgive me saying so, it might be much better if you all wait in the other room. This will only take a moment.¡±


    And Kelly could tell by the spike of alarm that her father was giving off that he was losing control of the situation and hated losing control but this boy had so clearly saved their lives and was radiating the killing aura of a true Bronze-tier warrior, like Prince Caliban¡¯s elite shock-troops or the very few power-armored mercenaries she had crossed paths with in the shopping district near the Blue Palace. Yet Ernest simultaneously looked so disarming and sweet and he HAD saved their lives...and was so fucking powerful that his MITHRIL SWORD crackling with crimson fire (bloodfire!) had decapitated that Bronze-tier monster in a SINGLE SWIPE!


    Her father gulped and gave a quick nod.


    Ernest was all smiles. ¡°Thank you. This will only take a second.¡±


    And before she knew it, Kelly and the others found themselves shivering together in the living room, staring in sheer terror at the shattered door while the air filled with a ringing buzz like the worst episode of tinnitus Kelly had suffered before she had evolved into a Classer in that awful scary pod during her first life...Tinnitus that had never bothered her again.


    Until now.


    ¡°Surge Centuria.¡±


    She blinked as the apartment full of clean wholesome lines seemed to warp and twist in strange ways, reality bending in screaming directions as the refrigerator, or arcane ice box, began to warp and bleed, the chairs trembling and knotting strangely, black ichor pouring from the sparking 3-D Entertainment Center.


    ¡°Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    Marsha screamed as the air turned thick and cloying.


    Quilly cried uncontrollably.


    Her father turned green and began to vomit as the entire living room began to stretch like a non-euclidian noodle.


    Before all of reality snapped back into place, along with the hideous shriek of metal and plastic bending and warping in unexpected directions as the refrigerator, chairs, and stove twisted together in a hideous mockery of a predator dripping kitchen oils and grease as it opened its metallic mouth and shrieked a reply.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus!¡±


    Kelly stumbled to her knees, suddenly as nauseous as her father when the bedroom door slammed back open, and there Ernest was, giving her such a concerned look, with the massive velociraptor that had nearly devoured her placidly stomping behind him, knocking fresh holes into the wall¡­ the Altopaz wall, as it maneuvered in the too tight apartment.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Kelly gave Ernest a look. ¡°Why did you turn reality into a Steve King novel with bleeding lanterns, supernatural shrieks, warping physics, and a fucking animated refrigerator?¡±


    Ernest blinked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Kelly crossed her arms. ¡°Look at my fridge!¡±


    Ernest¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of the second velociraptor, shivering with pleasure before its master.


    The revenant behind Eric hissed at its metallic double who happily hissed back.


    The redheaded boy groaned and rubbed his face. ¡°I hate it when this happens.¡±


    ¡°Happen a lot?¡± Kelly asked dryly.


    Ernest shrugged. ¡°Actually, yeah. A lot tonight. I have fifteen metallic golem velociraptors to go with the thirty five newest recruits to my army.¡±


    Kelly blinked. ¡°So did you take up a golem path?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ no? Honestly, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on. Normally, I do my necromancy thing in wild-lands filled with spicy sharp magic¡­ like the air is around here tonight, or in wild plains and fields when taking over fresh territories¡­ but I guess that shit never happened, this time around.¡±


    Kelly snorted. ¡°Tell me about it. Apparently in this life, we¡¯re all colonists of Terra, which we totally remember being, having Professions uploaded into our brains and I keep thinking my irises should be purple, but I know damn well that I went to Lincoln High and was born in Chicago so¡­ what the fuck.¡±


    The redheaded boy grinned. ¡°Tell me about it. Well, the good news is that I think that¡¯s the last of the terror birds to break through Wormy¡¯s perimeter. That¡¯s why I was able to come so fast.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s wormy?¡± Asked Marsha, gazing at Ernest so intently, her earlier suspicion and worry from the ice cream parlor replaced by a look of sheerest awe. ¡°And can I pet him?¡±


    Ernest gave his pair of revenants a look. They lowered their heads.


    ¡°Alright, but remember, if you see any of these bad boys without the glowing yellow eyes, you¡¯re probably already dead, since their Quickness is over 200.¡±


    The father frowned at Ernest and he had the gall to wink.


    Marsha swallowed but gently lowered here trembling hand to touch the creature¡¯s scales. Her eyes widened with awed delight. ¡°He¡¯s warm¡­ and he¡¯s breathing!¡±


    Ernest grinned. ¡°Yup! I bring my revenants so close to the brink of the life that they pretty much ARE alive. But they can still fight on, no problem, if you pierce them with a dozen spears and their rune-enhanced flesh is tough as fuck. See the crimson sigil right there?¡±


    Kelly winced, feeling suddenly dizzy, but Marsha just nodded. ¡°I do! It¡¯s all sparkly!¡±


    ¡°You can see that?¡± Said a surprised Ernest. ¡°Cool. You might just have what it takes to be a Classer, maybe even a cultivator or use the Runic Magic school I dreamed up. Anyway, assuming my revenants survive the fight with whoever or whatever¡¯s trying to kill them, they¡¯ll heal up with their kills so¡­ yeah! They¡¯re pretty badass and I love them and they kiss the border between what¡¯s alive and what¡¯s not, and that¡¯s not saying anything about the people I um¡­ hmm¡­¡± Ernest¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Okay, some topics I guess aren¡¯t fit for discussion¡ªwhatever!¡ªbut if you like my chompy buddy here, I think you¡¯ll love Wormy!¡±


    And before Kelly or her sister could ask who Wormy was, the air rang with a mournful howl that had little Quilly burst into fresh tears as the father of the house blanched and stumbled back into his davenport sofa that had only half-transformed into a mini T-Rex, Kelly thought.


    At least it still had cushions!


    ¡°World Eater,¡± her father said with a breathless whisper. ¡°They swore they wouldn¡¯t be a threat for centuries! Had we known the hour was so late, I never would have agreed to colonize¡­¡±


    ¡°We were born here, Dad!¡± Kelly glared at her shaken father, swallowing her own fear.


    She turned to Ernest, biting her lip. ¡°So, what do we do about that?¡±


    Ernest blinked. ¡°Do about what?¡±


    ¡°About the source of that awful howl! The World Eater, according to my father.¡±


    Ernest blinked. ¡°Oh that? That¡¯s not a World Eater.¡±


    Kelly let loose a relieved breath she hadn¡¯t realized she had been holding. ¡°Oh thank goodness.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ not yet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Wormy!¡±


    And before she could ask, he led her back to the bedroom window, the two of them trailed by the rest of her family who had had enough of the strange, warped living room, now gazing out at the starry night sky, and even if her parents and sister were frowning, because they couldn¡¯t actually make it out, Kelly had no such problem, her eyes going as wide as saucers as she stumbled back, shaking in Ernest¡¯s gentle grip. ¡°What the actual fuck¡­ that thing is blocking out half the night sky! It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s like one of those sand worms in¡­¡±


    She twisted around, glaring into Ernest¡¯s gentle gaze. ¡°Your eyes aren¡¯t spice blue.¡±


    Ernest smirked. ¡°That¡¯s because this isn¡¯t a movie. Though I do have a pretty awesome shout-based psionic attack. That¡¯s pure coincidence, I promise,¡± he said with a wink.


    But Kelly was just gazing at him open-mouthed when the massive World Eater let loose another mournful cry echoing through the entire city.


    ¡°That thing is a mile fucking long!¡±


    Her mother sobbed.


    Ernest shook his head. ¡°Nope, only a fourth¡­ no, more like a third of a mile long. He¡¯s grown a bit with the juicy kills and becoming my Underlord, but he¡¯s just letting me know that the surge is contained.¡±


    Kelly gazed at him for long moments. ¡°The World Eater is your pet¡­ and he¡¯s giving you city updates?¡±


    Ernest frowned thoughtfully before nodding. ¡°Yeah, pretty much exactly that.¡±


    ¡°No. Fucking. Way.¡±


    ¡°Totally way.¡±


    ¡°I so want you to kiss me right now.¡±


    Ernest chuckled. ¡°Your dad is looking right at you and your room REALLY needs to be cleaned.¡±


    ¡°I almost got eaten by a dinosaur. I claim adventurer¡¯s privilege.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but I mean, your whole family is staring at us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let us stop you,¡± Marsha quipped.


    ¡°Marsha!¡± Her mom snapped.


    Ernest winked, gently taking Kelly¡¯s hand and giving her a gentlemanly kiss. ¡°It was a pleasure swooping in and saying hi. We¡¯ll definitely have to do milkshakes and burgers again. But since the fridge veloci doesn¡¯t do magic rings or flight¡­ I¡¯m going to have to ask you to show me the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Kelly, you know this boy?¡± Her mother asked, gazing at Ernest with something uncomfortably close to awe.


    Marsha rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, mom. He¡¯s the edgelord kid we were telling about who¡¯s way too cute and has to stop cutting classes and he¡¯s clearly trouble because Kelly so wants to date him?¡± Her cheeks flushed. ¡°But, um¡­ I¡¯m glad he¡¯s trouble and he can cut classes all day, as far as I¡¯m concerned! Thanks for coming to our rescue, you awesome edgelord!¡± She said with a cheeky grin.


    Ernest laughed. ¡°Take care, Marsha.¡± He then winced at the loud screech of the fridge-raptor banging against the furniture, though not the people, Eric made sure of that, as it burst through the door leading out of the apartment. ¡°Sorry about your fridge! And your, um¡­ chairs, sofa, and entertainment center?¡±


    ¡°Come on, let me take you to the stairs,¡± Kelly said with a sigh, dragging a sheepish Eric to the exit at the end of the hallway, ignoring the handful of frightened people sticking their heads out, all of them screaming or crying out when the massive fridge-rator stumbled past.


    Kelly frowned when they came to the stairwell. ¡°You have two, right? Where¡¯d the other one go?¡±


    Ernest grinned. ¡°Oh I already put him away in my ring. The other won¡¯t¡ª¡±


    His words were cut off when Kelly abruptly kissed him with a desperate hunger Ernest easily matched.


    And it said something, with how wild and insane the night had been, how desperately terrified he had been that had he arrived just one second later the beautiful young woman in his arms would be no more¡­ that he allowed himself to savor that kiss for too long moments before gently pulling away.


    ¡°I¡¯m eighteen,¡± she said with a husky breath, bedroom eyes locking with his own.


    ¡°I know,¡± Ernest said with a rueful smile. ¡°I¡¯m nineteen.¡±


    ¡°And you look no older than me.¡±


    ¡°The power of a Silver Talisman.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Never mind.¡±


    She chuckled throatily, squeezing him tight after steeling one last kiss. ¡°You have to go. I know. But um¡­ thank you?¡± She broke out in tears, squeezing him tight as he held her gently, tousling her hair. ¡°We came so close to¡­ I don¡¯t know what would have¡­ you saved my life. All our lives! Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡±


    She gazed at him with a tearful smile. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want a cute, flexible, and extremely loyal girlfriend who would never break your heart and give you a reason to smile every morning and night?¡±


    Ernest chuckled softly. ¡°Ask me after Freetown is saved and the adjoining territory is tamed.¡±


    She gazed at him for long moments, eyes filling with despair the equal of her smile. ¡°Ernest, I remember way too much of what was recorded in those damned mem-tapes I pretend my mind wasn¡¯t infused with while on a colony ship that never happened. Once a territory turns black and starts spilling over¡­ there¡¯s no turning back. The territory¡¯s gone, unless some really seriously powerful intervention happens. And that almost never happens. And we¡¯ve only ascended for a year and a half?¡± She broke down in fresh tears.


    Ernest chuckled. ¡°I think your mem-tapes are going to need some serious updating by the time I¡¯m through.¡±


    She blinked, gazing at him for long moments. ¡°You¡¯re serious!¡± She whispered. ¡°You¡¯re not just planning on outlasting the surge¡­ you¡¯re actually going in!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± He rolled his eyes with a teasing smile. ¡°How else am I going to claim it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ballooning out. I¡¯ll bet it¡¯s at least a hundred miles in all directions, and it will only get bigger as the pressure increases¡­ kind of like a red giant star. Let¡¯s just hope the fucker doesn¡¯t go supernova.¡±


    Ernest winked. ¡°In other words, it will be one sweet massive piece of territory, if I can actually claim it.¡±


    She bit her lip. ¡°Please be careful? If it¡¯s not stable as a first tier black¡­ if it actually starts ascending¡­ that¡¯s the equivalent of ascending up the ranks of Bronze.¡±


    Ernest gave a rueful smile. ¡°Wow, I actually didn¡¯t know that. Maybe those mem-tapes aren¡¯t so pathetic after all.¡±


    ¡°Ernest¡­ please. It could kill you so easily, if you play the overconfident fool. Are you even a¡­ um¡­ Bronze?¡±


    Ernest slowly shook his head. ¡°Nope! But I do have a few useful tricks of my sleeve. Now, how about I get going before our unstable territory expands any further?¡±


    She swallowed, realizing she was still holding him tight, lips just inches from his own. She allowed herself one final peck of those sweet soft Sylvan lips, because she had felt the points of his ears when making out with him, just seconds ago.


    She squeezed his hand as she stepped back. ¡°Thank you, Ernest.¡±


    He flashed a set of perfectly beautiful ivory white teeth worthy of a toothpaste commercial. ¡°Glad I could help. Farewell, Kelly.¡±


    And before she could even inhale for a reply, he was gone.


    ¡°Jeezus. Just how high is his Quickness?¡± Quipped Marsha, gazing at her from the end of the hall along with their mother and father and even baby Quilly. All of them having seen her kiss her hero maybe just a bit too fervently.


    Her cheeks flushed.


    Her mom chuckled, eyes twinkling with unexpected understanding. ¡°Come on, honey. Let¡¯s do what we can to fix up the place and pray that your hero is right and that the worst has past.¡±


    Kelly nodded, unexpected tears springing from her eyes as her mother swept her up in a loving hug the minute she stepped back inside the apartment. ¡°Thank you, honey. You¡¯re father and I are very, very proud of you.¡±


    ¡°For being an over-emotional lush who comes on way too strong to handsome boys?¡± she quipped with a tearful laugh.


    ¡°No, silly. For loving us so much that you were willing to put your life on the line to keep us safe. I¡¯m so proud of you, I could burst!¡± She patted her daughter¡¯s hand. ¡°Now come on. We have a house to clean, a door to repair, or at least put the remains of the sofa in front of just in case¡­ and then a future to plan. And yes, darling, that will include the advanced adventurer¡¯s track. I apologize that we were so reluctant for so long.¡±


    Kelly swallowed the sudden lump she felt in her throat. ¡°Thank you, Mom¡­ Dad. I just¡­ thank you!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡± Marsha squealed. ¡°I want to see if I have the gift too!¡±


    ¡°Not until we have access to Tier-II Ascension Pods,¡± Her father cautioned. ¡°Anything else puts you in serious jeopardy, no matter how much we think you¡¯ll at least have Professional aptitude. You¡¯ll graduate from your courses here with honors, and gain access to a proper facility when you go off world for further studies!¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­ why aren¡¯t there any Tier-II pods here?¡±


    Her father gave her a tired smile. ¡°For the oldest reason of all, honey.¡±


    ¡°And that would be¡­¡±


    ¡°Politics,¡± Kelly said with a smirk. ¡°But who knows? With a wildcard like Ernest doing his thing, maybe we¡¯ll get to the point where we have access to them without ever having to leave our home.¡±


    ¡°Assuming he survives going right into purgatory, trying to clear ten thousand square miles of hell,¡± Marsha said.


    Kelly winced. ¡°Well, yeah. There is that.¡±


    They all shared an exhausted chuckle, eager to listen to some music and put this nightmare night behind them, when stable life-affirming reality turned to nightmare once more as the half-melted but still clearly comfy sofa her dad slumped back onto suddenly jerked a leg.


    Kelly blinked, heart spiking with sudden dread, so wanting to believe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Before it twitched again, jostling her dad from his exhausted doze.


    ¡°Dad, you need to get up. Like right now!¡±


    Her mom flinched, revealing a flash of terror along with Marsha¡¯s screams when the sofa began to twitch, then writhe, then knot itself into a bizarre-looking snake sporting two stuffed teddy-bear eyes, twisting around to stare right at Kelly who immediately thrust her mother and sisters behind her as the thing opened a stuffing filled slit, filled with cloth teeth, silently mouthing words Kelly could only guess at, before it carefully slithered past her, heading right for the broken door that was immediately sent flying off its remaining hinge as it headed for the stairwell.


    ¡°Jeezus T.H.!¡± Megan hissed.


    ¡°Language!¡± Her father barked, now fully upright and awake and completely unharmed, before nearly tripping on the toaster that had turned to a puppy? Bread slots let loose a crackling shriek that sounded suspiciously like words before it too bounced down the hallway, it¡¯s extension cord wagging like a miniature tail. It was followed soon after by both stereoscopic AM radios, her father¡¯s leather recliner, and all the remaining chairs in the house until finally¡­ ¡°No! Not my computer!¡± Megan cried out as her own personal 3-D holographic-displaying high end computer that their father had invested a considerable sum in purchasing after she had (of course) gotten perfect marks, began hopping down the hallway, its monitor displaying a very life-like velociraptor running after its pack, displaying the words ¡®ave imperator abedimus.¡¯


    Kelly still didn¡¯t know exactly what it meant, only that it seemed vaguely Latin.


    ¡°That has all my homework assignments on it! What am I going to tell my teacher, that my computer turned into a dog and ate my homework?¡± Megan groaned.


    The family stared down the hallway where all their furniture and appliances were hopping, scurrying, and slithering down, before flooding down the stairwell in a series of cracks and crashes that made them all wince.


    Kelly¡¯s father sighed, holding his family close. ¡°And that is why Prince Caliban discourages Necromancers from practicing their arts inside the city proper, save for within specially designed facilities.¡±


    Of course that was the moment that Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter¡¯s massive World Eater began howling in the distance, crimson lightning flashing in the heavens, outlining the massive wyrm swaying just beyond the city limits, and even Kelly flinched when she heard the manic laughter echoing so oddly through the air of a Necromancer having way too much fun.

 Chapter 416 - Monster Surge III

    Eric couldn¡¯t hold back the laughter slipping free of his lips as he raced for Blue Palace, the contingent of metallic velociraptor extras he had somehow made not quite able to keep up at anything faster than fifty miles an hour. Not without tearing both themselves and the road up, but he knew just where to park his treasures as the magnificent city tower came into view.


    ES ¨C Hey Calibro! I¡¯m coming by with fifteen friends! Metallic friends much like your former car! Anywhere you want me to put them?


    C ¨C Ernest, my generals have just informed me that the Velociraptor threats have been eliminated from Freetown. You and your Underlord have our sincerest thanks.


    Eric grinned at that.


    ES ¨C No problemo, Calibro.


    C ¨C But please be informed, these are just the fast moving scouts.


    Eric blinked at that. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    C ¨C Multiple mana-warped abominations and anomalies will soon be flooding out of the territory. The good news is that the first monster wave should have burned itself out after a week¡¯s time. After that, we¡¯ll be able to predict the strength and frequency of regular waves. Fortunately, the pair of velociraptors our elite mercenaries were actually able to take down without your help point to potency-rich meat. Such would be unhealthy to eat for extended periods for pure mortals, but seeing as how every citizen within this city is a Professional or a Classer or at least has the potential to be one¡­ (thank you for that miracle!) - we should all be fine. This might just solve our food crisis¡­ or at least abate it.


    ES ¨C Wait, so this is just the beginning? More shit¡¯s coming? What exactly?


    C ¨C Mana warped abominations. We won¡¯t know details until our scouts report back, but expect these abominations to flood the region soon. In addition to a hell of a lot more velociraptors. But you and your World Eater are making all the difference. You can certainly expect a royal commendation when this monster wave has passed, my friend.


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched.


    ES ¨C You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m going to take care of it. Is there anything I should know?


    C ¨C Besides that what you¡¯re doing is madness? Yes. My scouts report Elonia Silver and all surviving Sylvan Alliance troops and allies will arrive in Freetown Proper shortly.


    ES ¨C What?!?


    C ¨C Don¡¯t worry. The goblin assassins swore an oath to leave all Elves and Freetown citizens alone in return for their freedom, as they were sworn to the goblin chartered bank, not the goblin Shamans or Barristers themselves. Once our banking issue was resolved, they were technically our property. I simply asked that they leave the Northeast. I have absolutely no doubt that they will comply. Furthermore, Elonia is well within her rights to hire a Blue Corp ¡®escort¡¯ to help with the Monster Surge effort. Fear not, her status as a Contender will not suffer for it, particularly not during a cataclysmic event like this. I was planning on housing her in Blue Palace. Top floors, of course.


    Eric swallowed. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to the air as he came to a halt right before Blue Palace. His eyes widened with shock as he caught sight of the contingent of artillery experts lead by the mercenary and his half-orc/elven wife that he recognized so well, accompanied by his former adventuring companions Yuki and Jack and Steve, all with serious looks upon their faces as they hovered protectively around the girl already surrounded by four power-armored mercenaries.


    Heart in throat, he darted forward, so fast that the mercenaries only had time to blink in surprise, roaring warnings for him to stop before they fell over themselves, and then Eric was there, right there before his suddenly terrified looking sister. Who blinked, smiled, and all was right with the world once more.


    ¡°Stop right there, or we¡¯ll open fire!¡± Roared a tinny voice Eric utterly ignored, a trembling finger gently raising up to stroke Elonia¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Eric swallowed, drinking in her perfect, flawless form. Clad in silvery mail radiating such gloriously potent protective magics, her anxious face was free of the tiny scars and war wounds that stress and addiction had caused, a lifetime ago. Just days ago. All but completely healed, not that she couldn¡¯t hide it all with artfully applied concealer and a boosted Vitality, but no. No need for that. She was flawless, perfect, gazing at him with the strangest look from her emerald green eyes, tilting her head with a playful smile across her lips.


    ¡°Is it you?¡± She whispered with the same gentle voice that had filled him with such hope and comfort a lifetime ago, her fingers flowing in an intricate pattern as his brain pinged with multiple messages. He blinked away tears and nodded, his twin speaking in their secret language that only they knew.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Elonia sobbed and wrapped her arms around him. Eric swallowed the lump in his throat as Yuki¡¯s furious glare eased to confusion, her deadly sharp naginata flowing away as if it had never been aimed at his throat, along with Jack¡¯s spear and Steve¡¯s Void-Flame magics.


    The quartet of mercenaries got done shouting messages to Caliban through their shortwave radios.


    ¡°You must be Ernest Slaughter,¡± the closest said with no small amount of disapproval.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Eric managed to say, gently taking Elonia¡¯s hand. ¡°Come, let me show you some of the sweetest pads inside Blue Palace.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes twinkled with warmth, her smile touching his heart. ¡°I¡¯d love that¡­ Ernest. But I have an appointment with Prince Caliban in exactly five minutes. But perhaps you¡¯d like to join us?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°OF course I¡­¡±


    The air erupted with a mournful howl that had everyone save Eric wincing.


    ¡°Fuck, what the hell is that?¡± Snarled Billy, glaring upwards before his eyes bulged at the sight of the Titan Wyrm undulating in the distance.


    ¡°Fuck! Those things are real? I thought it was just in those movies¡­ but screw it, the air does spell of cinnamon, spice, and wild magic. So why the fuck not?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Billy,¡± Yuki snapped. ¡°That¡¯s a World Eater! The prince said we have a tame one, but let¡¯s get inside. It sure as fuck isn¡¯t¡­ what the fuck are those?!?¡±


    Eric turned around to catch sight at what she was screaming at, and the Bronze mercenaries were aiming their blasters at.


    ¡°Oh, those are just some of my velociraptor golems? I guess they¡¯re golems. Don¡¯t mind them. I¡¯m going to leave them here to guard Blue Palace in case shit goes south while I go hunting. Isn¡¯t that right, boys?¡±


    All of the chrome and steel dinosaurs creaked as they dipped their massive skulls in perfect unison.


    Eric grinned. ¡°Damn right you will!¡± He then turned to the artillery specialists. ¡°Looking good, Mory, Yini! You guys need any help setting up your long guns?¡±


    The pair exchanged looks. ¡°Who the hell is this guy?¡±


    ¡°A friend,¡± Elonia quickly explained. ¡°No, Eric¡­ Ernest. They¡¯ll be fine.¡± She flashed Eric a hopeful smile and he couldn¡¯t help but rub her silk blond locks just like he used to, earning a frown just like he used to.


    ¡°Why do you smell like dino-guts and a girl¡¯s perfume, bro?¡±


    Ernest winked. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been killing dinos and kissing damsels in need of saving, and now if you¡¯ll excuse me, my incredibly awesome and super beloved¡­ friend, I¡¯ve got a city to save and a Monster Surge to stop.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s playful banter stiffened to sudden fear. ¡°Eri¡­ Ernest, no. Please. The southern territory¡¯s evolved! I know you¡¯re strong,¡± she gave a rueful chuckle, one lacquered finger poking his mithril mail covered chest. ¡°As a Queen, I can sense just how absurdly gloriously powerful you are. But bro¡­ that territory¡¯s no longer Red¡­ it¡¯s now crashed to Black, and it¡¯s in over-surge status.¡±


    Eric flashed his brightest smile. ¡°I know! Chock full of tasty things to CHOMP on. Makes life so exciting!¡±


    Yuki whimpered.


    Jack cursed under his breath.


    Steve whistled in outright admiration. ¡°That¡¯s totally badass.¡±


    Elonia glared. ¡°Eric, stop it. You¡¯re showing ALL your teeth!¡± His sister hissed.


    Eric winced, wiping his face. ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend I didn¡¯t do that?¡±


    Yuki gave him a look. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with your face? Sharkblood in your family much?¡±


    ¡°Ha Ha, Yuki. Funny. So funny.¡±


    Jack frowned. ¡°How does this cat know all our names? And why does he seem so familiar? Fuck. No, seriously. How is it that your mouth looks like it could fit a fucking World Eater¡­ but it¡¯s, um¡­ perfectly normal?¡±


    Eric gazed up at the massive World Eater in question. ¡°You know Wormy¡¯s tri-fold maw has a fifty yard diameter, right?¡±


    Jack paled. ¡°No shit.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve never fit anything larger than a fellow Contender in my own mouth. I swear.¡±


    ¡°Ha Ha,¡± Jack snorted, before turning to an awed-looking Steve. ¡°He¡¯s joking, right? Please tell me he¡¯s joking.¡±


    Eric winked at Elonia¡¯s exasperated scowl. ¡°I have to go, Princess of all things sweet and beautiful. Stay here and keep safe, okay? As soon as everything¡¯s taken care of¡­¡± Eric clasped his sister¡¯s hand, saying so much with his gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll have a present for you that will blow your fucking socks off.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Eric, you can¡¯t be serious! That¡¯s a black-tier¡­¡±


    He cut off her words with a soft whisper she alone could here. ¡°You¡¯re not out of the game yet, sis. And after this is done¡­ you¡¯ll be the strongest player in the Northeast.¡±


    And before she could say anything that could possibly still Eric¡¯s resolve, he was gone, leaving nothing but a baker¡¯s dozen metallic sentinels that all bowed their heads and cawed in unison before a bemused Elonia and her party.


    Yuki gave the dazed princess a long look. ¡°Is there something we should know?¡±


    Elonia turned, locking gazes with the girl she had come to rely on so heavily.


    Yuki flushed and lowered her gaze. ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of our business, Your Grace.¡±


    Elonia sighed. ¡°Certainly not what you¡¯re thinking. I love him as fiercely as my own brother, and he just might hold the key to our salvation¡¯s faction. Beyond that, the less you know, the better.¡±


    Jack¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, he isn¡¯t your secret lover trying to claim your hand or anything like that? And what was up with his teeth?¡±


    ¡°NO, Jack. Nothing like that. As for his dentition¡­ they looked like healthy chompers to me,¡± Elonia declared as she allowed a deferential seneschal to lead her and the others inside.


    Jack frowned. ¡°For just a second, they looked like shark teeth.¡±


    Elonia shrugged. ¡°And for a solid minute, they looked perfectly normal. So let¡¯s not get hung up on exceptions but focus on what matters most.¡±


    ¡°And that is¡­¡±


    Elonia flashed a pained smile. ¡°Can that glorious idiot actually pull off a win against an ascending hell hole?¡±


    Jack blinked. ¡°Good point. Well fuck. Maybe those teeth will come in handy after all.¡±


    ***


    0.01 Standard air resistance (and magically easy breathing) means you have successfully broken the Sound Barrier!


    Speed Racer II makes inertia your bitch!


    Pivot on a dime, slam into anything you like FULL FORCE!Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Eric howled with sheerest delight, no longer hindered by well-meaning blobs of steel, circuitry, chrome and free-flowing wild magic combining with elements of a city that were as much dream as reality, only having existed for a handful of days, which seemed to make it all too easy to unexpectedly animate. Now it was just him howling with the sheer euphoria of racing FASTER than he could have ever dreamed possible, before the world as he knew had ended and a realm of terror, tribulations, and infinite potential had manifested upon the ashes of the old.


    Now, even with Battletime, the world seemed to flow around him, Eric savoring interface messages he already knew by wrote, EAGER to see just how fast he could push himself, even as he practiced weaving and juking, truly mastering inertia as he snaked through and darted past buildings, trees, and shrubbery, grateful that his evolved perk meant that even undergrowth effected his traversal no worse than racing across flattop roads as he raced towards his massive Underlord howling into the spicy winds, Eric sensing the dozens of abominations his greatest revenant had already crushed and consumed.


    And then he was racing right past his Underlord, laughing and waving at the swarm of velociraptors circling around the titan wyrm like elite fighters around a space carrier¡­ before Eric squeezed his ring and dropped another 35 utterly overpowered velociraptors blinking at him once before rushing over to the third-mile long titan sworn to Eric¡¯s eternal service.


    ¡°Wormy! I¡¯m going hunting for CRUNCHYS! You stay here and serve as company leader! Your mission is simple. Any fuckers get past whatever artillery fire my human and elven friends unleash? Devour them. But don¡¯t slam the ground so hard that you jeopardize my city¡¯s structural integrity. And even if I die¡­ you and your troops are NOT to harm or eat the humans or elfies, no matter how juicy they look! Lots of wild beasties in wild territories for that. Okay?¡±


    A single mournful howl of acknowledgment echoed through the air as Eric rapidly approached the barrier between white-tier Freetown¡¯s territory and the black-tier region surging with such wild furious potency that it risked swallowing up all the now far tinier regions Eric had fought so hard to rescue over two overlapping lifetimes, as he now thought of them.


    ES ¨C I¡¯m going in, Caliban! Wish me luck!


    And that¡¯s when Eric saw it. The sight of a second Titan Wyrm, rearing its massive head as it approached the barrier and seemed to be doing all it could to force its much larger mass through the territory barriers that effected Eric not at all. Though even he felt a spike of dread in his gut when reality itself seemed to crack like brittle glass before the strain.


    Then there was the searing flash of arcane shells beyond anything he would have given Caliban credit for, and Eric knew to crouch down and curl into a ball, instantly summoning an undead bulwark he was able to fit in his once more near-empty ES Space, now completely free of any trace of gold, when the world erupted in violet and purple flame.


    You have suffered from Extreme Hyperion Radiation Surge.


    You have saved versus blindness.


    You have saved versus catastrophic injury.


    Hyperion Blazer Perk in effect!


    You are extremely resilient to all forms of radiation, especially Hyperion electromana radiation!


    SEVERE Radiation burst reduced to LIGHT Wound.


    You were MADE for this shit!


    ¡°Fucking hell, Caliban!¡±


    C ¨C ERIC! Are you there!?! We have spotted a World Eater attempting to break through! ALL artillery has been brought online!


    ES ¨C Fucking hell, Caliban. THAT WAS AWESOME! Been awhile since I destroyed any planets with that shit. You telling me that HYPERION BURST bombs are legit?¡±


    C ¨C Ha. Thank heaven you¡¯re healthy enough to joke. And make no mistake, even possessing this artillery is normally highly illegal! Save for ascending worlds and territories adjoining unstable regions, it would be just as forbidden as rogue states owning atomics in your own world, not that long ago. It¡¯s nothing like a Starship core, of course. That terrible prize really could destroy an entire continent, or worse, in the right circumstances. But make no mistake, this is a category X weapon. Now please leave the area if you haven¡¯t already. The World Eater is still alive, and we need to bring it down!


    Eric glared up at the titan that was writhing and slamming the ground in agony from the smoking hole in it¡¯s side¡­ but the injury hardly looked fatal, and it was only thanks to Eric¡¯s absurd perks and Finesse that he hadn¡¯t been sent flying by the shock waves unleashed by that creature.


    ES ¨C That¡¯s because Titan Wyrms have Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability! At least those from this territory do. You¡¯re risking a radiation backlash poisoning all of Freetown, so I sure as hell hope you have air mages or druids on hand¡­ and it still won¡¯t bring that fucker down!


    Eric could all but sense his distant friend¡¯s dismay, glaring at the wyrm he was racing around so fast it was almost dreamlike when it suddenly clicked. His eyes widened, lips curling in a manic grin as he parsed over exactly what Caliban had said, feeling a sudden sense of glorious freedom like he hadn¡¯t in a very long time.


    ES ¨C Calibro! Please repeat what you had just said! What allows you to use those Hyperion artillery shells?


    C ¨C It doesn¡¯t matter, Ernest. Your points are painfully valid. Impermeability essence, at Rank 2, is beyond our ability to counter. Not with my elite team now out of commission.


    Eric blinked, not sure what elite team this was, but obviously all sorts of wild shit had been happening behind the scenes. Or at least behind the scenes his life starred. He shook his head. Because really, that was neither here nor there.


    ES - No, Caliban! Stop stressing over bullshit. Just tell me WHY you¡¯re allowed to use Category X forbidden weapons right now?


    C ¨C Monster Surge, my friend. In the event a black zone surge is detected, all wars and internecine struggles are put on hold to be violated on penalty of exile or death, and all efforts must be put towards quelling or stabilizing the surge. Furthermore, all restrictions are lifted. Not that the latter is anything but a formality, really. Because there¡¯s no way for anyone not Deep Silver to keep score, as Divination magic and all recording devices are worthless when the mana fields are as wild as the are right now.


    Eric¡¯s heart began to hammer. Not with terror, but with excitement.


    ES ¨C Is that a fact? So anything, and I mean ANY attack I can bring to bear can be used WITHOUT censor during monster surges?


    C ¨C Exactly.


    ES ¨C Good to know.


    Eric was suddenly before the massive Titan Worm, before it had even registered the tiny mortal closing in on it. Probably not surprising. When a quarter mile long abomination was writhing and crashing against the obliterated basalt after having been painfully stung, despite its near invulnerability, it didn¡¯t care to worry about gnats.


    Save, of course, when those gnats packed a surprisingly powerful punch the equivalent of a hand grenade.


    Power Strike ¨C Transcendent Strike!


    You have successfully struck your target with the essence of obliterating flame!


    This flame has been further ENHANCED by the sheer potency of your MIGHT!


    You have successfully struck your target for 192 times Base Damage!


    Rank 4 Essence of Fire (BLAZING) Trumps Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability!


    All immunities and resistances have been bypassed!


    You have done CATASTROPHIC Damage to your target!


    20 Qi & 40 Soul Reserves Spent!


    Vitality Check (at -500) FAILED!


    You have dislocated 2 fingers!


    You have suffered a hairline fracture of your left Ulna after charging into your opponent at 700 miles per hour and hitting it full force with your bare knuckles!


    ***


    ¡°Caliban! My brother¡¯s out there!¡±


    The Blue Faction prince turned to gaze solemnly at the anxious-looking teenage girl who looked so like the images of their patron founder that it sent shivers down his spine even now, before turning back to the floor-to-ceiling monitor that could make out the massive titan wyrm that had just forced itself out of the impermeable black region. A term coined for any territory flooded with Bronze-tier potency that neither divination magic nor electromana tech could pierce, unless one was actually in said zone, and even then it was both risky and perilous.


    ¡°We have no choice but to take out this threat before it approaches the city,¡± Caliban said in a ragged voice, before thinking outside the box. ¡°I warned your brother to clear the area. At the speed he¡¯s capable of moving, it should be safe to fire a follow-up shot in twenty seconds. And if he could compel his titan wyrm to attack this one¡­¡±


    ¡°Recommend against that, Your Grace,¡± said the commander to Caliban¡¯s left, currently overseeing a handful of technicians beside several 3-D graphics displays as they quietly gave orders to the entirety of Caliban¡¯s Bronze-tier elite forces, including their artillery regiments.


    ¡°Fresh packs of Velociraptors have slipped past the barriers in the Titan Wyrm¡¯s wake. They have an ETA of under a minute. They possess a quickness we recorded as exceeding 200, and vorpal talons that can shred our power armor. Ernest Edgelord¡¯s minions could mean the difference between life and death for our men. And should our armored units fall¡­¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Caliban said roughly, eyes filled with apology as he gazed into Elonia¡¯s stricken eyes, both of them ignoring the buffet table groaning under the weight of the high end spread of gustatory delights laid out for Command¡¯s benefit. All Elonia had eyes for was the creature that could spell their doom.


    Then the monitor abruptly flashed and crackled.


    Caliban¡¯s concern turned to instant alarm.


    If their communications array had been knocked out¡­ then the stakes were far higher and the enemy far deadlier than even Caliban had predicted.


    ¡°Report!¡±


    ¡°Higher order potency surge, Your Grace! Compensating for it now!¡± barked the commander in charge of comms as he barked orders to his underlings.


    Elonia¡¯s petite hands clenched into tight trembling fists before the three monitors snapped back into focus once more. Showing, of all things, a massive smoking World Eater covered in flame.


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Caliban, was that your artillery?¡±


    He turned to his man who solemnly shook his head.


    ¡°No, Elonia. It wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Yuki and Steve exchanged looks. ¡°That thing¡¯s covered in bloody craters,¡± Steve whispered.


    Jack whistled. ¡°And look at it¡¯s tri-fold mouth.¡±


    Yuki frowned, the monitor zooming in to do that. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have one. The top of its head looks like it was blown off! Isn¡¯t that what you were aiming for, Caliban¡­ oh, shit! I don¡¯t fucking believe it!¡±


    Jack turned to an awed-looking Yuki. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That boy our fearless leader was fearlessly flirting with. He¡¯s right there! How?¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He did it. I don¡¯t believe it. He actually did it!¡±


    Her friends hooted and cheered.


    Elonia sensed the mood of the entire luxury condominium-converted war-room switch from tense panic to jubilation.


    ¡°He¡¯s a fucking hero!¡± Jack hooted, before scowling. ¡°But why¡¯s he hovering over the thing?¡±


    ¡°And covering it in blood runes?¡± Steve noted. ¡°At least a few. Not that you could cover that much in a creature a third of a mile¡­ oh look! The runes are self-replicating over the entire corpse and it¡¯s bursting into crimson purple flame!¡±


    Yuki blanched. ¡°Do you guys hear that?¡±


    The entire chamber chilled, the air suddenly filling with a whispering crawling static that left all the elves among their number visibly pale-faced and queasy.


    Steve frowned. ¡°Strange, I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m hearing sound or¡­ magic? Spirits? What frequency does your sound system pick up, Caliban?¡±


    Elonia blinked, feeling a sudden surge of worry. She turned to the Blue Prince. ¡°Caliban? I um¡­ I think you should turn the monitor off my brother right the fuck now.¡±


    Yuki blinked. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s your brother?¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Yuki, and forget I said that!¡± Elonia glared.


    Yuki held her hands up defensively. ¡°Chill, girl. I didn¡¯t here a fucking thing. But is it okay if I admit he¡¯s kind of hot. In a manicky, Joker, psycho kind of way?¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°So he¡¯s totally your type.¡±


    Yuki nodded. ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±


    But Elonia was paying them no mind, eyes firmly on a frowning Caliban.


    ¡°Caliban, you need to turn off your fucking¡ª¡±


    Her words were cut off when the feedback turned to a hoarse screech, black ichor now running down the entire floor to ceiling monitor like rivulets of blood, playing odd tricks to the horrified captivated eyes of the observers, as the tiny boyish figure seemed to warp and grow to titanic size.


    By a trick of perspective, Eric was now larger than the fallen wyrm who thrashed and struggled in the wild eyed demon¡¯s (that¡¯s my brother!) grip. SQUEEZING the struggling, writhing wyrm that refused to surrender, refused to give in, until Eric¡¯s eyes blazed like twin red suns, lips opening like the event horizon of hell as he chomped down upon the massive titan¡¯s soul and devoured it entirely. Until only the shell was left, and the snarling monster that only looked like Elonia¡¯s brother forced open its maw and jammed his own massive arm down its throat, and somehow Elonia knew he was forcing his own hot blood into the corpse of the dead serpent.


    Before it abruptly lurched to life once more.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimos!¡±


    The air filled with shrieks as the communication system shorted out and Elonia could feel blood streaming down her ears.


    ¡°Caliban shut the fucking system off!¡± Elonia screamed, though she was unable to hear a single word she said.


    Two of the three floor-to-ceiling holodisplays abruptly shorted out. The one now covered in an oily black film that caused Eric to appear larger than life now showed him gazing right at them before his eyes turned jet black like the void, save for twin phoenix blazing to fiery life as the Altopaz window exploded, filling the thirtieth floor with hot mana-rich winds howling into the high-rise, knocking over dishes, plates, and cups and countless dairy products and pastries, and all a crumpled Elonia could here were those three twisted words crawling inside her mind.


    She scrunched shut eyes that she knew were leaking tears of oily black blood.


    A part of her was shaken and dizzy and horrified beyond belief.


    Yet what terrified her more than anything else was the tiny corner of her mind that wondered, had she not been born to take the Ruler¡¯s Profession, just how far she could have walked if she had been wired just a tiny bit differently. Knowing that all it would take was the tiniest push for the horrible loathing she felt at the icky black power now covering both this chamber and the entire city like an oily residue to transform to a desperate hunger.


    The stench of pungent tobacco becoming sweetest release. The taste of corrupted power like so many bad habits filling her veins with ecstasy.


    And how corrupt was it, really?


    It was her heritage.


    Her BIRTHRIGHT!


    She took a shuddering breath, wild-eyes gazing out at the shrieking desert storm now so close she could feel it caressing her soul like the arcane spice that filled her veins with heady joy.


    She ignored her friends curled up in shuddering balls, lurching back to her feet, arms raised high. All but TASTING the power in the air.


    Before being caught completely off guard by the interface message now blaring across her mind¡¯s eye.


    You have had a PARADIGM SHIFTING BREAKTHROUGH!


    Bloodkin affinities detected!


    Your Twin Brother walks the path of a Master Necromancer!


    Your niece IS a reborn revenant sworn to your service!


    You have WITNESSED the forging of an Underking without going mad!


    Do you wish to convert your ELEMENTALIST and RULER classes into Dual MASTER NECROMANCER Profession & Class?


    You could become an even MORE powerful Lich Queen than your brother!


    (You may keep ALL previously earned perks and learned rituals. You may STILL Walk the Path of Rulers and claim territories freely!)


    Yes/No?


    There is no time-limit to this opportunity! You may now convert your classes at ANY time! Conceptio would be MORE THAN HAPPY to help a favored VIP member¡¯s ¡®better¡¯ half ! > _< !


    All eyes are now on you, O_O Elonia Silver!

 Chapter 417 - Monster Surge IV

    Eric shuddered with ecstasy of his own, howling with laughter when the Titan Wyrm before him lurched back to shuddering life, weaving in a sinuous dance as it ululated it¡¯s undying devotion even as Eric¡¯s potency crashed down to zero and additional sands were torn free from the hourglass of his ever-shortening life.


    Congratulations! You have SUCCESSFULLY raised your second Underking!


    You have saved versus Catastrophic Backlash!


    Potency has been depleted to Zero!


    You have lost an additional 101 Days of your life! (NOTE! Excess spiritual presence has mitigated 99% of potency cost! GOOD thing you raised this Underking in Soul-saturated Black-tier territory!)


    You have reached the maximum number of Underkings that your Class, Perks, and Bronze-tier titles grant you access to.


    Fire Fist is now Rank 23!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 29!


    Congratulations! Your multiple Necromantic feats this night has allowed you to ascend to Rank 35 as a Master Necromancer! You may now select an additional feat!


    Eric wanted to how with joy even as he roared with sheerest triumph at having forged ANOTHER Underlord.


    Of course he knew what his next evolution would be. The perk that would allow him to add another two Underlords to his retinue, thanks to his Bronze Tier Lord of The Dead title. And he knew there would be ever smaller penalties for each one claimed.


    Yet all he had to do was to recall just how devastatingly SWEET it was to infuse his fists with the might of pure Transcendant higher order evolutions of Flame, radiating higher order concepts of both Creation and Destruction, that he could now FREELY experiment and master, without penalty, censure, or fearing rupturing some fragile pocket realm, for the duration of this beast surge alone. And as incredible as it was to take down yet another Titan Wyrm, those six punches that he had to unleash this time had expended a whopping 140 points in temporary Soul Reserves that it would take an entire hour of perfect stillness or sleep to recover. And he had just scratched the tiniest surface of a 10,000 square mile territory he actually thought he could clear. Somehow.


    Fuck.


    ¡°Okay, clearly I¡¯m taking hour long breaks here and there with Wormy II wrapping around me for safety and to scare the crap out of any scavengers.¡± He muttered to himself, receiving an approving rumble from the inconceivably massive titan now slithering right up to him.


    ¡°That first punch had tapped me for 40 Soul Reserves. But then I got a clue and summoned my Blood Orb and the Soul Reserve costs are now cut in half¡­¡±


    He swallowed his suddenly dry throat, well are of the rate limiting step for so many of his sweetest powers. He only had 432 In soul reserves, now drained to 292, which was still a fuck ton compared to most peoples, but with 12 nodes, his Mana and Qi pools were twelve times their base numbers. In short, he had well over 5000 points in both pools that regenerated damn quick. Even Spiritual Energy now recovered at the exact same rate as he recovered mana when he wasn¡¯t in Battle Time, both pools recovering all the faster when he allowed himself to move and process and think at standard human speeds, a sort of moving meditation trick that he was more than happy to call his own.


    Which meant that Soul Reserves were his absolute Rate Limiting step.


    He gazed thoughtfully at the happily bobbing crimson orb¡­ knowing that with a single perk, he could double the number of fallen souls he could raise for free after every engagement, or double his hyper powerful Underlord total to 4, giving him 4 autonomous extremely powerful generals who could independently command their own troops. Or if he raised actual sapient humanoid creatures, he could allow them to serve as his personal managers or administrators, giving to them the joys and headaches of diplomacy, administration, or running the day-to-day operations of businesses he shuddered at the thought of cramping his care-free battle-happy life style.


    ¡°Fuck the day-to-day grind. I¡¯ll definitely be leaving that shit for Blue Corp and my future underlords to handle,¡± he said with a soft chuckle, before licking his dry lips in the howling desert air and making his choice.


    Trembling fingers caressed his crimson orb, which suddenly doubled in size.


    You are attempting to ALTER your Crimson Orb perk!


    NOTE there is no OFFICIAL perk path that allows for¡ª


    Inconsistency overruled. Limit Breaker is now in effect.


    You have SUCCESSFULLY enhanced your Crimson Orb perk!


    Crimson Orb is now Rank 2!


    Crimson Orb now pays 2/3rds of your Soul Reserve costs with every spell, Qi power, or ability you channel through it! Note! You (or your revenants!) still must claim the life force of your foes to fuel this orb!


    You have slain and claimed 35 Bronze-tier Velociraptor Revenants.


    You have slain and claimed one additional Half-step Silver Titan Wyrm!


    Your Underlord has Consumed 23 Velociraptors and 17 Abominations!


    Your Crimson Orb now enjoys HEALTHY SATURATION!


    The howling winds echoed with Eric¡¯s triumphant laughter.


    It had worked! Pressing his will forcefully against the option he desired beyond all others, an option he damn well knew some Necromancer or Blood Mage had made use of at least once before in galactic history, had been all he had needed. No doubt thanks to his VIP status and Conceptio¡¯s odd fascination with him, pressing for the bending or tweaking of the odd rule or guideline here or there seemed will within the bounds of what he was permitted.


    Even if he understood the cost as well.


    One class perk had been needed to cut his Soul reserves down to half. And with a second point needed to lower it to a third, and another no doubt lowering it to a fourth¡­ the cost of lowering the Soul Point cost to an 1/8th would be a whopping 7 Class Perks. Which was absurd. But throwing in 2 more points over the following levels to lower the cost to a 1/5th? That he had every intention of doing. Maybe not immediately, but eventually. Because if he could earn another 2 levels clearing this howling hell hole of a wild territory where even now he spotted a pack of no less than a full dozen velociraptors charging him¡­ then he damn well would take advantage of the countless shrieking souls trapped in this territory that he halfway suspected were responsible for the territory¡¯s rupture in the first place, the tragically scarred and doomed remnants of the countless millions that had been locked in eternal torment, thanks to goblin malice and trickery.


    Souls that would be desperately eager to pay the price that would otherwise be Eric¡¯s to posses and animate any future Underlords he raised. For as long as this territory¡¯s unique status was preserved¡­ a ten thousand day¡¯s cost, near 30 years of life, for each half-step Silver Underlord would now be reduced to around a hundred days. And that was a price he would happily pay for another two half-step Silver Titans under his eternal beck and call.


    The air rang with the shrieks of oncoming death.


    Eric¡¯s mind blanked of all plans and stratagems in favor of the visceral thrill of combat, the rush of fighting against multiple opponents eager to kill him right now!


    Yet the last thing he wanted to do was play the fool.


    A singular charge head on, full inertia to send the central most pair of velociraptors spinning away, Eric earning a pair of bite marks unable to penetrate his mithril mail, no matter their vorpal sharpness, even as the air erupted in a furious explosion of fresh superheated flame.


    Mortal flame, though channeling every once of his strength, which was more than enough to shatter one raptor that erupted in a shower of super-heated gore. The closest velociraptors, being Low-Bronze beasties, merely snarled and hissed, hardly taking any damage at all.


    Eric smiled even as he raced ahead, stretching the band of a dozen killers now after him into a desperately yearning line of death, the lead pair eager to snap his heals, outpacing their companions, before Eric spun around as if inertia didn¡¯t exist, weaving under snapping teeth for an uppercut to shatter the skull of the closest raptor while a crescent kick shattered the jaw of the second, squealing as its teeth and tongue were obliterated by searing flame.


    And then a laughing Eric was tearing right into the still charging pack, his foes clearly not expecting their talons and teeth to be met by an eight foot bar of obliterating crimson fire, sheering through necks and limbs before he pivoted at right angles to the squawking furious pack, down another three members as their mocking prey proved to be anything but an easy kill.


    Burst of Strength!


    Power Strike!


    You have fatally slain two additional Velociraptors with Fire Fist!


    You have slain an additional 3 Velociraptors with Bloodfire Strike!


    You are attempting to fuse your arts!


    Eric let the System messages wash over him as the pack regained their cohesion sans nearly half their members, hissing and snapping at Eric as one. Yet he refused to let them surround him, using his superior speed and mobility to outmaneuver them as much as he could.


    Meeting snapping talons with Bloodfire.


    Pounding snapping jaws seeking to chomp into his torso with fists filled with furious flame.


    Yet he was far from perfect.


    If anything, he was so focused on desperate illumination. So EAGER to find the commonality that allowed his fists to erupt with such devastating force, that he was comically unprepared when glistening white tendrils from unseen predators snapped around his ankles.


    Sending him off balance. Falling. As a trio of Velociraptors struck at once.


    Never mind his Underlord¡¯s desperate howl. It was too large, too vast, too far away to do anything at all.


    Eric flashed a smile even as he felt his calf, not protected at all by his mithril mail hauberk, erupt in blood and agony.


    Before he washed the velociraptor in the essence of flame.


    Transcendant Power Strike OBLITERATES Your target!


    14 Soul Reserves expended.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Eric hissed, glaring as the remaining velociraptors, seeing him crippled, leaped in for the kill.


    The air flashed with higher order concepts of flame once more, and Eric was down another 14 points even as he felt his mastery over higher order concepts crystalize with ever greater understanding. Yet it still didn¡¯t keep him from cursing under his breath as Wormy II, howling with worry and embracing perks that allowed him to travel to Eric¡¯s side at monstrous speed, tore up the land in an effort to surround Eric in a protective dome of near indestructible Wyrm coils.


    Eric chuckled ruefully. ¡°Nearly got myself seriously fucked there. Didn¡¯t I, wormy? Still, I think I¡¯m damned close to leveling up Bloodfire Strike again and maybe¡­ just maybe... figuring out how to infuse it with Power Strike.¡±


    Eric frowned while tapping into his Power Healing and Blood Orb to regenerate his shredded Achilles tendon and mangled calf in record time, doing his best to visualize what it felt like to deliver those devastating punches where physical force and generated power was somehow converted to inconceivably potent explosive heat.


    If he could infuse his Bloodfire Strike with similar potency¡­ because both 500 or 50 Strength would see his mithril blade cleaving through a hell of a lot. And yes, more Strength was always better, but if he could transform added kinetic force into an even hotter blade, with an even longer projection of Bloodfire¡­ that would truly be an evolution that could make all the difference.


    Power Healing complete!


    Eric took a satisfied breath, his painful grimace easing to a smile as he promised himself, not for the first time, that he¡¯d do what he could to get mithril that protected his lower legs in addition to helm and hauberk.


    He then gazed down at the near dozen terror birds and the odd white jelly-like abomination covered in eyes, mouths, and spike covered pseudopods that reminded Eric just a bit of Slurpy, and belted out the words that would soon unlock the keys to taking over the entire continent.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    The dozen butchered and shredded bodies began shuddering and spasming uncontrollably as pseudopods of blood streamed forth, hooking various gobbets of flesh before yanking them all into a dozen rapidly reforming bodies.


    Eric smiled in fierce satisfaction when his latest recruits shuddered into existence. Not a single one resisted the call to a second chance at life under Eric¡¯s command, perhaps sensing the pressure of millions of tormented souls heavy in the air and realizing they had a good thing going, staying right where they were.


    ¡°Ave Imperator Abedimus.¡±


    ¡°Wise choice!¡± Eric grinned in approval at the cawing throats and the bubbling words from the multi-mouthed abomination. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the game plan, buds! We TEAR THROUGH this fucking territory and SLAUGHTER EVERY LAST ASSHOLE that crosses us! Then we RAISE THEIR CORPSES and forge an army that would make even our worst foes SHIT THEIR PANTS! Do we all approve?¡±


    Each and every last velociraptor hooted its approval, Eric¡¯s Underlord undulating in pleased satisfaction.


    ¡°Good! Because my Dominion Interface Map is showing a FUCK TON of heat! And I mean THOUSANDS of you Bronze-tier bastards. Which is AWESOME! Because step one is we hit and run! I charge in, bring down the smaller packs and stragglers without giving the larger packs any chance to engage!


    ¡°Hit and run, and we are far from fucking done! Because we¡¯ll keep grinding and grinding and grinding these fuckers down, picking them off one by one, until we have several hundred fresh recruits fucking EAGER to serve! Then, when all the stragglers nearby are ours, we slam right into the mega packs I see forming up on my map, because we all know they¡¯re getting ready to head out. So we will fucking intercept and slaughter, and I¡¯ll let you and Wormy SMASH THE FUCK out of them with Death March and Undying Phalanx! We¡¯ll knock ¡®em over like bowling pins and then twist around and finish those shitheads off!¡±


    Eric flashed a manic grin. ¡°Now, ARE YOU WITH ME?!?¡±


    His tiny proto-army of course screeched, hooted, and roared their approval.


    ¡°AWESOME! Now let¡¯s get HUNTING!¡±


    There were few sweeter things, Eric thought, as he weaved and twisted around vorpal claws eager to tear off ears, eyes, and throats before responding with cleaving slashes of his fiery blade, than forging one¡¯s dreams into reality.


    The snarls and roars of foes slammed into at hypersonic speed.


    The sheer joy of sending one opponent after another flying through the air as he ranked up Charge like no one¡¯s business before darting forward an eyeblink later, his crimson blade slicing them into blood-spurting chunks before they had even finished tumbling back to the ground.


    Packs of swarming raptors washed in furious flame with overhand rights, powerful hooks, or snapping kicks he grew increasingly comfortable channeling Spiritual Fire through, no matter the bitter pain earned when his timing was at all off, toes snipped off an instant before hideously sharp maws erupted in blood and fire.


    And the entire pack of raptors closing in for a kill around a momentarily off-balance Eric would be knocked off their taloned feet by the growing swarm of savage revenants tearing into the flesh of their foes, healing up their own wounds even as they tore fresh ones into their living counterparts.


    Sapient, ruthless revenants that knew neither pain nor fear, only fury and a desperate hunger as their opponents¡¯ moral broke and they fled for all they were worth. Only to be chased down and torn apart by Eric¡¯s growing army, before the air filled with eldritch chants now so dark and thick with potency in a territory so saturated with souls and power that the very rocks began to bleed.


    Stone twisted into bleeding effigies and silent screams as fresh yellow-eyed revenants snapped to life once more, all of them screeching their devotion to the pack growing ever larger under the control of the massive Wyrm now directing them while a hooting Eric, laughing with sheerest jubilation and growing madness, raced across the basalt flatlands and desert sands tasting of spice and death and rapture, EAGER for the hunt once more as his racing mind grew ever closer to enhancing so many killing arts.


    So close to fresh breakthroughs that could change absolutely everything.


    Congratulations!


    You and your revenants have successfully slain 207 Bronze-tier Velociraptors!


    You and your revenants have successfully slain 37 Bronze-tier Slime Abominations!


    You are now a Level 36 Master Necromancer!


    2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation is now at 69%!


    Fire Fist is now Rank 24.


    Fire Fist is now Rank 25!


    Windfire Strike is now Rank 18.


    Windfire Strike is now Rank 19!


    Charge is now Rank 7.


    Charge is now Rank 8.


    Charge is now Rank 9!


    Burst of Strength is now Rank 19!


    Spirit Mastery is now Rank 35!


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding is now Rank 32!


    Swordsmanship is now Rank 34!


    Unarmed Combat is now Rank 30!


    You have achieved ELITE Proficiency with Unarmed combat!


    Strength/Quickness/Finesse have each increased by 9 points! (Further modified by all applicable modifiers).


    You may now choose an Unarmed Combat Evolution!


    Possible evolutions include Brutal Kicks (standard), Iron Fists (standard), Cultivator¡¯s Resilience (Legendary)¡­


    You have Chosen Cultivator¡¯s Resilience! You have chosen NOT to even look at the additional 7 evolutions also worthy of your consideration!


    Cultivator¡¯s Resilience ¨C (Legendary) ¨C You have dared to claim an avatar of Death as your mentor, and have fought Bronze-tier cultivators to submission! Your martial abilities are now inextricably intertwined with your cultivation foundation and thus transcend your physical body! After enduring the most grueling of duels against a Bronze-tier striker and facing down hundreds of Man-Eating Velociraptors that snapped off your fingers and tore free your Achilles tendons MULTIPLE TIMES, you both understand the devastating impact that Spiritual Energy-laden blows OR vorpal-tear talons and teeth can have on the physical body, and now intuitively understand how to counter those strikes in turn!


    You have achieved true Dominion within your own mind and body!


    Your body is now infused with Spiritual Energy that gives you added resilience against ALL attacks! - You may permanently invest Spiritual Energy points in each and every one of your resistances. Every point so invested will increase your resistance by 1 point! The maximum points that may be invested is equal to your baseline resistances.


    Eric laughed aloud as he crashed to his knees, eyes gazing up at the brilliant stars overhead glittering and flashing like a million indescribably brilliant jewels, all the colors of the rainbow as flashing streamers so like the aurora borealis flickered and flashed over the heavens as the howling winds shrieked in Eric¡¯s ears.


    He couldn¡¯t wipe the stupid grin off his face, reveling in the sweet salty tang of spice and blood and glory and torment in the air.


    He had never felt more energized or depleted, his Soul Reserves nearly completely tapped out. He shivered in a state between epiphany and exhaustion in the middle of the most hostile territory imaginable, no matter that a swarm of well over 200 highly mobile and extremely aggressive Bronze-tier terror birds wove predatory loops around him, ready to slaughter anything and everything that might think Eric easy prey. And it said something that of the half a dozen abominations and still living velocis he sensed nearby, not a one dared get any closer than they already were.


    Then the earth started to vibrate and tremble with a far more monstrous presence still, and Eric felt nothing but relief when skyscraper-sized coils of Titan Wrym began looping around him and a handful of the raptors, forming a perfect dome of defensive coils as Eric pulled out a Flesh-Sculpted mat of bone and sinew and warmth and comfort. ¡°Just protecting myself against anything popping up from underneath,¡± he muttered to himself even as his attempts at lotus meditation somehow became curling up in a ball on his super comfortable bed complete with a very normal comforter that he might have accidentally totally claimed from Kelly¡¯s apartment, then closed his eyes.


    Yet it wasn¡¯t without purpose. He needed an hour¡¯s rest, at least, to refuel his Soul Reserves, and he was determined to spend these precious moments for stillness and reflection in the internal study of his own body and mind, doing his best to sense the flow of Qi through his meridian nodes and Lower Dantian, before allowing the intuitive sense granted by his Legendary Perk to sense how best to infuse his own Spiritual Energy into the physical shell that his body.


    Even though he knew he was probably dreaming, still, he felt like a tiny spark of being gazing with awe at the rich, golden flood of potency filling all his primary and peripheral meridian pathways.


    And how awesome it was to find that he could touch and feel the weight of that glorious, golden power. To sense the tight pressure of his meridians, containing that golden liquor so perfectly. Yet now, in this heady state between reality and dream, he could draw that golden potency directly from his spiritual veins and use it to flood every hungry cell of his body with sweet, golden power!


    So rich, so creamy!


    He wanted to laugh with giddy joy.


    Just moments ago, he had been thinking of a cautious approach. A wise man¡¯s prudence best embraced when exploring anything new.


    How Silly!


    He could sense how UTTERLY right it was, to nurture and feed his exhausted cells with power that would revitalize them! Like an elixer of youth bringing transcendence to the mundane, he somehow knew that even if the draw was permanent, so too was the benefit!


    A modest fifty points? ABSURD! His cells were thirsty and sore. TIRED of being bruised and battered by nameless horrors. Tired of getting toes and fingers snipped off by the angriest of angry proto-birds, and his Achilles tendons could use some strengthening as well.


    So why not fill then with as much golden nectar as they craved? And not a drop more, of course!


    He wasn¡¯t an exhausted fool lost in dream.


    He was wise and strong and so VERY SMART!


    Because the very second his cells felt at risk of bursting, he cut off the flow, eased back his dreaming self, and smiled with sweet satisfaction at what he had wrought.


    His entire slumbering body was now a literal extension of his own Spiritual Power! Qi flowed as harmoniously through his cells as they did his meridian channels, rejuvenating and invigorating them just as much as ATP!


    He then frowned his nonexistant head, for he was more than just a dreaming whim of existence.


    Hadn¡¯t he worried about balance?


    Yes, he had!


    And so what if his beautiful 508 Points of Spiritual Energy had been reduced by 130 points? He had DOUBLED his Physical resistance to 260! He was doing AWESOME!


    But hadn¡¯t he read dozens of novels about the limitations of pure body cultivators? Of course he had. The worst thing he could possibly do was limit himself to a single paradigm. The easiest paradigm. And that¡¯s why he drew out another 60 points, eager to boost his Elemental, Qi, and Mental Resistance by 20 points each. Feeling the delicious rainbow tingle as his elemental resilience increased, the cool silver sweetness of boosted Qi Resistance, the wondrous neuronal surge of added Spiritual Energy permanently boosting and nourishing his neurons for added mental resistance and excellent cognitive health. Now, it would be effortless to infuse any of those areas of his body, including that grey zone where physical, cognitive, and spiritual elements intertwined. Like using physical body cultivation to boost the neurons that made up his mind that was the heart of Spiritual Cultivation. How neatly it all tied together!


    Even as he allowed sleep to reclaim him once more, he couldn¡¯t help but smile in sweetest contentment, seeing that his brilliant strategy had even more benefit than he had thought. Unlike other psionicists, he didn¡¯t depend on a counter resonance field utterly unsuited to a Sylvan Brain. He relied on Physical and Mental Resistance alone, which meant that as those numbers increased, so did his Psionic Resistance, without having to waste a single point in it at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m a genius,¡± he thought happily, before sinking right back into a gloriously deep and dreamless sleep.

 Chapter 418 - Sniper

    ¡°What the fuck happened?¡±


    Eric¡¯s thoughts raced in panic when he noted the glaring number that was his Qi Pool.


    There was no mistake, no System-wide transcription errors.


    Nonetheless, he rubbed his eyes and choked back a whimper, no matter that his internal interface required no actual vision at all.


    And it made no difference.


    The numbers were exactly the same.


    What had once been an absolutely glorious 6100 or so points was now just a hair over 3800.


    He rubbed his skull and groaned, which was quite silly, since he had no headache whatsoever.


    In point of fact, he had never felt so healthy or resilient or bubbling with energy as he did right then.


    He shook his head and groaned before gazing down at a body that looked so VIBRANT!


    A body that Unified Perception made clear was absolutely glowing with Spiritual Energy.


    Spiritual Energy that had somehow been pulled from the depths of transcendent potential to a very physical manifestation that any Cultivator worth his salt would be able to detect, should they use the equivalent of Qi Perception upon him.


    Because each and every cell of his body hadn¡¯t just been caressed by spiritual energy, they had been utterly infused with Qi.


    He groaned and leaned back, rubbing his eyes. ¡°I thought I had found a back door hack. That it was just my Qi Pool that would be tapped. But no¡­ no easy Gary Stu power play here. It¡¯s my raw points that are magnified by my meridians. And somehow I traded over a third of a cultivator¡¯s ability to project his will upon the world¡­ into infusing my body with the power to resist the projections of others. Especially in the form of sharp teeth or furious fists.¡±


    The air and sand shook with the low thrumming susurrations of a giant World Eater sympathizing with its ultimate commander.


    Eric sighed and nodded. ¡°I agree. I¡¯m not saying it was the worst choice in the world.¡± He took a deep breath, forcing a smile to his strained features. ¡°Hell, I should be happy, right? It¡¯s Soul Reserves that were the rate-limiting step. My Mana and Spiritual energy only occasionally were the limiting factors. Though now¡­ if I have to flip gravity or pull another large scale manifestation out of my pocket¡­ yeah. I¡¯d better be practicing for efficiency or boosting that pool again.¡± He forced a chuckle, then sighed. ¡°And I¡¯m compressing my core again, so I¡¯d better learn to deal.¡±


    The ground trembled so violently that the sands covering the basalt slabs shook and trembled into a series of ancient Sanskrit depictions.


    Eric frowned. ¡°Physical Resistance is at 260.¡± He barked with laughter. ¡°That number is fucking ABSURD! Don¡¯t you think? Now do I think that I could actually survive getting shelled by modern artillery Circa 2020? No fucking idea. I¡¯d rather avoid, if it¡¯s all the same.¡± He quirked a smile. ¡°But 24-pound cannonballs? Especially with Battletime relativistically cutting down the effective speed of those shells at impact? Well, let me put it this way. I think there will be a lot of surprised orcs around if that shit ever goes down. And they¡¯ll have at least a few seconds to appreciate life¡¯s unpredictability right before I rip off their heads and see just how far I can toss them. Now as far as velociraptor bites go¡­ I suppose that is the question, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw as his titan wyrm slowly uncoiled, bright morning light spearing him from above. ¡°Just how fucking long did I sleep?¡±


    ES ¨C Eric! Where are you? What¡¯s going on? You entered the surge-zone and we can¡¯t follow your signal and I have no idea what¡¯s going on and you haven¡¯t responded. Are you okay? - We¡¯re doing fine for now. There was another monster surge and a few buildings suffered heavy casualties :( but your Underlord and minions helped a fuck-ton. And those metal golems stopped the swarms from entering Blue Palace entirely! Ha! The living dinosaurs didn¡¯t even like fighting them, since there was no meat inside, just wires and metal! Though you did lose a couple. Sorry, bro. :( - Anyway, please answer! Let me know you¡¯re still with us? When it¡¯s safe for you to do so!


    ES ¨C Hey, better half! ¡®Tis I! The awesome, irrepressible, Ernest Edgelord Slaughter at your service! Just woke up :( I pushed myself hard, harder than I thought, and I might have fucked up a Legendary-tier skill enhancement. But it¡¯s hard to make the right choices as if I were a well-wrested armchair historian with forever and a day to consider all my options. Time will tell, however, and¡­ fuck, Elonia. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t able to stop whatever surge got through. But you¡¯d better believe I¡¯ll be pacing myself now and fighting smart and clearing as much of this territory as I can. If nothing else, maybe the population dent I make will keep their focus ¡®in-house¡¯ and on me, and not into bothering people out there.


    ES - Eric! You¡¯re alive! Thank goodness. Okay, this is important. IMPORTANT! A couple acquaintances¡­ friends of yours I¡¯m guessing? Reported an oddly charming guy asking them questions. Totally reasonable questions and they were eager to help. It¡¯s just¡­ well let¡¯s just say a certain elf mercenary felt a real bad taste in her mouth because even if the guy seemed totally legit¡­ why the hell¡¯s she revealing secrets about someone she (obviously) cares about? (She¡¯s totally your lover. Isn¡¯t she? I can smell the pheromones) and it¡¯s so WIERD to sense Sylvan pair-bonding and mating habits and know what it all means while at the same time being a 21<sup>st</sup> century and very human girl and we should be freshmen in college (or juniors in highschool? It all feels so fucking weird) and we shouldn¡¯t be dealing with any of this shit but we are. Anyway, your elven girlfriend? Mate? And when were you going to let me know?!? - Elly wanted me to let you know that someone with way too much Charisma/class skills? Was asking about you. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a salesman, some high-tier bounty hunter, or just some scumbag who wants to give you an intergalactic summons for being too badass and stepping on too many toes. Fuck if I know. But on the off chance it¡¯s a cold-blooded killer¡­ be careful. Okay?


    Eric stiffened at those words. Clenching his jaw he did a quick 360, eagle eyes glaring out at the world¡­ detecting nothing but howling desert sands, screaming souls, and endless basalt flats populated by countless pacts of terror birds, slithering abominations, and worse, all electing to avoid the brooding World Eater that had clearly claimed this particular spot of land as its own.


    And no sign of any human, Contender, or intergalactic bounty hunter at all. At least so far as he could tell.


    But then again, if he could sense them¡­ how good an intergalactic hunter would they even be?


    He chuckled softly before taking a quick look at his territory map, brow furrowing when he realized there was no way in hell he could cherry pick an individual dot among hundreds.


    Thousands.


    Over 10,000 or so square miles.


    And had the territory grown even more during the hours he had been out like a fucking light?


    He was pretty sure it had.


    Fuck.


    ¡°Alright boys,¡± he called aloud, cracking his neck, stretching his shoulders and wrists, then checking his draw on the blade that he hoped, by synergizing with Fire Fist¡¯s potential, would unlock his greatest power yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get to work!¡±


    Eric pushed all thoughts of monster swarms, assassination plots, and the existential ramifications of a world in crisis behind him.


    All that existed was that singular pristine moment of racing across the howling desert, perks and attributes allowing him to tear right through the swirling desert sands as if they were gentle mist, no different that the crimson geysers erupting their bounties as his mithril blade caressed wing, talon, and throat. His fist kissed Bronze-tier ribs and teeth that could chew through polymerized armor like tin foil.


    Shattering before him as fiery blossoms flared across the desert and Eric did not stop, not once, as he weaved and darted across countless miles of terrain.


    Packs of velociraptors hissed and turned to strike out at the creature that dared rip across the sands as if he were its master. Yet no matter how tightly their pack flowed, nor how aggressive their members, one by one they were wittled down into a handful of raptors now compelled with nothing but fear and the memory of streaks of crimson flame their final flickering thoughts before a bright flash of blinding pain tore through them and their souls too faced the doom of the howling maelstrom of soul-bound torment above¡­ until eldritch words of dreadful power brought them to renewed life and purpose once more.


    And now they were racing across the desert sands as if they had never died at all, stronger, more resilient, and more focused than they had ever been before, EAGER to hunt in their new master¡¯s name, fear of pain, death, and hunger now things of the past. There was only the thrill of the hunt, the sweet hot joy of the kill¡­ and in that arena, their master was beyond generous, allowing his revenants to feast as never before.


    The air rang with manic laughter near the equal of the craws and screeches of the growing pack of predators that knew neither hesitation nor fear.


    Slowly but surely, 670+ Vitality and the ability to race across the desert plains far faster than any high-speed rail meant that Eric was able to clear regions and cover ground far faster than should be humanly possible for an entire army in his place. All the more so when his Contender status allowed every significant cluster of reds that must be taken out before he could claim this vast tract of land to show up as lights blinking brighter than any Christmas tree.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    And not being a fool, even while riding high on endorphins and the sheer exultation of righteous SLAUGHTER!¡ªSavoring the sheer bliss that was an absolutely monstrous physique as he weaved and struck with crimson FIRE!¡ªHe still controlled the flow of battle. Picking off his kills pact by pact, raptor by raptor.


    He stopped only to roar his chants to the heavens and grow his pack, now a good half-mile behind him as he took the lead to STRIKE with furious, killing intent, darting forward and lashing out before his prey even know what had happened. And by the time they had focused on the monstrous Speed Racer tearing through them¡­ before his enemies could organize any sort of counteroffensive¡­ his growing pack of now over 400 Velociraptors tore through the remainder like barracuda chomping through minnows as Eric raced ahead.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    The words filled him with a sweet glorious rush like no other. All but TASTING just how close Blood could have been to unlocking as a fifth essence¡­


    Yet such would now never be the case.


    For the Golden Phoenix was now forever ascendant, and would brook no lesser formation.


    And that was fine, he thought.


    It was enough to finally understand his heritage. The mixed-blood mutt who had once been a Seraphim for a precious handful of seconds¡­ and was now a shark swimming and FEASTING upon the filth below once more.


    Reveling in his darkness that transcended the ideals he stitched like a framework around his soul¡­ SAVORING the sweet crimson rush of one foe after another falling to his blade¡­ before rising once more, to serve him forever after.


    Now the flow of battle was effortless, countless battlefield insights now shivering through his soul. Yet there was peril in the pursuit of perfection, as Eric saw all too clearly in the smoking ruins of a once fortified town that had, by some miracle, actually survived out here. At least for a time. Smoke came from ruined buildings surrounded by basalt walls upon a hilly rise that even now radiated surprisingly strong protective magics.


    Then he was knocked out of his glorious haze by the most unexpected of occurrences.


    The unexpected sounds of screams nearby.


    Even worse, they were familiar.


    Voices he recognized.


    ¡°Kelly?¡±


    But it was impossible¡­ how?


    His gaze snapped to what looked like distant streams of smoke.


    Before taking off so fast, leaving his velocis in the dust to finish off the remnants of the final pack he had pinged in this tiny corner of the territory. Which meant that there was nothing between him and the rapidly approaching remnants of¡­ yes¡­ an actual fortified town, complete with walls that his Dominion Interface made painfujloly clear still radiated the flickering remnants of Class and Leadership perks that had, somehow, by some miracle, had allowed this town to survive and thrive, at least for a time.


    Back when this had been a highly fertile Orange-tier region.


    Before ascending to a Red-tier desert¡­ where wild mana sands corroded simpler fragiler greenery until only the most hardy shrubs hunkered in brooding swamps that were home to abominations and worse managed to survive. Even if, conversely, the wild mana in the air was all that was needed for the fauna to explode in numbers, duplicating more than replicating and now the village was just a dying husk and there were screams from within and he just couldn¡¯t slow down even as he raced inside what he KNEW was a trap because why the hell else would Kelly, Megan, and her parents be strung up on crosses right where he could SEE them?


    Right where he could FIND them.


    Wild, terrified eyes met his own, and as much as he felt horrified disbelief, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­ where was their baby?


    He could sense it, then. The sheer animal terror in the eyes of a family already suffering mana burns from exposure, even as Professionals, which meant they had been suffering out here for hours... and he could see it.


    He could feel the pressure of imminent death.


    He didn¡¯t need Mad Bomber, Danger Sense, and Nose for a Bad Deal to tell him that a sobbing Kelly gazing at him with such desperate eyes and her dying sister, covered in such ugly blisters, or her parents, screaming, tongues torn free of their mouths, spitting out blood that could so easily choke them¡­ were wired with enough explosives to tear open a city block.


    ¡°Mana pulse trigger. It has to be! They¡¯re NOT using orc shaman gunpowder tainted by wild spirits in a black zone!¡± He thought to himself.


    He could TASTE the highly unstable electromana explosion about to rip through them all, just a single trigger pull away.


    And he knew he could run. In that split second of battle-time, gazing at haunted, bloodshot eyes, across a rubble-strewn, blood-flecked courtyard, he knew he could run.


    Instead he roared a single word.


    ¡°Repudio!¡±


    The air seemed to warp and crack even as he was thrown off his feet, sent cartwheeling through the air, gazing down stupidly at the ugly bruise erupting from his stomach, as if someone had punched him from the inside.


    ¡°Is that a bullet? That can¡¯t quite punch through my abdominal muscles? What the fuck!¡± Pointless thoughts roared through his mind as his ringing skull made it clear that that hadn¡¯t been the only injury he had suffered, feeling a bloody mass where his right ear had been, just a split second ago.


    You have been struck by Triple Piercing Shots!


    Multiple Modifiers are in effect.


    You have SAVED versus Sudden Death!


    Head Shot FAILS to penetrate!


    Your right ear has suffered a Savage Wound.


    Enhanced Ribs have deflected Heart Shot.


    Ricochet has failed to puncture abdominal wall. You are suffering mild internal & external bruising!


    You have suffered 1 Medium Wound.


    You are at Mild Skill Check penalty until shrapnel has been removed!


    Filled with terror the equal of his fury, he shook off his daze and forced himself to MOVE!


    Not straight toward where his Danger Sense was screaming peril was originating from.


    Hell no.


    He ran transversely to them, at right angles to Kellys family, so any desperate shooters would NOT be firing at their bait, since it clearly hadn¡¯t worked, and they had to deal with him now.


    Roaring like the bloodthirsty berserker he ultimately was Eric weaved and juked like a mosquito forever avoiding the hand of its prey, humiliation and regret for innocence lost compelling him every bit as much as that he had STUPIDLY left people he cared about vulnerable to the wiles and manipulation of cutthroat BASTARDS who would stop at nothing and no one in their efforts to destroy or outright kill him.


    Even in the middle of a monster surge for some FUCKED UP reason, because clearly an entire region sinking to hell was far less of an issue, perhaps it was even a favored outcome, for whatever brand of psychopaths so clearly wanted him dead.


    By some miracle, or simply because it could find no purchase on mithril helm or coif, Eric sensed no blood spraying upon the ground. All there was was the sand before him, and a sense of blurring sand and shadow, as if light itself was bending away from him, and reality stopped just a short distance ahead.


    And his prey was gone.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡±


    He spun around, knowing that stillness was DEATH! But he had to pierce the veil. He was so CLOSE to doing so! And he had just the tool to help him.


    ¡°Wormy! Circle around, a mile north of where I am!¡±


    A silent command as Eric refused to accept that he had lost already, that during the most perilous quest of his life he additionally had to worry about a cloaked assassin able to set a family he had fought so hard to save with almost certain death¡­ Able take potshots at him with utter¡ª


    You have been hit by Enhanced M107 rounds!


    MULTIPLE Critical Strike Perks are in play!


    But what really struck Eric with surprise were the messages that followed.


    Enhanced 0.50 caliber bullet FAILS to pierce your skull.


    Enhanced 0.50 caliber bullet bypasses mithril mail links.


    Enhanced 0.50 caliber bullet FAILS to shatter ribs.


    Internal ricochet has lodged in abdominal wall.


    No vital organs pierced.


    Eric¡¯s mind was racing even as he screamed at himself to get up and MOVE!


    He was racing, juking, and diving, awe nearly the equal of his terror.


    Because despite his fucking insane Quickness and Perception, he had already been hit FOUR times, and the fucking sniper tier bullets were slipping right through his mithril links. And he damn well KNEW the mithril mesh should be catching it!


    Potency Surge enhanced Unified Restoration has healed Savaged Ear!


    Blood Mastery instantly seals all bullet wounds!


    Note! Unable to fully heal bullet wounds until Kill Shots have been removed!


    Now he had two jagged bullets pressing against his abdominal lining, causing him stacking impairments that his node was, for some reason, unable to push out and remove, even if he could regenerate an actual missing limb with just a little bit of time.


    Clearly, bullshit perks were in play.


    But just as clearly¡­


    His dazed impulse to maximize his physical resistance no matter the massive hit to his Qi Pool of 2000+ points had been the best damned crazy move he had made in quite some time.


    Even if he knew that a shot to the throat, and most especially the eye, would spell his end right damned quick. And FUCK if he wasn¡¯t going to charge RIGHT FOR that MOTHERFUCKER that had just revealed itself with those shots.


    It was then that his Rank II Danger Sense flared warning and he suddenly got it, dodging and darting for all he was worth as the sand exploded by his feet.


    He wasn¡¯t going against a lone elite killer that had been crazy enough to somehow track and ambush him, in the MIDDLE of a Black tier hot zone suffering a monster surge...


    He was taking on an entire squad ruthless enough to use innocent people he had met by chance as kill bait.


    So Eric would HAPPILY return the favor.


    No bait necessary.

 Chapter 419 - Turnabouts ALWAYS Fair Play!

    ¡°Explosives have failed to engage,¡± cracked a tinny voice from a transceiver, speaking in rapid battle-speak that no mortal could hope to follow.


    ¡°No shit,¡± Snarled the man in a sniper¡¯s crouch, glaring down his sights before caressing the trigger of his deadliest weapon with the most delicate of squeezes. He smiled as his powerful frame effortlessly absorbed even the tiniest of recoils from skewing his shot, before his eyes bulged with dismay.


    ¡°The fucking hell, I had that kid dead to rights! How the fuck did he spring back to his feet?¡±


    The woman beside the powerfully built mercenary wearing Shadow-plate and wielding a soul-linked rifle that would never scatter its power over mithril or reflective polymers gave a derisive snort.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you can¡¯t shoot for shit, Bart. Or maybe it¡¯s because this kid isn¡¯t the soft target the shaman swore he was. Him cracking reality and shorting out slave collars and our magno-rail bombs that should have torn him and the bait to puree did sort of give it away.¡± She then tuned out all distractions and focused on her prey, squeezing the trigger of her rifle the instant she felt triple-perks click into place, her deadly little package slamming that wide-eyed boy¡¯s head right under the lip of his mithril helm.


    ¡°Ha! Fucking bulls-eye! Fifty mil is mine, and you shits can split the¡­¡±


    Her words died off. ¡°No. Fucking. Way.¡±


    Their coms crackled. ¡°Kitten, Bart. All our shielding just went down. What¡¯s the status?¡±


    The jocular humor of just seconds ago was replaced by deathly quiet, when their target suddenly roared.


    Kitten exchanged a look with her teammate. ¡°I had that little shit dead to rights.¡±


    ¡°So did eye, Kit. So did I.¡±


    ¡°It was a perfect setup,¡± she said, glaring down at her target from the force-screen protected sniper¡¯s rest she was perched upon. ¡°He was so caught up staring at those poor fucking saps we used that we got multiple hits on his ass!¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Bart nodded. ¡°Fool was staring at the marks like he actually cared. I got a triple bead on him in the time it took him to do whatever the hell he did. And my bullet should have blasted through his heart, twice over.¡±


    ¡°Report, fuckers!¡±


    Kit smacked her helm. ¡°Shut the fuck up, Horace. We¡¯re trying to figure this¡­ shit!¡±


    Her eyes widened in dismay.


    ¡°Report, Kit!¡±


    ¡°The boy¡¯s not even stunned. We had him dead to rights, with multiple snipe-perks in play.¡±


    The sound of a screaming baby could be heard from the ATV.


    ¡°Clearly you didn¡¯t, if he¡¯s still walking. Now you got line-of-sight? Quit fucking talking and kill him! We¡¯re ready to shell him if you shitheads can¡¯t even get that much right. But then our cloak is gone, and we¡¯ll have just a minute to grab the body, dump the noisy brat, and clear out before the Velociraptors swarm our ATV!¡±


    Bart cut in with an anxious curse. ¡°Captain, maybe you¡¯d better shell him. He¡¯s coming this way!¡±


    ¡°Impossible. We¡¯ve cloaked the area. And that black tech cost us four hundred K that we¡¯re not getting back without a fucking kill!¡±


    Kit glared and cursed. ¡°Captain¡¯s right. Quit talking and start firing while he¡¯s still disoriented!¡±


    The air rang with the cracks of two focused assassins firing their chosen weapons, light-hearted banter replaced by granite-hard focus, cold-eyed stares zeroing in on their target as they did everything in their power to take him down even though he was weaving and juking with an effortless speed and grace that should have been utterly beyond anyone who wasn¡¯t an Elite Bronze speedster.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Bart hissed in hyper-speak.


    Kit allowed herself a single smile when a quick hot jab of her favorite drug delivered by her implant had time slow to a crawl even as her brain screamed with agony and ecstasy and her heart pounded and she didn¡¯t CARE! She¡¯d live and die for this rush and she¡¯d kill for it as well, just as she had dozens of times before. All the regen pod sessions she needed to claw herself back from burnt-out husk to pristine perfection while savoring one screaming bender and bloodbath after another.


    Of course her head-shots had bounced. The target was wearing a fucking mithril helm! She had hit the helm, not the skull, no matter how it had looked at first glance. Black-light was playing tricks on her, just a tiny bit. And the kid was a monster with the heart of a bull. It would take precious seconds for Bart¡¯s body shots to finally take effect. But if her bullet could make him stumble, break his charge, then she¡¯d be the one to get primacy on the kill!


    All she needed was that fifty million and she¡¯d be able to freak for a whole DECADE! And she could actually SEE her bullet bursting from the muzzle of her soul-linked baby, tearing through the air to hit not where the boy was but where her guts screamed he was GOING to step. So fast that the air cracked and boomed in slow motion in its passing and she knew better than to gut-shot a berserker after Bart¡¯s fuckup, not when she could cripple him with a single shot to the knee! And the fucker was DOW¡ª


    Getting back up with a lurch and no, it was fucking impossible!


    Yet she saw the bullet tumbling through the air, bouncing off his knee along with a couple drops of blood from broken skin like his bones were made of mithril and no one had that kind of resistance... NO ONE without a thousand Vitality¡­ MORE than a thousand, and this was absurd and stupid and this was a White-tier child and he was suddenly before her and no he shouldn¡¯t be able to¡ª


    Bloodfire Strike!


    The words hammered into her brain. Why? How?


    It didn¡¯t matter. All that mattered was the massive bar of crimson flame that Hyper-Jet painted so fucking clearly. She could SEE That massive twenty foot bar of death roaring through the air and even with her intoxicated mind SCREAMING at her to react, desperately lurching back so fast she could feel her joints burning, muscles ripping, back wrenching as she desperately tried to¡ª


    You have been CRITICALLY struck by Unorthodox Heritage Arts!


    Bloodfire Strike has been enhanced to 6-fold standard length and damage!


    You have suffered CATASTROPHIC damage!


    YOU have FAILED to save versus DEATH!


    - !!! Goodbye, Kitten >0_0< Thanks for playing !!! -


    ***


    ¡°Kitten!¡±


    A wild-eyed Eric, SEETHING with hate, twisted around to glare at the roaring mercenary stumbling to his feet in armor that flickered and struggled to match the pale sands with the basalt rock underneath, vibro blade whipping around far faster than the Cyber-enhanced M-81 the man had let clang to the ground and it didn¡¯t matter a damned bit even when the snarling fucker¡¯s hand flashed forward, jabbing into Eric with a Piercing Strike attack that FAILED to pierce his mithril, the monstrous force of Bart¡¯s feat-enhanced attack neither straining ribs nor pulling muscles, hurting no worse than his sister jabbing him in the gut.


    The man¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief.


    Yet before he could even inhale to say a word, the air was already BLAZING with flame BLEEDING from reality as Eric¡¯s blade screamed through the air as he poured every ounce of hate and fury and willpower into swinging his blade with such force that it was a struggle to move it an inch, for all that it tore through the air at over twice the speed that his foe could manage.


    Before cleaving through his foe in a rising slash ripping him open from hip to shoulder, two diagonal halves spraying the ground with viscera and blood as he collapsed in slow motion.


    The air, or perhaps the ether, was now ringing with the scream of incoming missiles and Eric¡¯s interface was flooded with messages, even as he ran for dear life.


    Because he had absolutely no interest in testing his Physical Resistance against actual artillery fire.


    You have catastrophically struck your foe!


    FATALITY!


    You have slain two highly trained Bronze-tier assassins in mortal combat, using martial techniques and Qi attacks alone.


    Eve approves of this battle!


    You have gained ONE additional Cultivation level.


    Bloodfire Strike is now Rank 20!


    Perk feet automatically chosen.


    You have successfully infused Power Blow with Bloodfire Strike!


    Now, you may transfer a portion of your Might and Quickness into enhancing your Bloodfire Strike directly!


    Every 50 points of Strength and Quickness you channel into your blow (which means your swings will be that much slower) will equal a 100% increase in baseline damage!


    You may additionally enhance your strike with Burst of Strength!


    Eric let the interface messages wash over him, fury and dread quenching whatever rush he would have otherwise gotten from the evolution of an ability he had been on the cusp of understanding, echoing just a tiny fragment of the power he had once used to cleave dreadnoughts in half, in a history that perhaps never was¡­ or had always been. Yet it was an ability he dare not use right now, even as he RACED across sands that held his feet as firm as blacktop, weaving and darting even as the pair of fallen mercenaries and their elite gear were transformed to superheated plasma and shrapnel by shells he sure as shit did not want to be struck by, no matter his resistances.


    Yet if there was one boon to the thrumming pulse gun that a desperate crew of mercs was aiming his way, it was that a cannon ideal for taking on abominations wasn¡¯t doing shit against a Contender with Quickness so far beyond their own.


    Fast enough that the EM Pulse cannon mounted to the reinforced AFV that was more mechanized tank than transport was unable to get any lock on him at all as three hundred yards became a hundred and then he was right there, able to hear the tiny voices screaming orders to one another inside as a coldly smiling Eric leaped on top of his target, fists blazing with transcendent FURY!


    When a distant mother¡¯s despairing wail and the feedback of a baby¡¯s cry inside reminded him of the stakes of this battle.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Fortunately, the automated machine gun that whirled to lock on him was effortless to tear off and plop in his storage. And that was the moment he realized he was being an idiot.


    You have successfully placed 2 sniper bullets currently lodged in your abdominal wall into your Extradimensional Storage Space.


    Enemy perks have been successfully neutralized.


    Unified Restoration healing complete. Penalties have been negated.


    A speaker whined to life, the baby¡¯s cries magnified a hundred-fold over what his exquisite perception could already make out through the thick armor.


    ¡°Get off our vehicle, asshole, or we kill the kid.¡±


    Eric flashed a mirthless smile as the ground rumbled and shook beneath them and they began to rise into the sky.


    ¡°I have a counter offer for you. Give me the child unharmed and get out of the AFV. I¡¯ll let you assholes walk. You¡¯ll leave your guns behind but I¡¯ll let you keep your knives. That is, if you don¡¯t want my World Eater to fucking swallow you ehole and grind you all to fucking pulp!¡±


    ¡°Captain, readings are spiking! We¡¯re gaining altitude! Fuck¡­ the kid¡¯s not bluffing!¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, idiot!¡± Hissed the other man.


    Eric held back a smile. Heart pounding, knowing all too well just how fragile a child¡¯s life was. And being exposed to this air¡­ he didn¡¯t dare fuck it up.


    ¡°Sorry, asshole, that¡¯s not going to work for us.¡±


    ¡°Then you can die,¡± Eric said. ¡°Because without the AFV taking everyone home, we both know that the family you were so willing to sacrifice to put me down will be a past tense anyway. And at that point, why the hell shouldn¡¯t I sacrifice you to my revenant¡¯s gut? And don¡¯t worry. Since my revenant obeys my every command, I¡¯ll make sure your deaths are agonizingly slow.¡±


    ¡°Fucking abomination!¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly at that, knocking on the hyper-polymer alloy of the AFV. ¡°So says the ASSHOLES who rigged an innocent family who did NOTHING to you with explosives.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I guess were at an impasse, kid,¡± sneered the man on the other end of the speaker. ¡°Because sure as shit, we¡¯re not going to stand for any mock trial in a backwater world, judged for taking out trash that any fool knows has a three year life expectancy. Tops.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Just making use of expendable resources. No strain to your conscience at all. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw. ¡°So. How much am I worth?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of it. You¡¯re worth nothing at all.¡± The man paused for a long tense moment. Eric could hear Quilly sobbing and, unexpectedly, what sounded like a female voice cooing even as Quilly¡¯s mother and family screamed and sobbed, some distanced away.


    Eric felt a spike of worry. Pretty sure that Kelly¡¯s family was now in dire shape, and if things didn¡¯t change soon¡­


    ¡°A hundred million.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°I said, asshole, that the Bloodtear faction most definitely did NOT offer us a hundred million to take out a target they specifically said not to touch. The uptick on my credit balance is pure coincidence. I was assured of that. You get what I¡¯m saying, kid?¡±


    Eric began to tremble with rage. ¡°Those fuckers.¡±


    This earned a cold chuckle. ¡°No oath or pact was violated. You understand? We were specifically asked not to come for you. So there¡¯s no one to blame but ourselves. Certainly not a trio of shamans who hate Blue Faction to a degree you can¡¯t even fathom.¡±


    ¡°So, I take it that another wing of your operation is going after Blue?¡± He said the words quietly, like an afterthought, even as his mind raced, mentally typing frantic notes to Caliban.


    Surprisingly, the man snorted.


    ¡°Hell no, kid. You think we¡¯re stupid? That we¡¯d fuck with the most powerful faction here on Terra? Nope. No way in hell. That¡¯s where we draw the line.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, suddenly getting it. ¡°Fuck. You have a Blue Corp Card! That¡¯s how the goblins ¡®accidentally¡¯ flipped you a hundred million for no fucking reason at all. Your corp or faction has too much riding to risk antagonizing them directly!¡±


    ¡°I can neither confirm nor deny that statement. But since you have no formal ties to Blue Corp¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Eric said disbelievingly. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask why the shamans were so eager NOT to see me dead?¡±


    ¡°Nah, we know who you are. A pawn of Caliban¡¯s business partner. Two steps removed. Removing you is a warning to your prince. Hell, both princes. Without crossing the line. Goblins save face, we get rich. Blue Corp suffers no stain. It¡¯s pure business, kid. That¡¯s all. And hell, it actually works in your favor! The hundred million? Let¡¯s just say we¡¯d be more than happy to sacrifice that as a penalty fee for our¡­ ahem¡­ misunderstanding.¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to tell me that you actually carry a Blue-Corp certified fund transfer module on you, there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯m going to believe that¡ª¡±


    ¡°What, are you kidding, kid? Of course I do. What kind of amateur outfit do you think I run? We¡¯re Bronze-tier elites. We deal in all currency and denominations. Ogre Kin, Orc Federation, United Elites¡­ that¡¯s the human faction for those of you not born in a divergent instance¡­ everything except Bloodtear, because I refuse to sign their fucking contracts.¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°You¡¯re that sophisticated¡­ that enlightened¡­ and you were still willing to¡­¡± To took a deep breath, steadying his trembling breath. He could not lose his cool. There was a child on the line, and he needed these assholes to think that they were in the clear.


    ¡°Fine!¡± He snapped. ¡°You hand me the baby. Fucking Carefully! I give you my card. Should the balance spike up a 100 million by purest fucking coincidence? Well I¡¯m certainly NOT promising anything. Certainly not like we all walk away like nothing ever happened¡­ you get what I¡¯m saying, captain?¡±


    ¡°Damn right I do, kid.¡±


    Eric whispered a handful of words while the captain gave a rueful chuckle that betrayed just a hint of nervousness.


    Why the hell weren¡¯t Caliban or Kelly answering his messages?


    Then he blinked. Finally getting it. He was in a wild hot zone. Of course they weren¡¯t getting through!


    ¡°But then how the fuck did Elonia¡¯s messages get through?¡± he whispered to himself.


    ¡°Sorry? What was that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Eric snapped as the howling winds died down right over Eric¡¯s head, a swirling breeze of fresh air surrounding him, such that when glaring eyes gazed up from the now open hatch, they flinched before Eric¡¯s Mithril blade now crackling with Higher Order concepts. Because he was not fucking around, the merc revealing himself stumbled for a half second as a child cried out, before slowly raising a shrieking Quilly who smelled of soiled diapers, sweat, and terror.


    Eric¡¯s heart swelled in his throat as he gathered the child up in his arms, the mithril blade in his hand disappearing from sight as he gently soothed Quilly and passed down the card. Carefully not showing the baby too much affection or vulnerability when cold-blooded mercs tamed only by fear were just feet away.


    ¡°Alright, kid. We¡¯re in business. I still need your pin, and you mind having your pet lower us a bit?¡±


    Eric froze. Wondering if the captain knew exactly how steep a price he would be paying for those words. ¡°No problem on the decline. But I¡¯ve worked with quality mercs before. They were more than happy to transfer a larger sum than this, and they didn¡¯t require any pin from me, whatsoever. So either you plan on fucking me over, or you¡¯re actually stupid enough to try and take on a Contender in the middle of a monster surge, with over 400 Bronze-tier Velociraptors at his beck and call.¡± Eric said, carefully adjusting Quilly¡¯s swaddling, and more than surprised to find her sobs easing, now gazing up at him with fascinated eyes the color of a summer sky.


    The captain barked a nervous laugh. ¡°I guess we have sort of played the fool today¡­ and of course you¡¯re right. We don¡¯t actually need your pin. It just makes things easier, seeing as we¡¯re right now cut off from all¡­ but never mind. I think I know how to backdoor a certain exchange between friends¡­ just sit tight.¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep,¡± Eric whispered, and by sheerest coincidence, Quilly did just that, a baby pack near instantly forming, thanks to Flesh Sculptor and a spare veloci kill in his es space. Moment¡¯s later, she was snug in a fluff lined baby carrier securely strapped to his back, and thank goodness his inertia perk extended to everything he was carrying, so the poor dear wouldn¡¯t be critically injured if Eric had to move suddenly¡­ at whatever speed, for whatever reason.


    ¡°Alright, it looks like we¡¯re in business!¡± The merc in charge said with a strained chuckle as the AFV jostled upon making contact with the naked ground once more, Wormy II slipping under the basalt waves that flowed like water for it alone.


    For all intents and purposes¡­ Eric¡¯s prey should now feel free as birds.


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched, hand on the hilt of the second mithril blade with an affinity for Wind that he had striven so hard to master during this perilous hunt, yet it seemed that such would not be needed. A trembling hand passing up the card through the hatch, which Eric took, before closing his eyes and accessing his interface.


    ¡°Just by random chance, I think you¡¯ll find your card up a mysterious 100 million credits.¡±


    Eric smirked, the card getting a green light with his VIP interface status. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Strange, how that worked out.¡±


    This earned a strained laugh. ¡°So, we good?¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯re good.¡±


    Eric then hopped off the ACV and sauntered over toward the family that had been tied up and left to die of either exposure or EM pulse explosives.


    His heart was pounding. Breaking before the despairing thousand yard stare of the mother, Kelly in tears, still struggling against her bonds, Megan having collapsed, face and skin covered in boils, the father grimly holding on, as if praying for a miracle.


    And he couldn¡¯t deny the look of undisguised hope and joy he saw in their eyes when Kelly¡¯s hawk-like vision zeroed in on him¡­ her exhausted mother crying with either anguish or tears of joy.


    Certainly, 500+ Perception was clued in on the combat-speak conversation the surviving mercenaries were uttering in the bowels of their tank.


    Though Eric¡¯s smile did curl delightfully when his danger sense began to tingle once more.


    ¡°I got a lock on that cocky ass motherfucker. Just say when, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Fucker just cost me a hundred mil and two of my finest. Now send him into orb¡ª¡±


    And with a silent command the mercenary¡¯s voices broke off in desperate screams when a titan wyrm burst from the ground all around them, fifty foot wide tri-fold jaws snapping shut even as it exploded upwards, soaring into the heavens as a Bronze-tier EM Pulse cannon blasted against the sides of their cage to absolutely no effect at all, Tier-II resilience utterly beyond any high-end magitech so far brought to earth, save perhaps for X-class Hyperion artillery shells.


    Which, come to think of it, hadn¡¯t done shit either to his latest Underlord.


    Eric broke off eye contact with his friends just long enough to appreciate Wormy soaring so absurdly high, imagining he could hear the desperate shrieks and doomed wales of those backstabbing, piece-of-shit mercs.


    ¡°I love it when a plan comes together.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t quite wipe the grin off his face when he made his way to the panicked family desperately sobbing and begging and crying out for help. Only for their cries to be replaced by awed curses when Wormy¡¯s massive frame tore through the air to plunge right into the ground as if it were mist.


    ¡°Holy fuck! Did I just see¡­ Ernest! Oh thank god you¡¯re here!¡± Kelly sobbed. ¡°Please! Cut us down, please!¡±


    With slow, gentle movements, considering the package he held, Eric cut them all free, being extremely careful around the EM pulse minds that he claimed with a touch, and the neck collars which he immediately put into storage. And much to his relief, all it took was a few sips of one of his very few precious healing potions that he refused to worry about using to quickly restore what would have been a handful of crippling injuries, not that long ago.


    ¡°My baby. You saved my baby!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart swelled at the sight of Quilly cooing happily in her mother¡¯s arms once more.


    Kelly gave him an awed look as she held her sister close, eyes glittering with warmth, gratitude, and so much more.


    ¡°Ernest, thank you!¡± She smiled through her tears. ¡°I thought we were goners, and all I could feel was pain and despair and fury and when those assholes mocked us, said the last thing I¡¯d see was my boyfriend¡¯s confused eyes before they blew the top of his skull off¡­¡± Her grateful demeanor flashed with rage that made her exhausted sister whimper, life-threatening mana radiation burns reduced, but not completely eliminated, by the potion Eric had given them.


    ¡°Sorry, Megan,¡± Kelly whispered, tenderly holding her whimpering sister as they quickly made their way to Eric¡¯s Titan Wyrm. ¡°Point is, when I saw their fancy tank get snapped up by this wonderful monster here, I felt so fucking GLAD that they were going to savor at least a few seconds going through the same terror they put us all through for hours!¡±


    Eric lurched at that, eyes filled with sudden horror. ¡°DID you say hours?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I did. And what makes it worse was that they slathered our faces and arms with cream that they said would protect us, a little bit, from the mana radiation¡­ but they didn¡¯t care to protect us completely, didn¡¯t care enough not to severe something important in our tongues so they could do more than flop like a dead fish in our mouth and that was so HORRIBLE! Feeling like I was on the border of choking for fucking hours!¡± She sobbed, tenderly rocking her sister as they stepped where Eric directed, protected in a graceful swirl of calm soothing air no matter the swirling sand storm all around them. And it said something they not a single one of them seemed bothered when they gently rose in the air, Eric directing them all to cushioned seats made of bone and leather, including straps so comfortable that they could sleep right on them, before they began racing across the desert flatlands as easily effortlessly as coasting through a dream.


    Eric gently cupped Kelly¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, that those assholes used the relationship they thought we had, taking advantage of the desperate power nap I took that I guess was more like six hours, to set up a trap that almost worked.¡±


    Kelly gulped, before clasping Eric¡¯s tender hand and leaning against it, her parents not saying a word. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not your fault. All you did was save our lives from terror dino birds trying to kill us.¡±


    Eric frowned thoughtfully, before nodding to himself. ¡°So, Kelly...¡±


    ¡°Yes, hero?¡±


    He smirked at that. ¡°How¡¯d you like to level up?¡±

 Chapter 420 - Desert Grinding!

    Kelly shivered with excitement when Eric made the party offer.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°My Underlord knows exactly where we gotta go. Your family will ride safely and comfortably behind us while you and I make short work of a couple terror birds still lingering in this quarter of the territory that I¡¯ve mostly cleared.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°To hear you say that. As if anyone could actually take out an entire monster surge.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s the goal, after all. You wanna help?¡±


    ¡°Damn right I do!¡±


    ¡°Sweet. Here¡¯s the deal. I see those assholes picked you clean, loot wise. No matter, I got a weapon that looks a hell of a lot like a pair of M107, complete with absurdly magical ammo, and about 100 rounds Wormy II claimed from the corpses. And even if most of the goodies was crushed to pulpified powder, these are Bronze Tier toys, so here¡¯s a vibro-blade that I know you know how to use, and together, we¡¯ll fire this gun.


    Kelly¡¯s eyes widened with wonder when Eric gently passed her Vibro blade and force shield as well as a belt made out of rune-reinforced leather he created with the gentlest surge of his might that strapped around her waist perfectly. He then summoned forth a futuristic looking M107 the color of blood and fire and Kelly trembled when he gently placed it in her arms before summoning a mounted sniper¡¯s rest, their hearts beating as one as Eric used his monstrous Finesse and Gunnery skill to line up a shot.


    ¡°Are you ready, Kelly? Are you seeing the velociraptor through the scope? Can you feel the connection?¡±


    ¡°I¡­. yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Finesse modified Gunnery Skill check: Critical Success! You have managed to strike Velociraptor through the heart! Experience Earned!


    Experience successfully split between party members.


    Kelly Sands has earned MULTIPLE Rank 1 Adventurer levels!


    ¡°Kelly?¡±


    She shivered as his soft breath tickled her ears.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°This is important. Super important, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    ¡°If by some miracle, you hit level forty nine before we make it back¡­ you¡¯re to choose Core Saturation instead of progressing to Level fifty, okay?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    ¡°No umms, Kelly. Trust me. I know exactly what I¡¯m doing and I¡¯m the baddest motherfucker you¡¯re going to meet in this corner of the planet, so trust me when I say that Core Saturation, in addition togetting you access to a Tier-II pod one day VERY soon, will open so many possibilities to be making double or even triple the level-up points you are now that it will make your head explode! Not literally. Anyway, even then, this is key. You DON¡¯T want the shiniest Elite or even Master tier class options you might get, after taking out Bronze tier baddies with an elite Top Ranked contender who just formed a very personal blood-bond with you. You want the class that has the greatest growth potential. Do you understand, Kelly?¡±


    She took a shuddering breath, saying nothing, just nodding.


    Eric nodded. ¡°Good. You¡¯re going to ask to see whatever choices will open the path to Bronze. Even Silver. I already know you have six meridian channels, and that¡¯s a sweet, sweet number that counts as a full set. You might even find a cultivator¡¯s path open, if you have access to spiritual energy, which means, at the very least, that Bronze-tier hybrid classes might also be open to you. But just to confirm, every point you put into mana pool gives you how much energy back?¡±


    ¡°Seven.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°I made a mistake. I apologize.¡±


    Her awed expression turned to a bemused side-eye. ¡°Wait, why are you sounding so solemn? Is something wrong?¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°It means you have seven nodes. Not six.¡±


    ¡°And is that a big deal?¡±


    ¡°Well, it means that you have even more potential than I first thought.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°You are a cocky bastard, you know that? Apologizing for not being perfect.¡±


    They shared a laugh, and somehow she was wrapped about him in ways that had far less to do with shooting and far more to do with other things and Eric could feel her father¡¯s eyes glaring like a velociraptor¡¯s at him.


    ¡°Um¡­ Kelly?¡±


    ¡°Shut up and kiss me. Then we hunt some more. Get me to level forty nine, Ernest, and I¡¯ll rock your world!¡± She gave him a throaty chuckle, eyes wild with the heady rush of escaping certain death, leveling up at a furious pace. and falling hard for the hero of your dreams.


    Eric laughed, rubbing her head. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the sweet, sweet kills, and mastering a Bronze-tier killing tool, Kelly. You can flirt and make love to anyone at any other time. Maybe even me, if your parents weren¡¯t giving me death glares. But certainly not now. On the plus side, right now we can get you so far above what your friends only dreamed they might one day accomplish that they will be both green with envy and thanking you profusely when you tell them to also do their best to saturate their cores¡±


    Her cheeks flushed. She stole a single look at her incredibly patient looking father, shuddered, and quickly jerked a nod. ¡°I know that look. Ooh, do I know that look. Okay. Help me get up to level forty nine, so I can endure the next week of being grounded in paradise.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sure. And hold off on buying any perks and filling those precious, precious nodes until we get you access to that Pod. If you actually have potential for spiritual energy as well as magical, I might be able to open up a world of power to you.¡±


    Her eyes widened in wonder. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    He grinned and nodded. ¡°And if not¡­ my mom was working on an arcane university, before the world went unrecognizably crazy and everything changed and even then, even if you only have access to Arcane arts, there might still be a powerful mage¡¯s path for you, but only if you keep your nodes free of garbage perks.¡±


    She winced at that.


    He chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t stress the pair of node perks I¡¯m guessing you already have. I doubt you¡¯d have made it as far as you have without them. But listen to all your future mentors, including me, and think very, very carefully before investing in anything further.¡±


    ¡°Understood, master,¡± she said solemnly, flashing him a cheeky smile, before turning back to the howling winds, squinting hard. ¡°But in the meantime¡­ I¡¯m placing my points in Finesse and Perception and Mana Pool, and now I can sense that target that much better! So are we going to take out that flickering shadow I barely see, or what?¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°That¡¯s one of mine, actually. See how they¡¯re carrying the one we tagged? It¡¯s so I can raise it later. Now the one over there...¡± he said, gently turning the gun so the scope landed on another, ¡°Is a nice target. Shall we?¡±


    She slowly nodded. Eric squeezed the trigger, using another precious soul-bound bullet, and he could feel her gasp and shudder against him with a climax of sheerest power so sweet she was breathless. ¡°I just went up another three levels. Three levels with a single bullet!¡±


    ¡°Good. So let¡¯s grab three more.¡±


    And in the handful of hours it took them to gently and safely make their way back to Freetown, Kelly was squealing with excited glee, having not only achieved level forty nine but also hitting the 20% mark in compressing her core, all without passing out like he had at level nine. Just as importantly to both of them, they had made the trip fast enough that both baby Quilly and Megan had suffered no worsening of their symptoms at all.


    Tears were in her eyes as they transitioned from howling sand storms and crackling lightning across a mustard grey horizon to a calm spring day with a clear blue sky, the warm sunlight and blossom-scented breeze a treat to all their senses. Even Eric¡¯s own.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost home!¡± Megan cried out weakly, now awake in her father¡¯s arms.


    ¡°That we are!¡± Eric said. ¡°So, how¡¯d you like your ride on my pet World Eater? I¡¯ll bet you¡¯ll now have huge bragging rights with all your friends.¡±


    ¡°Damn right I will!¡± she quipped. ¡°Zora and Sara Lin are going to be so fucking jealous!¡±


    ¡°Language!¡± her father said, though his heart wasn¡¯t in it, and Eric was relieved to see even baby Quilly looked no worse for ware, angrily suckling her mother, which he already sensed was her chief coping mechanism for a too-stressful world.


    Kelly¡¯s father caught Eric¡¯s gaze. ¡°Thank you, son.¡± He paused, and Eric could see the tears welling in the man¡¯s eyes as they approached the front gate, none other than Caliban leading a group of Bronze tier elites doing Eric, or Ernest, the honor of meeting him in person as he lowered the head of his Titan Wyrm and gently eased them all to the ground.


    ¡°No problem, Mister Sands. I¡¯m sorry as hell that your family got caught up in bullshit politics, and I¡¯m just glad that I was able to make it right.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m forty-ninth level, Father!¡± Kelly squealed.


    Her father gave her a hard smile. ¡°Good. I¡¯m assuming you didn¡¯t spend all of your points yet?¡±


    Kelly flushed. ¡°Um¡­ okay, let me put it this way. I¡¯d make a really, really good sniper, now. Or wizard. And since Finesse, Perception, and Quickness all have the exact same number of sixty, I¡¯m able to tap into the awesomeness of Battletime, as Ernest explained it. At least a little bit? Like enemies slowing down when I zero in on them with the right modded archery perks in Skydragon. It¡¯s so fucking awesome! Even if I need the numbers to be perfectly even to have anything like what comes so naturally to my hero right here.¡±


    Her mother sighed as she adjusted Quilly and her shawl, so the rapidly approaching elves wouldn¡¯t be put off while giving her oldest daughter a look that was equal parts fondness and exasperation. ¡°Oh Kelly. Do you have any idea about the edge you would have had as a Professional that most could only dream of, by boosting your Scholarship by just a few points?¡±


    Kelly gave her mother a look as they stepped off the now fully submerged Wormy, Eric grinning at a rapidly approaching Caliban.


    ¡°Sorry, mom. I was too busy focusing on the rush of zeroing in on sniping FUCKING DINOSAURS and not thinking about what it felt like to be hung on a cross, doomed to die, to worry about my fucking grades!¡±


    She then winced in apology when Megan burst into tears.


    ¡°Sorry, Megs.¡± She reached down, holding her sister tight. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry you went through that.¡±


    Eric whispered in her ear. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I never put any points into Scholarship.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±


    Eric nodded solemnly, before flushing. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I had serious, serious issues about letting the System rewire my brain¡­ but since now we¡¯re on, um, friendly... Yes, definitely friendly terms¡­ Well, if it was going to take me over and make me an AI zombie version of myself, I guess it would have already done so. But it promises me it likes me just as I am, so I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so hung up on it, and I just got a message saying that you¡¯ll still be you. So ¡®go for it, Kelly! Learn those higher order concepts that come so easily to your sister!¡¯ end quote. And that¡¯s the System¡¯s feedback for you.¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile grew strained at the look of absolute horror Kelly was giving him.


    ¡°Fuck. Did I fail my Charisma check, with all those fucking perks thrown in? Sorry. Look. Just forget everything I said, please?¡± He then staged whispered into her ear. ¡°My backup option was, if I just had to boost up Mana, Scholarship, or Soul Reserves, to just do it one point at a time so I was still ¡®me.¡¯ So that¡¯s what I¡¯d recommend.¡±


    Kelly grew even paler, if that were possible. ¡°I put over thirty points into my Mana Pool, Ernest.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Well, how do you feel?¡±


    She frowned, before a relieved smile came over her features. ¡°Fine! Just totally fine!¡±


    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s fine!¡± Eric¡¯s smile grew strained. ¡°You didn¡¯t, um, feel like your brain was filling up with cthulian self-aware silver wormies, did you? And by that of course I mean that they are VERY GOOD wormies that just want what¡¯s best for us!¡±


    Kelly blinked, looking suddenly green around the gills. ¡°What the fuck, Ernest?¡±


    Eric groaned. ¡°I think I just critically failed my social skill check. I¡¯m going to shut up and go now. Please take care?¡±


    Kellys look of disgust turned to golden peals of laughter, and the fey look in her eyes caused Eric¡¯s heart to skip a beat. ¡°You really had me going there, hero. No. I feel fine. Now go and save our city like the hero you are!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Yeah. Sorry. I got an awful sense of humor and did you put some points into Appearance when I wasn¡¯t looking?¡±


    This earned a sultry chuckle as she leaned up on her tippy toes. ¡°The fuck you weren¡¯t looking, hero. Now come back safe, because there are some tricks I definitely want to teach you as well.¡± The hungry look in her eyes left no room for doubt as to what those tricks might be.


    He winked and squeezed her hand, handing her a priceless prize.


    ¡°Ernest!¡±


    ¡°Enjoy the sniper rifle. And the 67 bullets we have left for it. Now show me you can use the storage pouch I gave you? Good.¡±


    And with a final wave for Mr. And Mrs. Sands who looked caught between gratitude and absolute horror as their excited daughter, now armed with a Bronze-tier M107, was eagerly putting on a suit of armor comprised of essence saturated rawhide and bone from Bronze-tier kills along with solid, near indestructible plates from the female mercenary¡¯s shadow armor, Eric headed toward a grim faced Caliban at a fast clip.


    Eric¡¯s fierce grin faded, feeling an all too familiar spike of dread in his gut. ¡°Fuck, Calibro. Not more bad news, I hope?¡±


    His friend gazed at him for long moments, before bowing a full 45 degrees at the waist, earning raised eyebrows from his personal guard and a surprised blink from Eric.


    ¡°Your Grace?¡±


    Caliban gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°We¡¯ve suffered three separate waves in the sixteen hours you were gone, and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that were it not for your World Eater and the scores of velociraptor revenants you left in our care, casualties would have been in the thousands, our moral shattered. As it stands, less than a hundred lives have been lost, and our most elite soldiers stand ready to serve still.¡±


    Eric let out a relieved breath he hadn¡¯t even aware he had been holding. ¡°Thank goodness. With that look, I had thought¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Northeast Regional Counsel has made the motion that unlimited access be given to all potential settling factions to colonize Terra at will.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°What the fuck? Are they serious? Did they not study American History? They should know exactly what the fuck will happen to us then. We¡¯ll all be colonized and ground to dust!¡±


    Caliban flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Such was the concern raised by many in the Global Terran Counsel. A vote will be set in just two days. Our hope is that we can defeat the motion. Otherwise, should the motion be pushed through as written, absolutely any settler below Silver, up to and including those just a half-step breakthrough away, will be allowed to colonize this world as they see fit.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding, his gaze locking with Caliban¡¯s own. ¡°Two days, you said?¡±


    ¡°Forty nine hours and seventeen minutes to be exact, Ernest.¡±


    Eric flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Well then, it looks like I¡¯m on a tight deadline. I was going to offer you another wing of my raptors¡­ but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to need them.¡±


    He winced at the sudden flash of dismay quickly passing over Caliban¡¯s features.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mean the ones I¡¯ve already left guarding your city. I mean the ones I made most recently.¡±


    Caliban flashed a relieved smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. Just how many do you¡­¡± He then caught sight of the massive mobile cavalry now flanking Eric in a massive V formation. ¡°Saints¡¯ mercy!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°By last count? 508. And trust me, Calibro, this is just the beginning. And with that deadline¡­ I¡¯d better get cracking.¡±


    Not wasting another word, Eric turned around the way he had come, racing as fast as he safely could without utterly tearing apart the terrain behind him with the speed his revenants were compelled to match, the V formation helping with air resistance as much as for any other reason.


    But once they hit the wild storms of monster-surge central, Eric took off like a shot, the air cracking with a boom as their formation tightened behind the titan wyrm, forming a massive peloton and taking full advantage of the World Eater¡¯s slipstream, all of them drafting behind the behemoth and cutting down massively on drag as they got damn close but couldn¡¯t, even with Eric¡¯s perk, break the sound barrier.


    Eric howled with sheer exhilaration, feeling the earth vibrate and shake with the wondrous force and POWER of the massive hoard now traveling so fast behind him.


    In a shockingly short period of time, they had spotted and closed with the nearest group of revenants, Eric shifting tactics so as to be able to lash out a single time with a boosted Blood Strike extending his crimson fiery blade like a gigantic laser saber to over twenty feet long even as it flared with fearsome life, no matter that he could now move it as only at a fraction of his normal Quickness, as if struggling against a massive weight. Inertia carried him through the moment of impact as it tore right through the velociraptor pack, decapitating three in the blink of an eye, his hoard washing over the remaining six and obliterating them right before Eric screamed out a handful of words as he turned 30 degrees and raced for the next pack of terror birds.


    ¡°Surge Centuria! Imperator Imperat Tibi!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t even make out the reply, he was now moving so fast. Yet it didn¡¯t matter, because he could sense the added platoon merging with the rear of the peloton, and Eric was swinging his enhanced crackling blade once more, right in time with a momentary leap, so it didn¡¯t matter that his speed crashed down to 400 as his blade flared to 4-fold normal length and 400% boosted lethality, this time not using Burst of Strength because he needed to conserve his Soul Reserves even with his crimson orb happily whirling around his head, and the results were everything he could have hoped for.


    Two fresh velocis killed, two more crippled, and the entire confused peack crushed and pulverized by his hoard as he roared yet more words that cared nothing for the limits of sound in the physical world as his glorious hoard grew.


    And grew.


    Until the trembles of their passing became an Earthquake.


    Until Eric felt his Soul Reserves, even one point at a time, plummeting painfully low and exhaustion demanded he stop, because one mistake was all it took for triumph to turn to catastrophic failure. When he eventually found himself curled up on a stuffed pillow, lying on a reinforced bone and leather mattress, surrounded by soothing reassuring coils, he took sweet comfort in the knowledge that he was now being guarded by 866 Velociraptors in addition to his Titan Wyrm.


    And though his final exhausted thoughts before slipping into blackness were that the entire territory was still filled with glaring hot reds, he could at least take comfort in the knowledge that the largest hoard of Bronze-tier monsters in the entire territory was now his own.

 Chapter 421 - The Return of BunBun!

    Eric lurched awake to a flood of messages waiting for him. Anxiety at time wasted turned to a sense of relief when he saw that only two hours had past.


    Transcendent Abjuration is now Rank 6.


    Gunnery is now Rank 11.


    Gunnery is now Rank 12!


    Flesh Sculptor is now Rank 28.


    Spirit Mastery is now Rank 36.


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding is now Rank 33!


    Bloodfire Strike is now Rank 21!


    2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation is now at 72%.


    Congratulations, you have earned 2 levels in your Profession!


    You are now a Rank 38 Master Necromancer!


    How do you wish to shape your class?


    The sheer joy in seeing his skills continue to improve and the wondrous delight of his Master Necromancer class continuing to blossom and grow turned to a sudden jolt of awe when a completely unexpected perk flashed across his interface.


    It had only been for a moment.


    A singular impression.


    But he knew what it meant.


    What it MUST mean!


    He took a shuddering breath, immediately discarding all his previous plans of doubling his Underlord Quota or enhancing his Crimson Orb one additional degree.


    All his eyes had locked on to the most innocuous of perks.


    Recall Familiar! - This perk allows you to recall any favored revenant, underlord, or familiar lost in the call of duty. Should your favored creation be transposed to another realm, planet, or region beyond your purview, you will recall a perfect duplicate instead! Do you wish to invest in this perk?


    You have chosen: YES!


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding. He could feel a cold sweat prickling his back as he took a shuddering breath, squeezing tight to his will in the heart of his Underlord¡¯s protective dome, free of howling spirits and outside disturbances as Eric closed his eyes and called out to the memory of a tiny friend that he missed dearly.


    For a heartbeat, he could sense her, happily cavorting and dancing upon their shared daughter¡¯s shoulder. Eric felt a sudden bright surge of love for the girl that was his child, beyond relieved to see her surrounded by what looked like hundreds if not thousands of devoted troops, sensing an entire city under their control, and they, forever moving, forever beyond their foes¡¯ abilities to catch, about to move on, fresh territory to claim and enemies to kill. And if the single casual flash of explosive crimson lightning obliterating a distant flying object was anything to go by, his daughter¡¯s power had only grown as she dared to take on an entire world on behalf of her aunt, Eric¡¯s sister.


    Eric¡¯s heart swelled with joy.


    ¡°I love you, Lilly.¡±


    Much to his surprise and wonder, he sensed her reply.


    ¡°I love you too, Dad. Please be careful, okay? And yes, you can totally have a copy of mom! She can combine all her memories while she sleeps, living two lives at once, and keep me updated!¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart swelled with delight at hearing that, but before he could reply, he jolted awake with a gasp.


    Realizing that another two hours had passed in the time it had taken him to evolve his class one more step¡­ and reach his daughter for even a few seconds.


    He prayed that she would be okay.


    And that he wasn¡¯t too late himself.


    But before he could groan with dismay at time lost, his world was brightened by a cheerful chipper voice he knew so very well.


    ¡°Yay! I¡¯m back and badder than ever! How are you, fearless leader? Father of our beautiful baby girl? I missed my favorite master!¡±


    Eric chuckled at that, gently rubbing his purring bunny against his cheek. And if bunnies didn¡¯t normally purr? He didn¡¯t care.


    Instead, he kissed her cute fluffy head and placed her on his shoulder where she belonged.


    ¡°Great to see you too, Bunbun. I missed you like anything,¡± he said as his World Eater uncoiled and he began racing full speed once more.


    ¡°Whee!¡± Screamed BunBun. ¡°We are TOTALLY breaking the sound barrier! And the mustard yellow skies, crackling lightning, swirling sands and basalt flats¡­ this is totally Desert Dune! Now can I have a Fragor?¡±


    Eric laughed at that.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡± He roared, and a distant basalt pillar exploded in an a shower of rubble, as did the skull of a distant raptor whose confused pact Eric raced for with a holler.


    Crimson lightning and Bloodfire flashed in unison as he struck and killed before his hoard washed over the survivors and he belted the words that grew his hoard by another handful.


    ¡°Fucking awesome!¡± BunBun hooted. ¡°You added something special and spicy, didn¡¯t you? You don¡¯t have our little one¡¯s glorious multipliers. Not yet¡­ but OOH! Essences and Higher Order manifestations of Wrath. AWESOME!


    ¡°So, are we finally at the ¡®fuck¡¯em all, we¡¯re taking over the world¡¯ stage of our story here? About fucking time! I can share SO MANY KEWEL hit-and-run tactics that Lilly, me, and Elonia¡¯s elite Sylvan Commanders have been cooking up. So much sweetness! We have four cities under our control, and have absolutely obliterated Bloodtear¡¯s Death Troops, at least in the territoryies we¡¯ve claimed so far! Best of all, no more goblin carriers are bringing in fresh assholes! Not sure why, not gonna complain!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but laugh aloud at that pronouncement, glad that he had been able to unleash his favored spell just as they made contact. Because even now, just seconds later¡­ he felt it.


    The awful pressure on his back.


    Not just observing, which should be impossible, according to Caliban¡­ but glaring down at him.


    Somehow.


    Eric clenched his jaw and stroked his suddenly tense familiar¡¯s back.


    ¡°You feel that?¡±


    ¡°Shit. Yes, I do. Any idea what it is?¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°We¡¯re in a newly ascended Black-tier territory undergoing a monster surge. All I know is that it should be impossible for anyone to sense anything, which makes using pretty much EVERY tool in our arsenal A-OK as far as local politics goes. But still. We¡¯re keeping certain cards close to our vest.¡±


    BunBun dipped her ears. ¡°Understood, fearless leader. Are we sure they aren¡¯t friendly eyes?¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Unseen strangers that actually have our best interest at heart? That aren¡¯t hoping to shank us and grab every treasure we ever claimed for themselves at the worst possible moment?¡±


    Eric and BunBun shared a look at that, before bursting into laughter.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ talk about wishful thinking!¡± BunBun sighed. ¡°Okay, what next?


    Eric flashed a toothy grin.


    ¡°Ooh. Nice chompers!¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡±


    ¡°Very, very¡­ sharky?¡±


    ¡°Anyway... the plan is simple. We tear through this fucking territory and claim every last abomination, velociraptor, and Titan Wyrm we come across, and every other critter that blinks red and we do it in what will now be¡­ fuck.¡±


    BunBun¡¯s whiskers quivered in distress at the sight of Eric¡¯s furrowed brows.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°We now have just 39 hours to clear out a hundred by hundred mile grid that¡¯s still growing before goblin assholes and countless other enemy faction flunky pushes a motion to allow unlimited access to settlers with machine guns to slaughter both nasty boar and annoying natives in this brave new world to their hearts content. For the greater good, of course.¡±


    ¡°Ooh. Snarky metaphor. Well fuck! That does stack the odds in their favor just a little bit, does it? There¡¯s no way in hell anyone can cover that much terrain in that amount of time.¡±


    Eric flashed a cynical smile. ¡°I think that was the point. The goblins don¡¯t give a shit about the long term ramifications. Their original plan was to strip-mine the entire planet, happy to let it overheat and explode once they had managed to force desperate poverty and predatory debt traps on the entire fucking population before dragging all their slaves to soul-steel forges very much like the one YOU destroyed, my awesome and beloved BunBun.¡±


    His familiar quivered with furious tension, crimson lightning crackling between her ears.


    ¡°We are NOT letting that shit happen here.¡±


    ¡°Damn right we aren¡¯t Which is why we¡¯re taking full advantage of my interface map, along with my Speed Racer II perk, where air resistance, easy terrain, and inertia are exactly what I want them to be.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    BunBun gave a thoughtful nod. ¡°So that¡¯s why we¡¯ve left the sound barrier way behind and my ears weren¡¯t torn off my adorably furry body?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah!¡± Eric grinned. ¡°Equally important, my Dominion Interface Map lets me spot all the hot clusters, and my Mixed Unit Tactics and Undead Tactical Interface Map Access means that I can send out platoons of ten to thirty velocis or more, if needed, to hunt down small band and stragglers at all corners of the map while we blitzkrieg the most dangerous packs in the territory.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So that¡¯s why we have just a little over 300 velocis by our side.¡±


    ¡°Yup! The other six hundred plus are cleaning up dozens of hot spots, splitting off in small packs to fly left and right while we tear down the center of the territory... and look at that. A fucking motherload cluster of sixty terror birds and a Brood Mother which looks more like a T-Rex than anything else!¡±


    The pair exchanged fierce smiles when the massive beast suddenly towering before them roared and charged, crackling with deadly potency that sent Eric¡¯s instincts screaming, Eric having no doubt that this Deep Bronze dinosaur could tear right through the Blue Palace like a cannonball, more than capable knocking over dozens of power armored Blue Corp knights a split second before tearing open their armor and eating their entrails like sardines.


    Which was why he was perfectly happy to take the fight to them.


    ¡°Fearless Leader? Spells?¡±


    In response Eric just laughed, abruptly darting a hard right. Dodging teeth snapping way too close to his skull, earning a scream from BunBun and a jolt of terror from Eric, realizing he probably should NOT be holding back, no matter who or what was measuring him¡­ judging him.


    It was in that terrifying moment with the stink of a massive theropod¡¯s fetid breath washing over him that he realized that maybe THIS was his enemy¡¯s angle. Getting him so self-conscious that he was an easy mark for the critters that would kill him without anyone else having to do anything but sip fancy drinks and laugh at his corpse.


    Fuck that.


    And fuck giving anything away either.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    Quickness check made! You have successfully DODGED Vorpal Deathblow!


    Bloodfire Strike!


    You have critically struck your prey!


    ¡°Eric, they¡¯re swarming!¡±


    Eric snarled, his pounding heart transforming fear to fury, REFUSING to be afraid, even as the swarm of velis swarmed around their mother, hissing and snapping and refusing to let Eric close with the now wounded sentinel spitting blood. But Eric demanded his legions hold back. This kill was his. These fuckers were HIS!


    Crimson flame flashed as vorpal teeth snapped, BunBun wise enough to do absolutely nothing to interfere, well aware of her master¡¯s designs even as he strained his reserves, expanding his fiery blade and cleaving through pairs and packs of terror birds, working his way and winnowing the swarm until a mother¡¯s desperate roar forced the survivors back.


    Eyes filled with terrifying sapience met Eric¡¯s own.


    It knew.


    Even as it spurted blood from its left talon, glaring its hate as it gathered itself protectively in front of its pack, it knew that this was a fight to the death, that Eric was here to kill her without forbearance or mercy, and that the fate of her tribe was now in her talons alone.


    So with a mother¡¯s panicked fury, she roared and charged.


    Snapping desperate teeth before a blinding crimson flare flashed so brightly that she was blinded.


    Before crashing to the desert sands unable to move her massive body or even open her eyes.


    Just fading to blackness as the desperate caws of her children turned to furious shrieks and dying wails... and then she was no more.


    Congratulations! You have successfully slain a Mid-tier Bronze (Strength Based) Terror Bird Matron in singular combat without using Higher Order attacks!


    Eve approves of this battle!


    You continue to evolve and improve as a cultivator daring the Path of Peril!


    You have achieved Rank 47 as Death¡¯s Disciple!


    ¡°Eric... Eric!¡±


    Eric took a deep breath of spice-laden air tasting of wild magics and deepest sorrow.


    He swallowed an unexpected lump in his throat, shivering over the corpses of his foes. And the look he had seen in that mother¡¯s eyes...


    ¡°Fuck, BunBun. I thought they were just mindless monsters.¡±


    BunBun nodded. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°But she was alive and aware and had woken up to actual sapience and was just taking care of her children. Knowing that they couldn¡¯t live on the spicy sands gifts alone.¡±


    BunBun nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. There was an entire city full of juicy furless meat sacks just waiting to be devoured. We should TOTALLY have let her do that. She¡¯d definitely have loved us then.¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°You just had to put it that way, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    BunBun gave him a hard look. ¡°This is war, Eric. You¡¯re only duty is to make sure that our people live. That our children survive to savor days filled peace, joy, and happiness. To one day raise children who might know a world so free of tragedy and conflict that they dare to judge those who had come before. Their ancestors who had done everything they could to secure them that paradise. So that you can give them a great grandfather¡¯s smile and say, ¡®shut the fuck up, junior. You have no idea what the fuck you¡¯re talking about. Because if I hadn¡¯t been a ruthless, genocidal motherfucker, your grandmother would have been screaming her last while orcs ripped her open and ate her alive, and you would never have even been born.¡¯¡±


    Eric swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, gently stroking his rabbit¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. Be thorough! Look at that Veloci trying to get up with only its talons hacked off. Growing soft, Fearless leader. So FINISH IT! Then raise it for that second chance at life under OUR command that our foes would NEVER give us, and take heart that our future grandkids, Lilly¡¯s children, might just get to enjoy a happy life free of psychotic orcs and other baddies that we never had.¡±


    Eric took his familiar¡¯s counsel and ended the suffering of those stragglers quick and clean.


    And it was a comfort to know that when a general¡¯s command was given, all 57 Velociraptors were happy to swear their eternal service.


    Even their mother, happy to be reunited with her brood once more.


    Then they were off once more, racing to the largest pack of all, where Eric sensed that the fate of the entire territory would be decided.


    ¡°Excellent news, fearless leader! Your Strategy worked! Our four score mini packs have taken out over 300 stragglers spread out all over the place! And those blobs of tendrils and eyeballs hiding in all the swampy ereas? Our World Eater LOVES eating those. Even if we can¡¯t raise them, at least our second Wormy¡¯s growing!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Yup. It¡¯s going pretty sweet. But don¡¯t say anything! Because we don¡¯t need any red flags waving.¡±


    BunBun, at least as good, no, a far better gamer than he, dipped her head in complete agreement. ¡°So, is there a reason why we¡¯re not using spells or our delicious shouts or the higher order transcendent attacks I know we can use with utter impunity... because I checked the logs?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°You can do that?¡±


    ¡°Duh.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Okay, fair enough. For one thing, I only earned that cultivation level after half a dozen single combats against tough veloci variants.¡±


    ¡°Yup. I know. I was there for half the kills.¡±


    ¡°But I only got one rank! It¡¯s like I¡¯m getting bottlenecked! Even if my path means I should always be able to find a way forward, evolve a way forward. What the fuck¡¯s going on, Lilly?¡±


    His familiar snorted. ¡°Reeally, Fearless Leader? With all the progression cultivation novels you¡¯ve read, you don¡¯t get it?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ no?¡±


    His rabbit gave him a look.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Dude.¡±


    ¡°BunBun.¡±


    ¡°Duuude! What the fuck have you been doing all day? Two days now¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. Dueling, killing a shit-ton of velocis and, at least with the main horde, growing their number back up to a thousand plus!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! And let¡¯s not forge all those sweet, sweet power ups, since you¡¯ve managed to warp your Contender Path to the point that you¡¯re devouring Contenders like Territories! Because 7.5% stat claim when 5% is the absolute maximum and most Contenders only get 1-3% is absofuckinglutely absurd! And glorious. But mostly absurd.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Wait. 1 to 3%?


    ¡°If even that. Anyway, the point is, just how FUCKING POLLUTED do you think your meridians are by now?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°But I feel fine. Fucking awesome, actually.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do! You¡¯ve absorbed SO MUCH System Power. Contender Power, Necromantic Power! And that¡¯s okay! Eve doesn¡¯t care! You¡¯re very path says: use what works! Trial of combat is it¡¯s own reward, mother nature doesn¡¯t care how you evolve, if it works¡­ it works!¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    BunBun snorted. ¡°But you¡¯re now so full of junk DNA that it¡¯s not even funny. Similarly, your cultivation class can and will progress no matter what, but it will take more and more novel kills to make that happen. More and more pressure. But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll never stall. That¡¯s pretty much Eve¡¯s promise because evolution NEVER stalls! Especially when evolutionary pressure demands growth or death. BUT! And this is the big one, fearless leader... BUT you could be so much more fucking efficient if you actually had even a single mentor besides you-know-who, who really just wanted five minutes (quick-fire much?) to claim your bebe juices so that the Imperial Family can have some white-hot Gold-tier Phoenix Blood in it.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes bulged in alarm. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, stud muffin. The POINT IS, Eric, that you¡¯re in desperate need of good mentors or at least a few body cultivation manuals to clean out some crud and pack on those yummy levels! Maybe even get some nice physical stat boosts for free. Since you¡¯re totally a body-cultivation kind of guy. I mean, seriously. You somehow channeled almost a third of your spiritual energy directly into your body in a way that I think would have made any profound master cry, or assume your quick and violent death was pretty much a given. But you¡¯re a System Favorite Contender on a Wildly ascending planet, and here and now, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING goes, so of course you made it work like a Fashion House special... and on you, it¡¯s absolutely WINNING! And it looks fabulous. All the judges agree!


    ¡°But¡­ um¡­ for anyone else¡­ yeah. Slamming almost 200 Spiritual Energy points into one¡¯s body in the form of boosted resistances is kind of madness? Though I LOVE how you somehow made your own perception of your physical reality a buffer against Psionic attacks. So stubborn that you refuse to die. OR let your brain melt. I love it! Lilly thinks you¡¯re insane, by the way. But she loves you too!¡±


    And that was when Eric felt it. The sudden pressure wave of the boss that had hidden itself so well for so long, yet now had no choice but to come to the fore.


    Quickness check made! Full use of perks in play!


    Yet Eric was already racing away, at an upwards angle, feet leaving the ground far behind as the earth rumbled and shook and exploded with a titanic roar as a true behemoth finally revealed itself.


    The most massive Titan Wyrm to yet manifest. Closer to half a mile in length than a quarter or a third. Well on its way to evolving into a genuine World Eater.


    The air rang with its furious howls, so loud that it drowned out Eric¡¯s ability to channel any runic spell at all, for once daring to make an exception. Yet it could do nothing to stop Eric¡¯s silent commands as he prepared himself for the final battle he should have to face for the territory.


    Not as a warrior.


    But as a general.


    His lips curled in a ruthless smile as he steadily backed away from the titanix maw, even as he clenched his fist, revealing two of his trump cards the instant his foe had leaped fully out of the basalt rock that flowed like ocean waves before its awesome might.


    Stretching out at maximum extension.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened as it continued to lunge through the air, trifold mouth open nearly as wide as a football field before it finally snapped shut, falling back to earth.


    And what a magnificent and terrifying sight it was. The half-mile long body, fully extended, tumbling through the air to the ground below. Right before two more Titan Wyrms¡­ his own... exploded from the basalt rock that had hidden their passage like submarines in the deep.


    Only the deadly missiles they launched to tear into the hull of their enemy were their own open mouths, sinking deep into the suddenly roaring abomination. Drilling through their prey as the desert sand sprayed with a geyser¡¯s worth of hot sticky blood that boiled on contact with the howling desert wind, all three sinking under the depths of the basalt flats, and all was deathly silent and still. The endless howling winds of a monster surge growing eerily quiet just as Eric and BunBun touched surface on a rocky ledge a short distance off.


    Eric, eyes closed, savoring the furious battle happening in deep, dark, liquid rock.


    A battle between titans that would decide the fate of this territory screaming with so much potency and power.


    As if he was completely unaware of the vulture swooping in at that very moment, eager to claim the most glorious prize imaginable over Eric¡¯s fallen corpse.

 Chapter 422 - Diplomatic relations

    Chapter


    Eric sensed the portal opening behind him the instant the world changed. Yet before he could say a word, the air rang with System Interface messages and he was fighting for his life against both a Bronze-contender¡¯s homicidal fury, and a Silver-tier monster¡¯s killing intent.


    ***


    ¡°The territory¡¯s already lost, fool! And if we don¡¯t take steps, the entire region will fall! I motion a vote for unrestricted portal access to any faction that wishes to join us in taming this unstable realm before it¡¯s too late!¡±


    The air cracked with the sound of a massive fist banging against the massive Altopaz conference table taking up the spacious chamber in the top conference rooms of Blue Palace where the fate of the entire region was being decided.


    The owner of said fist, a massive slab of muscle kitted out in lamellar armor radiating multiple wards and enchantments, possessed the thick-browed features of an ogre and the beady eyes of a tactician. Eyes that were now coolly going over those humans, elves, and humanoids representing the factions who presently had a vested stake in the Northeast quadrant. ¡°As representatives of our various factions, situated here in Freetown, it is our right¡­ nay, our duty, to assure both the continuance and prosperity off our vested interests, here on Terra. And no matter how much a certain segment of cowards and shortsighted fools fear that extended settling rights will displace the natives, the fact remains that if we fail to stabilize this abomination of a monster surge that happened on Blue Corp¡¯s watch, there won¡¯t be any region at all for the belly-achers to worry about!¡±


    The statesman glared a coolly poised Caliban¡¯s way as he leaned back, took a sip from a massive golden goblet before munching on a bowl of what looked, for all the world, like fried human fingers before flashing them all a toothy smile.


    Elonia, seated beside Caliban, paled, unable to take her eyes off the massive floor to ceiling holo-screen that currently showed little more than a sliver of wildly whipping grass and distant clouds before a massive obsidian barrier crackling with eldritch energies that teased and taunted with chilling patterns she just knew there was a hidden meaning behind. Dark and twisted¡­ yet she just couldn¡¯t decipher it. Her sensitive hearing instead focused upon the numerous parties sitting in close proximity to her, while the far side of the conference table was filled with the squeals, snorts, and obsequious bootlicking that was so common in ogre, orc, gnoll, and goblin circles.


    ¡°General Stony¡¯s right! We need to open the gates and let our allies through! Only then will this realm be safe!¡± Roared a massive orc who looked every inch the bloated porker ready for market.


    That thought was all that allowed Elonia to keep her smile as the porcine horror waxed long on the virtues of opening their doors to countless high powered factions that would happily grind the native population to dust under any pretext at all. She could only wonder how many millions of humans of all races and creeds would soon be collapsing along their own trail of tears if even one of these factions was allowed to flex their might free of all limitations within this sector, ¡®for the greater good,¡¯ as Stony and Black Tusk put it, never mind the fact that those fucking ABOMINATIONS were eating fried pieces of meat deliberately shaped to look like the finger bones of her people¡­ both of her tribes¡­ making it damned clear what both humanity and the elven tribes could expect in the very near future.


    The glittering smirks she saw reflected off so many pairs of beady eyes made the farcical nature of this meeting all too clear. Because it didn¡¯t matter what the struggling human factions declared, Elonia¡¯s own Sylvan Faction was now so close to extinction that they were invited only as a courtesy and a taunt. The orcs, ogres, and gnoll factions combined now ruled far more of the White-tier territory that was actually claimable than anyone else, no matter that most of citizenry was humanity, second-class citizens in their own homes, if now outright collared and chained or being used as livestock. Even if it hadn¡¯t always been this way¡­ even if in her dreams¡­ her nightmares¡­ it had somehow been different, this was the reality that she was forced to accept here and now.


    They all but owned the Northeast region of the former United States as it was, and this black-tier territory evolution and resultant monster surge had happened at the absolute worst possible time.


    Their enemies already had them by the throat. This was just a pretext to squeeze as hard as they could.


    ¡°The Boston faction formally objects,¡± said the melodious voice of Queen Brittany Summers, Ruler of Boston and a good sized chunk of Massachusetts, one of the final bastions of humanity in the Northeast. ¡°Opening wide invasion quotas, because let¡¯s make no mistake, they are invasion quotas, is both expressly forbidden by the Imperial Ascension Accords that Lord Caliban himself witnessed us all signing over a year ago.¡±


    ¡°Wrong, you stuckup bitch! We¡¯re dealing with a Black-tear monster surge! Specific provinces allow the Ascension Accords to be overturned in times of crisis!¡± Squealed Phospho, the gnoll representative from New York, a faction that was presently in hot war with Brittany¡¯s faction save for this temporarily brokered peace, so his ire was to be expected.


    Though Elonia couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile when Stony glared and smacked the hotblooded fool out of his seat, after letting a key bit of intel slip, which Lady Summers immediately picked up upon.


    ¡°Ah. I see. Not a simple emergency quota bulge, but directly overturning the only safety measure we natives have against the entire galaxy coming in and flooding our planet with invaders that could obliterate us in seconds. While no doubt being permitted full access to powers, skills, and talents that we natives are denied by any and every means at your disposal, making an absolute mockery of any claim of a ¡®fair and balanced¡¯ opportunity for all natives to enjoy their own planet¡¯s ascensions¡­ as is guaranteed by the Imperial Accords.¡±


    She flashed a cold smile at a snarling Phospho. ¡°So, you would dare to mock the emperor¡¯s own decrees? I find that exceptionally ballsy, especially for a cowardly little heel-biter like you, Phospho.¡±


    ¡°Lies!¡± Phospho screamed. ¡°I will gut you like a fish for your false and slanderous accusations!¡± he then turned to the goblin representative who was all but nodding his little head off.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Lies and slander. Lies and slander, all of it!¡± The Goblin faction moves for the immediate dismissal of the Boston faction and all it¡¯s sympathizers!¡± The ugly smirk on the goblin¡¯s features was emphasized by the smack of a card the color of soul steel.


    ¡°And how the fuck do I even know what that looks like?¡± Elonia could only wonder, chilled by the sight of the vilest card imaginable possessed by the weakest-looking member of the opposing factions. But she knew better than to underestimate a goblin barrister under any circumstances.


    Even Stony snorted at how absurd this was, yet much to Elonia¡¯s dismay, Caliban said nothing.


    Her heart lurched a beat. Seriously?


    Elona grit her jaw and placed an ivory white card on the table, sensing her friends¡¯ sudden tension.


    ¡°Sylvan Faction objects.¡±


    ¡°Sylvan Faction¡¯s a single storm ward away from being wiped off the map, bitch!¡± Stony roared. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even be here!¡± He slammed his fist. ¡°I move that you be forced to vacate immediately!¡±


    Of course his motion earned screams and howls of agreement, but no crucial flash of paper flew.


    ES ¨C Don¡¯t. He¡¯s baiting you.


    BS ¨C I know.


    BS - Why didn¡¯t Caliban defend?


    ES ¨C He¡¯s saving his card.


    BS ¨C He only has one?!? It better be one fucking sweet card.


    Yet Brittany refused to take the bait, just smiling and saying nothing. Stony¡¯s pugnacious look turned to a scowl, having failed to intimidate their opponents into wasting a card.


    Elonia kept her placid smile in place, no matter her pounding heart, and how badly she craved the release of euphoria that had already destroyed her in far too many nightmares for her to ever touch again.


    No matter how many sweat-soaked nights she woke up screaming, knowing that her obliteration, surrounded by enemies on all sides, was just a matter of time.


    ¡°My words stand!¡± Brittany boldly declared. ¡°I move that this entire counsel meeting is a farcical ploy by your factions to force an exception to the Imperial Accords. Because if you can use this surge as a pretext to flood the Northeast with Bronze elites made up of your cohorts and allies, what¡¯s to stop them from turning their hungry gazes west or south? Or over the Atlantic, no matter that the Terran Counsel has specifically refused to permit Bronze-tier immigration¡­ your cronies then eager to claim all of Asia and Europe and every other continent and territory who have absolutely no stake in this monster surge? Nothing. That¡¯s what. Nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°Objection! This Old World Witch has dared to insult our entire alliance with accusations of conspiracy and treason! This is a killing offense! I move for her execution at once!¡± Stony roared, every other enemy faction immediately screaming and roaring their agreement, banging the table in unison.


    Though not one played another card.


    Still, the wild-eyed hate glittering from so many monstrous brows had Elonia¡¯s heart pounding. She could taste Brittany¡¯s fear sweat in the air.


    Which was exactly what their enemies wanted. To shake them with fear so badly that mistakes were inevitable. And, of course, to save their counsel accusations for posterity.


    That was when Elonia felt it. A cold shiver of wonder through her soul. Her eyes widened in utter disbelief as she gazed at the massive monitor of a window as the obsidian-like crackling barrier between White tier territory and a region as dark as midnight began to fade.


    Stony¡¯s eye widened. ¡°Immediate counsel vote! We are putting it into effect right now!¡± He said, no longer wasting time with baiting and taunting, a prismatic card slammed on the table, radiating such crackling potency that it had to be an actual Bronze tier card.


    How the hell he had he gotten a hold of such a thing?


    Elonia exchanged a jaded look with one of her very few allies at that table.


    Of course. He had been seeded it, no doubt from the very start. Their enemies forever finding ways to stack the odds in their favor until victory was all but assured.


    ¡°I move for an immediate overturn of all immigration quota limitations! Let all our brothers and sister through, so that they might keep this realm safe!¡± Stony roared.


    Time seemed to slow as the goblin barrister screeched his factions agreement, flashing the weakest of his placards. The orc snorted his accord with his own talisman slammed down before Caliban¡¯s abrupt knock jolted the entire table.


    ¡°This emergency session is now on hold. All cards are now out of play.¡±


    ¡°You overstep your authority, Blue!¡± Stony hissed, clenching his massive fists and glaring daggers of hate Caliban¡¯s way.


    Caliban flashed the ogre a cool smile. ¡°Look at the monitor, Stony. Or read your interface messages. Either way, the status quo has changed. Rather significantly, it seems.¡±


    Brittany gazed at the massive monitor with awed disbelief. ¡°Thank fuck,¡± she whispered under her breath, before turning to Elonia, who was slack-jawed with awed disbelief.


    Because it was true. The awful roiling in her belly had stopped. She no longer felt like she wanted to heave, or as if she and the world were simultaneously off kilter.


    But it was more than a passing stomach flu which she should of course be utterly immune to as a Classer. It was a symptom of the world itself, as the dark fog between territories and regions seemed to part, revealing howling basalt fields covered in crimson grey sands and crackling lightning snapping between mustard yellow clouds.


    Yet even that was transforming before her eyes as she felt herself catapulting forward in a vision of wonder, racing dozens of miles in mere seconds, past crevices and gorges, swamps and natural wonders revealing endless plains barren of all life save the most hearty brush and scrub.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trick!¡± Stony roared. ¡°Foul contrivance! No Black-tier monster surge can be ended without months of work, even with a competent regiment of Bronze Elites!¡±


    Caliban shook his head, looking so very formal and distinguished with a certain European polish that to Elonia, he seemed very much like a modern day prince. Save, of course, for the blue tint of his suit and the saber and force-shield at his hip. ¡°The ritual enchantment we are making use of was catalyzed by goblin shamans, keyed to the only Contender who dared to take on this challenge. A Contender that they would dearly love to see fall. As you well know, Stony.¡±


    ¡°Objection!¡± Screamed the goblin barrister. ¡°That¡¯s slander! You have no proof! No proof at all!¡±


    ¡°I demand a refund of my card!¡± The ogre roared over the barrister.


    Caliban flashed the pair a mirthless smile. ¡°You need but have patience, my dear barrister, for I now formally state my intention of providing all the proof needed in any imperial court of breach-of-contract and foul play.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The barrister paled at those words as a second monitor sprung to life, showing the Sands family being interviewed, and a quartet of clearly dead, but still quite recognizable mercenaries being searched nearby, no matter that half of them were in literal pieces. Yet what stuck out most significantly to Elonia beside the brutality of the kills and the clear distress of the family, were the trio of data card readers, including a Blue Corp affiliated one, which was most noteworthy because of just how exorbitantly costly it was to make those things, from what little Elonia had gleaned in her dealings and negotiations with Blue, perhaps the strongest ally she had.


    Even if Caliban made it so painfully tempting to surrender the perils of an extremely precarious existence for a luxurious and safe life as a Blue Citizen with endless opportunities to be free of all responsibility and care, finally able to live for herself, finally free of the awful burden she felt like had been grinding her down all her life. And she could even keep her prestige and title and a generous stipend, if she liked. Or change her name and start life over as an anonymous noble given respect, but with absolutely no expectations or pressure put on her whatsoever. She could live for herself, enjoy leveling up powerful skills, even attend an off-world academy and never look back.


    But that would mean abandoning her people. Abandoning a niece and a regiment she only vaguely recalled even existing outside of her dreams. Dreams where her niece begged her to wait. To hold fast. That a miracle was coming.


    They just needed time.


    Elonia felt a fresh twist in her gut, forced to wonder what that poor family was going through, or why the goblin barrister who had dared to challenge Caliban had just turned such a bright shade of green. Then Caliban turned to face the ogre. ¡°As for your card¡­ You¡¯re the one who forced an early vote, Stony. Weeks before is normally the case. And this was after the fifty hour agreed-upon compromise. So I¡¯m afraid your card is lost.¡±


    ¡°Thief!¡± Stony roared, pounding the table once more. Yet Caliban did nothing save lean back and gesture toward the monitor ostensibly under the effect of a shaman ritual of all things.


    ¡°Come. The time for politics and posturing is over. Let us see firsthand the fate of the very first Black-tier territory to be tamed upon this virgin world.¡±


    And that was when Elonia saw it.


    A sight that caused her racial enemies to roar and howl their fury and disgust even as Brittany gazed in open-mouthed awe. ¡°Look at that kid, arms spread wide like a fucking Highlander! As if he had just killed an entire territory!¡± Bright eyes turned Elonia¡¯s way even as Stony and the others roared their contempt.


    ¡°Necromancy!¡± Stony declared. ¡°We have already ruled that such is forbidden! Outlawed! That fool must be struck down at once!¡±


    Of course the ogre¡¯s sycophants cackled their agreement. But all Elonia had eyes for was her brother, bright blue orbs wide with inconceivable revelation and wonder as the mustard yellow skies began to clear and the entire world seemed to shift from alien desert realm to something infinitely gentler, sweeter, beyond miraculous, as if in those precious moments, her brother had the power to shape realty itself.


    A nightmare transforming unto living dream.


    Until the air cracked with a report so loud that the conference room itself jolted, multiple goblets cracking, Elonia¡¯s ears ringing with pain the equal of screaming shamans in the distance as a rift formed.


    A massive black rift filled with shooting stars, silvery runes and glittering nightmares and a massive fiery red eye glaring RIGHT AT ERIC!


    Right at her disguised brother, and Elonia, to her awe and utter dismay, sensed that awful eldritch being, a Silver-tier monster, who had NO RIGHT to be here, slap down two placards tied to fate and reality that made the tokens they played with here during counsel, even if these echoed with the weight and peril of their own souls, surrendering their very soul points for political acumen, seem a trifling joke in comparison.


    And the words, the hideous words echoing through the chamber caused the nearby alloyed windows to crack, the table to crumble, even Caliban groaning with pain¡­ yet by some tragic miracle, the one window serving as a live-feed of whatever the hell was going on in that territory suffered no damage at all.


    No. It glowed with supernatural vitality even as distant goblin shamans shrieked, as if their dark arts demanded their very souls as payment for inviolate connections.


    And even that awareness was more than Elonia wished to pursue, knowing full well the true nature of her affinities she had denied for so long¡­


    Not that much different from her twin brother after all.


    ¡°Monster-Bane is now in play. YOU, Contender, are the final beast of this territory and it will not fall and cannot be claimed until YOU or your challenger have perished!¡± Roared the awful, vile voice as a second far smaller rift appeared, and stepping through it was a smirking too handsome youth with bright blue eyes, wavy blond hair, and an Adonis physique covered in bespoke armaments of plate and mail that were screaming so many Bronze-tier enchantments that it crackled even from the monitor.


    Elonia¡¯s jaw clenched as Eric groaned, stumbling back. Horrified to sense that Eric was actually being forced to deal with Silver-tier suppression while marked with a Monster-Bane card. And still the words echoing from that vile Silver-tier abomination spoke on.


    ¡°Higher Authority is now in play. By virtue of his manifest destiny, Prince Leonide Augustus is a lawful contender of this world. May his reign be long and prosperous!¡±


    The figure in question gave a proud chuckle while whipping his glittering longsword in a flashing series of moulinets, making full use of a kite shield that screamed ancient relic to Elonia¡¯s horrified senses.


    ¡°Caliban! This is¡­ no! How the fuck is that even legal?¡± Elonia whispered in furious dismay when the young master, because this Prince Leonide asswipe was most DEFINITELY the definition of a young master, gave a taunting laugh at her groaning brother, still struggling to his feet, even going so far as to give a quick little speech as he readied to strike.


    Caliban shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not legal in any way whatsoever, and would normally never be permitted or tolerated. Only cards forged by the emperor himself gives this Silver-tier...player the right to force his progeny in play at this particular moment in time.¡±


    Brittany was cursing up a storm, understanding the situation at least as well as Eric.


    ¡°That asshole¡¯s trying to poach a first-clear title on our hero¡¯s bloody backside! That fucking ¡®gaslight¡¯ Monster-Bane card makes it so obvious! Declare him the monster so he can¡¯t claim his own territory. Kill him and its yours, and you get a Contender kill!¡±


    And the gloating smile that Stony sent her way sent alarm bells ringing through Elonia¡¯s skull. Forced to accept that for all that the monster lived by his passions, he was no fool. Hyperbolic as hell, and a consummate tactician as well. Somehow, he had known. Known at least enough to set up a final trump play, should the inconceivable actually happen and Eric¡­ or Ernest, actually manage to clear the region.


    Elonia trembled with rage. ¡°You fuckers knew. The shamans linked a tracking beacon to the scrying spell, that some Silver-tier asshole was able to use to form a jump gate, just in case Ernest actually managed to survive to surge!¡±


    As one the humanoids stopped their bickering in chilling unison, heads turning as if on marionette strings that filled Elonia with such loathing and disgust to see.


    Then the odd, awful moment passed, replaced by what was even worse, the joined contempt of four different races united in their absolute hate of elves and humanity both.


    Stony¡¯s smirk oozed pure mockery. ¡°Sorry, princess. Looks like I¡¯m not the only one who thinks that Necromancers must be purged at all costs!¡±


    ES ¨C Caliban, please, get him out of there! I¡¯ll do anything¡­ I¡¯ll concede!!


    Caliban turned, giving Elonia a strange look, before solemnly shaking his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elonia. They¡¯re seventy miles away.¡±


    Like finding herself trapped in a nightmare, Elonia¡¯s eyes were helplessly drawn to the sight of the mocking contender laughing over her brother.


    ¡°What the fuck¡¯s that asshole saying, anyway?¡± Black Tooth muttered.


    Stony shrugged. ¡°Does it matter? He¡¯s getting rid of a fucking thorn in our side. Ooh, look at that flashy blade work. I¡¯ll bet he¡¯s at least Adept, so should have at least one nice perk for cutting that edgelord¡¯s head clean off!¡± His cronies crackled and hissed at that.


    Elonia couldn¡¯t hold back her whimper, desperately gazing her brother¡¯s way. Seeing the look of awful strain upon his features as he struggled just to rise upon trembling legs, gritting with what seemed superhuman effort, lurching as if in momentary drunkenness before stumbling back from the coldly sneering Leonide August.


    ¡°Elonia?¡± Brittany gently squeezed her hand underneath the table, and right then Elonia didn¡¯t even care that they weren¡¯t in private.


    Her heart was pounding.


    Because it suddenly didn¡¯t matter that the mocking asshole with reflexes so fast that his blade tore through the air was steadily approaching her brother weaving a desperate, drunken retreat. It didn¡¯t matter how the other was clearly laughing and taunting Eric, and had been so clearly given every advantage, with a blade that looked shockingly deadly, and a shield she sensed was a Silver-tier artifact that had absolutely no place in an ascending world.


    Even when all hope seemed lost, all the cards stacked against them, her enemies hooting and hollering like the porcine monstrous abominations they were, she dared to hope.


    Because one thing her brother could never do was act. And when he stumbled to his feet like a drunken fool¡­ she hoped, prayed, that he was hiding his strength.


    Because if she was wrong...


    Elonia¡¯s ears popped with sudden pain, and then she could hear every word.


    ¡°And now is where you die, you filthy abomination!¡± Snarled Leonid in perfect English. ¡°Only then will this territory finally be cleansed!¡±


    Eric groaned, stumbling back, hand on the hilt of his mithril blade he sobbed, as if knowing he would never be able to draw it. ¡°Please, make it a fair fight at least! You¡¯re using a Silver champion to suppress me. There¡¯s no honor in this!¡±


    The young master¡¯s eyes lit up with unholy glee. ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, fool! The cards of fate have declared you an abomination! You daring to truck in necromancy is an abomination! Did I not have the means to assure your pack¡¯s instant obliteration with your death, then all hope would be lost!¡±


    Leonid had the gall to look chalked up, shedding crocodile tears. ¡°It will be all I can do to save this poor doomed world with my father¡¯s counsel. But with his help, rest assured, this realm will rise from the ashes of it¡¯s own folly!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, his stumble momentarily forgotten as he chuckled with bemusement. ¡°You¡¯re no alien hybrid. You were born here, same as me! Your father¡¯s a Silver-tier monster who seeded some Terran woman and that¡¯s the real reason why you¡¯re able to be here right now. So tell me, Leonid, does your mother know you¡¯re about to commit murder?¡±


    The young man¡¯s eyes flashed pure hate, his blade flashing so fast that Elonia couldn¡¯t even see it.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    Stony and the others snorted and chuckled when Leonid blanched with fury and charged, lashing out in a flurry of blazingly fast moulinets that looked more than capable of obliterating anyone lacking a deep Bronze¡¯s Quickness.


    ¡°How dare you talk about my mother, filth! We end this here and¡ª¡±


    His words cut off with a surprised blink to find a coolly smiling Eric smirking at him, his blade wrenching Leonid¡¯s off-line an instant before he struck in turn, mithril blade darting forward with a serpent¡¯s fury to caress Leonid¡¯s armor in a shower of sparks that sent Eric¡¯s opponent stumbling back, gazing at Eric with a look of furious disbelief.


    ¡°Impossible! My father can force even mid-tier Bronze to fold before him. Mortal puppets are crushed to jelly! There is now way in hell you should be moving, let alone fighting! You should be utterly suppressed!¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°Nothing like a rigged game to assure you an easy win. Isn¡¯t that right, Leonid?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, asshole. Now die!¡±


    Mithril blades flashed and Elonia¡¯s heart was in her throat.


    She could barely suppress a whimper, knowing that she couldn¡¯t see death any better than any of the other sneering assholes at that table. Only Caliban, and the trio of elite Bronze mercenaries scowling at the massive display, seemed like they could possibly keep track of Eric and Leonid¡¯s monstrous speed.


    Yet all she felt was dread as the pair broke off after every lightning fast engagement, mithril ringing so hard that she thought her ears would bleed.


    How awful it was to see Leonid lurching back with a snarl and fresh dents to his impossibly ornate armor protecting him so well, when her own brother was lurching back with blood spurting from cuts. A sight that would have filled her with absolute horror, did the sprays of blood seeping from her brother¡¯s flesh not die off just seconds after being inflicted. Yet she knew, still, that death was just a single mistake away.


    Her flesh crawled with the grunts of pain slipping from her brother¡¯s lips as time seemed to freeze, Elonia spotting the final thrust of an engagement, a sneering Leonid¡¯s blade snaking right under her brother¡¯s guard and RAMMING right into his mithril hauberk with such force, sending him catapulting back dozens yards, that she thought for sure that his ribs had been shattered by whatever ugly strike that monster had used.


    But somehow, by some impossible miracle, her grimly smiling brother was once more stumbling back to his feet.


    ¡°Nice thrust. Piercing Strike Variant? Just how low are your Soul Reserves now?¡±


    Leonid¡¯s eyes widened after the last exchange. ¡°Impossible. I¡¯m faster. I KNOW I¡¯m faster. I struck you in the heart! Your ribs should be powder, even with that hauberk. You should be dead!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t fall that easy, motherfucker!¡± Brittany muttered under her breath, and in that second, Elonia felt nothing but fierce admiration and kinship with her friend.


    A part of her even dared to hope that the scheming psychopaths playing the natives for fools three moves deep might actually slip up, that team humanity might actually have a shot.


    Before Leonid¡¯s almost boyish frown turned to the cold-eyed smirk of a malicious monster who had only been toying with his prey.


    Elonia¡¯s gut clenched. The desperate momentary hope that it had been a shift of mood and light was proven to be a fool¡¯s desperate fancy when the cold-eyed sneer grew in contempt as Leonid¡¯s mithril blade took on a hue of ebony so impossibly back that space and time seemed to warp and scream around the edge of the blade.


    Her breath froze in her lungs, seeing the flash of genuine shocked surprise upon her brother¡¯s countenance, even as the entire conference room erupted in hoots and hollers.


    And Stony¡¯s face. The absolute gloat on his features as he roared like a classic 20<sup>th</sup> century politician. ¡°Higher order attacks are in play, Caliban! Terra has proved its ascension! All strictures can now be lifted!¡±


    His roar was one of triumph, even as Brittany screamed foul.


    ¡°Bullshit! Caliban made it clear that any and all attacks are permitted during a monster surge!¡±


    The way Stony¡¯s face lit up with his monstrous mocking smile made Elonia seethe.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, bitch. During a monster surge. And as we can all see, the monster surge has already passed.¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? Your hidden rook gets teleported in by some fucking BULLSHIT to kill our hero AFTER he saves the entire region from certain destruction, riding on YOUR Bronze tier goblin shamans which shouldn¡¯t even be here, and the sword he suddenly pulls out because he can¡¯t beat our boy fairly, a weapon that looks like it could cut through a fucking black hole¡­ That¡¯s you¡¯re excuse to flood the entire world with you over-leveled fuckheads? An attack used by YOUR own man against us means that we¡¯re somehow powerful enough to survive all you assholes ganging up, no-holds-barred? I¡¯ve heard of gas-lighting and false flags, but that takes the absolute fucking cake!¡±


    The goblin barrister slammed down yet another card. ¡°This Terran whore has dared to impinge upon our character one to many times! She has NO PROOF of any sort that we aided and colluded with any extra-planar Silver-tier power! I¡¯m suing her for libel! Her whole damned faction for Libel! I demand compensation at once!¡± The sneering goblin exchanged smirks with every party at once, all of them smirking at a shocked Brittany with malicious glee.


    ¡°Unless she can prove her accusations, We ALL demand satisfaction IMMEDIATELY!¡±


    Stony chortled. ¡°Got you, bitch. Hook, line, and sinker.¡±


    Brittany¡¯s fists clenched. ¡°Bullshit. This is absolute BULLSHIT, you invading MOTHERFUCKERS!¡±


    Yet Stony¡¯s sneer made it clear that he had won this round. All the more so when he looked toward Caliban¡¯s own Bronze-tier elites. ¡°You know the law, tin heads. Arrest this bitch.¡±

 Chapter 423 - Conflict Resolution

    Elonia wanted to scream as Caliban¡¯s own men actually stepped forward, and it didn¡¯t matter that the slowed to a stop upon facing Caliban¡¯s glare. All that mattered was that their enemies had mastered the arena so damned well¡­ knowing backdoor hacks to win rigged games where humanity hadn¡¯t even learned the rules, showing what an absolute fucking FARCE the whole thing was.


    ES ¨C Caliban. We declare Vendetta. Let¡¯s obliterate these fucks ONCE AND FOR ALL!


    She knew it was a desperate girl venting in the awful second that time seemed to freeze, her brother staring coldly at the man now laughing and taunting Eric as he whipped his deadly VOIDAL essence-infused blade around that somehow served as the signal for all rules to be discarded like the bullshit they were and for their enemies, a whole fucking galaxy full of high powered enemies, to crash Earth¡¯s party and slaughter every under-leveled human to their hearts¡¯ content.


    She wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Because really, what did she have to offer? She was a single White-tier girl with a doomed faction. All she could do was go down swinging. Not even worth a single Bronze-tier soldier who had almost been compelled by an opponent¡¯s charisma and leadership check to step against their own ally. FUCK


    C ¨C Wait.


    A single word that Elonia hadn¡¯t even expected. One that dared give a shred of hope even as Leonide made Eric¡¯s death all but assured.


    ¡°Fine! Congratulations, asshole. You¡¯re not completely pathetic. You¡¯re actually making me pull out the big guns, and pass out on a sweet title to take you out using only a fucking FRACTION of my power!¡±


    Leonide¡¯s wild sneer turned to a manic laugh as his entire body began to shimmer with a sudden heat surge and it was all Elonia could do not to cry out in dismay. Sensing in that moment that all Eric¡¯s revenants were either deep in the ground, or literally miles away (because the Silver tier father would have destroyed them in an eyeblink under the pretext of a fair duel. She knew that. Somehow she just knew that was how these assholes operated!) - So it was just Eric facing off against a monster whose Speed had just shot up another 50%, and if her brother had, for some insane reason, been holding back before, he certainly wasn¡¯t now.


    The air rang with the golden ring of mithril flashing so fast it was near blinding¡­ a pristine sword somehow managing to parry half a dozen weaving slashes¡­ until a ruthlessly chained feint, shield bash, and lunge nearly spelled her brother¡¯s death.


    ¡°ERIC!¡±


    It was a horrifying thing to see intestines spurting from a gut wound from a blade so deadly it had torn through mithril as if it was nothing at all.


    Elonia screamed in her mind, too shocked to breathe as her brother stiffened in the cold heartbeat his foe tore out his blade.


    Leonide laughed when Eric stumbled back in a spray of blood and entrails that died off far too quickly. ¡°Does it hurt, you pustulant little fuck that just cost me a Child¡¯s Play title? Please fucking tell me it hurts!¡±


    And for some awful reason, Eric actually felt compelled to answer.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eric wheezed. ¡°You know what, motherfucker? That 50% Speed boost and a higher order concept blade hurts a fuck ton.¡± He forced a laugh. ¡°Guess I¡¯m also going to have to pass on that Child¡¯s Play title after all.¡±


    Leonide stiffened, his smirk turning to a snarl as his feet crunched on the basalt flats, marching toward a slowly backing away Eric, slipping on his own bloody trail. ¡°You would dare to mock me, maggot?¡±


    Leonide¡¯s blade began to suck in all light, a darkness so vast it could swallow the sun. ¡°This ends NOW!¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Eric¡¯s lips abruptly curled in a smile so bright and wide it could swallow the sun as syllables left his lips that caused the viewing window to suddenly go blank.


    Yet somehow a wide-eyed, disbelieving Elonia could still see everything.


    See the fury in her brother¡¯s eyes. Taste how the hot Wrath within her brother had erupted to something monstrous and terrifying and utterly beyond the pale.


    IF the mocking youth trying to kill her brother wielded a voidal snake filled with poisonous bile, Eric was the blazing falcon that would snap its spine before burning it to ash.


    Elonia¡¯s breath hitched as her brother¡¯s words seemed to shatter reality itself.


    ¡°Repudio!¡±


    The shocked look on Leonide¡¯s countenance was almost comical, as the hyper-fast movements that had so characterized him slowed with a surprised lurch. Graceful shifts in stance and form turned suddenly awkward, the young contender¡¯s limbs now visibly trembling under the weight of artifacts and Silver-tier prizes they had held so effortlessly just a split second before.


    In that heartbeat, Elonia sensed the abrupt cancellation of a half dozen arcane wards, enchantments, and alchemical boosts. The spoiled young master now forced to face his foe with his spells disrupted and no artificial enhancements at all.


    Yet before Leonide could even finish processing the sudden change in circumstances, a second word was uttered that shattered all of his previous understandings of just how crippling pain truly could be.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    A word that somehow echoed the very essence of Wrath and destruction, radiating higher order concepts of furious obliteration that Elonia was somehow deathly certain could tear through any conventional Psion ward or defense as easily as a match burning through paper. Against those higher order concepts, there was very little that could possibly counter such a blow. Save, of course, for a helmet that actually DID sparkle with concepts beyond the pale that was of course protecting Leonid¡¯s skull. Yet the psionic shout hadn¡¯t been targeted at Leonid¡¯s well-protected head, but at the weakest link in any man.


    And if the look of wide-eyed shock and the spray of blood oozing out from the overlapping hip plates of his custom made armor was anything to go by, Leonide had just been forcefully made a castrato.


    That Eric could unleash such a devastating blow so effortlessly against an elite Bronze-tier Classer was almost as chilling as realizing that it was only thanks to the link between siblings that her brother was somehow buffering that kept her own skull from rupturing, her brother daring to unleash the wild essence of an attack that was utterly anathema to their kind.


    How?!?


    Yet the retribution was far from over.


    As the air lit up with a bar of intense blazing blue light so cold it was a billion years of icy hell in the deepest blackest corners of space. Icy flames surrounding a furiously burning inner core so horrifically hot that she feared it would sear through reality itself. It was a hideous synergism of ultimate destruction encapsulated in the shape of a four-foot-long bar of absolutely obliterating frozen flame.


    Elonia¡¯s mind raced, screaming with higher order concepts of Fire and Ice and Wrath and so much more¡­ clamoring through her skull as she felt on the verge of the most miraculous epiphany conceivable. All that kept her from losing herself in a wondrous stream of revelations was the jarring shriek of agony from Leonide spitting blood even as terror compelled him every bit as much as pain, the foolish young would-be master desperately raising his blade to counter certain death.


    Time seemed to stretch and slow to inconceivably fine quantized chunks as a Silver-tier rift abruptly opened between Eric and his doomed foe.


    A massive clawed talon no doubt belonging to the glaring eye that had forced this confrontation now reached to tear Eric free of space and time forevermore. A violation of so many writs, codicils, and edicts that even Elonia could sense the shocking reverberations of the violation echoing all the way to transcendent halls an impossible distance away.


    Yet it hardly seemed to phase the phoenix blazing so fiercely bright as it soared through the heavens, causing incalculable destruction. The type that could freeze entire continents and turn lakes and rivers and entire oceans to boiling magma, in the wake of an ascension she knew damn well had happened over two thousand years ago.


    Yet here and now, she could still see the barest echo of its power in flame so hideously hot that even a Silver-tier monster was forced to bleed.


    Leonide¡¯s patron was unable to stop the inevitability of Eric¡¯s strike, no matter how twisted its resources or great its Charisma. For it truly was a world away, and would normally not even be permitted to unleash that crushing aura that Eric had shrugged off like a mosquito¡¯s annoying buzz.


    Yet it now did far more than project killing intent, actively forcing open a portal right before Eric, a twisted demonic countenance desperate to catch Eric¡¯s gaze with it¡¯s own hideous glare.


    ¡°You will surrender my son, and you will do so NOW!¡±


    Yet no matter how furiously that hellion howled before the inevitable passage of Eric¡¯s Ice Fire-infused strike, the pristine fusion of no less than four higher order concepts did not stop. Not even when the monster, face suddenly filled with the desperate love of a father¡­ dared to manifest right in front of Eric. Only for the image to be cleaved in half by power sufficient to shatter even a Silver-tier demon¡¯s portal¡­ just an instant before Eric struck Leonid¡¯s desperately held voidal blade.


    Also fused with higher order concepts.


    For just a split second.


    Before it shattered like glass.


    As did the Silver tier artifact kite shield that the panicked youth had fused with every defense perk he had available.


    Both of them holding up as well as tissue paper before a firestorm.


    Eric¡¯s killing strike, utterly unimpeded, then whipped through a horrified Leonid¡¯s torso like a blowtorch burning through rice paper.


    ¡°No, No! It doesn¡¯t end like this! It can¡¯t end like this! FATHER! HELP ME!¡±


    How horrible it was that Elonia could so clearly hear those screams ringing through her skull in that moment of frozen time, the entire conference chamber and everyone in it frozen like glass, so hyper-fast had her relative perception of time become. Yet she could now sense that boy¡¯s desperate dying shriek just as well as she could her brother¡¯s ethereal roar as his blade tore free all the heat from Leonid¡¯s entire body, leaving a statue of frozen carbonite for a single second before the transcendentally hot point of contact caused such a discordant shockwave of temperature extremes that the frozen contender exploded in an obliterating spray of shrapnel now tearing through the air at hypersonic speeds...though not a single sliver dared touch its ultimate master as Eric howled and shuddered with the wave of power suddenly coursing through him.


    Elonia abruptly lurched in her seat, temples throbbing as the frozen chamber sped up to normal time. Or perhaps her madly racing thoughts had just slowed, only then realizing that the battle had passed by so damned quickly that she only heard herself breathe now, one shuddering gasp after another, as a pair of desperately panting goblin shamans burst into the room, radiating the deadly potency of Bronze tier classers utterly anathema to the level limits she was absolutely sure had been the case at one point in time¡­ somehow. Yet the chilling degree of contempt their glares had for her turned to child-like cries of dismay when the monitor flared back to life, showing in exquisite detail exactly what Elonia had visualized. Making it clear that it hadn¡¯t been desperate delusion brought on by the panicked fear of losing absolutely everything.


    ¡°No. Impossible. That can¡¯t be! We recast the spell in just seconds!¡± Squealed the closest shaman, crashing to his knees and yanking the oily locks of hair from its scabrous, scaly skull, its headdress discarded.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Roared Stony, glaring at the sight of a wild hellion laughing like a madman as the howling winds whipped free locks of crimson hair from his helm, hovering over the shattered remains of his kill. His eyes were wild with furious rapture as he shook his fist at the heavens, green eyes glittering with madness and fury as he appeared to be glaring right at them.


    His mithril mail had been shredded. His armaments were drenched in blood. Yet Ernest Slaughter himself moved as if utterly free of injury or pain. In fact, Elonia was awed to see that he all but glowed with an energy, a vitality, that now eclipsed absolutely everyone else in the room. Even the handful of Bronze.


    Stony curled his lips and spat. ¡°The boy won? Impossible!¡± He glared at the shamans, fire in his eyes. ¡°This is your fault, fools! You were supposed to have eyes on the prey at ALL TIMES! You will be the ones to pay the price for your unforgivable sloppiness and utter dereliction of duty!¡±


    The still upright shaman¡¯s eyes bulged with fury. ¡°How dare you! You were the one who instigated this unfortunate chain of events. YOU! Stony Rockthorn. YOU made the offers. All we had to do was link the spells, and you still haven¡¯t paid!¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Shut your damned trap, you brain-dead fuck!¡± Stony roared, stealing a look a coolly smiling Caliban¡¯s way. Yet instead of a lick of shame, his ploy so clearly revealed, all he did was glare his contempt. ¡°Think what you like, you smug bastard. The fact remains that Transcendent attacks were used here on Earth!¡±


    ¡°By your instigation! A ringer your own shaman co-conspirator just admitted was part of your plot to assure Ernest Slaughter¡¯s death!¡± Brittany shouted with fierce vindication.


    ¡°Lies!¡± The wild-eyed shaman screamed. ¡°Lies and slander. Lies and slander! You have no proof! NO receipt of transaction! That asshole of an ogre hasn¡¯t even paid us yet!¡±


    The shaman turned to glare at his groaning barrister. ¡°You! Throw a warrant at her and shut her up!¡±


    The lawyer just glared before scribbling furiously on the pad he was now curled over.


    Brittany¡¯s smirk grew, infuriating Stony.


    The massive ogre stood to his full ten-foot height and roared at Boston¡¯s queen. ¡°You think you won, you little native bitch? Better think again! Because it doesn¡¯t matter the source, fool! Higher order attacks were used and the gates are now open and I can¡¯t wait to see your entire family dragged to the stakes! Just like your Salem ancestors were, just a few generations ago. Ha!¡±


    The ogre laughed coldly. ¡°So fuck you, and all pretexts of playing this game as anything but what it is. An opportunity to crush all you trash-tier losers to dust! You think the imperial clan gives a shit if we bend a few little strictures on a backwater pissant world like this one? Fuck no! Not when we leave most of you ascending shits alone entirely, not even worth our time. And everyone knows to look the other way when we finally settle down to devour our fill. And guess which backwater trash heap got selected? That¡¯s right, fools. This one! Ha! We win, you lose, and there isn¡¯t shit you can do about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stony, we can¡¯t!¡±


    The ogre turned to glare at the gnoll contender, cowering like a whipped dog.


    ¡°Check the interface, Lord Stone. Check it!¡±


    The ogre pinned the gnoll with a cold glare while he went still¡­ before stiffening altogether, eyes widening with a look so unlike his normal state of blustering rage.


    ¡°No. Impossible. We didn¡¯t make the kill. It was that damned kid howling in a fucking lightning storm! Why the fuck is he laughing? How isn¡¯t he dead? FUCK, I hate worlds like this!¡±


    The pair of panicked shaman gave despairing shrieks when they checked their interface.


    ¡°Lord Augustus just declared war!¡±


    It was all Elonia could do not to chortle with darkest mirth. Because as much as she wanted to taunt the fuck out of these ASSHOLES who thought that arranging for her brother¡¯s death would help them lock in territory of their own, only to find it backfiring in the ugliest of ways might have been sweet justice, she¡¯d be a fool to direct any enemy¡¯s ire her way. Especially a psychotic Silver, grieving over the death of his son. At her brother¡¯s hands. And may no one ever figure out who Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ truly was.


    ¡°Well hell, Stony, it sounds like your brilliant plan backfired!¡± Brittany, clearly under no such reservations, happily taunted. ¡°And now you got a Silver-tier daddy who I¡¯m guessing is just a wee bit upset that his baby boy got slaughtered! Because it¡¯s clear as shit that this whole fucking thing was a last-second scheme you cooked up with those loser-ass goblins. So what the fuck will you do now, you treacherous little power-mad fuck?¡±


    Stony¡¯s eyes flared with hate. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯ll do, you obnoxious little witch! I¡¯ll tear out your eyes and shove them down your throat!¡±


    He roared and charged.


    Brittany¡¯s furious and totally justified but definitely stupid taunt turned to a desperate scream when the massive ogre abruptly pulled out a giant club of petrified wood crackling with eldritch power and the promise of death out of nowhere. Yet before she could even inhale to shout a desperate spell to take down that ogre, Caliban was suddenly there.


    One hand was suddenly on the petrified club, stopping it cold, no matter the massive ogre¡¯s strength. The other hand was wrapping around Stony¡¯s neck when a leg hook sent the monstrous beast slamming to the ground.


    For long moments, Caliban glared down at the writhing and thrashing Stony who was easily five times his mass, yet seemingly as helpless as a babe before him. The furious hate in the massive ogre¡¯s eyes turning to genuine fear as he was finally forced to accept just how vast the power gap was between a fiftieth level ogre and a Bronze-tier elf.


    ¡°I fear you forget yourself, Lord Stone. You nearly tripped over one of our stateswoman during peace talks. This, as I¡¯m sure you know, would have had grave repercussions.¡±


    Stony would have spoken, but he was too busy gurgling, tongue forced out of his mouth, eyes bulging as pinpoint crimson pricks formed in his sclera before Caliban¡¯s ever-tightening grip abruptly eased, and he helped the shaken Stony back to his feet, while plucking the enchanted club off of Stony¡¯s possession so effortlessly that it was like Stony had given it to him for safe-keeping, and the humbled ogre didn¡¯t dare say a word.


    Black Tooth actually chortled at Stony¡¯s expense, earning a glare from the ogre that turned his laughter to a whimper.


    ¡°You wanna get anything off your chest there, Black?¡±


    The orc quickly shook his head. ¡°No, Lord Stone.¡±


    ¡°You still want to keep those nice territories with all those milk maids that our goblin associates made damn clear would be worth a pretty penny if I were to take those territories from you?¡±


    The orc¡¯s desperate head shakes grew more insistent. ¡°No, we don¡¯t want that, Lord Stone. You know they¡¯re vital for our ability to actually level!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You made it pretty fucking clear how powerful freely leveling cannoneers would be, and for that reason alone, I let you keep those overly endowed wenches. But that¡¯s with the understanding that you work for ME, Black Tooth!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Lord Stone.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then SHUT THE FUCK UP and don¡¯t say shit till I tell you to!¡±


    The orc chieftan quickly nodded. When the closest gnoll smirked, Black Tooth snarled and smashed him right out of his seat.


    ¡°So, what the fuck do we do now?¡± Hissed the second gnoll at the conference, with zero concern for his groaning compatriot.


    Caliban flashed a cool smile as the display screen died a second time, to the goblin shaman¡¯s dismay. ¡°That¡¯s an excellent question, Phospho. It seems obvious to me that a miracle has occurred this day, and we should all be grateful for that miracle, and in our native friends¡¯ abilities to handle their own ascension issues without any outsiders coming in and cutting into our mutual profits.¡±


    He flashed a smile that was all teeth. ¡°Considering that all of us stand to lose far more than we bargained for, should the wrong sorts get invites¡­ best we keep a tight, mutually agreed upon accord of exactly who we let into our world, or at least the small corner of it supposedly under our influence. Wouldn¡¯t you all agree?¡±


    The room went dead silent, one party after another giving the tiniest of nods. Even the pair of goblin shamans, seething with fury and glaring Caliban¡¯s way, suddenly blanched and paled when another monitor came to life. One that the goblins had no control of, whatsoever.


    ¡°Oh my. Look at this completely random depiction of one of Freetown¡¯s many family units returning from an unexpected desert excursion¡­ and what¡¯s this? I do believe they have handful of elite mercenaries in their company.¡±


    Caliban smiled right at the suddenly pale-faced goblins. ¡°So, my dear friends, what do you think? Should we turn up the volume, or am I correct in assuming it¡¯s an absolute waste of our time?¡±


    The pair of goblins shared a look. ¡°NO need to trouble our friends with unimportant drivel, right, Snip? Clearly we saw NOTHING that would warrant our opening our mouths for ANYONE about ANYTHING! In fact, I think it¡¯s in our best interest if this meeting was adjourned right now! With our dear native hero actually resolving a monster surge, I think it¡¯s best that we head to New York without wasting another minute!¡±


    The pair gave Caliban the full weight of their pitiable whipped dog countenances, no matter that they were technically Bronze-tier Classers. Then the closest abruptly blinked, eyes widening with dismay as if receiving an alarming interface message. ¡°With the understanding that Bloodtear Syndicate has absolutely no idea who the hell Raven Company is, we give a soul-bound oath to tell NO ONE of necromantic suspicions or higher order transgressions for any reason, at any time, now and forever. Now if you¡¯ll excuse us...¡±


    Caliban¡¯s smirk was undeniable as the other humanoids groaned or cursed the goblins for fools. The barrister as much as anyone else. But with the tiniest of nods from the clear ringmaster of this meeting, the pair darted out faster than most of the White-tier classers could follow.


    Stony snorted. ¡°Sure, Caliban. This round is yours. You happy? Good! But you¡¯d better tell your little pet that if even one of those fucking Bronze-tier revenants dares to enter New York space, all best are off! We¡¯re opening the gates wide! Because even if we have to worry about a half-step Silver asshole jumping through and killing all of us, you damn well better believe I¡¯ll be pointing him to you, Ernest Asshole, and both of these smug bitches that think they can gloat my way without fucking consequence, especially YOU, Elonia Silver, you Sylvan SHIT with less than two square fucking miles to your name! Because then I¡¯ll definitely be telling Lord Augustus how much you ALL were laughing at the sight of his son¡¯s death! Are we clear?¡±


    Elonia froze, pinned where she sat by such glittering HATE in that ogre¡¯s eyes. Because he knew and she knew that at that moment, no matter her mastery of so many deadly ritual spells, that if Caliban and the other elves weren¡¯t here, he could rip out her throat before she got more than a single word of a single chant out.


    FUCK! She needed better insta-cast combat magic and a decent personal use shield spell. Why was she so stupidly specialized with almost every last point in Arcane Potential? She just couldn¡¯t understand what the hell had possessed her to embrace being so fucking lopsided for so long. No matter how sweet the multiple Attribute bonus to all future points in that particular stat might be¡­ she couldn¡¯t survive jack shit on her own.


    And the constant low-grade pain that just wouldn¡¯t STOP! Why the hell had she let her Pain Essence hit Rank 3? WHY? She wanted to shake her head and cry, as if her past self had been a puppet controlled by another, denying herself even the Vitality needed for her pain to ease to a throb far less bothersome than it was now.


    Elonia swallowed, suppressing her racing thoughts as she was pinned by those awful, beady, hate-filled eyes. Yet when Caliban spoke, it grabbed the Ogre¡¯s full attention.


    ¡°Agreed. And you¡¯ll give your oath that, so long as neither Ernest Edgelord nor any other Contender tries to invade New York with massive armies of Bronze tier revenants, you and your cohorts will neither aid nor abet any motions or actions that would expand settler rights beyond that originally permitted to outworlders in the accords. At least until Earth finally finishes its ascension.¡±


    ¡°Fine. So long as it¡¯s understood that all bets are off, should we be forced to face any revenants!¡± Stony snapped.


    Caliban snorted. ¡°You mean any Bronze-tier revenants. Otherwise, it would be all too easy for any pawn that one of your¡­ associates might sucker into a suicide run with a handful of level 1 shamblers to give pretext for an open door invitation to wildly distraught Silver ranked fathers who would absolutely LOVE to claim your head, Stony. So let¡¯s agree that no Bronze tier revenants of any sort will be permitted to invade New York or any other territory claimed by your conjoined horde. And in return¡­ you all, as representatives of your races, including you, my dear barrister, will give a Soul-Oath that there will be NO talk of transcendent power usage, uncontrolled monster surges, or opening our doors to any additional settlers, adventurers, or conquerors beyond the average power level of those in this room. Excluding myself and my soldiers, of course.¡±


    The room grew deathly quiet, Stony glaring Caliban¡¯s way before slowly nodding his head. ¡°Done and done!¡±


    Caliban whipped out a contract so fast even the goblin barrister whistled, yet none hesitated to sign.


    ¡°A million credits, just for signing?¡± The once more seated gnoll squealed, before being smacked out of his seat again by Stony.


    ¡°Shut up and take it. And prepare the veli, Spike. We¡¯re leaving.¡± He gave an exaggerated sniff with his nose. ¡°Freetown¡¯s beginning to smell a bit ripe. We got places to be.¡±


    ¡°Taking out this bitch¡¯s territory?¡± The dog said with a sneer Elonia¡¯s way.


    Stony snorted. ¡°That two mile piece of land surrounded by a constant storm isn¡¯t worth shit. She¡¯s tying up our elites for no good reason.¡± He then turned to sneer at a stiffening Brittany even as Elonia tried to quiet her sigh of heartfelt relief.


    ¡°You¡¯re next on the list, Brittany. Boston will make a fine jewel in my crown, with a bit of consideration for my fine friends that you¡¯ve been aggravating for far too long. Isn¡¯t that right, boys?¡±


    The pair of gnolls nodded and yipped like good doggies, apparently not even caring that Stony intended to claim for himself the territory that the gnolls had been struggling to take for quite some time. Though they¡¯d probably be thrown a few choice bones, of course, Elonia cynically thought, like the good little doggies that they were.


    Stony then lifted his food bowl, leering at a pale-faced Brittany while noisily chomping down on more finger-shaped cracklings that a horrified part of Elonia now suspected really were the fried fingers of some of his slaves, the nature of the meat being a double bluff and a massive insult all in one. ¡°I hope you like being a sub, little queen, because sure as shit, you¡¯ll be wearing a collar before the month is out and your fingers will be filling this bowl. Just like the last human who dared to mouth off to me.¡±


    The humanoids all roared with laughter as Stony¡¯s smile grew wide and vicious.


    Brittany lurched back in her seat, pale as a ghost.


    Stony and his cohorts then all marched out in lockstep with departing sneers and chortles at the still seated elves and human girl.


    Caliban gave the trembling young queen a sympathetic look, the moment their hostile guests had finally departed. ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to extend your stay here in Freetown indefinitely, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t cede Boston to you, can I?¡±


    Caliban sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Sadly, your territory charter forbids it. But you, your family, and those you value most can be given escort here. That¡¯s well within the charter of what Bronze tier mercenaries and Blue Corp representatives are free to do, and I find it extremely unlikely that other Bronze tier elites will risk their deaths over something so trivial as your family¡¯s safe departure, especially when such helps facilitate a¡­ bloodless transition of power.¡±


    Brittany, no longer fronting, revealed her true terrified self when Caliban, wise in ways Elonia was slowly coming to appreciate, gently excused himself, giving the pair a few minutes to collect themselves.


    Brittany eyes filled with sudden tears.


    It was all Elonia could do not to hold her friend tightly to her, right then and there.


    She flashed the girl in her arms a heartfelt smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, beautiful. Our hero came through. That¡¯s all that matters. He actually came through.¡±


    Brittany nodded, forcing a smile even as she sobbed with dismay. ¡°What are we going to do, Eli? I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t betray my family, but I don¡¯t want to go back! I¡¯m so tired of feeling sick with fear every day we¡¯re trapped by that damned siege. I don¡¯t even care about having ¡®lucked out¡¯...ha! into a Noble Profession to go along with my Witch class anymore. It¡¯s the people counting on me that I stay up all night worrying about, and the class synergisms just aren¡¯t enough, no matter how fertile my crops or people, or how thick the brambles and ferocious the wolves guarding my kingdom. Orc Cannons, goblin snipers, and gnoll arsonists and sappers are just too much! After all those months¡­ years? of struggle, I¡¯d feel so ashamed if I just abandoned them all to gnoll savages, goblins slavers, and ogre psychopaths. No matter how much I just want to stay here and enjoy the city and personal computers and shopping and movies and hope and just be with you and forget that any of this had ever¡­¡± Her words died off, gazing at Elonia with a look of awed wonder.


    ¡°Brittany, What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Look in the mirror!¡±


    Bemused, Elonia glanced in her friend¡¯s hand mirror. Blinking in surprise at the sight of her own reflection. Far from the wan exhausted beauty she now accepted herself as being, her eyes sparkled with a Vitality that was beyond wondrous, her very skin seeming to glow with good health, good fortune, and so much more.


    She blinked once as she was struck by a revelation so profound that it shook her to her core, not even registering her friends desperate cry for help as blackness became light, and her world changed forever.

 Chapter 424 - Wonders forged from the tears of my foes.

    Eric glared at the contender smirking at him without a shred of mercy or regret, choking back the agony of perforated bowels and the specter of near inescapable death in the form of a mithril blade infused with an actual element of the void.


    Absolute destruction was promised in the mocking laughter of his foe, waving his blade in deadly moulinets as he taunted Eric one last time.


    ¡°And here is where your story ends, and mine finally begins!¡±


    Leonide roared his triumph as his sword crackled with obsidian lightning, his blond locks floated in howling winds as his eyes glowed with eldritch might.


    Eric¡¯s Danger Sense screamed warning as his foe channeled his Qi into what would be a devastating attack, this time with a transcendent blade, even as Eric¡¯s ears rang with the awful message that made it clear that all his efforts have been for naught.


    Higher Order attacks have been recorded on the Surface of Terra!


    Bloodtear Syndicate calls for immediate lifting of all immigration bans!


    Eric wanted to howl with bitter fury at how well he had been played, how utterly pointless all his struggles so far had been.


    Instead he roared, now holding absolutely nothing back.


    ¡°Repudio!¡± He screamed, 4 ranks of Dominion tearing through the exquisitely complex meshwork of energy ablating, projectile deflecting, Strength enhancing and Quickness inducing boosts and enchantments that had buffed Leonide¡¯s frame like the masterwork concoction it no doubt was. An exquisitely calibrated cocktail forged by masterminds who had been planning for this moment probably from the instant Eric had first found success against the monster surge, the cold eye he had felt having been a harbinger far more malevolent and deadly than even he had suspected.


    Yet like a masterwork concerto abruptly cut off with a baseball bat to the offending instruments, Loenide¡¯s poise and stride were shattered. The backlash of all his cocktails going inert and all his protective wards ruptured caused him to lurch back with an agonized cry, his Deadly Cleave weapon feat instantly disrupted.


    Find Weakness Skillcheck made!


    In the time it took Leonide to lurch single step back, his eyes were bulging in agony as his formfitting armor abruptly bulged about the waist.


    ¡°FRAGOR!¡±


    You have Critically Struck your foe with a Transcendant attack!


    Psionic Rupture shatters all defenses!


    Yet before his enemy could even scream when the waist seams of his armor spurted out his bloody manhood, Eric filled Leonide¡¯s world with the essence of fury and flame. A fire so bitter cold with Wrath and hate that he would freeze for an eternity before erupting in oblivion once more.


    Eric¡¯s blade became the blindingly hot core of a neutron star, surrounded by roaring blue fire so bitterly cold it was beyond the simple cessation of heat transfer, transcending to something far more terrible as it tore through the air, effortlessly rupturing the extra-dimensional hand compelled by Leonide¡¯s father to thwart him.


    Not even the Silver-tier monster himself, suddenly manifesting before Eric, glaring such hate as to freeze still a lesser man¡¯s soul, could do anything to stop the inevitability of what was to come.


    ¡°You will surrender my son, and you will do so NOW!¡±


    Eric paid the projection no heed at all as he tore through the furious tyrant¡¯s desperate image, no matter the distant screams of fury and pain, just an instant before his blade encountered a desperately parrying Leonide whose former disdainful sneer had been utterly replaced by agony exceeded only by the terror of his own imminent death.


    Yet for just a split second, Leonide¡¯s mithril blade, infused with concepts of the void itself, managed to stay Eric¡¯s assault.


    Before shattering like glass and a dying man¡¯s scream as Eric tore right through his prey, the desperately raised Silver-tier Shield of Pristine Warding staying the Phoenix¡¯s wrath no more than a towel would stop the torrential downpour of a hurricane.


    ¡°No. Please. ANYTHING!¡±


    Meaningless words echoed through Eric¡¯s soul.


    Because it was already too late.


    The phoenix had struck, Leonide¡¯s frozen soul able to appreciate its agony for an endless instant before the shockwave of transcendent heat rippling through a body countless thousands of degrees colder than pre-apocalypse physicists could possibly comprehend utterly obliterated the frozen figurine, leaving nothing but countless thousands of icy shards raining down upon the desert in all directions save Eric¡¯s own.


    You have catastrophically struck your foe with a Transcendant Attack!


    You have successfully slain a fellow Contender!


    Crimson Contender evolution in effect.


    Consume the power of your foes and grow beyond all limits!


    (50% Bonus to Attributes consumed!)


    You have successfully DEVOURED the potency of a Bronze-tier Contender!


    You have successfully torn free 22 Strength, 21 Quickness, 15 Vitality, 15 Finesse, 15 perception, and 15 Arcane reserves from your foe!


    This boon of potency may be further enhanced by any and all applicable attribute boon modifiers.


    Eve approves of this battle.


    You are now a Level 48 Cultivator!


    Eric had no words for the sheer rush of potency and euphoria roaring into his soul.


    Enough to drown out the shrieks and wails and dire threats of a Silver-tier monster who had been so utterly confident of his own success that he had dared to wager his own son on a bet that had paid off only with the most bitter of harvests. Enough to drown out the troubles of an entire world resting so firmly on his shoulders as Eric howled and shook with the sweetest rush of power as he had claimed from any foe so far. 103 Baseline attribute points, nearly doubled with the multiple attribute modifiers that were now forever his own.


    And that was just the tiniest sliver of the potency that was suddenly reforging him anew as two fresh Bronze-tier titles infused his soul, force-evolving him once more.


    CONGRATULATIONS! ERNEST SLAUGHTER IS THE FIRST CONTENDER TO QUELL A MONSTER SURGE ON THIS PLANET! - THIS IS A BRONZE TIER FEAT! - TERRA ITSELF RECOGNIZES THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT!


    YOU HAVE EARNED A 5% BONUS TO ALL BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS!


    YOU WILL ADDITIONALLY RECEIVE A PERMANENT 5% MULTIPLIER TO ALL FUTURE STAT GAINS ON OR OFF OF TERRA!


    * ANOMALY DETECTED *


    BRONZE TIER FEAT EARNED AS WHITE-TIER CONTENDER.


    ALL BOONS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!


    NOTE!! - ONE SILVER TRUMP CARD HAS BEEN PUT INTO PLAY!


    * YOUR BOONS ARE NOW IN DISPUTE! *


    Transcendent Heritage Detected.


    Golden Heritage Detected.


    Gold-tier Ascendants are FORBIDDEN from engaging in games of ascension!


    Silver Trump holder LORD Augustus requests immediate extermination of Rogue Player. With the message: ¡°You will pay for what you did to my son! I will hunt down your people and exterminate you all!¡±


    Yet before Eric could even howl with the phoenix¡¯s furious roar, a part of him so EAGER to ignite transcendent wings of Fire and Ice and Wrath and furious retribution¡­ the interface, or perhaps it was Conceptio himself, continuing to take an extended personal interest in Eric¡¯s forging and ascension, mitigated his foe¡¯s attempts to destroy him.


    VIP STATUS DETECTED.


    TALISMAN STATUS DETECTED.


    ALL WRITS OF EXTERMINATION ARE RENDERED NUL AND VOID.


    BRONZE TIER BOONS HAVE BEEN STANDARDIZED.


    Congratulations! You are the first Contender to quell a monster surge on this planet!


    This is a Bronze Tier Feat that you have accomplished SINGLEHANDEDLY!


    Terra herself recognizes your accomplishment!


    You have earned a 5% bonus to all baseline characteristics!


    You will additionally receive a +5% multiplier to all future stat gains on or off Terra!


    You have earned the title: HERO II! - Note! Your title has been modified to: Noble Necromancer!


    All the world will now know of the heroism and utility of necromancers, those who would dare challenge death itself to help preserve and protect the world they call home!


    ALL Censures and strictures against Necromancy upon the face of Terra are now NUL and VOID!


    All Contracts, Codicils, and Treaties that would restrict, persecute, eliminate, or disenfranchise necromancers and necromancy have been rendered NUL and VOID! (Said contracts have been retroactively System-modified to eliminate said passages. All further contracts introducing said strictures will result in same alignment & potency penalties as writs of slavery & genocide).


    Necromancy has been ELEVATED to FAVORED CLASS status within this world!


    Galactic Policies of lawful necromantic extermination have been MITIGATED to EXILE!


    All Terran Necromancers who dare to practice their arts off-world shall face EXILE instead of summary execution.


    CONGRATULATIONS! Your NOBLE use of Necromancy has altered galactic legal policy!


    Emperor Exalt is ambivalent about this alteration.


    Empress Evelyn Death (your master) is amused by this alteration.


    NOTE! This Galactic Title Boon has used a Silver-tier Title Boon held in reserve!


    You have gained the adulation (+8 to all reaction rolls and social skill checks) of all those who practice heritage arts (most specifically Necromancy) everywhere!


    Eric was stunned by the messages as much as by the rush of indescribably sweet power flooding his soul, suddenly feeling faster, stronger, more alert and more ALIVE than he had ever felt before. As much as it would have been easy to bemoan the sacrifice of a Silver-tier perk, to think that he had just forced the hands of countless power brokers so eager to crush and disenfranchise his kind¡­ not only on a global front but on the galactic stage as well¡­ that truly was a boon worthy of a Silver title.


    Yet before he could dwell on it any further, he was struck by the sheer magnitude of what he had just accomplished, clearing out an entire Black-tier territory.


    A territory he could now shape and transform however he so desired.


    For a heartbeat, he trembled before the sheer potential to shape this magnificent 10,000+ square mile tract of land in ways that would be nothing short of breathtaking, recalling so viscerally how the underlying potency of Orange tier Hope territory had been sufficient for him to shape even so-called Lesser Bounties with what would have been considered Epic tier bounties on a White-tier territory. And this Black tier territory implied that his triple Lesser Bounty transformation along the path of Crimson Balance would be nothing short of legendary.


    For a single moment, he savored the fantasy of a territory filled with extremely wealthy tier dungeons that could take countless adventurers all the way to the lesser reaches of Bronze, or rich veins absolutely filled with deposits of jewels and silver and outright magical ores, maybe even with a dreamed up clan of dwarves to mine them. Or perhaps a fresh grove of mystic fruit, Mystic Plumbs to go with his wondrous grove of spirit peaches!


    There were so many incredible boons that he could shape this land with. He sensed it all so clearly, so viscerally. Yet what truly humbled him was the potential for it to become so much more than one hungry youth¡¯s power fantasy.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    It could instead become a home to the countless thousands¡­ no¡­ in that awful moment of pristine clarity, he sensed the 6.66 million tormented souls that had once trapped in black goblin steel and their hideous soul forges that could now finally be set free, reincarnated into blessed lives¡­ their agony forgotten, eternal torments forever eased. Reborn into beautiful lives of joy, wisdom and happiness, with all the lessons that so many of them had learned in so many classes and professions helping to forge the most beautiful and wonderful kingdom imaginable.


    Eric shivered with awe as he sensed it all manifesting before his eyes, not needing his will to shape it at all. He simply allowed reality to shape itself as it most yearned to be.


    Perhaps, had always been.


    A magnificent capital city in a kingdom now the size of Belgium, covered in glorious forests filled with gentle magic and wonder, and fields filled with impossibly lush crops tended by experienced professional farmers who knew how to coax free nature¡¯s most glorious bounties.


    The air rang with laughter from countless cozy villages and prosperous trading towns. Everyone¡¯s belly full and their hearts content as they enjoyed beautiful sunsets after a hard day¡¯s work where the air seemed almost alive with magic and wonder, as if a gentle destiny blessed everyone¡¯s path through life, be they humble or grand.


    And at the heart of it all was the capital city, so rich with history and wonder. E


    ric laughed with sheer delight as his spirit glided along picturesque brick-lined thoroughfares, admiring soaring towers of marble and bronze, grand manors graced with tiled verandas and lush terraced gardens filled with colorful profusions of countless myriad blossoms perfuming the entire city with their glorious scents.


    It was a breathtaking sight, gazing down upon the lake where the fishermen pulled bountiful catches every day, and one needed only to tilt their head to see the grand ruins where a magnificent arcane academy had once stood, where whispered rumors held that within the forgotten alcoves one might find the secrets to arcane lore that could allow one to ascend as an Elementalist, Evoker, or Conjurer, all the way up to the cusp of¡­


    Thanks to your sister¡¯s communion, you are aware of Stony¡¯s proclamation!


    But all Eric had to do was rub his eyes to let a child¡¯s fanciful tale, guiding him along the city by his magister parent¡¯s sides, to be replaced by a vision of TRUE wonder. A fully intact mages college beyond anything he could have conceived of, the massive structure of marble and rose-colored quartz a beacon of grace and towering elegance as the multistory marvel seemed to reach for the very heavens sent his heart to racing!


    He could all but sense the ancient elven Arch Magus in the heart of his glorious sanctuary quietly reading a tome before a magical light, who was indeed perceptive enough to sense the gentle guardian spirit watching over them all. A magus so wise with his gentle, grandfatherly eyes, that he seemed to understand the nature of the floating spirit so very well. A magus who solemnly swore to serve his eternally sleeping queen that the fates themselves declared would soon awaken with eternal vigilance and care. As both adviser and instructor.


    The ancient elf and his staff of exactly 100 scholars and mages with a talent for magic and a love of teaching were here to instruct all those with even the tiniest spark of magic as to what it truly meant to be a mage¡­ so long as said students took their duties seriously, respecting themselves, their fellow men and women in craft, and of course, swore fealty to their eternal queen.


    You have sacrificed one Half-step Silver World Eater! - Congratulations! Your territory now contains a Legendary Arcane Academy overseen by a Silver-tier Archmage who has kept the school¡¯s teaching facilities in pristine condition! Your magical college is blessed with multiple enchantments taking care of all your students and staff¡¯s needs, with more than enough room to accommodate the facilities and families of five score Bronze-tier magisters capable of instructing any aspirant with even a single node and the slightest nudge of magical affinity into an Advanced-tier magic class or better!


    Truly talented Classers can now be assured a solid path all the way to the depths of Bronze!


    Note! This academy can easily benefit over 2000 students at a time, and will allow for the Study of arcane arts as both Class and Profession, facilitating the study and mastery of spells and the advancement of levels without necessarily needing to claim the potency of fresh kills. Of course, significant synergism does apply if one both studies AND adventures!


    Note! You yourself are capable of attending this Legendary Academy as both instructor and student! For you have done more than shape the power and potential of a realm with your own dreams. You have brought back to life the souls of 6.66 million lost members of your tribes and all the wisdom and knowledge they had to bear!


    In just a single semester, you could make Runic Magic a core offering of the class curriculum!


    It was all Eric could do not to break down in tears at the marvelous realm coming to life all around him. He held nothing back, investing the full power of a Tier-1 Black territory to infuse this realm with all the blessings and bounties that could be had.


    The air was vibrant with magic and spiritual energy and wonder. The flowers were bright with the bounties of nature, golden sunlight, and gentle faeries serving as caretakers of the entire region.


    And Eric was totally okay with one prized killer after another that had served him so well in a handful of days of glorious savagery and unbridled violence fading to gentler dreams of master craftsmen and staunch defenders. Future knights, paladins, and seneschals... administrators and craftsmen of this precious realm that was now home to nearly seven million souls.


    Yet it was only because so much of the land was so shockingly fertile with so many skilled farmers and craftsmen that not a single soul needed to fear deprivation or starvation with the lands serviced by literal hundreds of Master Farmers that were as much nature mage as Professional, channeling their arts into one bumper crop after another. And all of them were more than happy to share their lore and wisdom with worthy students, whether they be elven or native Terran, as they harvested such a flood of produce and grain that the region might one day be able to serve as a bread basket for the entire country.


    With one slow meditative breath after another, Eric felt his beautiful realm come to life. Or perhaps it was always here, a magnificent pocket realm lost between overlapping dreams of entropy and possibility, and all it had taken was the slightest of nudges for the world to remember the magical Sylvan realm that had somehow always been here, just a single forgotten memory away.


    Smiling away the tears in his eyes, Eric and BunBun gazed at the final hundred plus revenants who had yet to by subsumed and reborn as a master craftsman, magus, farmer, or hero.


    Wormy rumbled softly, and Eric couldn¡¯t help but sigh. He had held such dreams of riding across the world on a mount like that too.


    BunBun gently patted Eric¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you keep him.¡±


    ¡°Sure. But if I use him even once, and the orcs or ogres, or gnolls, or any other enemy faction catches sight of it, that¡¯s all the pretext they need to open the doors to a flood of high level monsters that will destroy us all and probably butcher everyone who dares even look at them wrong.¡±


    His familiar didn¡¯t deny it, merely doing flips on Eric¡¯s shoulder, before chuckling evilly.


    ¡°Yup! That¡¯s right. Per Caliban¡¯s notes, if we use even a single Bronze tier revenant to fuck with Stony and his lickboots, everything goes. But that does leave out a very, very important point.¡±


    Eric gazed at his familiar as he sent his mental farewell to his mount.


    ¡°And that would be?¡±


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Eric¡­.¡±


    Eric gave her a look. Before it suddenly clicked, a rueful grin coming over his features.


    ¡°All the orcs and the other assholes looking to take over my Sister¡¯s territory. ALL of them. White tier. Just like the massive army of Sarissophoroi I had used to tear through so many fucking territories, not that long ago. All of them were White tier, boosted by my Necromancer level and so many sweet perks that have only grown in power since then. They will be more than enough to purge every last fucking humanoid asshole who thinks that New York is anyone¡¯s but mine.¡±


    BunBun happily applauded before flashing a positively wicked smile. ¡°Damn right! And with your absolutely ABSURD stats, you¡¯re still winning! Totally and completely. Let no one tell you differently! Best of all, so long as you avoid the Bronze baddies, our enemies are obligated not to say a word when we charge their asses and cut them down to size! We didn¡¯t lose anything we didn¡¯t have 3 days ago, and we just SAVED ourselves from having to worry about someone swinging the door wide open to let every asshole through when we FLOOD their territories with our future armies of glorious pikemen! Which, with your insane speed and Call to Battle perk, will be even deadlier than the ancient charging knights of Charlemagne!¡±


    Eric nodded, bracing himself for what he was about to do. ¡°You know, Bun, I just had a thought.¡±


    His rabbit quirked an ear his way. ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°It occurs to me that that only holds in the White-tier humanoid territory around here. Once we reclaim our shit around Ashland, then go south to smash the fuck out of New York and clean house in the east coast, those assholes and their strictures will be out of our hair. Hopefully for good.¡±


    ¡°True¡­¡±


    ¡°And nothing says I can¡¯t ride my Wormy in style through Orange regions, then keep him for the purposes of forming the best fucking arena imaginable!¡±


    BunBun blinked, eyes widening. ¡°Wait¡­ WAIT! You¡¯re right. Totally right! Essence of Impermeability Rank 2 means we can have Wormy emerge all sneakily around us and whatever asshole we¡¯re fighting, let him wrap his massive coils around the battle zone, then BAM! Suddenly the goblin seers can¡¯t see shit!¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°DUUDE! This will let you practice your Transcendent Attacks without having to risk dungeon rupture! We just have Wormy circle a handful of beasties wherever we are! Then the walls rise up, the battle-dome clamps on top, and you jump in from the coil-rafters and fucking have at it!¡±


    Eric and his familiar shared a gleeful chuckle.


    Bunny gave a satisfied nod. ¡°AWESOME! So, are we still going to use the final 100 Velociraptors to forge you-know-who a sweet, sweet army of Sylvan Defenders?¡±


    ¡°Of course we are.¡±


    Bunny sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss their snippy snappy crunchy jaws.¡±


    ¡°Me too. But since they¡¯re not Underlords, it isn¡¯t like I can¡¯t make a fuck ton more. We¡¯ve claimed Orange-territory Velociraptors and Utahraptors before. And now we can do so again, and no one can say SHIT about it!¡±


    Bunny nodded her agreement while Wormy purred with contentment, apparently more than happy to go on existing just as before while its twin became a very insightful and self-aware Archmage that might or might not feel a bit uncomfortable if it ever saw a Blue-sanctioned copy of the awesome Desert-Dune series.


    Eric¡¯s final hundred velociraptors then bowed as one before lifting themselves upright once more as Paladins kitted in shining plate and mail with enchanted halberds in hand that they slammed the butts of upon ivory white tiles in salute before returning to their palatial duties, now infused with both the might, memory, and power of countless Sylvan heroes that had come before.


    Congratulations! You are the first Terran Contender to Claim a Black Tier territory (and forge a legendary wonder: The Lost City of Arcadia!)


    2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation is now at 85%!!!


    This is a Bronze Tier Feat that you have accomplished SINGLEHANDEDLY!


    Terra herself recognizes your accomplishment!


    You have earned a 5% bonus to all baseline characteristics!


    You will additionally receive a +5% multiplier to all future stat gains on or off Terra!


    You have earned the Title: Elite Contender! You may now grant one additional Lesser Boon with every territory you claim, no matter the Path you Walk!


    * ANOMALY DETECTED *


    BRONZE TIER FEAT EARNED AS WHITE-TIER CONTENDER.


    ALL BOONS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!


    * No enemy cards have been put into play! Your boons have been consolidated! *


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I earned another fucking title with that territory transformation!¡±


    BunBun nodded, ears bobbing as if it made perfect sense. ¡°Well of course! Caliban himself made it clear that taming Black tier territories before they can go completely wild and generate endless monster surges that will overrun our entire fucking planet will one day be the primary key to our survival. So it makes sense that we get a Bronze tier reward for managing a feat that I don¡¯t think anyone was expecting to happen for, well, years at least.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°But it¡¯s even better than that! I actually got the full 10% multiplier, just like before! Maybe it¡¯s because Conceptio was nice enough to stop broadcasting the nature of this title, at least. Maybe it¡¯s because he knows it¡¯s for Elonia¡¯s sake, and broadcasting it would put a huge target on her back? Or maybe I¡¯m giving him too much credit? Regardless, the System did declare the anomaly, but still, no one contested it!¡±


    Eric¡¯s familiar butted his head, sensing his euphoria. He would have howled with sheer delight, if not forced to accept that his earlier penalties hadn¡¯t just been because of his class evolution. He really had been denied the full boon of 3 Bronze titles, because assholes were willing to waste their own fate cards trying to destroy what they recognized as a threat.


    ¡°Fuck! How powerful would I now be if those petty shitheads hadn¡¯t burned so many cards trying to stop me over the last week?¡±


    BunBun chuckled. ¡°Who the fuck knows? But look at the bright side. All the mad fools so eager to destroy you have either run out of cards, cards that they might have used against us to far more devastating effect in another place and time, or finally understand that they are hurting themselves more than you! Because now that it¡¯s obvious that the System isn¡¯t going to destroy you, merely standardize your boons? Ha! Even Lord Augustus himself, seething with hate in his last fuck you System-sent letter to you, didn¡¯t think it was worth wasting another card! In other words, hoss, I think you¡¯re seriously winning! So many cards wasted by powerful players who didn¡¯t get that way by being fools! Even if those powerful opponents are spaced apart enough that they might not be able to communicate with eachother, or they wouldn¡¯t have burned multiple cards at once during those earlier rounds, they¡¯ve got to be smart enough to know that cutting their own noses to give you a paper cut isn¡¯t doing them any favors!¡±


    Eric gave a frustrated shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯m just one White-tier Contender. I think way too much attention was getting focused on me.¡±


    BunBun grinned. ¡°That¡¯s because they fear you now, Eric. And rightly so. Your attributes are now fucking absurd! Glorious, don¡¯t get me wrong, but fucking absurd. As far as a certain screaming Silver-tier asshole is concerned, his hatred isn¡¯t for you alone. Even I can sense a dark force trying to smash through whatever inviolate barrier is keeping him at bay. Even if he¡¯s still able to overtake the Dominion message boards sufficient to threaten pretty much every humanoid faction here in the Northeast!¡± Bunbun gave an evil chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s good to be an all-knowing, all-powerful Revenant familiar!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hardly all-knowing,¡± Eric teased, rubbing his purring bunny¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Posh!¡± BunBun butted his hand. ¡°Even I can sense the slow blossoming of the fiery golden phoenix that will one day change the fate of the entire sector. And with all the chaos you¡¯re causing before you even hit Bronze¡­ just imagine what a thorn you¡¯ll be in so many corrupt councils¡¯ and clans¡¯ backsides by the time you actually hit Silver. Or how many asshole factions you¡¯ll OBLITERATE when you finally hit Gold... and chase after mommy dearest!¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Yeah, I kind of have serious mixed feelings about what I¡­ you know.¡±


    BunBun gave him a look. ¡°Mixed feelings about saving the entire Sylvan Alliance and Blue Federation and your girlfriends and their bebes from being obliterated by goblin hellfire dreadnoughts?¡±


    Eric clenched his jaw. ¡°Destroying their fleets was righteous.¡±


    ¡°As was destroying the planets and foundries where those fleets were made, Eric. Don¡¯t get it twisted. It was either your progeny and all the billions of elves that will be entwined in their lives over the last two thousand years they had evolved in this timeline, or the goblins would have obliterated them entirely, had you and Mother Dearest not destroyed Malice¡¯s power base. NO two ways about it.¡±


    Eric blinked. Stunned. ¡°Wait, you mean my¡­¡±


    ¡°Your children? A hundred generations, if they¡¯re randy like you?¡± BunBun shrugged. ¡°Probably, Eric. I don¡¯t think you truly understand just how powerful that Silver talisman was that Malice, the eternal fuckhead, placed on the soul of an angel, his own daughter, your sister, to bear. That¡¯s some high level divine tragic paradigm stuff right there. The Emperor and the Empress are the only ones who rode that through. For everyone else who lack talismans? Everything¡¯s grandfathered in. Two thousand years worth of grandfathering. So yeah, maybe your cute little Rica is a happy mommy twice over now, with faint dreams of a wild half-elf hero in her life and she is now contentedly raising your daughter in an elven commune. Or maybe that really did happen two thousand years ago and there are like a million elves out there that have just a bit of Eric Silver, Rica Lightfoot, and Susie Sue in their veins.¡±


    Eric crashed to his knees, feeling hot tears streaming down his cheeks, and he didn¡¯t even know why, as the System gave him one final message.


    The Cup of Crimson Bounty means you take but the gentlest of sips as your Legendary Territory grows like never before, blossoming under your touch!


    Vitality and Strength have increased by 15 points! (Exclusive of all modifiers). You have elected NOT to claim your Soul Reserve boon within this territory with so many trapped souls! (Paladin tendencies acknowledged!)


    NOTE! You are presently Walking the Path of Consumption! You must surrender this territory before leaving, lest you¡¯d walk the Path of Rulers instead!


    Strength and Vitality now BOTH exceed 800! You now enjoy a 50% bonus to all additional points invested in either these attributes (In addition to all other attribute modifiers & boons!)


    CONGRATULATIONS! You have achieved Rank 1 in Strength and Vitality on the Global Rankings! All know to fear (and envy) Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter now!

 Chapter 510 - The price of a golden key.

    ¡°Come with me into the maze? There¡¯s something I want to show you.¡±


    Eric swallowed, suddenly acutely aware of the cool misty breeze rustling the hair slipping free of his armored hat, the scents of mulched earth, grass, roses and blood in the air.


    He stole a quick glance Agdelina¡¯s way, saw the mixed look of frustration and bitter acceptance even as she held a sleeping Emily close.


    Eric quickly nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ if you¡¯re sure.¡±


    She flashed a wry grin, squeezing his hand. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can sense fate¡¯s tale playing out. Come, Eric. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Eric nodded, before his feature¡¯s stiffened in alarm. ¡°But what about Emily? Oliver made it damn clear that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oliver¡¯s an idiot, boy,¡± Agdelina huffed. ¡°Emily¡¯s just fine in my arms. Now come. Let¡¯s leave Oliver and Ivan to conspire the best way to seize the city in peace. The less fey beings like us show ourselves to the good salt-of-the-earth men who once served under my son-in-law, the better.¡±


    Eric blinked at this, stealing a quick glance back as Ivan gave what looked like a roaring speech, pointing down at the fallen Inquisitors and the corrupt mayor before pumping his fist in the air, a look of fire in his eyes as the once more armed constables, those left anyway, cheered.


    All the while, Oliver was standing solemnly as if Ivan¡¯s right hand man, a pair of purple robed inquisitors somehow knowing to bring out plates of food and flask of drink, more than half of them armed with muskets and rifles themselves, even if the younger looking men who would have been considered boys at 16, had they been born in Eric¡¯s own time.


    And Eric couldn¡¯t hear a single word being said. Not even with Perception now well in the twenties.


    He flashed a wry smile. ¡°It sees like Oliver and Ivan are most definitely planning a coup with Stibbs and the Head inquisitor both out of the picture, and somehow I doubt either of those egotistical fucks would have had anyone working for them popular enough to consolidate any sort of power behind their back.¡±


    Agdelina flashed a jaded smile. ¡°I see you understand how this game is actually played. Idealism is for the fools marching to Oliver¡¯s banner. Boys who should be studying now at arms for the sake of their headmaster and the ideals of their academy.¡± She snorted. ¡°Not that Ivan¡¯s battle brothers who fled by his side are any better, and both groups of young fools are beyond lucky that Ivan and Oliver will actually honor their sacrifices, mourn their deaths, and assure that their families are taken care of like good leaders should.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s the exception, not the rule,¡± Eric said with a sigh. ¡°Most leaders see people as tools to rile up with a good speech, then send off happily marching to their deaths and the future profit of a given leaders fat-cat friends.¡±


    Agda¡¯s lips pressed together in prim disapproval. ¡°The world shouldn¡¯t be like that, where dreams die before the crucible of ruthless manipulators who just so happen to have all the wealth, all the influence, all the power. It¡¯s jaded and awful.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, inhaling the delightful floral scents somehow so much stronger even a few feet into the maze, no matter that only a few winter roses were in bloom at all. ¡°You¡¯re right, it is pretty awful.¡±


    He then tilted up her chin, gazing into her eyes, praying that she could sense his hope, his conviction. ¡°But the world, imperfect as it is, is also blossoming in ways you can¡¯t even imagine right now. Ways so significant, that for the first time in perhaps forever, the corrupt and jaded are seen for what they truly are and silly youthful dreamers, like me and my sister, actually have a chance of putting so many wrongs to right. Of creating a world that truly does strive to meet the needs of everyone. A world where silly concepts like truth, justice, and honor, actually matter.¡±


    Agda¡¯s eyes widened, features paling by whatever she saw in Eric¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± she whispered, shaking her head in rue, though an idealist¡¯s smile hugged the corner of her lips. ¡°You, as handsome and idealistic as any faerie prince, actually think you can save this corrupt, jaded world.¡±


    Eric grinned, surprised to hear rich peels of golden laughter wash over them all. Even more surprised to find they were his own. ¡°More like wrest it free of assholes far more corrupt and jaded than myself¡­ before passing those territories on to benevolent third parties like my sister, who right now controls a kingdom by lake Eerie that truly is a marvel of faerie magic and wonder, with the kindest people and most fertile croplands imaginable. A glorious city that¡¯s a marvel of whimsical castles, grand manors, and European architecture, with a temperate climate far closer to the Carolina coast than Canada.¡± He winked at both Agda and Agdelina¡¯s awed expressions.


    ¡°I could also tell you it¡¯s a place of living dreams and wonder, where everyone¡¯s guided by gentle benevolent fates and the world really does care about the fragile stories of their lives. Where young men and women find that being true to themselves and following their hearts¡¯ desires, so long a they deliberately harm no innocent soul, can lead them to lives of profound happiness and comfort, even if it¡¯s as simple as falling in love with their family farm and the girl who caught their eye at the spring festival. But maybe that would be overselling it.¡±


    ¡°Eric! If you truly know of such a wondrous place¡­¡± Agda shook her head with wonder. ¡°Take us there.¡± Her cheeks flushed at the audacity of her words.


    Agdelina snorted. ¡°Hush, child. Next thing you know this silly boy will be telling us this magic kingdom¡¯s an extension of Faerie. And if we¡¯re that eager to lose ourselves in eternal dream¡­ we need merely take this maze to its eventual destination! A place from whence no girl or boy enraptured by the golden notes of Arcadia has ever returned.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother, stop!¡± Agda hissed, before gazing back at Eric, truly looking like a beautiful girl of seventeen with her eyes so filled with hope¡­ and the heart of a certain beast having enhanced her Strength and Vitality, as it had her father and most especially the man before her.


    The lines of weariness and care had left her as if they had never been. She squeezed his hands with hope and excitement in equal measure. ¡°What is the name of this wondrous territory, Eric? And can you take us there? Truly?¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed, stealing a look at Agdelina¡¯s cynical stare, her arms crossed as much as possible with the baby sleeping in her arms.


    ¡°Funnily enough, I named it New Arcadia.¡±


    Agda froze at those words, Agdelina giving a satisfied huff.


    ¡°See, granddaughter? Faerie is nothing but enticement and peril.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Hardly, Agdelina. It¡¯s my sister¡¯s kingdom, and she¡¯s even more of an idealist than I am. She wants everyone to have a charmed life and a happy ending to their life¡¯s tale. And this kingdom is very much part of Terra, I assure you. Even if not exactly, um, a part of your timeline.¡±


    Agda blinked. ¡°You¡¯re sister¡¯s kingdom. A kingdom you yourself named,¡± she whispered, before her features paled and she gave him a low curtsy. Even Agdelina was giving him an oddly grave look now, dipping her head as well.


    ¡°Forgiveness for our words. For taking too much as lighthearted jest. I pray we haven¡¯t offended you, Eric. Or should I say, Your Grace?¡±


    Eric winced at the alarm in Agda¡¯s eyes, waving her words away. ¡°No, stop. It¡¯s not like that¡­ well maybe it is, but I¡¯d really prefer it if you just treated me like you normally do?¡±


    This earned a smirk from Agdelina. ¡°A half-wild tiger we entice with good food and acerbic wits, hoping we can always keep you smiling, so you never tire and rip out our throats?¡±


    Eric froze at those words, feeling a sudden sharp ache in his chest. ¡°Is that really how you see me, Grandmother?¡±


    Agdelina glared at him for long moments, before slowly shaking her head. ¡°No, boy. As much as it frightened me, how quickly, how readily you took out Stibbs¡¯ dirty lackeys, my son was fighting by your side. But I most definitely felt that way about the one you were so friendly towards.¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°Jim? Yeah¡­ good thing sound doesn¡¯t carry here.¡±


    Agdelina flashed a bleak smile. ¡°Why do you think I brought you here?¡±


    Eric blinked in surprise at that. ¡°Jim?¡±


    ¡°Well, he was but one reason. Now tell me true. He¡¯s like you, isn¡¯t he? Whatever he is¡­ you and he have far more in common with each other than the rest of us. Is that not so?¡±


    Eric, cheeks flushing, realized he had no good answer to that question.


    ¡°Grandmother! That man was a monster! The look in his eyes, that manic madness.. the way he tore through those Inquisitor knights as easily as a boy smashing piles of hay with a stick!¡±


    Agdelina snorted. ¡°As easily as a wild bull can gore a foolish milk maid. Yes. Absolutely terrifying.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Eric swallowed. ¡°Believe it or not¡­ you two aren¡¯t the only ones who were shitting bricks.¡±


    Agda furrowed her brow. ¡°But why did you speak to him like you were close friends?¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°Because at that moment, I had two very distinct choices. I could either be his very good friend who he remembers did save his life, not that long ago. A friend with all sorts of useful information and contacts that will prove quite valuable to him, and thus I become a worthy side-character in the story of his life. Or I could be seen as little more than an enticing fruit he could pluck off the tree of life, savoring my heart just as sweetly as you and I savored a certain wolf heart, Agda.¡±


    Agda¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°When I ate just those few pieces of it, I felt such a rush of strength and vigor¡­ like I¡¯ve reclaimed several years of my life!¡±


    Agdelina hissed, brow furrowing as she peered at Agda¡¯s now utterly fair features. ¡°You do carry the spark of Vitality, child. You¡¯ve dared spirit beast meat!¡±


    Agda lifted her chin. ¡°I did, Grandmother. And I profited from it. Handsomely.¡± She then turned, gazing at Eric with luminous eyes. ¡°Is that what it¡¯s like for you when fighting¡­ well, others of your kind?¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°Shit. You understand that much already? And I¡¯ve hardly told you a thing.¡±


    For some reason this earned a wry look. ¡°Eric, it¡¯s in a dozen tales of the Winter Court. Wild princes slaying one another like autumn stag, the strongest growing hale and fearsome with a grand harem of his own before claiming the throne of his people and ruling for a single turn of the seasons, however long that might actually be in the realm of Faerie, before it¡¯s his turn to fall like an autumn leaf¡­ renewing the forest¡¯s fecundity and enriching the blood of his people.¡±


    Eric blinked at that. ¡°I was called Autumn¡¯s child once or twice, and it wasn¡¯t a good thing. But I had no idea.¡± He suppressed a wince and tried to ignore their too knowing stares as he shook away a bittersweet past that need not mar his future, his mother¡¯s tragic tale no longer his own.


    He¡¯d take inspiration from her glorious ascension and all she strove to be in the end¡­ and let the darker rituals of the Winter Fae fade from the Summer rule that he knew he and his sister both intended, no matter their own origins or affinities.


    Together, like phoenix in truth, they would assure that a new kingdom glorious and wondrous blazed forth from the ashes of tragedy and despair and all that had come before.


    ¡°But none of that matters, now. What matters is that we are safe, that a certain wild-eyed tiger still feels an ounce of gratitude for the mouse that freed his paw of a most troublesome thorn.¡±


    Eric gently stroked Agda¡¯s cheek. ¡°And should you desire, I will do my utmost to gift you with the keys to your heart, transporting you all to a kingdom truly as wondrous as a dream. But only if you¡¯re willing to help me.¡±


    Agdelina gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°By claiming our key in turn.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, denying nothing.


    Agda¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Eric, that key is everything to us. Do you understand? Even if I¡¯m seen as no more than a fallen woman, a humble farmer¡¯s daughter, with that key, we are safe. Something sacred protects us. Without it¡­¡± Her solemn gaze somehow took in both the maze and all of New York and whatever lay beyond the mists. ¡°Without that key¡­¡± She shivered, hands wrapping about her shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t help but fear that the storms of fate will wash us all away upon oblivion¡¯s seas.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, denying nothing, clarifying instead.


    ¡°That key serves as an anchor, it¡¯s true. And so long as you claim it, the world you love will stay much as it is.¡± He then tilted up her head, solemn eyes meeting her own. ¡°A forest that extends a handful of miles in all directions with two small settlements and the Inquisitor¡¯s lonely tower the only other landmarks of significance.¡± He gazed in the direction of the lonely docks. ¡°A port that will never see a ship, for there are none that sail through the mists here. And I think, in your heart of hearts, you know why.¡±


    He smiled sadly at Agda¡¯s stricken features, Agdelina also looking troubled.


    ¡°Tell me, for all your memories¡­ in the last few months, have any new ships come to port? Have you taken on any new students, Agdelina? Have you seen any new faces¡­ save for myself, Jim, and Maybel Drachen, perhaps?¡±


    Agdelina¡¯s lips pursed tightly together. ¡°No. Save for Luigi, whose twinkling eyes hint at so many secrets he¡¯s all but said we¡¯re better off not knowing, we have not.¡±


    Eric took a deep breath. ¡°Your key has far more potential than keeping a lonely village in a tiny shadow world that is, in it¡¯s own way, a version of faerie safe, Agda. With that key and four others, I can unlock the gates of fate that control the city this area eventually evolves into. And, I suspect, it will allow me to shape the fate of the entire state of New York. Perhaps the continent as well.¡±


    He gently squeezed Agda¡¯s trembling hand. ¡°Give me the key, Agda, and I will do all I can to rescue you, your family, and assure that you¡¯re far more than ghosts of the past that only a handful of living souls will ever see.¡±


    Agdelina blanched and stumbled back. ¡°That you would dare to say such things! Imply we ourselves are nothing more than shadows or specters¡­ or a pocket realm of faerie? How dare you!¡±


    Eric winced, yet Agda¡¯s solemn gaze never left his own.


    ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you, Eric?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Agda.¡±


    She swallowed, biting back tears. ¡°So we¡¯re just figments of ghost and shadow.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°And my child, Eric? My beautiful Emily?¡±


    Eric braved a smile. ¡°Will be as real as everyone else I pull free of the mists of history and dream, just as soon as I claim New York and make it my own.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean by everyone else?¡±


    Eric forced a smile, surprised to find himself blinking back tears of his own. ¡°New Arcadia has a population of almost seven million happy and healthy Elves and other citizens of my sister¡¯s precious kingdom. And not a one of them was born on this world.¡±


    Agdelina crashed to her knees, gazing at him with a look of such profound awe that his cheeks blazed.


    ¡°Please get up, Agdelina.¡±


    ¡°You brought the dead to life!¡±


    Eric solemnly shook his head. ¡°I simply coaxed what was and will be to a different possibility along the faultlines of fate. You could also say that I simply have a knack for collapsing probability waves into highly unlikely states. But since it is, in fact, a state of existence that is very much real¡­ perhaps it was what was destined to occur all along, and I¡¯m just the catalyst needed to make it happen.¡±


    Agdelina, eyes bright with terror and wonder, shook where she knelt. ¡°The Enigma rings with the truth of your words. You¡¯re so much more than any Faerie Prince! You¡¯re a¡ª¡±


    Eric gently lifted the trembling woman to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m what¡¯s known as a Contender, in my own time and place. Just another soul seeking wonder and adventure and finding a bit more of it than most. And as you saw quite clearly, with the look Jim was giving me, here and now, I¡¯m almost as fragile as any other man. So I¡¯m hardly that special, I assure you.¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    Eric caught Agda¡¯s gaze, surprised by the desperate intensity of her words.


    ¡°If I give you the key¡­ can you make my daughter¡­ real?¡± She bit her lip, tears in her eyes as she held her still sleeping child, gently claimed from the grandmother still gazing at Eric as if he were so much more than he actually was.


    Eric swallowed the lump in his throat, gently leaning over to kiss Agda¡¯s brow.


    ¡°I swear to you, Agda. I will do everything in my power to make is so that you and your entire family can travel with me to my sister¡¯s wondrous fairytale kingdom where you will be feted as friends and heroes and dine with me in a glorious ivory white palace before being feted with as large a farm as you like, with countless young dreamers and would-be heroes and handsome suitors who will serve as friends, confidants, and so much more. Whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°What if what I want is you?¡±


    Eric froze at those words, locking gazes with the beautiful girl before him.


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound. In that moment, there was just the two of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not perfect, Agda. I¡¯m pretty fucked up, actually.¡±


    ¡°Like I care,¡± she whispered, before her lips locked with his own.


    The sweetest, gentlest of kisses that left him breathless.


    Before blinking the golden light out of his eyes, beholding the wondrous gift now in his hands.


    A perfect golden key.


    ¡°Agda, thank¡ª¡± His words died off, heart lurching in his chest as he spun about the tiny clearing in the center of the maze.


    Hearing nothing but the rustling of rose bushes. ¡°Agda? Agda!¡±


    His voice echoed eerily, a lonely plaintive call in the overgrown, and long abandoned maze.


    He shivered with a growing sense of dread, seeing no sign of ANY winsomely smiling beauty.


    No soft gurgle of the beautiful blue-eyed baby who had felt so warm when he held her tenderly and kissed her cheek, not that long ago.


    No sign at all of exasperated elder secretly hoping for a connection that would have come so easily to Eric, had the scars and savagery of the past year not happened at all.


    ¡°Agda?¡± He managed to stumble out of the maze that no longer matched his interface map, ready to race inside and demand Oliver¡¯s aid when he stopped, frozen to speechless horror.


    For the grand temple to scholarship and enigmatic arts was now a lifeless ruin of stone and decaying wood. The beautiful gilded door that had sported such graceful carvings upon its surface was now rotting off its one remaining hinge, and Eric didn¡¯t have the heart to go inside and discover a palace¡¯s worth of paintings and furniture and art and libraries relegated to ruin.


    Yet even that was better than focusing on the sharp, agonizing ache twisting his stomach with the awful realization that Agda, Agdelina, baby Emily, and indeed everyone he had met in this place and time had vanished.


    He choked back a sob, recalling Agda¡¯s words.


    That the key was the anchor they all depended upon. And without it...


    He collapsed to his knees and wept, holding the key in his hands so tightly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget you, Agda. I will bring you back. Somehow. I swear!¡±


    Squeezing stinging eyes shut with that oath, he allowed the key to fade from sight, accepting its promise and terrible burden as his own.

 Chapter 425 - Queens Gambit

    Ernest Edgelord is offering YOU, Elonia Silver, Sovereign rights to New Arcadia!


    New Arcadia is home to:


    5 million elves & 1.66 Million mixed race citizens!


    10,669 square miles of extremely fertile land with high levels of both mana & spiritual energy!


    New Arcadia City! Home to 300 Master Craftsmen.


    New Arcadia additionally possess:


    300 Master farmers/herders/cheese makers/vintners and other agrarian specialists!


    100 Royal Guardians (Level 99 Paladins! All said guardians are eligible to quest for Bronze Ascension! Probability of survival and success depends on whether or not your brother can successfully reclaim Ashland Province!)


    100 Bronze-tier Magisters & 1 Silver Archmage who, together, oversee Mistridge, a LEGENDARY tier arcane academy that can teach up to 2000 students per semester both arcane Classes and Professions of Advanced tier or better to anyone with even a single clear node and any Arcane Affinity at all!


    The fates have blessed New Arcadia with Gentle Fortune! (The average citizen can expect to enjoy a peaceful life. Adventurers and those who otherwise influence the world around them will, of course, suffer the bitter and sweet fruits of their actions!)


    A minimum monthly surplus of 20,000+ gold crowns can be expected with this territory with zero class perks or skill rank modifiers in effect.


    Note! Profits may be increased substantially with the appropriate mercantile, administrative, and leadership skills and perks (or the election of administrators and advisors possessing said skills and perks) as well as with trade treaties! (Your nearest friendly neighbor will be Freetown, in desperate need of a steady food supply, which New Arcadia has in extreme abundance).


    The cost of claiming this territory (and the payment Ernest Edgelord expects in return) is: Nothing.


    Do you ACCEPT Sovereign rights to this territory? Yes/No?


    ¡°Elonia, are you okay?¡±


    Elonia was in shock. Her heart was pounding. Her skin tingling. She felt strangely dizzy, like about to topple over. Brittany and Lord Caliban were both looking at her with growing concern.


    She didn¡¯t dare to move, terrified of saying anything, even THINKING the wrong thought!


    After so many months? Years? Of bitter hardship and struggle... remembering such agony and despair over seeing her territories overrun, her people slaughtered. Struggling to stand strong, to lead, to fight, while enduring the ravages of both her addiction and the constant pain that had been gifted to her that had caused her to relapse so badly, courtesy of a malevolent pod. She recalled so viscerally the nightmare of shame and humiliation she had experienced, the guilt and doubt that still festered deep inside, no matter how supportive and understanding her closest friends had been¡­ only to find that horrific nightmare had been nothing more than a dream.


    Yet somehow, she knew that wasn¡¯t so. KNEW she hadn¡¯t always been a girl struggling to maintain a tiny tract of land with a handful of friends struggling against enemies eager for her wards to fall before slaughtering everyone within.


    She had once been so much less, and so much more than she was now. But one commonality in the weird dual facets of her existence was that life had always been a struggle. She had always felt under terrible stress, and pressure, her beauty and clever intellect used as an excuse to deny her any aid at all and demand ever more. Her gifts never allowed to be a source of comfort and solace.


    It was a struggle to keep from laughing. A struggle to keep from sobbing! With joy, with hope, with mind-numbing terror at the thought that this priceless prize dangling in front of her, calling out to her very soul, could somehow be taken away.


    It would have been so easy to just ignore the message, to stay numb and accept her fate, to surrender the bitter game that had drained her dry and subtly accept Caliban¡¯s offer of sanctuary. To just move up to her brother¡¯s suit in Blue Palace with Brittany by her side and just fill the ache inside her with parties and drinks and Brittany and boys and try to forget. Try to forget it all.


    Yet here before her now¡­


    She swallowed, blinking back hot, joyful tears.


    A city. No, an entire territory the size of Belgium or Armenia! And all of it, every last square mile of it, rich with magic and wonder and enchantment and grand forests and rich fecund fields absolutely bursting with crops and livestock and vinyards and dairy farms and a magnificent beautiful city out of the most glorious fairy tale imaginable. And all of it could be hers.


    A beautiful fantasy kingdom in possession of an actual Legendary arcane academy.


    It could be hers to cherish and protect and nurture.


    All she had to do was dispel the awful demons of doubt and shame and the memory of Stony¡¯s cold threats and the jackal-like gnoll¡¯s mocking laughter and darker thoughts still.


    ¡°Elonia? Are you okay?¡±


    She felt Brittany¡¯s hand gently touch her cheek with more concern and tenderness than they dared show publicly.


    She glared down at her own clenched fists.


    Blinking the tears out of her eyes.


    Yes.


    She was worthy of this.


    Yes.


    She could do this!


    She knew she had it in her to be a good queen. One who cherished and cared for her people. All she had ever needed was a chance. A single opportunity without a dozen spiteful foes doing their utmost to sabotage her at every turn!


    And now she finally had the opportunity to finally walk the walk, not just dream a sad girl¡¯s dream.


    So why was her heart racing? Why was her breathing coming in such ragged gasps? Why was she on the verge of tears?


    Oh yes. That¡¯s right.


    She was afraid.


    She had already lost a kingdom once before, in nightmares so visceral and real that they had to be more than a dream. According to the Contender claiming to be her brother, the one offering her an impossible, incalculable prize even now¡­ they were more than a dream.


    So the only question she had to ask herself was¡­ was she brave enough to try again?


    ¡°Elonia?¡±


    She said nothing, too choked up to speak, merely reaching for the silvered hand mirror her friend had handed her, forcing her to look at the face of the girl who would dare to be a queen once more.


    You have chosen: YES!


    Congratulations! You are now the QUEEN of New Arcadia!


    Your Class has Ascended!


    All personal attributes have gone up by 10 points! For a queen must be both strong and wise, perceptive and beautiful, to care for the needs of her people, and assure their love in turn!


    CONGRATULATIONS! ELONIA SILVER IS THE FIRST CONTENDER TO RULE A CONQUERED BLACK-TIER TERRITORY ON TERRA! THIS TERRITORY IS BOTH SELF-SUFFICIENT AND POSSESSES A POPULATION IN EXCESS OF SIX MILLION! A KINGDOM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED! - THIS IS A CONJOINED BRONZE TIER FEAT! - TERRA ITSELF RECOGNIZES THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT!


    YOU HAVE EARNED A 5% BONUS TO ALL BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS!


    YOU WILL ADDITIONALLY RECEIVE A PERMANENT 5% MULTIPLIER TO ALL FUTURE STAT GAINS ON OR OFF OF TERRA!


    YOU HAVE EARNED THE TITLE: DESTINED RULER!


    IT IS NOW YOUR MANIFEST DESTINY TO RULE A KINGDOM WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS! YOUR PEOPLE ENJOY A PERMANENT +50% BONUS TO MORALE AND A PERMANENT +25% BONUS TO PRODUCTIVITY! YOUR CITIZENS WILL DEFEND YOUR TERRITORY WITH FATE¡¯S LUCK AIDING THEIR BLOWS! Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    * ANOMALY DETECTED *


    BRONZE TIER FEAT EARNED AS WHITE-TIER CONTENDER.


    ALL BOONS HAVE BEEN DOUBLED!


    The words rang through her soul so loud she couldn¡¯t hear a word her friend was saying. Yet the look of awed wonder upon Brittany¡¯s beautiful face made it clear that voice, that System voice, had rang so loud that the entire world could hear. Or at least, those that mattered. As she herself should know. How many Bronze titles had her brother earned, broadcast before the world?


    She then paled as wonder turned to sudden dread, even as exhaustion, dizziness, and an odd bubbly effervescence she had never felt before threatened to overwhelm her. Tipsy on effervescent joy and stomach-churning dread. Overwhelmed as a body that had, for whatever reason, accepted no physical enhancements save what sweating in the fencing studio and weight room every day had given her, was suddenly blessed and burdened with a massive boon in all of her physical characteristics. All her mental traits as well. She had gone from a healthy Mortal¡¯s physique to that of Olympian. Past Olympian. In just a handful of seconds. Her body was utterly overwhelmed.


    And that¡¯s when it suddenly hit her enhanced mind, abruptly finding herself able to process and parse thoughts with an ease and grace that made her normal day-to-day brooding seemed like the dull meanderings of an exhausted drunkard. Only now, she felt invigorated as if she had had two refreshing cups of coffee after a brisk hike and was ready to face the first day of the rest of her life like never before.


    Which she was suddenly terrified might simultaneously be the last day of her life.


    Because her title, her Bronze-tier title, had just been announced to the whole world.


    And she had yet to even arrive in the bosom of her supposed kingdom with nearly seven million devoted subjects. Instead, she was in a city filled with hungry mercenaries that any number of goblins, goblins she had been subtly informed were worth almost 1.4 billion credits, and furious that they weren¡¯t worth far more, could put into play against her.


    Because who cared if Freetown was effectively a Blue-Corp safe zone? If the Goblins were offering you a hundred million or more, that kind of contract was worth a bit of rule-bending. Far better to be rich and fabulous in corrupt New York than bitter and struggling in Freetown where most of the Professionals here had a better quality of life than most Combat Classers. At least until better dungeons were found.


    ¡°Elonia! What what the hell just happened?¡±


    ¡°I think maybe I just became a queen?¡±


    Brittany¡¯s laughter was brittle. ¡°Oh hell yeah, I think you did! And you saw Stony. The fucking malice in his eyes. And those Shaman were Bronze¡­ and you know the cards goblins hold up their asses.¡± She squeezed Elonia¡¯s hand. Careful, as she always was, being so much stronger than Elonia. She understood that now. Yet a mortal¡¯s 13 had just turned to 23¡­ no, 25.3, with her Bronze tier title boosting all her baseline attributes another 10%. Or at least, that was what her character sheet was showing. Even if it hadn¡¯t fully integrated yet, so massive was her transformation.


    Right now she just felt dizzy and sick and exhausted and absolutely incredible and she was sure her body was just now getting ready to incorporate the changes, slowly adjusting as her thoughts slowed with wonder and molasses.


    ¡°Fuck. The goblins are going to try to snipe my ass again.¡±


    Brittany nodded animatedly, before furrowing her brow. ¡°What do you mean, again? Wait, never mind. Come on, let¡¯s just go up to those high-end roller suites you were bragging that your brother left for you, and we¡¯ll plan out our next¡ª¡±


    Before she could even finish the statement, Caliban, looking ever the debonair businessman, prince, and tycoon all rolled into one was suddenly in her space, radiating such concern and handsomeness and why the hell did the hottest elf that looked so much like a young Spock have to be spoken for already?


    She shook her head in rue when she saw his gentle frown.


    Pheromones. Fuck. She forgot! Her race¡¯s weakness¡­ but wasn¡¯t she human?


    Caliban¡¯s features instantly shifted back to grave concern. That¡¯s when she noticed the full contingent of Blue Corp elves by Caliban¡¯s side. All of them wearing power armor, with force shields and extremely deadly looking blasters and plasma rifles in their hands.


    Elonia gasped, heart pounding with dread that was instantly alleviated by Caliban¡¯s soothing words, graceful enough to ignore the momentary fear she had had of him taking full advantage of her while technically in his power. Instead, his words were exactly what she had wanted to hear. Had been so desperate to hear.


    ¡°I pray you will allow me to escort you, personally, to your capital city, Your Grace, as a professional courtesy from one sovereign to another. And of course, I am well within my rights to maintain a full security detail about my person at all times while visiting foreign states and dignitaries.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened with a surprise that cut through her racing, hyper-clear, and utterly exhausted thoughts. ¡°But, Your Grace, isn¡¯t it extremely unusual for Blue Corp Representatives to leave their territory for any reason?¡±


    She gave a vague wave encompassing both the grand Blue Palace Hotel and Conference center chamber and the magnificent view of the futuristic city beyond. ¡°The sheer wealth of your territory, the defensive measures, highly stationary defensive measures that you¡¯re not permitted to ever move once placed, even if they will serve you well into the ascension and beyond¡­ do you no good if you leave your territory. You¡¯ll be vulnerable out there. Just as vulnerable as me.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Caliban, if anything were to happen to you, the one friendly Neutral ruler keeping so many hyper-powered mercenary companies full of Bronze-tier monsters in check, playing softball when they could so easily play hardball and grind all of us to dust¡­ if you¡¯re gone, we¡¯re all completely fucked. You do know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Not to mention every single humanoid faction eager to humiliate and torment us after cutting off all our fingers,¡± Brittany noted with a wan smile. ¡°After Stony¡¯s latest threats, after letting it slip that the entire assassination attempt of our hero, pulling out a fucking Bronze Ringer with a Silver-tier daddy-dearest suppression ring out of NOWHERE, then using that to tell us ¡®door¡¯s wide open, prepare to die while I call in all my friends, fuckers¡­¡¯ was totally and absolutely his ploy? That the entire fucking humanoid council, even the fucking goblins, were dancing to his strings? Yeah, that Stony who is far too fucking clever and the farthest thing from the brutal idiot it¡¯s so easy to take him for...¡±


    She shuddered, gazing at Caliban and Elonia with haunted eyes while wrapping her arms about herself, looking the farthest thing from an eighteen-year-old Queen with a witch¡¯s bloodline coursing through her veins. ¡°We really, really need you to stick around, Caliban, or we¡¯re truly done for.¡±


    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s a good thing that Blue Corp policy allows for exceptionally large personal retinues when a Blue Sovereign leaves his territory for any reason, isn¡¯t it?¡± The debonair elf then solemnly handed them both a futuristic-looking polychrome belt with an oversized buckle.


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened with a gasp. ¡°Caliban! This is priceless!¡±


    ¡°Please! I would consider it a great honor if you would consent to trying out a prototype item we will eventually be bringing to market. I¡¯ll even pay you standard test-rates, if you¡¯ll forgive such a crass proposition to esteemed personages such as yourself.¡±


    He flashed a tight smile.


    Brittany whistled in admiration. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ A! It¡¯s a Type-A Sentinel Ward belt! This fucker deflects all attacks that don¡¯t hit dead on, and even if you¡¯re perk-spiked by a marksman, it can still absorb two thousand points worth of electromana or kinetic damage from direct hits before going down! And it only costs five mana per hour to passively maintain? This is fucking epic!¡±


    Caliban chuckled. ¡°Sadly, it shorts out rather quickly in wild-magic infused territories that have yet to know a Contender¡¯s grace, and in dimensional rifts, or dungeons, it will remain entirely inert. But in assuring day to day safety in tame, stabilized regions, or when hunting wild game in such regions for sport? It certainly holds its own. Wherever a power-armored mercenary can use his gear without undue corrosion, you can use our Sentinel Wards equally well, though the force-belts will short out far quicker in untamed regions where power armor would at least endure for hours or days. Regardless, I do hope to have your ringing endorsement when we finally get permission to bring such in line. Now I¡¯m given to understand that you¡¯re both competent fencers?¡±


    Brittany flushed at that. ¡°I hit Apprentice tier with saber and thought that was such a big deal, not that long ago. But having met multiple Journeyman-tier weapon experts who have ranks all the way into the teens¡­ seeing the way Stony was sneering while he held that war club of absolute brain-smashing death and just KNOWING that he had some sort of ugly weapon perk to make the blows especially gruesome¡­ no. I wouldn¡¯t consider myself any sort of fencer¡ª¡± Her words cut off when Caliban solemnly handed her a glossy black force-saber hilt with a guard made of fancy, glittering jewels.


    Elonia felt her eyes bulging equally wide. ¡°No fucking way¡­¡±


    Caliban chuckled at the squeal of delight Brittany gave when the press of a button caused a two-foot long, two inch wide rod of crackling force to reveal itself.


    Though Caliban and Elonia did back up just a bit when she lashed out with a delighted shout, Caliban¡¯s no nonsense sentinels giving Massachusetts¡¯ young ruler a disapproving frown when her force-sword cleaved through the thick oak backrest of her chair as effortlessly as cutting through air.


    An instant later, Brittany had cut off the flow, her breath coming in short, ragged breaths. ¡°It only cost me three mana per swing! I thought it would be so much more!¡±


    Caliban nodded indulgently. ¡°The mana cost adds up rather quickly, unless you have a significant pool and an elf¡¯s gift at mana regeneration, or access to very special perks or node enhancements. But yes. It will slice through any chair rather effortlessly. Don¡¯t expect the same success against, say, a Bronze-tier mercenary¡¯s power armor. But against a gnoll or ogre wearing common or low-grade enchanted steel? It should prove more than adequate.¡±


    Brittany¡¯s euphoric gaze became one of horrified dismay. ¡°Oh fuck, I ruined your chair!¡±


    ¡°Completely my fault for not thinking to bring adequate testing material.¡± Their host then gave Elonia a bemused smile. ¡°If you too feel the need to test your force blade, you¡¯re more than welcome to use it on whatever furniture you like.¡±


    An awed Elonia solemnly shook her head. ¡°No need. It handles beautifully, and the shorter length makes it so comfortable to manipulate if one has any experience at all with decent-sized straight sabers.¡±


    Caliban nodded. ¡°Hard edicts absolutely forbid bringing any force-sword to market within any ascending world with a disintiblade beyond 24 inches in length, exclusive of the handle, of course. Yet this isn¡¯t all bad, as the cost to use increases significantly with every additional six inches of length. Regrettably, it too suffers the same disadvantages as the force-barrier in terms of shorting out within minutes of exposure to wild mana regions, in addition to being completely inert in Rifts. On the plus side, should raiders or ambushers trouble you, so long as no elite mage is casting specialized disjoining magics at your high-magitec gear, any White-tier aggressor will be in for an extremely rude awakening.¡±


    ¡°In death!¡± Brittany smirked.


    ¡°Pretty much, yes. Now, if you¡¯ve finished testing the equipment, I pray you¡¯ll put it away and have the discipline not to use it in tight quarters. But should you find yourselves unexpectedly enjoying a woodland hike without my protective detail around, then you might find it quite complimentary to the significant armamentarium of tactics, spells, and counters you no doubt already have against unwanted aggression.¡±


    ¡°In other words, if psychotic assholes actually try to fuck with us on the way to Elonia¡¯s brand new kingdom, we should let your elite badasses handle it. But if we get separated from your honor guard, at least we have a chance,¡± Brittany softly said.


    Caliban smiled. ¡°Of course certain precautions are forbidden to Blue for a host of reasons. Fortunately, I am well within my rights to offer unique opportunities to test products that we intend to put up for common use. Even if the product line will be delayed for another¡­ ahem¡­ century or so.¡±


    Elonia and Brittany shared an awed glance.


    Clearly this was some high end, late-ascension shit that no one should be getting to play with, this early in Earth¡¯s own blossoming. But for Elonia¡¯s sake, Caliban was cutting some technical rules with a fine razor to make sure she got to her new home safely.


    Elonia¡¯s gleeful grin turned to an anxious grimace. ¡°That bad, huh?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s reassuring chuckle fooled no one. ¡°Certainly no party has given me any cause to doubt their sincerity and trustworthiness in matters of contractual obligation. Neither in matters of state nor mercenary decorum.¡± His smile hardened with chilling intensity. ¡°And I intend to keep it that way. Now, if Your Graces would care to accompany me, our ACV is waiting.¡±

 Chapter 426 - Ambush

    Time seemed to pass in a dizzying blur for Elonia, Brittany squeezing her hand so tightly as they were hustled down multiple glossy futuristic-looking corridors of chrome and glass and glittering topaz alloy that Blue Corp had invested so much of itself into making such extensive use of, the corridors saved from too stark a look by the occasional lushly plotted plant, all of them bearing perfectly ripened fruit that her friend couldn¡¯t help but pluck from one bush or tree or another, swearing they were far sweeter than anything she could get in Massachusetts right now with the war on, everyone living on wheat and wild game and grateful just to fill their bellies.


    Elonia could barely find it in her to smile at her friend¡¯s antics, knowing she was doing it just to lighten the very serious mood. Never mind the increasing sense of tension twisting her gut, and the very physical tingle in the back of her neck, letting her know that she was just a whisper away from throwing up or passing out and she knew damn well that was from the absolutely massive boost to all her physical stats, almost doubling them. All of them.


    Now she was in desperate need of a good night¡¯s rest so it could all go into effect without it tearing her apart.


    ¡°Loni? You okay, babe?¡±


    Elonia forced a smile. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just¡­¡± She swallowed. ¡°I got hit with a stat boon so large that I think I¡¯m about to puke. But there¡¯s no time for me to actually retire to Eric¡¯s suite and sleep it off, because we have to go go go! And there¡¯s a kingdom on the line and assholes who probably want me dead and after that godawful meeting, I feel like I¡¯m going to fly to pieces. But there¡¯s no time for rest or anything but pushing forward all the time without stopping ever.¡±


    Brittany flashed Elonia a bleak smile. ¡°Now you know how I feel more than half the time. But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get through this. Best of all, you now get to have a fuckin¡¯ awesome happy ending, and I can¡¯t tell you how grateful I am that you¡¯re letting me tag along!¡±


    ¡°Well duh, of course I am! You and Caliban both. Fellow Sovereigns who just happen to be my closest friends and allies in these uncertain times. Now come on! Elevator¡¯s just¡ª¡±


    Her words were cut off by a solemn head shake from the obvious female among Caliban¡¯s elite sentinels.


    ¡°Forgive me, Your Graces, but we¡¯ll be taking the stairs.¡±


    Elonia blinked, then winced. ¡°Ah. Of course you¡¯re right. By all means, lead on.¡±


    ¡°At once, Your Grace.¡±


    ES ¨C Ernest! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! You don¡¯t even know ;) - Caliban¡¯s arranging things so we head there via secret escape routes like a spai movie! Oh! Did you know that Stony, the thick-headed ogre Contender, isn¡¯t so thick-headed after all? Guess who set you up in the desert? Yup! That¡¯s right. And the goblin seers supposed to keep ¡®eyes¡¯ on you for the sake of what¡¯s now a totally corrupt counsel of humanoids that hate us were just using their arts as a mirror to make sure a SERIOUS monster could lock onto you and send his progeny through. Fucking psychopaths. Then Stony tried to use the very asshole that was supposed to kill you as proof that transcendent attacks were in play, all so he could get his cronies to slaughter us by the Bronze bucketful¡­ even though it was HIS pawn that showed off those higher order arts before the feed cut off! - Then he basically spits in our faces when we call his bullshit! After first trying to get us executed for calling him on his bullshit without proof! Then, when proof manifested so gloriously, he just sneered and said that of course this is how it is, and a big ¡®fuck you¡¯ to anyone who thinks that fair play is actually a thing.


    ES - Lol. I can¡¯t tell you how GOOD it felt to see Caliban coldly throttling and disarming Stony when he tried to kill my girlfriend. Now the fucking bastard¡¯s oathbound to keep his trap shut and not try to push for more Bronze psychopaths coming in to invade our world. And he also knows he¡¯s up shit creak if ¡®daddy dearest¡¯ ever comes calling for his missing scion, that scary Silver-tier monster now knowing Stony¡¯s responsible for the FUBAR, so hopefully that¡¯s the end of bullshit with him, since he¡¯s going straight to New York with all his cronies, no doubt to dream up some new way to fuck us all over. But who knows how many other humanoid factions we only think are stupid that will reveal themselves to be hidden masters of intrigue, espionage, explosives, or just throwing out wads of cash so that death is always just two steps away? So we are heading to New Arcadia... (Thank you so much!!!) with elite Blue Corp Bronze-tier armed escorts! Yay!


    ER ¨C That¡¯s awesome to hear, better half! I¡¯m glad Caliban¡¯s got your back and I REALLY want to have a LONG talk with Stony. He and I have SO MUCH to discuss! :D :D. I¡¯ll have to ask Caliban if this means I can go hunting for fresh game RIGHT NOW! Without waiting another two weeks. But I¡¯ll put that off for another day. What matters right now is you. I¡¯ll be swinging by there in just a few minutes! Hmm¡­ maybe it¡¯s time for your brother to show his shy, scholarly face to the world. Just in time to walk side-by-side with you into your new kingdom?!? Wow! And he¡¯ll even have his own Elite merc corp escort that will hopefully compliment yours beautifully!


    ES ¨C Lol sounds good! I¡¯m pinging Caliban¡­


    ES ¨C He said it¡¯s a great plan! Eric and Rising Sun should meet us by the western gate! He¡¯s messaging you, I guess? Thanks again, HERO :) (And almost better half. - Ha ha!)


    Elonia immediately felt better after messaging her brother and letting him know both how grateful she was and where she was going, just in case. She swallowed a lump in her throat at the thought of her brother¡¯s smiling countenance. Once such a goofball she adored but who could never quite get his act together¡­ and now, somehow, he was a genuine hero who had saved her life, saved a city¡­ and had just given her the most impossibly magnificent gift imaginable.


    ¡°I love you bro, and I¡¯m so incredibly proud of you,¡± she whispered with a soft sob only Brittany could hear as their guardian detail soon had them flying down multiple sets of stairs, no one saying anything but Elonia feeling the sudden sense of urgency as they entered a darkened stairwell so different from the ones with translucentu Alutopaz windows where one can see the entire glittering city below. Of course, that equally meant that anyone with foul intentions could spot her as well, so perhaps this was for the best, she consoled herself, promising herself that her breath wasn¡¯t tightening and she wasn¡¯t at all claustrophobic in these tight, cramped, smelly underground passages that she was assured led to a secret garage that would allow them to vacate without anyone the wiser.


    ¡°Feels like we¡¯re in a spy movie!¡± Brittany said with the cheerful exuberance of someone who had never developed an unreasonable fear of drainage tunnels and similar underground passageways after nearly getting eaten alive by rats in a life that might or might not have ever happened.


    But still, her friend was trying to cheer her up, and Elonia suddenly realized that it was as much for Brittany¡¯s own benefit as Elonia¡¯s.


    Elonia gave an agreeable nod, trying to do her part, and put a positive spin on it. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. Exciting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    This earned a relieved laugh, Brittany immediately reframing her thoughts with the far more cheerful descriptor.


    ¡°Oh yes. It really is thrilling and ooh¡­ look how Caliban¡¯s badass bodyguards just smashed open the door and there¡¯s nothing at all except for... fuck, that¡¯s incredible! Look at that AFV!¡±


    Elonia blinked, rendered speechless by what looked like a genuine tank of an armored vehicle, save for a far shorter and more mobile plasma gun that was nothing like a tank cannon, but just from the crackling hum of electromana in the air, she was pretty sure it could fry any stubborn Bronze bandit to electrocharred briskets and superheated ash in less than a second, and she suddenly felt much, much better about things.


    All the more so when the female sentinel who seemed to have been assigned to her and Brittany stepped forward to bang on the top hatch that immediately popped open.


    She flashed Elonia a reassuring smile. ¡°Come, this way, Your Graces. Have you ever ridden one of these babies before? It¡¯s a real treat, let me tell you!¡±


    Breathless with what now really was genuine excitement, Elonia eagerly clambered on board, surprised by how easy and effortless it was to climb inside.


    The seating was a bit cramped, but not too bad, she decided, even with four sentinels joining them inside, along with Brittany who was giving Elonia such a look.


    ¡°How did you do that so gracefully? Gymnast on the side, now? Ooh¡­ and the interior is so cool and futuristic! Padded leather seats and high tech buttons¡­ sorry, I won¡¯t touch anything, I swear, mam!¡±


    Elonia snorted. ¡°That¡¯s just a personal light, Brittany. They¡¯re not going have too much that we can muck up, stuck in the grunt compartment of an AFV. But yes, it is bloody cool. Now how did I do what?¡±


    Brittany blinked, then smirked. ¡°Clamber up so fast!¡±


    Elonia inhaled before furrowing her brow, realizing that was a damned good question and that she should probably check her character sheet. But just an abbreviated one, since she got the feeling she¡¯d be giving their exit her full attention in about five seconds.


    _______________________________________________________


    Elonia Silver Level 30 Elemental Adept


    Level 2 Destined Ruler (You now enjoy major bonuses to all elements of negotiation, statecraft, war, and trade! You additionally receive a 50% boon to all your class level-up points (minimum of 18!)


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 13 (23) (25.3)


    Vitality ¨C 14 (24) (26.4)


    Finesse ¨C 13 (23) (25.3)


    Quickness ¨C 12 (22) (24.2)


    Appearance ¨C 20 (30) (33)


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 16 (26) (28.6)


    Perception ¨C 17 (27) (29.7)


    Willpower ¨C 13 (23) (25.3)


    Charisma ¨C 18 (28) (30.8)


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 540 (550) (605)


    (Mana Pool = 6480) (6600) (7260)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 10 (20) (22)


    (Qi Pool = locked)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 15 (25) (27.5)


    Stamina ¨C 140 (240) Points


    Health ¨C 453 (563) Points


    Bronze Title ¨C Destined Ruler +10% to all baseline attributes!


    It is now your manifest destiny to rule a kingdom where the sun never sets. Your people enjoy a permanent +50% (+100%) Bonus to morale and a permanent +25% (+50%) bonus to productivity!


    Your citizens will defend your territory with Fate¡¯s luck guiding their blows.


    (10% Bonus to all additional attribute points placed in any stat!)


    Bonus Title ¨C Extreme Mastery ¨C You have (by means currently unknown!) Unlocked the Hidden Extreme Mastery title! You have invested every last level-up point into a specific attribute (Arcane Potential.) Your total points have been doubled! Additional points placed in Arcane Potential will continue to count for double, so long as ALL of your attribute points are placed into this singular stat! - Should you ever deviate from this allocation, you will lose this doubling bonus for all future levels. (you will still keep the points already invested and doubled and all other attribute bonuses and modifiers.) This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    - Note. Attribute boosts from training, titles, or skill mastery do not count against this Specialization.


    - Note. Level-up points put into spell or skill masteries or other personal enhancements that do NOT involve attributes will NOT cancel this boon.


    NOTE! Your Arcane Potential exceeds 500! You have earned the top spot in the Northeast Sector Leader Boards! You now earn an ADDITIONAL 40% (50%) Bonus to all additional attribute points placed in Arcane Potential!


    ________________________________


    ¡°Oh my god,¡± Elonia whispered.


    ¡°What??¡±


    ¡°My physical stats.¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    Elonia gave her friend a long hard look. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t get mad or overly excited?¡±


    Brittany sighed. ¡°Elonia, just tell me! You were mentioning something about a title? And I know you¡¯re um¡­ a little bit fragile, because you¡¯re really highly specialized, so I always try to be very gentle whenever we¡­¡± Her cheeks flushed.


    Elonia couldn¡¯t help but grin, no matter the four sentinels who were Bronze and were no doubt centuries old and incredibly experienced with all things in life and probably thought they were just a couple of silly girls who barely knew how the world worked and Elonia didn¡¯t let it phase her a bit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m not quite as weak as I was, ten minutes ago. Even if it will take awhile for it to all digest.¡±


    Her friend blinked. ¡°Did it shoot your Strength all the way to Seventeen? OR your Vitality?¡± Brittany flashed a wicked smile. ¡°The things we could do if you were just a little bit more¡ª¡±


    ¡°Twenty four.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Elonia couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°All my physical stats are twenty four or better.¡±


    Brittany blinked. ¡°Wait, all of them?¡±


    Elonia nodded. ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s like¡­ over forty points, right there, with one title!?¡±


    Elonia nodded, deciding right then and there to say no more about just how powerful was the boon she had been granted, her heightened Perception catching the tiniest whiff of jealousy mixed with the desire and adoration her friend normally radiated whenever they managed to get together, difficult as that now so often was.


    But now they had the perfect excuse to spend lots of quality time together. Savoring it as only best friends could. And if Elonia was about to unlock something truly grand and wondrous¡­ she could do it with a far lighter heart, not having to worry about her dearest friend getting slaughtered by orc cannoneers or gnoll ambushers before she even got back to Massachusetts. And who knew? Maybe if New Arcadia was as wondrous and grand as her excited system interface seemed to imply¡­ maybe her Brittany would no longer feel compelled to leave at all. She could send for her family and just enjoy life, safe and happy, free of all shame, by Elonia¡¯s side.


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her friend¡¯s exasperated look, squeezing her hand without caring a fig if anyone saw who didn¡¯t understand. Couldn¡¯t understand. After what felt like months or years of constant pressure and anxiety and dreadful tension, they could finally let all those awful cares melt away, and experience something wondrous and grand. Together.


    Savoring, even if only for a little while, the happy ending she had always dreamed of.


    ¡°Alright, you girls have your straps on? Good. Time for us to get this show on the road!¡± Their obvious caretaker gave them both a reassuring smile. ¡°And don¡¯t worry. This garage opens up just a few blocks from Freetown¡¯s perimeter. We¡¯ll be on the high road and making excellent time with a clear view all around us before you know it. And I have to tell you¡­ I absolutely cannot wait to see this magical elven kingdom!¡± The Bronze-tier sentinel unashamedly gushed, taking off her helmet as if to put them both at ease, her pinned up straw-gold hair revealing her pretty upswept ears, and Elonia suddenly felt self-conscious, reminded of her one eccentricity that never used to bother her, pre-ascension.


    Her ears were as round as any human¡¯s. She was, in fact, half human. And she had just accepted the title and class befitting a Sylvan Queen?


    Her cheeks flushed. She could only hope she wouldn¡¯t fuck it all¡ª


    ¡°We are under attack!¡±


    The words washed over her, tinny and distant as her head smacked against the padded back-rest so violently that she momentarily grayed out, sensing the world spinning and flipping over until there was a second grinding jolt and then a final jerk and the sounds of crumbling mortar, screams, and blaster fire coming over the speakers.


    ¡°We are under attack!¡± The voice roared once more as red flashing lights blared through the chamber and the four sentinels who were supposed to be guarding her and Brittany and where the hell was Brittany?!? - they were moving so fast, speaking some hyper dialect she couldn¡¯t hope to understand at the best of times, let alone now, fading in and out of consciousness, realizing that she recognized that voice even as half a dozen monitors flickered to life in what she thought was the grunt portion of the AFV but was actually the farthest thing as the sweet woman who had acted as a den mother just seconds ago immediately switched to hardened veteran mode, bending down over a crumpled form, and Elonia could finally make out some of the words.


    ¡°Regen-7! Now, Tom. NOW!!!¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened, finally understanding who the crumpled up body must belong to, so sweet and lithe with the gentlest laugh that filled her with fire so unlike the mad crushes she had once had on boys every week, and she would have never thought herself the type to fall for a girl, but here they were, about to escape to a magical fairytale kingdom, only that was looking pretty fucking unlikely with a metal piece of tungsten shrapnel sticking out of Brittany, who was gazing at Elonia with this dazed look of confusion as the Bronze-tier sentinel tore free a pale white patch and slapped it on both sides of her lover¡¯s neck that had been spurting so much blood.


    The den-mother sentinel¡¯s vibro blade, so much more convenient to use in an enclosed space than a 48 inch long force sword, Elonia had no doubt, tore through the air in a headache-inducing flash of speed that cut off both pieces of tungsten shrapnel so as to be skin-smooth but no one was pulling the metal bar out of a suffocating Brittany¡¯s throat and Elonia didn¡¯t understand WHY! Even when she saw her guardian protector forcing a tube down her now thrashing friend¡¯s nostril while another guard chanted something that seemed to freeze Brittany and she didn¡¯t understand why her lover who she lied to herself and pretended she loved only as a friend, save when they were both happy and tipsy and laughing in a private little bubble of safety and warmth and privacy and now she was thrashing, and she was about to die, and why was Caliban the one roaring orders through the AFV but of course that was easy. Of course he was in charge. No doubt he had huge buff bonuses he could give all the troops under his command, but that didn¡¯t explain why the most cool-headed and handsomest man she knew, and she¡¯d happily share her bed with him and Brittany both and quit hiding her fucking feelings and why was she such a coward with her heart... if only he wasn¡¯t married and Brittany wasn¡¯t¡­ (don¡¯t say it! She¡¯s NOT dead, she¡¯ll be fine!) - why did he sound so PANICKED!?


    And then her dazed eyes took a look at what the holo-images were showing circling their AFV¡­ as the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach became a horrid spike of anxiety so awful she wanted to cry. To scream! She couldn¡¯t even sob. Her breath dying off as if a panicked little mouse had been surrounded by wolves.


    Only these weren¡¯t wolves.


    They were a full DOZEN power-armored assholes that her interface now pinged as Red Scorpions, that had just become an official faction with ties to the Orc Alliance and the Ogre Moot and they had just declared war on Blue Corp and Freetown¡­ no. Not just war. All out Vendetta. These power-armored psychopaths were fully intending on all-out extermination as the interface suddenly flared with scores of additional reds!


    At least a hundred cold-eyed men and women. And even if these auxiliary troops were wearing the patchwork armor of White-tier mercenaries and soldiers, each and every one of them had a Tech 1 Blaster rifle.


    According to her interface, some were even tech II. Weapons supposedly outlawed on any newly ascending world. Weapons that were supposedly more than capable of tearing through even low level enchanted enchanted plate armor like machine guns through tissue paper, yet here they were by the score.


    Even worse, every last one of the dozen or so power armored assholes was sporting a Tech III miniguns that could have torn right through a pre-apocalypse Abrams tank.


    It was a miracle that those treaty-breaking cut-throat psychopaths hadn¡¯t already cut right through the poor, flipped over AFV that was all that stood between Elonia and an extremely gruesome death that her countless enemies were so damned eager to inflict upon her for the simple crime of existing. And actually becoming a queen in the grandest sense of the word, of course.


    ¡°Code One emergency! All available personnel are to defend Sapphire One! Coordinates are¡ª¡±


    The words were cut off with a chalkboard-grating screech of sound that caused Elonia to shudder with a spike of pain beyond agony and sure, the Bronze tier mercs might be utterly unaffected, save for glares and lips that moved in hyper-time that Elonia could now almost understand¡­ screamer grenade? That¡¯s what this was? Fragging all communication. Even System messages! But how? That made no sense! The system was immune to the silly games of its pawns, right?


    Then her eyes shifted to the ruins of the vehicle, realizing only then that she was wedged into a corner of the overturned AFV, and...


    OH god, Brittany was spasming! That awful sound was causing the rod in her neck to do something¡­ vibrating like a tuning fork... fresh blood spurting from the regen-patch as her girlfriend¡¯s eyes rolled up and she began frothing at the mouth and why!? How!? Why was this happening!?


    That was when the entire vehicle rattled with fresh shockwaves.


    The armored sentinels exchanged troubled looks.


    Elonia wanted to ask what had happened as she struggled to reach Brittany before a calm shake of the head of the one sentinel to humanize herself to her froze Elonia where she sat. Because really, what could she do? And all it took were the flashing lights in her interface map to give her the horrifying picture of what had actually just happened.


    Half a dozen key defensive sights here in Freetown had just been obliterated.


    She didn¡¯t know if that meant that the force field generators or barracks or everything was down¡­ if people were injured, delayed, or a thousand splattered corpses, but somehow Elonia was dead certain that no help was coming anytime soon.


    And things were about to get a hell of a lot worse.


    Worse even than a dozen power armored brutes spraying the AFV with mini-guns that for some reason didn¡¯t kill themselves with ricochets. And the hundred or so irregulars, a couple who did manage to hit themselves with rebound fire, but the hailstorm of plasma fire made it clear that there was absolutely no escape at all from the trap now closing in.


    Yet behind the dozen power armored MONSTERS roaring and shouting words she could no longer understand was a coldly marching sentinel in polycarbonate hypersteel now marching forward with a crystalline sphere in his hands that was wildly surging with arcane energy that scalded Elonia¡¯s senses even from here. Even from inside the AFV that was still somehow resisting the plasma fire that had finally died off when the dozen power armored assholes had stepped back, shouting in a dialect she couldn¡¯t understand as the irregulars suddenly fled back all they were worth.


    Yet this didn¡¯t put her it ease.


    It terrified her. Making it all too clear the nature of the device her sworn foe now held, a dozen mini guns locked on the vehicles hatch making it clear what would happen if any sentinel dared to stick out their necks, forcefield or no.


    ¡°Oh no, oh no, they¡¯re going blow us up! We¡¯re trapped here like fucking sardines in a can!¡± Elonia was dismayed by her own blubbering words, but panic had made a frightened girl of her, and all she could do was choke back panicked sobs.


    And that was when she saw him.


    The coolly smiling figure right behind the slowly approaching deliverer of explosive death¡­ dressed in a well-tailored jacket, pants, and boots, all of which radiated magics powerful enough for to start blurring out the monitors. All the monitors. Yet somehow, his cold, too handsome smile, glossy black hair blowing in unseen winds, and those dead green eyes were still captured perfectly by the monitors. Pinning a terrified Elonia in place with eyes that seemed to see right through the screen.


    Eyes that looked RIGHT AT HER!


    PINNING HER where she sat, hunched over and trembling, and Elonia knew she should scream and cry out warning, but she was frozen and who was this man who raised a rose, of all things and winked at her, totally unaffected by the panic and the blaster fire and her protectors screaming about emergency protocols and all the while the power armored bastard with the giant BOMB in his hands was getting so close to the hatch and she choked back a sob realizing how utterly fucked they were because she RECOGNIZED that face, that mocking face that looked so goddamned similar to the young scion that had done everything he could to kill her brother, just minutes ago.


    FUCK! This was payback?


    Goddamn it. Of course it was.


    Elonia wanted to scream with terror and fury and despair as she gazed into the sad eyes of the still hyper-fast speaking guardian who had tried so hard to save Brittany. Because what choice had her brother had, but to strike that homicidal fucker dead, after he had tried so hard to ambush and kill Eric? And that monster¡¯s psychopathic father was now doing everything he could to assure that they all paid the most horrific of prices, using yet another overpowered relative, and countless powerful mercenaries, to finish what his first son had started. And now they were all going to¡ª


    Elonia blinked in surprise, gazing dumbstruck through the monitor revealing the power armored monster that had come so close to their downed AFV with a deadly crystal bomb in his hand¡­ and all the bloodthirsty footsoldiers and pawns and almost a dozen more power armored assholes that might have backed away but were still holding position to snipe anyone trying to escape or perform a rescue in the seconds before a shaped charge could stun them or kill them or rupture the seal but that wasn¡¯t going to happen because the man had stopped, dead still.


    OR perhaps she should say that the power suit had ground to a halt.


    The headless, bombless power suit.


    Just frozen in place, spurting blood like a fountain. And how odd it was to see just a flicker of the horror she felt clawing her throats and guts out from the inside reflected on the faces of at least a few of the White-tier raiders as they desperately broke away from their cohorts.


    It was long, perilous seconds before the decapitated power armor slowly crashed to the ground.


    And as Elonia knew too well, a fuck ton could happen in those two seconds.


    Death could happen.


    A miracle could happen.


    The saturnine featured ¡®young master¡¯ who looked so like his brother? Cousin? Gazing her way with rose in hand and an all-too knowing smile while radiating the power of a Half-Step Silver monster WHO SHOULD NOT EVEN BE HERE! could just¡­ disappear before her eyes.


    ¡°Elonia! Are you alright? Focus on me, kid, okay? We¡¯re going to get you out of here, I promise!¡±


    But Elonia could pay her protector¡¯s words no mind. Her eyes were helplessly glued on the closest monitor, desperately trying to focus on the staticky screen, somehow knowing that within that static was a miracle of high stakes combat unlike anything she could conceive of at her paltry 24.2 Quickness.


    But somehow, she knew. Knew as assuredly as she was alive for yet one more precious second, that a battle for desperate stakes was occurring at unbelievable speeds. And should things not go the way she desperately hoped they would, then they were all doomed, and nothing she could say or do would change that fact.

 Chapter 442 - Oaths of Allegiance

    Richard¡¯s excited nod was followed by them all crossing the sparkling bridge. Morlekai and Alice tried to play it cool, but their wide-eyed looks of wonder were the equal of Richard¡¯s own. Jack, Yuki, and Marsha exchanging satisfied smiles, pleased to be back in a place where they had at least an ephemeral head start and weren¡¯t feeling quite so outclassed as they had before, Eric thought.


    Yet Eric¡¯s amused grin faded to a strained grimace when Richard¡¯s first stepped upon the massive citadel roof and spun around excitedly, his eyes crinkling with delight. ¡°See, Eric? I told you! eighteen towers! Do you think that means there are eighteen dimensions involving the magical arts? Wow, that would be incredible! Wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    Eric frowned, glaring at the full dozen towers in clear view. Grand, spiraling edifices shimmering with magic and wonder that, if anything, looked hyper-real in a world where everything else was shades of ephemeral shadow and illusion, so connected with inconceivable potency they were, thrumming with the might of entire worlds.


    Entire realities.


    He counted them aloud, just to make sure.


    ¡°I get twelve.¡±


    Alice furrowed her brow. ¡°Are you shits fucking with me? There are only five towers! And just looking at them too long makes me feel like I¡¯m about to fade away, just a flicker of dream myself!¡±


    Morlekai frowned. ¡°I see six.¡±


    Yuki exchanged looks with her friends. ¡°I get seven. How about you, Jack? Marsha?¡±


    ¡°Five,¡± Jack said, brows furrowing. ¡°Okay, what the hell am I missing?¡±


    ¡°Marsha?¡±


    Marsha flushed, looking on the verge of tears. ¡°I only see three,¡± she whispered. ¡°But um¡­ I see two others¡­ almost? Shadowy wisps¡­ if I really, really concentrate?¡± Her hopeful smile turned to a crestfallen sigh. ¡°No. This is no place for self-delusion, is it? ¡­ I only see three towers radiating what feels like the fundament of existence itself.¡±


    Eric exchanged looks with his friends, before turning to glare at Richard. ¡°Fucking absurd.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened like the wrongly accused overpowered protagonist of every isekai anime ever. ¡°What? Why are you all looking at me like that?¡±


    Eric sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Sorry, It¡¯s just¡­¡± His eyes widened when he took a good long look at Richard Li.


    His features weren¡¯t actually Han Chinese, and maybe he had been thrown off because his heritage was mixed, as much Caucasian as he was Asian. But if Eric had to guess¡­


    Mongolian. Mongolian features that had an awful lot in common with¡­


    He flushed, lowering his gaze. Because he suddenly got it. It all clicked.


    18 Towers. 6 Beyond what even those of Royal Bloodlines¡­ or Royal Configurations, might notice. Which meant that Richard Li had a Draconic Configuration.


    An imperial bloodline.


    No wonder this kid had known just where to strike to knock one of the strongest U18 HEMA practitioners in New York out of the competitions, not that fucking long ago. Even if besting Eric had been so incidental that it didn¡¯t even register in his memory.


    Richard¡¯s hurt expression turned to one of odd concern. ¡°Eric?¡±


    Eric swallowed his suddenly dry throat, flashing the youth a wry smile. ¡°You know what every hardworking parent hopes to give their kids after working their asses off every working day of their lives?¡±


    Richard nodded. ¡°Of course. A good head start and a strong work ethic! And if they have the know-how, how to start and run your own business, so they¡¯re offspring gets the benefit of all that hard work, not just their employer.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°You got it! Nothing beats a strong head start and a solid mentor or two that can show you the ropes so you don¡¯t get killed before you head out into the real world.¡± He forced a chuckle and patted the confused-looking youth¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So come on! Let me introduce you to the Headmaster and my sister.¡±


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    Eric gently stroked Bunbun¡¯s head. ¡°I think Richard just might be Evelyn Death¡¯s descendant.¡±


    Bunbun¡¯s eyes grew comically wide. ¡°Ooh¡­ and she¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s partner! That would explain quite a few things. Good thing I could tell you never actually intended to kill him!¡±


    Eric winced. Yeah. Even if it had been a scene right out of an anime¡­ from the moment they met. Of course big bro Eric acts tough, because little bro Rich has nothing but the best of intentions for Eric¡¯s twin! Both of them had instinctively known their roles, as if their karmic resonances had been aligned and fate itself decreed the momentary flow of their story. Which simultaneously made Eric glad even he could feel destiny¡¯s gentle touch, sometimes. And it made him want to flee for the hills that very second. Because whatever storyboard destiny he and Richard sometimes resonated with, Eric did NOT like things fucking with his sense of perfect free will.


    "Eric."


    Eric blinked, slowly turning towards Morlekai who was looking everywhere but at him directly, even as he used the Blood Mage version of party formation that Eric had first experienced in Junk Town, so many months ago.


    "What''s up?"


    "Grim wanted me to pass along a message: Cut the ties that bind. Some family members are best forgotten. And no, I don''t know what that means."


    Eric froze only momentarily while Morlekai broke the silent communication. His thoughts raced, realizing that he had absolutely no idea what Grim was getting at. But he was grimly certain that he''d be in a lot of trouble if he didn''t figure it out.


    Trying to keep his expression cheerful and free of worry, Eric lead them to the centermost tower entrance that seemed in tune with nature, the very one Marsha had led him through before. Morlekai and Alice exchanged awed looks as they found themselves striding across primeval jungles, windswept mountain plains, and blooming deserts in a handful of seconds that might have been hours. Passing in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°What the fuck just happened, Boyscout?¡± Alice was breathless with wonder. ¡°Now I want a smoke so bad, but I don¡¯t. Not really. What I want is to drink down the delicious effervescent taste of magic tingling against my skin!¡± she declared with a giddy laugh, shivering with awe as she stumbled, caught by her brother who looked just as spell-bound as she, their journey between worlds or a single school entrance ending in them all walking along marble hallways with grand arching ceilings of ancient oak adorned with bass reliefs and exquisite golden filigree.


    ¡°Amazing as anything, isn¡¯t it? Almost as wondrous as an entire vault filled with glittering bars of gold bullion.¡± Eric gave them both a sympathetic smile before he caught sight of other students looking right back at them. All of them were wearing school uniforms, not one of them looked over sixteen, and all of them possessed the jaded eyes of skilled players of powerful crimson courts humbled to find themselves in vessels so precious, so vulnerable. Such that exquisite politeness ruled all their interactions, more than a few flinching visibly upon sensing both Eric¡¯s and Richard¡¯s potency. Clearly, they knew better than to cross words or wits with unknown Contenders who hadn¡¯t yet undergone chrysalis when their own vessels were so fragile.


    Or so Eric inferred, his social perks working overtime to bring what felt like sudden flashes of awareness. Yet when Richard met the other students with warm smiles and excited greetings, their jaded demeanors immediately softened into far more innocent countenances, so rapidly that Eric frowned, wondering if paranoia and not brilliant insight was guiding his own social perceptions.


    ¡°Hello, are you a new student here at the academy? What do you think of it? My name¡¯s Richard Li, by the way. A pleasure to meet you.¡±


    The uniformed student now before him, with the flawless features of a vibrant young woman in perfect health, not a single pimple to be seen anywhere, blinked underneath silvery-blue bangs at this introduction. Eyes crackling with a dozen cutting put-downs and a condescending smile faded to an odd look of strangely vulnerable confusion, before morphing into a completely genuine smile.


    ¡°Senren. I¡¯m a new student myself. Richard, you said your name was?¡± She grinned, hand reaching as if to cup what were, admittedly, absurdly handsome boyish features before she stiffened and lowered her hand with a chuckle, only then taking in his friends.


    She flinched when she took in Eric¡¯s form, though he made sure that his smile was just as innocent and clueless as Richard¡¯s. So why was she flinching?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, no opinions as of yet, but it¡¯s good that you¡¯re joining early. It gives you a few extra weeks to acclimate to what will no doubt be an exceptionally invigorating semester!¡±


    Richard nodded animatedly. ¡°Oh, yes, I can¡¯t wait to attend classes! So, my friends and I are having a bit of a debate regarding the academy. How many towers did you see when you entered?¡±


    Her look of innocence turned into a hooded smile. ¡°An excellent question, isn¡¯t it? A great way to learn an awful lot about a fellow student, no?¡±


    Richard nodded. ¡°five to seven for most of us.¡± His voice lowered dramatically. ¡°And if one of my friends saw only three, I don¡¯t think that matters nearly as much as being motivated to excel. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Senren¡¯s bemused gaze turned slightly condescending. ¡°Hard work is every bit as important as raw talent, Richard, as I¡¯m sure your masters taught you. But the wise Contender aspires to have both.¡± She then flashed a bright smile. ¡°Oh, I think we¡¯ll get along famously, once class starts! Now you¡¯re new students, fresh from the towers, right? Don¡¯t let me keep you. The admittance office is at the very end of this corridor.¡±


    With a teasing smile and a strut to her hips, she parted with a final wave.


    Richard kept his innocent smile firmly in place until she was out of sight. ¡°That was informative.¡±


    Jack frowned. ¡°Do you really not get it, Rich? You don¡¯t give away secrets to people you just met. Not when they¡¯re the farthest thing from actual high school students. Not when they¡¯re centuries-old classers eager to play at being youths in the most Machiavellian Lord of the Flies way you can fucking imagine.¡±


    Richard nodded. ¡°And now we know that Senren isn¡¯t someone we need to worry about cultivating a serious friendship with.¡±


    Yuki gave Rich a curious look. ¡°Break it down?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°She wasn¡¯t direct. She fished for free information. And when she thought I had given her something of value, she blew smoke up our asses and left without sharing anything in return. And that was even after I put my Best Foot Forward.¡±


    Eric¡¯s ears picked up on what he was almost certain was a Contender power of one sort or another.


    Richard then flashed a knowing smile. ¡°So, we gave her nothing of value in return for knowing she¡¯s not worth trusting in the future.¡±


    Yuki grinned. ¡°Nice. If anything, you encouraged her to underestimate us. Because I notice that you didn¡¯t say anything about you and Eric.¡±


    Richard winked. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Yuki flushed. ¡°She¡¯s an idiot. If she can¡¯t see how awesome a friend you¡¯d make for anyone¡­¡±


    The boy gave a sad smile. ¡°Jack¡¯s probably right. She¡¯s a centuries¡¯-old player who¡¯s too lost and jaded by the dark games that forged her to appreciate a genuine soul. Or the fact that if your heart¡¯s true enough, if you sense the possibilities of life¡¯s story unfolding before your eyes¡­ anything is possible!¡±


    Jack¡¯s approving smile turned to a frown. ¡°Okay, I think you got the right attitude with that girl, but your fighting spirit Contender vibe is something that you got going on that most of us don¡¯t. Most of us dreaming big dreams just fall flat on our faces, unless we have a really strong foundation of sweat and hard work that lets us achieve those dreams. Lucky breaks are the province of story books and I guess, well, Contenders.¡±


    Richard Li exchanged a look with Eric and winked. ¡°As if we didn¡¯t work for every advantage we¡¯ve ever earned.¡±


    It was all Eric could do not to burst out laughing. ¡°Sure, Rich. We¡¯ve both worked really hard. Now come on, let¡¯s introduce you to my sister and get you those titles!¡±


    ***


    ¡°Queen Elonia Silver, it¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± Richard said, taking center stage in the headmaster¡¯s luxurious office, his cape that had appeared out of nowhere billowing as he swept a bow, hair blowing before an unseen breeze.


    Elonia¡¯s eyes twinkled, even the headmaster cracking a smile.


    ¡°Lord Richard Li, I presume? It is a sincere pleasure to meet you,¡± Elonia said, her voice with the husky yet winsome lilt that had won her so many fans and admirers, once upon a time.


    Eric grinned, knowing that she knew exactly what she was doing as she waxed eloquent, filling his idealistic head with heartfelt praise and gentle concern when he regaled them all with the tale of their meeting and the final encounter with the mercenary band that had gone from being a perilous threat to desperate parents grateful to the hero that had united them with their rescued children.


    ¡°And you had it within you to unlock their own cultivation potential? Strong enough to thaw even a Bronze champion¡¯s frigid nodes? truly remarkable, Lord Richard! Your status as a hero is beyond question. You have a priceless gift that will make all the difference in the years to come!¡±


    Richard¡¯s cheeks flushed at the praise.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful to walk the hero¡¯s path,¡± he declared, his voice just as husky as Elonia¡¯s. Only where hers had a tad of good-natured artifice, his words were absolutely heartfelt and sincere. And when he raised his gaze, brimming with idealism, passion, and a Contenders potential to shape the world, Elonia gasped, eyes widening with what Eric sure as fuck hoped wasn¡¯t infatuation, even if he recognized that look all too well.


    Elonia swallowed, momentarily breathless, clearing her throat as she fought to compose herself. ¡°That you do, hero. And your gift of Queensland, free of any enticement or boon, shows your virtue and character like no other!¡± She turned to the headmaster, the pair sharing a nod.


    ¡°Did your companions explain the boons they would receive with the completion of their mission?¡±


    Richard nodded. ¡°Both Jack and Yuki were extremely helpful. In fact, everyone was.¡± He turned back, gazing fondly at the whole gang, including an noplussed Alice, a sardonic Morlekai, and Marsha, who was barely keeping on her feet, she looked so tired.


    He gave a satisfied nod. ¡°Boon companions that have made me feel welcome. Like a fellow adventurer welcomed into their ranks. And, perhaps one day, a brother-in-arms that they can count on through thick and thin.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s smile was heartfelt. ¡°It pleases me tremendously to hear you say that, Richard. And let me say as well, before we begin anything so crass as negotiations, that in addition to any treaty we forge, should you choose to be a student here, you will receive the same boon as all your fellows have. For you are all responsible for bringing into our fold five priceless territories that will enhance the glorious gifts that our school can offer all her students, which will earn you the title of Prodigy and five free ranks worth of training in the art most attuned to your soul.¡±


    The young Contender¡¯s eyes widened with awe. ¡°I accept,¡± he said breathlessly.


    Elonia nodded, pulling out a ribboned scroll of enchanted vellum. ¡°Here are the boons we are prepared to offer you, Richard Li¡ªI¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°I accept!¡± Richard declared. ¡°So long as I¡¯m permitted free reign in Picksonville where my beloved students train to ascend, I will gladly swear fealty to the Sylvan Alliance, as a Lord of your Royal House, in return for the right to attend this academy.¡±


    Elonia blinked, looking a bit at a loss for words, scroll in hand. ¡°You have half a dozen territories, even if only four of them are of direct benefit to the school. You would have earned the title of baron and the right to attend my court,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°In addition to a steady income and a manor of your own¡­ yet according to the interface message you sent me¡­ you¡¯re not even contesting the treasure hoard you pulled free of my twin brother¡¯s ascension facility?¡±


    Richard flashed a heartfelt smile. ¡°It was clearly his. Anyone with any sense of fate or destiny could feel your brother¡¯s mark on the wealth within that sacred obsidian pyramid. Ashland¡¯s destiny depends on it. That¡¯s clear even to me, as I¡¯m sure it was to my friends.¡±


    He turned to nod at the others, though Yuki and Jack exchanged bemused looks.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what he¡¯s talking about?¡± Alice whispered to her brother.


    Morlekai snorted. ¡°Hardly. But Eric¡¯s nodding so it clearly makes perfect sense to both Contenders.¡±


    Alice snorted. ¡°Which makes absolutely no sense. But after Boyscout managed to bust open and claim the contents of an entire black book reserve¡­ I¡¯m putting nothing past him.¡±


    Eric winced, not having much he could say to that, though quietly impressed that his surprisingly noble new friend was even more perceptive than Eric had given him credit for. Then, of course, he just had to say stupid shit that ruined Eric¡¯s entire day.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one prize I truly desire beyond what I stated, Elonia Silver,¡± he declared.


    She blinked. ¡°And that would be?¡±


    Richard¡¯s smile was absolutely dazzling. ¡°The chance to claim your heart.¡±


    Eric¡¯s bemused smile froze into a killing glare.


    Alice whistled. ¡°Talk about poking the dragon!¡±


    ¡°Relax, Eric. He¡¯s just a boy,¡± Morlekai messaged.


    Yuki paled and cursed. Marsha gasped.


    Jack twisted around before flinching with a curse.


    But all of that was meaningless and consequential as Eric glared at Richard who stiffened and spun around so fast that Eric knew he¡¯d be more than a match for anyone who¡¯s Quickness wasn¡¯t at least 300. And he had the gall to fix Eric with his perfectly guileless stare.


    ¡°Eric. Relax. I got this.¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t wince at his sister¡¯s glare. Why should he? He hadn¡¯t done a damn thing, save give Richard absolutely all his attention. Because there was no way in hell that he was going to let any more smooth-talking idiots deceive her sister or mess up her life.


    He had already taken care of the last predator to hurt her.


    And he had absolutely no problems doing so again.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    The air cracked with a queen¡¯s aura of absolute command.


    Eric blinked, surprised to see everyone save himself, Elonia, and the headmaster stumbling to one knee.


    Even Richard. And he was a Contender.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Eric¡¯s voice was the epitome of innocence.


    His sister¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t having it. But all she said mentally was¡­ ¡°I got this.¡±


    She then turned to Richard, captivating him with a Charisma that might just be a match for Richard¡¯s, even if she didn¡¯t have the boy¡¯s raw world-shaping magnetism.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Nothing would please me more than having a true hero, an idealist who puts ethics before power, righteousness before callous mercantile profit, as my advisor. My confident.¡± Her smile filled with summer¡¯s effervescence and the promise of so much more. ¡°My friend.¡±


    She sighed, her gaze growing forlorn. ¡°My court is heavy with the burden of countless centuries of wisdom, for which I am truly grateful. But I feel it would be far more balanced with someone who still sees the world with an idealist¡¯s eyes and a hero¡¯s heart.¡± She tilted her head, emerald green eyes spearing Richard¡¯s heart. ¡°I would be honored to have you play that role within my court, should you be interested, Richard Li.¡±


    Richard trembled, and much to Eric¡¯s dismay, seemed to glow with so much promise and potential. Glow and grow, gaining a full inch and putting on an absurd ten pounds and fifty attribute points worth of muscle before their disbelieving eyes.¡ªIt was so unfair!¡ªEven as he bowed his head.


    ¡°Queen Elonia Silver, it would be my great and heartfelt honor to accept. May I prove worthy of your empire, and your friendship.¡± He had the moxie to lift his eyes then, a heartwarming twinkle. ¡°And perhaps one day¡­¡±


    Elonia¡¯s honeyed laughter filled the chamber as she drew a mithril blade of exquisite craftsmanship that looked very much like a Napoleon-era French infantry saber with a gold alloyed hilt, jeweled pommel, and a blade that could slice open Richard¡¯s neck with the barest flicker.


    Even Eric winced, yet Richard¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but blind trust when his sister, in the heart of her power, gracefully tapped both of Richard¡¯s shoulders with the flat of her blade.


    ¡°I hereby dub you Baron Richard Li, Chevalier and Champion of the Sylvan Alliance!¡±


    Richard sobbed with genuine wonder as Elonia continued to list his titles and boons, which were many, and his responsibilities, which were surprisingly few.


    Eric scowled. Richard seemed to grow another inch, his ego being stroked so thoroughly by his sister. No doubt his Strength and Vitality had each just ascended another 25 points. At least.


    He was sure of it.


    ¡°Fucking bullshit,¡± he muttered to his familiar.


    Bunbun winked. ¡°Life is so unfair. Isn¡¯t it, fearless leader? However will you cope with your 850+ Strength and Vitality? I know! Keep using your freeking 1100+ Quickness to dodge all duty and responsibility and just enjoy life to the fullest with your future MASSIVE ARMY of revenants that we¡¯ll be putting together in no time at all!¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened. She turned from the spectacle of Richard literally growing and glowing before their eyes into a true glorious six-foot paladin-like hero of the realm, shivering with destiny¡¯s call, and yes, Elonia was now looking at Rich way too much like a tasty treat she would love to gobble up¡­ but Eric¡¯s friends were now gazing his way. And not Richard¡¯s!


    ¡°What exactly are your stats, Boyscout?¡± Alice whispered in a strained voice, a crimson crow forming on Morlekai¡¯s shoulder also giving him the beady eye.


    Eric scowled. ¡°Irrelevant. What is relevant is that Richard Li is literally growing into a noble hero worthy of a kingdom¡¯s regard right before our freekin¡¯ eyes! It¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    Richard blushed, but didn¡¯t shift his reverent gaze from Elonia¡¯s intent regard.


    ¡°Will you serve as my champion, counselor, and companion, Richard Li?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    And with that one word, Eric sensed the wild emanations of infinite power and potential radiating from Richard snap into being around him. The young man stumbled forward, having grown two inches, gained a massive increase in Strength and Vitality, with features now slightly more chiseled and defined than they had been before. As if he had transformed from sixteen to twenty with those two inches. A twenty he would keep forever, being a prime Contender strumming the cords of destiny just as loudly as Eric.


    And he was totally Elonia¡¯s type.


    Eric winced, glaring down at his feet. ¡°Fucking bullshit.¡±


    His familiar snorted.


    Words of heartfelt congratulations filled the headmaster¡¯s chamber, and Eric just knew there would be a massive feast and celebration the minute they left the school and headed to the palace, which Eric knew was on the agenda. Even Morlekai and Alice, eyes dancing with excitement, could feel the heady promise of magic and a party like no other in their future as Elonia gifted everyone save Eric himself with titles, honors, and praise.


    ¡°You have all proven yourselves to be exactly the kind of candidates we seek for our sacred academy,¡± Headmaster Wyrmwood said at the last, wearing a headmaster¡¯s ivory white robes, a perfect match for his beard, looking like the beloved and secretly uber powerful headmaster of every magical academy movie ever, who was now giving them all a knowing smile. ¡°So by all means, enjoy the festivities and celebration in your honor! For when you next return to our sacred academy, I will personally oversee your chrysalis transformations and you shall each get to start your second lives free of all failing or flaw, that you may nurture and develop however you so which. For so long as you so wish. Seasons or centuries, as you so wish.¡±


    His eyes seemed to swirl with hidden currents of arcane might.


    ¡°And for those of you with the dedication and focus, unlocking the secrets of the mightiest of sorcerers, learning to bend entire paradigms of reality to your will, shall be the ultimate prize for the future arch magi among you.¡± He gave Richard a pointed look. ¡°And for those who seek to specialize in a single element along unorthodox paths¡­ to channel the mightiest of elements as a cultivator¡­ or a healer¡­ that too, is now open to you, with the recovery of Ashland, Dairyland, Queensland, Solaris, and most especially, Picksonville. May you all master your affinities to such a degree than no competing mage, or cultivator, will be your equal!¡± He then bowed his head to Eric and his friends. ¡°I look forward to great things from all of you.¡±


    With those words, the entire group filtered out of the chamber, Yuki taking the lead and directing the rest to the royal palace, per Elonia¡¯s nod. Eric alone dared to stay behind, willing to risk the headmaster¡¯s displeasure, knowing there were things that needed to be discussed. Yet to his relief, Elonia was all smiles when he pointedly looked her way.


    She made no comment regarding his sudden ambivalence to a too charming Richard, showing no irritation with him at all. No. What he saw in her gaze was heartfelt gratitude. So much so that he actually felt the need to apologize.


    ¡°Sorry, sis. It¡¯s just that¡ª¡±


    Elonia¡¯s finger gently touched his chin. She solemnly shook her head.


    ¡°Thank you, Eric.¡± She bit her lip, eye welling with unshed tears. ¡°You actually did it. Thanks to you, we¡¯ve locked in every single territory we didn¡¯t even dare hope to claim! With no casualties, no harm to our friends, and now perhaps the most powerful Contender I¡¯ve ever seen, save for you, brother, now sworn to my banner!¡±


    She shook her head with a rueful grin. ¡°If I ever doubted that Contenders really can shape fate and bend reality to their will¡­ I certainly don¡¯t now.¡±


    Eric snorted at that. ¡°Hardly! It was Richard who was literally growing and glowing before our eyes! And how the hell did he go from boyish charm to six feet and chiseled features and looking so much like, well¡­¡±


    Elonia arched her brow.


    Eric winced. ¡°Yeah, never mind. Point is, his powers are absurd!¡±


    Elonia snorted at that. ¡°Really. You certainly would know absurd power progression, wouldn¡¯t you, brother dearest?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right, I would,¡± Eric nodded, forcing himself to address an issue that was eating at his conscience. ¡°Elonia, about the gold we found. I really think you deserve¡ª¡±


    Elonia glared at him. ¡°Stop it, Eric.¡±


    ¡°Elonia¡­¡±


    Elonia turned to Headmaster Wyrmwood. ¡°We agreed that the Ascension Center was his alone, yes?¡±


    Wyrmwood solemnly nodded. ¡°An individual¡¯s domicile is sacred, and the System itself recognizes it as your personal residence. Whatever the transfer of territories, personal residences are rarely targeted, save as a deliberate political slight, and ours was the most peaceful of takeovers. The ascension center is yours and yours alone, young Contender.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But nothing, brother. As much as I admire Jack and adore Yuki¡­ as much as I think Marsha¡¯s a sweetheart, I know damn well that I would have achieved absolutely nothing, had you not been a part of our diplomatic convoy. Can you honestly say otherwise?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°Honestly¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°No. In fact, it¡¯s a miracle Richard actually found a backdoor to neutralizing those mercenaries in a way that didn¡¯t require me, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Doing what you do best, fearless leader?¡± Bunbun said with a knowing smirk.


    Eric flushed. ¡°Yeah, actually. Exactly that.¡±


    Elonia nodded. ¡°Exactly. And now with those territories under my care, I can perfectly sense that we have seven aspiring Bronze-tier classers who are rapidly shooting up the ranks of cultivation. If all goes as I¡¯m just betting it will under Richard¡¯s patronage¡­ those future masters of Wind will be effectively doubling their stat pools in maybe a year¡¯s time? At least the White-tier portion. And that¡¯s seven powerful classers who¡¯ve sworn oaths of fealty to the Sylvan Alliance¡¯s newest addition.¡±


    Eric blinked at this. ¡°Shit. They did call Richard their Sifu! And he has 667 orcs, elves, humans, and faeries all walking the path of warrior monks. And assuming I can actually get Ashland up and running¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be a true army to be feared, running wealthy tier delves no doubt full of fortuitous encounters, at least for a lucky few. Such as Richard¡¯s favored disciples! And they too are sworn to Richard Li¡¯s banner. A sweetheart of a boy who just gave me his sacred oath.¡± Elonia¡¯s eyes flashed with a Queen¡¯s potency. ¡°In a multidimensional citadel in the heart of my power. And that, dear brother, is not an oath to be taken lightly.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, lips curving in a relieved smile. ¡°That¡¯s why we did it here, and not at the palace! Under the pretext of enticing him with all that Mistridge has to offer¡­¡±


    ¡°We bound him in bonds of honor that not even a Silver would break lightly,¡± Wyrmwood quietly noted. ¡°Not that I have any doubt as to the boy¡¯s temperament,¡± he assured. He then flashed a knowing smile. ¡°And not even the brightest shining Contender would blossom as he has, had he not voluntarily bound himself to the strongest of oaths. Oaths that have now irrevocably shaped his fate.¡±


    Eric blinked, then solemnly bowed his head. ¡°I feel so much better knowing that. Thank you.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes twinkled mischievously. ¡°Are you grateful enough to attend the gala with me?¡± She laughed at Eric¡¯s expression. ¡°Relax, bro. I¡¯m teasing. And don¡¯t worry so much. Everyone here is oath-sworn to do neither this territory nor my person deliberate harm. And with my hundred half-step Bronze mithril-clad honor guard, and a connection to this land so strong that not a single Goblin assassin has been able to sneak inside whose malice I haven¡¯t immediately sensed...¡± She flashed a relieved smile. ¡°Honestly, Eric, I¡¯ve never felt safer than I do now. And I owe it all to you.¡±


    Eric, however, was incensed. ¡°Those fuckers are still coming after you?¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes grew momentarily haunted. ¡°Eric, I¡­¡± She paled and shuddered, rubbing a neck now free of any scar from a horrific bane-enhanced injury that, during this timeline at least, had never happened, save in barely remembered nightmare. She swallowed.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think. A trade delegation requested a meeting within the village nearest Freetown. Instead, I arranged for us to meet at the border, and I immediately sensed the handful of ¡®extras¡¯ posing as eager sightseers.¡± She flashed a bleak smile. ¡°And the convoy was also accompanied by an Administrator who immediately stepped in front of the too-innocent-acting goblin merchants before trying to present me with a black-ribboned document that risked warping the fate of my entire territory, declaring that an accord between our factions had already been signed.¡±


    Her smile turned bleak as the Winter Queen. ¡°The document he tried to throw at me was caught up by a convenient gust. As was the Administrator who had tossed it.¡±


    Eric¡¯s grin was all teeth. ¡°What a shame. And the goblins?¡±


    ¡°Were allowed to leave unimpeded.¡± His sister¡¯s eyes flashed with hidden depths. ¡°I honored the letter and intent of our agreed-upon meeting, however informal. The assassins they tried to smuggle within my domain and the unwanted Administrator attempting to bind me with writs of lawfare were not part of our accord, so were treated just as they deserved.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°And now that you know that even the most simpering goblin merchant is just a front for assassins, intrigue, and usurious debt...¡±


    His sister gave him a pointed look. ¡°I know, Eric. I¡¯m not a fool.¡±


    He winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that came off as kind of¡ª¡±


    ¡°My little brother the know-it-all?¡± She said with a teasing grin.


    ¡°Ha. Big brother by a full minute.¡±


    ¡°In your dreams.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, sis.¡±


    ¡°You too, Eric.¡± She favored him with a sad smile. ¡°Why do I feel like you¡¯re not going to be joining the new class at all?¡±


    Eric blinked in surprise. ¡°After learning about the potential Mistridge offers? Are you kidding? I¡¯d be a fool not to attend. My inner power gamer would never forgive me, forgoing any chance to learn how to tap into entire dimensions of magic.¡±


    Elonia positively beamed, her fingers absently combing a loose golden curl behind her ear.


    Eric noted that his sister¡¯s upswept style, complimenting her glittering diamond-studded tiara, were now revealing ears normally covered.


    He frowned in thoughtful consideration. Did they, in fact, have the tiniest hint of a point? Did his own?


    He gulped, quickly feeling his own ears as well.


    ¡°Eric? Are you okay, bro?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, sorry.¡±


    Elonia snorted. ¡°You¡¯re going to do great things here, Eric, unlocking wondrous arcane potential beyond anything you could have imagined. I¡¯m certain of it!¡±


    Eric flashed a cheeky smile. ¡°That¡¯s my hope.¡±


    ¡°And yet still you hesitate,¡± Elonia softly noted.


    Eric forced a chuckle. ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s true.¡± He took a deep breath, focusing on his countenance in the silver framed mirror across from him. ¡°After how hard I fought and struggled to achieve what I now have¡­ going from a desperate survivor who¡¯s heart¡¯s racing with anxiety and dread every night, to a Contender who can face down entire armies¡­ before being forced back to that same awkward fragile kid I was a year and a half ago?¡± He sighed, flashing his sister a sad smile. ¡°We have two weeks, right? Two weeks to brace ourselves.¡±


    Eric took a deep breath, eyes filling with resolve. ¡°Two weeks to make sure absolutely no treacherous serpents are readying themselves to plunge daggers in our back.¡±


    ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°Are there any other factions that haven¡¯t signed an accord with the Sylvan Alliance, or at least New Arcadia? Are there any factions without any favored champions or offspring attending our school at all?¡±


    Elonia¡¯s brow furrowed, clearly troubled by the question.


    Eric sighed. ¡°Who? Details, Elonia. Please.¡±


    Elonia bit her lip, turning to Headmaster Wyrmwood who, Eric was quietly pleased to see, was acting far more like a counselor than an aloof headmaster.


    Exactly what Eric would hope for in his former Dreadlord. Even if they had all informally agreed to pretend that existence had never happened at all.


    ¡°What are we permitted to share?¡±


    The headmaster flashed a tight smile. ¡°A very astute question, Elonia. Your brother isn¡¯t sworn to your alliance, but you may bring whichever guest you like to an informal briefing.¡±


    ¡°Then let us assume this is just that.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± With the tiniest of nods Eric¡¯s way, the headmaster then proceeded to ignore him entirely, striding behind his desk to gaze down at the perfect ball of crystal that Eric suspected had once been a Silver-tier monster core. His began weaving an elegant string of gestures with his fingers as the globe began to glow a silvery white before projecting in the center room what to Eric looked like a holographic map of the Northeast corner of the continent that looked nothing like New York or Pennsylvania he remembered, so much territory having been warped and stretched by the massive influx of potency that had stretched reality itself.


    Eric felt an icy chill as he looked at a map that would have horrified his geography teacher of a lifetime ago. On one hand knowing that the topography was all wrong, it had to be. New Arcadia was itself well over ten thousand square miles. Yet simultaneously, he understood the original shape of the continent, and was pretty sure that just to their north was Lake Ontario. He then frowned and shook his head. Wasn¡¯t there a plateau to his North? Or¡­ had he gotten turned around in his mad dash from Freetown? He winced, catching his familiar¡¯s jaded smile. When he wasn¡¯t relying on his DI Map, his sense of direction was kind of shit. He could only be grateful that the multiple additional forces and fields of a System-enhanced reality meant that gravity and the laws of space, time, and physics worked much as he expected it would, even if Earth was clearly many times more massive than it had been pre-ascension.


    Then Eric was struck by too-visceral memories of a certain flight between the stars by his mother¡¯s side. He swallowed his unexpectedly dry throat, taking a deep breath as his heart pounded. Even if things were nominally stable, it was also exquisitely clear that power and ascendance allowed one to bend or outright shape many previously held inviolate tenants. And yet their new enhanced reality was durable enough not to explode into nothingness, no matter how often ascending monsters¡ªlike his mother¡ªwarped reality like toffee.


    He supposed he should feel grateful.


    Yet what he felt instead, when he noted the Orange-Tier territories closest to New York city in sharp contrast to the brilliant red territory adjoining New Arcadia was a growing sense of disquiet, all the more so when he noted more distant red hexes. As opposed to their burnt ochre hue, the territory to their south was a brilliant ember that glowed with intensity.


    Headmaster Wyrmwood cleared his throat. ¡°Regrettably, my Queen, our missives have yet to receive any response at all from New York¡¯s ruling faction.¡±


    Elonia frowned, glancing Eric¡¯s way before speaking. ¡°Don¡¯t the gnolls claim New York?¡±


    Wyrmwood dipped his head, also glancing Eric¡¯s way, making it clear they were rehashing old information for his benefit alone. Orienting him in this timeline as best they could, while still playing by the rules. ¡°New York¡¯s logistical situation is actually quite unique. They presently consist of an unexpected alliance between gnolls, goblins, and a surprisingly large contingent of well trained and surprisingly well armed orcs.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened at this, but before he could speak, the headmaster spoke on.


    ¡°In addition to the considerable information freely granted by the handful of young adventurers and heroes who have joined our faction and now call New Arcadia their home, several have also reported seeing massive galleons manned by orcs in the New York harbor, each sporting triple gun decks with dozens of cannons.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, too much of a history buff not to know what it meant. ¡°Wait, did you say triple gun decks? Those aren¡¯t galleons. Those bastards are now using first-rate ships of the line! That¡¯s eighteenth century tech, not sixteenth or seventeenth! The HMS Victory had over a hundred cannons! If those ships are anything like Britain''s¡­ fuck! How many of those cannons will they be able to bring to shore? How many fucking treaties is this violating? Which asshole administrator signed off on another bloody backdoor that let¡¯s them stack the odds in their favor?¡±


    Wyrmwood flashed a tight smile but didn¡¯t respond to Eric¡¯s dismayed cursing, instead using a crystal rod to draw Elonia¡¯s attention to the orange territories themselves. ¡°And I know I don¡¯t have to explain to you what the absence of red flares here means.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s lips tightened together. ¡°Fortunately, my brother clearing Ashland and securing those delves now allows us to triangulate the location of every delve within our sector.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, seriously? That¡¯s incredible!¡± Because even if his Dominion Interface Map let him sense the general location of delves when he entered a given territory, his gift didn¡¯t extend to any adjoining territory¡¯s hot-spots. Then he glared, instantly understanding what the pair were getting at. Even if his attention had been thrown off by finding out that the orcs, if Eric¡¯s worst fears were on point, were about to enter what for British Empire had been the golden Age of Sail.


    But that wasn¡¯t the major source of Eric¡¯s dismay.


    It was that some other asshole besides him was getting a jump on multiple first-clears of all the delves in New Yorks¡¯ orange territories!


    Eric groaned, finding himself slumping back in the same leather recliner he had claimed during his first visit, a cold glass of milk and consoling plate of cream puff pastries manifesting just when he needed them the most.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s as we feared. A Contender friendly to the orc faction is taking a quick route to power, in direct conflict with the precedent that we are establishing with all those who will be attending within two weeks,¡± Elonia noted.


    Wyrmwood nodded. ¡°Exactly so, Your Grace. And the deliberate buildup of naval forces, battleships armed with scores of cannon, will not sit well with any elite with coastal territories that would otherwise be content to study here for seasons, if not years.¡±


    Eric¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Goblin fuckers are doing this deliberately to sow conflict and discord. Because the more stable and developed this region becomes, the lest they can profit like the vultures they are.¡±


    The headmaster flashed a mirthless smile, dipping his head, though deliberately not looking Eric¡¯s way. ¡°And you¡¯ll note that they¡¯re not using their forces to cleanse the thousands of square miles that comprise the half dozen Orange-Tier regions whose delves they¡¯ve just cleared.¡±


    ¡°Which means that they¡¯re saving their forces not for any sort of peaceful expansion¡­ but for conquest.¡± Elonia cursed, glaring at the map. ¡°They¡¯re readying themselves to take out Boston. That must be their objective!¡± Her fists clenched in helpless frustration, and Eric just knew who she must have been thinking of.


    ¡°Did Brittany get an invite?¡±


    Elonia¡¯s cheeks flushed, but she nodded. ¡°I sent a formal invite to both her and her sister.¡± Her lips pressed in a firm line. ¡°Her parents rebuffed the offer. Politely, gracefully¡­ but they¡¯re certain that the moment that both girls leave, their clan¡¯s sympathetic resonance to New England ends, and any hope of forging an empire of their own dies with the girls¡¯ exit.¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°I see.¡±


    Elonia groaned, rubbing her eyes. ¡°And now with the New York faction now having the means to clear over half a dozen delves in just a handful of days? With orcs having access to ships with scores of cannons which we know damn well will be used to bombard coastal targets before they bring their weapons inland¡­¡±


    Eric flashed a mirthless smile. ¡°It¡¯s not even safe to use a high speed levimobile to slip past our foes. Because I can think of only a couple things that would be able to clear all those delves in just a handful of days. And that means that the area¡¯s gotten way too hot to try any emergency convoys. Even if you had a skilled driver able to dodge mutated beasts, dinosaurs, and flying terror birds¡­¡±


    ¡°None of that stops canister shot or blaster fire.¡±


    Eric nodded at his sister. ¡°Exactly.¡± He forced a laugh. ¡°This is why we¡¯re having this conversation.¡±


    Elonia sighed, rubbing her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s bullshit, Eric. This is crap I only found out within an hour of you claiming Ashland, for which I¡¯ll always be grateful. I¡¯ve reached out to Blue. Caliban''s helped me sign retainers with several mercenary companies already, which basically assures I¡¯ll be on their ¡®nice list¡¯ in perpetuity for a fee that¡¯s not even absurd. I get the feeling this is how a lot of companies make their bread and butter. It¡¯s only the orcs we need to worry about, and now I¡¯m the farthest thing from a girl whose forces were winnowed down to¡­¡± She shuddered, shaking away memories that were clearly no longer her own.


    ¡°And if they dared move against us, they¡¯d face a force beyond their ken.¡±


    ¡°A force that by destiny and treaty is consigned to territories that fly your banner alone,¡± Eric solemnly noted, glaring at the map. Most especially the orange territories free of any blinking lights at all.


    Which mean that there was absolutely no way he could ever claim the first clear for those regions at all.


    Then his lips curved in a sudden fierce smile, appreciating the other possibility now opening up for him. ¡°But that also means¡­¡±


    Elonia furrowed her brow, emerald green eyes meeting his own. ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°So. I just occurred to me. New York is now utterly free of any portals or mazes or rifts that might take days or weeks to clear, especially for lone wolfs with zero sense of direction.¡±


    Elonia chuckled. ¡°You definitely need a dungeoneer on your team, Eric.¡±


    ¡°He has me!¡± Bunbun quipped. ¡°Cavern Killer Queen and Exile¡¯s Path league champion.¡±


    Eric grinned, gently scratching his bunny¡¯s ears with one hand while devouring scrumptious pastries with the other.


    He flashed his familiar a hungry smile. ¡°So, what do you think, Lilly? Is it about that time?¡±


    His bunny chuckled evilly, snagging herself a pastry with a surprisingly prehensile ear. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, fearless leader. But I, for one, would LOVE to get some exercise before starting school.¡±


    Eric nodded at that. ¡°Nothing like jogging for fitness,¡± he quipped.


    His sister¡¯s smile grew worried. ¡°Eric. I know you¡¯re strong, but it seems clear that there are at least a couple of powerhouses in New York, and they¡¯re deadly. And if they also have cannons¡­¡± She gazed pointedly at her brother happily stuffing pastries in his mouth. ¡°Eric, it¡¯s one thing to trade jokes with friends. Quite another to risk your life against heavy artillery.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Said Headmaster Wyrmwood. ¡°Though it occurs to me that there is one party in particular that benefits from the growing conflict a second orc resurgence would cause, especially if backed by mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Goblins,¡± Elonia hissed.


    This earned a chuckle. ¡°And knowing their penchant for both assassination and lawfare¡­ perhaps there is a reason why we never received any response from the ruling faction of New York City.¡±


    Eric blinked in bemusement when the older man pulled out a wax-sealed vellum letter from the desk he was now seated behind, favoring Eric with a curious smile.


    ¡°If you¡¯re truly determined to make the most of your time before semester starts, how would you like to earn some additional honors, Eric Silver?¡±

 Chapter 427 - Counterstrike

    ¡°NO!¡±


    Eric¡¯s scream was a howl of primal terror and furious despair as he tore through the air so fast he¡¯d bend spacetime itself, if he could, while pushing his gifts...and himself, like never before.


    So desperate that he paid no heed to prudence or caution.


    Not even when he sensed the hideous weight of a Half-step Silver.


    And no mindless titan was this. But a sapient being. No. An actual fellow Contender who could only be here for one reason.


    To claim his head and his twin sister¡¯s as well.


    Horror transformed to white-hot fury worthy of the phoenix as he pushed Speed Racer II and Battletime to their very limits, everything and everyone slowing to an absolute crawl save for the monster coldly smiling RIGHT AT HIM!


    Drawing his blade, shimmering with higher order concepts just like¡­ FUCK!


    He looked so much like Leonide Augustus that Eric could only assume the absolute worst.


    Blood for Blood.


    Sibling for sibling.


    This monster was dead set on killing Elonia in retribution for Eric having cut down the fucking psychopath who had been so eager to kill him.


    In an eyeblink, he took in the battlefield, its ramifications and permutations, and he knew EXACTLY the move he had to make.


    Roaring and howling in subsonic frequencies that he knew his opponent could damn well pick up, the mocking salute with a rose of all things becoming a blade instantly raised to tierce as Eric roared and charged¡­ before abruptly shifting every ounce of his inertia RIGHT to cleave off the head and hand of the absolute FUCKWAD of a power-armored asshole that his interface marked as a Vendetta-declaring Red Scorpion in flashes of crimson fire.


    Congratulations! You have successfully decapitated opposing Bronze-tier Mercenary!


    Red Scorpions have declared vendetta against all your allied factions!


    You have committed a Righteous Kill!


    Eve approves of this battle!


    (Note! Potency INSUFFICIENT to evolve past strained foundation bottleneck!)


    You have claimed 1 Destabilization Crystal!


    Note! This is a CONTRABAND weapon Illegal under all circumstances within this system!


    (Smooth Criminal Perk & Spoils of War mitigate death sentence to seizure of all contraband upon capture.)


    Destabilization crystals are capable of destroying any rigid object, up to a 20 meter diameter bubble of Adamantium Strength or its inferior! Any material below Silver-tier potency can be disintegrated with this device!


    Eric didn¡¯t even have time to be alarmed by the horrific nature of the device he had claimed, that would have either disintegrated the reinforced hyper-alloyed tank that his sister and Caliban and a handful of others were hanging onto for dear life within¡­ whereupon they would have been sitting ducks for a hundred streams of overlapping blaster fire¡­ or the bomb would have disintegrated both AFV and the occupants within.


    Either way, that bomb had been a death sentence, and one he could never forgive.


    ¡°You want war, motherfuckers? I WILL GIVE YOU WAR!¡± Eric roared, glaring at the swarm of irregulars moving so damned slowly before he gave them reason to move as if their feet were on fire.


    Because they were.


    ¡°Hell Vines! Hell Vines! Hell Vines!¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t even flinch at the 420 Mana & Qi expenditure as the broken blacktop road beside the ruined buildings where the explosive device had gone off suddenly erupted in massive blazing oaks and fiery clusters of hungry vines covered in thorns that began eagerly grabbing and crushing and squeezing the life out of the shrieking low-level fools who thought for even one moment that Eric would ever allow them to harm his sister!


    Ernest Edgelord Slaughter has declared personal VENDETTA against Red Scorpion Syndicate! No quarter will be offered! No pleas for clemency shall be granted! ALL Red Scorpion Allies will be PURGED from Terra!


    Oath has been System acknowledged!


    You now have 1 year from the time of this oath to successfully purge Red Scorpion Syndicate and all allied factions (at the time of this oath!) from Terra.


    You now have +2 to all saving throws and resolve checks in pursuit of this oath!


    You will now automatically sense upon your Dominion Interface Map the locations of ALL agents affected by this oath, unless enemy agent stealth checks can best your MONSTROUS Perception!


    Eric¡¯s lips curled in a furious smile as he glared at the smirking Contender gazing at him before the dozen Bronze-tier mercenaries who were the true threat. But none so much as the Half-step Silver, even as Eric did what he could, the fiery vines now, besides burning and crushing his enemies, served as a fantastic distraction so that the AFV was the last thing on the flankers¡¯ minds.


    Everyone was either focused on the vines, of if they were the elites, on him.


    So a quick flash of the mental map he shared with a startled Caliban and Elonia... because his Psionic Pool meant more than a good shout, and he didn¡¯t even care how badly his poor brain had been warped if his friends had a way out of this deathtrap while he did all he could to distract his foes and put the focus on him.


    Entirely on him as he dared to race upon the air itself, holding BACK from his furious desire to tear into his foes and SLAUGHTER them to smile coldly down at them.


    Holding BACK his killing rage as his eyes pinned the mocking Contender daring to chuckle his mirth, to smile as if in approval!


    ¡°Well done!¡± the fucking suave-looking asshole Contender commended, a single negligent wave of his hand cutting off what would have been a dozen sets of no doubt triple-perk enhanced blaster fire that, even if Eric¡¯s Quickness was now over four times his foe¡¯s¡­ might still have killed him if he was a fucking showboating idiot standing perfectly still for their amusement.


    OR really¡­ the ringmaster¡¯s amusement. Because in the end, it was all about embracing his role to the hilt, with all eyes on him, and only a few bucket-heads glancing down at the ground underneath their feet.


    ¡°An excellent feint and bluff, Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯. Wonderful! I see that rumors of your prowess haven¡¯t been exaggerated,¡± Commended the renaissance-fair wearing asshole, no matter how fucking hot with magic his too-tight hose and puffy silk jacket happened to be.


    ¡°You may call me Aurelius Imperious Augustus.¡±


    Eric tilted his head, as if in bemusement, not wrath. Heart racing with something besides fury and fear. Sensing the battlefield and that there were now no neutrals anywhere to be found. Because all the mortals and low Vitality professionals in the adjoining buildings had been slaughtered by the concussive blast of the bomb that had managed to both take out an AFV and stun a full complement of Bronze Sentinels.


    Good.


    ¡°So, you must be Leonide¡¯s Brother! Here to exact a little vengeance?¡±


    Aurelius chuckled coldly. ¡°Vengeance? Perhaps. Opportunity? Certainly. For I can think of few better ways for amends to be made than your Sister¡¯s hand for my cousins¡¯ life, wouldn¡¯t you agree? But don¡¯t worry. When your Blue Corp puppet perishes just seconds from now, your sister¡¯s territory, my territory, will double and the synergism boons we will get for both industrial production and agriculture will be legendary!¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to get through me before you touch a hair on either of their heads. And you¡¯re going to have to do it without your coterie of Bronze-tier bucket-head bootlickers.¡±


    Eric flashed a ruthless smile at the twelve men locking their miniguns at him¡­ Tier-3 miniguns, glaring with such HATE! He suppressed a wince, promising himself that if he survived this, he would be maxing out his Elemental Resistance even if his Qi Pool shrunk painfully, because this was cutting it too fucking close.


    Blood roared in his ears as he waited for the tiniest twist of a wrist or curled lip that would give his foes permission to¡­


    FUCK!


    His heart spasmed with sudden dread, abruptly sensing the lock of multiple Dead-eye perks, suddenly recalling all too well the one time he had allowed even one expert gunner to get a bead on him... and why the fuck had he let himself just stand there?


    ¡°And to think, I could let my pawns kill you right here and now.¡±


    Eric tasted the terror suddenly flowing through him with those words. Tasted it and became one with it, accepting it and smiling wide, eyes twinkling, as if a joke had been shared between them.


    ¡°Sure you could. But where would the fun be in that?¡±


    Aurelius blinked, before his abruptly roared with laughter before saluting Eric with his blade. ¡°Where indeed? No satisfaction¡­ no growth! YES! Let there be a duel between us, as was my intention all along! The victor to ascend along the Path of Peril and to claim the most glorious of prizes. I accept the terms of this match!¡±


    And before a shocked Eric could even ask if this monster truly walked a path so similar to his own, he was suddenly before Eric.


    Eric immediately snapped his blade to a high hanging guard, never having felt so aware of his environment and the smell of smoke and scalded asphalt and burnt flesh from below as shouts cries and desperate screams assaulted his ears. Yet all his focus was on the deadly being smiling so widely before him. Every pore on his inhumanly beautiful features, Every shift of shoulders, hips, and feet that danced on air, much as did Eric¡¯s own.


    He was aware of all of it, senses extending and encompassing the world entire. Eric now just an extension of the world all around him even as he was aware of his own body, his strength, his coiled power, like never before.


    And with the tiniest of nods, their dance began.


    A windmilling strike, a winding parry.


    A furious rebuttal as the day flashed with razor sharp mithril slicing through the air so fast that the shockwaves sent multiple irregular Red Scorpions crashing to their knees with blood spurting from their ears.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Swords flickering so fast as Battletime roared to life, Eric weaving and dodging past double Zwerches that could have decapitated so effortlessly, Zornhau then countering Oberhau in a single deadly beat, the air suddenly alive with the brilliant crimson drops of his foe¡¯s blood.


    Purple eyes widened. Not with surprise, but bemused satisfaction as Aurelius¡¯s chin was sliced open.


    Yet Eric¡¯s smile was cut off by the fierce jolt of pain in turn when a winding blow slipped right past his guard to plunge just below the lip of his mithril hauberk, Eric jerking away before impossibly sharp mithril could gouge and tear.


    As one, the pair leaped back in the air that was their pristine dueling ring, panting with instantly abated fatigue and, yes, mutually felt exhilaration as they embraced a dance free of power and potency, embracing martial skill with their blades alone.


    Lunge, parry, rebuttal.


    Windmilling strike, winding counter.


    A kick so fast it broke the sound barrier, Eric¡¯s 300 Physical Resistance the only reason why his knee hadn¡¯t shattered.


    He snarled as he leaped back, before forcing himself to salute Aurelius.


    ¡°Point,¡± Eric acknowledged, earning a cool nod from his opponent.


    ¡°Monstrous resistances. How intriguing. Perhaps this explains how you managed to survive so long? As for your swordwork...¡± the man flashed a bemused smile. ¡°Acceptable.¡±


    His sword then flickered so fast that the light flashed and scattered like a prism across both their blades as Aurelius¡¯s bemused smile turned to cold focus as he met Eric in the bind and wrenched Eric¡¯s blade off-line to PLUNGE it into a wheezing Eric¡¯s breastbone which gave out with a CRACK as he was sent flying back, mind screaming in shock as his opponent, his coldly smiling opponent...floated towards Eric.


    You have been struck by Piercing Strike!


    Two Soul-Bound Essence of Dominion infused Mithril Rings have been punctured!


    Aurelius his head with a mocking smile. ¡°Come, child. You only managed twenty deflected strikes and three failed feints before I delivered what could so easily have been a killing blow?¡± He licked the crimson tip of his blade and smiled. Shivering with visible delight. ¡°You can do better than that, surely?¡±


    Eric took a wheezing breath, backpedaling and drawing in a coldly sauntering Aurelius walking so casually through the air toward him.


    ¡°Fuck! What is your Strength? Your Quickness? A thousand?¡± Eric gasped.


    The air rang with the monster¡¯s cold laughter.


    ¡°OF course, boy! Of course it is!¡± His smile turned to a sneer. ¡°But don¡¯t mock me like a fool. You can do more. I KNOW you can do more. I heard all about your duel with my cousin from those not tied to my uncle¡¯s bootstraps. How easily and effortlessly you MASTERED poor Leonide. There were even rumors that you had accessed arts that were tied to the true fundamental nature of reality itself!¡±


    Unified Restoration Potency Surge in effect! Knee and Breast Bone have been fully repaired! You are no longer stunned! You are no longer impaired!


    Eric gave desperate wheeze, groaning as if still injured, before forcing a smile. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s true. Maybe I can do more. But I thought it was important that I level the playing field first. That makes sense, right? You understand.¡±


    Aurelius furrowing his brow before his eyes widened with surprise.


    Yet not even his monstrous Thousand Quickness could stop the massive tri-fold maw of a World Eater the exact same half-step Silver rank as he from lifting out of the blacktop like water, crunching effortlessly through the piles of rubble and what was left of the ruined buildings in the area now completely free of innocent Professionals before snapping shut around the dozen Bronze-tier Mercenaries who wasted a single precious second gaping in awe at the enormous maw closing around them as effortlessly as a shark snapping its jaws shut in seawater to affect anything like the immediate escape that might have saved their lives.


    And when all their triple-tier Bullseye perks shifted from a now fast-moving and no longer easily locked-on Eric to firing at the maw of a creature infused with Tier-2 Essence of Invulnerability instead of using their 200+ Quickness and jetpacks in a last-ditch effort to flee¡­ that was the last mistake that most of them would ever make, only two managing to slip free as Eric¡¯s Underlord sunk back into the earth with its prize, the blacktop flowing like water back into its ideal shape once more.


    The two remaining Bronze mercs soon became one lone Red Scorpion when his companion was sent crashing to the ground, spasming his last when a full half dozen Blue Corp Sentinels burst from their ruined AFV Vehicle to embrace a unified Focused Fire feat that tore through their foe¡¯s low-tier Power Armor helm before turning his brain to superheated mist in the blink of an eye.


    The final power-armored opponent quickly raised his arms and dropped his Minigun¡­ before being lit up a second later like a Christmas tree by a fully armored Caliban and his crew who were NOT fucking around against foes that had declared Vendetta against them, much to Eric¡¯s fierce approval. And the minute a few streams of tier-1 Blaster fire sprayed at them from their rear¡­ in between the desperate screams and dying gurgles and panicked fleeing of so many irregulars, they were quickly and irrevocably shown the error of their ways.


    Of course a suddenly panicked Eric felt a jolt of terror for his sister and the prone girl beside her who were NOT protected. Until, to his incredible relief, he saw BunBun apport right over them, warding them with a crimson field he was almost positive she had learned from his daughter before lighting the remaining Red Scorpion assholes up with glorious forking blasts of crimson lightning. Lightning that was soon joined by half a dozen streams of obliterating plasma as Caliban¡¯s half-dozen heavily armored sentinels closed ranks around the girls before absolutely obliterating the distracted fuckheads with so much Tier-III minigun fire that they were literally cleaved in half, skulls popping in explosions of fiery mist that filled Eric with a fierce sense of satisfaction to see.


    IT was a frozen moment that Eric savored, even as he readied himself for absolutely EXPLOSIVE retribution, lining himself up to bring everything to bear against the Half-Step Silver who turned around, his wild eyes filled with unmistakable DELIGHT!


    Aurelius roared with laughter, even as his blade grew dark as midnight, radiating the promise of oblivion itself.


    Eric froze, heart quailing, tasting death in the air. Laughing mocking death that reduced his successful counter to ephemeral insignificance. They both knew that if Eric couldn¡¯t best Aurelius here and now, it would be effortless for this half-step monster to slaughter Caliban and his sworn guard just as effortlessly as squeezing the life out of a baby chick.


    And if Eric dared to hold back for even a second¡­ against a blade now radiating 4 Tiers of the essence of Oblivion, wielded by a master who had already revealed Piercing Strike mastery¡­ when Eric had shown no weapon feat mastery at all, just basic Bloodfire Strike, showing just how limited he was beyond an unusually high Quickness... he was done for. And they both knew it.


    ¡°Well done, Ernest Slaughter. WELL DONE! I have recorded that GLORIOUS turn of fortunes for enjoyment and study both. Now come, boy. Show me that you are more than clever tricks and staunch allies. Show me the power of your spirit. The power of whatever strike laid my pathetic excuse for a cousin low. Come, Ernest! Show me the might of your SOUL!¡±


    Heart pounding, Eric swallowed the lump in his throat that spoke of dread he REFUSED to acknowledge, shifting his stance and balance even as he adopted a high hanging guard with his left hand alone upon the mithril blade now roaring with an extra 4 feet in length of liquid crimson fire and no other enhancements, even as his right hand gently clasped the covered hilt of his second blade.


    The one tied to his class.


    Bound to his soul.


    Aurelius gave him a cool look, before his hopeful smile turned to a sneer of contempt. ¡°This is the pose you would take before your death? This is the attack that laid my debauched profligate excuse for a cousin so low? YOU LIE!¡±


    Eyes flashing with the fierce intensity of an outraged Silver monster bore into Eric¡¯s own. Freezing him to the quick. Realizing only at that moment how very much his enemy had been holding back.


    Deliberately holding back.


    Seeking instead to forge himself along a path of peril and perfection, honing specific arts that would in turn hone his body and mind both.


    Because he too was walking a dual path. Seeking enlightenment instead of pointless slaughter.


    In his own way, he had paid Eric the ultimate honor in his pursuit of perfection. Pursuit of a fresh breakthrough.


    As far as he was concerned, Eric had just spat in his face.


    Eric¡¯s heart was hammering, a tiny corner of his mind screaming with terror when an imperious glare so like his mother of a lifetime ago cut him to the quick.


    ¡°But if you would make a mockery of our bout, when I could have so easily OBLITERATED YOUR ENTIRE CITY, FOOL, THEN SO BE IT!¡± He flashed a furious smile. ¡°I, at least, will take this bout seriously till the final flickers of our deadly dance. May Eve grant me whatever wisdom I can tear free from your disappointment of a corpse! Now let me show you the might of someone who knows the true art of projecting his killing intent!¡±


    Eric felt a jolt of surprised dismay. He truly was facing a fellow disciple. Both opponent and kin. Yet before he could do anything to mitigate what was to unfold, Aurelius was already charging forth so devastatingly fast that Eric¡¯s mind was SCREAMING to react in time when a burst of howling agony erupted within his synapses with such shocking force that he knew that any other elf wouldn¡¯t have just been stunned¡­ their skulls would have outright exploded.


    You have been struck by Psionic Roar!


    Modified Psionic Resistance (Dense Neurons) of 109 MITIGATES Fatal Blow to Medium Wound!


    Mental Resistance of 139 SAVES against Agony & Disorientation!


    Acting Skill check successful!


    Eric screamed, as any trained killer well versed in studying his opponents would have expected. His flinging of his mithril blade at his foes¡¯ face as he crumpled back? A desperate move that even the best warriors might attempt in extremis, saving enough lives over the eons to be worthy of note. Yet it was absolutely nothing for a thousand Quickness killer to bat the mithril blade aside, shattering Eric¡¯s priceless weapon with the power of oblivion before darting in for the KILL!


    Eric¡¯s kill, that was.


    His foe had time only for the arrogant sneer to be wiped off his face when he realized that, yes, Eric did indeed have access to transcendent attacks, and that Eric permitting his foe a sternum cracking Piercing Strike during the first phase of their fight had been a small price to pay to hide weapon feats that put even Augustus¡¯s killing blows to shame.


    A flash of desperate thought his opponent blared that slammed into Eric¡¯s Dense Neurons that still lacked any sort of protective shell for his thoughts, and always would.


    At least Aurelius didn¡¯t beg as the sky erupted with transcendent ice and fire. Eric would give him credit for that much, at least.


    ¡°No! Impossible! I sensed your weak¡ª¡±


    DOOM FLURRY!


    PHOENIX STRIKE! 55X DAMAGE MULTIPLIER IN EFFECT!


    Combined Rank 14 Essence Ranks TRUMPS Rank 4 Voidal Mastery!


    YOU HAVE STRUCK YOUR OPPONENT 12 TIMES WITH A HIGHER ORDER POWER!


    Eric blinked when his interface message crackled¡­ knowing that he had STRUCK HIS FOE! OBLITERATED HIS FOE!


    Yet space and time were replaced with odd crackling whiteness, and Aurelius disappeared.


    Eric shivered, chilled to the quick when a fresh interface message popped up before him.


    Imperial retrieval token has been used. Do you wish to dispute this action?


    Eric violently shook his head. Sensing that reality MIGHT very well have bent in such a way that the Phoenix¡¯s fury would allow him to transcend even this bit of System fuckery. But in addition to being powerful, Phoenix were NOT stupid. If the imperial dragon himself was looking Eric¡¯s way¡­


    Eric¡¯s heart was suddenly pounding, feeling a cold chill like ice against his soul.


    ¡°No,¡± he said, breath dry and raspy. ¡°I do NOT dispute this action.¡± He sent his blade back into soul storage for good measure, a class ability separate from ES Space and somehow even more intimate and connected to him, right where it belonged.


    The next messages to flash before his eyes replaced his growing sense of dread with shuddering relief.


    You have successfully BESTED a Half-Step Silver Contender in Combat (who had been deliberately holding himself back as a courtesy to his master¡­ and yours.) - Note! This title boon has already been claimed!


    Eric blinked, feeling a sudden chill at that. Because it implied that there were other serious players here on Earth besides himself, powerful enough to manage what he just had¡­ and not against monsters who had been holding back. Deliberately holding back, seeking to hone themselves along the cultivator¡¯s path, not just obliterate with the equivalent of city-destroying attacks. And those various Contenders were no doubt getting a jump on Bronze-tier titles of their own.


    Monstrous Contenders, who, for all Eric knew, were more than EAGER to have a long talk with the arrogant upstart who had made grabbing three attribute world-titles his priority when other, wiser, powerhouses had perhaps sought far less contentious backdoors to monumental fonts of power. Not that Eric had the faintest idea as to what they were, let alone how to achieve those hallmarks of potency.


    Truth was, Eric was fumbling in the dark as always, eager to claim whatever prizes or accomplishments that he could, serendipity and fierce killing insights far more than planning having guided his footsteps so far. The only thing he could be sure of was that, right now, he had a target on his back the size of a city, at least as Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter, and that all the Soul Points he had burned fusing his Phoenix Ring to his person had probably been the best defensive choice he had ever made.


    Eric felt shaky with exhaustion, having gone from utter terror for his sister¡¯s sake to feeling like the king of the world to realizing he was still just a very small fish in an even smaller pond that was about to get dumped into the ocean.


    Eve Approves of your battle. (And your common sense!)


    Congratulations! In return for besting, yet NOT killing a fellow favored disciple, you have broken past your bottleneck. (For this level at least!)


    You are now a Rank 49 Cultivator!


    Additional compensation for your prudence has been granted.

 Chapter 428 - Cleanup

    ¡°Brittany! NO! Stay with me!¡±


    The final awful moments of the battle replayed endlessly in Elonia¡¯s mind as she gazed down upon her dying friend, spasming her last on the blacktop surface as her assigned honor guard did all she could to stop the bleeding.


    Their desperate efforts to stabilize her friend gave Elonia perilous hope, even when death seemed all but certain outside. Then things got even worse, if possible, with that coldly smiling monster Contender! Who seemed to disappear in the blink of an eye... so horrifically fast he could move. A chilling sight to behold.


    Only for the air to crack and boom with thunder that disoriented even the irregulars half the AFV monitors showed as cursing and snarling and glaring with such mob-ruled hate even as they fired their blasters or braced themselves to fire at any fool who dared try to escape their hundred strong mob.


    And then, cutting through even their AFV with such eerie resonance and echoing feedback was her brother¡¯s voice. Her brother! Calling out the most unorthodox spells that of course shouldn¡¯t work at all. Spells that were the farthest thing from being properly tuned into the furious currents of any of the elements, but rather whispering words somehow directly tied to the essence of objects themselves via drastically inefficient uses of techniques requiring not one but multiple potency pools. Extremely exotic dualities normally never encountered, save as a spiritualist¡¯s eccentricities in the tomes she somehow recalled studying in such fine detail¡­ even if the details of how and when were now a complete blur.


    Yet for all their drawbacks, she sure as hell couldn¡¯t deny the spell¡¯s efficacy when the broken rubble and blacktop that the irregulars were using for cover abruptly erupted in massive copses of blazing oaks and whipping fiery vines like an octopus¡¯s limbs, if those limbs had been covered in thorns and fire. Then her stomach twisted, realizing what must have served as her brother¡¯s inspiration, the abomination looking so much like the violently thrashing top-half of the warped ascension pods that orc Shamans had once attempted to turn into sentient monsters.


    In those desperate moments, Elonia had actually dared to think they might have a chance when dozens of plasma blaster wielding irregulars abruptly found themselves being strangled or catapulted right into the air by blazing limbs of oak and thorny vines, burning and shredding them by the dozens. Even if most of the mercenaries still managed to escape that trap, the AFV was now the lat thing on their minds.


    But that did nothing for the true threat that Elonia and her companions faced, the dozen minigun-wielding power-armored assholes who looked ready to blast a whole in the now shuddering AFV thanks to concentrated fire before their guns all lifted upwards to lock onto¡­ oh no¡­ her brother!


    Yet before her heart could even skip a beat with dread, the earth shook as a massive maw that looked shockingly like the choppy feed of the actual World Eater her brother was rumored to have somehow tamed? Actually emerged from below the street, as if blacktop and brick had become foggy mist.


    A titanic, terrifying, tri-fold maw that claimed the entire band of Red Scorption elites, save for two, with a single deadly SNAP! Before sinking back into the blacktop with only a few faint ripples in its wake.


    Elonia gazed at the sight with slack-jawed disbelief, but only for a single second, before Nevy, the woman assigned to care for her, jolted Elonia back into the moment. ¡°Elonia, we have to get out NOW!¡±


    And before Elonia could say a word, she saw one of the half dozen sentinels gently scoop up a still critically wounded Brittany even as Nevy gathered Elonia up with limbs like steel before somehow managing to scootch her through an emergency hatch that she was sure would be too small yet somehow the power armored half-dozen had slipped through, and before Elonia could blink, she was assaulted by roars and screams and the stink of scorched blacktop, burnt hair, and cooking meat. An awful sickly sweet stench she recalled all too well from the orc fire-pit (that never happened!) before she crumpled over as Nevy and the others moved so fast that they were a blur and blazing plasma erupted over crackling screams and the crash of exploding power armor and then her cheek was stinging and her right ear was fucking GONE when a blaster fire shot from the remaining irregulars seared off a good portion of her golden curls.


    She froze, so stunned that she didn¡¯t even think about her warding belt because her class and diligent practice and mastery of strategic class typhoons, storms, and nurturing rains did NOT make her a trained combatant. Yet before the now sneering mercenary glaring at her with gimlet eyes and a killer¡¯s smile could take another shot, he was obliterated by a crimson lightning bolt that did NOT taste of pure arcane magics but rather twisted applications of Spirit and Soul arts, and suddenly her shoulder felt the weight of a rabbit, of all things.


    An undead rabbit gazing so deeply into her eyes and so fiercely did its soul blaze that Elonia was forced to accept that it was much higher level than her, and could probably kill her effortlessly, but all it did was pat her with a single ear, wink, then unleash additional crackling bolts of crimson current from between its once more stiffened ears and Elonia just blanked out in a dazed stupor as a crimson ward that she should have cast sprung up around her and Brittany.


    Brittany!


    ¡°Brittany I¡¯m here, please don¡¯t die!¡± She sobbed, crawling over to hover hopelessly over her dying friend.


    ¡°It will be okay, buttercup. Don¡¯t you worry!¡± assured the undead TALKING bunny happily shooting lightning from its ears, now perched on Elonia¡¯s head and she didn¡¯t say a word, didn¡¯t dare say a word, only hoping, praying, that the blinding flash of Fire and Ice flashing through the air would prove to be their salvation.


    She shuddered then, her mind overwhelmed not only with terror and loss and shock and exhaustion but the pristine glittering BEAUTY of the freezing majesty that the skies had momentarily become.


    Infused not just with a burst of chilly air, but the pristine ESSENCE that somehow summarized Cold and Ice and frigid perfection, utterly Dominating ones environment. FEEDING on warmth and the absolute inverse of heat and her mind shuddered with sudden revelations, appreciating in that moment a profound epiphany so grand that for a second, there was nothing else beyond that insight.


    Her mind was captivated by the images of a pristine ice-crystal and a beautifully smiling woman who looked so much like her, a woman she just knew was her mother, even as an unexpected interface message shuddered through her soul.


    Congratulations! You have had a Profound Revelation!


    Your studies of the Elements of Water and Cold and exposure to Higher Order Concepts has allowed for a breakthrough!


    You have gained Rank 1 of the Essence of Cold!


    Though mortal magics are but a shadowy mirror of Transcendant Attacks, your understanding of the element of Cold has grown by leaps and bounds!


    Cold Element Mastery has gained 5 Ranks!


    Free Skill Perk gained! You may now infuse any cold based Elemental attack with the ESSENCE of cold! NOTE! Cold Essence based spells WILL use temporary Soul Reserves (regained with 20-Vitality hours sleep!) Your arcane proficiency and expertise reduces this cost significantly!


    You have gained 3 levels! (Attribute Point Placement deferred!)


    Yet the wonder she felt as the revelations shivered through her soul turned to dismay when she gazed down into wide brown eyes. The eyes of a girl jolted awake in the extremis of agony, aware of every agonizing moment as she choked on the blood and fluids she was drowning in, and Elonia¡¯s heart was breaking as she sobbed and reached out to Brittany.


    Only for Nevy¡¯s STUPID hand to gently block her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elonia. This is a hot zone. We have to MOVE!¡±


    ¡°NO! We have to save Brittany. She¡¯s dying!¡±


    Nevy¡¯s gentle gaze, the gaze of a warrior, and a mother, locked with her own. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elonia. Caliban fears insurgents triggering fresh explosives could arrive at any moment. We have to move. And the hospital¡¯s just been hit.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened with horrified dismay.


    Why? Why would any monster strike the hospital? It was vicious sadism, pure and simple.


    Nevy nodded her head. ¡°Monstrous, and now we must¡ª¡±


    ¡°NO! I won¡¯t leave her!¡±


    The world rumbled with what Elonia was sure was a distant explosion. She choked back a cry when Nevy¡¯s gentle feature¡¯s hardened, just knowing she was getting ready to move her, when suddenly he was before them.


    A Contender radiating such fearsome power, such wild killing intent, that the entire company lurched around with fear in their eyes¡­


    Only it was just her brother. Eyes wild and green as his crimson hair crackled with potency, Sylvan ears, what they both should have, and it was so clearly Eric that she didn¡¯t know how anyone could be fooled, but apparently the world was fooled, and her heart swelled with joy and relief when he solemnly approached the dying Brittany, no one daring to say a word as he approached, save for Caliban himself.


    ¡°Lord Ernest. Your timing is impeccable, as always.¡±


    The wild-eyed Contender that Elonia was now utterly certain could kill them all, the twin brother she loved and adored with all her heart, flashed Caliban a cheeky grin. ¡°I¡¯m just glad that Wormy was able to come through.¡± He then peered down intently at Brittany who was struggling so violently to breathe! Why? Why wasn¡¯t anyone saving her?


    ¡°Do I have your permission?¡±


    Brittany¡¯s eyes bulged. Why the hell was Eric asking such a meaningless question? Her friend was dying! She couldn¡¯t speak!


    ¡°Er¡ª¡± before Elonia could make her plea, it was Caliban who¡¯s hand covered her mouth, coolly shaking his power-armored head. Which chilled her. Because it showed just how fast he truly was¡­ and that he also knew, or at least suspected, Eric¡¯s secret. And how stupid could she be to have almost said his actual name? But her friend was¡­


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Her eyes widened as she collapsed in tears as her eyes took in the sight before her.


    The blazing crimson rune upon her lover¡¯s brow.


    The blood that flowed like a liquid thing out of her friend¡¯s bulging mouth¡­ as if Eric had just scooped her lungs free of blood. Blood that swirled in her brother¡¯s rune-covered palm before he gently placed it before Brittany¡¯s now spurting neck wound¡­ only it was spurting no longer.


    The blood was all flowing inside her.


    Inside her, back where it belonged.


    And with a shuddering cry, Brittany was trembling and shaking and sobbing in Eric¡¯s gentle arms and then Elonia was hugging them both so fiercely.


    ¡°Thank you Er¡­ Thank you Ernest, Thank you for saving her. Thank you!¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± her brother said with such a goofy smile when Elonia hugged her lover close, no longer giving a fuck for propriety or raised eyebrows or what the hell anyone expected of two sovereign allies and supposedly no more than that.


    ¡®Oh god, Elonia. I thought I was dead. I fucking thought I was dead! And I was drifting off but then I jolted back when it hurt so bad and I knew it was the end but then my lungs were clearing and now I¡¯m breathing, and I owe it all to¡­¡±


    ¡°Ernest Edgelord Slaughter, at your service,¡± Elonia¡¯s brother said with a smile. ¡°And please be careful. I commanded the blood to stay sealed and behave, but it¡¯s at least an hour of sleep or perfect stillness before System Reset snaps everything back where it belongs. Or your own regeneration, but that was scary close. Let¡¯s not do that again, okay?¡±


    Brittany gazed at Ernest¡¯s goofy grin. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re so handsome. I swear, you¡¯re just GLOWING with this delicious wonderful presence like you¡¯re the star of the movie and we¡¯re all NPCs and I totally think I¡¯m in love with you and you saved my life and you feel like an angel in my heart that I want holding me tight and keeping me warm always.¡± Her cheeks flushed. ¡°And here I am, going on like some drunken fool of a girl running her mouth because she came so close to dying that she just can¡¯t shut up!¡±


    Ernest winked. ¡°It¡¯s cool. It happens to the best of us.¡± He then turned to his rabbit. ¡°How are we, BunBun?¡±


    ¡°Excellent, fearless leader!¡± BunBun assured, snapping a salute with both ears and paw.


    ¡°OOH, your bunny familiar is so adorable!¡± Brittany said with a squeal. She then turned to Elonia, her goofy smile matching Ernest¡¯s own. ¡°I love you so much and I¡¯d never cheat on you but I know we both dig boys and he¡¯s so, so gorgeous and he saved my life and he¡¯s a hero and we won¡¯t be cheating if we share him! So we should totally share him as our royal con¡ª¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes flashed with heat, a gentle finger touching her suddenly whimpering lover¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even say it. Okay?¡±


    Brittany blinked. ¡°But¡­¡±


    BunBun the rabbit solemnly shook her head. ¡°Sorry, beautiful. He¡¯s already spoken for.¡±


    Brittany opened her mouth again and it was Nevy who saved the day, their guardian giving the flustered girl the gentlest of smiles. ¡°Come, Your Grace. Let¡¯s get you and our friends somewhere safe where you can recover from your catastrophic ordeal.¡±


    ES ¨C Ernest, I¡¯m SO SO sorry! I wasn¡¯t expecting that. But THANK YOU SO MUCH for saving Brittany¡¯s life. All our lives¡­ again? Fuck, just how powerful and awesome are you?


    ER ¨C Lol. It¡¯s cool. You¡¯re friend¡¯s suffering mild cognitive impairment that should recover after a good night¡¯s rest, since she¡¯s a Classer. As to your other question¡­ the answer is absurdly powerful and extremely awesome!


    Her brother then turned to the man who controlled this entire territory, and how odd it was to see the subtle shifts in stance and posture. The respect, almost deference, that the Blue Prince showed the youth who was, to most people¡¯s eyes, just another adventurer when Eric, or Ernest, subtly turned down the intensity of his aura, his potency, even without any killing intent. Not that Elonia blamed him for letting it flare out. He had just endured what she guessed was a death match against an absolute monster.


    ¡°How are we?¡±


    Caliban gave a quiet chuckle. ¡°As well as can be expected, all things considered, Ernest.¡±


    Her brother nodded. ¡°They¡¯re not wiped out quite yet. I can sense about thirty reds blinking throughout the city, though most are scattering.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened as much as Elonia felt her own.


    ¡°Ernest, this is important. Can you truly sense them?¡±


    Elonia didn¡¯t need the intensity of her friend¡¯s gaze to know that her brother¡¯s gift was beyond remarkable, yet he took it in stride as if it were the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡°Of course. When they declared vendetta against you and my sister, I did the same to them. Now I have a System Quest. I have one year to wipe them off the face of the planet, and to help me do it, so long as my Perception beats their stealth checks, I can kind of spot them all¡­ at least when I¡¯m the same part of the world that they are.¡±


    If anything, Caliban¡¯s gaze grew even more nonplussed, before he abruptly shook it off. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite impressive, though I warn you, Masters at stealth enjoy fantastic bonuses against enemy Perception.¡±


    For some reason this made Ernest smile.


    ¡°But for such a grand boon¡­ what happens if you fail to purge them after a year¡¯s out?¡±


    Ernest shrugged. ¡°No idea. It¡¯s never been a problem before.¡±


    Caliban froze at those words. ¡°Wait¡­ Ernest¡­ are you saying you¡¯ve successfully purged enemy factions before?¡±


    ¡°Well, not in this timeline. But if, hypothetically, we had all lived in a very similar one just a short while ago¡­ then yes. There¡¯s a certain orc faction among the many orc factions that I wiped completely off the face of Earth. As for the other purge oaths¡­ they seemed to have reverted when the timeline¡­ I mean the hypothetical timeline shifted.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s thoughts were racing. If her brother was doing more than speaking out of his ass¡­ he was aware of what had happened before, truly happened before, with a crystalline clarity of a time that to her were little more than foggy dream, save when Eric plucked memories to the surface once more. Yet at the same time, she knew damn well that this reality WAS their reality, and a damn fine one now, with two glorious cities where before there had been¡­ best not to think about it!


    She shivered, shaking away her own thoughts, hearing the tale end of Caliban¡¯s request.


    ¡°If you truly wouldn¡¯t mind leading us to these threats¡­ you¡¯d have Blue¡¯s gratitude, Ernest. Though I regret the need to compel any youth to aid in a purge¡­¡± Caliban angrily clenched his jaw. ¡°Hundreds, Eric. We lost hundreds of innocent lives today, with key elements of infrastructure and support taken out and an entire block destroyed, simply so they could disable our AFV.¡±


    Ernest¡¯s eyes flashed with an intensity that both awed and chilled Elonia.


    ¡°Then consider them as good as dead.¡±


    And before Caliban could say anything further, her brother darted away so fast it was like he had disappeared.


    Caliban opened his mouth, then shook his head with a sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you had to be the one to purge them, Eric,¡± He said softly under his breath, before flushing when he caught an awed Elonia gazing his way.


    And she couldn¡¯t help the flush in her own cheeks, heart racing at the thought of the most handsome poised Elf who looked so much like a young Leonard Nemoy actually looking flustered. In need of an understanding hug. And maybe so much more.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I know,¡± she softly said.


    And with delightful force of presence, he was suddenly before her, gazing so intently into her eyes.


    It totally wasn¡¯t her fault that she accidentally kissed him.


    In a moment of supreme awkwardness they looked at each other before Caliban cleared his throat, stepping back with a fluid bow. ¡°This one apologizes for so abruptly startling you, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Elonia said, cheeks blazing.


    ¡°I feel I must¡­ emphasize, above all else, that certain truths must never be spoken of aloud.¡±


    ¡°Like how absolutely hot you are?¡± teased Brittany with a grin.


    Elonia and Caliban both ignored her.


    Brittany pouted.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Elonia said in a soft, husky voice, never having wanted any man more than she wanted Caliban right at that moment, yet somehow finding the strength to bow in turn, breaking eye contact, and to face an oddly sympathetic-looking Nevi, while speaking aloud.


    ¡°So what¡¯s our next step?¡±


    ¡°Our next step is we get you home.¡± Caliban declared with a reassuring smile as Elonia spun around in a fresh jolt of terror¡­ ready to scream¡­ but it wasn¡¯t another ambush. It was the sound of their AFV righting itself with a crash and the help of several power-armored guardians as a lean elf wearing grease-stained coveralls gave Caliban a sloppy salute. ¡°She¡¯s as good as new, sir.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± Caliban waved to the hatch. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Elonia¡¯s heart skipped a beat, a wave of anxiety and exhaustion leaving her feeling dizzy and sick, realizing that she hadn¡¯t even processed her title gains or terror or how close she had come to death or the three levels worth of potency that she really REALLY wanted to lock in a double bonus that was effectively triple with her multiple Arcane Reserve boons but didn¡¯t know if Eric would think she was an overspecialized fool or a fool to surrender what amounted to a triple-strength boon. So she held off on tapping into that side of her potential.


    Yet before she could even choke out a whimper because she really, REALLY didn¡¯t want to explore the elements of her newfound claustrophobia with tight constraining death traps, even if intellectually she knew that those tons of polycarbonate tungsten & steel were the only reason why she was still alive¡­ a soft bundle of fur had hopped on her shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, princess. I got your back!¡±


    ¡°Ooh, look, it¡¯s the cute rabbit!¡± Brittany squeeled.


    ¡°At your service! Name¡¯s Bunz¡­ or BunBun¡­ or SuperBunz.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s anxiety instantly melted before the soothing warmth of rabbit ears against her cheek. And she totally wasn¡¯t rubbing BunBun¡¯s purring belly¡­ and should undead familiar rabbits purr? Did she care? For comfort while allowing a tutting Nevy to lead her back into the HORRID DEATHTRAP (incredibly safe transport vehicle) and on to the next leg of what should be her absolutely epic and glorious happily ever after. Where hopefully no one would try to ambush or kill her. Again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you got this!¡± BunBun assured when Elonia found herself strapped and seated once more with a bubbly Brittany being put under gentle sedation and out within seconds. And a part of her wanted to laugh at the concerned looks she was getting from absolutely all the power-armored specialists gazing at her with such care through their clear face-plates. But before Elonia could say a word to assure them that she was the farthest thing from a frazzled Brittany basket case, she thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to rest her eyes for just a quick second and¡­


    ***


    ¡°The girls are safely asleep, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Good. Make sure absolutely nothing disturbs them for at least an hour¡¯s time, and that we give them no deliberate reminders of what I suspect was the most perilous hour of their lives.¡±


    ¡°Even if the head of the Sylvan Alliance was gazing at you like she wanted to claim you, right then and there?¡± Nevy teased. ¡°Play your cards right, my prince, and Boston and New Arcadia could both be under Blue Federation¡¯s gentle care. Then our power will truly be unrivaled on this planet.¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°And my first wife would absolutely kill me. As I do have a basic sense of self-preservation, we will also assume that any invitations for dalliance put forth by our Sovereign guests were the product of extreme stress and narrowly avoided peril, and nothing more than that.¡±


    Nevy sighed but nodded. ¡°Of course, Your Grace.¡±

 Chapter 429 - Choice and Consequence

    Eric raced through the well-lit streets lined by perfectly manicured parks and gardens and tall futuristic buildings of glass, chrome, and glittering topaz alloys and smoke and rubble and screams and a child desperately crying for her mother and Eric was now racing straight UP the building because momentum was for suckers and inertia, gravity, and basic physics was pretty much optional, at least when it came to racing in whatever direction he wanted, where he wanted, and when he wanted and when the desperately screaming child who was covered in burns and gashes, and spurting way too much blood from an arterial puncture finally slipped from her perch, desperate to escape the roaring fire, Eric had already caught her.


    Caught her and kissed her brow and commanded the blood to stop flowing from her wounds. Commanded the injuries to seal and the blood to BURN away the infection in a neuro-friendly flash and Eric was racing back down the broken building to see where all the Professionals who normally liked browsing during the day and enjoying the magical city they had all secretly yearned for even pre-apocalypse where everyone was valued, everyone was trained, everyone MATTERED. Yet still, to this day, psychopathic assholes STILL wanted to cause injury and despair.


    And he was handing off the dazed child to a man who¡¯s odd mixture of gratitude and panicked pleas just washed over him because of course he was going back up to face the fire and why the hell had some psychopath placed a bomb in the middle of a residential building, top floor, with absolutely no tactical significance at all?


    His Mad Bomber perk made it clear that the building was absolutely fine, so truly the arsonist had been a fuckup. It was just that shrapnel and smoke and a brooding fire were taking a tole and Eric LOVED training up his skills. LOVED that his Dominion¡¯s Command had just hit Rank 7 and it was about time and healing was AWESOME!


    He should do it more!


    Ranking up skills was awesome and something he loved to do and he knew that both Blood Mastery and Swordsmanship were on the cusp of ascending yet another level¡­ at least halfway to Level 35! How glorious was that? But he had no time to meditate on a sword battle where he could finally admit that his opponent had been holding back so much of his own fearsome potential, so eager to grow and advance like Eric, and it totally wasn¡¯t that guy¡¯s fault that Eric had a Synergized 14 Essence Ranks he had evolved to an absolutely kick-ass transcendent attack, because his mother was a Seraphim who had just ascended the very night she hit Gold, and Eric could so EASILY blaze as a brilliant phoenix eager to grow in power, even if not spirituality, because with his father¡¯s bloodline¡­ but he wasn¡¯t about to burn a world for his own greed. Not when he was smashing through doors like nothing, reaching inside smoke-filled bedrooms lined with so much gloriously posh shit, including high end holographic entertainment centers and hyper-powered electromana computers and keeled over teenagers dying of smoke inhalation and there he was, racing down the building the wrong way¡­ no HIS WAY! Again. Ignoring the screams of a terrified mother before his mad dash straight down instantly leveled out with the road and a dead stop without jostling a hair on either girls¡¯ heads before he placed them down, gently kissed twin sister¡¯s brows, ignored the screaming mother who was crying for an ambulance¡­ did they even have ambulances now? And commanded their diaphragms to BREATHE!


    Congratulations! You have saved 2 additional lives and expanded your mastery over your Healing Arts! The perils of life & death have enhanced your focus and drive!


    Dominion¡¯s Command is now Rank 8, Hero!


    Eric snorted at that. He was the farthest thing from a hero as he raced back UP the building, glorying in his Dominion Map Interface¡­ and the fact that he had DREAMED literally every building and person into being in this city¡­ even if he really did NOT like accessing that truth, because they were their own autonomous people and he was just a lazy goofball slacker who REALLY liked powering up and didn¡¯t want the responsibility of so many lives depending on him, NEEDING him, and why was this door in the way? Go away, door! (it did) HAH! Fresh people to save¡­ level-up with!


    You have successfully reversed Fatal Blood-loss! Experience Earned!


    Eric squeezed eyes tightly shut that were stinging at the worst possible time. Having no problem with the smoke at all. It had been so easy, so effortless, to bring back the young mother whose blood had painted the entire back wall arterial red. To summon that blood BACK where it belonged and COMMAND the gashes shut. Even if he hadn¡¯t purged 100% of the germs and pyrogens, it was 99% clean, and Blue Corp antibiotics were LEET!


    And she was regaining consciousness and screaming, but Eric couldn¡¯t hear her. Couldn¡¯t understand a word she said as she coughed and begged and his Perception was 629 and he COULD NOT HEAR HER! Because there was nothing he could do.


    For the crushed child pulpified under a slab of Alutopaz, there was nothing he could do at all.


    Even though he TRIED!


    TRIED To command the flesh to heal, the injuries to SEAL!


    But all his STUPID Interface did in a too cheery voice as ask if he wanted to make a fresh revenant.


    NO! He did NOT want to make a fresh revenant. (there were no vile shamans to balance the soul for true autonomy with, and two-year-olds did NOT make good Revenants or autonomous Underlords) so all he could do was hold the screaming sobbing woman close and race back down the side of the building, gazing at the solemn crowd and the shell-shocked woman... and why the hell was no one taking this sobbing person off his hands? He had SAVING to do and SKILL RANKS to EARN! Because he was LEET and BADASS and even BunBun thought so.


    So Eric just stared out at nothing for long seconds, rubbing his eyes, while the building above continued to burn.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he softly said.


    ¡°She was all I had.¡±


    And there was nothing Eric could say to that as the young mother with the haunted eyes broke down in sobs. And why the FUCK hadn¡¯t he dreamed her a happy husband while he was playing god? What the heck was wrong with him?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Hhe said again. He looked back into the crowd. ¡°I have to go back up now,¡± he softly whispered.


    An experienced-looking Professional¡­ who certainly didn¡¯t look old, and now that Eric thought of it, absolutely no one looked old. He seemed to have dreamed everyone up with fully rejuvenated bodies, which was awesome, but certainly not impervious bodies and the motherly woman gave Eric a too gentle smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Hero. Go on. We¡¯ll look after her.¡±


    And Eric was racing back up the side of the building like a bolt of lightning because YES! Awkward social dialogue and painful poignancy scenes had been successfully SKIPPED! He hated those scenes in his games and why was he crying? Why? Oh yes! Smoke irritation! He really should max out more of his resistances. Hell, even his Physical Resistance could use another 30 points, because being fucking immune to 24-Pounder Cannonballs hadn¡¯t blocked that half-step Silver¡¯s piercing strike from cracking his sternum, even through his mithril mail! Ha ha!


    He then stopped cold.


    Took in the building in its entirety, and said the words he should have said minutes ago.


    ¡°Debilito dicio ignis plures dies!¡±


    His words echoed like thunder as his Mana and Qi both crashed a whopping 300 points. Four times what a certain orc keep had cost to render orc gunpowder inert. Because he had dreamed up big fucking buildings. Pretty buildings, with plenty of space and public parks between them, and floor-to-ceiling reinforced alloyed windows that he could make clearer than any glass, yet had left tinted just enough so that no one would accidentally walk into them, and because sun glare was a pain and privacy was important and he had dreamed up an ENTIRE CITY! (Even if he couldn¡¯t save everyone.)


    He could hear so clearly the awed murmurs of the crowd below.


    And the desperate cries of those still trapped inside.


    Still injured.


    Still suffering from smoke inhalation because that would take time to fully dissipate.


    And he knew where everyone was¡­ so he got back to work, and didn¡¯t stop until the job was done.


    ¡°Thank you, hero!¡± Sobbed a young woman holding an infant who couldn¡¯t have been any older than him. Any older than Rica. Eric swallowed the painful lump in his throat, and forced a smile.


    ¡°Happy to help, mam!¡±


    Because that¡¯s what you SAID when playing the virtuous path in any game.


    Everyone knew that.


    And even if the girl was biting her lip, looking so painfully like Rica, even if her Professional Parents were behind her, supporting her and their grandchild, clearly assuring them both a happy ending. Clearly not needing him any more, not really¡­ and that was okay.


    That was GREAT!


    Because Eric still had shit to do.


    Couldn¡¯t stop now!


    Not with his interface flashing with so many reds.


    So many problems.


    He couldn¡¯t stop until the job was fully done.


    Quest? Who the fuck needed a quest?


    He was a completionist. Like every good gamer SHOULD BE!


    He wouldn¡¯t stop until the job was DONE!


    ****


    ¡°Stim, hurry the fuck up! This place is hot, and we do not want to be here when the feds come down on our ass.¡±


    The bulky bear of a man wearing the nondescript coveralls of any low-rung service worker who could be found anywhere, paused in installing the bomb to one the building¡¯s central support beams and glared at his wiry, anxious-looking counterpart. Twitchy wild eyes, bad teeth, and a constant rash made it clear that his companion¡¯s hadn¡¯t been a perfectly clean Pod ascension. But then again, when did the average Joe get a break like that? That was for all the glossy actors and models and spoiled upper class shits and vid-cam whores that always had the easy life. Spoiled fuckers like those deserved everything coming to them, as far as he was concerned.


    ¡°Tim, if you don¡¯t shut the fuck up and get back to your post, I swear I will throw you off this building myself!¡±


    The shorter man blanched, nervously looking down from the naked support beam he stood on, down to the street far, far below.


    ¡°I think something went wrong. Kevin was screaming something before comms went off.¡±


    ¡°Really? What was Kevin screaming about?¡±


    ¡°That something was fucking up the ambush, but didn¡¯t say what. And why are we still planting bombs if the ambush worked? Because then the city¡¯s ours. So why the fuck would be blow it up? And if the city¡¯s not ours, that means that we¡¯re just sowing confusion and making noise so that the fucking higher-ups can get the fuck out safely while the working man takes the heat, like always. So why the fuck aren¡¯t we just running, Stim? We shouldn¡¯t even be¡ª¡±


    Tim¡¯s words died off abruptly when he finally registered the change in voice, glancing up from his brooding stare to find a distinct absence of both Stim and the massive bomb they had managed to cart past everyone by acting like perfectly casual maintenance crew, even using a luggage cart dolly and a cardboard box like it was the most natural thing in the world.


    Tim opened and closed his mouth, rubbing his eyes to be sure.


    Yup. His oversized partner, oversized bomb, and the luggage cart dolly were all gone.


    In their place was a kid wearing fancy ass crimson mail with a tricorn hat who was smirking at him on the support beam with his legs crossed, like it was the most natural thing in the world.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Stim.¡±


    ¡°This is true.¡±


    The kid flashed a grin that showed off beautiful white teeth. The absolute perfect smile.


    Tim felt his guts burn with envy. He even forgot to be scared.


    At least not until the kid¡¯s smile grew.


    And grew.


    Grew so fucking wide that it could swallow the world. And those teeth?


    What the hell had been thinking?


    No toothpaste commercial here.


    Just wickedly sharp teeth that glistened like bone with just a tiny bit of coveralls still caught on one.


    A piece of fabric revealing a single word that a now whimpering Tim could read perfectly.


    Stim.


    Tim whimpered and lurched back a step. So terrified he couldn¡¯t form a single coherent thought. So dizzy with fear that he couldn¡¯t even keep his balance, not even with his 14 Finesse.


    He only screamed when he fell, plummeting down 35 stories, his Vitality assuring that his powerful lungs marked his terror the entire way down. Until abruptly ending with a crunch.


    Then nothing at all.


    And the wildly laughing boy whose grin had seemed to take up a suddenly dark and stormy sky to the doomed eyes of Tim had disappeared.


    As if he had never been there at all.


    ****


    ¡°Henry! Thank god, you found my baby. Thank you, thank you!¡±


    Eric found himself smiling with that stupid lump in his throat again and the smoke irritating his eyes which was crazy with his stats because he sure wasn¡¯t crying with happiness after saving another child when he had been forced to leave the father behind, the poor man¡¯s skull having been obliterated by shrapnel that had come so close to missing him completely. So close to another happy ending.


    But not quite.


    Not quite for Henry¡¯s father, and the young woman gazing at Eric so hopefully, as if expecting the young hero to flash a winning smile and dart up for her husband and hop right back down crumpled when she saw the look in his eyes. The stupid moisture dripping free of cheeks that lasers, at least Tier-I lasers, would probably bounce right off of with no more than reddened skin. He doubted he would hold up quite so well to Tech-II blasters and sure as hell not Tech-III, like the ones used in that ambush he had been so happy to stomp¡­


    Yeah. He¡¯d prefer dealing with a few volleys of those to the sight of the poor young widow crumpling to her knees and holding up her trembling baby as if that would make a difference, screaming for him to save her man as if he hadn¡¯t already tried¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, hanging his head before her despairing wails before darting off so fast that even sound fought to catch up.


    So why were her desperate cries still echoing through his head?


    He stopped, choking back something awful crawling up the back of his throat¡­ certainly not a broken boy¡¯s sob, and took a deep breath and made himself look at the positive. Focusing on what he could do¡­ not in the things he couldn¡¯t.


    You have successfully Neutralized 1 Block-Buster Bomb.


    You have successfully claimed 3 Fire bombs.


    You have successfully put out 5 fires!


    You have directly rescued 57 men, women, and children.


    You have averted a potential 3000 additional casualties!


    You have successfully eliminated 20 additional Red Scorpion Affiliates!


    ¡°But not all of them,¡± he said softly to himself, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from wide-eyed professionals as he stood in the middle of the boulevard. So many people were walking on egg-shells, wide-eyed and primed to flee at the faintest hint of danger, the earlier halcyon mood of the city of just a days ago shattered for the spite of psychopaths and monsters.


    And here he was, to most of their eyes appearing as if out of nowhere.


    Focusing on what was blinking on his interface. What filled his growing sense of emotional exhaustion to brilliant diamond-hard focus once more.


    The twenty or so odd reds all racing away, most in the direction of Ashland or Picksonville, which made it clear that the Red Scorpions were probably affiliated with the merc companies that had claimed territory he had every fucking intention of getting back. Very, very soon, were not what troubled him.


    It was the cluster that had stopped in the middle of the city.


    And after trusting his gut and rushing to intercept any number of clandestine meetings¡­ or bomb set-up operations¡­ he feared he knew exactly what it meant. Because what was worse, far worse than anything else...was the location of this final grouping of half a dozen crimson lights.


    The Blue Palace itself.


    His guts twisted as he spun around, ignoring the fleeing rabble, focused only on those who had chosen to stick around.


    In his experience, two men meant an incendiary explosive and three men together had meant a Block-Buster bomb which had horrified him to read the System¡¯s description of, which meant that six Red Scorpions at Blue Corp¡¯s crown jewel where his own personal posh pads were at, where his Rising Sun crew was now recuperating, where he suspected Caliban¡¯s own family discretely lived¡­


    ¡°FUCK!¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    If he had thought he had been going full out before, it was nothing compared to the speed with which he was racing through the city now.


    ES - Caliban! Get your wife and kids out of Blue Place NOW! - Bomb imminent! -


    ES ¨C Bennett! Get everyone out of Blue Palace NOW! (Be fucking discrete!) Red Scorpion (might) be planting a massive bomb! - I¡¯m moving to intercept.


    His interface lit up with messages. First Caliban then Bennett, then a host of others.


    And it didn¡¯t even matter.


    All that mattered was the awful feeling of dread twisting inside his gut as his Danger Sense began flaring desperate warning. Even worse, his Mad Bomber perk which had built up pressure like an awful heaving stomach exploded into sheer dismay when he dared to visualize the entire city as one interconnected object.


    One interconnected pattern.


    A pattern he realized he recognized.


    A pattern radiating absolute MALICE.


    FUCK!


    His heart was pounding, breath hitching with what he¡¯d finally acknowledge as fear.


    Not just fear.


    Terror as he raced for the Blue Palace glittering in all its Khalifa-like glittering brilliance that his perk made horrifically clear was the absolute PERFECT place to place a bomb that could, say, level an entire city, much like low altitude thermonuclear warheads would explode just over a metropolitan center, in hypothetical war game scenarios to assure maximum kill yields.


    Every message he had sent out had been pointless.


    Every action he had performed up to that moment, he realized to his absolute chagrin and horror had been worthless.


    Meaningless.


    A distraction.


    Somehow, by some unbelievable degree of twisted fuckitude, his enemies had gained access to a weapon capable of destroying all of an extremely technologically sophisticated, and resilient¡­ he had made sure of that¡­ Freetown.


    And he could think of only one possible weapon that could so easily damn a city¡­ And a hell of a lot more than that.


    He had no doubt that there were dozens upon dozens of hideously deadly devices out there that he knew absolutely nothing about. Perhaps nothing like the one he had once dared to use before, had no choice to use before, that had instantly ignited an entire city. Perhaps an entire continent, setting fire to the highly charged magically refined atmosphere¡­ and utterly eliminating an entire clan of those that had once dared to cross his mother.


    Just one of the worlds they had destroyed in a single endless night, embracing a glorious fiery transcendence that had happened just days ago.


    Had happened, for his mother, over two thousand years ago.


    An ascension equally witnessed by for the vile monster he would NEVER call father.


    A monster who knew damn well what had happened that night. Knew absolutely everything that Eric and his mother had done in pursuit of their furious, faction-destroying ascension.


    And now the most bitter of serpents was coming home to roost.


    Eric wanted to scream, but no sound came out beyond his own exhausted breaths.


    All he could do was move. Move FASTER!!


    Even as his racing thoughts seemed to race ahead.


    Tearing through the air in a merging of Dominion Map Interfaces and his own mastery over the city that had once been a figment of his own imagination and he was right THERE in the room with a pair of orc shamans and a trio of furiously chanting mages who looked so out-of-place in a chamber of floor-to-ceiling windows, glass and hardwood conference tables, and cushioned leather recliners. There were even pitches of lemon ice water! Water that one of the trembling mages actually drank with obvious relief, brow covered with sweat from the strain of the monstrous act they embraced.


    Two goblin assassins that had hidden from his map interface despite his mad Perception could also be seen, Tier-II blasters held in casual grips as they glared at the one entrance into the chamber, save for the windows, of course, which meant that they weren¡¯t Red Scorpion at all¡­ unlike the trio of purple-eyed mages radiating twisted magic and furious hate¡­ men he¡¯d all but SWEAR looked like kin to the clan he had eliminated, yet somehow hadn¡¯t.


    Somehow, they were were here for payback.


    Somehow.


    And between them, the focus of their sweaty brows and chanting, like some horrific glittering prize, was a massive crystal cage containing a miniature crackling energy field that was made, he KNEW was made, by exceedingly exotic Blue Corp tech that STILL required those three dark robed arcanists to channel every bit of their potency into stabilizing that field.


    Because held within it the heart of that deadly crystalline vessel was EXACTLY the nightmare vision that Eric had feared above all others.


    A pulsating hyperion starship core.


    Glittering like death¡¯s own diamond.


    A diamond beyond which was a crackling portal field from which a single shadowy individual could be seen seated upon a throne of jade and gold, distant windows giving just a glimpse of a city of ivory towers, grand pavilions, and stately buildings. A city filled with life and wonder that even Eric could sense in that split second¡¯s epiphany as he raced so desperately for ground zero. And what a juxtaposition it was to see at the heart of that lively Grecian city its emperor glaring into Eric¡¯s world with eyes filled with such ice cold hate, looking on with a sneer.


    Lord Augustine himself.


    Because of course it fucking was.


    ¡°Everything is in place?¡± the monster said with such ice-cold indifference as he gazed at the assembled crew.


    ¡°It is, Lord Augustine,¡± Stony, the fucking OGRE! Of all people declared, along with the pair of gnolls quaking before the killing aura of the Silver, even if he was a portal and a world away.


    The Silver-tier monster nodded. ¡°Good. Then you have made sufficient amends to reclaim your lives. You will now all be permitted to take the portal, along with all of your associates. Each of you will be granted ten million credits and free passage out of this sector.¡± He flashed a bleak smile. ¡°And with the destabilization and loss of this ascending CESSPIT! Blue Faction will realize that there is a price to be paid¡­ all of your foolish factions will realize that there is a price to be paid¡­ To any that would dare harbor any man guilty of striking my son!¡±


    Eric choked back a scream that would do nothing at all.


    OF COURSE he had been set up with no-win situations from the very moment he had woken up, such that any and every move forward he made would only have escalating consequences, all but assuring the absolute destruction of everything and everyone he had ever loved.


    OF COURSE it had Malice¡¯s foul stench all over it, now that he knew to look for the tiny tendrils of cold malevolence and hate glittering like puppet-strings from so many pairs of eyes.


    And it didn¡¯t even matter.


    All that mattered was that he use every last fucking option available to him, no matter how extreme, no matter what the cost.


    Several pertinent facts that struck him so viscerally at that moment were that the portal was only two feet by two feet wide. Any transfer of personnel would happen by touch transfer, not the physical motion of stepping through. That, and his interface made it clear that everyone he personally knew, everyone he had rescued in this life and the one before, had already left the tower.


    Even if it would do no good at all against a destabilizing continent-destroying hyperion core¡­ it might still be enough.


    Which made step three painfully obvious.


    All he had to do was accept the horror of his own origins and the extremely high likelihood of his imminent death.


    Because if it didn¡¯t actually kill him¡­ the entire galaxy would still be eager for his absolute destruction. One final bit of malevolence from the horrific wretched demon that really should have died when countless thousands of tons of disintegrating steel had crashed down upon it.


    Yet somehow hadn¡¯t.


    Eric flashed a cold, bitter smile beyond even his terrified desperation, finally forced to embrace living nightmare as he commanded his ring to make him look EXACTLY like what he would look like if Aurelia Seraphim Silver¡¯s blood had never flowed through his veins.


    Very much as if Malicent Bane alone had forged him.


    ¡°NO! FUCK NO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!¡±


    Strangely, it was that thought that blared so brightly in his mind as he caught the tiniest glimpse of his features as he raced for the glass window at the speed of sound.


    Faster than the speed of sound.


    Interface screaming at the last second that this chamber was protected by MULTIPLE Silver-tier wards crackling with potency that shouldn¡¯t even be on this world in this time and place. And it didn¡¯t even matter as his transcendent blade CUT THROUGH REALITY ITSELF and he was now inside, phoenix blade sealed back in his soul once more, before the fucking bastard glaring at the other end of that portal on his fucking throne could do more than flinch, and Eric was already racing forward before Stony could do more than blink, before the three corrupt mages of a world that should be no more could shift their arts on the container that clearly wasn¡¯t enough to keep a catastrophic cascade from occurring on its own¡­ yet just as clearly, the container was at least sufficient for the three concentrating mages to stabilize the core within, and would no doubt buy all the fools present the handful of seconds they needed to jet right the fuck out of that room and jump right through the gate before the core finally erupted and doomed Eric¡¯s world.


    ¡°Now, Wormy! It¡¯s time for the grand fucking finale of our lives!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Wretch! Or I will catalyze the hyperion core you see before you, this very instant! Do you understand?¡±


    Eric stopped cold. A jolt of screaming terror from Mad Bomber and Danger Sense making it exquisitely, horrifically clear that this was no idle threat, even as the three mages and absolutely everyone else looking on that conference room gazed at Eric in wide-eyed terror.


    There would be no delay for everyone to jump through, should the Silver-tier monster who only thought he was pulling the strings here choose to eliminate them all with an active surge of a spell that must have a local catalyst or trigger. But it didn¡¯t matter, since Eric had no way to dispel it without dispelling the gate and the containment field, instantly dooming them all.


    ¡°Wretch? My, how crass you become when you allow your emotions to run ragged, Prince Augustus.¡± Eric uttered from ring-granted hood and shadow with a killer¡¯s smile. ¡°I understand your threat perfectly well. Just as I understand why the gate¡¯s still open. Why you haven¡¯t closed it already. When you really, really should have.¡±


    The Silver-tier monster glared Eric¡¯s way with cold hate. ¡°You think to intimidate me with my own weapon? My own ANSWER to the transgressions this monstrous realm has DARED to commit upon a member of my house? Multiple members of my house? You think I¡¯m so cowardly that I will run in fear and give you fools time to save yourselves with three panicked slaves now so EAGER to serve you? Fallen scientists of a lost realm that have such a unique affinity with that very core? HA! You think I¡¯d place in your hands a prize you are so UTTERLY unworthy of? When it¡¯s only purpose is to destroy you?¡± Hatred twisted into a sneer. ¡°That, fool, shall not happen. I promise you that. No¡­ no, no, no. This way is so much BETTER! This way, I can kill you all in an instant, or watch you writhe in despair for my pleasure!¡±


    Eric laughed coldly, voice dripping with contempt. In that moment he felt such a surge of wild mania, and absolutely free of all fear or horror or regret. Because why should he fear a damned thing? Now or EVER?


    Right now, he could TASTE so many dark and twisted possibilities in that perilous moment where an entire world hung in the balance.


    Two worlds.


    A fulcrum of choice, unspeakable loss, and limitless power.


    Oddly, his cavalier amusement had caught the brooding Silver lord¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°I would know the name of the fool who dares to address his better so cavalierly, worm.¡±


    Eric snorted even as his messenger rapidly ascended.


    He ignored the screams and panicked shouts of absolutely everyone in the chamber when he allowed the disguise over his disguise to drop fully, shadowy cloak now gone to reveal every inch of a body fully clothed in crimson silks with facial features that would make any mother throw him off a fucking balcony.


    Features that, despite being hideous and twisted, were still most DEFINITELY his own.


    ¡°You may call me Spite Bane. Son of Malice Bane. The one who took such exquisite pleasure in the death of your son.¡±


    Eric allowed himself a split second to mock the man with the most twisted smile imaginable, one that came so EASILY in this hideous form... somehow knowing that his foe needed to PROCESS the sheer significance of what Eric had just uttered¡­ needed to let his towering fury be far more MEANINGFUL than an instant jerk reaction that would haunt Augustus with its absolute insignificance far into the future.


    The powerful Silver NEEDED to at least inhale deeply to roar his furious rebuttal and unleash unholy destruction in the heartbeat Eric had already darted away for absolutely everything he was worth.


    ¡°FOOL! You think you can escape from me now? You think I don¡¯t know how weak your faction truly is? Hanging to existence by a single claw? Your final moon will be OBLITERATED! This last bastion you dare to linger upon will also pay the ULTIMATE price for you and your father¡¯s betrayal!¡±


    Eric laughed coldly, taunting his furious foe in the hyper-speak that came so naturally to all those with Quickness so far beyond mortal ken. ¡°Think again, asswipe! I¡¯m just backing up to give death plenty of room to come for you and adding yet another realm to my kill-count. So long, sucker. I wouldn¡¯t want to be you, or your world! HA!¡±


    Eric, or Spite Bane, perhaps, had time to flash his foe one final mocking grin before most of the conference chamber, including Stony, the shamans, assassins, gnolls, and the trio of mages trying to stabilize a very ANGRY looking core, were swallowed in single gulp as Wormy manifested fully into Freetown¡¯s Crown Jewel with a temporary Quickness boost exactly matching Eric¡¯s own, paying a price he didn¡¯t dare think about, and destroying the prized building utterly.


    Yet what mattered most to Eric in those horrifying moments as the entire world hung in the balance was that Wormy¡¯s gulp instantly cut off, thanks to Rank 2 Essence of Impermeability, the Silver psychopath¡¯s desperate attempts to trigger whatever insta-destruction device he so obviously had. A device that might be fancy electromana artistry at its best, a high-tech marvel that could even be catalyzed through a dimensional rift. But unlike Silver-tier wonders, it clearly couldn¡¯t cut through Wormy¡¯s impossibly resilient scale-coverd hide for shit.


    Even if Wormy¡¯s hide was now beginning to glow all the colors of the rainbow in the nanosecond before the tip of the topmost of Wormy¡¯s tri-fold jaws touched the tiny projected portal hovering in the middle of the air. And Wormy was far more than a puppet or a projection. He was a fully sapient and autonomous Underlord and a Half-step Silver that was ABSOLUTELY capable of wishing himself through.


    So he did.


    And Eric was already racing forward, screaming as the flesh began to sear off his bones from the flare of hyperion energy erupting from the portal and he could STILL see Prince Augustus¡¯s horrified look of absolute dismay as a third of a mile long bomb abruptly ported right on top of him¡­ glowing so hot that Augustus¡¯s entire city was beginning to burn and it was all Eric could do to utter the desperate word he needed to say in a panicked shriek before his own world turned white and all was lost and¡ª


    ¡°REPUDIO!¡±


    The rift slammed shut with an abrupt snap, an ultimately fragile structure utterly obliterated with a transcendent-tier disjoining. Reality itself seemed to vibrate and tremble with such force after snapping shut the gate that he could sense reverberations causing electromana circuitry to short out throughout the city like an EM Pulse bomb.


    And Eric was already racing away for all he was worth.


    He didn¡¯t look back. Even if his eyes hadn¡¯t been seared out right of his head, he didn¡¯t dare to, as he headed for the wild red territory West of Freetown.


    He absolutely did not want to see, or at least sense, the infrared afterimages of the top floors of his once priceless building crashing to the ground, no doubt killing countless Professionals in the heart of the most technologically advanced city in the world, and he most certainly did not want to know how many lives had been lost, simply with that final flash of Hyperion Radiation.


    And the worst part of it was, he could have saved them.


    Saved dozens. Hundreds, perhaps. Maybe more. If only he had screamed out the words that would have halted the building¡¯s fall. Or at least slowed it to a gentle feather¡¯s descent.


    If only he was willing to reveal that Spite Bane was far from the callous psychopath merely using this tragedy as an opportunity to lash out at his enemies. That Spite Bane, in fact, cared very much for this fragile city in this precious world¡­ and that concern might doom all of Terra, after the heinous act he had just committed while now the farthest thing from being his mother¡¯s puppet, with absolutely no Silver Phoenix talisman in play.


    No. Horrific as it was to admit, the building had to fall. People had to die, and Spite Bane had to be mocking the entire city with his cruel laughter. ¡°Enjoy your collapsing city, suckers! You thought you could escape Bloodtear that easily? FOOLS! We own you, body and soul! The only reward you¡¯ll get for your stubbornness is death! And when old Augustine comes knocking on Terra, Bloodtear will make sure YOU all take the fall for daddy dearest losing his city!¡±


    He cackled like a madman, continuing the entire city that their doom was all but assured for daring to cross the Bane Clan and refusing to accept their place as Bloodtear¡¯s rightful property. Declaring to one and all that the Augustine ruling family would be eager to send them all to hell and that they had Spite Bane alone to thank for their just comeuppance, even as he darted back to the twisted hell he had come from.


    Now, every Professional, Bronze-tier mercenary, and citizen who could make out his words could swear without a flicker of dishonesty that Malice Bane¡¯s ultimate pawn, his son, had set them all up to pay the ultimate price for not allowing the goblin faction to enslave and destroy them. A truth that even Imperial Inquisitors, if there was such a thing, could judge the veracity of.


    Did Eric know for sure that he had to take this tragic farce this far? Of course not. A thousand innocent people, so like the ones he had so desperately struggled to save earlier that very day, might perish for absolutely no reason at all. And he was betting so much on the idea that a 1/3rd mile long monstrosity that so many people knew of in Freetown had somehow completely avoided notice. Even if it wasn¡¯t quite so absurd as it might seem at first blush, Call to Battle and material phasing having allowed his Underlord to appear in a fragment of time so quick that it mirrored Eric¡¯s own Battletime-enhanced speed. So fast that it had gulped its pray and touched the portal in a nanosecond. Faster even than a Silver-tier monster who, granted, might have been the furthest thing from Speed Focused, could do whatever simple or extremely complicated procedure was necessary for him to close that world gate before Wormy had jumped through.


    Yet in that nanosecond that had passed, the only real residue was the first fifty stories of Blue Palace being utterly obliterated and the remainder of the tower falling down on anyone close by who might, or might not, have been looking up for that split second in time. And thanks to Wormy¡¯s own Impermeability essence, anyone less than a Silver-tier specialist actively looking for trouble in that split second would have had absolutely nothing go off on their magical radar.


    Just a cackling madman of a Contender gloating his contempt and spite for the entire city after destroying the prized jewel of Freetown before finally flying off as fast as he could.


    An act for which he doubted he would ever totally forgive himself.


    Yet he was terrified that any other move he might make that was even an iota less ruthless, an iota more restrained, showing even a spec of concern... would see his world burdened with a doom that might destroy them all.


    Yet all those deaths¡­ all those screams¡­ after fighting so damned hard to save the entire city¡­


    It was more than he could bear.


    So he did the only thing he could, as the air echoed with his hypersonic laughter when he wanted to scream his despair, reveling in his own momentary and already healing PAIN as the least of what he should be suffering as he raced away so FAST after taunting the entire city with their supposed doom. So damned fast for wild crimson territory not in any direction he had intended to travel as Eric for quite some time¡­.


    To hide from the (hideous, awful messages!)


    To hide from the (genocidal fucking MONSTER!)


    To hide from the fact that his ring (had not reverted when he had dared to embrace a higher order attack! WHY? That wasn¡¯t the real him. It was a HORRID MASK!)


    To hide Spite Bane from the entire fucking WORLD as he SCREAMED and SCREAMED and found himself DEEP in a wonderland of mile-high towering forests and giant grass and undergrowth as big as any normal woodlands, all of it saturated with wild magic and home to massive wasps and bees and a thousand lethal colonies of flying killers that swarmed and swarmed and he TORE RIGHT THROUGH THEM like a fucking comet, choking back a SCREAM as his mind blazed with the horror of what he had just done.


    SYSTEM-WIDE ALERT!


    SPITE BANE ¨C PROGENY of MALICE BANE (GOBLIN FACTION) HAS COMMITTED AN ACT OF GENOCIDE!


    SAPPHIRA 3 IS NOW SUFFERING FROM: CATASTROPHIC MANA CASCADE.


    AUGUSTINE BRANCH OF SAPPHIRA ROYAL CLAN IS NO MORE!


    SELF-DEFENSE EDICTS IN EFFECT.


    IMPERIAL PURGE WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED.


    PERSONAL VENDETTAS WILL BE PERMITTED.


    And before the messages could take on a more personal System tone, telling him things he really didn¡¯t want to know, offering boons he was horrified even to look at, let alone accept¡­ he tore himself free of his Spite Bane persona. Even as he sensed an inbox instantly filling with warrants and edicts and black oaths of hate, writhing with so much malice that it would have done his ultimate -don¡¯t think it! - proud.


    He flushed it all away as he did his entire awful identity.


    Gone.


    And he would never ever become that horrific genocidal killer for a moment, ever again. Even if his ring, not rupturing his disguise when he had dared to embrace both a transcendent Phoenix Strike and a higher order abjuration¡­ was implying something REALLY Horrible that he absolutely refused to think about.


    No. That vile mask was forever dead to him.


    Not simply for his own sanity, but so that Earth, and his family, would never be imperiled by a momentary blip on the galactic radar that had already disappeared. For all they knew, Spite Bane had perished in the very territory he had fled into.


    Certainly, he would never be seen or heard from again.


    No matter how many god-awful titles that he might lose out on, no matter how sweet a boon they offered.


    Maybe if he never assumed that identity, never looked back¡­ he could pretend he hadn¡¯t just doomed an entire world... or at least an area so large that a Silver ruler¡¯s entire family had just been obliterated for the crime of imperiling his own.


    All because Eric had actually been arrogant enough to believe he¡¯d be able to take a young master¡¯s life in a duel without being forced to pay the most abhorrent of prices. No matter that he had been set up, the duel just a pretext to allow a potion, artifact, and spell-boosted young psychopath to assassinate him.


    All because he refused to let himself be constantly curb-stomped and ground to paste by a never-ending stream of his supposed galactic betters.


    Yet no matter how clever and ruthless and savage he strove to be, the ultimate price for his daring to buck the status quo was still beyond horrific. Even if by some miracle, he hadn¡¯t been the one forced to pay it, this time around.


    It was still an awful weight upon his soul.


    Her Soul, as Luna Archer, now holding a bow so true to her namesake, finally lurched free of monstrous bee and wasp-infested jungles while sneaking past entire regiments of monstrous ants to dart through far more natural-looking forests. And then, upon crossing a final ridge-line that no abomination would dare cross as sharp wild mana became the rich soothing spiritual nectar of New Arcadia, she found herself stepping into a realm of such wonder and magic that she burst into tears¡­ feeling like she had finally come home.

 Chapter 430 - Interrogation

    Prince Caliban Caerulus¡¯s gaze fixated upon the globe that had been quietly placed on the finely lacquered hardwood table in the middle of his emergency office. His hands clenched into tight fists, ragged nails at odds with his perfectly coiffed uniform as he glared at the grainy images depicted within.


    His beloved Blue Palace. The linchpin of his operations here on Earth, the very heart of his city. A magnificent bastion of soaring grandeur secured within the most exquisitely reinforced aluminum and topaz alloy that Blue Corp had spent an absolute fortune in R&D developing and testing, with electromana bonds that made it stronger than steel¡­ stronger than tungsten. Nearly as strong as lightly enchanted alloys that cost an absolute fortune to make and were best forged by professionals channeling their individuals System-enhanced skills.


    He forced himself to look with reddened eyes as the nightmare scene replayed itself once more, peering intently at the 67th floor, waiting for the telltale signs that proceeded absolute destruction. Yet still, despite bracing himself, he still flinched when the entire building below that floor abruptly bulged.


    Thousands of windows instantly shattered. Countless wall panels erupted with a silent roar as the near indestructible framework of the building itself, a skeleton of Alutopaz columns and crossbeams sturdy enough to be used for starship design, were shredded as effortlessly as shattering twigs.


    The prize jewel of his city, the near indestructible monument to Blue Corp ingenuity and excellence, then proceeded to collapse. Caliban could even see the horrified faces of dozens citizens who had been innocently going about their lives in the top floors through the broken window panes as the entire structure began to crumple in on itself.


    But not before the blinding flash of pink light erupted from the 67th floor, a heartbeat before a streak of shadow tore right through one of the windows like a missile in reverse.


    ¡°We were attacked,¡± Caliban said with a horrified whisper.


    Nikita, looking as exhausted as he felt and a far cry from the sophisticate managing their Bronze-tier merchandizing operations, jerked her head with a nod, tears streaming freely down her cheeks.


    ¡°And now hundreds are dead,¡± she whispered. ¡°We were lucky it wasn¡¯t thousands.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you were attacked,¡± declared the cool imperious voice of an Inquisitor possessing purple irises in a pale face that some might consider handsome with a powerful jaw, aquiline nose, and close cropped hair of a brilliant copper hue. His demeanor was that of a man looking down at filth, no matter that the pair of Blue Corp executives radiated nothing but professionalism.


    The Inquisitor gazed intently at them both, as if eagerly looking for any signs of weakness, fear, or deception. ¡°A Hyperion radiation discharge was detected from what can only be a starship core.¡±


    Caliban and Nikita froze at those words. Their interrogator¡¯s smirk grew as he flicked the lapels of his black leather jacket, shimmering with a pearlescent hue of multiple protective enchantments. ¡°An imperial caliber offense was committed, and it is our duty to find the parties responsible and extract the confessions that will set all to right¡­ before tearing free their souls.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s eyes widened at this, earning a cold glare from the Inquisitor.


    ¡°Make no mistake, elf. The crimes committed were of such horrific caliber that the perpetrators will be denied even the ability to reincarnate. They will be obliterated, body and soul, for all time.¡± The Inquisitor¡¯s eyes flared dangerously. ¡°Unless you have reason to object?¡±


    Caliban¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°You saw the AFV tapes of what occurred. We just survived a coordinated assault by the Red Scorpions doing all they could to sabotage my city. I would see them purged to the last man!¡±


    The Inquisitor dipped his head. ¡°Good. Then we are in accord.¡± He imperiously snapped his fingers and a second Inquisitor nearly identical in appearance and dress to the first entered, cold purple eyes glaring at Caliban and Nikita both as if they were the primary suspects, and perhaps they were.


    Caliban¡¯s sense of dismay only grew when the man brought what looked like a high-tech trolley cart with him, upon which was a green tinted container filled with bile-hued liquid. Inside that bubbling liquid, bound in chains of blackened iron, was an emaciated pale white goblin. His scrawny neck could barely hold his head above the bubbling cauldron of liquid.


    The goblin opened sightless eyes before screaming.


    The Inquisitor carting the container glared at the writhing pale-skinned horror before pressing a button, filling the bile-hued liquid with crackling purple lightning.


    The air filled with gurgling screams and charred flesh before the snarling Inquisitor broke off the current, leaving the shuddering creature covered in burns to writhe in pain.


    ¡°You will obey or you will suffer!¡± snapped the glaring inquisitor into the horrified silence.


    The piteous-looking goblin whimpered. ¡°Thing will obey.¡±


    ¡°Good! You sense the seer globe before you, yes?¡±


    The goblin whimpered. When the inquisitor in charge of its container tapped the side of its prison, it screamed and immediately jerked its head in a nod. ¡°Yes! Thing senses it!¡±


    ¡°Good. You will now fill in the gaps in our recording. Replay the scene from the moment the foreign object impacts Blue Tower.¡±


    The goblin whimpered. ¡°Masters, this city is newly forged. It is barely more than living dream! The probability currents are too¡­¡± The creature¡¯s protest broke off in desperate screams when the Inquisitor pitilessly sent currents crackling through the vat once more.


    When the currents finally cut off, the pleading sobs were even more desperate and ragged than before.


    Nikita¡¯s breath hitched, horrified eyes shocked by the callous sadism. Caliban gently squeezed her hand in reassurance under the table while keeping his eyes firmly on the globe before him as the goblin pleaded for mercy.


    ¡°Thing will obey. Thing will obey!¡±


    Caliban felt a shiver of wrongness as the globe before him seemed to pulsate, suddenly far more real, somehow, than it had been just a split second ago¡­ while leaving him terrified that he himself was a figment of a dream just a heartbeat from fading as the real Caliban woke up and the air filled with the distant cackling laughter of another goblin he had once known¡­ thought he knew¡­ never known¡­


    Greed... how did he know that name?


    Nikita hissed and Caliban forced all distraction away as the globe before him, now just a globe, as it had always been¡­ replayed the scene once more. Only now it wasn¡¯t grainy at all.


    Now, it was even more horrific to see Alutopaz alloy beams rupturing and bursting in full color, with the high pitched scream of twisted metal, or perhaps that was the goblin? As a thousand windows shattered in a spray of brilliant flashing color.


    Before the scene abruptly froze. ¡°Rewind five seconds. Then proceed Slow-time.¡±


    Caliban found his horrified eyes captivated by the sight before him as the air rang with screams¡­ no. It was just the goblin¡¯s scream as that streak of darkness tore through the air. Only now it looked less like a missile and more like a¡­ person? Or at least, the shadow outline of one.


    ¡°Thing. Clarify the individual piercing the window and multiple high tier wards.¡±


    The scene froze, Caliban himself glaring at the shadowy form as if desperate to tear free the veil himself.


    The air around them filled with a desperate plea. ¡°Forgive Thing, Masters! This is as clear as it¡¯s possible to bring¡ª¡±


    The goblin¡¯s protestations cut off once more in piteous screams for long moments as the picture before them grew grainy and indistinct once more.


    Caliban caught the inquisitor¡¯s exchanging identical glances before the current cut off.


    ¡°Thing will obey now,¡± snapped the closest inquisitor.


    ¡°Thing will obey!¡±


    ¡°Sharpen image.¡±


    Caliban glared at the globe that quickly took on the life-like color of before, graininess receding once more, yet the culprit who tore through the glass was still covered in shadow.


    The air once more filled with the scent of ozone, scorched flesh, and a goblin¡¯s desperate screams.


    ¡°Thing will obey now.¡±


    ¡°Thing will obey!¡±


    The Inquisitor by the table glared at the globe. ¡°Thing, you will follow the shadowy form inside the chamber. Magnify everything and keep slow-time in effect.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡± The goblin sobbed with desperate relief, and Caliban felt chills when a blade of shadow sliced through a window he could now tell had been warded by nothing less than Bronze tier wards of a design alien to any Blue Corp patent.


    ¡°How?¡± Nikita whispered, earning a glare from the Inquisitor closest to the table.


    ¡°How what? What do you know?¡± The man snapped.


    Nikita flinched. ¡°How was a blade of shadow able to cut through Bronze-tier wards? This is still an early ascension White-Designated realm! Those wards aren¡¯t Blue Corp tech. It should be impossible!¡±


    The Inquisitor snorted. ¡°Focus on the chamber before you. Our tool¡¯s brain could burn out at any time.¡± He then turned and glared at the shuddering goblin, now foaming at the mouth. ¡°Thing! Rewind five seconds before impact. I would hear everything being said in the chamber before oblivion strikes. Our enemies secrets will soon be our own.¡±


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The now humming orb before them abruptly snapped to an image of the inner chamber.


    Caliban felt chills to find death waiting for them all in conference room that he knew so well, that he had held more than one meeting within, now occupied by figures that froze him where he stood.


    Stony the Ogre, Flint the gnoll, along with his brother, a pair of orc shamans and multiple goblin assassins who had absolutely no right to be within Freetown under any pretext. All of them lit up by a fluorescent glow, no doubt thanks to the goblin presently living a life of torment that even Caliban was dismayed to see before all such trivialities fled his mind before pristine horror at the heart of the conference room.


    His eyes were transfixed by the sight of multiple artificers channeling their potency into a containment system just barely keeping stable the orb glowing a fiery pink hue in the center of the chamber that could only be a Hyperion starship core.


    And just a few feet before that core was a gate, and peering through that gate with an unmistakable hate-filled sneer, seated upon a throne of jade and gold, was none other than the cold, pitiless features of Lord Augustine himself. The Silver tier titan who had done all he could to aid his son in killing Ernest Slaughter right before he could claim and transform the wild Black-tier region that was now New Arcadia. A territory Caliban had high hopes would soon become the breadbasket of the entire northeast.


    ¡°Everything is in place?¡± The man¡¯s words seemed to vibrate through the air. The potency of his aura unmistakable even through the globe.


    ¡°It is, Lord Augustine,¡± Stony declared.


    Augustine nodded. ¡°Good. Then you have made sufficient amends to reclaim your lives. You will now all be permitted to take the portal, along with your associates. Each of you will be granted ten million credits and free passage out of this sector.¡± The psychopath flashed a bleak smile. ¡°And with the destabilization and loss of this ascending CESSPIT! Blue Faction will realize that there is a price to be paid¡­ all of your foolish factions will realize that there is a price to be paid by any and all who would dare harbor a man guilty of murdering my son!¡±


    Caliban had time to see the man¡¯s sneer turn to outrage at the sound of a crash from what must have been the shattered window the shadowy culprit had entered. Caliban¡¯s heart raced, now dreadfully certain that he knew exactly what would happen as the orb inexorably panned to reveal so many secrets best left hidden¡­ before the crystal ball abruptly shattered.


    The air rang out with a desperate scream that immediately cut off with the crackle of purple currents and an Inquisitor¡¯s curse.


    ¡°Nazen!¡± Snapped the Inquisitor closest to Caliban, scowling at his partner glaring down at the utterly still remains of the Shaman whose sightless eyes now glimpsed nothing at all, no matter how much current the man sent through the lifeless contents of the vat.


    Nazen sighed. ¡°No use, Sir. Our tool gave every last ounce of its spiritual power to force the link.¡± The man¡¯s lips pressed in a tight frown as he glared down at the corpse. ¡°I suspect this abomination only tried so hard with the intention of escaping his just sentence of eternal service to our faction.¡±


    ¡°But at least it worked,¡± Nikita breathlessly said. ¡°At least now we know the culprit behind the attack on Freetown!¡±


    The pair of Inquisitors exchanged a look. ¡°Indeed we do,¡± Nazen said with a chilly smile. ¡°The wildcard contender your own records showed us as cutting down no less than two of Lord Augustine¡¯s descendants within just a handful of days.¡±


    Nikita¡¯s eyes widened with outrage. Caliban squeezed her hand in desperate warning as the pair of Inquisitors gazed at them both like hawks, eager for the prey about to reveal itself.


    ¡°Of course you know the real reason why we are here, do you not, Prince Caliban Caerulus?¡± Sneered Nazen. ¡°Because let me assure you, your pretty building made of still unproven alloys is the absolute least of the emperor¡¯s concerns.¡±


    Caliban clenched his jaw, dipping his head. ¡°A hyperion core devastated Sapphria 3.¡±


    ¡°Correct! A hyperion core clearly obtained by a criminal goblin faction, as evidenced by their presence in the very chamber where they presented it before none other than Lord Augustine himself! Now, lets replay the conference and AFV tapes you were so kind to provide us.¡±


    A stunned Caliban could do nothing more than watch in dismay as they replayed what Caliban in an act of sheerest stupidity had actually thought would be useful, if needed for his young friend¡¯s defense, showing in exquisite detail how Eric in the guise of Ernest had been cornered and forced into an unwinnable fight by a predatory jackal of a would-be Contender, waiting for Eric to completely clear a Black-tier territory before slamming down cards of fate to both doom Eric and title-steal the most glorious of accomplishments on his corpse.


    Yet by some miracle, Eric had actually managed to survive the trap, fighting against perilous odds before bringing his would-be killer low. Yet all it took was him refusing to acknowledge an irate Lord Augustine¡¯s demands to effectively surrender his son and accept his own well-deserved destruction for the pair of Inquisitors to smile in cold satisfaction.


    ¡°Proof of ill intent! Quarter was requested by a favored Silver, and this monstrous Contender refused!¡±


    Nikita inhaled to protest, it being clear as day that countless laws and edicts had been stomped upon, the Silver having used his own suppression to try and crush Ernest even as his son had sought to eviscerate him. Ernest refusing to accept his opponent''s quarter in the heat of the moment while his sword plunged for the kill was his right in any court. Yet the words Nikita should know better than to utter died on her tongue under Caliban¡¯s furious glare.


    With the sheer favoritism and, yes, sadism the pair before them had shown so far, Caliban had absolutely no doubt that neither he nor Nikita would survive the day as anything but examples locked in torment equal to the former goblin''s if they failed to understand the roles they would both be expected to play.


    ¡°You wish to say something?¡± Nazem said with honeyed malice lacing every word.


    Nikita flinched and shook her head before Nazem¡¯s smug countenance.


    ¡°No? Good. Then I believe we have reached consensus as to what has occurred. A just and honorable ruler still reeling from the death of his son was goaded into letting his defenses down, thanks to the murderous actions of one Ernest Slaughter, a factionless Terran abomination of a Contender whom we now know to be guilty for the murder of both Leonide Augustus and Aurelius Imperius Augustus, as your own AFV and conference recordings proved beyond all reasonable doubt, Prince Caliban. Actions which served to goad the honorable Lord Augustine to open his inner sanctum to negotiations, before unknown goblin agents used the portal to force the hyperion core through!¡±


    Caliban cleared his throat. ¡°Though there can be no doubt that Ernest Slaughter did defeat both opponents without granting quarter just as you have said, I see no evidence of deliberate goblin collusion. Is it possible he was merely a tool used by the goblins who are on record as saying they hoped for his ignoble death?¡±


    Nazem sneered. ¡°Truly you¡¯re not that much of a fool, Prince Caliban? They¡¯re clearly in collusion, seeking to throw us off the trail. No. The evidence is clear. The crumbling remains of the once far more significant goblin faction have committed an act of attempted genocide on Sapphira 3, as we both saw firsthand from the globe playback, in addition to eyewitness accounts of one Spite Bane¡¯s declarations before over four hundred and thirty witnesses, even if no clear images of said person can be found.¡±


    The senior Inquisitor nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s clear that both goblins and wildcard contender are guilty of high imperial crimes.¡± The man then slammed a pair of documents on the table before both Caliban and Nikita. Effectively their sworn testimony exactly as the Inquisitors had just declared, already written, as if this entire investigation had been a prelude to this foregone conclusion. ¡°Now you will both sign and we will consider the Terran element of the matter settled¡­ or at least your particular role in it.¡±


    The inquisitor¡¯s cold stare turned to a cool smile when a trembling Nikita quickly signed her document, barely taking the time to read it over.


    ¡°Fear not, my dear. Both you and your lover are in the clear,¡± Nazem said, his smile growing at her flinch. ¡°And more to the point, Lord Caliban, as you no doubt know, by imperial edict, any partner guilty of High Imperial Crimes immediately forfeits their share of any territories or property they had owned to either the emperor, or, in newly blossoming worlds such as this one that lie beneath imperial notice, it seems full territory rights fall to you. Perhaps that will serve as some small consolation for the unforgivable loss-of-life caused in no small part by your unworthy former associate. An association we¡¯ll make sure is expunged from the records as a final courtesy for your¡­ gracious compliance.¡±


    Heart pounding, Caliban did the only thing he could. Bowing his head and signing, after making damned sure that neither he nor any other associate would be implicated, save for Ernest himself.


    The second he lifted his pen, the document had disappeared.


    ¡°Splendid!¡± Nazem stated as his partner covered floating corpse of the shaman still in his bubbling vat of torment. ¡°You and your¡­ associate are both free to resume your duties. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take care of things for you here.¡±


    Caliban dipped his head, taking a trembling Nikita¡¯s hand, leaving both AFV vehicle recordings and conference tapes behind, knowing he¡¯d never see either one again. The Inquisitors interpretation of the events would be all that was included in the official records, and any conflicting evidence would no doubt be quickly disposed of.


    Caliban could only hope that, so long as it seemed that he was more than willing to play ball for a full profit share of any agreements he had made with Ernest, the Inquisitors wouldn¡¯t feel the need to dispose of him as well.


    He could sense how desperately Nikita wanted to speak, her sweaty palm against his own as they opened the conference door and headed outside. Yet the glare he gave her was that of a man who knew damn well that he was still very much under observation, and so long as those Inquisitors were on this planet, everything he said, every System message he sent, and every letter he wrote would, by arcane magic or electromana artistry, be recorded. He could only pray that Nikita understood just how dire their situation truly was, as the horror of the loss of Blue Tower had been eclipsed with the even grimmer knowledge that an entire planetary hemisphere had been obliterated, and somehow he knew exactly who was at the heart of it all.


    And considering what that bastard Augustus had clearly intended for Freetown and New Arcadia, what that monstrous asshole had gloated in that very recording that the Inquisitors had damn well heard perfectly clear¡­ that bastard had gotten exactly what he deserved, even if Caliban¡¯s heart bled for the millions of lives lost on Sapphira 3. From what little he had seen, in the brief moments before they all paid the ultimate price¡­ it was either Augustus and his clan, or Eric, Caliban, and his family that would have been obliterated, and Caliban didn¡¯t for one second regret his young friend¡¯s choice.


    Of course, Caliban would never forgive himself for selling Eric out. His only solace was that his young friend somehow had the means to embrace an identity so perfect that even elite Bronze-tier Inquisitors had no idea that Eric and Ernest were one and the same¡­ and, Caliban suspected, he was this Spite Bane as well. All of which hopefully meant that Eric would be safe, so long as he never embraced either of those other identities ever again.


    ***


    The Inquisitors shared a knowing smile as the pair of shaken elves saw themselves out.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re truly stupid enough to lead us to our mark?¡± queried the one presently sealing away the goblin remains.


    The second thoughtfully shook his head between sips of lukewarm coffee. ¡°Caliban isn¡¯t that much of a fool, though the workmate he¡¯s foolish enough to sleep with could be broken with just a bit more¡­ pressure.¡±


    His partner furrowed his brow, slowly shaking his head. ¡°Unnecessary. Caerulus understands the rules of this engagement. The documents are signed. The Augustine clan will be remembered with honor, and Sapphira 3¡¯s restoration efforts will proceed apace. The hatred between elves and goblins runs deep indeed. That we now have sufficient pretext to completely purge their remaining moon works to Blue Faction¡¯s advantage, so I doubt we¡¯ll have any protest from his clan there. And what loyalty he might have had to foolish native Contenders who fail to understand their place has folded just as it should before his emperor¡¯s hand.¡±


    Nazem nodded, before glaring down at his coffee. ¡°And now we have at least one Contender we need to bring down. Preferably discretely. What leads do we have?¡±


    His partner scowled at the now hermetically sealed floating corpse. ¡°Before this trash surrendered completely, he made it clear that the one we sought had fled into New Arcadia.¡±


    Nazem flashed a cold smile, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Excellent. We¡¯ll track down our pray and wrap this up before the week is out.¡±


    This earned a frown. ¡°If this Ernest is no fool, he¡¯ll demand legal representation by a neutral faction and give a full account. The right lawyer could easily argue that each of his kills was technically permissible under imperial dueling protocols. What''s more, we have absolutely nothing to tie him to the hyperion core itself.¡±


    Nazem smirked as he checked the wicked looking blade and blaster on his holster before sealing up his plasma-proof jacket. ¡°True. Which is why it will be quite fitting for him to accept our challenge. He will fall before us, and his death will be both legal and utterly unremarkable in this time and place. As far as the imperial records will show¡­¡±


    ¡°He resisted arrest and paid the ultimate price.¡±


    The pair chuckled coldly before Nazem tossed aside the offensive coffee cup. ¡°Foul tasting crap they brew here. At least we have what we need. Did you make sure our pet tracked down and destroyed any backup copies?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But let¡¯s fuel up before we finish cleaning up Augustine¡¯s mess.¡±


    Nazem raised his brow as they walked to the exit, earning a smile from his companion.


    ¡°It just so happens that there¡¯s a great little burger and ice cream shop nearby. Come on, my treat.¡±

 Chapter 431- New Arcadia

    For a time, Luna lost herself in the solace of simple motion, jogging over the perfectly flat blacktop road she found herself upon, bordered on either side by tall fields of wheat, radiating a richness and vitality long lost to modern world strains.


    Almost as lost as the world she had ¨CNo. Don¡¯t think it! You had no choice. None at all!¨C


    She choked back a sob, gazing up at the beautiful blue sky with a handful of lacy white clouds that spoke of halcyon summer days and endless playful adventures with childhood friends before returning home to the bosom of loving families. The warm sunlight caressing Luna was a promise.


    Love, acceptance, the happy slice-of-life isekai every grimdark hero secretly craves with all his¡­ or her¡­ heart. Here, it could be found. New Arcadia¡¯s miraculous forging, its magic and wonder, was like the promise of a fresh start and a happy gentle ending for any and all who dared lose themselves in the story of its existence.


    Exactly how she had forged it, freeing nearly seven million souls from inconceivable torment, pristine malice transformed to benevolent sanctuary and the world itself was ringing with the rightness of her actions¡­ she couldn¡¯t even clearly remember. Ephemeral flickers of transcendent epiphany before waking up with the same bittersweet longing as popping free of sleep just knowing one had invented something truly profound in your sleep¡­ only to completely forget what it was.


    Yet the beauty and wonder of it was, it was still real. This magical miracle of a territory was still very much as real as the vibrant air she breathed, so full of magic and Spiritual Energy. So full of life, and the promise of gentle fate and happy endings.


    It was a miracle that brought tears to her eyes.


    She doubted she would ever create its like again.


    Sure as fuck, she wasn¡¯t going to let any psychopathic Augustine asshole destroy her most precious creation.


    Of course, the blessings of prosperity and happy lives were as gentle and fragile as a soap bubbles. Especially for wildcards wading in blood like her. Those who dared to rock the boat, adventurers who would make their mark within territories far from New Arcadia, potentially crossing powers filled with malice and spite, could expect to reap precisely what they had sown. For good or ill.


    Yet still¡­ despite knowing that all too painfully well¡­ there was hope. Even for one such as she.


    One world lost.


    Another world saved.


    She slowed her pace and turned to lose herself in the nearest field of rustling wheat before sitting herself down, closing her eyes, and doing her best to focus on nothing more than her own blazing meridians as bitter remorse faded to tired acceptance.


    Because when all was said and done, it wasn¡¯t Luna¡­ or Eric who had imperiled an entire world out of malicious spite. It had been a Silver-Tier tyrant who had known exactly what he was doing. That monster had attempted to destroy Eric with ruthless contempt to advance his son¡¯s piece without a lick of conscience and regret. When his twisted gambit failed, he had devised a scheme that would have caused catastrophic devastation to millions, if not threatened Eric¡¯s entire world. Augustine and Augustine alone was responsible for his actions. Not Eric for daring to survive. To survive and protect his own. At all costs. And if that meant sacrificing the tyrant determined to kill him? So be it. If the price of Eric saving the cities he had forged from desperation and dream meant imperiling the city of the tyrant that would kill them all? Then that was the price that would be paid.


    And Eric would grieve.


    But he refused to cripple himself with guilt.


    Augustine was the one who had moved his bitter piece forward, he alone should bear the weight of all that transpired from that point on. Eric, acting in self defense, acting in the defense of his people, had every right to protect himself and the citizens under his care, at all costs. It was a higher order truth he chose to believe that even the System acknowledged, as evidenced by it refusing to allow any sort of Imperial Purge. Because what act could be more sacred than every person¡¯s right to defend themselves? Were that to be denied, then the universe was made up of nothing but slaves and tyrants, and that was a reality Eric absolutely refused to live in.


    His heart was heavy with regret for countless lives lost, but the bitter black guilt his nemesis (who was not and would never be his father!) would have loved to destroy him, he refused to give purchase upon his soul. Instead he took those screaming voices of bitter castigation and consigned them all to the Fires that blazed within him.


    Losing himself, for a time, in the simple serenity of purifying the glorious spiritual energy saturating New Arcadia into the pristine fires blazing in each of his Meridian Channels, the spiritual echo of the transcendent spirit peaches that had helped set his path as a cultivator. And even if quiet meditation and cycling his Qi would do nothing to help him ascend in terms of power, it was still granting magnificent boons in terms of helping him regain his equilibrium, his sanity, and take the next steps forward, wherever that might be.


    He had sacrificed far too much to give this world a fighting chance in the years, decades, and centuries to come to let guilt or despair cripple him now.


    Nothing would give his twisted enemies greater satisfaction than his own self-destruction.


    The hell with that.


    Instead, he would savor Earth¡¯s wonders and endure its perils the same as any other adventurer seeking to hone himself in the crucible of peril and ascension.


    But should any external force seek to doom his world¡­ he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do whatever it took to defend his home.


    Whatever it took.


    And god alone could judge him when his story finally came to an end.


    He would accept the condemnation of absolutely no one else.


    It was with that resolution firmly in mind that he cultivated, purifying his resolve and blazing away the awful aftertaste of a twisted persona he would never embrace again.


    By the time the welcoming wheat rustled with its guest slipping free once more, it was to reveal a young elf with the cheerful demeanor of a newly blossomed adventure eager to make his way in the world, taking to the perfectly paved road with an effortless step, not phased at all by the warm fiery colors of afternoon¡¯s passing, delighting in the sounds of cows, sheep and chickens that could be heard as he caught sight of a communal farming village emerging from the mixed-crop fields to his left that were radiating such an abundance of fecundity as the air rang with sounds he had never expected to hear before.


    His eyes widened as he saw a pair of teenagers riding what looked for all the world like silver-horned unicorns along the road leading to their village of perfect storybook English countryside cottages, complete with gabled roofs and colorful sidings.


    ¡°Unicorns? We have unicorns now?¡±


    Eric flushed at the looks this earned him from the pair of teenage girls he would have pinged as high-school age, if they had been human. The girls flushed and giggled, stealing glances at him before riding toward the village.


    ¡°Of course! Old Man Toony has a herd if you want to buy one. Assuming any will let you ride them!¡± One girl called out, earning a giggle from her friend before they both darted off, and a bemused Eric couldn¡¯t help but think that yes, bikes would be absolutely perfect to get around in this new world of picture-book villages, magically abundant crops and perfectly smooth blacktop roads. Yet it seemed that horses, or at least their extremely magical faerie-tale variant, were the travel mode of choice here.


    A distant whinny vindicated that assumption as he casually made his way along the road leading to the village proper.


    Yet felt a gentle easing of his heart as he took in the post-card village now before him made up of lovingly constructed villas complete with stained glass windows, tiled verandas, lawn gardens and wisteria-covered gazebos giving off the most delightful summer scents, and most importantly, plenty of laughing children with bright green eyes, hair that shown with silken gloss, and either soft or sharply pointed ears all playing an evening game of tag in the communal backyard. It was a village that was just as wealthy and prosperous as any well-to-do English town of not that long ago, even if the technology had been replaced by magic, IT careers and work-at-home operations replaced by the most bountiful and nutritious crops imaginable to harvest.


    The warm glow in Eric¡¯s heart only twisted to a knot of anxiety when he saw the trio of levimobiles in the town square. When he saw the panicked faces and heard the sobs of the very human families even now being comforted by what seemed to be a handful of village elders.


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed with heat, his earlier resolve wilting before the pain he saw in too many pairs of eyes as the trio of families were welcomed into the largest of the houses. Eric then caught sight of a middle-aged elf sighing and shaking his head as a trio of young women gently shooed the playing children back to their respective homes.


    Eric wanted to fade right into the background, to turn around and head back down the road under no power save his own two feet, moving at a pace far faster than any newly sprouted adventurer with still near-human attributes should be capable of. Yet the middle-aged elf, who Eric sensed was actually centuries old, even if he was really just a couple days old, forged of halcyon dreams and desperate hope, pinned Eric where he stood.


    ¡°Unbelievable, what happened in Freetown,¡± the elf sighed. ¡°Madmen terrorizing an entire city, blowing up its crown jewel. Hundreds of lives lost. Would have been thousands, if it weren¡¯t for decent folk doing what they could.¡±


    Eric swallowed, forcing himself to dip his head as his heart hammered in his ears.


    ¡°Folks have been making their way here since we first got the news, wanting a fresh start someplace safe, and I don¡¯t blame them. Our towns are pretty self-sufficient, but there are sure to be plenty of jobs to be found in the capital city, and we have more than enough food and plenty of extra beds to put good folk up for a few nights while they sort themselves out.¡±


    Eric felt unexpectedly choked up, to hear so words of kindness so freely given in this brave new world as rife with tragedy as it was opportunity.


    ¡°Fortunately, this Caliban fellow seems like a good sort, a leader who cares for his people. Elsewise, we¡¯d probably be flooded with tens of thousands of desperate souls.¡±


    ¡°He does, he¡¯s the best,¡± Eric heard himself say, earning a curious look from the obvious farmer.


    ¡°So you¡¯re from Freetown yourself? You¡¯ve definitely got the look of a young sprout hungry for adventure. If you need a roof over your head or a warm meal to fill you up¡­¡±


    Eric swallowed the lump in his throat, quickly shaking his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m alright. I had already left Freetown in search of my calling before, well, you know.¡±


    The man flashed a charming smile. ¡°You¡¯re clearly not from farming stock, but I can tell Sylvan blood flows through your veins. Names Toony, by the way. Your timing is impeccable, lad, that¡¯s for sure. But you might have to go farther afield if adventure¡¯s what you crave. These are calm parts, blessed with nature¡¯s bounty and thankfully free of restless souls. Still, you never know when fate will grab you by the coattails and give you the adventure of a lifetime.¡± He chuckled fondly. ¡°I¡¯d give you the same lecture I gave my daughter and I¡¯m sure your own folks gave you, but you don¡¯t need to hear that from me, do you now?¡±


    Eric forced a smile. ¡°I know, sir. Never dare a delve whose layout and monster types you don¡¯t know. Never delve with less than three people that you can trust with your life and make sure you always have a clear path to escape, so even if one man falls to accident or mischance, the rest can pull through.¡±


    Toony blinked at this. ¡°I was going to say to always trust the feel of the fable you find yourself in, and don¡¯t accept any quest from man or woman that doesn¡¯t ring with righteous truth in your ears. I could also tell you to never embrace a woman you don¡¯t intend to marry, no matter how beautiful she is, especially if you meet her betwixt hope and dream. Break that rule, and your story will have a tragic ending indeed. But your own pa¡¯s advice makes solid sense as well, I suppose.¡±


    Eric nodded, never one to turn down native advice in a land of faerie. ¡°I heard a pair of girls mentioning something about¡­ mounts?¡±


    The elf nodded, looking pleased as punch by the question. ¡°Indeed I do. Both Silver-horn¡¯s and mundane stock.¡± The man eyed Eric with a knowing grin. ¡°For a lad as handsome as yourself, with that too knowing look in your eye... I¡¯m guessing the Silver-horn¡¯s are out.¡±


    Eric just smiled, not saying a word.


    ¡°Right, then. We have a number of fine rounceys that eat up the miles. I¡¯ll give you ol¡¯ Mercy. She¡¯s Sixteen hands at the withers and actually has a bit of Silver-horn in her bloodlines. Not that she¡¯ll mind an experienced mixed-blood like yourself, she¡¯s had half a dozen fine young fillies of her own. She¡¯s not as fast as some, but she¡¯s the most patient mount you¡¯ll find anywhere, I promise you that.¡±


    Eric gave a pleased nod, adjusting the hat he had summoned for himself. ¡°Well, it sounds like Mercy and I might be a perfect fit, then.¡±


    Toony¡¯s gave a satisfied chuckle. ¡°I think so as well. Come on. The Silver-horns have their own grove in the forest nearby, but the horses, at least, are happy enough to be in our care. Let me show you to her!¡±


    A bemused Eric gamely nodded, allowing himself to be led through the town, earning the excited looks of grinning children, the polite nods of solemn farmers, and the appraising glances of young elven women wearing pink ribbons in their bonnets or the necks of their dresses that Eric instinctively knew meant ¡®single and looking.¡¯ As for young men his age, he saw not a one. Perhaps they were out working the fields. Either way, his attention was soon on the herd of mares racing around a grassy field larger than the town itself, loosely surrounded by pear and apple trees heavy with sun kissed fruit that Eric somehow just knew would be exploding with juicy flavor.


    When a grinning Toony handed Eric an apple, he found it just as tasty as he imagined, though his eyes were captivated by the effortless grace of the horses¡¯ movements. Lost in their own world, thinking nothing of pausing to nibble on grass or a low-hanging apple, or leaping with a gazelle''s grace to snatch fruit a bit higher in their chosen tree.


    ¡°Mercy, girl. Come on over here. I¡¯ve got a new friend for you!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened when one mare out of the herd flounced toward them, arching her neck and nickering softly.


    Somehow, Eric just knew by the way she was eyeing his almost intact apple what his expected tithe was, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to place it before graceful equine lips that near instantly claimed it before giving a pleased shake of her head.


    ¡°She¡¯s a beaut,¡± Eric said at last. He then took a steadying breath, keeping his features measured and calm. ¡°What would it cost to purchase her?¡±


    The elf grinned. ¡°Four silver eagles.¡±


    Eric blinked at this.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll lower it to two¡­ if you wouldn¡¯t mind sharing your story and sharing a meal with my family.¡±


    Eric gave the man his warmest smile, intuitively feeling the shape of a story he could so easily fit into right here, right now, if he dared. An adventure that might branch off in all sorts of directions, whether it was helping the handful of displaced Freetowners or catching the eye and interest of a certain young beauty desperate for a loving husband. Yet sadly, there were risks that went far beyond the telling of a single tale. Stories of fanaticism, inquisitions, and purges. Bitter dark tales he refused to let taint this sacred sanctuary.


    He solemnly pulled out four silver coins, gently placing it in the Toony¡¯s palm. ¡°Another time, perhaps. But right now my story would be too close to the bitter tale a trio of families will already be sharing with your entire town. I¡¯d far rather begin a new story and follow the road wherever it takes me, putting my past, and those I lost, behind me.¡±


    The middle-aged farmer gazed at Eric for long moments, his eyes filled not with suspicion, but gentle sympathy. ¡°It¡¯s alright, boy. Next time you stop by, share with us a tale that will make us all smile and laugh by the fire, and we¡¯ll call it even.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Eric said, shaking the man¡¯s hand, feeling a warmth and gratitude in his heart.


    Eric soon found himself back on the road, thoughts whirling, now up a care package including a freshly packed loaf of sourdough bread and fresh water in all his canisters¡­ as well as two of his silver coins returned.


    ¡°Good luck on your journey, boy. May you find the happiness you seek,¡± were Toony¡¯s parting words before happily waving him off, along with his wife and daughter, and he hadn¡¯t even thought to ask how a family man managed a herd of unicorns, but he supposed that was a question for another time.


    He had gazed back only once, noting all three pairs of eyes gazing his way with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine, for all that the concern and gentle warmth they radiated were everything he could have hoped from strangers.


    If he didn¡¯t know better¡­


    He shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter. If they understood more than they let on, it was also understood that that was one secret they would all keep to their graves.


    Eric swallowed, shaking away the uncomfortable thought, instead taking a moment to admire the mare quite happily trotting along the blacktop road, despite the stiffness of her supposed master¡¯s stride. Because despite what now felt like complete mastery over his body¡¯s movements, such that thought and action were close to be coming one, should he will it, his Strength was so high that he could effortlessly pulp the ribcage of the mount between his legs, as easily as it would have been to crush a paper-thin model of spun sugar just a year ago.


    If Mercy sensed just how great the potential peril she was in happened to be, she gave no sign, her stride both effortless and sure, her canter one that he sensed she could maintain for hours, even if it was just the tiniest fraction of his own maximum speed.


    But he had no intention of tapping into his own potential. At least, not yet. ¡°Good girl, Mercy,¡± he said with a soft pat to her neck, pleased for her company as he took deep breaths of air rich with the scents of autumn¡¯s harvest, the sky lit up with all the brilliant fiery colors of sunset. He was determined to slip through the night as discretely as a ghost as side roads funneled into main thoroughfares far more graceful and scenic than any sprawling highway, with a beautiful view of forests that were actually carefully tended fruit groves, lakes brimming with fish, and fields growing bumper crops of produce that truly lifted Eric¡¯s heart to see.


    He kept up his canter for a time until he approached another village alive with the festive sounds of elves enjoying a late night celebration.


    He couldn¡¯t help but smile at the warmth he saw in so many pairs of eyes as he and his mount were bade welcome. ¡°Kimbel and Zolan have just tied the knot, join us!¡± enthused a bright-eyed Sylvan girl who looked about sixteen which Eric knew probably made her twice that age.


    So Eric hopped off his mount, exchanging a knowing look with Mercy. ¡°Thanks for the ride,¡± he said, earning a fond wicker from the mare as he patted her flank and gave her the last of the apples that Mrs. Toony had so kindly packed for him. He then turned to the cheerfully grinning girl, catching sight of the beautiful spells erupting in the starry night sky just behind her that could so easily have passed for fireworks, lighting up the entire town square as a happily beaming boy and blushing girl held hands before the village elders.


    The girl before him gasped, eyes widening at whatever she saw in his eyes, her cheeks flushing as prettily as the fireworks overhead. ¡°My name is Raline,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Call me John,¡± Eric said with a smile, before handing her the reins of his mount. ¡°And if you could give Kimbel and Zolan my congratulations, and my prize mare Mercy as a wedding gift¡­ you would have my thanks.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°But¡­ Sir John, this rouncey¡¯s a treasure! I can feel the strength radiating from her. Silver-horn blood flows through her veins! She¡¯ll live for a century, and she¡¯s worth at least a dozen eagles!¡±


    Eric winked ¡°And I got her for two eagles and a smile, and now I would pass that good fortune on to another as I begin the next leg of my journey, going wherever this tale takes me.¡± He gracefully clasped her hand, dipping his head over it. ¡°Farewell, Raline. May your story be as happy as your newlywed friends.¡±


    She gasped, eyes filling with a longing that brought a flush to Eric¡¯s cheeks before he chuckled, gave a final wave, and parted just the way he had come.


    This time, however, he didn¡¯t feel the need to completely hide his speed. Because that too fit the weave of the story he now found himself in. And somehow he just knew that impulsive acts of grace committed by those lost in dreams of their own forging, fanciful adventures made real, were perfectly normal here. A land where sometimes reality truly could forge itself from desperate hope and the most halcyon of visions, as had been the case for everyone who now called New Arcadia home.


    Eric found himself sharing the road with the occasional horse-drawn wagon or lone rider who would give him the occasional friendly nod when he effortlessly passed them with his local stride. He was only passed by the levimobiles in their own separate lanes, so well organized and constructed the blacktop road cutting through halcyon paradise was. Eric just laughed and waved back when anyone gave him a friendly holler, delighting in the feel of the cool nighttime breeze blowing his hair back as he picked up speed, no longer holding completely back as he dared to race far faster than any horse ever had. He knew he was tempting prudence when he caught the wide-eyed stares of more than a few levimobile drivers he was now passing, drivers who had passed him just a short time ago as he raced along the lane to the left of the one used by most Freetown vehicles. He took deep exhilarated breaths, savoring air so alive with the scents of forests and fields, wildflowers and growing crops.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    He couldn¡¯t help but grin at how well New Arcadia¡¯s arterial roads had been designed, with multiple lane types including one designated for foot travelers who were fare more common than any other type, though wagon carts filled with produce and grain were present with mage-lights or oil lanterns, even at this hour.


    And perhaps he shouldn¡¯t be surprised. It was a nation of over six and a half million people that had only just awakened. Perhaps the call had gone out for grain silos in the capital to be filled with all haste. Perhaps farmers had literally found themselves jolting awake with full wagons and knowing exactly where and when they needed to make the drop-offs in the stories of their lives they were all adjusting to so well as they entered it in the middle of their telling. Whether waking up from screaming nightmare to find oneself the mother of three beautiful daughters needing your hugs right that moment as they all tore themselves free of the same awful dream¡­ or farmers eager to breathe air rich with the scents of fresh crops and warm summer nights, with the awful iron tang of blood and death and eternal torment forever behind them. No doubt those farmers and the new families they had woken to and loved all their lives were more than happy for the sweet distraction of embracing life and all its adventures, even if it meant at least one late-night produce delivery to the city, stocking up on the food needed to assure a happy ending for the entire nation. Eric saw more than one produce-stuffed wagon committed to staying on this highway with father and son alternating taking the reins, and he didn¡¯t blame them a bit.


    Sleep was the farthest thing from his mind as well.


    Certainly the magical glow moss made the lanes clear even without the brilliantly shining stars and nebula above lighting the way. The occasional horse he saw seemed vibrant with energy, and his own experience had demonstrated just how energetic and resourceful these mixed breed half-faerie horses truly were. Much to his own bemusement, he wasn¡¯t the only classer making maximum use of the leftmost lanes beside the rise even now bereft of road or vehicle, yet somehow he knew what it was destined to hold¡­ a dream that had yet to manifest.


    Eric couldn¡¯t help chuckling as one hour bled into the next, sharing no words but many a wild grin with fellow adventurers exhilarating in waking up to a new chapter of their lives where racing along at motorcycle speeds on their feet for hours on end, even at lower levels, was a totally doable thing. Occasionally, he sensed more than one give him a nod as if he had passed some crucial test, and the man or woman armored in either mail or beast hide below their waist would inhale as if to commend him or otherwise entice him, more than once pointing to the flickering lights of a nearby village where Eric just knew he would find a lively inn with a cheerful innkeeper, beautiful barmaids and a lively warm atmosphere that would feel just like coming home. And with the hungry looks in the eyes of young men and women feeling wild and free, he had a pretty good idea on just how that night might end.


    To those gestures and in at least one case, outright invitation, Eric¡¯s answer was always the same. He would salute them with a jaunty grin, and turn up his speed from a hundred miles per hour to double that, leaving his ruefully chuckling or quietly cursing would-be companions of the road far behind, and in only one case did he meet anyone who could keep up. A fiery-haired girl who looked every inch the warrior princess of stage and screen, who¡¯s jade green eyes bespoke of trials and tribulation and the pain of someone who had just lost everything and he knew he had locked gazes with a fellow Freetown survivor.


    ¡°You were holding back too? Awesome. So just how fast can you move, pretty boy?¡± The unquestionably beautiful freckle-face girl challenged between gasping breaths, clearly pushing herself with her sprint. Then her eyes bulged when Eric turned around, Heat Sense letting Eric know where he was in relation to the thankfully empty stretch of road, enjoying more than he should the look on the girl¡¯s face when he effortlessly matched her pace, looking right at her.


    ¡°Fuck! That¡¯s absurd!¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help chuckling as he turned back around, his speed doubling yet again, and even four hundred miles per hour was noting but pure joy, with Speed Racer cutting down air resistance to barely rustling his hair at all, inertia exactly what he needed it to be. And still¡­ even at half the speed of sound, it was as effortless for him as racing through a dream.


    And then Eric saw it, the soaring ivory white towers of New Arcadia against the golden backdrop of the newly rising sun.


    He swallowed the lump in his throat, actual tears in his eyes as he beheld the majestic city that justified everything he had endured. A bastion of beauty and grace claiming the allegiance of millions.


    A capital city worthy of serving as the crown jewel to an empire.


    His sister¡¯s kingdom.


    Which he would help her carve from this world as discretely as he could, one territory at a time.


    Yet for now? He was just another adventurer fleeing peril and terror in Freetown, looking for a fresh start in the faerie-tale city that had seemingly formed overnight. Yet as he approached the wondrous city in all it¡¯s majesty, the nameless brown-haired youth racing at monstrous speed without a lick of fatigue or loss of focus was soon replaced by a far slower youth who had just popped out of a nearby grove of trees, ignoring the haunting melodies of nearby woodland sylphs as he closed his eyes and transformed himself once more, reemerging to resume his journey at nothing more than a fast walk. A figure at least some might recognize.


    The brother to the princess herself, who kept the brim of his hat lowered as he took in the magnificent city of grand edifices, soaring towers, hanging gardens, and enchanted spires glittering like jewels in the first rays of dawn. He blinked back tears of wonder as he approached the magnificent pearlescent gates and the pair of men kitted in shimmering white armor, radiating the power and poise of paladins already on the cusp of Bronze. Needing only a proper challenge, preferably in a territory blessed with faerie magic of one sort or another, to achieve ascension and be able to protect his sister¡¯s kingdom like never before. Their gazes seemed to peer into the hearts of all those who would enter this magnificent city of millions. For better or worse, Eric¡¯s attire completely different than what it had been just minutes before.


    He tried to look like the role he was visualizing in Freetown. A reclusive youth who shied away from peril and unnecessary danger who was happy enough playing financier and securing himself partial ownership of a bank, even if recollection of exactly how was now as shady as everyone always assumed such affairs to be. Yet with the bombs unleashed in Freetown, most especially at the Blue Palace, his former domicile, he felt as compelled to leave for safety as anyone else.


    And that was the story he was sticking with, the story that anyone following his trail in the days, weeks, or months to come would see play out for themselves.


    Eric Silver was just one more survivor rushed out of Freetown, along with his far more important sister. Ernest Edgelord was nowhere to be seen, and the one known as Spite Bane had vanished as if he had never been. With both a female archer and the personas of multiple adventurers he had taken during his journey serving to muddy the waters, he had extremely high hopes that his enemies would never piece together just how close Ernest and Eric really were, let alone who and what Spite Bane really was.


    Only then, while patiently waiting in line, did Eric finally take a moment to admire his character sheet, giving himself permission to appreciate just how far he¡¯d come, no matter how much blood stained his wounded soul, or how many Bronze-tier titles he¡¯d earned and Contenders he¡¯d killed to get this far.


    Now, it was about blending in with the crowds and eventually managing to see his sister. Then he could put the harmless meek Eric away to be perceived as absolutely no threat to any faction this time around, thanks to a certain Silver Eagle talisman that had been forced into play for far, far too long. He¡¯d let Ernest play the eternal fall guy. And thanks to his wonderful ring, if everything went according to plan, he¡¯d always be able to come back to his sister¡¯s palace as Eric and live a life of peace and indulgence, without having to worry about vendettas or snipers trying to catch him unawares. Not that with his Physical Resistance he was particularly worried about sniper fire, but his sister was the farthest thing from bulletproof, and he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to bring trouble home if he could help it.


    _______________________________________________________


    Eric Silver Level 49 GOLDEN PHOENIX (Adventurer)


    (2<sup>nd</sup> Tier Core Saturation at 85%!)


    Rank 49 DEATH¡¯S DISCIPLE (Four Seasons)


    Level 38 Master Necromancer


    Physical Characteristics


    Strength ¨C 853  (You can easily shatter tanks with your fists!)


    Vitality ¨C 869 (Your Vitality is beyond monstrous.)


    Finesse ¨C 657 (You¡¯re nearly as deadly as a Bronze-tier sniper. Even without all their perks!)


    Quickness ¨C 1127 (You¡¯re well over 50 times as fast as an Olympic Fencer. ABSURD!)


    Appearance ¨C 36 (If this were pre-apocalypse, you would star in all your mother¡¯s movies!)


    Mental Characteristics


    Scholarship ¨C 35 (You¡¯re still yourself, but your thoughts are clear and your memory is sharp!)


    Perception ¨C 629 (A deadly marksman who always spots his prey. No one¡¯s sneaking up on you!)


    Willpower ¨C 126 (You were forged in fire, and it shows!)


    Charisma ¨C 20 (No comment. This isn¡¯t your path.)


    Potency Pools


    Arcane Potential ¨C 572 (An Archmage would be proud to apprentice you.)


    (Mana Pool = 6868)


    Spiritual Energy ¨C 433 (An elder sage would be pleased to have you as his disciple!)


    (Qi Pool = 5206)


    Psionic Potency ¨C 165 (You¡¯re almost worthy of a Psion Knight¡¯s regard.)


    (Psion Pool = 1980)


    Soul Reserves ¨C 498 (You could be a Master Necromancer... You ARE a Master Necromancer!)


    Stamina ¨C 8698 Points


    Health ¨C 10531 Points


    Resistances & Recovery


    Physical Resistance ¨C 300 (Artillery Shells no longer hurt you! With Battletime? You¡¯re ABSURD!)


    Physical Regeneration ¨C 86.9 health per second (As if you even needed it!)


    Elemental Resistance ¨C 131 (More than enough to resist most White-Tier spells!)


    Qi Resistance ¨C 141 (You¡¯re unlikely to be harmed by cultivators below Bronze!)


    Mental Resistance ¨C 139 (No faerie enchantments, persuasion, or illusions are effecting you!)


    Psionic Resistance ¨C 110 (Dense Neurons mean squid-brains won¡¯t find you easy prey at all!)


    ______________________________________


    Level 49 Golden Phoenix Powers.


    - Modified Cost of all abilities using any primary essence: 67% normal cost, multiplicative with all other factors.


    - Damage Multiplier of all abilities using any primary essence: 149% multiplicative with all other factors.


    (Core Enhancement) - Essence Fusion ¨C Rank 11 (Dual Harmony)


    This is now a Legendary Tier Class related power. No Nodes have been used to anchor this power.


    Essence infusion has achieved Journeyman Rank! - Enhancement Feat automatically chosen ¨C Dual Harmony! You may now infuse TWO synergistic or antagonistic elements in a unified Higher Order Transformation within any applicable skill, spell, or power that meets all necessary requirements!


    NOTE! YOU HAVE TASTED TRUE TRANSCENDENCE! All experience points earned towards evolving this skill will be twice as effective as would be for the unenlightened!


    Note! ALL immunities and damage mitigators are NULLIFIED against Higher Order attacks! - Singular exception: Countermeasures involving similar or opposing ESSENCES!


    Warning! Your evolution will earn the interest or ire of ALL known powers and principalities who find out about it. DISCRETION is strongly advised!


    NODAL POWERS


    1. Runic Lore - Rank 31 (Soul Infusion, Tier 3 Runic Spell Evolution, Runic Focus, Blood Runes.)


    Greater runes known: Wood (Herbam), Wind (Ventus), Fire (Ignis), Wrath (Iram), Dominion. (Dicio), Freeze (Congelo)


    Lesser runes known: One (unus) / Many (plures) / Now (hodie) / Sun Duration (dies) / Weaken (debilito) / Strengthen (roboro) / Resilience (mollet) / Fulmen (Lightning) / Torment (Cruciatus) / Sanguis (Blood)


    Gravity (Gravitas) / bend/curve/warp (incurvo) / invert/reverse/turn upside down (inverto) / attentio (attention ¨C concentration duration, in other words) / Resilient (mollet)/ Animus (soul) / Creo (creation) / Terra (earth)


    Fragor ¨C Rupture (Psionic Explosion)


    2. Unified Restoration ¨C Rank 15 (This Power allows you to infuse your body with your own spiritual reserves whenever you take an injury for near immediate healing, over and above your basic regeneration rate!) - Perk evolution deferred. (Potency surge ¨C using EX with this ability = healing all injuries at 140-fold basic rate!)


    3. Runic Spell Forger ¨C Rank 9


    - Inevitable Doom (105 Mana & Qi) - Rank 6


    - Hell Vines (140 Mana & Qi) (You can direct this spell!) ¨C Rank 9


    - Lightning Bolt - Fulmen- (30 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 12


    - Blood Lightning ¨C Sanguis Fulmen (15 Mana & Qi, 1.5 (.50%) SR) ¨C Rank 14! (Efficient Caster)


    (This spell dispels/abjures/& can cut through soul wards & partially heal.(X2 heal baseline Bloodmastery Synergism!)


    - Fire Bolt -Ignes Pilum ¨C (15 Mana & Qi) ¨C Rank 8


    - Psionic Rupture ¨C Fragor ¨C (21 mana / 21 Qi / 3 Psions / 42 SR & HP  ¨C Rank 10 (Hit Them Where it Hurts, Dense Neurons, Essence of Wrath always channeled.)


    Essences Claimed:


    Fire ¨C Blazing ¨C Rank 4


    Cold ¨C Freezing ¨C Rank 4


    Wrath ¨C Rank 2


    Dominion ¨C Rank 4


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Cultivation Affinities


    Wind / Wood / Fire


    Qi Skills


    Fire Fist ¨C (10 Qi) Rank 25 ¨C (Transcendent Strike, Power Strike.)


    Windfire Strike ¨C (30 Qi & 3 SR) Rank 21 ¨C Bloodfire Strike (Power Blow)


    Doom Strike ¨C (10Qi & 2 SR) ¨C Rank 7


    Ice Fire Strike (Phoenix Strike) ¨C (30 Qi & 15 SR) Rank 12 (Quarternary Harmony)


    Necromancer Perks:


    Basic Class Perks


    All necromantic (and blood magic) skill use is modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    All Summoned & Forged undead have their potency enhanced by Master Necromancer Level.


    All spells conjuring forth any number of creatures have summoned total modified by Master Necromancer Level.


    One additional enhanced class perk is earned every 2 Master Necromancer levels.


    Enhanced Class Perks:


    1. Soul Orb: Tier 1


    2. Undead Legion: Tier 6 (Up to 3,200 revenants may be risen after each battlefield victory!)


    3. Undead Tactical Interface map access.


    4. Vampiric Restoration


    5. Mixed Unit Tactics


    6. Mark of Resilience


    7. Call to Battle (500 mana cost to summon ? UL max at any time on the battlefield, but never more than the number of fallen bodies or remaining adversaries.)


    8. Death March


    9. Undying Phalanx


    10. Enhanced Legion (You can safely raise undead up to level = Adventurer + 2*Necromancer level )


    11. Crimson Orb: TIER 2! Soul Orb upgrade (Soul Orb potency now includes blood magic. (1/3!) cost to all soul point using feats, spells, and abilities!)


    12. Rank 1 Underlord


    13. Recall Familiar ¨C (BunBun!)


    - Spiritual Oathbinding


    - Soul Riding


    Lord of The Dead II - You may now raise DOUBLE the number of Underlords and Revenants that you otherwise would be able to!


    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


    Necromancer Affinities & Skills


    Blood Mastery ¨C Rank 34 (Blood Claimance, Lesser Healing, Essence Infusion, Vampiric Drain)


    Spirit Mastery ¨C Rank 36 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Forced Obeisance)


    Rituals of Summoning and Binding ¨C Rank 33 (Tier III Path of Dominion, Ritual of Greater Spirit Summoning, *Instant Transcription)


    Flesh Sculptor ¨C Rank 28 (Tier II Path of Dominion, Basic Revenant Preparation)


    Blood Ward ¨C Rank 5


    Potency Binding ¨C Rank 4


    Necromancer Spells


    Unorthodox Abjuration ¨C Rank 23


    Transcendant Abjuration ¨C Rank 6


    Arcane Skills


    Elemental Wands ¨C Rank 11 (Insightful Caster)


    Advanced Arcane Weapons (Blaster Rifle) ¨C Rank 11 - (Power Transference. Can personally recharge any wand or blaster)


    Essence Related Skills:


    Burst of Strength ¨C Rank 18 (19) (Path of Mastery)


    Dominion¡¯s Resilience ¨C Rank 3


    Dominion¡¯s Command ¨C Rank 8


    Heat Surge ¨C Rank 13 (Path of Mastery)


    Unified Perception Rank 24 (Sense Heat, Spiritual Energy, Magic, & Qi Flow.)


    Interface Recognized Skills


    Acting ¨C Rank 6


    Bardiche (Unified) ¨C Rank 21 (Cleaving Blow, Battleforged,*Piercing Strike)


    Blade and Shield ¨C Rank 11


    Boar Riding ¨C Rank 7


    Bow (All Types) ¨C Rank 21 (True Strike, Void Piercer)


    Charge ¨C Rank 9 (charge into your foes with maximum damage to them, and minimal damage to yourself!)


    Crossbows ¨C Rank 16 (True Strike)


    Small Blades ¨C Rank 4


    Demolitions ¨C Rank 14 (Path of Mastery)


    ESS Manipulation ¨C Rank 19 (Arcane Resonance Mastery)


    Find Weakness ¨C Rank 27 ¨C (Spell Cleave, Qi Perception, Additional Magus/Cultivator Bonus, +5 Vs Dragons)


    Flail ¨C Rank 5


    Identify ¨C Rank 3


    Gunnery ¨C Rank 12 (Cautious Gunner)


    Healer¡¯s Aid ¨C Rank 3


    Iado (Fast-Draw) ¨C Rank 19 (Doom Flurry) (Epic Tier - Doom Flurry ¨Cevery strike you successfully execute within 1 second of drawing your blade will count as a Doom Slice!)


    Javelin Throwing ¨C Rank 21 (Piercing Strike, Void Piercer)


    Negotiation ¨C Rank 15 (Intimidation)


    Repair ¨C Rank 1(6)


    Sling ¨C Rank 17 (Precise Shot Adv.)


    Spear ¨C Rank 26 (Piercing Strike, Battleforged)


    Stealth ¨C Rank 17 (Hunter¡¯s Grace)


    Swordsmanship ¨C Rank 34 (Doom Slice, Battleforged, Cultivator¡¯s Fury (+50% potency to all Qi attacks channeled through hands, feet, mithril blades or soul-bound weapons.) *Piercing Strike *Cleaving Blow)


    Swimming ¨C Rank 2


    Unarmed Combat ¨C Rank 30  (Empty Fist) / (Cultivator¡¯s Might ¨C Legendary!) / Cultivator¡¯s Resilience (Legendary)


    Interface Enhancements


    Full Neuro-Linguistic capabilities


    Extradimensional Storage Space


    Path of Endless Bounty ¨C Rank 15 (Crimson Balance, Evolution¡¯s Crucible, Oblivion¡¯s Mercy, Crimson Contender)


    You may consume the potency of any tile you claim for a 50% bonus to baseline ST & VIT earned while granting 4! - Elite Contender Bronze Title! - Lesser Bounties of your choice!  (Note. These bounties increase in significance when claiming territories of orange-tier saturation or greater!)


    Crimson Contender:


    You may now consume your fellow contenders as if they were territories! You enjoy +6 to Find Weakness skill checks against any Contender and upon consuming them, you may consume them UTTERLY! You enjoy a 50% Boon over and above the baseline 5% of key Contender attributes as your OWN Crimson Bounty that you tear free of your prey! (Effective baseline consumption is 7.5% of key attributes, further modified by attribute enhancement boons!)


    You will also automatically claim at least a single rank of any essence they have to which you have any affinity! (You have chosen to claim no Essence that don¡¯t synergize with the four paths of the Golden Phoenix!)


    _________________________________

 Chapter 432 - New Arcadia II

    Eric had dared to think that he had the perfect solution to the dilemma before him.


    To break all connection with past identities and have his primary persona blend seamlessly into New Arcadia¡¯s capital. Exactly where a rich scion would be expected to gravitate to in times of strife and trouble, just as he supposedly had Freetown, before it had suffered the devastating loss of its landmark tower.


    But what he hadn¡¯t counted on was just how overwhelmed he would feel, setting foot in a city so saturated with the promise of magic and wonder, so filled with architecture that moved and inspired. He was left momentarily speechless as his eyes teared up and his heart filled with hope. His heart soared with the wondrous music in the air that was as much enchantment as bard, leaving him feeling like he truly was stepping into a magical faerie tale world.


    At least he knew that he wasn¡¯t the only one captivated by the sights, sounds, and majesty of New Arcadia City, as evidenced by the flood of levimobiles parked upon the grassy fields to either side of the elegantly fortified city gates, hundreds of fleeing passengers sobbing like desolate survivors before a desert oasis as dozens of doe-eyed Sylvan healers brought gentle words of comfort and crocks filled with soup and bred, to all the lost souls seeking hope here, away from the devastation of Freetown that could have been so much worse.


    The degree to which Eric was awed and humbled was something his attributes could do nothing to prepare him for. Physical Resistance he had boosted so damn high that it could counter sniper rounds and artillery fire, maybe even Gunnery perk-boosted cannon fire, meant nothing. His maximum-modifier-enhanced Fire Fist that could rupture a half-step Silver Sand Wyrm, albeit at the risk of raising dozen escalation flags, was powerless before this force.


    His deadliest attacks and counters did him no good at all against the bittersweet ache in his heart. So he just stood there, swallowing the lump in his throat when teary-eyed children from Freetown who had somehow arrived with no one at all were tenderly held and soothed by ancient Sylvan counselors. When broken families were led to shelter that Eric just knew this wondrous city had in abundance for those in dire straights.


    Which meant that when the pair of Wide-eyed Royal Paladins on the cusp of Bronze, peered intently at the straw hat-covered youth just standing there like a gobsmacked tourist, Eric¡¯s secret was revealed with no chance of slipping through.


    The air rang with the crash of mithril against marble stone.


    A handful of traders and farmers bringing in a massive train of grain and produce wagons presently being given a cursory inspection all turned their tired eyes the Paladin¡¯s way as they spoke words that Eric really should have expected.


    ¡°Honored one! You bless us with your presence!¡±


    ¡°Please, allow us to escort you to your sister at once, honored one. She is most anxious to see you!¡±


    Eric froze at those words for a split second when it clicked. They were actually trying to be discrete. Perhaps for his sake, perhaps because of the scores of travelers and merchants and refugees now gazing his way with curious eyes. Or perhaps it was because his sister understood, as she always did, how nerve-wracking he had once found fame in all its forms, and he¡¯d far rather slip anonymously through this magnificent marvel of a city towering before him than be the center of anyone¡¯s attention.


    Yet despite his nod and understanding their intent as they immediately flanked him as they entered the city at a fast clip, it was impossible to avoid everyone¡¯s notice when they rapidly darted along the major city thoroughfare the gate opened up to a wide-open area hosting a grand market complete with street vendors, bards, performers, open air shops and food kiosks, the area surrounded by dozens of manor-like buildings with colorful storefronts and brilliant banners flapping in the morning breeze.


    The air was filled with the laughter of sylvan children and the cries of shopkeepers and food vendors and every stray glance sent their way immediately did a double take upon beholding a pair of the queen¡¯s mithril-plated Paladins with their brilliant white tabards all but sparkling before the eyes of countless awed citizens.


    ¡°The Queens Royal Guardians are here!¡±


    ¡°Who could that boy be, to have caught their attention?¡±


    ¡°A criminal?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. He holds his head high, no matter his silly hat. And his smile is that of a lord. The farthest thing from a supplicant.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t quite hold back a chuckle before the murmurs and gossip flowing through the crowd. For a moment it was all he could do to resist showing them up, before he thought, ¡®fuck it¡¯ and twirled the cloak he wore around him like a magician, effortless distraction as instantly donned soul-bound prizes allowed for a transformation that was more satisfying than it should have been, perhaps, when curious looks became stares of awe when he whipped the cloak free of his shoulders entirely.


    ¡°Look at him, fully kitted in crimson armor radiating magic and peril!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mithril that boy wears, any Dwarven smith could tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a Contender.¡±


    ¡°He anchored that armor to his soul, so he literally has to be. If we tried it, we¡¯d fade away. Nothing more than a wisp of dream.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he serves as one of our our queen¡¯s Champions!¡±


    The closest guardian smirked, giving Eric a look. ¡°You¡¯re sister implied you were one who appreciated the value of discretion.¡±


    Eric nodded, grinning a bit wider than he should at all the awed stares he was receiving from the citizens, all uniformly beautiful and free of scar or blemish, with a brightness to their cheeks and an innocence to their gaze that truly warmed his heart to see.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Normally I do. But on the other hand, you guys need some contrast. Why should plate-boys have all the nice things? Chain mail allows for maximum flexibility.¡±


    The sentinel to his left cracked a smile. ¡°Mithril hauberks do indeed allow for a swordmaster¡¯s grace,¡± he said with a pointed look at Eric¡¯s sheathed mithril dachi that he was now wearing secure in its harness, having also summoned it from his ES Space in the perfect position to draw and strike in the blink of an eye. ¡°But there¡¯s something to be said for a full plate harness made of a metal that can withstand even steel shot without a scratch.¡±


    ¡°Damn right, that is a sweet, sweet perk,¡± Eric commended as he slipped past a trio of excited children trying to touch his blade on a dare. ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t tell you how much I¡¯ve wanted to get my hands on some rigid mithril armor, but yeah, my mithril mail¡¯s basically a second skin at this point, so no real worries there.¡±


    The closest sentinel flashed Eric an oddly apologetic smile as his partner waved to a bright-eyed boy selling fruit, trading copper for the ripest plumbs Eric had even seen. When he bit into the one casually tossed to him, he wanted to swoon for the incredible wave of tangy sweetness that single juicy bite delivered. He couldn¡¯t wipe the grin off his face even if he tried, devouring it in a couple bites.


    ¡°Would that I could give you the armor New Arcadia herself blessed us with, Your Grace¡­¡± The sentinel began, before his words were waved off by a suddenly serious-faced Eric.


    ¡°No need to say another word. I understand completely.¡±


    And the haunted look in the man¡¯s eyes, gone in the time it took a ray of golden sunlight to dazzle Eric just long enough for a crow to claim his plumb pit which Eric happy surrendered with a laugh¡­ the desperate look was gone as if it had never been.


    Of course Eric understood. How could he not?


    All he had to do was look around at a city filled with life, love, laughter and wonder¡­ admiring the soaring towers of marble and bronze, catch a look at distant manors graced with lush gardens in perpetual bloom, and remember the desert of nightmares and tormented souls it had been just a handful of nights ago.


    A lifetime ago.


    And though he could savor her fruit and the warmth and laughter of countless millions reborn anew¡­ treasures of mithril and living dream were no more his right to claim than delving the Adventurer¡¯s Paradises he had left in Ashland.


    The gifts had been heartfelt.


    The boons he had received in turn truly sweet.


    And only tragedy would follow if he was so base and selfish as to claim treasures that he sensed were bound to these men¡¯s very souls.


    Were, in fact, an extension of their souls.


    ¡°Your Grace!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, just a bit dizzy!¡± Eric laughed off his unexpected lurch, even as the air rang with the sharp retort of stone tiles shattering with the slights surge of his Strength that he immediately dialed back down to near nothing. He winced at the gasps the shattered stone had earned, even more eyes looking his way before the trio hurried on.


    ¡°So, where exactly are we off to?¡± Eric asked, desperate to change the subject. ¡°And you both know that my two-hander dachi looks a fuck-ton cooler than your arming swords, right?¡±


    The look this earned from the pair of guardians was priceless. It made his grin almost as heartfelt as the lightness in his heart when a new voice entered the conversation.


    ¡°Duuude.¡±


    Eric positively beamed when he felt his favorite weight on his shoulder.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Bunbun! Good to have you with us, Lilly!¡±


    His familiar hopped from his mithril covered shoulder to his helm, Eric¡¯s vision only slightly impaired by the pair of floppy ears as Bunbun tilted her head down to meet his gaze with her own.


    ¡°Duuude!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s my favorite bunny?¡± He said, giving his familiar a gentle scratch and earning a purr in return. He couldn¡¯t help smiling at the looks of awe and wonder in the gazes of so many children¡­ though he was saddened by the haunted smiles he saw on so many adults.


    As if seeing Bunbun brought out so many truths they kept tight to their hearts, hoping for ancient wounds to fade and the dream of their awakening to become as real as real could be.


    And it would.


    Over time.


    Eric was sure of it.


    ¡°So, why are you teasing your poor put-upon honor guard about the size of your sword? They¡¯re just trying to keep a straight face while babysitting a baby godling on his way to his first day at school.¡±


    Eric blinked at that. ¡°What?¡±


    Bunbun snorted. ¡°Well, what else would you call the forger of an entire territory? So many lives pulled free of nightmare. An entire city summoned into being in a single night! Well, two cities at this point. Or did you mean my babysitting comment? You do know they both have children older than you, right?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened with alarm.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, Eric. Everyone woke up from you-know-what A-OK.¡±


    This time it was Eric who steadied his closest honor guard when the man stumbled over nothing, features beneath the man¡¯s helm pale as a sheet.


    ¡°It¡¯s that gorgeous morning sun, reflecting off all the polished marble around here. Gets you every time,¡± Eric said with a careful pat on the man¡¯s back.


    The paladin took a shuddering breath before solemnly nodding. ¡°Of course you¡¯re right, Your Grace. Come. Mistridge is just ahead.¡±


    Whatever snarky quip he was about to reply with froze on the tip of his tongue as he beheld Mistridge in all its glory. A vast, tower-studded keep of absolutely absurd scale that was a marvel of architecture and magic that lightened his heart and filled him with joy.


    They solemnly crossed a bridge that appeared to be made of spun glass that spanned over the lake adjoining the capital. Arcadia City glittered like a priceless jewel below. Eric looked down past the harbor and the scores of double-masted ships in the busy lakeside port, noting the row upon row of stately buildings radiating a majesty worthy of any capital anywhere in the world.


    He then returned his focus to the grand edifice they were rapidly approaching, constructed of marble and rose-colored quartz upon it¡¯s own island in the middle of the lake. A shiver of wonder and Eric once again felt like he was dreaming as they slowly crossed the bridge that seemed to eat up the distance, twenty paces passing with every slow step taken as they strode across the spun glass marvel before setting foot safely upon the Mistridge Academy rooftop, which itself was incredibly vast and covered in a miniature forest of mystical blossoms and exotic cuttings.


    Eric took a deep breath of blossom-scented air as heavy with magic and wonder as the spiciest of delves he had ever dared. More, in fact, while being not only safe but charmed with aspects of enrichment and benevolence so at odds with the bitter callous reality that was so much of this world that it struck a cord in Eric¡¯s heart. He wiped away the sting in his eyes as he caught sight of multiple crystalline spires encircling the miniature forest rustling with so many wondrous secrets.


    Each of the twelve glittering spires he caught sight of through the foliage had a different colored entryway, and each could shape the fates of whatever delvers were brave enough to explore whatever secrets were hidden within. The entire superstructure radiated so much arcane might that Eric could barely conceive of what category of wonder this academy truly was.


    He was, in truth, humbled by it. Because he sensed that, no matter the role he might have played in affecting the evolution of this structure, it had been destined to be here all along. Had, in fact, always been here.


    A treasure beyond compare.


    He sensed that as well.


    Only then did he realize how foolish he was being. So lost in wonder¡¯s embrace that he hadn¡¯t even registered that his honor guard had dared step not one foot across the barrier. Had Eric been in a delve with companions and not some magically benevolent miracle¡­ He turned around, looing back at the pair of paladins stopped at the very edge of the etherial bridge, saluting Eric, fists to mithril plated chests.


    ¡°Your Grace!¡± The said as one, before bowing their heads, neatly spinning around on the their back heels, and leaving the way they had come.


    A bemused Eric shook his head with a soft chuckle before his attention was drawn to the smiling young woman wearing a grey mages robe with a weave and cut so very like the ones worn by the protagonists in his favorite fantasy movie.


    He flushed once more. Why the hell hadn¡¯t he registered her just standing there and standing up at him until that very moment?


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve made it. Excellent! Come. Right this way.¡±


    Eric frowned thoughtfully at the rooftop, noting the need dividing line of bridge infused crystal and the mystical tower himself. He had taken a few awed steps but hadn¡¯t crossed completely over into what he sensed was the towers absolute domain.


    He refused to call his caution fear¡­ but his instincts were shrieking warning, as if he were about to step into a maelstrom off supernatural potency that could wash over him like the tiniest off tadpoles who thought he actually was something in the shallowest of ponds¡­ before being swept out to impossibly vast stormy seas.


    He swallowed his suddenly dry throat, suddenly certain that crossing the boundary before him was less about stepping from enchanted bridge landing to soil-covered rooftop and more about voluntarily crossing from one realm to another.


    One reality to another, where the fundamental underpinnings of power and potential were both similar enough to maintain continuity so he would continue to be himself, or what he thought of as himself, yet different enough to allow for the most extraordinary of transformations.


    The young woman turned around, frazzled brown hair whipping about as she pushed her old silver-frame glasses up the bridge of her nose. She frowned with the exact same exasperated expression as one of his few junior year classmates who hadn¡¯t known or cared who he was during the semester he had managed to actually live life on his own terms. Always looking at him like he was an idiot when he¡¯d ask one clueless question after another, making it damned clear that he had no idea what was going on in pretty much any of his classes.


    ¡°Seriously? Our school¡¯s VIP guest is getting cold feet now? The rooftop doesn¡¯t bite, at least not you.¡±


    Eric blinked in genuine bemusement. She even had the same voice!


    He then froze, frowning thoughtfully at the girl waiting with increasing impatience, even tapping her foot the same way as he recalled.


    It was impossible, of course. She didn¡¯t even look the same. Did she?


    ¡°Marsha?¡±


    The girl froze, eyes widening as if only registering who he looked like at that very moment.


    She swallowed, sallow features growing even paler. ¡°No. Fucking. Way.¡±


    ¡°Way!¡± chipped in a too cheerful Bunbun. ¡°I know, right? He looks nothing like the adorable goofball of just a year ago, does he?¡±


    The brown-eyed girl did a double-take. ¡°Shit, it really is you!¡± She swallowed, taking a step back, a haunted look coming over her mien. ¡°You look just as good as your mother made you in that film Elonia sent me a copy of. Nothing at all like the boy I knew. Geeky and awkward like me, with pimples to go with his muscles, and in danger of failing almost all of his classes.¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t actually failing all of my¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you think you would have passed any of them if you hadn¡¯t been copying my notes and homework?¡±


    He winced. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s actually fair. I hadn¡¯t actually been attending school in like, ever, so maybe I didn¡¯t really know what I was doing?¡±


    Marsha smirked. ¡°You weren¡¯t a complete idiot. Using accounting principles to solve Jedison¡¯s equations was actually pretty clever. But besides knowing how to balance a ledger and make all sorts of hints that you knew all sorts of shady vulture capitalist shit¡­ it was obvious you were in way over your head. You couldn¡¯t write a cogent essay to save your life, and you had no business being thrown into an honors curriculum. Sorry, it¡¯s true, and you know it.¡±


    ¡°Whereas my sister¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Elonia¡¯s a genius. And she¡¯s our queen, which means¡­¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Shit, I¡¯m the one being an idiot, right?¡± She then proceeded to curtsy before nearly toppling over, and Eric instinctively racing forward to keep her from tripping on her robe, crossing that boundary between realms without even registering it until after it had happened.


    ¡°Was that so hard?¡± Marsha¡¯s eyes twinkled. Her voice was husky, arms held so carefully in Eric¡¯s powerful grip.


    Eric blinked, cheeks flushing. ¡°You faked me out to get me on the roof!¡±


    She snorted. ¡°No, I¡¯m just a clumsy goof. Being grateful that I woke up from a nightmare I sure as shit won¡¯t bore you with the details of, and actually a day one student of this school which is absolutely incredible!¡±


    Eric gave her a gentle smile, gently helping to right her. ¡°So, what¡¯s it like tapping into the fundamental secrets of the universe?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Classes don¡¯t formally start for a week. But I get to wear cool robes and feel like a character in my favorite series, even if there are exactly twelve towers here and not, say¡­ thirteen and a half?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha.¡±


    ¡°And I also get to earn extra credit helping the VIPS get situated. And since attending any of the classes at all is supposed to be a life-altering experience¡­ at least that¡¯s what the handful of us already here were told¡­ yeah. I am beyond excited to earn some one-on-one time with the wisest mages you¡¯ll find anywhere!¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Sounds like access to private lessons to learn the secrets of magic is definitely the way to go.¡±


    Marsha gave an animated nod. ¡°You¡¯re damn right. Now come on. You got a meeting with both the queen and the headmaster!¡±


    She then froze, as the significance of her own words struck her.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the freekin¡¯ prince. Just two years ago, I was tutoring a prince! And now here you are, looking so buff and shiny in your crimson armor of awesomeness and do you really know how to use that scary-looking sword on your hip?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Actually yeah, I do.¡±


    She swallowed, big brown eyes gazing into his own. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t just wake up yesterday. You¡¯ve been a part of¡­ well, whatever it is that¡¯s going on. Killing monsters. Leveling up¡­ all of it.¡±


    Eric flashed her a sympathetic smile. ¡°I guess I have, at that. Quite a lot¡¯s happened since the last time you let me crib your notes. How are you holding up, Marsha?¡±


    She flashed a brittle smile. ¡°I¡¯m pretty good for a girl who woke up screaming last night with memories of being shoved into a steel cage with so many others, all of us smelling of sweat and fear and sobbing with terror, and when you looked down through the metal bars under our bare, bleeding feet, all you saw was this fiery hot glow, burning our skin even from hundreds of feet in the air!¡±


    She shuddered, tears streaming down her cheeks. ¡°It all faded the moment I woke up. But I still remember the awful terror I felt when the metal trap door screeched open and I began to fall and the air was filled with everyone¡¯s screams, and...


    She choked back a sob, suddenly finding herself in Eric¡¯s comforting arms. ¡°It was such an awful, awful dream.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s all it was,¡± Eric gently soothed. ¡°A bad dream that can never hurt you again. Now you¡¯re awake and alive and ready to enjoy an awesome isekai adventure where you get to live a faerie tale life and explore all the mystery and wonders of magic.¡±


    Marsha took a shuddering breath, flashing him a grateful smile. ¡°You¡¯re right about that, Eric. Now come on! You¡¯re expected and now we¡¯re running late!¡±

 Chapter 433 - New Arcadia III

    ¡°Come on, Eric. Let me take you through the Hall of Wonders. It¡¯s this way!¡±


    Eric blinked, desperately trying to gather his thoughts as he was led along multiple dizzying corridors by an animatedly talking Marsha who truly seemed to come alive as the strode through ancient primeval forests, stormy oceans, endless deserts, and cottony clouds kissed a fiery hue by the setting sun. Yet he simultaneously knew that his feet had never left the polished marble corridors as his eyes were captivated by one breathtaking view after another, only a tiny corner of his brain worrying about how they had ever left the rooftop at all. They had made their way through the foliage and suddenly they were traveling between worlds.


    Then their odd journey through corridors that somehow echoed with overlapping realms of reality and living dream came to an abrupt end before the imposing oak edifice that could only be the headmaster¡¯s door. An unmoving edifice of wood that Eric doubt even his strength could shatter without him putting higher order concepts into play.


    And perhaps not even then.


    Yet all it took was the slightest trembling touch of Marsha¡¯s hand for it to open without a single creek, displaying the room within.


    The animated Marsha suddenly grew quiet, flowing into a low curtsy as they entered a grand chamber filled with bookshelves, a crackling fireplace, a grand polished cherry wood table, and multiple leather wingback chairs presently holding both queen and headmaster.


    Eric felt an odd frisson of wonder and bemusement, gazing at his sister wearing an elegant ivory white dress with a golden tiara offset by brilliant sapphires who was presently sipping tea with the headmaster, looking exactly as he remembered her, and simultaneously so much more.


    Flawless features filled with a sister¡¯s love peered warmly into his stunned gaze, yet her beauty was far more than that. She had well and truly transcended as a ruler, it was obvious from her every movement and gesture, even if her physical attributes were in the thirties, far closer to the absolute limits of mortal man than Eric¡¯s absurd scores. They were still beyond what any Olympian had ever achieved, and her beauty was so much more than the adorable features of a former Hollywood starlet.


    Hers was the regal countenance of a queen who was now at one with her land.


    Even if she was gazing at him with the exasperated affection of a sister who had clearly been worried for her closest kin.


    Yet even as he helplessly tried to think of what to say, his eyes were drawn to the warmly smiling man who radiated both advanced age and the ageless vitality of an ancient oak tree, stormy grey eyes twinkling with warmth and welcome, for all that he radiated the unbridled power of a Silver.


    Not simply a Bronze with potential or a half-step wonder on the cusp of greatness¡­ but an actual Silver. Not surprisingly, Marsha was doing all she could not to fall into a swoon as the potent might of a being powerful enough to conquer a continent gazed upon the trembling girl with a grandfather¡¯s benevolence.


    ¡°Thank you, Marsha. You have done well. I very much look forward to seeing your star shine brightly in the semester to come.¡±


    ¡°I... yes, Headmaster!¡± Marsha anxiously squeaked, giving the room one last curtsy and Eric an unreadable glance before fleeing with all the grace she could.


    Eric¡¯s thoughts were whirling as he gazed into the warm smiling features that made him think of such august personages of fantasy and film as Gandalf, Belgarath, Merlin, and countless others. The warm twinkle in the headmaster¡¯s eye made it clear that he understood and was both touched and amused by what had no doubt been the awe and adulation of any prospective student who truly understood the force of nature and magic before them, guided and nurtured by the gentle benevolence of a favored grandparent eager to see all his grandchildren in the arcane arts flourish and succeed.


    Eric blinked away the mist in his eyes, his sister¡¯s indulgent smile making it clear she understood his state exactly.


    ¡°Wow, my brother at a loss for words,¡± she said with a gentle smile. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day when¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wormy two! How are you, man? You¡¯ve definitely leveled up with some of that Endless Bounty goodness our master loves to give out, haven¡¯t you? Kudos, bro!¡±


    Everyone froze. The room grew deathly quiet as Eric¡¯s bunny flopped across his now naked curls, mithril armor instinctively stored away when he had strode the corridors feeling like a kid lost in the most wondrous of dreams¡­ and his bunny really was incredibly soft and furry and Eric thought his cheeks would blaze at the way his sister was looking at them both, having absolutely no idea what his familiar was talking about.


    Elonia had clearly been caught of guard to see that he had a familiar at all, yet even she sensed that Bunny had just crossed the greatest of lines without a care in the world and Eric halfway expected the entire chamber to erupt and it did as golden peels of laughter emanating from the Gandalf-like figure who might have nothing on Eric¡¯s now Ascended mother but who could wipe out an entire fleet of carriers and destroyers and how the heck had so much power been unleashed with a single ascended territory? But of course he knew how¡­ as Marsha¡¯s dreams had made so painfully clear, reminding Eric once more of the terrible stakes they played for as the room filled with gentle mirth, the twinkling grey eyes of the headmaster that of a man who found a bunny¡¯s quips both charming and outrageously funny.


    ¡°Eric Silver. It truly is a pleasure to make your acquaintance at last.¡±


    Eric, heart hammering, didn¡¯t hesitate to bow low, honoring what he knew damn well, all niceties aside, was a sovereign lord in whose domain he had been made welcome.


    ¡°We are honored to meet you, revered Headmaster.¡± Eric glared up at his smirking familiar still flopped on his sweaty curls. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Bunbun?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Because now we can finally learn magic at a real honest-to-goodness magic academy! And unlike the delves of Ashland, this isn¡¯t barred to you! You pulled so many souls free of nightmare that now it¡¯s nearly seven million people holding up this glorious pillar of eternity, not just your sorry ass!¡±


    Eric froze mid-bow with those words. Because in his heart of hearts¡­ he had wanted so desperately to believe that maybe there was a way he could capture that dream of innocence and wonder he had seen in Marsha¡¯s eyes. Yet after enduring countless lost opportunities that forever seen just a single twist of irony or mischance away from becoming reality, repeatedly denied access to spiritual treasures and realms, forced into one perilous encounter after another, compelled to imperil his life against ever-more insane odds¡­ with even his precious cultivation tomes torn from his grasp before he could even learn a single bloody movement technique¡­ he had come to the bitter conclusion that he would forever be denied any access to carefully harvested wisdom at all.


    Yet the sweet, dark boons he had received in turn, his own perilous path serving as the crimson fount to so many profound insights and an astoundingly explosive path to growth and peerless power, sufficient to tear through an entire fleet of interstellar dreadnoughts when he had set his very core ablaze¡­ had served as a balm both bitter and impossibly sweet for the countless opportunities to learn and blossom and grow in anything but the crucible of conflict having been uniformly torn from his grasp.


    Yet here and now, with the way the headmaster was looking at him with a bemused half-smile as if holding onto a delightful secret, and the way his exasperated sister looked on the cusp of saying something before Eric¡¯s goofy familiar who was so much like him in so many ways that he and the Lilly of before probably would have been an item if reality had spun just a little bit differently¡­ had managed to leave even his sister speechless.


    There was so much Eric wanted to say. So much he needed to do! Most especially hug his sister and tell her how much he loved her and how proud he was of her. Yet for some stupid reason the first words to leave his dry lips were¡­


    ¡°Is it true? Can I actually learn magic?¡±


    And the twinkling eyes of both headmaster and his beloved twin made it clear that they knew exactly what he meant. It wasn¡¯t just about learning how to use a trio of elemental wands, lessons he had embraced and was grateful for. Nor adding to his handful of powerful runes where he poured so much of his own fury and intensity to echo with primal meanings to transform the world around him, at least to a limited degree.


    It was about tapping into those glorious planes of magic and wonder that he had glimpsed just striding the halls to this very office, those alternate realities that were both as ephemeral as a dream and simultaneously more real, more profound, than the fragile corner of the universe he called home could possibly be.


    Elonia was positively beaming, he could sense the glorious affirmation on the tip of her rosebud lips. The headmaster leaned back in his leather recliner, sipping his tea while regarding Eric.


    ¡°Our school has a unique path to mastery, Your Grace. It is a path that will open up avenues of power unlike anything that most self-taught wizards will ever experience.¡±


    His gaze grew oddly solemn, with a hint of what Eric almost thought pity.


    ¡°Our school is in a most unique juxtaposition, infused with the promise of a world force-bloomed into the grandest of wonders...or the greatest of tragedies. We stand before greatness, on the cusp of something legendary, yet the cost is one that I fear, quite ironically, the young scions born of this world, most deserving of this academy¡¯s gifts, will be least likely to accept.¡±


    Eric frowned at these words, tilting his head curiously. ¡°Could you please elaborate?¡±


    The Headmaster smiled indulgently, before dipping his head to his sister.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Eric.¡± Elonia said, touching his heart with her smile.


    Eric swallowed the lump in his throat, more relieved than he could possibly put into words to see his sister hale and healthy and glowing with hope. Not just hope, but excitement. Both for her ascension as queen of New Arcadia, he was sure, and equally so for the wonder clearly before them both.


    ¡°I missed you too, sis. And I¡¯m sorry I missed the coronation.¡±


    She chuckled softly, lifting herself from her seat, sedately stepping forward to clasp his hands with her own. His eyes widened in gentle surprise when she squeezed. Somehow simultaneously sensing both her 25 Strength, having blossomed so much from the healthy mortal she had been before¡­ and the strength of a kingdom behind her grip.


    His eyes widened with awe. ¡°Elonia¡­ how?¡±


    Her eyes twinkled merrily. ¡°The coronation, Eric. It was everything I could have hoped for. When I swore myself to the land¡­ I became the land. And she became me as well, in ways I can scarce put into words. And I¡¯ll forgive you for missing the coronation. I know better than anyone how much you enjoy pomp and ceremony.¡± She winked. ¡°Thank you for saving us all.¡±


    Eric swallowed, stepping back and bowing his head in both deference and admiration. ¡°You and New Arcadia are a perfect fit,¡± he said at last, and it was true. His sister was radiant with a superluminal glow, echoing the warmth, beauty, and wonder of this entire territory now the size and population of a small country.


    His words earned a throaty chuckle. ¡°There is so much I would love to share with you, Eric. So many secrets and wonders!¡± Her gentle smile grew forlorn. ¡°Alas, the one thing at a premium is time. As always, am I right?¡±


    Eric¡¯s lips pressed together against the sudden twist in his gut. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± His sister hastened to assure. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like the desperate circumstances of before. It¡¯s just¡­ well, when the moons align, that¡¯s when the semester will start, and there is no putting of classes her at Mistridge, no matter how deep your mother¡¯s pockets, ha ha.¡±


    Eric chuckled at that. ¡°Truly. So, tell me, the sensations I experience while striding the corridors by Marsha¡¯s side¡­ Is it what I think it is? All of it?¡±


    Elonia gazed at Eric intently. His heart raced at the profound look they shared before she dipped her head. ¡°Yes, Eric. It¡¯s true.¡±


    And with that one phrase, his questions were answered, his growing suspicions solidified in truth. This school was about far more than simply mastering how to use a handful of wands or arcane knickknacks or opening up what for some would be a magic-using class of one sort or another.


    If his sense of those realms of desert heat, an ocean¡¯s might, endless aerie expanses, and lush vibrant forests was anything to go by¡­


    ¡°The students here aren¡¯t just learning to cast a better fireball or more efficiently use their wands. They¡¯re learning something far more profound. Aren¡¯t they?¡±


    His sister flashed a brilliant ethereal smile. ¡°You¡¯re so right, Eric. Our training goes far beyond wand maintenance and efficient casting. Here, the students will learn how to channel the primal forces of magic itself.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened, instantly understanding. If the average mage was equivalent to a man using oars to row across a small lake of Mana, a Mistridge graduate would be learning how to fasten sails to the vessel of his will that would allow him to harness the mightiest of howling winds to blow him across the sea. Or harness the power of volcano to sweep an entire shoreline away. And all that was nothing at all compared to tapping into the potential locked away in every single elemental plane adjoining their reality.


    He shivered at the solemn nod Elonia gave him. ¡°Exactly, Eric. The students will be learning how to commune with the primal elements directly. The very planes of their creation, their being. Whether the pristine elemental might of fire¡­ or living dreams of image and perception where masters can turn dreams and fantasies to reality in truth. Any force of destruction and creation that you can imagine has its echo in the primal magical weave encompassed by all the various arcane techniques and elements.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart was pounding with excitement. The potential was beyond what even he had dared to hope. He licked suddenly dry lips, knowing there was a catch. That there absolutely had to be a catch! And he didn¡¯t care. Not a bit.


    Because if there was even a chance that this could enhance what he thought it might¡­ ¡°Alright, sign me up.¡±


    His words earned a sigh from the headmaster. ¡°I think it best you first explain the cost, my queen. And the benefits, in terms that our champion will best understand.¡±


    Elonia dipped her head. ¡°Of course, Headmaster Wyrmwood.¡±


    Eric did a double-take.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Bunbun huffed from her favorite perch. ¡°That¡¯s the name were going with?¡±


    The headmaster¡¯s smile didn¡¯t so much as twitch before Bunbun¡¯s quip, but Eric felt his cheeks flush all the same. ¡°Bunbun¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, fearless leader! Now let¡¯s find out the bitter horrible cost or suicide mission we¡¯ll have to accept before we get any of the sweet, sweet fruit we helped to bring about in the first place.¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said we¡¯d finally earned a chance to enjoy some slice-of-life well-earned chilling, Lilly? Since this school was a lot more than just a territory transformation?¡±


    Bunbun snorted. ¡°In your dreams! You know damn well that fate isn¡¯t happy if we¡¯re not covered in blood and roaring for freedom before the day is done¡­ or fleeing for our lives or obliterating empires or whatever. Because when do we ever get to have nice things without some super-twisted catch?¡±


    Eric¡¯s scowl deepened. ¡°Fuck if you don¡¯t actually have a point. And we don¡¯t ever flee. We just tactically reposition ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll go with that.¡±


    ¡°Damn right we will! If Eve hasn¡¯t penalized it, it hasn¡¯t happened.¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, what¡¯s up, sis?¡±


    His sister gave him an oddly strained look. ¡°You can become a student here, Eric.¡± She gave him a smile so filled with concern that he had to lower his gaze for reasons he could scarce put into words.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already done so much. Even if I have so little idea about the true scope¡­ still, I feel it in my heart. You¡¯re aloud to take a break. And yes, Eric. You can have nice things!¡±


    Eric gave his sister a relieved smile. ¡°Thanks, Elonia. It¡­ even if I don¡¯t ever see myself slowing down, it really does feel nice to hear you say that.¡±


    ¡°But Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°There is a cost.¡±


    Eric¡¯s happy smile faded with a sigh. ¡°Of course there is.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be like that. You really can learn magic beyond anything that¡¯s been revealed on Earth so far!¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I seriously doubt that.¡±


    His sister¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fair enough. So what¡¯s the catch?¡±


    Elonia rubbed her eyes. ¡°Why do I feel like this is going to totally play into your cynical outlook?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Because there clearly is a catch, and it¡¯s a doozy, or you wouldn¡¯t be prevaricating.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not prevaricating!¡±


    ¡°Waffling, then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hit you.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sorry, sis. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s been a really long couple of days. And it really is good to see you. So I¡¯ll just shut my mouth and let you say your piece.¡±


    Elonia wrapped him up in her arms, giving him a heartfelt hug, smelling of lilacs, peppermint, and hope.


    ¡°Jeezus, Eric! You smell like blood and steel and gunpowder and things I don¡¯t even want to guess at. When was the last time you bathed?¡±


    ¡°Do wind baths at four hundred miles per hour count?¡±


    ¡°Not if the air resistance was kept so low that it barely ruffled your hair, fearless leader,¡± his bunny quipped.


    Elonia just gave him a look, before filling the air with lighthearted laughter. ¡°It really is good to see you, Eric!¡± Her smile grew strained. ¡°But yes, there is a cost, and it¡¯s steep.¡±


    Eric took a deep breath, heart pounding with excitement and dread. ¡°Okay, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, first the good news. You¡¯ll gain access to Primal Arcane skills. Elements and techniques that help you master the fundamental elements of reality itself.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Like the primal five cultivation elements or those of a storm magus.¡±


    Elonia chuckled. ¡°I think you¡¯d be surprised by just how many different elements there are, in terms of overlapping planes of reality. They include mastery over plants and animals, bringing images to life, manipulating the bodies of faerie and man directly, and of course mastery over the physical elements themselves. Tied to that are mastering primal techniques of control, creation, destruction, and transformation.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart was racing as his sister¡¯s lips curved in a teasing grin, drawing it out just as she used to back when they would do weekend gaming sessions, describing the glorious prizes Eric and his friends won when completing one of her dungeons. She loved to tease, and it was always worth the wait.


    ¡°Eric¡­ it¡¯s more than that. Far more than that. Remember, you¡¯re not just accessing the echo of a form copied by countless struggling mages on innumerable planets that the System allows us newly forged classers to tap directly into.¡± Elonia¡¯s brilliant sea-green irises sparkled with wonder it captivated Eric to see, feeling suddenly dizzy, as if he were falling into twin worlds of a perpetually blooming New Arcadia, filled with warmth, laughter and boundless opportunity¡­ and a howling winter storm without end.


    ¡°You¡¯re tapping into the primal planes of realty. You¡¯re not just tapping into the System¡¯s memory of a wizard¡¯s fireball fueled by your own magic and whatever wisps of Mana the local region supplements with your own¡­ you¡¯re also tapping into the elemental plane of fire itself!¡±


    Eric clenched his hands into excited fists, visualizing himself channeling mighty elemental storms that could sweep over entire cities, or the armies of his foes. Every bit as powerful as his sister¡¯s Doomtwister. Or it could be. One day. Yet as glorious as the image was, he still knew it to be pure fantasy, because there was always a catch.


    ¡°And what will this cost me?¡±


    ¡°Every rank of those arts that you earn will give you a bonus to all future spell use involving those Elements, Eric. Even the spells you know now!¡±


    Eric¡¯s brow tightened, hating the anxiety, the worry he saw in his sister¡¯s eyes. ¡°Must be a pretty big fucking catch.¡±


    Headmaster Wyrmwood chose that moment to speak, the entire chamber vibrating ever so slightly with the arcane echo of his baritone voice. ¡°And yet perhaps you will find it worth it, when you discover for yourself that Primal Art masteries will enhance even those abilities which various counsels absolutely rife with corruption have agreed have no place in this world, so we will speak of them not at all.¡±


    Eric froze, turning to gaze into the enigmatic gaze of the headmaster himself.


    His mind raced with questions to ask¡­ but, truly, who would know better than him the deadliness of his most forbidden attacks? Even pretending that this benevolent headmaster wasn¡¯t the reincarnation of a massive half-mile-long Titan Wyrm that had experienced firsthand the power of Eric¡¯s essence-enhanced Fire Fist. And, to be fair, perhaps he wasn¡¯t. Wormy II¡¯s power had been off the charts. But the soul it had incarnated with when Eric had transformed this entire realm was clearly that of a practitioner both wise, and powerful enough to both run a Legendary-tier academy able to tap into the font of magicka directly¡­ while radiating a Silver classer¡¯s power.


    ¡°So, it affects Qi Attacks, or powers based on spiritual energy as well.¡±


    Headmaster Wyrmwood dipped his head. ¡°Indeed it does. Even a cultivator¡¯s Spiritual Energy can be enhanced with Primal Arts, but this is definitely beyond most novice practitioners. Regardless, time, training, and diligent mastery of the fundamental forms will allow those with true talent to blossom far beyond the ken of lesser practitioners, even those who have already ascended a full tier above you.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart skipped a beat as the true significance of what the headmaster before him was saying.


    For a split second his mind danced back to those moments when he had truly ascended. Blazing across the heavens as a phoenix by his mother¡¯s side. As powerful as he knew his flames were becoming with the right abilities and essences synergized for truly potent if not outright transcendent attacks that he dare not unleash, lest the entire corrupt global council immediately declare war with him¡­ still, he knew its potential. Just as he knew as well that the incredibly sweet multipliers he had been able to cobble together were limited. His increase in power from this point on he feared would be incremental at best. The farthest thing from logarithmic. But if there was a way the blazing Phoenix that was his potential could tap into the very plane of fire and synergize it with higher order concepts of flame¡­


    His heart pounded at the thought of just how far he could go. Long before he ever hit Bronze, let alone Silver and Gold. And when he eventually achieved those milestones¡­ assuming he even survived that long...


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± he whispered. ¡°Do you even know what this means? Forget White-Tier novices just desperate for a few effective spells. If harnessing those arts has as much potential as I think it does, that changes everything. Everything! Can you even imagine how many desperate Silvers might one day¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Elonia said, reaching to squeeze his shoulder, right before picking up and petting Eric¡¯s purring bunny. ¡°Which is why Earth¡¯s status, and the additional treaties signed to make sure that whatever third party violations might have occurred never happen again¡­ is so vital. But even so, with so many powerhouses having already slipped through the cracks, Deep Bronze monsters and half-step Silvers that could utterly devastate our home and slaughter millions in their bid for power¡­ this academy just might be the key to preventing disaster.¡±


    Eric blinked, suddenly getting it. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡¯d, what, offer free scholarships to our legendary school here in return for promises of good behavior? And you¡¯re not afraid they¡¯d emerge even stronger, more deadly than ever?¡±


    Elonia flashed a cynical smile. ¡°It¡¯s not quite that simple, and you¡¯re forgetting the best part.¡±


    ¡°And that would be¡­¡±


    ¡°All swear an oath to cause the queen and her realm no deliberate harm.¡± Her eyes blazed. ¡°Which means that no matter what happens with the rest of the world, scores of outrageously powerful Contenders will be oath-bound to leave us be at the very least, and upon graduation, they will be expected to provide us at least token support to assure that the territory fostering the greatest marvel any of them ever experienced will never fall to a predatory outsider.¡±


    Eric grinned in genuine admiration. ¡°You¡¯ll be forming bonds of school spirit with the most powerful future Contenders on the continent. Powerhouses that, at the very least, will have sworn never to obliterate New Arcadia in their pursuit of power. Even if world conquest with so many powerhouses on the board is looking less and less certain, you¡¯ll still be keeping your home, and the millions counting on you, safe. Considering everything we¡¯ve been through this past year, how many times we rode the razor¡¯s edge of oblivion, that¡¯s a heck of a sweet boon. Well done, Sis.¡±


    Elonia paled and flinched. Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed, suddenly recalling that only he recalled what had truly happened over this past year. For so many others¡­ the actual past was no more real than a fading dream.


    She was graceful enough to turn her stumble into a graceful step back, her features once more a mask of calm equanimity. Somehow petting his familiar¡¯s luxuriously soft fur seemed to ease away the final haunting flickers of nightmare from her once-more serene gaze. ¡°Certainly knowing that our home will be an inviolate sanctuary in the hearts and minds of those who might otherwise destroy us far too easily is a weight off all our shoulders. But the non aggression accord doesn¡¯t hold to conflicts between individual classmates. We don¡¯t want any of our future prodigies feeling that this school is out to trap them or freeze their ability to progress, though their conflicts are to be fought only in sanctioned duels or other non-lethal encounters while they are attending, not in proxy wars devastating entire kingdoms. They also know better than to unleash attacks that might damage New Arcadia in general and the school in particular.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± Eric said, eyes drawn inexorably toward the pots of tea and silver plates full of delectable-looking pastries on polished tables beside the leather chairs. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing in a school like this, those oaths hold a hell of a lot of weight.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s smile didn¡¯t reach her hard, knowing gaze. ¡°You¡¯re damn right it does. But there¡¯s another catch as well. A catch that, I promise you, absolutely none of the future sector powerhouses from the most privileged of worlds or clans will hesitate to accept as a matter of course. Even seeing it as the tremendous boon that it is. And it¡¯s a catch that I fear far too many of our fellow Terrans, so used to power-leveling and not realizing just how difficult and time consuming it becomes when inspiration and breakthroughs slow to a crawl¡­ will hesitate to pay, even though they¡¯re the ones who will truly benefit the most.¡±


    Eric swallowed at this, somehow just knowing that he was most definitely being considered as falling into that latter group.


    ¡°Alright, so what¡¯s the cost?¡±


    Elonia sighed, petting his bunny some more before placing it back on top of his unresisting head. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller, Eric.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I hear it happens.¡±


    ¡°Think Isekai, brother dearest. You get a fresh start and a new class. You start as an Arcane Conscript at level one.¡±


    Eric blinked once, before turning on his heel and walking out.


    ¡°You get three points per level that you can put into any art you¡¯re able to unlock! You will also earn one or more points per season that will naturally elevate your arts. Where are you going, Eric?¡±


    Eric turned around, gaze unreadable. ¡°You have no idea how hard I¡¯ve fought. How far I¡¯ve come. What I¡¯ve had to endure. The thought of throwing all that away¡­¡± He swallowed the awful lump in his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elonia. That you¡¯d even suggest that¡­ maybe I shouldn¡¯t have come.¡±


    His sister¡¯s concerned gaze filled with sudden heat. ¡°I know damn well how powerful you are, Eric. I¡¯m the queen of this entire province, thanks to you! You¡¯ll never know just how grateful I am, or how much you glow like the sun when you take your mask off, even for a second!¡±


    Eric¡¯s features paled. ¡°Wait, I radiate that much potency?


    ¡°Among the elites you most need to fear, you do.¡± Headmaster Wyrmwood qualified, steepling his fingers. ¡°And if it concerns you that your closest allies can sense your power¡­ how will you fare when parties who have no sense of love or loyalty to you pick up on the anomaly that is your existence?¡±


    Eric froze at those words, knowing he was playing into their hands, but unable to help himself. ¡°What parties would these be?¡±


    Elonia exchanged a look with the headmaster.


    ¡°Fear not, my queen. Our academy is even more significant than the Towers of Zor. No one below Gold could listen in, and our gracious emperor no doubt has a trillion other things on his mind than the goings-on within this newly ascended world.¡±


    Elonia swallowed, stepping close and squeezing Eric¡¯s hand, her words hardly more than a whisper, and their communication in the language they alone knew, no matter the headmaster¡¯s assurances.


    ¡°Eric. Inquisitors have come.¡±


    Eric stiffened at those words, knowing what it meant. What it had to mean. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve gone the Path of Endless Bounty route, hey, boss?¡± Bunbun quipped, also sharing in their conversation.


    ¡°Why are they here?¡±


    Elonia flashed a tight smile. ¡°It appears that Sapphira 3 suffered a catastrophic Mana cascade when a naked hyperion core that should have been prevented by countless safeguards from entering any planetary gravity well was somehow gated right into the capital city.¡± Her eyes flashed like sparkling emeralds. ¡°Right on top of Lord Augustine¡¯s Palace. A Silver-tier monster. Obliterated, along with his entire clan.¡±


    Eric stumbled, shaking more than he wanted to admit to hear the words said out loud, spearing him with the gravity of his heinous act.


    How many millions of lives had he sentenced to death?


    His sister gently steadied his balance, again with a strength far exceeding the miniscule 25 on the character sheet of her soul that he had sensed the moment they made physical contact.


    ¡°Why are they here?¡± He asked in a raspy voice.


    Elonia flashed a brilliant smile. ¡°That is the pertinent question, isn¡¯t it? It appears that a gate was opened here in the Northeast, right in the heart of the Blue Palace, just long enough for the city to suffer a flash of hyperion radiation responsible for hundreds of lives lost. Yet it was only a fraction, the tiniest fraction of the sheer and absolute devastation that would have not only obliterated Freetown in a split second, but would also have obliterated New Arcadia and at least half the continent, even with countless hundreds of wildly variant territories and mana fields acting as the equivalent of breakwaters on our hyper-ascending world. Make no mistake. If that thing had been unleashed here¡­ the consequences would have been beyond catastrophic.¡±


    Eric¡¯s vision was tunneling. He took ragged breaths as his heart pounded. Understanding the heartfelt love and, yes, gratitude in his sister¡¯s eyes. Knowing damn well what he had done. Having effectively saved both New Arcadia and Freetown and Queensland, and New York and Boston as well. To name just a tiny handful of the communities dotting pretty much the entire Northeast that would have been obliterated. Yet he couldn¡¯t help gravitate to what else she had implied.


    On a world not effected by wildly churning mana fields, territory patchworks and mad rapid ascension¡­ the devastation would be at least as bad. If not so much worse.


    Somehow, his sister helped him into her former chair, still warmed with her presence, a fresh glass of tea now in his hand, inhuman Finesse alone allowing him to maneuver it to his lips without shattering it to dust.


    Elonia¡¯s soothing voice washed over him. ¡°So, as far as the Inquisitors can make out, at least so far as Caliban has been able to discretely inform me, it appears that Lord Augustine for some insane reason dared to open a gate between our worlds and was preparing to force a Hyperion Core through. A clear breach of countless protocols that would have earned the emperor¡¯s own ire, had Lord Augustine not been forced to pay the ultimate price for his own foolishness. Obviously, his insane maneuver failed. The gate warped under the mana well generated by the core, and Freetown was extremely lucky to suffer only the briefest contact with such devastatingly destructive radiation with the complete obliteration of only a single building.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°So that is the conclusion that the Inquisitors have reached?¡± Eric asked, surprised he could voice anything at all through lips parched, no matter how much tea he drank.


    His sister chuckled. ¡°Hardly! The official story is that our dear innocent tyrant was rendered insensate by foul machinations designed to goad him into opening a portal that spelled his doom. Oh, they also want to question one ¡®Spite Bane¡¯ and what kind of name is that? Who declared himself the mastermind of Lord Augustine¡¯s destruction. Though how a complete unknown managed to gain access to both a hyperion core and construct a rift that normally takes a square mile of carefully calibrated hardware to design are questions that no one has a good answer for. The assertion is that this Spite Bane was a lackey of the late Lord Augustine and either sabotaged him deliberately... or took advantage of the disaster with false claims in pursuit of notoriety or unknown titles.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°So these inquisitors are after this Spite Bane fellow?¡±


    Elonia nodded brightly as she seated herself right next to him with a fresh cup of tea. ¡°Him and an Ernest ¡®Edgelord¡¯ Slaughter. A Contender who we, of course, revere here in New Arcadia for his work in restoring this land. Yet he¡¯s now being accused of goading not one but multiple members of the former Sapphira Royal clan into duels that ended in their deaths, including Lord Augustine¡¯s direct heir. That, of course, is being sighted as the reason for the Silver¡¯s insensate rage that left him vulnerable to a devious Goblinoid attempt to eliminate his entire clan.¡±


    Eric froze at this, caught between dismay, horror, and a growing anger. ¡°Let me get this straight¡­ a diabolical Silver attempts to devastate our planet after his relatives failed to kill some Contender, and now it¡¯s this Contender¡¯s fault that the power-mad psychopath went off the deep end and tried to kill us all? Because it¡¯s pretty fucking obvious from the earlier strictures mentioned that there¡¯s no way anyone here on a freshly ascended planet full of White-Tier nobodies could have gotten a hold of this core that¡¯s so utterly restricted and I¡¯m guessing as expensive as fuck if it¡¯s used to power starships. And how the hell are there even starships in a fantasy universe? Whatever.¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°Bottom line is that the only way this Augustine asshole could have been vulnerable to any White-Tier goblin machinations is if he had both opened the gate and provided the core.¡±


    ¡°And why are you so sure of that?¡± Elonia asked brightly between sips of floral tea.


    Eric smirked, playing along. ¡°Because why the hell would even tricky goblins waste whatever it cost to buy such a thing as a starship core, assuming they could even afford it? Sure, they¡¯re vindictive fucks and I hate them more than anyone, but I¡¯ve never heard of them ever attempting a gambit that didn¡¯t both torment their enemies and net them a profit. Preferably a fat one! Attempting to spite some Silver-tier monster multiple worlds away who seems to be getting along well enough with those goblins to open an intergalactic portal to them, just to throw away however many billions of credits it cost them to toss a core through and risk System-wide ire without netting them any sort of profit at all¡­ sounds like a stupid and incredibly expensive way to both spend a fortune and commit financial and literal suicide if the entire galaxy puts them on a kill list, or at least a ¡®do not truck with them under any circumstances¡¯ list. It¡¯s about as anti-goblin as them actually giving anyone without power a fair shake! In other words, it¡¯s not happening.¡±


    Elonia flashed a jaded smile. ¡°Really, Eric. What a silly assertion! If you had a choice between preserving the honor and reputation of a devastated Silver-Tier clan, even if just for posterity¡¯s sake, or painting him as a murdering psychopath which also taints any powerful allies he had by simple association, and all you had to do to avoid that PR nightmare was to pin as many crimes as you could on a vulnerable faction and a wanna-be hero with no connections or clan to speak of... of course you pin that crime on a handful of goblins and that fool of Contender who doesn¡¯t know his place just as fast and hard as you can!¡±


    ¡°Your Grace,¡± Headmaster Wyrmwood cautioned with an indulgent smile.


    Elonia smirked, crossing her legs and taking a leisurely sip of her drink. ¡°By which I mean, of course, that our brave and noble Inquisitors seek only the truth. And no doubt they have only the most innocent of questions for the brave and daring human Contender who managed to survive multiple duels with Bronze, even Deep Bronze-tier opponents from distinguished clans. A Contender also accused of using extremely unorthodox arts to transform large swathes of land in miraculous ways never seen before. No doubt they wish to commend him with a medal, and if he disappeared without a trace immediately after their interview, it would of course be no one¡¯s fault but his own. No doubt he ran off with a big head after his commendation and dared some black-tier region or other that was far beyond his means.¡±


    Eric¡¯s dismay turned to a hot ember in the pit of his stomach. His cup shattered in his hand, no matter his absurd Finesse.


    ¡°No.¡±


    His word was rough and jagged and as sharp as his bitter hate that someone, anyone, no matter how malicious and conniving, would be allowed to wreck his life or force his hand. Not even manipulative Inquisitors who thought they could persecute him for the crime of surviving and protecting his family, his people, from tyrannical psychopaths, just because they were corrupt, jaded fucks eager to use him to make their own lives easier. Because the only justice that mattered to them was preserving the power and reputation of the status quo.


    His glare also made it clear that, no matter how well-intentioned his sister who was presently handing him a fresh cup of tea was, he would not be pressured to surrender what was his.


    No one and nothing was going to force his hand and compel him to give up absolutely everything he had worked so damn hard to achieve.


    ¡°It¡¯s temporary. You¡¯re body¡¯s put in chrysalis. You¡¯re effectively reborn as you were before we ever fled for our lives into that twisted pod,¡± Elonia said in a hurried whisper. ¡°And Eric? This isn¡¯t a bullshit theft. This is like a character reset in the best games. It¡¯s better, in fact. We give up nothing.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Nothing?¡±


    Elonia¡¯s now stormy-gray eyes flashed with lightning. ¡°Nothing! The abilities add! The training you do? All the new points you can earn ranking up your skills to Journeyman all over again? You keep those points forever. All the skills you earn with your do-over? You keep them too! And do you know what¡¯s best about all of it, brother?¡±


    Eric¡¯s frown didn¡¯t abate, but he no longer felt the need to flee the room, not the least because his once more upright sister¡¯s hand was on his shoulder and still had the weight of an entire territory behind it. A very big, fat, high population territory her best brother had brought about¡­ and he still couldn¡¯t move an inch.


    Then his sister winced apologetically and took her seat once more. ¡°That perfect clone of you is effectively a free life, Eric. A living incarnation spawned from the academy itself. In tune with is magic and the intersecting planes of reality we happened to now be nestled right in the heart of. A living carnation molded from the very fabric of this precious miniature realm that allow you to channel forces that would utterly obliterate any lesser mage¡­ even if novices will find their early spells just as haphazard as any apprentice ever.¡± They shared a bemused smile at that. ¡°What¡¯s most important, most vital to keep in mind, the ace that literally has had every major player in the know accepting our invitations with superluminal speed, is that for so long as you inhabit your academy-sponsored incarnation, you can continue to grow and rank up Primal affinities without limit! You could even advance them to a degree that might let you one day make the entire world dance to your tune.¡±


    Headmaster Wyrmwood chuckled. ¡°Your sister paints a marvelous picture, Eric, but apprentices of any arcane school will be the same the galaxy over. Honestly, I¡¯ll be happy if half the students can simply complete their first semester.¡±


    Elonia flashed the man a brilliant smile. ¡°They¡¯ll do you proud. Each and every one of them!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will.¡±


    Elonia turned back to her brother. ¡°Eric, the best part is¡­ it¡¯s a free life. You can keep on building and building power and affinities and when you eventually die¡­ or simply wish for your incarnation to end¡­ you¡¯ll wake up in your old body, with all the new attributes and abilities you gained adding to your original form. It all stacks, Eric.¡±


    She flashed him an absolutely dazzling smile, her irises now as bright a blue as the summer day no doubt gracing her entire kingdom. ¡°Can you imagine what an incredible boon that is for a late Bronze who stagnated? Having done all he could to master various avenues of power, having earned an extremely respectable collection of attributes¡­ he now has the potential to both double his attributes before approaching his bottleneck. Only this time, he would in all likelihood break through, with massively powerful affinities to boot. Even if it took him a handful of decades to do what had before taken centuries, that would be an extremely small price to pay, a treasured once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, no matter how goofy and absurd we¡¯ll all feel at first, playing at apprentices in brand new bodies.¡±


    Eric blinked, gazing at Elonia and Headmaster both with something close to awe. ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you. What amounts to a backup life for any of us. And when we eventually choose to end it...we wake up more powerful than ever before.¡±


    ¡°But there is a catch,¡± the headmaster cautioned.


    Eric chuckled softly before taking a fresh sip of tea. ¡°Of course there is.¡±


    Elonia gave him a warning glare but Wyrmwood was nothing if not patient with his pair of highly eccentric, overpowered prospective students. That was clear even to Eric.


    ¡°Once the incarnation ends for you¡­ you can never go back. Attending further classes in your original body will do absolutely nothing to further enhance your attunement to the Primal Arts, since the body you inhabit was the original one you were born with. A body whose existential sovereignty is tied to a reality that, until very recently, felt very few fields of potency beyond gravity and electromagnetism. The farthest thing from an incarnation forged within an academy at the crossroads of existence itself.¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°So it¡¯s a one-time thing. We can advance ourselves along what are potentially extremely powerful paths to power, but the minute our fragile shells break, we can advance no further. Got it.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯d be a fool not to be cautious,¡± Wyrmwood cautioned with a raised finger. ¡°Protecting your life during tests, proving ground trials, and confrontations as if you truly were mortal or low-level with mortal stats once more. As cautious as you were long before you realized that neither orc muskets nor sniper rifles nor artillery shells could hurt you.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s eyes widened at this. ¡°Eric, just how high is your Physical¡ª¡±


    ¡°Three Hundred,¡± he quickly said.


    Eric got perverse pleasure on seeing the look of awe cross his sister¡¯s face.


    ¡°See? Our boy isn¡¯t completely hopeless. Just hyper-specialized to cut motherfuckers up!¡± Bunbun happily declared, dancing a jig on top of his head as Headmaster Wyrmwood chuckled, dipping his head in commendation.


    ¡°Truly impressive, Eric. But should you accept this second life, as you so aptly put it, you¡¯ll be starting as a boy with a Vitality of thirteen once more, with all your skills, those you are permitted access to, lowered to Rank nine.¡±


    ¡°But you still have all your former knowledge,¡± Elonia quickly assured. ¡°You just have to attune to it once more. Like an expert swordsman who let himself go for a season or two. Which means you can quickly rank them up to Rank 10 for all the stat benefits!¡±


    ¡°Though it will take hard work and diligence, the same as always, and I expect all my students to focus on their classes and assignments above any extracurricular training,¡± the headmaster warned before taking a sip of his own tea.


    Eric swallowed, dipping his head. There was a hell of a lot to process. And the thought that maybe, just maybe, he might actually allow himself to commit the cardinal sin of NOT maximizing his abilities at all times, let alone taking a temporary step back¡­


    He groaned at the thought of an invisible audience glaring with disapproval at his life choices.


    Yet the unguarded look in the headmaster¡¯s eyes made at least one truth perfectly obvious.


    One day, the easy insights, ranks, and levels that he presently enjoyed would pass. One day, they would all be struggling for every scrap of advancement or enlightenment they could find. By that time, all the easy paths forward would have been claimed, Eric¡¯s own revelations maxed out. He¡¯d have the power that he had, whatever it might be, and would have to fight tooth and nail for a scrap more.


    Yet at the cost of a few months or seasons, maybe even a few years time away from that mad grind¡­ he could rank up powerful skills that could potentially make his eventual Golden Phoenix transformation twice as strong as it would otherwise be.


    Maybe more.


    Maybe a hell of a lot more.


    It seemed that his mother¡¯s desperate ascension that had compelled his own forced evolution into an extremely powerful incarnation of himself that could ascend to Gold but no further¡­ maybe that wasn¡¯t the end of his journey, as absurdly potent as even Golds were.


    Maybe daring to embrace Higher Order concepts combined with pristine elements channeled through an entire realm¡­ multiple realms of Primal Elements¡­ would let him blaze beyond even his mother¡¯s glorious ascension. Blaze like a Supernova so absurdly hot and potent that he might one day soar even beyond Gold¡¯s confines.


    Though in his heart of hearts, now knowing the true cost for the Phoenix¡¯s Ascension¡­ he was no longer worried about blazing and evolving as he once had.


    13 worlds gone


    He shivered in the grip of awful memory that all save Eve and the Emperor thought no more than dream, or ancient 2000 year old history, but he knew damn well was true. A horrific cost paid to the System¡¯s delight, an actual Gold-tier path forward created for all his future heirs. His and his sister¡¯s as well. The only bit of solace was that he could at least ascend to Half-Step Gold without having to sacrifice the planet that meant more to him than any other. Earth itself.


    Before him was an opportunity unlike any other. Maybe Windridge would offer him and his future descendants to gain the Primal Powers needed to ascend all the way to Full Gold without having to sacrifice any additional planets at all. Maybe countless Golds could now safely ascend without the galaxy paying a terrible price in civilizations consumed for the ascension of an extremely elite few.


    And maybe he could take a temporary break, no matter all the other players nipping at his heels.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about territory conquest. He¡¯d happily feed on territories and enemy Contenders who thought he was easy prey. Hell, he even had perks to better facilitate that.


    He had teeth to better facilitate that! He¡¯d devour any opposing Contender and any trace he had ever existed. A charming little monster, just like his former¡ª


    He shook the unwanted thoughts away. Yet it was also true that the longer he delayed claiming as much territory as he could¡­


    His sister¡¯s slender grip once more squeezed his shoulder like steel.


    ¡°And the best part of this is, Brother, that no one understands the boons that Windridge offers better than the off-world scions of dozens of elite clans who jumped at the opportunity to attend this academy for even a single semester! So eager they are to attend that I now have multiple oaths of nonaggression, several alliance offers, and way too many marriage offers!¡±


    Her teasing smile turned serious. ¡°What that means, Eric, is that for the duration that various scions are here reforging themselves as the youths they once were, forging friendships and alliances that might unite a continent without any bloodshed at all, if we¡¯re really, really lucky¡­ is a duration that North America won¡¯t be tearing itself apart under the heels of monsters devastating our entire fragile continent in their desperate pursuit of power.¡±


    Eric was struck by a shiver of wondrous possibility when he finally took a second to appreciate the depth of what his sister was saying. What those non-aggression oaths really meant.


    ¡°Wait¡­ so this school¡¯s ability to transform and enhance us is so epic that just within a day of sending out the invites, all the galactic movers and shakers that managed to slip through the quotas agreed not to tear this world apart in their pursuit of power, so long as they get a chance to attend this academy, even as level one novices?¡±


    Elonia nodded. ¡°Actually, yes, Eric. All the major powers who are actually a threat to our world¡¯s stability are planning on joining Mistridge. All the small fry left over are native-born Terrans content to fight between themselves or struggling to tame even a single Orange territory.¡± She chuckled softly. ¡°The irony, of course, is that that¡¯s exactly the level of intensity that our world should be dealing with, but that¡¯s far from the reality we live in.¡±


    ¡°And the scions all coming here and signing accords of nonaggression for the duration of their stay¡­ they¡¯re not worried?¡±


    Elonia shared a smile with the headmaster.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure, Eric, that by the time our future friends are ready to graduate and reclaim their original vessels¡­ desperate White-Tier natives with access to nothing but a bit of luck, a couple fortuitous encounters, and Average or Advanced classes at best, will be the absolute least of their concerns. The lucky Terrans will be permitted baronies in return for oaths of fealty, or personally groomed into classers actually worthy of the title. And everyone else¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I understand.¡± Eric said, taking a thoughtful sip of his fresh tea, even feeling inspired enough to claim one of the silver-plated cream-filled pastries on the tiny table beside his chair. ¡°I¡¯m not going to lie, Elonia. If there¡¯s a chance that the powers-that-be can take a timeout from wholesale slaughter and try out the gentle slice-of-life scene for a while¡­ that¡¯s probably the only thing that¡¯s going to keep me from showing those fuckers just how big a concern they should have for us ¡®desperate White-Tier natives.¡¯


    The headmaster chuckled. ¡°And that is where we have high hopes for you, Eric Silver, should you be willing to accept a mission that will earn you considerable prestige at this school.¡±


    His sister nodded. ¡°We¡¯d love your help, Eric. But there is a catch. If you want to earn a serious boon, the largest it¡¯s within our power to grant, then it has to be a 100% Diplo win.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Come again?¡±


    The headmaster sighed. ¡°Ironically, the very nature of our territory¡¯s rather remarkable evolution, and Freetown¡¯s as well, meant that it was in the eye of the storm of fate that had swept over the world entire. As a result, there are a handful of territories nearby that are both vital for the long term interests of both New Arcadia and Mistridge Academy that have failed to respond to our System Interface.¡±


    Elonia gave a troubled nod. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re both on and off the DSI boards.¡±


    Eric quirked an eyebrow. ¡°DSI?¡±


    ¡°Dominion System Interface¡­ duh, braniac with a thirty-four scholarship,¡± Bunbun snarked.


    Eric shrugged ¡°That just means my memory isn¡¯t the craptastic shit-fest it was back when Mother Dearest was shooting me up with roids and god knows what the fuck else. And it¡¯s thirty-five. And that¡¯s neither here nor there,¡± he said to his sister¡¯s dismayed expression, as if she couldn¡¯t believe how he could have such a shockingly high mental stat and still be, well, her brother.


    Eric took a fresh bite of cream-filled happiness, chewing thoughtfully. ¡°So, what you guys need is someone who understands that there¡¯s a bit of a probability wave problem going on, and you need it to collapse to a stable energy state where everyone¡¯s firmly in the ¡®yes, we love Mistridge camp.¡¯ Am I right?¡±


    Elonia quirked a bemused eyebrow. ¡°Sure, Eric. So long as it¡¯s also understood that we¡¯re going for a peaceful victory here. Extremely important for a host of territory karma and reputation reasons and since we really, really want to play the good guys here, we really, really need you to refrain from doing what¡ª¡±


    ¡°He does best?¡± snarked the rabbit that had somehow ended up back in Elonia¡¯s bemused hands. ¡°And you give the best scritches.¡±


    Elonia smiled. ¡°I was going to say doing what comes all too easily to too many survivors. But I have confidence in my brother. I have no doubt that if he puts his mind to it, we¡¯ll have a handful of fresh allies and additional students willing to reforge themselves beyond all the limitations that have held them back for far too long.¡±


    Eric blinked, gazing at the lazily smiling headmaster and his doting sister cooing to his admittedly luxuriously soft and furry and pretty much 99.5% genuinely living familiar who was pretty awesome but she was clearly giving him space to think it through, and he had to admit he did see the logic of it.


    Even if it paid for individual Contenders to be absolutely ruthless bastards, territories on the other hand, being stationary, bound by treaty and hungry for both citizens and investors, probably benefited immensely from any and all positive reputation modifiers. And if they could successfully pull fresh territories into their fold without a drop of blood being spilled¡­ what high level professional craftsman or seasoned adventurer wanting a safe base to set up a guild or call home wouldn¡¯t want to be a part of that?


    But as far as bottom lines went¡­


    ¡°Just so I¡¯m clear. These territories¡­ even if you¡¯d like a 100% diplo clear, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s more important that they fall in line a bit battered around the edges than be perfectly¡ª¡±


    ¡°Zero deaths. Save, of course, in self-defense,¡± the headmaster firmly said.


    Eric winced. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t convince them all,¡± Elonia assured. ¡°But every territory willing to fly my banner will both strengthen our position and the strength of the boon we can, in turn, infuse into our chosen champions.¡±


    Eric blinked at this. ¡°But in my¡­¡±


    Elonia squeezed his hand, intent eyes gazing into Eric¡¯s own. ¡°Should you dare this as nothing more significant, at first glance anyway, than an aspiring Arcane Apprentice winning over various factions by diplomacy¡¯s enticements alone, the boons we could grant without any Terran Accord conflicts would be¡­ significant, brother.¡±


    Eric blinked at this, mouth all but watering at the enticement of grand boons he could only imagine, no matter that were the enticements offered by anyone but his sister and those she clearly trusted¡­


    He tamped down on his growing excitement, realizing that, yes, much to his own surprise, he was actually considering this. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say blood is spilled. Does that negate any prospective¡­ boon I might earn? And if so, can I just toss it to Blue?¡±


    His sister blinked, furrowing her brow. ¡°Why would you possibly throw it to¡­¡± Her eyes widened, the strangest look on her features. ¡°Wait¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ once upon a time, you were limited, severely, in what you could do before third parties demanded you surrender your own neutrality¡­ that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it?¡± His sister frowned, rubbing her head as if suffering a migraine. ¡°And you like to declare yourself a ¡®free agent¡¯¡­ why? Or was that also part of my dream?¡±


    Eric blinked, thoughts racing. ¡°Wait! Wait, wait, wait¡­ are you saying I can throw territories your way without any Terran Counsel declaring me your lackey and trying to fuck with my own path of¡­ never mind.¡±


    It was the headmaster who regretfully shook his head over his tea. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is a risk, even should you ask for no return at all. But you need not worry. Should we be able to secure a diplomatic victory, our future students will be signing that territory into our care directly. ¡®And you¡¯ll hardly be going alone. You¡¯ll have a trio of others beside you who will be handling the missives directly.¡±


    Eric gazed at the ancient mage radiating such grandfatherly sagacity, his social perks finally kicking into gear, fueled by the power of puff pastry. ¡°You¡¯re bringing a full party of four, so if I do do whatever needs doing¡­ I can just leave the territory and one of your official recruits can claim that territory in Elonia¡¯s honor without any stain to New Arcadia at all.¡±


    Elonia gazed intently at her brother. ¡°You¡¯re safety matters above anything else, Eric. And it really would be awesome if we could do it all bloodlessly. You¡¯d also receive a significant boon if you dared embrace the Apprentice¡¯s path before daring your first mission. More than one title might be available to new incarnates daring to cross territories and sway rulers all for the sake of the nation that Mistridge calls home.¡±


    Eric flashed a hungry smile before ruthlessly suppressing the avarice to claim yet one more juicy title. Because all it would take was a single fuckup, overestimating himself and losing his incarnation to lose out on the chance to benefit from this Legendary-Tier wonder forever.


    ¡°Just so we¡¯re clear,¡± Eric said between fresh bites of pastry and sips of his tea. ¡°If the holdouts aren¡¯t a lost clan of orcs broken off from past and future but, say, hyper-polymerized armored sentinels with a plasma first, ask questions later mentality¡­ those of us making up this diplomatic mission risk losing out on all the wondrous potential being a student of this school might open up for us forever. Right?¡±


    Elonia lowered her gaze, an unexpected flash of shame creeping up her features. ¡°You¡¯re right, Eric. Absolutely right. Forgive me. It was unfair of me to even imply that you should dare this as anything other than the strongest version of yourself that you can possibly be.¡±


    Headmaster Wyrmwood¡¯s expression didn¡¯t shift an iota. ¡°There is risk, and the rewards are equally immense. I expect you to use your best judgment and to trust your instincts. If you sense peril, leave. If you sense the opportunity to better our position¡­ embrace it. I would counsel nothing more or less than that.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, thoughts racing as he happily filled his belly with treats from a silver pastry tray that he realized was a bottomless dimensional wellspring of deliciousness, enjoying the feel of the plush leather against his frame as he stared thoughtfully at the headmaster.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the boon for every territory I lock in for you without holding back?¡±


    Wyrmwood¡¯s gaze pinned Eric where he sat.


    ¡°Should you be able to successfully Reclaim Solaris, entire avenues of arcane study will open up to students, even those unable to access the Primal Arts at all. You will also find our school blessed with the wisdom of elves otherwise lost to the more violent eddies of the probability waves that have crashed so violently against Earth¡¯s shores.¡±


    Eric froze at those words, heart pounding, gazing at the headmaster whose gaze bore a weight and intensity he had last seen in Aurelia Silver¡¯s eyes, right before she ascended. In that moment he knew without a shadow of a doubt that this warmly smiling headmaster sipping his tea was as powerful and tied into the fate of this world as any Silver could hope to be.


    For a heartbeat, flashes of Headmistress Arci and her beaming boy Yiovri flickered in his mind¡¯s eye. He had despaired of them making it past peril¡¯s grip a second time with his mother¡¯s ascension and the transformation of past and present once more¡­ and hadn¡¯t dared check for himself. There had been no time and it would have been a bitter blow indeed. But if Arci and her family had somehow managed to survive¡­


    Wyrmwood smiled, taking a bite of his own puff pastry. ¡°Excellent, aren¡¯t they? I have no doubt that any number off would-be adventurers will fine the Culinary Artist¡¯s path as worthy and exciting an arcane specialization as any dungeon delve could hope to be.¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help but nod at that, the tantalizing scents of cinnamon vanilla and cream a delight to his nose and tastebuds alike.


    ¡°Should you and your fellow diplomats convince the lost residence of Dairyland to join our fold, Mistridge will have unlocked access to a paradigm of healing magic and gentle blessings that will bring a dash of fairytale wonder to many a future adventurer¡¯s party. And should Silvergrove also be willing to fly Queen Elonia¡¯s banner, then healing magics will be unlocked for the entire world, even those who never attend our academy.¡±


    ¡°And the milkmaids?¡± The words slipped out before Eric could summon them back, his sister¡¯s arched brow and the headmaster¡¯s bemused smile causing his cheeks to heat up a bit more than was necessary with his high arcane resistance of 131 boosted an additional 50% to 196 against electromana attacks, thanks to a Hyperion Blazer perk from a past that this time around, had never happened.


    ¡°Those of mixed heritage are of course welcome to join Mistridge as well and will no doubt evolve into extremely talented healers, though there are certain¡­ strictures they will have to adhere to.¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°What strictures?¡±


    Somehow, the headmaster¡¯s stare said all that needed to be said, Eric suddenly feeling like a boarding school student caught in a very compromising position which was entirely unfair since his questions were entirely reasonable and some things needed to be asked.


    ¡°Sorry, Eric, but no romancing your fellow studentsis allowed,¡± Elonia explained.


    Eric wanted to roll his eyes at the look his sister was giving him. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    She casually shrugged. ¡°Well if you wish to risk jeopardizing the pristine incarnation juxtaposed between a dozen overlapping realities for a bit of fun and games that risk knocking you squarely back into humanity¡¯s camp the second you manage to get a girl pregnant, because however sophisticated our arts, biology really does trump all, that¡¯s on you. But I promise you that all your future competitors who¡¯ve already achieved Bronze have the discipline to keep their pants zipped tight until long after they¡¯ve squeezed every drop of power and potential from this second-chance that they can.¡±


    Eric gazed pointedly at his sister now smirking at him as she sipped her tea, the message loud and clear. Conception, not climax, risked knocking them off the peaks of their ascension. Which meant that certain things should be perfectly fine. Of course he¡¯d be a fool dabble when any mischance could cause a certain outcome, and all he had to do to avoid a lifetime of what-ifs was to keep his junk in his trunk until he had gotten everything he could from this glorious second life that he was actually thinking of embracing.


    ¡°Okay, so basically the same rules that most students attending private academies have to live by anyway. As long as its broken to my Milkmaids gently, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be okay with it. They¡¯re smart big-picture girls anyway, and will do whatever it takes to assure healthy and powerful mates¡­ even if it takes a few years for that particular crop to blossom.¡±


    Eric winced at the way both sister and headmaster were looking at him.


    His sister raised an arch brow. ¡°Your Milkmaids, Eric? Seriously?¡±


    He winced, laughing it off. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not even go there. As far as this reality is concerned, I¡¯m just talking out my ass.¡±


    ¡°So, what else is knew?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. Any other territories of significance I should keep in mind?¡±


    The headmaster smiled, sipping his tea. ¡°As a matter of fact, yes. Two in particular. Can you guess which ones?¡±


    Eric froze, his fresh pastry halfway to his mouth when it clicked. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Elonia frowned in sudden concern, worried eyes meeting his own. ¡°Eric, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Eric wanted to groan. Looking at the headmaster¡¯s too-knowing gaze, he immediately understood.


    ¡°This is why Headmaster Wyrmwood is being so nice and putting up with my snarky self. He knows that I now know exactly what this is about.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s lips pursed in a tight frown, hands firmly holding her cup. ¡°Eric, what are you talking about?¡±


    Eric sighed, all but glaring at the calmly smiling headmaster. ¡°Ashland, Picksonville, and Hope Province. Two of those three. My greatest treasures that fucking asshole backstabbing goblins and one twisted Contender after another utterly prevented me and Blue Corp from ever building up.¡±


    Elonia¡¯s tightened features looked all the more puzzled. ¡°But Eric, I thought your path forbade you to own anything at all?¡±


    Eric sighed, rubbing his temples. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nevermind, it¡¯s a long story. And maybe in this particular time and place, it doesn¡¯t matter at all.¡± HE flashed the headmaster a bitter smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite. What could possibly be worth me not just charging in, slaughtering every fucker thinking they can set up camp in my territory, no matter what the hell this timeline says, and throwing them all back to Blue where they belong?¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    He ignored Elonia¡¯s alarm, locking gazes with the linchpin of the entire academy.


    Headmaster Wyrmwood was entirely unfazed as he took a fresh sip of his tea. ¡°Delightful brew, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Elonia, Eric?¡±


    Elonia just stared.


    ¡°Tea and cream puffs are both top notch,¡± Eric said, refusing to drop the headmaster¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Indeed they are. Some of the best you¡¯ll find in my sponsor¡¯s most magnificent kingdom. As to the benefits of those territories being surrendered to my liege who would then in turn bequeath them to the academy¡¯s care¡­¡± The headmaster gave Eric a too knowing smile. ¡°Besides allowing for unlimited development and rapid growth for the natives, the delves themselves would blossom with rich arcane treasures like never before. Casting magical spells of the caliber that System enhanced classers can understand would cost only a fraction of the Mana that said spells do now, should Ashland fall under our care.¡± He took a sip of his tea. ¡°In addition, the most gifted of our student class would find opportunities that have been too long denied to the citizens of this world.¡±


    Eric froze at those words¡­ heart racing as it clicked. A shiver of possibility he and everyone else had given up all hope on. ¡°Wait! Wait, are you saying this school would have access to delves, or portals leading to delves of Green and Yellow-tier? Dungeons that have so far been denied pretty much everyone? Dungeons that are all up for a first clear bonus?¡±


    Elonia blinked, her eyes growing as round as Alex knew his own were.


    ¡°Eric, do you know what this means?¡±


    The pair turned to the headmaster who, much to Eric¡¯s wonder, actually dipped his head. ¡°Correct. Portals would be available to a limited number of delves per season¡­ of all tiers. Though it will be quite some time before any of you are ready for anything beyond a White-Tier adventure as part of a well-organized and disciplined group, with a strong foundation in the core disciplines you have an affinity for¡­ but yes. The potential for growth and empowerment will be quite...significant. Even for the grand majority which will never be in position to earn any sort of ¡®first clear.¡¯¡±


    Elonia was the first to assert practicality over the sheer jubilation Eric knew they both felt. ¡°Alright, Headmaster, how strong is this connection, precisely? How many rifts will there be available?¡±


    Wyrmwood winked Eric¡¯s way. ¡°That depends. Just how many rifts are there in Ashland, how grand is their bounty, how far do they descend?¡±


    Eric sipped his tea before answering. ¡°Twelve rifts that were granted the boons of Promise of Adventure and Adventurer¡¯s Paradise. As to how deep they go¡­ not deep at all.¡±


    He chuckled softly at his sister¡¯s crestfallen expression. ¡°It would be more accurate to say that they ascend. Ascend all the way to a planet now eternally linked to our own, as deep a Bronze as it is possible for any delve to go. Endless, or a trillion overlapping pocket realms long. Realms sufficient to stretch between overlapping worlds.¡±


    He smiled into the breathless silence. ¡°Assuming our honored headmaster hadn¡¯t already figured that out¡­ yeah. There¡¯s that.¡±


    The headmaster chuckled. ¡°Then I suspect each and every season our academy will find the windows of possibility opening to a full dozen virgin delves of multiple tiers, and though very few will be able to safely explore any but the gentlest delve, there will be fresh opportunities with every season they seek to master themselves within our august halls.¡±


    Eric swallowed, finally appreciating the true significance of that boon. Even if he had hoped to profit off its resources, he had long resigned himself to the idea that he would never be able to explore his own delves. But if his sense of things was correct, not only would he be able to enter them, but he could enjoy first-clear bonuses as well. Even if he would be competing against hundreds or even thousands of fellow students, assuming he wished to compete with them at all¡­ there would be fresh chances every season.


    If nothing else, it would be a way to gain levels without having to deal with orc rat dens which he had done his best to purge, or forced to deal with musket fire or swarms of territory-hungry humanoids of any race if he chose to walk this path from the very beginning once more.


    Yet he sensed that wasn¡¯t the end of the marvelous ways he could effectively level up Windridge via the proxy of claiming additional territories under his Sister¡¯s banner.


    ¡°And if Picksonville falls under the Sylvan Faction¡¯s sway?¡±


    The headmaster exchanged a glance with Elonia, sipping her tea so thoughtfully that Eric hardly saw her hand tremble, though he knew she was feeling just as awed as he.


    ¡°Then our future students will be able to learn from master cultivators who have devised the techniques necessary to fuse Primal arts with abilities that depend solely upon Spiritual Energy or Qi.¡±


    Eric¡¯s breath hitched, unable to hide his surge of excitement. With that one declaration, his hoped for possibility could be made an iron-hard certainty. Phoenix Strike was technically a Qi attack, infused with no Mana at all. Which meant that if he seized Picksonville and didn¡¯t mind immediately surrendering it¡­ the Phoenix Strike that had once torn through an entire flotilla of dreadnoughts might one day be his to claim once more.


    Not now, he knew that already. But long before he ever hit Gold.


    Nonetheless, old promises must still be kept, and cultivation oaths honored, even if he was the only one who remembered debts owed. Even if the Wind Step technique was now no more real than a faded dream.


    ¡°One hundred Greater-tier spirit peaches were promised to the Feng Ren sect. And that¡¯s a promise that must be kept.¡±


    His sister gave him an odd look, but the headmaster didn¡¯t hesitate to nod. ¡°It will be done.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Eric said breathlessly. ¡°Then you¡¯re getting Picksonville and Ashland both.¡± His eyes flashed. ¡°No matter what it takes.¡±


    ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    Jaw clenched, Eric shook his head, no matter his sister¡¯s disappointed look. ¡°Whatever it takes, Elonia.¡±


    ¡°Even if you must kill hundreds?¡±


    ¡°They were already my territories once before so¡­ yeah. You better believe it.¡±


    ¡°But the headmaster just said¡­¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elonia. If tragedy strikes our enemies¡¯ strongholds from unexpected directions, I have absolutely no doubt that your chosen party will swoop in, present generous boons, and get that diplo win I know you¡¯re hoping for.¡± He flashed a mirthless smile. ¡°Even if my not being a part of your envoy means I receive no boons at all. I would still benefit beyond belief if those territories end up flying Mistridge¡¯s banner.¡±


    His sister sighed, before flashing a wry smile. ¡°I understand. And how big a fucking hypocrite does it make me to mourn the loss of lives when you¡¯ve already embraced that bitter calculus to help so many of us enjoy a second chance at paradise?¡±


    Her winsome smile said so much. Still, Eric lowered his gaze, suddenly feeling just the tiniest bit ashamed.


    He really was a bloodthirsty bastard when push came to shove. Thank god his sister still loved him, regardless.


    Elonia exchanged a solemn look with the headmaster. ¡°We understand, Eric. Whatever you can do to aid in our territory¡¯s ascension¡ªin our future academy¡¯s ascension¡ªwill not be forgotten. But still¡­ you can¡¯t blame us for enticing you to at least consider a gentler path?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Sure, sis. For you. What is it?¡±


    ¡°The promise of one lesser title and my personal assurance that you will be tutored until you achieve at least one additional rank in the Primal Art of your choice,¡± Wyrmwood solemnly declared.


    Eric could barely hold back is grin. ¡°And that¡¯s for each territory I bring with zero kills?¡±


    The headmaster chuckled. ¡°One title, dear founder. But yes, I will extend the boon to one additional rank in the Primal Art of your choice for each territory you can gently bring under our sway before the semester formally begins.¡±


    ¡°And no killing, save in self defense. Does self-defense include defending my party members from ambushes, attempted kidnappings, or the risk of certain death?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Eric dipped his head, holding tight to his elation. ¡°Any other strictures I should know about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to goad anyone into attacking you or your party members. Other than that? No.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the boon if I manage to claim territories in Elonia¡¯s name as a new incarnate?¡±


    Here, Wyrmwood¡¯s smile was a match for Eric¡¯s own. ¡°Multiple titles that will provide boons of far more significance to you than what you might earn as the powerful Contender you presently are. In addition to earning double the tutoring time that you otherwise would.¡±


    Eric whistled. ¡°With they way my sister¡¯s looking at you right now, quality one-on-one time with professors is far more than a convenient cramming session.¡±


    The headmaster smiled enigmatically, saying only, ¡°You will have to be the judge of that. Yet somehow, I don¡¯t think you will be at all disappointed.¡±


    Eric solemnly dipped his head as an entirely unexpected opportunity manifested before him, already knowing the path he would take.


    ¡°Alright, then. I guess I¡¯m in.¡±


    ______________________________________________________


    Author''s note. I hope you enjoyed the extra long chapter. Around 13,000 words!!


    In part, I wanted to lay the foundation for what will be a school training arc. Important to emphasize here is that there will be NO permanent loss of power, just a temporary hold on his former abilities once he formally joins. This stricture also holds for all the elite Deep Bronze and Half-step Silvers he would otherwise meet on the killing fields. Only now he''ll get the opportunity to interact with them in a school setting where he might actually make some new friends, forge alliances, or just keep tabs on all the power-mad tyrants he''ll be doing his best to take out in the seasons to come! -


    Of course, once Eric is done with school, he will come out of it with all the abilities and stats he earned in addition to everything he had before.


    (Possible Spoiler below!)


    Let''s not forget, Eric has the advantage of multiple titles enhancing his attributes. Every point in Strength, for example, is worth 225% of what it would normally be. Which means he''ll be advancing far faster than his fellow classmates might expect! And if he can secure a certain peach grove, maybe Mistridge will do more than enhance his Qi attacks. Maybe he''ll also be able to earn fresh levels as a Cultivator as well! And those sweet, sweet 15 point cultivation level-ups, doubled with all his modifiers, would allow him to power up pretty damn quickly, if any fellow Contender tries forcing him into school sanctioned duels!


    That being said, the school arc is still a few chapters distant. Eric has territories to claim under his Sister''s banner and he still has EVERY intention of seizing New York City and forcing the goblins out of their final sanctuary before surrendering an ounce of his power, even temporarily.


    I''m excited to see how Eric''s story will continue to progress, and I''m grateful to have you all join Eric on his journey!

 Chapter 434 - Diplomacy Win Part 1

    ¡°So who are we waiting for?¡±


    Marsha turned to the freckled youth with fiery red hair and a lean frame who was the farthest thing from the powerful six foot tall Javelin thrower he had supposedly been before making what he had declared early that morning was the smartest decision of his life. Yet now the freckle-faced youth looked the farthest thing from happy, slender arms squeezing the wool grey robe all the tighter to him as the chilly drizzle continued to wash over the three presently waiting outside a domed velimobile.


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting for our fourth, Jack. It¡¯s very important we go as a quartet,¡± Marsha solemnly explained to the scowling former hybrid tank.


    The athletic looking asian beside Marsha nodded. ¡°We might be going into dangerous territory, Jack. And we both know there¡¯s strength in numbers.


    Jack snorted. ¡°Sure, but Elonia wouldn¡¯t even tell us who we¡¯re waiting for. Just said it would be a surprise. And I don¡¯t know about you, but after waking up back in my old body¡­ what feels like my old body¡­ I¡¯m feeling a lot more, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Vulnerable?¡± Yuki offered with a wry smile, her slender hands reaching for a naginata that was no longer beside her. ¡°Yeah, I know that feeling. Fucking sucks. But I have faith in our employer. Our friend. Elonia¡¯s always done right by us. And if we can play this diplomatic game right and come out even a single territory in the plus column¡­ we¡¯ll enjoy perks and personal tutorship our future classmates will totally miss out on.¡±


    Marsha¡¯s eyes widened, her mouth in a petite ¡®o¡¯ of surprise. ¡°Wait, you actually know the Queen? Like personally?¡±


    Jack and Yuki exchanged smiles.


    ¡°As a matter of fact we do,¡± Yuki admitted, letting the hood of her robe down to run her fingers through her silken hair. ¡°We shared a lot of tough times and a few really sweet moments as allies against the storm that was the whole fucking Blackthorn Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Even if it does feel like a dream sometimes,¡± Jack allowed with a shiver, huffing his cheeks against the chill. ¡°But then again, when doesn¡¯t it seem like we¡¯re lost somewhere between dream and nightmare?¡± He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, his expression a mixture of discomfort and profound joy. When he next opened his bright green eyes, they glimmered with tears of joy. ¡°But at the same time, with the air smelling of rain, damp earth, honeysuckle and countless blossoms, with the air alive with the sounds of flutes and dulcimers and choirs of hauntingly beautiful elven bards¡­ I feel like I¡¯m finally truly awake, truly alive after a lifetime of sleepwalking, and I¡¯m on the cusp of a revelation that I can¡¯t even put into words.¡±


    Marsha gazed at Jack with genuine awe. ¡°So, that¡¯s what it¡¯s like to be a classer.¡±


    Jack shrugged. ¡°Hardly matters. We¡¯re all level zero Arcane Apprentices now, and if I¡¯m not fucking careful, I¡¯ll get a cold.¡± He pointedly looked at Yuki with her fingers combing through her hair, before he twisted around to see what had her staring with wide-disbelieving eyes as a smiling stranger quickly approached.


    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking believe it,¡± Yuki said with an awed whisper.


    Jack scowled, before doing a double take. ¡°Fuck, have I seen him before? He looks strangely familiar.¡±


    Marsha had also paled. ¡°The queen¡¯s having him come with us? I guess this mission really is important, but why don¡¯t we have a half-dozen of those half-step Bronze Paladins coming with us?¡±


    ¡°Because they can¡¯t leave the territory,¡± their newest member said, blond hair hidden under a hood identical to their own. ¡°Name¡¯s Eric. Pleasure to meet you all. Again.¡±


    Yuki just stared at him, hands still in her hair. ¡°You.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Who else would I be but myself?¡± He turned to Jack. ¡°How you doing, Jack? I don¡¯t suppose you still have access to your sweet and ¡®leet double node Javelineer Spear Throwing perk?¡±


    Jack¡¯s mouth opened in shock, his glare turning to a faint, puzzled scowl. ¡°How the fuck do you know about that?¡±


    Eric gave him a sad smile. ¡°Would you believe we were once pretty solid? Or at least, well on our way to being a tight crew after a deep Orange-Tier clear. You, me, Yuki, Richard, Steve and Emily. But not Ron. He was a sell-out completely in the pockets of a corrupt New York council.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s daze turned to a hard-eyed glare. ¡°Bullshit. We never delved together.¡±


    Eric gave her a pointed look. ¡°Are you absolutely sure of that...with your kickass Dungeoneering node?¡± He said the last with a whisper and a wink.


    Yuki blanched and lurched back. ¡°No fucking way!¡±


    ¡°Totally way. But since you guys clearly have no memory of what really went down over the last three days, let alone the alternate timeline that¡¯s now in place¡­ maybe we should drop it.¡± He flashed a pained smile. ¡°So, let me first apologize for being a bit of an ass, hoping I could spark a glimmer of something that clearly isn¡¯t there.¡± He abruptly cleared his throat. ¡°Hi, my name¡¯s Eric Silver, and I¡¯m looking forward to joining you on this diplomatic mission. Now, who¡¯s up for a party invite?¡±


    Yuki and Jack closed ranks with crossed arms and scowls. Marsha paled, sensing the growing tension.


    ¡°Um¡­ guys?¡±


    Yuki glared at Marsha. ¡°No fucking way I¡¯m doing any missions with this cat until I know how the fuck he knows what he knows.¡±


    Marsha winced, looking back at the massive edifice radiating the warm amber reflection of the setting sun even though it was barely 9AM across the river channel that anyone with a lick of Arcane Perception could sense was truly profound.


    ¡°Well, the queen and the headmaster are both sort of um¡­ counting on us? And they even got this levimobile ready for us. Which, as you can tell, isn¡¯t exactly common transportation around here?¡± Marsha noted, gesturing vaguely to the colorful manors and Tudor-style mansions, each with private gardens giving off the most delightful fragrances filled with haunting melodies, what Eric instantly thought of as the sound of tiny faeries tending those private retreats. And though there were impressive looking stagecoaches harnessed with silver-horn unicorns being tended to by liveried youths¡­ coaches from which distinguished looking Sylvan lords and ladies gracefully parted with cautious nods in a grinning Eric¡¯s direction before heading to one soiree or another, there was very little in the way of levimobiles or mechanized anything, in this particular quarter of New Arcadia.


    Jack gave a still grinning Eric a final glare before huffing a sigh. ¡°Fine. He can come. Maybe that smug mug of his will actually come in useful.¡±


    Yuki smirked. ¡°My thoughts exactly. We¡¯ll let any hothead shoot him first. Give the rest of us time to get the fuck out before we¡¯re swiss-cheesed by whatever hotheads aren¡¯t accepting the invites.¡±


    Jack smirked. ¡°You okay with that, new-blood?¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Glad you guys remember that much, at least. I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you even on about¡ªfine! Hop in back, because I¡¯m driving and Yuki¡¯s already called shotgun.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Fine by me.¡± He turned to Marsha. ¡°Preference?¡±


    She solemnly shook her head, giving him a weak smile when he opened the levi door and gestured for her to go inside.


    Within moments they were off, a bemused Eric noting that Jack actually knew what he was doing, fiddling with nobs and what looked like a mobile gear shaft that Eric still couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of, even with his 35 Scholarship.


    ¡°Glad you¡¯re keeping us at a sane pace, Jack,¡± Eric said, earning a scowl from the rearview which worked exactly the same as those of every modern car that Eric had also failed to learn how to drive.


    ¡°Well of course, grandma. All my stats were reset to baseline and I¡¯m not a fucking idiot. I sure as hell don¡¯t want to get whatever the equivalent of a ticket is here and I don¡¯t think the princess¡­ I mean queen,¡± he clarified with a look from Yuki. ¡°Wants me running over all the giggling little kids who really shouldn¡¯t be on the road anyway.¡±


    ¡°Actually, roads were always for pedestrians,¡± Eric noted. ¡°And both carriages and cars knew to go slow in the cities. It was only when various city counsels in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century were getting ready to pass laws restricting the speed of cars within city limits that the car companies started a massive propaganda campaign to vilify citizens crossing the streets as they had for centuries as if they were somehow in the wrong. Then it was the everyday citizen who found his movements restricted as cars claimed the roads for themselves, relegating people as second-class in their own cities.¡±


    Yuki frowned at this. ¡°Seriously? I never heard that shit before.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Saw a documentary on the evolution of cars and car-friendly cities once. All about big roads, zero sidewalks, and as few trains as possible, which all but compelled everyone to buy a car if they wanted to travel three fucking blocks without getting hit. We¡¯re lucky as New Yorkers¡­ former New Yorkers, to have grown up in a city that had pre-established pedestrian friendly blocks and a great transportation system. Mostly. But a lot of the country¡¯s cities were ¡®inspired¡¯ by car-company kickbacks and propaganda that padded architects and politicians pockets to assure that cities would be hellscapes for any sucker that couldn¡¯t afford a car.¡±


    Marsha shook her head, lowering her hood and combing back her hair. ¡°That is so messed up. Why were corporations allowed to do that?¡±


    ¡°Because people with power know how to play the system. Always have. Always will. And could we please not be a Debbie-Downer this whole fucking trip?¡± Jack said with a pointed look Eric¡¯s way.


    Eric shrugged. ¡°No problem. And if there¡¯s a plus side¡­ look at New Arcadia¡¯s layout. Very friendly two lane roads with low speed limits while in the city that I¡¯m glad you¡¯re following, Jack, with tree-lined boulevards, pedestrian and shop friendly side-walks and lots of parks with both gardens and grassy fields to jog around or play with your kids in. Whoever designed this city clearly cared about the well-being of its pedestrians just as much as they did assuring the efficient movement of goods and people through Arcadia.¡±


    ¡°Toot your own horn much, my dude?¡± Quipped a high pitched, cheerful voice from beneath Eric¡¯s hood.


    Marsha gasped. ¡°What was that?¡±


    Eric grinned, lowering his hood, revealing a snow-white bunny with red eyes like so many cute bunnies, comfortably splayed on his blond locks.


    Marsha¡¯s eyes grew big. She bit her lip. ¡°Ooh, he¡¯s so cute! Can I pet him, Eric? Please? I promise I¡¯ll be gentle.¡±


    BunBun gazed down at Eric. ¡°I am so getting petted, my dude.¡±


    ¡°Go for it.¡±


    ¡°He talks!¡± Marsha yelped.


    Jack jerked on the wheel, but thankfully avoided any accident or the necessity for Eric to do anything but smirk as Yuki glared back at him. ¡°What the fuck, noob?¡±


    Eric laughed. ¡°Yes, BunBun talks. And she¡¯s a she.¡±


    ¡°And a mommy with the cutest little territory-claiming mini Bun that you can imagine!¡± BunBun sighed, before hopping into a gently cooing Marsha¡¯s lap. ¡°But I¡¯m all about the scritches and the pets. I even purr!¡± She said, immediately doing just that when an awed Marsha began gently stroking her hair.


    Yuki¡¯s scowl turned to a bemused half-smile. ¡°Okay, she¡¯s cute, and she talks. I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s your familiar? Okay, you¡¯re definitely in the wizard camp. I mean, obviously, seeing as how you¡¯re going to attend Mistridge with us in a week¡¯s time, but um¡­ I mean really a wizard. Or did you get private lessons already?!? I thought the moons had to be aligned or some shit before the semester officially started.¡±


    Eric grinned and shrugged. ¡°What can I say? When you got it, you got it.¡±


    ¡°Oh Eric, she¡¯s adorable!¡± Marsha cooed, happily petting her as they made their way out the captivatingly beautiful city that brought fresh tears to Eric¡¯s eyes as they sedately drove through, Eric not hesitating to wave whenever he caught an innocently smiling child¡¯s eyes or the solemn nod of parents as they drove past, not trusting himself to speak until the city was finally behind them with final waves from the pair of gate-guarding half-step Bronze Paladins wishing them all a successful journey.


    ¡°Dude, why are you wiping your eyes?¡± Jack teased as they began to pick up speed alone the perfectly smooth blacktop road that could have passed for an old-world highway if not infinitely more durable and cooler looking, at least in Eric¡¯s opinion. ¡°I mean yeah, New Arcadia¡¯s beautiful, and we do risk getting shot at where were going, but still¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have taken you for being that much of a softie.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s scowl had thawed. ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass, Jack. He hardly gives off adventuring vibes. Wasn¡¯t he chilling in Freetown, living life in the Blue Palace quarter before the monster surge and everything that went on since then?¡±


    Jack scowled. ¡°No idea. I can tell he isn¡¯t weak¡­ at least compared to a mortal. Skin''s too clear. He¡¯s focused, alert, and looks pretty healthy. You sure he hasn¡¯t always been in New Arcadia? People do like to walk there.¡±


    Eric smirked, gazing down at the more innocent-looking of his two rings. ¡°I¡¯m glad my makeover worked. And how strong is a first-level noob supposed to look, anyway?¡±


    Marsha scowled. ¡°What do you mean first level? So you did get private lessons?¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°My bad. Forget I said that, please?¡±


    Marsh¡¯s lips pressed in seeming displeasure before Bunbun¡¯s purr filled the levi. ¡°Less fighting. More scritches!¡±


    A mollified Marsha cooed and did just that, though Eric noted that Yuki was still giving Jack a strange look.


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about, Jack? New Arcadia¡¯s only, well¡­¡± she glanced nervously at the picturesque landscape of lush crop-filled fields and apple groves they were currently passing. ¡°You know. Our newest member was living it up as a party-boy in Freetown until shit got hairy and he fled.¡± Distracted hands played with a lock of hair. ¡°Right?¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°What are you talking about? New Arcadia¡¯s practically the linchpin of the Northeast! So saturated with magic¡­ so many people, so fucking big! We¡¯re, what, the size of Belgium? Somewhere around there? And these communities have been here for centuries!¡±


    Yuki blinked. ¡°Dude, what fucking coolaid have you been drinking? Just days ago this was a¡­¡± She paled, catching Eric¡¯s solemn head-shake. ¡°Never mind. Point is, no. New Arcadia hasn¡¯t been around for centuries! Our country¡¯s barely been around for centuries! Hell, the ascension only started¡­¡± She scratched her head. ¡°Fuck, when did it start?¡±


    ¡°A little over a year and a half ago,¡± Eric stated.


    Yuki gave a relieved nod. ¡°Yeah. That sounds about right, I guess. Sort of? Wait, wasn¡¯t Freetown here already? I mean before the ascension? Grandfathered into the colonies or something?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Fuck, I had no idea that silver talisman would mindfuck everyone this badly.¡±


    Yuki scowled. ¡°What the hell are you talking about, noob?¡±


    Eric gave his former friend of an alternate timeline a sad smile. ¡°Never mind, Yuki. It hardly matters now. So let¡¯s focus on what does matter. A successful quest complete and some sweet titles and perks! Am I right?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s furrowed brow eased in a snort. ¡°Sure, noob.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Eric, Yuki. I¡¯ve been in this game just as long as you.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s glare softened into a curious stare. ¡°I¡­ you¡¯re right, why am I calling you that, anyway? We only waited for you for like ten minutes. It wasn¡¯t that big a deal.¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°We¡¯re calling him a noob because he had no idea what he was doing and totally fucked up our¡­¡± Jack¡¯s eyes grew momentarily glassy.


    ¡°Jack! Eyes on the fucking road!¡± Yuki snapped.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Jack jolted upright with a curse as the levi lurched, before straightening on the thankfully flat, straight, and empty lane before them. ¡°Sorry¡­ yeah, what were we talking about again?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°About you guys calling me by my name. Same courtesy I¡¯ll offer you, no matter how shitty your level one driving is.¡±


    Jack scowled. ¡°Level zero. We don¡¯t hit level one until the end of first semester¡­ I think? Since we¡¯re earning our levels the old-fashioned way.¡±


    ¡°By which Jacky-boy means studying and training like actual college students, not kill-farming like the power-hungry vampires we all know we pretty much were as delvers,¡± Yuki quipped.


    Marsha huddled in on herself nervously. ¡°Wait, you guys are vampires?¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Bunbun snorted. "Only one person in this levi has any precursor Dark Fey proto-vampire blood in their veins, and it¡ª¡±


    ¡°Bun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it sure isn¡¯t them! Nope, they claim the potency of their kills and grow stronger, like spirit beasts everywhere. But the System also lets them flash-learn massive semesters worth of physical or arcane skills as if they had lived all those experiences.¡±


    Marsha¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, really? How does that even work?¡±


    Bunbun leaned into the scritches. ¡°Puurfect, sweety! So, the System records all the insights, revelations, combat logs and final dying revelations of every classer everywhere! When you level-up, and put your points into attributes, the System boosts the potency of your physical shell. When you put the points in skills, it boosts both your cognitive knowledge and your muscle memory allowing you to better use those skills!


    ¡°Common practice for the true elites is to never put points into skills except maybe a single one to get the basics down pat if absolutely no one¡¯s around to teach you. Your goal is to then level it up yourself to at least Journeyman. If you can. So you get maximum bang for your buck with later ranks when it''s far harder to level-up through practice alone.¡±


    Bunbun blissfully closed here eyes when Marsha began stroking her ears. ¡°Some people like my master also worry that to many purchased skill ranks mean that it¡¯s no longer your skill but a sort of collective skill that¡¯s harder to level up naturally. But my daughter does just fine with her Epic-tier boosted Blood Lightning skill, so I think it¡¯s more a matter of¡­ the higher the level of the skill, the more overwhelming the download. So once you hit Adept Rank, it¡¯s way too much of a trauma-inducing headache for most former mortals to dare push it any further, and then you¡¯re slowly slogging through Adept tier which most can hardly do at all...but hey, you hit Adept-tier in your favorite skill! You¡¯re awesome. Now go enjoy your life! Am I right?¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t work like that with the skills they¡¯re going to teach us at the academy,¡± Yuki solemnly declared. ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s my understanding.¡±


    Jack absently nodded, his eyes now definitely on the road. ¡°Because we¡¯ll be dealing with Primal Arts tapping into entire dimensions of magic¡­ not someone¡¯s memory of fine-tuning a local Mana-dependent joke of a fireball¡­ not that Steve¡¯s Dark-Flame balls were ever a joke. And since these Legendary-tier skills are so new, I¡¯m betting the System doesn¡¯t have copies of other people learning them.¡±


    ¡°Makes perfect sense to me,¡± Eric declared, taking a deep breath of country-fresh air. ¡°I¡¯m just relieved to hear that Steve¡¯s okay. I know he didn''t like Ron any better than I did. I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s not with you guys?¡±


    Yuki frowned. ¡°He''s on another mission. Who the fuck is Ron?¡±


    Eric shrugged. "Just an asshole not worth worrying about. Trust me on that.¡±


    ¡°No, seriously, who is this Ron character? Jack, do you know who¡­ shit, don¡¯t blank out on me again!¡±


    ¡°Then quit asking me stupid questions!¡± Jack snapped. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m trying to drive?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s glare turned to a tired sigh as the tension slowly eased out of the vehicle. ¡°Sure, Jack. Just concentrate on the driving.¡± She turned back to Eric. ¡°You were asking about the mission, right?¡±


    Eric nodded, praying that Steve was okay, wherever he was.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s quite simple, really. We just announce ourselves via the Dominion Interface we earned back when we became Elonia¡¯s champions when we¡¯re about to enter a new territory. We declare ourselves white-flag envoys on a diplomatic mission. Protocols immediately fall into place, and the territory-holders can either tell us to go fuck off or accept a copy of Elonia¡¯s proposal that I¡¯ll hand off to whoever their representative is. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle that part.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Eric allowed. ¡°I guess we have the right to negotiate the contract terms? How much leeway do we have? Who¡¯s signing off on any changes?¡±


    Yuki scowled at him like he was an idiot. ¡°We¡¯re not negotiating terms. We¡¯re handing out the proposals and bugging the fuck out.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°It¡¯s really simple. We¡¯re basically just certified mailmen dropping off packages and getting the fuck out. Easy mission. If even one of the half-dozen stops we get to accepts the terms, then we get a title, priceless training, and were memorialized as envoys who helped expand the kingdom!¡±


    ¡°It really is a sweet deal,¡± Yuki said. ¡°And from what our guidance counselor told us, the odds of us getting shot are minimal, so we¡¯re basically maximizing just how juiced our boons will make us since we¡¯re doing it at the very start of our fresh start!¡±


    Jack chuckled, animated smile once more in place. ¡°Yup! The beauty of a do-over is having a shot at a perfect run.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Yuki nodded.


    Eric frowned. ¡°So, you¡¯re plan is to drop off Elonia¡¯s proposals and jet. No use of diplomacy or Negotiation skills or anything like that?¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Fuck no, are you serious? We¡¯re level zero! My former class didn¡¯t have shit in diplomacy and Rank 4 Seduction is not a skill I plan on putting into play, even if I do have access to it!¡± Her cheeks flushed brightly, eyes widening at her own confession, but Eric was graceful enough to act oblivious.


    ¡°Fair enough. But let¡¯s say that one of us did have a Negotiation skill. It might not hurt to see if we can actually put it to good use before driving off with our tales between our legs.¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°In case you forgot, we¡¯re level zero. It¡¯s not safe to stick around all the high level fuckers out there.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°I get that. You¡¯ll note I said use a Diplomacy skill, not get in a blaster fight with a bunch of titanium bucket heads.¡± Eric raised his hand at Yuki¡¯s scowl. ¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is we stick around long enough to get a response. If they say no-can-do, we just ask what we need to sweeten the pot. And if you don¡¯t mind handing me one of the proposals¡­ maybe I can set the stage to get a more friendly reception.¡±


    He sighed at the looks this earned him from all three of his fellow passengers. Save for Bunbun, of course, who just winked as she purred under the knowing hands of a girl who had clearly owned a bunny of her own, once upon a time.


    ¡°Look at it this way, guys. It¡¯s really no skin off your back. And if me just sweet-talking one potential contact into giving Elonia¡¯s offer a fair shot who would otherwise toss it in the mud, that¡¯s a free rank¡­ no, two ranks in your favorite primal art, at least in terms of free hands-on high-intensity training, am I right?¡±


    The levi slowed, Jack sharing a quick look with Yuki.


    ¡°Dude actually has a point.¡± Jack glanced at him through the rearview. ¡°And considering how unlikely I am to have any talent for those Legendary Primal arts at all...You¡¯re not shitting us? You actually have a Diplomacy skill?¡±


    Eric raised his hand and winked. ¡°Scouts honor.¡±


    Yuki bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m okay with it. Just keep it low key and friendly, alright? Whatever you do, don¡¯t goad those assholes.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°I¡¯m with Yuki. We¡¯re cool with it, so long as you keep it super friendly and chill. Remember, we do not have our former levels!¡± The freckle-faced youth who now looked no older than sixteen, just like Yuki, peered at their mostly silent companion in the backseat. ¡°What do you think, Marsha?¡±


    Marsha flinched, clearly surprised to be included in the group. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    Yuki took a patient breath. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Marsha. We¡¯re just discussing whether or not it¡¯s worth it for Eric to use his charm and sweet talk our contacts into giving Elonia¡¯s offer a chance.¡±


    Marsha quickly nodded. ¡°Sure! I mean, as long as they don¡¯t get pissed off? And what if they demand what all the criminals in all my favorite underworld movies demand?¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that, Marsha?¡±


    ¡°Money, of course. Elonia¡¯s offers are big on opportunity, but not so much on, well¡­¡±


    ¡°Cold hard cash?¡± Eric quipped, quickly scanning the document that was to be given to the Ashland inhabitants. For all that he felt just like he always remembered, save for his thoughts being a bit clearer and his memory sharper, his reading speed had definitely improved.


    Yuki sighed, stealing a quick glance Jack¡¯s way. ¡°Seeing as how New Arcadia has only had positive cash flow for two DAYS¡­ it¡¯s not like Elonia has much to offer in that regard.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°Understandable. And that¡¯s why we¡¯re heading to Freetown before any of our diplomatic stops.¡±


    Jack frowned. ¡°No shit we¡¯re driving through it, or at least through the territory, seeing as it¡¯s a fucking safe zone, but we¡¯re taking the highway adjoining the city. Not going inside. Don¡¯t you know it just got hit by a terrorist attack? Things are crazy and everyone¡¯s really high-strung right now. At least, that¡¯s what I heard from everyone that left for New Arcadia since yesterday.¡±


    Eric¡¯s lips pressed in a hard line. ¡°I know. Still, we need to go. I just sent a message to a friend. He¡¯ll meet us there.¡±


    Yuki frowned. ¡°Who do you know in Freetown?¡±


    ¡°A gentleman by the name of Caliban. We have something of a working relationship. I think he¡¯ll be able to help us out.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re on a first-name basis with the prince of Freetown?¡±


    Marsha gave Yuki a look. ¡°You guys do know that Eric¡¯s a prince himself, right? Elonia¡¯s sister? Because you and Jack were razzing on him like an old friend, or like a kid brother you half-like and half can¡¯t stand. Not treating him at all like¡­ well¡­ like you would the brother of the queen you swore to serve. Are you guys sure you don¡¯t know him from before?¡±


    Eric smiled but said nothing, content to let the pair in the front seats stew in that without any more input from him.


    ¡°So, yeah,¡± Eric continued. ¡°I just sent a message to my business partner. He¡¯ll meet with us in the financial quarter which, thanks to some hard-working heroes who managed to diffuse a fuck-ton of bombs, is actually completely intact, unlike Blue Palace which you better believe will be getting rebuilt, bigger and better than ever.¡±


    ***


    The majestic landscape of endless forests and fields never grew old, resonating a cord so profound in Eric¡¯s soul that a part of him just wanted to leap right out of the levi and race through the woodlands that very second, embracing the odd fae mood tingling through his soul.


    He just knew that if he closed his eyes he would see the smiling face of his future wife and somehow, by some glorious twist of magic and gentlest fate, he would finally be free from the crucible he now found himself embracing so tightly.


    So fiercely.


    So foolishly.


    So he kept his eyes open even when they watered from the sting of the whipping wind and the regret he refused even to acknowledge until that nostalgic ache of possibility growing ever fainter¡­ and gone.


    Like it had never been.


    ¡°Eric? Are you okay?¡±


    He gasped, wiping away the sting in his eyes, surprised to see Marsha gazing at him so sympathetically.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m great. Why?¡±


    She flashed a sad smile. ¡°Because you were crying.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit.¡± He forced a chuckle. ¡°There¡¯s far too much going on for me to lose myself in any farmer-friendly isekai adventure, no matter how crazy the boons I received, without any farming class at all.¡± His gaze hardened. Marsha flinched.


    He swallowed, gazing down at the floor of the levi, voice a ragged whisper. ¡°This is just one country. One sanctuary for elf and man. Even if Elonia¡¯s diplomacy and Mistridge and the blessings it received, and maybe a bit of the phoenix¡¯s fate, means it could be stable for a very, very long time¡­ how many hundreds of millions of people will perish if we don¡¯t do what needs doing?¡±


    Marsha blinked in surprise, mouth opening but no words coming out.


    Jack snorted. ¡°Dude, why are you getting so fucking melodramatic? Hero complex much? All we are is a bunch of level zero Arcane Apprentices grasping at the chance to have a fresh clean start with more opportunities to advance than we could have hoped for before. We sure as shit aren¡¯t the major movers and shakers that will be deciding Earth¡¯s fate¡­ we¡¯re just lucky as hell that they¡¯ll be going to class with us, those lucky assholes who can actually learn Primal Magics, and maybe if they fall in love with our school, and New Arcadia, they¡¯ll have enough of a soft spot not to kill us all when they graduate? Maybe?¡± He stole a glance Yuki¡¯s way. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Yuki flashed a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m actually hoping I might be able to unlock at least one of those Primal Arts. Maybe Shadow. It would be so awesome if I could, and it would put me light years beyond all but the absolute elites.¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°Come on, Yuki. You know that¡¯s not likely at all.¡±


    Yuki sighed. ¡°Yeah, I know. That much was made clear to us when we begged admittance. We¡¯re just getting in because we¡¯re tight with Elonia.¡± She gulped, giving Eric an odd look through the rearview. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ sister. Anyway, the point is that just getting through a few semesters and being exposed to legendary teachers manipulating a dozen earth-shattering arts in Hoggle-style classrooms might be all it takes for our System Interfaces to ring with a dozen Elite or maybe even Master, if not outright Legendary Class options. So even if we can¡¯t access Primal shit, we¡¯re still going to be better off than literally 99.9% of all other delvers. Or at least I hope we will be.¡±


    Jack grinned. ¡°And no matter what happens, even if we burn out quick and say ¡®fuck it¡¯ we can earn another fifty levels and those points stack on top of our first fifty without any experience penalty! So when we¡¯re finally at the cusp of Bronze, we effectively have 150 Class levels our belt, not the standard 100. And if we¡¯re lucky, An Elite or better class will be giving us so many sweet extra points that we¡¯ll be close to Level 200, compared to our original class.¡± He winced. ¡°Or at least, my original Javelineer class. I know you were already aces with your build, Yuki.¡±


    Yuki shrugged, a melacholic look to her features, glancing at her as she gazed at the endless miles of bucolic perfection. ¡°As long as we can put our past behind us, Jack, that¡¯s good enough for me.¡±


    Eric ignored the emotional byplay and focused on the only thing that mattered.


    ¡°Wait! There are class tiers beyond Master?¡±


    Bunbun¡¯s flopped head was suddenly on top of his own, ears covering his face once more.


    ¡°Duude, seriously?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°You¡¯re damn right, I thought my¡ª¡±


    Bunbun¡¯s paw on his lips silenced him instantly.


    ¡°A Tier-II Ascension Center is infinitely better than goblin shit, but it isn¡¯t, say, a Tier-III Ascension Center, or Ultra-Tier, or whatevs. And in case you forgot, fearless leader¡­ How many stat points were you getting per level before core saturation?¡±


    Eric opened his mouth, suddenly feeling as gobsmacked as Marsha had looked, just a minute ago.


    Bunbun snorted. ¡°Exactly, fearless leader. When you consider just how JUICY you are¡­ double-up bullshit¡­ I think you know EXACTLY what your tier was, whether or not you were paying attention to the ¡®Legendary¡¯ word in your interface class notes, what with your Higher Order Transcendent attacks and ability to evolve into a PHOENIX!¡±


    Eric had the grace to flush at his familiar¡¯s silent rebuke. The fact that Primal Adventurer had allowed him unlimited ascension was sweet enough. He had chosen long term growth potential over short-term power deliberately¡­ and it was only his mother furiously yanking his own cords of fate that had him veering in the direction of blazing Gold¡­ even if he wouldn¡¯t ever go any farther.


    And considering that such was already Emperor-Tier¡­ at least in this quiet corner of the Universe, who the fuck was he to pitch a bitch like a colicky infant? And even if he could ascend past Gold to Jade or whatever came next, how many planets was he willing to consume for his own ascension?


    He flushed with momentary shame, before rubbing his face with a soft chuckle. ¡°The landscapes too fucking beautiful. And peaceful. Too much time to reflect and brood.¡±


    ¡°You got that right,¡± Yuki said with a pained smile of her own. Intent almond-brown eyes peered into his own. ¡°So, is it true?¡±


    ¡°Is what true.¡±


    Her half-smile hardened. ¡°Did we really, once¡­ know each other?¡±


    Eric took a thoughtful sip from an instantly summoned water flask. ¡°We did. We fought side by side, along with Jack, Steve, Emily, Richard, and that backstabbing asshole Ron who nearly got you all killed in an ambush outside the Orange-Tier rift we cleared. And may I say that your perk was exceptionally useful and awesome... and we were very lucky to have you on board.¡±


    Her reflexive scowl softened when she saw he wasn¡¯t going to give the details away, understanding just how perilous that would be for her.


    Marsha did give them a curious look, her hand absently shifting the brown locks streaming into her face from the wind. ¡°What perk is this?¡±


    ¡°A perk that risked getting me into way too much trouble, so not something we have to worry about this time around,¡± Yuki said with a straight face, Marsha nodding her understanding.


    ¡°I get it. All my abilities save for the general and arcane skills I learned are totally closed off for me as well, and they¡¯re all reading as Rank nine or lower.¡±


    Jack grinned. ¡°And you know what that means!¡±


    Marsha¡¯s smile matched his own. ¡°You¡¯re damn right I do. Free Rank ten stat boosts, here I come!¡±


    Eric gave them a curious look. ¡°But you guys are going to be hardcore training up your Strength and Vitality, right? Maybe even see if you can snag a point of Finesse and Quickness? Because that will get harder once you start getting skill stat boons so why not maximize the training points first and then shoot for the automatic Rank 10 free attribute points?¡±


    Jack laughed. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be doing that. But anyone who actually has a chance to learn Primal Arts will be grinding that shit full time. No doubt. Right, Marsha?¡±


    Marsha bobbed her head enthusiastically. ¡°But I¡¯ll still be taking a jog every evening to clear my head. It always helps me focus, and I think I look extra cute when I¡¯m toned.¡± Her eyes turned to Eric, widening when she truly took in his form through his purposely baggy wizardly attire, flat against his chest and abs as the wind pressed against him.


    Yuki frowned, catching Marsha¡¯s gaze. Her eyes widened. ¡°No fucking way! You¡¯re shoulders are that broad? You¡¯re that cut naturally? That¡¯s fucking bullshit!¡±


    Eric winced, giving an embarrassed chuckle. ¡°Okay, I guess it¡¯s confession time. My super loving and always understanding mother was really, really eager to see me shine for our latest production. And maybe that meant shooting me up with natural testosterone and maybe a bit of human growth hormone with a very, very careful eye on my jaw-line. Not my heart, ha ha. Just my physique and jawline. So¡­ yeah. It seems like I get to keep my body in its absolute prime, and I can only hope that a natural 13 Vitality protected me from any long term health effects of my¡­ enhancement. I mean, it should, right? We can recover from what would otherwise be fatal wounds after a single night¡¯s sleep, so¡­ I guess I¡¯m okay?¡±


    Jack scowled. ¡°Hollywood elites shooting up hardcore shit and looking way too pretty while the rest of us sweat bullets in the gym. Figures.¡±


    Eric knew he should feel relief with the acceptance he sensed from the others¡­ but some things needed to be said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s set the record straight, Jack. I busted my fucking ass off, weight lifting, cross-training, doing sprints, and training with long sword, saber, and spear. Every single day. So yeah. I¡¯m enhanced. Or I was. But it wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t bleed for it, and it wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t get my ass handed to me if I didn¡¯t put 110% in my training, and my lines. Every single fucking day.¡± He chuckled bitterly. ¡°Hell, even a half-assed performance would have done Mother Dearest proud, but I¡¯m a hell of a lot better at fencing than acting.¡±


    Marsha reached out to gently squeeze his hand in sympathy before Bunbun conveniently rolled into her lap, happily accepting more scritches.


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Momma issues much?¡± she said, but her eyes were twinkling with a half-smile, so Eric laughed it off.


    ¡°Yeah. I certainly had a bit of that, once upon a time. But I¡¯d like to think that Mother and I both ascended past whatever bullshit was holding us back, a lifetime ago.¡±

 Chapter 435 - Freetown Meetup (Sorry for the earlier chapter issues!)

    Eric allowed himself to slip into a doze that was as much him feeling like he was one with the land as anything else as the miles flew by. He sensed so many wondrous stories unfolding. Tales of hope, redemption, and healing. Stories of excitement and adventure spawning from the mildest of White-tier rifts, where the fates themselves seemed determined to bring any noble hero safely home. He felt his eyes tear up with sunset¡¯s blessing as they eventually approached the edge of New Arcadia, Eric bemused to find that yes, it had grown and expanded more than even he had realized, far beyond the ten thousand square mile Black-tier territory saturated with so many tormented souls that he had transformed into the happy ending so many millions had been desperate for.


    A blessing he had been determined to deliver, no matter the personal cost.


    A blessing his enemies had done all they could to destroy.


    Eric immediately sensed the change in fate¡¯s narrative flow as New Arcadia became Freetown, a territory filled with magitech marvels and awful tragedy. He jolted awake, swallowing the lump in his throat, forcing himself to gaze at the still smoking ruins of the Blue Palace. Over a hundred glorious stories had been reduced to a smoking heap that still towered over the block it had devastated. Yet if there was one tiny consolation as he gazed at the scene of devastation, it was knowing that hundreds of deaths would have been many thousands, if the Alutopaz alloy hadn¡¯t truly been as strong as tungsten-reinforced steel. The devastated landmark had flowed like a tidal wave of destruction over multiple blocks, yet the other buildings had weathered the deadly pyrocastic-like flood without faltering or collapsing, save for the occasional shattered window, much as stalwart rocks standing sentinel against the crashing tide.


    ¡°Eric? Which way, man?¡±


    Eric blinked free of his melancholic reverie, the air ringing with sounds of distress and rapid reconstruction, Eric both pleased and sad to see that his temporary crew looked just as effected as he felt¡­ minus, of course, the horrific sense of responsibility.


    ¡°Left boulevard. We¡¯ll skirt the destruction. Stop when you see what looks like an 18<sup>th</sup> century manor with a bit of a gothic feel.¡±


    Yuki furrowed her brow at the description, then shrugged. ¡°Sure, Eric. You¡¯re call.¡±


    Her concerned gaze turned to her companion. ¡°You okay, Jack?¡±


    Jack¡¯s jaw was clenched. ¡°Some fucking monster tried to blow up Freetown. If I knew who that fucker was¡­ if I wasn¡¯t back at fucking zero level¡­¡±


    Eric couldn¡¯t help it, he gently clapped Jack¡¯s shoulder, earning a wince. ¡°Thanks, Jack. I always thought you were good people. But you don¡¯t have to worry about revenge.¡±


    Jack winced. ¡°Control your Strength, Roid Boy. Remember, your Finesse is now back to whatever it was pre-System. And what the hell do you mean, I don¡¯t have to worry? What¡¯s to keep those territorist fuckers from trying the same shit in Arcadia City?¡±


    Eric flashed a bitter smile. ¡°Because the assholes in question are very, very dead.¡±¡¯


    Jack scowled through his rearview. ¡°And you know this for a fact?¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°As a matter of fact, I do. Now stop before this gate¡­ cool. We¡¯re here.¡±


    Before Jack could engage him any further, Eric had leaped free of the levi and was knocking on the wrought iron gate radiating a shockingly delicious degree of warding magics, his face lit with a bittersweet smile that thawed to warm happiness when he caught sight of an old friend.


    ¡°Eric, right? Hell yeah¡­ I¡¯d recognize that ugly mug anywhere! How ya feeling, Boyscout?¡±


    Eric chuckled before Drake¡¯s good-natured grin. The muscular man with the easy smile and the frat-boy charm was decked out in a proper charcoal-gray suit that he looked damn sharp in and was probably lined with some high-tech polymer armor or another, which made total sense, in this brave new world. He quickly opened the gate and wrapped a bemused Eric in a brotherly hug.


    ¡°Damn, kid. Sometimes I think you¡¯re just a fucking figment of my imagination, then I remember that I owe you my freekin¡¯ life! How¡¯s that for a trick memory? I knew I should have put some points in that Scholarship stat.¡±


    ¡°Careful!¡± Yuki cried from the car. ¡°He¡¯s human now! Fragile! Please don¡¯t crush him before his first day at school!¡±


    Drake paused, slowly loosening his grip, a horrified look on his face. ¡°Jeez, I didn¡¯t squeeze you too hard, did I, Boyscout? You seem pretty solid to me.¡±


    Eric laughed, waving off his friend¡¯s concern. ¡°Not at all, good buddy. Whatever your Scholarship might be, your Finesse is everything a Warrior could hope for.¡±


    The big ex jock and professional burglar gave a relieved smile. ¡°Glad to hear it. What¡¯s this about being fragile?¡±


    Eric rubbed the back of his neck through his robe. ¡°Think of it as a class reset with some major fucking benefits, if we play our cards right.¡±


    Drakes eyes widened. ¡°No kidding,¡± He whistled. ¡°I thought you liked your class? But I¡¯ve never seen anyone shoot for the perfect build like you, so¡­ yeah, I believe it.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Sure as hell, I know Grim and the gang are going to want to hear about this class reset thing. Now come invite your friends inside! They can park in the grass just to the left of the gate.¡±


    The powerfully built man gave an almost apologetic smile. ¡°Not that we normally have to worry about theft in Freetown, but with all the panic after that terrorist shit and families desperate to leave despite Lord Caliban¡¯s assurances¡­¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I get it.¡±


    He turned Jack. ¡°You can park it inside. Then we¡¯ll get you all some refreshments.¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re not deaf, Eric. We heard him. Now move out the fucking way so we can actually get inside?¡±


    Eric winced. Drake gave him a sympathetic look as they backed up. ¡°Interesting crew.¡±


    ¡°Shared mission,¡± Eric said with a forced smile, conveying so much with those two words, before easing Drake¡¯s scowl with a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Jack and Yuki were old adventuring companions for one serious delve and a hell of a lot of followup bullshit. Normally that creates tight bonds, but with all the high level reset shit going on¡­ they just feel stressed as fuck whenever I bring it up.¡±


    Drake solemnly nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say another word. I get exactly what you mean, so let¡¯s not get you in trouble,¡± he said with a knowing wink that made Eric snort. Because he wasn¡¯t worried about trouble. Eric just thought it prudent not to mention the phrase ¡®Silver Phoenix¡¯ anywhere, because way too many black flags had already been put into play by what he feared was still a very much alive Malicent. But at least Drake and the rest of Morlekai¡¯s crew understood that something truly funky had happened.


    Eric was just grateful that, maybe because of the ties of gold and Blood Magic between them, or thanks to Grim¡¯s aid, his old friends seemed far more in tune with their past timeline that they had shared with Eric compared to pretty much everyone else.


    ¡°Remembered social bonds for the win.¡±


    Drake snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth. And one thing I¡¯ll never forget is the gold. Or how much we owe you,¡± he said with a gentle clap to Eric¡¯s shoulder and a smile. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get that grub for you and your temporary crew.¡±


    In short order, Eric had left his companions admiring the Baroque furnishings while enjoying a veritable feast of tasty looking grub to face a solemn-looking pair of powerhouses in the heart of Grim¡¯s inner sanctum sanctorum, both Prince Caliban and their host, the Moorish gentleman (lich!) looking every inch that 18<sup>th</sup> century gentleman with his waistcoat, top hat, and silver cane. Even if hats weren¡¯t normally worn inside, especially in that era, on Grim it just seemed right.


    Eric bowed before his host. ¡°An honor to see you once more, Grim.¡±


    ¡°And you as well, Eric,¡± Grim said with a fond smile. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how profoundly moving it is to see your work. To raise an entire army of ancient Triassic guardians is one thing. But to ascend every practitioner¡¯s wildest dreams and bring true life and wonder to that once thought eternally lost?¡± He doffed his hat and solemnly bowed in turn. ¡°What you have accomplished his nothing short of legendary. You have transcended what it means to be a Necromancer and dare ascend steps normally embraced by higher-order beings. Or, perhaps, Contenders with a spark of divine blood flowing through their veins.¡±


    Eric felt his cheeks flush at those unexpected words.


    Caliban gave their host a concerned look. ¡°Lord Grim, many Contenders are capable of what some might consider miraculous feats, creating fertile fields or inspirational vistas where nothing but lifeless rubble and ruin could be find before¡­¡±


    Grim raised his brow in a very Spock-like move, to Eric¡¯s thinking. ¡°That may well be true, Your Grace. But to pluck free an entire faerie realm from the quantum flux of endless possibility?¡±


    For some reason, Caliban blanched before those words, eyes growing haunted as he slowly shook his head. ¡°No, Lord Grim. And best we not say another word aloud, for such feats might draw even the Emperor¡¯s gaze.¡±


    ¡°I was at the right place and time,¡± Eric said, voice little more than a rough whisper. ¡°Like finding myself at a switch station right before fate¡¯s train comes barreling through. Normally, the tracks are empty of any possibility so¡­ significant. I just make the grass a bit greener, the forests and fields a bit more¡­ well, magical, maybe. The warm sunlight friendly to meditation or cultivation sessions, sure. But then I¡¯m on my merry way. I don¡¯t normally do¡­ that.¡±


    Caliban turned once more, piercing blue eyes all but burning into his own. ¡°The right place indeed, Eric Silver. You were exactly where you needed to be and you did exactly what you needed to do and the debt Freetown owes you is one we can never, ever repay.¡±


    Eric blanched at those words, heart racing when it was clear that Caliban understood absolutely everything that had happened. That Eric was ultimately the one responsible for the Blue Palace¡¯s destruction. Yet the look in his eyes, fierce with what Eric dared to hope was gratitude, was that of a man clasping hands with his brother.


    Eric swallowed, throat suddenly tight as he lowered his gaze. ¡°I¡¯m just... If there had been anything I could have¡ª¡± His words were cut off by a squeeze of his arm and a cool headshake from Caliban, only then noting the folded letter that had been placed in his hand.


    ¡°I believe it best we put our pasts behind us, fully and completely, as we seek to embrace a fresh new start for Freetown.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± Eric said softly. ¡°And I can only hope that you¡¯ll forgive what I¡¯m about to ask.¡±


    Caliban raised his eyebrow. ¡°Such as¡­¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°Such as a fair amount of the gold and credits I¡¯ve placed into our joint chartered bank for¡­ let¡¯s call it safe keeping.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s gentle gaze tightened. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to tell you that we need that coin and credits more than ever.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I know. Believe me, I know. But right now we have a literal once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to boost a freekin¡¯ legendary-tier arcane academy that I¡¯ll actually be allowed to attend, if we can lock in a certain handful of territories. Headmaster Wyrmwood is all about the diplomatic path, and my sister¡¯s written a handful of offers that me and my level zero peeps are basically playing diplomatic courier to. But considering that a three-day-old country does not exactly have much in the way of cash reserves... it can¡¯t hurt to sweeten the pot with whatever I can bring to the table.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s expression tightened, yet the aura Grim radiated instantly caught Eric¡¯s attention.


    ¡°My dear Eric Silver, did you say Legendary-tier Arcane Academy?¡±


    Eric smiled at that, feeling giddy with the possibilities that were right in front of him. ¡°Darn right, and I¡¯ll tell you a secret for free. All new students get a fresh backup body set at level zero that they can then level as a Mistridged approved class that might open all sorts of incredible opportunities. And the best news is, we¡¯re not giving up anything! When we eventually return to our original bodies, guess who gets to keep all the attributes and abilities earned with both incarnations?¡±


    The room grew deathly still, Caliban exchanging a pointed glance with Grim before taking a sip of his coffee and looking Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Eric, do you have any idea of how profound a boon this is?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Actually, I do. And half the country¡¯s over-leveled elite got the memo and will be joining us. The fact that you haven¡¯t, Caliban, just underscores the importance of our mission. We¡¯re handing the invites to a handful of territories that, maybe because they¡¯re too close to the eye of the storm, so to speak, were left out. But definitely not forgotten.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart pounded in his chest as he dared to make an offer he was absolutely sure his Sister would expect.


    ¡°And I think that invite should include you both.¡±


    Cheeks flushing, he dared to meet Grim¡¯s gaze. ¡°What do you think, Lord Grim? Can a Legendary-tier Academy give a fresh perspective to someone with your erudite background?¡±


    For the first time in forever, Grim actually looked at a loss for words. That, of course, was the moment that the door knocked, a servitor bringing fresh coffee, cinnamon roles, and hot chocolate clearly intended for Eric. The discrete man then vanished with a bow.


    Eric smiled at his gobsmacked companions. ¡°So please consider yourselves invited. And if you think it¡¯s a good fit, Grim¡­ we can see about having your best students join our college in the future.¡±


    ¡°You have given me much to think about,¡± Grim conceded.


    Caliban sighed. ¡°If only it were that simple, Eric. Unfortunately, my position makes extracurricular studies extremely difficult, especially in a neighboring territory.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Sure, I get that. You are looking after an entire high-tech wonder of a city. But at the same time¡­ dozens of high-powered Contenders are calling at least a temporary truce, everyone agreeing to ease off the throttles of expansion and conquest. So if there was ever a moment of calm before a future decades-long storm¡­¡± Eric sighed. ¡°But I know that after what happened to Blue Palace¡­¡±


    Caliban dipped his head. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Eric. We¡¯ll have to see what the future holds. But for now, at least, this might be one opportunity I¡¯m forced to pass up on. Now, with Lord Grim¡¯s permission¡­¡±


    Their looming host bowed his head. ¡°Of course. I shall leave you gentlemen to conduct your affairs. Please don¡¯t hesitate to ring the bell if you have any need of my assistance. And Eric?¡±


    He caught Eric¡¯s eyes with a solemn bow. ¡°You have my House¡¯s sincerest gratitude.¡±


    Eric swallowed, dipping his head. ¡°Thank you for allowing us the use of your quarters, Lord Grim.¡±


    The man waved his gloved hand. ¡°Think nothing of it. I assume your offer also includes your former companions?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Absolutely! I was going to make the offer to them personally.¡±


    ¡°Then by all means, do so. I¡¯m sure they will be eager to see you, once your present affairs are in order.¡± He then dipped his head. ¡°Your Graces.¡±


    Eric flushed, no matter how appropriate that title might be.


    ¡°Lord Grim,¡± Caliban answered for them both as the tall lich saw himself out.


    Caliban turned to Eric, intent expression once more in place. ¡°Our host assures us that few arts indeed can pierce crimson wards infused with the potency and power of Terra¡¯s ascension. Nonetheless, Eric¡­¡±


    Eric winced, bowing his head. ¡°I understand. And again¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    The man firmly clapped his shoulder, shaking his head. ¡°Not for one moment, should you be.¡±


    Eric swallowed. ¡°I did everything I could.¡±


    ¡°I know. We wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation otherwise. Because we would all be dead.¡±


    Eric lowered his gaze, taking a sip of cacao with hands that didn¡¯t tremble a bit.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s work with eyes toward the future, shall we, my young friend? What exactly do you need to secure Mistridge, and by extension, your Sister¡¯s dominance of this region?¡±


    Eric forced a smile. ¡°Have you had a chance to speak to Elonia? I know food was a concern, and¡­¡±


    Here, at least, Caliban¡¯s brooingn features softened into a relieved smile. ¡°And somehow a territory that had nearly overwhelmed us with ancient abominations has transformed itself into what could well be the agricultural capital of the continent, if not the world.¡± He gave a rueful chuckle. ¡°And what a tragic wonder it was to find myself both tending a city that had come so close to absolute disaster, with hundreds of lives lost and our landmark wonder destroyed¡­ yet is now enjoying a steady influx of produce wagons filled with bushels of corn, wheat, and the freshest produce I¡¯ve ever seen. Produce that brought tears to the eyes of multiple professional chefs and all but assuring that our fears of starvation will hopefully be a thing of the past. Best of all, our newest guests seem more than a bit awed by all the accessories and items we have for sale, and we were happy to immediately establish lines of credit.¡±


    He flashed a tired smile. ¡°As you can no doubt imagine, rest simply hasn¡¯t been part of the equation.¡±


    ¡°And Elonia?¡±


    ¡°Your sister, with the help of her advisors, sent a number of proposals that I¡¯ve found to be more than fair. Quite generous, in fact.¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°She worried that perhaps her farmers might be restricted in their movements and that we¡¯d have to form a trade station or such at the border of our territories, but remarkably, her citizenry have absolutely no problem crossing the border into Freetown territory.¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Intent eyes locked with Eric¡¯s own. ¡°And they will travel no further.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re responsible for the...blessings that both our territories enjoy.¡±


    Eric let the unexpected tension build before nodding. ¡°Correct.¡±


    Caliban sighed. ¡°You have to be careful, Eric. As grateful as I am for all you¡¯ve done¡­ if the wrong individuals realized just how profound an influence you have upon Terra¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. And if you think for one moment I¡¯m going to let predatory manipulative fucks sniffing around our world like jackals stop me from doing what needs to be done...¡± Eric said, his words harsher than he intended.


    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that you need to be careful.¡± Caliban gazed pointedly at the note Eric still had clenched in his fist before finally slipping it into his ES Space, giving his companion a nod.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Good. So tell me, Eric, how much capital do you need?¡±


    Eric flashed a mirthless smile. ¡°Enough gold, credits, and promises to entice a shitload of Bronze-tier mecha-suited mercs to get their assess off Ashland province and move somewhere else. Or attend Mistridge classes for all I care.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s so significant about¡­ wait¡­¡± Caliban¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I remember! Eric, we were going to¡­¡±


    He frowned, shaking his head.


    ¡°Yes, we were,¡± Eric said somewhat sadly. ¡°It would have been an incredible sight. A dozen wealthy towns catering to the high level delvers having the time of their lives as they soared to incredible heights, clearing multiple levels of delves absolutely filled with high quality resources and opportunities to better themselves. Delving levels that could be mapped and fully understood with guides and trainers assuring that countless thousands of adventurers could almost safely follow in the footsteps of daring trailblazers and not just make a decent living but make an absolute killing with all the wealth they could pull free.¡±


    Caliban tensed up, eyes fierce with a hungry fire, looking for all the world as if he would compel Eric to embrace that very vision once more, before letting loose a tired sigh. ¡°If those mercenaries have any idea of the true potential of the territory they now inhabit¡­ there¡¯s no way they¡¯re leaving. And very few natives have any hope of forcing Bronze-tier classers like those anywhere they don¡¯t want to be.¡±


    Eric flashed a tight smile. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to do things the hard way. Which will be a shame, since the boon we were promised will be all the greater if we can resolve things peacefully.¡±


    Caliban chuckled, going over Elonia¡¯s proposals that Yuki had put into Eric¡¯s care, at least for the duration of their stay here. ¡°Still, if they don¡¯t know the value of the territory they now find themselves in ownership of, they just might be enticed by the promise of this academy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my hope,¡± Eric said.


    Caliban flashed a tight smile. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s any chance that you could toss this Blue¡¯s way?¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°Were it not for the mystical boons that Mistridge would receive¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Caliban said, regret plain in his voice as he took a sip of his coffee.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened. He gave a soft chuckle. ¡°Who the hell says we can¡¯t have our cake and eat it to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Our bank charter!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Eric gave his friend an intent look. ¡°Think of it! Countless delving levels filled with Wealthy-tier resources, and incredible fortune in resources, each level of those twelve dungeons twice as large as Ashland itself! Eight hundred square miles of delves per level! Adventurer¡¯s Paradise and Promise assuring an incredible glut of resources that will quickly flood Earth¡¯s markets... Unless!¡±


    His friend raised a thoughtful brow, though the corner of his lip had already curved in a smile. ¡°Unless?¡±


    ¡°Unless Elonia were to work out a deal with Blue Corp¡¯s bank¡­ by which I mean OUR chartered bank, to handle the sale of all the natural resources found in those delves! And maybe to build up the towns and cities that will spring up around each and every one of those delves that will one day host massive populations of happy, energetic adventurers flush with millions¡­ no, billions of credits that they will be happy to spend on all the exotic high tech goods and services that Blue Corp affiliated towns will be able to provide for their shopping enjoyment!¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes lit with excitement. ¡°If my sister were to make a deal with our bank to fund the creation of those cities, to stock those cities full of high-end shops and tree-lined boulevards sheltering beautiful gardens and massive beautiful topaz alloy buildings that we now know can withstand all but the most devastating of explosions¡­ just how wealthy could Ashland become? If things work out, how much gold would the Sylvan Alliance have at their disposal?¡±


    Eric was positively beaming. ¡°Even if Elonia can¡¯t surrender the territory to you¡­ I mean, remand it to Blue Corp administrative care¡­ who says you can¡¯t enter into an agreement whereby our joint bank can fund Ashland¡¯s future cities and towns entirely? As our economic investment! And we¡¯ll slide the Sylvan Alliance taxes on the profits of all condos and houses we rent out and businesses we¡¯ll own.¡±


    Eric took a satisfied sip of his cacao. ¡°Of course, adventurers will sell to us because they want to, not because they have to. And we¡¯ll buy the raw goods from adventurers and the finished products of professional crafters as super fair prices because we¡¯re Blue Corp, we¡¯re stand-up, and we¡¯re going to make an absolute fucking killing as the galactic middlemen for a full dozen endlessly leveled Wealthy-tier delves! In fact, I¡¯m betting that if Elonia lets our Bank handle the development of Ashland, even after our cut of the pie, she¡¯ll be making five or ten-fold in taxes and profits above and beyond what she otherwise would, going it all herself!¡±


    Caliban gazed silently at Eric for long moments.


    Long enough for Eric¡¯s cheeks to flush, wondering how many kinds of fool he was coming across as¡­ when he felt Caliban¡¯s hand squeeze his shoulder.


    ¡°Well played, Eric. And it would be more like a hundredfold.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Caliban grinned. ¡°She would enjoy a hundredfold the tax revenue that she otherwise would, for all the reasons you just mentioned, if she allowed our chartered bank to develop Ashland, thanks in large part to our access to the galactic markets at large¡­ assuming these delves turn out to be all that you hope they¡¯ll be. And I, for one, am willing to gamble that they will.¡±


    Eric whistled at that.


    ¡°And we would additionally be providing stable work to hundreds of thousands, if not millions of mortals that will be needed for numerous support roles, no matter that they lack any class or profession at all. This too would make Ashland territory a sanctuary to countless desperate souls and elevate your sister¡¯s glory and political prestige all the more. However, you¡¯d establish a precedent here on Earth whereby we¡¯d be channeling all of Blue Corp¡¯s operations through our Bank Charter.¡±


    Eric¡¯s features tightened with concern. ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell me that that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Which is of course perfectly legal, and not only has multi-world precedent, but by our own Bank Charter and concessions you successfully secured, is all but necessitated. Yet only now are we in a position to bring it all to fruition.¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°Too bad I can¡¯t claim an additional 20% stake of all the goodies pulled free of Ashland¡¯s delves directly.¡±


    Caliban chuckled. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Not if this territory is truly a property of your sister, as opposed to being Blue Corp¡¯s personal holdings. Not unless you¡¯d surrender any pretext of being a Free Agent.¡±


    His friend smirked at Eric¡¯s crestfallen expression. ¡°And you¡¯re entitled to a fifty percent share of all our bank¡¯s profits, thanks to our agreement and the charter and city you rescued.¡± His gaze grew intent. ¡°Twice over.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Like I said, right place, right time. And now you see why I need that capital. As much as you can spare.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll make the arrangements.¡± His friend¡¯s expression grew intent. ¡°The possibilities are beyond profound, Eric. But with all the other projects we¡¯re presently embracing, most especially repairing our capital and assuring our financial liquidity, in case other financial predators or masters of lawfare might otherwise see us as easy targets¡­ I recommend we don¡¯t go over two hundred million.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Eric said, before chuckling softly. ¡°And we say so casually amounts that are absolutely absurd.¡±


    Caliban nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements immediately. Is there anything else you need?¡±


    Eric nodded, mind racing with both the needs of the present and contingencies for the future. ¡°Actually, yes. I don¡¯t suppose that Nikita successfully sold any of my overpriced¡ª¡±


    Caliban smiled. ¡°She did. Every last one.¡±


    Eric blinked in surprise. ¡°Wait, really?¡±


    ¡°Check your balance, Eric.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°I¡¯m up another billion? A cool complete¡­ wait! Those fuckers even brought up all my miscellaneous crap? That was just a place-holder! I was using it for free storage. Fuck!¡±


    Caliban chuckled. ¡°I took the liberty of separating your soul-bound toys and discounted that lot accordingly. I assume you wouldn¡¯t mind. Otherwise¡­ yes. For better or worse, your and Nikita¡¯s ruthless attempts to goad the mercenary community into a sense of urgency worked brilliantly. All the more so, after the terrorist attacks. As a result, we¡¯re completely out of all Tier-2 and Tier-3 weaponry and power armor as well.¡±


    The older elf smirked. ¡°Needless to say, if you have any more high-end armaments you wish to sell at an absolute premium¡­¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ I wanted to talk to you about securing whatever blasters were available¡­ even Tier-1 blasters.


    Caliban frowned, eyes rapidly flickering across an invisible page.


    ¡°No more than ten, I¡¯m afraid. And the price has gone up considerably.¡±


    ¡°No longer a million?¡±


    ¡°Closer to two.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. If we could grab all ten?¡±


    Caliban smiled. ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°How about crossbows? Do we have any of them in stock in any of our stores? Dwarven artistry or high tech polymer construction, I¡¯ll take them all, and all the bolts that go with them two.¡±


    Caliban smiled. ¡°That would be in excess of two hundred crossbows, Eric. And those we enjoy ready access to and can restock as needed.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Really? Sweet. How about double or triple-shot variants?¡±


    ¡°Thirty seven doubleshots, only seven triple-shots, yet they are at considerable discount.


    ¡°Really.¡±


    Caliban nodded. ¡°These were custom made by Adept-tier craftsmen for a customer that never completed their order. The craftsman has vanished, his client list disappeared, and its a mystery as to why these exotic weapons were left at all.¡±


    Eric frowned, more than impressed by Caliban¡¯s professional skills, to service Eric¡¯s needs so well, as if all the data of a city was at his fingertips¡­ and perhaps it was. Yet he could well imagine why Caliban was so aware of the particulars of these killing tools.


    Tools intended for goblin hands.


    Tools which, Eric knew from experience, handled quite well in his own as well.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll snatch up all the double and triple shots available. Think it will take a million credits?¡±


    Caliban smiled. ¡°three and a half million for the seven specialized triple-shot sniping tools, and less than a four hundred thousand for every other crossbow presently in stock in Freetown, many made by master craftsmen.¡±


    ¡°Eric nodded. ¡°Alright. Call it four million for all of them. A steal. Now besides the quarrels, let¡¯s grab all the T-1 and T-2 blaster ammo available. Hell, T-III if you got that as well.¡±


    Caliban furrowed his brow. ¡°That would be another ten million credits, Eric, and will leave a number of people less than pleased.¡±


    Eric¡¯s features hardened. ¡°Good. We¡¯re soon going to have an entire school full of level zero fresh-start elites. Easy targets for the wrong sorts of people thinking they¡¯re easy meat. I can¡¯t do anything about the guns already on the market¡­ but I can make it just a bit harder for punks without specialized classes to take pot shots on my fellow classmates.¡±


    Caliban gazed at Eric for long moments. ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason, is it?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m securing a backup plan of my own. Just in case it¡¯s needed.¡±


    His friend nodded. ¡°Fair enough.¡± A second later, he gave a smile of satisfaction. ¡°Ammo, blasters, and crossbows are secured. Your count has been debited 34 million credits. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s leave a standing buy order for blasters, and hell, we¡¯ll make it generous. Three million per T-I Blaster. I doubt the elite mercs who can bind and repair their own elite toys or make their own ammo or have access to corp tinkerers that can do the equivalent will ever sell their T-II and T-III toys, nor can I afford to buy them. I¡¯m happy with the billion I earned by selling my own shit. But the countless generalists and Warriors or Conscripts who put together just enough credits just to buy an elite toy will no doubt realize just how limited their weapon now is with no loose ammo sitting around and I¡¯m guessing very, very few with the class perks needed to recharge their own blasters. So I¡¯m betting they¡¯ll be more than happy to sell for triple what most probably paid for the things. That will see them in a better place to buy standard weapons and armaments of excellent quality, or just save a nest egg.¡±


    ¡°While securing ever more of that market for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Eric smirked. ¡°It¡¯s not like they can use them in delves anyway, and the experience points you get using them are absolute shit for standard classers, so don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m some mastermind. With the way they were doled out by a certain faction of manipulative shits, at least some of them were being used as tools to cause maximum trouble and grief with bitter low-level losers spite-shooting people actually making it in life. I should have brought up all the T-1s when they were even more plentiful, or at least the ones not being honorably used by the militia trying to beat back a monster surge a couple days back. But this is what I can do now.¡±


    Caliban took a fresh sip of his coffee and grabbed one of the pastries. ¡°Are you going to want to store away your present gear to make room for the gold?¡±


    Eric gave a hard smile, shaking his head. ¡°Nope. We¡¯ll use a handful of military-grade rucksacks to carry the gold in. Just like old times. I¡¯m quite happy having full access to the contents of my ES Space without limits. Especially with what¡¯s coming next.¡±


    Caliban nodded.


    ¡°But I will want some very, very secure storage rooms that only you and me will have access to, in order to store away a great deal of extremely valuable shit. Storage I can access whenever I need, without anyone giving me a hard time. Just in case things go sideways really hard in the very near future.¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± Caliban said, passing Eric a pair of keys, and a fresh slip of paper. ¡°The address should pop up right on your Dominion Interface Map.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Do I even wanna know how you did that?¡±


    Caliban chuckled. ¡°A good partner anticipates the needs of his associates¡­ and their clients.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll go with that.¡±


    His friend¡¯s amused expression faded to a look of concern. ¡°Eric, what happens if our Bronze-tier associates refuse to play ball¡­ even with a rather significant enticement?¡±


    Eric chuckled coldly. ¡°Then we do things the other way.¡±


    Caliban¡¯s features hardened. ¡°Not if you¡¯re all freshly minted Arcane Conscripts, Eric. No matter how fancy your toys. You know better.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. I do.¡±


    ¡°Are you using your Rising Sun associates?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s hope my Negotiation perks render that unnecessary.¡±


    Caliban dipped his head. ¡°I look forward to seeing just how far we can push our bank charter, Eric. If all goes well, the entire Northeast will be better off within a years time, thanks to what will soon be three territories to have known your grace.¡±


    ¡°More like half a dozen or more, if these negotiations work out.¡±


    He solemnly shook his friend¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be back to pick up the goodies later.¡±


    Eric slipped out of Grim¡¯s office and began making his way back upstairs to the dining area, before being immediately ambushed by some of his first friends since waking up in this brave new world. He couldn¡¯t wipe the grin off his face when he spotted Morlekai, looking sleek and deadly as always with his carmine dress shirt and charcoal grey slacks over alligator boots with a 1796 cavalry saber at his hip, now looking a bit less like a mafia don and a bit more like a young vampire lord in his home.


    ¡°Is it true?¡± Asked a sleek-looking Alice wearing a formfitting black dress, biting her carmine lip as lacquered nails gently stroked Eric¡¯s cheek. ¡°We just spoke with your associates eating their fill in the dining hall, enticing so many of our master¡¯s students! Is there really a magical academy that could help me blossom into a true sorceress?¡±


    Eric flashed a sad smile, on some level mourning Alice¡¯s loss. A loss that, for all he knew, still haunted her¡­ or that she had forgotten entirely. ¡°Chatting up my quest companions, were we? Well good. I was going to talk about it with you and your brother anyway. If all goes as I hope it will, Mistridge will give any student with even the slightest inclination for the arcane arts a chance to grow and ascend beyond their wildest dreams. Because what could be better for a girl able to channel the awesomeness that is lightning than scholarship at a school that specializes in the elements? If you ever wanted to ascend from Conscript with a wand to bonafide Storm Mage or the like, this could well be your best chance¡±


    Alice and Morlekai were gazing at Eric with the looks of children finding their parents had gifted them all their favorite toys for Christmas. Toys, warm cookies, and parents gazing at them with all the love and affection every child deserves, no matter how tumultuous life¡¯s tribulations have been for so many, these last couple of years.


    Eric was surprised by the lump in his throat as he gently spoke on.


    ¡°We¡¯ve all missed out on so many opportunities, whether from our own mistakes or just the world crumbling around us. But we¡¯ve had some pretty big wins come our way as well. Fortuitous encounters that changed our fortunes like few things ever could. You guys were nice enough to let me in on a wonderful heist that opened the door to a fortune like no other. The least I can do is share the greatest opportunity to come my way with some of my closest friends that I think could make just as good use of it as me.¡±


    The siblings exchanged solemn glances before bowing their heads as one.


    ¡°Eric, if you could make this happen for us¡­ if we could really be a part of this school¡­¡±


    ¡°We could never say thank you enough, Boyscout,¡± Alice said, her voice husky with gratitude.


    Eric chuckled at that, before stepping close, whispering in a suddenly shivering Alice¡¯s ear. ¡°There is a catch. You have to behave! If you conceive while you attend, you risk losing everything.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened. A slow flush crept up her cheeks before she gave a soft, husky laugh. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I know what I¡¯m doing then, isn¡¯t it?¡± She said with a teasing smile revealing a dainty pair of pearl-white fangs.


    Eric¡¯s cheeks flushed with heat at the sultry look she gave him.


    ¡°You know what I am, Eric. What I need. Are you saying we have to be chaste to even enter the college?¡±


    Eric blinked, remembering his sister¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s more like¡­ if you conceive a child, that pulls your incarnation from the mystical realm that Mistridge strides, realms that allow you to gain unique magical affinities, I¡¯m guessing, and your shell becomes you in full, so you can safely carry your very human baby in a very human shell and bring it to term, since biology trumps arcanistry, at least for humans here on Earth.¡±


    For a heartbeat a look of profound regret crossed Alice¡¯s features, before husky laughter filled the air once more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eric. girls like me are very good at avoiding unexpected complications, as long as we¡¯re not stupid enough to actually fall in love with our consorts. Just tell me there won¡¯t be hallway monitors or absurd curfews or the like, and all my future partners will have to worry about is a very good time.¡±


    Eric smiled and shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I have no idea. But if things evolve as I think they will¡­ you might find that you don¡¯t have to worry about, well, any of that. Alice.¡±


    Alice furrowed her brow. ¡°What do you mean, boyscout?¡±


    ¡°Just that, from what the Headmaster implied, our shells will be baseline for our ideal selves. So any unexpected hangups or needs¡­ we¡¯re free of.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened. A gentle flush creeping up her cheeks. ¡°Wait, Eric, are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying? That I could actually attend school as a normal girl without any unwanted¡­ hangups?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Maybe? Hopefully? I think?¡±


    He was momentarily thrown off by the happy hug she gave him, not expecting to see anything like tears in her eyes as she gave a rueful chuckle. ¡°What I¡¯d give to be able to attend college free of any distractions¡­ any unwanted needs. To feel like every other girl. That I was no different, no worse, than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°There was never anything wrong with who you were,¡± Morlekai reminded her with a brother¡¯s protective glare.


    ¡°Thank you, brother. The same goes for you, you know.¡±


    Eric smiled at them both. ¡°Then consider yourselves invited. I¡¯ll give my sister a head¡¯s up and I¡¯d be very surprised if you didn¡¯t get formal invites, or a simple message to come up whenever your ready. But, um¡­ the first semester starts in less than two weeks.¡±


    Eric caught Morlekai¡¯s brooding gaze. ¡°It promises to be an incredible opportunity for all of us. A chance to tap into actual primal planes of magic. I¡¯m not sure to what extent it delves into the crimson arts we all specialize in. It¡¯s a Sylvan academy, after all. Regardless, It¡¯s an incredible opportunity that will unlock numerous Elite-tier classes, even if tapping into those Primal Arts turns out be something that only the most gifted can do.¡±


    Morlekai flashed a grim smile. ¡°No matter what arts it explores, if it helps us move forward, its worth learning from.¡± He then paused to gaze at Eric before grinning wide. ¡°The adventuring life agrees with you, my friend. Clearly. You look nothing like you did when we first met.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°And I can¡¯t tell you how happy I am that you haven¡¯t forgotten that.¡±


    ¡°As am I.¡± Morlekai chuckled. ¡°Come, let¡¯s head back to the dining room. Before you and your associates leave¡­ my sister and I have a proposal for you.¡±

 Chapter 436 - Blood Ravens I

    Yuki was gazing at the pair of smiling predators in dismay. Jack and Marsha were staring at Morlekai and his sister with expressions that were equal parts fear and fascination. ¡°You guys actually want to do this mission with us? You do know it¡¯s for um¡­ students, right?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Eric quickly assured. ¡°Elonia made it clear that they were more than welcome to join us for VIP admittance to the school. In fact, they¡¯d earn a considerable amount of school credits, titles or no.¡±


    Yuki furrowed her brow. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°You better believe it. We¡¯re about to enter serious negotiations, and few people are better at negotiating, or helping to facilitate our negotiations, than my dear friend Alice, here. And Morlekai makes a fantastic scout!¡±


    Jack furrowed his brow. ¡°Really? In that blood red shirt?¡±


    ¡°Carmine,¡± Eric said.


    Jack snorted. ¡°It¡¯s blood red and he¡¯s glaring at me right now like an 18<sup>th</sup> century vampire debating whether or not he should bite my head off. Ha ha. Now don¡¯t get me wrong, he looks lit as shit. Almost as good as me! But still.¡±


    Morlekia smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself, boy.¡± His gaze flattened. ¡°And I expect that any secrets revealed here will be kept in strictest confidence.¡±


    Jack quickly nodded, putting down his perfectly made pastrami sandwich. ¡°Of course! We¡¯re not stupid. We wouldn¡¯t dare break any oath given, especially not as students of¡­ holy fuck, did you just form a bloody crow on your shoulder?¡±


    The crimson crow in question tilted its head, cawing at his bemused master.


    ¡°You do have a penchant for the obvious, don¡¯t you, Jack? A very¡­ orcish trait.¡± Morlekai quipped, earning snickers from Marsha and Yuki.


    Jack crossed his arms and glared. ¡°What of it? I call shit like I see it, and I survived. Most didn¡¯t.¡±


    Morlekai nodded. ¡°You did what you needed to, to survive. As did we all. And you¡¯ve enjoyed fortuitous encounters along your path, which is why you¡¯re here savoring the bounty of our table, and why my sister and I are here, offering to do our part to assure that your mission is a successful one. And unless I¡¯m mistaken, regardless of your dislike of unknown quantities¡­ the more territories claimed by negotiation, the larger a boon you and your fellow aspirants will receive. Correct?¡±


    Jack scowled, but didn¡¯t dispute it.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Jack,¡± whispered a shy-looking Marsha who had hardly touched her beef stroganoff. ¡°If he and his sister can actually help¡­¡±


    ¡°I know. But what exactly can they do?¡± Jack¡¯s breath hitched when Alice was suddenly before him, stroking his cheek and smiling with her ruby red rips as he shuddered at her touch.


    ¡°We can do all sorts of things, Jack,¡± she assured, whispering in his ear before giving him a wink. ¡°And we can very, very good at persuading people when we need to be.¡± He shuddered when her lips were just a hairsbreadth from her own, fingers stroking his cheek. ¡°So how about it, Jack? Have I¡­ persuaded you into giving us a chance?¡±


    Yet before he could do more than gasp and Yuki glare, Alice had flowed out of his seat and was standing with a sultry smirk by her brother¡¯s side once more.


    Eric grinned. ¡°So¡­ yeah. Diplomacy mission. Am I right, guys? And Morlekai¡¯s crows make escellent scouts. So it¡¯s a double win that costs us absolutely nothing. But Elonia did want to run it by you guys first, and make sure we we¡¯re all cool working together.¡±


    Yuki and Jack, caught between ire and the bigger picture, paused.


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Marsha declared, before flinching at the look her friends were giving her.


    ¡°What? If she can seduce whoever¡¯s in charge of a territory, that equals titles and training sessions for us! And wouldn¡¯t you rather the vampire be on our side and not against us?¡±


    Eric cleared his throat. ¡°No one ever actually said my friend¡¯s a vampire. He¡¯s just a snappy dresser.¡±


    ¡°Who likes blood red shirts, tight-fitting slacks, and 18<sup>th</sup> century sabers,¡± Yuki pointedly noted.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s got style. I like those things too! Sometimes.¡± Eric eyed a bemused-looking Morlekai¡¯s 1796. ¡°Though I¡¯m more an 1821 man, myself.¡±


    Yuki took an angry bite of her sandwich. ¡°Fine. They can come. Let¡¯s get going before the day gets any later.¡±


    Eric smiled and communicated with his closest companions who he had already formed a party link. ¡°You guys okay? I¡¯m grateful to have you, but Jack and Yuki have been a bit prickly today.¡±


    Morlekai snorted. ¡°They¡¯re high-strung children feeling their own utter powerlessness.¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Eric. They¡¯re children. My brother and I have no intention of devouring them,¡± Alice assured.


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Morlekai silently quipped as his crow cawed, making Jack flinch, much to Morlekai¡¯s bemusement.


    ¡°Control your fucking bird!¡± Jack huffed, rubbing his head and glaring as they made it back to the levimobile without further incident, Drake opening the gate for them once more.


    ¡°Good to see you again, Boyscout,¡± Drake cheerfully called, waving them through. ¡°I know Louie will be pissed he missed you twice over.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Tell him we¡¯ll definitely catch up next time! You have any interest in joining a magic academy?¡±


    ¡°Me? Nah, sorry, Eric. I¡¯m a man who knows his strengths. You want an ace safe-cracker or a professional in construction who can put your house together as sturdy and pretty as can be? You come to me.¡± He gestured toward the magnificent gabled manor a full five stories high. The light glittered like jewels from the upper story stained glass windows while a procession of fledgling Necromancers exited the open french doors. It was as finely constructed as any house, or college dormitory, that Eric had ever seen.


    ¡°Made that with some helping hands in fourteen days time.¡± Drake grinned at the looks of awe this earned from Jack, Yuki, and Marsha.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Jack uttered. ¡°Shit, I¡¯ve worked construction. I was sore after every shift, before I embraced the deli life. Even with a Warrior¡¯s stats¡­ a building like that¡¯s no joke!¡±


    Drake grinned. ¡°Thanks, kid. It certainly helps if you¡¯re in the zone and you got the gold to make sure your suppliers don¡¯t hold back on lumber, stone, and steel support beams. Assembling it was a treat! I could feel the whole structure gaining strength when I poured my heart into it. The stained glass windows were something I actually dreamed up! I dreamed assembling them all just as pretty as could be, and when I woke up to Alice¡¯s cursing the next day, would you believe they were there? So¡­ yeah. I guess I do got a dash of magic of my own. But if you want someone who can sling lightning bolts or cast spells that will turn the tide of a fight, like you did so damned well with that zombie incursion back in Junk Town? Yeah. I think Alice and Morlekai have you covered on that one, Boyscout.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Fair enough. And that¡¯s a fucking beautiful house. Take care, Drake!¡±


    ¡°You too, Eric.¡±


    Eric smiled fondly at his friend closing the gate, before turning to Jack. ¡°Alright, now lets head to the financial district.¡±


    Jack scowled. ¡°Seriously? We haven¡¯t had enough delays?¡±


    Eric grinned, sharing a smile with Morlekai, now casually seated beside Marsha who was gazing in rapt fascination as Alice whispered who knew what into her ear. ¡°Sorry, Jack. Last stop before we leave Freetown. Promise.¡±


    And a short time later saw Eric, Morlekai and Alice leaving the Blue Corp Savings and loan with a trio of exceedingly full tactical backpacks filled to the brim with one of the most valuable elements in this brave new world.


    Morlekai exchanged a hard smile with Alice as the pair of power-armored sentinels, Bronze-tier mercenaries hired to guard the bank since the terrorist attacks, gave Eric and his companions a respectful nod, their T-2 Plasma Blasters held at the ready.


    ¡°Easiest score we ever made, hey, brother?¡±


    Morlekai chuckled. ¡°And Strength over thirty makes the weight a breeze.¡±


    Alice flashed a sad smile as they made their way back to the levi, the vehicle swaying for a moment as near half a ton of weight made themselves comfortable once more. ¡°All those points in my Mana Pool, and my heritage blossom decides to boost my physical attributes instead.¡±


    Morlekai shrugged, paying no mind to the awed look Yuki was giving all three of them. ¡°It¡¯s served us well enough in our delves. I told you learning the art of saber and bardiche would serve you well.¡±


    Alice pouted. ¡°I hate having to rely on anything but my wand.¡±


    ¡°Yet you slice as well as any berserker, when your blood burns hot.¡±


    This earned a snort. ¡°And you know damn well how jealous that made my Louie¡­ until I made it up to him.¡±


    ¡°Jeezus. How heavy are those bags?¡± Yuki said in a hushed voice. ¡°Are they really filled with¡ª¡± Her words cut off with Morlekai¡¯s glare, before Alice gave a suddenly trembling Yuki a soft brush of her finger tips.


    ¡°Loose lips sink ships and all that shit, you know?¡±


    Yuki paled, before giving a quick nod.


    Jack furrowed his brow at Morlekai¡¯s glare, though his temper was mollified by Alice¡¯s husky soothing voice. ¡°That shit has to weigh, what... Two hundred fucking pounds per bag?¡±


    ¡°A little over three hundred, Jackie boy,¡± Alice said with a sultry smile.


    Jack scowled, shaking his head as they picked up speed, carefully making their way for the Freetown highway. ¡°Fucking insane. We¡¯re lucky this is a full-sized levi. Almost identical to the one¡­¡± he scowled, shaking his head.


    ¡°The one that Richard drove?¡± Eric quipped with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, exactly,¡± Jack nodded, before grimacing and cursing as the car lurched, Yuki glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Stop fucking with him, Eric!¡±


    Eric smirked, raising his hands with a shrug. ¡°What did I say?¡±


    Yuki scowled. ¡°You¡¯re poking at shit that maybe we should just let go. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Because I could be asking some pointed fucking questions too, Eric.¡±


    ¡°Such as¡­¡±


    Her scowl turned to a smirk. ¡°Such as how the fuck were you carrying a tactical backpack weighing over three hundred pounds like it was nothing?¡± Her smirk turned to a wide grin when Alice and Morlekai¡¯s expressions turned deadpan neutral. ¡°Hell. You carried it easier than your goth friends with Strength that¡¯s at least in their thirties, and I could say mine was over double that, not too long ago, but that doesn¡¯t mean shit now. Question is, how the fuck were you lifting it so easily, Eric? Boy of leisure from Freetown who never did anything save study and master some diplomatic mercantile profession that let you become part-owner of a fucking bank, despite all the second-life bullshit you tease us with. And you reset yourself just like Jack and I did¡­ right? So how the fuck are you actually strong enough that you can walk out with the fortune now filling our car?¡±


    Eric gazed at his friend for long minutes before flashing a smile. ¡°That¡¯s a very good question, Yuki. I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± He patted the bag. ¡°You see the runes here?¡±


    Yuki furrowed her brow. ¡°There are no¡­¡± She blinked, eyes widening. ¡°Fuck, there are! I¡­ with this body, I can actually feel the magic radiating off them. What do they mean?¡±


    ¡°It just so happens that I know runes to warp and mitigate gravity. And it just so happens that those runes are on my tactical backpack.¡± His eyes twinkled with playful mirth. ¡°Any more questions?¡±


    ¡°Actually yeah, you cocky¡­ can you teach me?¡±


    Eric¡¯s smirk turned to a genuine smile. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to, Yuki. Just as soon as this mission is over and we¡¯re all safely back at Mistridge.¡±


    Jack scowled through the rearview. ¡°You¡¯re teaching me too. Because we were friends once, right?¡±


    Eric solemnly nodded. ¡°And I hope we will be again. You bet.¡±


    Morlekai was giving Eric a pointed look. ¡°You¡¯re using blood magic. With your Runic Lore.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±


    Morlekai shook his head as they left the city behind, the scents of dust, broken rubble, and the faint happier odors of a prosperous city were soon replaced by the sharp clean scents of pine, forest loam, and wildflower-filled fields of grass waving gently in the breeze.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, with all the wild currents of power flowing through it¡­¡±


    ¡°Yup, cobbled it together myself,¡± Eric freely admitted.


    Alice snorted. ¡°Come on, bro. We both know better than to underestimate Boyscout with all we¡¯ve seen, half-forgotten shit I remember so clearly whenever our favorite boy comes into town. And Grim¡¯s no fool. He wouldn¡¯t have such a soft spot for blondie here if he wasn¡¯t worth our time.¡±


    Morlekai shrugged, giving Eric a bemused smile. ¡°Grim made his stance clear enough. Only a fool ignores the guidelines that have stood our kind in good steed for centuries... Fools, or geniuses who can do more than simply follow magic¡¯s currents, compelling them down tributaries never dared before.¡±


    ¡°Which is fine, so long as it doesn¡¯t blow up in our faces,¡± Yuki snorted, before giving Eric a hard look. ¡°So, can you honestly say that your magic¡­ shit, your blood magic, never blew up in your face before?¡±


    Eric gave a rueful chuckle. ¡°Actually, it has. More than once. Me pushing myself too hard once cost me over twenty years of my life.¡± He sighed at the look of horror he saw flash across all three of his youngest companion¡¯s faces, even if Morlekai and Alice wore the sympathetic, solemn expressions of fellow practitioners who well understood the perils of their darker craft.


    ¡°But, yeah. Apart from the humbling fuckups of a student first learning his craft, I¡¯d say my arts have served me pretty damn well, so far.¡±


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°That they have, Eric,¡± Alice said with a husky smile, her lush ebony locks blowing in the wind, revealing creamy white skin utterly free of flaw and blemish. ¡°And anyone who fails to see that¡­ well, that¡¯s on them.¡±


    Jack cleared his throat. ¡°Yeah well, be that as it may, first stop of the day is coming right up.¡± He slowed down at the boarder between Freetown and Ashland, which Eric could sense both from his DI map and the sudden soothing warmth of rich Spiritual Energy caressing his skin, the lush trees in the distance seeming somehow brighter, more vibrant, the air fresh and revitalizing, even their levimobile seeming brighter and more colorful somehow.


    Yuki and Jack both took deep breaths, eyes widening as smiles involuntarily flickered across their tense faces. ¡°You can taste it,¡± Yuki whispered. ¡°Something spicy in the air.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Yup! This is a high Spiritual Energy zone. And since you both have a Qi Pool and the potential to become cultivators, even if it¡¯s currently locked because your meridians are clogged as shit and you¡¯ve never cultivated a day in your lives¡­ your body senses the potential here.¡±


    Yuki glared. ¡°And how the fuck do you even¡­¡±


    Jack shook his head. ¡°No time. We better make our declaration before trouble comes¡­ shit!¡±


    His words cut off with a wheeze when an eight foot tall giant of a man covered in exotic polymer alloys that shined like silver steel crashed to the ground after ripping across the sky with a levitating flight pack.


    Eric held back a smile at the showy entrance, already outside the veli and leaning casually against it as the armored merc stepped free of the now cratered soil, holding his T-III Hyperion Blaster in a menacing grip.


    ¡°You¡¯ve crossed our borders without authorization,¡± the man¡¯s tinny voice crackled in the air. ¡°And there¡¯s at least one Contender among you. Unless you¡¯re here to join or hire, you¡¯ve got thirty seconds to leave this territory.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re diplomatic envoys!¡± Jack frantically said, holding up one Elonia¡¯s carefully penned missives in a panic.


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened, holding a missive of her own. ¡°Jack, that¡¯s the wrong¡ª¡±


    The power armored figure sighed, moving too fast for Jack to even blink before reaching out to grab the missive, glaring at what he read as his face-plate slid up, revealing a purple-eyed man with roughened, scarred features who nevertheless radiated the vitality of a Contender who had broken through to Bronze and ascended all the way to Rank 10.


    Just his scowl was enough to send the trio of mortals in the car in a swoon, a frowning Morlekai and surprised Alice propping them up before they could collapse and strain their necks.


    Even the mercenary looked displeased. ¡°Are you serious? You think this is Grimtooth territory and you¡¯re offering us silver and all the food we can eat if we vacate?¡± The man shook his head with a disbelieving smirk. ¡°Your Queen sent Level 0 fresh-bloods to a Bronze-claimed territory? Is she insane?¡±


    Eric sighed, carefully clasping the correct missive from Yuki¡¯s trembling hand.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Eric boldly said, not hesitating to hide the scowling mercenary the correct letter while reclaiming the one for Grimtooth boldly enough that the merc scowled.


    Eric could sense the man trying to get a read on him and not liking what he sensed. ¡°There¡¯s no way you could be level 1.¡± He scowled. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you fear me at all.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just here to deliver a missive to your faction from the queen of New Arcadia. Hopefully, what this one offers is more to your taste.¡±


    If anything, the man¡¯s feature¡¯s grew increasingly disdainful as he read the missive. ¡°Are you serious? Your queen expects us to give up prime real estate and a rift filled with high quality beast meat, Mana-infused fruit, and a potential fortune in beast hides? For what, to join her cult academy as religious converts?¡±


    Eric slowly shook his head, his Know the Score and What the Other Party Wants Perks tingling as he took a good look at the man¡¯s discontented face, filled with the odd sense that he could so easily imagine exactly what it was like to wake up just a few days ago in a magnificent new world¡­ that suddenly turned out to be free of resources, challenge, or anything but what appeared to be an absurdly easy delve with over eight hundred square miles, even as he sensed Morlekai¡¯s crimson crows doing reconnaissance and Alice waiting for the signal to embrace another approach.


    The only question was¡­ had they found the portal to the next level? And if they didn¡¯t know where it was¡­ how hard would they search with so much ground to cover? Not even knowing what they were looking for? Because if they understood Ashland¡¯s greatest secret¡­ there was no way he was shaking them free. But if they didn¡¯t¡­


    Eric cleared his throat.


    ¡°What Queen Elonia Silver is offering is access to a Legendary-tier academy. An academy that might just unlock arcane affinities and Elite tier classes, even Bronze Elite classes that you won¡¯t have a hope of unlocking anywhere else in the sector, I¡¯m guessing,¡± Eric said, giving the man¡¯s stony countenance a thoughtful look.


    ¡°Let me guess. Bronze, around Rank 10? It¡¯s not too late to advance in another direction. Tell me that¡¯s not the real reason why you haven¡¯t ascended any further?¡±


    His lips curved in the tiniest of smiles when the man¡¯s stony expression cracked, replaced by a scowl.


    ¡°You¡¯re a level one noob of a clueless savage. How the fuck can you sense anything about me?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°How indeed. You might be surprised by the answer. That answer might just hold the key to a world of possibilities that you can unlock, conveniently enough, in Mistridge Academy. An academy that allows it¡¯s students to reforge themselves. Reinvent themselves.¡± Eric crossed his arms, peering up at the man. ¡°Can you honestly say you¡¯ve never wanted the chance to go back and correct whatever build flaws are holding you back? Tell me what such an opportunity would be worth to you. Would be worth to your captain. To your entire corp.¡±


    The man shook his armored head. ¡°Bullshit. No such treasure exists. Not unless you have access to a Silver-tier heritage library!¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want to assume, and your happy just chilling here on an endless field of grass for days waiting for absolutely nothing while newbloods all over the world are eager to take advantage and leave you and your peeps utterly in the dust, that¡¯s on you.¡±


    Eric flashed a mocking smile, waving his hand. ¡°Because chasing down low level beasts in a rift that¡¯s absolutely perfect for feeding struggling communities and granting them a few early levels is the ideal place for an elite band of Bronze Mercenaries to forge themselves anew, am I right? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re making mad progress leveling up or intensify your core and advancing all the skills you value the most.¡±


    ¡°Eric! He could kill you in a fucking eyeblink!¡± Alice hissed in their party link as the merc scowled.


    Eric¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver. He didn¡¯t even flinch.


    The merc before him snorted. ¡°Pretty fucking mouthy for a fresh new classer, fragile as fucking glass.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just calling it like I see it. A bucolic low level hunting ground is no place for elites. And the more elites Queen Elonia gets working under her banner, the greater her prestige¡­ and protection.¡±


    The merc¡¯s cool smile matched Eric¡¯s own. ¡°Sure, kid. That¡¯s what quality mercs are for. You hire us, we protect you. But we don¡¯t do it for promises, and we don¡¯t do it for cheap. And sure, maybe we can arrange something for credits or property, if you got nice villas you want to sweeten the pot with. But if you think we¡¯re going to just hand over our land for a song and the promise of ¡®mystical secrets,¡¯ you got another thing coming.¡±


    Jack grimaced through his palor, having regained his senses. Yuki was also sitting up straight, despite the strain. She gazed down at a catatonic Marsha and shook her head in hopeless resignation. ¡°Come on, Eric. There¡¯s no point. Let¡¯s just go.¡±


    Jack scowled. ¡°No, this is just¡­¡± His gaze grew oddly desperate. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not bullshit. It¡¯s not an act! You see me as level 0? Sure I am! But I was a half-step fiftieth level Spear Chucker just two days ago, struggling to condense my Core and ascend to something less pathetic than orc standard!¡±


    The merc frowned at this before his gaze filled with sudden disdain. ¡°You¡¯re lying. No artifact on a newly ascended world can strip your power! And even if it could¡­ that you would be such a fool to do so makes it clear you were never worthy of those levels!¡± The man eyes blazed. ¡°You think we who have ascended and broken through to Bronze would give up even one scrap of our power?¡±


    Yuki whimpered, even Eric sensing the man¡¯s ire. Whatever hesitation he might have about harming what seem to be powerless and all too fragile teenagers was scorched in the heat of his alarm and contempt that there was even the possibility that he could lose his own potency, or that anyone would try to entice him to such stupidity. Eric could see it so clearly in the angry man¡¯s violet gaze.


    Morlekai¡¯s party link spiked with sudden alarm. Eric had the sudden sinking feeling that Alice¡¯s desperate smile as she put on her seductress face, ready to slip out the levi¡­ was the absolute worst move to make.


    ¡°Relax, sugar. My Jackie was just making an offer. You don¡¯t have to accept it. Hell, we¡¯re all about offers, and I think we¡¯re getting off on the wrong foot. So¡­ maybe I can offer you something to make it right again?¡± She bit her rosebud lip and smiled.


    The man blanched and stepped back, eyes wide with knowing Eric wouldn¡¯t have expected.


    ¡°Get back in your veli now, succubus! Diplomatic envoy or no, you take one more step, and it will be the last mistake you ever make!¡± The merc snarled, plasma rifle glowing as a smiling Alice froze in dismay.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Eric snapped, placing himself between blaster rifle and panicked friend, trying to break the sudden growing tension. ¡°How much cold hard cash would it take you and your merc crew to leave this territory so we can hunt the fucking rabbits and deer in peace?¡±


    The tension spiked as the glaring Bronze radiating power and killing intent glared at the unarmed youth gazing at him so calmly. The wind blowing Eric¡¯s locks as fiery blue eyes pinned the man¡¯s own.


    Eric ignored his friend¡¯s panicked party chat, keeping his breathing nice and slow.


    To his relief, the wild-eyed merc¡¯s features calmed. His glare turned to a smirk.


    ¡°Standing in front of a Mark III Hyperion Blaster? Are you insane? You¡¯re one fucking ballsy kid. I¡¯ll give you that much.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just here to parlay. Seeing as both my companions fumbled their diplomacy checks something fierce¡­ time I resorted to the classic tactic all good gamers appreciate.¡±


    The man actually smiled. ¡°Charisma dump stat with a wealth perk so you can bribe your way to the next phase of the game.¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°You better fucking believe it!¡±


    The man sighed, actually lowering his weapon.


    Alice collapsed in her brother¡¯s arms in relief. Morlekai¡¯s eyes were wild with fear and fury that he thankfully kept to himself.


    ¡°Kid, Ashland¡¯s four hundred square miles with a high-tech treasure. It¡¯s going to take a hell of a lot more than a handful of credits for us to give this territory up, no matter how¡­ bucolic and peaceful the delve might be.¡±


    Eric allowed himself a thoughtful nod, hiding the spike of relief he felt at the man¡¯s characterization of what might be the greatest treasures on the planet. ¡°Sure. I can appreciate that. So, what¡¯s the nature of this high-tech treasure? Give me a good story, and maybe I can pitch it to the queen.¡±


    The man snorted. ¡°Yeah, actually¡­ it¡¯s sealed.¡±


    Eric blinked, tilting his head curiously. ¡°Sealed? What¡¯s sealed inside?¡±


    The man furrowed his brow, rubbing his temple. ¡°We don¡¯t actually know.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°But wait. You¡¯re a high level, highly trained mercenary warrior with awesome-looking magitech gadgets and armor and cool laser rifles and all those sweet looking gadgets on your utility belt... and you can¡¯t open the thing? Whatever it is?¡±


    This earned a sigh. ¡°No.¡±


    Eric tilted his head. ¡°Alright then¡­ what value could it possibly have to us?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I mean¡­ if you can¡¯t open it, what chance do we have?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually a good point,¡± Yuki said with a half-smile. ¡°We¡¯re just in it for the rabbits.¡±


    ¡°And the dear and all the other game we can hunt and feed our people with,¡± Eric quickly added before swallowing. ¡°I mean, we should always be honest when we negotiate, right?¡±


    This earned an odd smile from the power-armored Bronze before them. ¡°You really are new at this, aren¡¯t you? All of you! And you have a succubus¡­ and a fucking vampire?¡± His eyes widened with dismay as he took in a coolly glaring Morlekai.


    ¡°Early alliances!¡± Eric quickly interjected. ¡°Look, they haven¡¯t bitten any of our party at all! Someone told them how bad it¡¯s going to be for them in the wider galaxy if they win by devouring the native populations, so their coven is all about good behavior so they won¡¯t be purged when Earth finishes ascension. Trust me. They¡¯re the best allies low-levels like us could hope for, okay?¡±


    The man frowned thoughtfully. ¡°Hell, kid, that¡¯s the most logical thing you¡¯ve said since we started talking.¡±


    ¡°Sure! So, we want the hunting grounds. There¡¯s a good chance that beasts in delves might actually be able to sustain vampire bloodlines better than surface beasts, and we¡¯re willing to pay good money to find out if those hunting grounds will take care of the needs of both our factions. And if you can tell us what¡¯s in the building, we¡¯ll pay for that as well. Otherwise¡­ if you or your boss could give Queen Elonia a price, if attending our magical Academy isn¡¯t something you¡¯re interested in¡­ maybe we can still work out a deal?¡±


    The mercenary frowned thoughtfully at Eric for long seconds before jerking a nod. ¡°Sure, kid. On the off chance you could possibly have enough to pay for it... Hold on a minute.¡±


    Eric listened carefully as high-pitched vocalizations filled the air.


    ¡°Captain. Party of mixed human and necromantically aligned classers is interested in buying our hunting reserve. Unusual biometrics on all of them. Sending data and convo recording.¡±


    The man gave Eric a look. ¡°You all stay here. We¡¯ll have an answer for your queen shortly.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Sure. No problem.¡±


    Jack stared agape when the power armored anti-grav pack kicked in and the mercenary soared through the air back to wherever his base camp was.


    ¡°Jeezus.¡± Jack then turned to glare at Eric. ¡°You¡¯re fucking crazy, you know that?¡± He then flashed a weak smile. ¡°Putting yourself in front of the deadliest fucking blaster I¡¯ve ever seen, radiating so much energy that I thought my brains would melt, and I still have a headache!¡±


    Yuki was gazing wide-eyed. ¡°You got fuckin¡¯ balls of steel, Eric. I¡¯ll give you that much.¡±


    ¡°Eric, he could have killed you!¡± Marsha¡¯s alarmed voice was both touching and made Eric feel the tiniest bit guilty.


    ¡°What would have happened if that tin can asshole had just shot us? And why didn¡¯t he just take the¡­¡± Her words cut off when Morlekai¡¯s hand covered her mouth, his glare silencing her instantly.


    Eric also gave her a pointed look, he silently gestured with his hand, revealing additional runes etched into the tactical packs.


    They were an art he had yet to incorporate into his Runic arts, yet it seemed that his blood magic was enough for him to at least make use of them.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°Orc Shaman obfuscation sigils. I can copy them. I can use them as well, if I infuse them with the potency of my blood. But I know I¡¯m being really inefficient. I don¡¯t understand them well enough to make any variations or understand their fundamental components. Or at least, not yet,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s something I should be taking the time to study, but somehow, there¡¯s never any time.¡±


    Jack gave him a look. ¡°How can you be worried about studying at a time like this? That Bronze-tier merc¡­ he was Bronze, right?¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°No doubt.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ what¡¯s to keep him from bringing half a dozen of his closest friends and robbing us blind?¡±


    Eric smiled, pulling out one of the contracts that Morlekai had handed off to him. Just in case.


    ¡°Turns out most mercenary companies take their contracts very seriously. If there seen willy-nilly slaughtering the natives, the natives are unlikely to want to hire them. That¡¯s really bad for business, and even worse for their reputation on a galactic scale. Turns out that as corrupt and compromised as the powers-that-be are at allowing natives anything like a level playing field, one hard and fast rule is that mercs have to represent some faction, be fulfilling some sort of contract to do pretty much anything. They¡¯re mercenaries for hire, and even asking for land is a stretch. Almost as much of a stretch as them having land grandfathered in, and they have to know that.¡±


    He scratched the back of his neck, taking a breath of spring fresh air, enjoying the scent of wildflowers on the breeze as he leaned against the levimobile. ¡°On the other hand, if they have the chance to work for a powerful faction they have the possibility of earning both significant wealth and noble rank that¡¯s then grandfathered into the System, they could ask for nothing better. Besides, if they¡¯re stupid enough if they show themselves to be slaughter-happy bastards with no sense of honor at all, then Contenders like my sister will bite the bullet and hire other Bronze-tier companies that somehow ended up here to obliterate any assholes engaged in pointless slaughter.¡±


    Morlekai nodded. ¡°Eric¡¯s right. Even if mercenaries cannot be hired to slaughter natives without expending major capital in penalty fees, they can still be used as body guard units and to eliminate other Bronze-tier opponents.¡±


    Jack frowned. ¡°You sure know a lot about this shit, Eric.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°What can I say? Word gets around.¡±


    ¡°You really weren¡¯t scared?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Well I certainly wasn¡¯t scared enough to let Mr. Hair Trigger shoot my freinds.¡±


    Yuki gave a sigh of relief. ¡°So we were safe, then.¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Alice said with a brittle smile. ¡°They could slaughter us, and no one would have batted an eye. Who cares about a handful of uppity idiots playing diplomats who are in way over their fucking heads?¡± This she said with a hard glare for a wincing Eric and Morlekai both. ¡°Point is, no one¡¯s going to wanna risk getting obliterated or shell out millions of credits trying to take these boys out, so long as any tin-head psycho keeps his kill count to scavengers and idiots and doesn¡¯t, say, go complete murder-hobo and start attacking the nearest city or settlement.¡±


    Alice sighed. ¡°So long as they keep their kill count within reason and don¡¯t pick off anyone of importance¡­ and especially don¡¯t go trying to expand their territory since they¡¯re not native-born Contenders¡­ they can pretty much do whatever the fuck they want.¡±


    Yuki paled. ¡°Okay, now I really wanna just get¡­ fuck, they¡¯re back!¡±


    His friend¡¯s murmured conversation cut off with sharp spikes of anxiety and alarm so easily sensed as the air thrummed with mana and power. A trio of dots flying overhead, dark silhouettes against the clouds, rapidly became a trio of power armored eight foot tall figures thrummed to the ground, their arcane anti-grav packs a low whine to Eric¡¯s Unified Perception.


    ¡°Get in the car, Yuki! Eric, you too! I¡¯ll floor this thing in three seconds if they get too¡ª¡±


    Eric calmly shook his head. ¡°No point,¡± he murmured. ¡°You won¡¯t have a chance in fuck of doing anything. A strong front is all we got.¡± He then crossed his arms an affected a nonchalant pose as the largest of the three figures, radiating the power of a deadly Bronze, approached, his visor sliding up to reveal ruby eyes peering thoughtfully from classically handsome features, free of the rugged imperfections that seemed so common in Bronze elites, no matter their monstrous Vitality.


    ¡°Captain Arnor of the Blood Ravens. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn''t obliterate you all where you stand."

 Chapter 437 - Blood Ravens II

    ¡°We¡¯re here to make a deal that will hopefully see us both profiting handsomely. If you take us out, then we both lose out on what could be the most profitable trade you and your company will ever make, opening up opportunities for your future unlike anything you''ll find, anywhere else. And don''t expect anyone else to be making offers for this land either, once the DI Interface announces to the world who likes taking out diplomatic envoys for fun, and that''s the least of what my sister will do, I promise you that,¡± Eric said.


    Arnor glared at Eric for long moments. Fortunately, Eric didn''t think the man actually intended on slaughtering them. More, he was engaging in the most ruthless sort of diplomacy. Leverage every tool at your disposal, threaten one''s financial opponents with their worst fears, and squeeze for every last coin. And no matter how bold your declarations, so long as you didn''t actually make good on your threats, you were in the clear. Because really, how much could your counterpart claim you had wronged him, if they hadn''t shed one drop of blood? Ruthless, sure, but definitely in line with the rules of this brave new world.


    Yet if there was one advantage to the sudden weight of the man¡¯s aura rendering his friends mute, it was that Eric could use Identify passively, without alerting or antagonizing his target at all.


    ******


    Captain Arnor ¨C Mech Warrior ¨C Rank 30 Bronze


    ST 300 / Qu 400 / Vit 300 / Fin 400 / Per 400 / Arcane Res ¨C 300 / Appearance ¨C Handsome!


    *******


    Even sensing the utter peril that should send any White-tier native crashing to their knees in terror, especially one who had been drained all the way to level 0, Eric still found the attribute choices quite telling. His suspicion that there were hidden bonuses for elites buying their stats in hundred point lots was now ironclad. Not that it really mattered at that point. It was just one more example of idealized build design techniques and maximizing one¡¯s ultimate potential that Terran natives had been utterly denied.


    Captain Arnor¡¯s hard stare pinned Eric¡¯s entire party. His derisive glaze flicked dismissively over all of them as he shifted his stance, turning to his second, a high pitched whine indicating a conversation intended for their comms alone. ¡°These natives are quaking in their boots. Half of them have no potency at all. This better be worth my time, Joc.¡±


    Eric cleared his throat. ¡°Greetings, Captain Arnor. You have my apologies. Your impressive entrance has left my companions at a loss for words.¡±


    The captain¡¯s glare caught Eric¡¯s half-smile. Then he frowned, puzzled.


    ¡°There¡¯s something off about you, boy.¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a mixed-blood. Does it matter?¡±


    Power armor shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. You dare to stand nonchalant as a lord before me. Challenging with your eyes, like a young scion or a fool who never learned his place. Yet you don¡¯t show any sign of being any stronger than your friends. And that¡¯s an anomaly.¡±


    Eric looked at his anxious friends. Morlekai and Alice were the only ones even able to put on masks of sangfroid, especially after the earlier warning that let them know just how perilous their negotiations had become. The others were seated like frightened rabbits, desperate just to bolt. Eric then turned back to Captain Arnor.


    ¡°We¡¯re all apprentices at Mistridge. It would be strange if I showed as any different, right? So how¡¯s that an anomaly?¡±


    The man glared. ¡°Because in an ascending world like this one, adversity should have wiped that smirk off your face long ago. Or torn out your throat, if you don¡¯t have the strength or clan to back it up.¡±


    Eric¡¯s lips curled in a feral grin, despite Yuki¡¯s dismayed hiss, and Morlekai¡¯s warning glare.


    He just couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s actually pretty convenient when you think about it,¡± Eric eyes danced hungrily as he met the glare of the armored merc before him. ¡°Since I¡¯m not quivering in my boots, that means we can get right to making a deal without any of us wasting our time.¡±


    Arnor¡¯s exotic gauntlet tapped the hilt of a Mark-III plasma minigun. Eric¡¯s heart started pound, knowing damn well that weapon could obliterate a party of Rank 0s and a couple gifted Nosferatu before any of them could blink. Yet he stood his ground, meeting the man¡¯s glower, knowing that flinching and folding now was the absolute worst thing he could do.


    The tension grew thick, like a cord on the verge of snapping as Marsha whimpered.


    Captain Arnor took one step forward, sneering down at Eric, his men in lock step as Jack desperately reversed his levi, Eric alone comfortably outside the vehicle.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    The power armored man¡¯s ice-cold visage broke into a chuckle. ¡°Diplomatic envoy, is that right?¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°You got it.¡±


    The man cracked his neck. ¡°Alright, kid, does your queen really think she can afford all this prime hunting land? How much is she worth? It better be considerable, or you¡¯re just wasting our time.¡± His good-natured smirk turned to a warning glare. ¡°And I absolutely hate people who waste my time.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s worth more than¡ª¡± Jack¡¯s words cut off when Eric abruptly raised his clenched fist. Before lowering it with an easy motion, just in time with the mini gun the captain had actually raised with Eric¡¯s rapid movement.


    Eric suppressed a wince, having revealed a tiny bit more than he should have. But before the captain could consciously process what his instincts should have picked up on, Eric pulled out the document he and Morlekai had worked on before leaving¡­ just in case.


    Captain Arnor¡¯s blinked, all his focus suddenly on the document. ¡°You serious, kid?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Blue Corp document. How could I not be?¡±


    The merc beside the captain, Joc, peered at it, his eyes widening. ¡°Fifty million credits for a non-aggression sign-off.¡±


    The captain¡¯s glare silenced the man who stepped back.


    Captain Arnor then affected a sigh, dramatically shaking his head. ¡°Sorry, kid. But I¡¯m afraid a territory this precious, with such lush, fertile hunting grounds, is worth a bit more than fifty million over-valued store credits.¡±


    Eric forced a smirk. ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°Know what.¡±


    ¡°Blue Corp has a chartered Savings and Loan with full investment bank and retail development rights, here on Earth. If they say you¡¯re up fifty million credits, then you¡¯re up fifty million credits, just as legit as anything else you¡¯ll find on a fully ascended world.¡±


    Arnor frowned and tilted his head, eyes rapidly shifting back and forth as if flash-reading interface documents of one sort or another.


    ¡°Captain?¡±


    ¡°Kid¡¯s right.¡± Arnor¡¯s measuring gaze met Eric¡¯s own once more. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t change the fact that it¡¯s a bullshit offer.¡±


    Eric blinked at this. ¡°Seriously? I can hunt unlimited rabbits and dear. It¡¯s convenient, and it pays to have unified territory. But it isn¡¯t like there aren¡¯t half a dozen neighboring territories we can convert to extremely profitable cropland in less than a years time, paying off your neighbors for a fraction of what we¡¯re offering you.¡±


    Arnor smirked. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why are you offering fifty million?¡±


    Eric blinked, hating just how valid a point that was. He inhaled to speak when Yuki cut in.


    ¡°Because this is the one territory with a bunch of Bronze-tier bucket heads. Can you blame us for not wanting an unaligned faction of elites on our doorstep who haven¡¯t at least signed a nonaggression treaty with us? And if fifty million credits, which is a shit ton of money, can keep you all in our queen¡¯s friends category, then sure, it¡¯s worth it. Especially if you give her a friend discount when she eventually hires you for missions of her own.¡±


    There was no mistaking the sudden hungry look in the eyes of all three mercs, clearly itching for challenges more substantial than level 5 hunting grounds.


    But they were professionals, and the look of eagerness vanished so fast that it was hard to tell it had been there at all.


    ¡°Alright, envoys, you tell your Queen that we might be willing to play ball¡­ if she¡¯s willing to offer us noble rank and revenue earning properties in addition to giving us the right of first refusal on any and all kingdom missions offered.¡±


    Yuki and Jack visibly blanched. ¡°Is this guy fucking serious?¡±


    ¡°Or, you up your offer to a hundred million credits. In gold.¡±


    Arnor¡¯s smile grew at the looks of consternation this earned. ¡°Come now. Gold has to be even more common than credits, right?¡± He gave a satisfied nod, minigun resting casually in his crossed arms. ¡°That¡¯s my offer. Gold, or elite titles and privileges along with your original enticement, and we¡¯ll be the best investment your queen makes in the next decade. We Blood Ravens guarantee it.¡±


    Eric features tightened, before he finally gave a frustrated sigh, dipping his head.


    Arnor beamed, a look of triumph on his features. ¡°Good. You have a week to get back to us before we start looking for other possible buyers. Perhaps one quite opposed to your own sovereign¡¯s rule.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Sure. Can we assume that we¡¯re under a non-aggression accord at least until the week¡¯s passed?¡±


    Arnor gave an imperious nod. ¡°You have my word, boy. You and yours have nothing to fear from us... for the next seven days. I suggest you get back to us before¡ª¡±


    His words cut off. Eyes bulging when Eric snapped his fingers, summoning forth both gilded chairs and hardwood table, complete with linen cloth and a bottle of Champaign. He then sat down, took a sip of bubbly, and quickly annotated the contract, placing it for the bemused captain to sign.


    ¡°Alright. Ashland territory and a permanent non aggression pact between Captain Arnor and the Blood Ravens and Elonia Silver, the Sylvan Alliance and the territories they control, and all close friends and relatives of the Silver clan that you know of. In return, you¡¯ll receive a hundred million gold within a week¡¯s time. If you¡¯ll sign here?¡±


    Arnor scowled. ¡°You have rights to modify the treaty as you see fit?¡±


    ¡°Well of course he does. He¡¯s her brother,¡± Yuki quipped.


    The mercs froze, gazing at Eric like wolves before a fattened sheep.


    Eric¡¯s feral smile grew. He gave a lazy tilt of his head. ¡°You know, I could remind you all that you just gave your word not to fuck with us for the next week, but if you¡¯re that eager to dance¡­ I¡¯m always game.¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡± Morlekai hissed.


    Captain Arnor had the strangest look on his features before he burst out in laughter. ¡°You are one cocky bastard for a prince radiating no power at all!¡± He flashed a knowing smile. ¡°How powerful is an artifact that hides an elite White-tier warrior, I wonder?¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile matched the captain¡¯s own. ¡°Surely not powerful enough to match a Bronze-tier veteran of a hundred battles like yourself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right you¡¯re not. And don¡¯t be stupid enough to forget it.¡± The man dipped his head in what seemed genuine respect. ¡°Your mien could still get you killed in the wrong circles, boy, so best you learn a little humility.¡±


    ¡°Unless he hires us to cover his six, and then he can be just as cocky as he likes,¡± the third mercenary quipped, raising her own visor to reveal a freckle-faced woman who¡¯s cheerful grin was that of a teenager, even if her gaze was that of a woman centuries old.


    ¡°Leely has a point, kid.¡± The captain signed the document with a flourish. ¡°Now you have a week to come up with a hundred million. In gold. Or a hundred million in income generating property in New Arcadia. We¡¯ll take either one,¡± he said with a cool gaze. ¡°What we won¡¯t take is no for an answer with the contract signed and sealed, and best of all, you¡¯ll be able to hire us at friend-rates. And believe me, kid, you couldn¡¯t ask for a better guard than the Blood Raven corp for your royal clan.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t hurt that he¡¯s cute either,¡± Leely said, giving a slow nod as she gave Eric a clear once-over, eating him up with her gaze.


    Eric couldn¡¯t help chuckling. ¡°Like what you see?¡±


    ¡°You better believe I do.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll let you see it from the back,¡± Eric said, sauntering as he turned on his hip, strutted back to the veli, bent over as he opened the tactical backpack out of casual view in the back seat, adjusted the contents within then straightened himself once more with modified pack in hand.


    He couldn¡¯t help winking at Leely¡¯s whispered curse.


    ¡°There¡¯s no fucking way that kid is a level zero anything.¡±


    ¡°Glad you approve,¡± Eric quipped, tossing the captain the pack. ¡°So tell me, Captain, does that square us?¡±


    ¡°Kid, you better not be fucking¡ªholy shit!¡±


    Arnor¡¯s eye were wide as saucers, Leely¡¯s flash of alarm, hyperion rifle raising before easing to her side as her sniper¡¯s crouch turned to a bemused slouch when she took in the polished golden bars flashing in the light of the afternoon sun that the captain was now pulling from the bag he had been so casually tossed.


    ¡°Holy shit, Captain! That ballsy kid just happened to have a hundred million in fucking gold bullion on him? Bullshit!¡± Joc¡¯s gaze was an odd mixture of awe and disbelief. ¡°What kind of fucking accountancy profession let him know to prep so well? No way he could have done that on the fly!¡±


    Eric ignored the hushed whispers Yuki and Jack exchanged, his eyes carefully on Captain Arnor as he counted the fortune in hands that didn¡¯t tremble a bit.


    Oddly accusing eyes met Eric¡¯s own, for all that the man¡¯s lips hardened into a smile. ¡°A hundred million on the fucking dot.¡± He flipped Eric a golden eagle. ¡°And that much extra. Trying to make sure there was no wiggle room at all, were you?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Just making sure you¡¯re payed in full.¡±


    Captain Arnor positively beamed as he signed the final document, right under Eric¡¯s own signature.


    ¡°Signed and sealed, the territory is yours and the Blood Ravens are now at your service for all your hiring needs. At friendship rates,¡± Arnor assured, the pair exchanging documents with a handshake, Eric relieved to see that the man was too much of a professional to risk crushing his hand, probing him for his Strength. Because crushing Eric¡¯s hand to shattered pulp would be an immediate violation of the contract and that would be a bad look.


    Then Eric felt it. A surge of wondrous possibility flooding through him, the potential of an entire glorious territory. He bit his lip and held in the momentary ecstasy that passed through him as gently as a warm spring breeze.


    Because he had already claimed this territory once.


    And there was no doubt that it was his once again. And maybe it showed, in the way he stood just a bit taller, feeling the light caress his backside like a stagelight directed by a friendly hand, to show him to best effect.


    Even the mercenaries seemed to sense that something had changed, Arnor giving him an oddly approving nod.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, kid.¡±


    ¡°You as well,¡± Eric said, giving a nod to both Joc and a beaming Leely as he headed back to the levi. But only after immediately tossing the territory to a grateful Elonia, now an old hand at ignoring the sudden flood of interface messages from irate administers demanding that he yield his prize to their control at once. Or he suspected that was what they would say. HE wasn¡¯t stupid enough to actually check, flushing all the unwanted SPAM in the metaphoric trash bin as he stumbled just once on the way back to the levi, the glorious potential of an entire territory infusing, then leaving his psyche so fast it nearly caused whiplash.


    ¡°Thank you, Eric!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now if you¡¯re looking for an AWESOME way to develop it¡­ talk to Morlekai. We came up with something that I think / hope you¡¯ll love!¡±


    Yet the awe and gratitude he could sense from his twin through a simple interface message made it all worth it.


    ¡°You okay there, handsome? You ever need a personal escort¡­ you just ask!¡±


    Eric chuckled at Leely¡¯s parting quip when he tripped over his own two feet. Already knowing that her flirting was an act. The look she gave Arnor, not to mention her scent lingering on her obvious lover, made her heart¡¯s position perfectly clear.


    ¡°After pulling out all the stops to impress your captain, I trip on a rock. Stupid, right? But I¡¯ll keep your offer in mind, Leely. And now that you all no longer feel soulbound to this territory, I¡¯d invite you all to check out Freetown. You¡¯ll find a wealth of opportunity, and any number of mercenary companies as well that can show you the ropes.¡±


    Leely¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, how did he know that we felt tied to the¡ª¡±


    Her freckle-faced innocence turned to something calculating and cold when her shortwave comms blared with messages that froze all three mercs as Eric casually leaped back in his seat.


    ¡°Go. Now.¡± He said to Jack with a smile.


    Jack gazed back at Eric with a look of awe. ¡°Jeezus! Those guys could have¡­ and you were just being such a cocky fuck and you did it! Clearly, I misjudged your sorry ass.¡±


    Eric¡¯s smile tightened. ¡°Move. Now!¡±


    The redhead¡¯s features flickered rapidly from ire to alarm to a discipline nod, the levimobile rising a full three feet above the grass and zipping towards Picksonville.


    Marsha gazed worriedly at Eric. ¡°Why did you snap at Jack? He¡¯s on our side. And how did you keep you¡¯re cool when those¡­¡± Her words cut off when Alice gently patted her hand.


    ¡°Later, dear.¡±


    Morlekai gave Eric a pointed look. ¡°How bad?¡±


    Eric flashed a hard smile. ¡°There are more than three. A trio are still back at their reinforced bunker, and someone was yelling in their comms that a surge on their sensors let them crack the code about the nature of the high-tech artifact that they still can¡¯t break into. Conveniently, some anonymous asshole just sent them a request to collect Mistridge samples.¡±


    Morlekai frowned. ¡°Mistridge samples?¡±


    ¡°He means us,¡± Yuki whispered, eyes widening with horror as she got it. ¡°We¡¯re priceless.¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°I think maybe there were a few unexpected drawbacks to Mistridge. They did sign a nonaggression treaty, but if Legendary-tier artifacts and anyone associated with them are as valuable on the intergalactic stage as I¡¯m betting they are¡­ let¡¯s not press our luck.¡±


    Marsha¡¯s eyes widened with dismay as an anxious Jack shifted to maximum speed.


    Eric frowned at the wobble before Morlekai¡¯s hand joined Billy¡¯s own on the central shaft. ¡°Careful, kid. Take a deep breath. Just relax and focus on the speed. I¡¯ll guide the shaft.¡±


    ¡°Why, Eric?¡± Marsha flinched as she stole a glance back, the wind that had been whipping through the levi muted to nothing with the force dome now on full strength. Which Eric knew damn well would do absolutely nothing against at T-III minigun.


    ¡°Why would they care about our Mistridge origins? I mean¡­ we offered to let them join! All they have to do is ask!¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°All I know is that both the captain and Joc were offended at the thought of sacrificing any of their power, fearing it was some sort of trap. Yet considering how eager so many elites are¡­ clearly their intel guy¡¯s finally getting the scoop. Now, whether that means they¡¯ll be begging or demanding admittance¡ªor whether it means something far darker¡ªbest thing we can do right now is not be in their faces. We¡¯ll give them time to cool off and make the right choices.¡±


    Morlekai was giving Eric a hard look. ¡°You knew exactly what that sealed tech they couldn¡¯t break into represents.¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°Damn right I do.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I made it.¡±


    Everyone was not staring Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°Focus on the fucking road!¡± Eric snapped.


    ¡°Boyscout, what did you do?¡± Alice was giving him a look that he recognized all too well. Admiration and good-natured jealously transmuting to a hungry lust she kept in check with quips and a teasing smile. ¡°Inquiring minds want to know.¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the Tier-II Ascension Facility that absolutely no one below Silver could hope to break into? Maybe not even then? Let¡¯s just say this isn¡¯t the first time I claimed and surrendered Ashland.¡±


    Yuki scowled. ¡°Come again?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°You do recall me telling you that this isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve worked together? You can think of it as an overlapping timeline, if you like. And this beautiful territory is a remnant of that life none of you remember. Well, except you and your sister, Morlekai. Probably because of the half trillion in gold bullion. That creates an anchor point all it¡¯s own.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Half a tril¡­ what?!?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°It¡¯s almost all off-world now, and I¡¯m not counting on ever seeing any of it again, so no use worrying about it, one way or another. But I managed to scrape enough gold through one near disaster after another such that I was able to buy off these Bronze bad boys and lock in another territory for the college. And that equals title and elite tutors for you guys. So look at the bright side! As hair-raising as this encounter was, we¡¯re technically already winning.¡±


    He was surprised by the strength in Marsha¡¯s grip now squeezing his hand, careful not to squeeze at all in turn.


    ¡°Marsha?¡± But then he caught the light reflected in he gaze. Instantly understanding.


    ¡°Eric¡­ I think they¡¯re following us!¡±

 Chapter 438 - Lost Cultivation Academies

    ¡°Thank fuck, they¡¯re backing off!¡± Jack said with a relieved curse after just a handful of minutes, the Blood Ravens playing it cool enough, slowing down and flying back around with a final wave of a salute before heading back.


    Marsha flashed a weak smile. ¡°Maybe they were just giving us a, um, honor guard? It makes sense, right? We did just sign a major treaty with them and give them a hundred million in gold?¡±


    Yuki shook her head with disbelief. ¡°You actually gave them a hundred million of your personal fortune, Eric. You might be arrogant as fuck, but now I know why Elonia thinks so highly of you. You really would do anything for your family.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Eric said with a wink. ¡°I am an arrogant fuck, and I would do anything for my twin.¡± He then turned to give Marsha reassuring smile. ¡°You could be right. Maybe it was their version of an honor guard,¡± he allowed. It would be so easy to believe¡­ it¡¯s what they all wanted to believe.


    It¡¯s what anyone without Universal Translator and his particular social and perception gifts would naturally believe.


    But he had seen happy freckle-faced girl¡¯s teasing smile more fitting of an anime free-spirit¡¯s instant camaraderie than a veteran of hundreds of battles and who knew how many missions involving intrigue, infiltration, and darker shit still. Not that he had any room to talk when it came to tearing off the mask and pulling dark shit¡­


    But he had seen the cold, calculating look in Leely¡¯s eyes, right before she lowered her visor, knowing damn well in that moment exactly What The Other Party Wanted, and it wasn¡¯t to give him a night he¡¯d never forget.


    But who the fuck was he to judge someone a moment¡¯s ire when they realized Eric had played the absolute fuck out of them? Centuries old veterans who were both smart as hell and determined as anything to get ahead. Men and women who had had the fierce gumption to break through what he sensed for most was an absolutely insurmountable hurtle between the upper reaches of White-tier to Bronze.


    The difference between an eternal 7-point per level classer and a 49 attribute point per level Bronze ascender with access to monstrous powers far beyond the typical White-tier anything.


    Even if not quite beyond what the deadliest of Contenders could pull out their asses, as Eric could personally attest.


    But it was clear as day that the Blood Ravens were veteran classers and survivors who would do whatever it took to advance, excel, and achieve their hard-fought goals. Whatever they might be.


    Yet just as Eric and his crew were leaving, the echo of a territory¡¯s ascension had coursed through him. A chalice of potency he had already sipped, once and never again, as he granted his sister his most priceless territory treasure beyond New Arcadia itself¡­ was still enough to rip free the protective mantel cloaking his Tier 2 Ascension Facility. A priceless prize this mercenary company could have held out for billions¡­ or never surrendered at all, forcing countless millions of desperate souls to swear lifelong fealty, or maybe a cut of everything they ever earned, to their guild.


    Eric could only imagine the thoughts that had flickered through the mercs¡¯ minds for at least a few seconds¡­ before they gave their farewell pursuit and headed back the way they had come.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it was just a friendly sendoff. What do you think, Morlekai?¡±


    They exchanged mirthless smiles, neither believing it for a second.


    ¡°I think, Boyscout, that we¡¯d all better watch our backs and plan a new route home.¡±


    Alice, gave a solemn nod, though the haunted look in her eyes reminded Eric just how high a stakes game they were playing.


    He winced, feeling a sudden spike of shame.


    He was gambling so much on a handful of flimsy sheets of paper.


    A single miscalculation was all it would take to send a handful of relatively low or even zero level classers, and all their hopes and dreams, straight to oblivion.


    Because he was being a greedy, cocky fuck. And if he were really honest with himself, he shouldn¡¯t be allowing this diplomatic envoy in the heart of peril, no matter how seemingly tame on the surface, to happen at all.


    He swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing the words out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m risking all your lives pushing for deals that could get you killed, and it¡¯s just not worth it.¡±


    Jack snorted. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about, Eric? You pulled off the biggest win we could hope for, backing up our play with your own money!¡± He shook his head with a bemused smile on his features as he slowed the levi to a saner speed. ¡°Man, I was an asshole giving you shit about heading to the bank, wasn¡¯t I? Sorry about that.¡± Intent green eyes looked through the rearview into Eric¡¯s own.


    ¡°Seriously, man. You did us a major solid, and I¡¯m not going to forget it.¡± He smirked. ¡°You said we were close buds in whatever timeline you popped out of? Hell, maybe I believe you now. Sure as fuck, wierder shit has happened since the world went crazy, so you better believe that when we get to the academy, you can crib my notes any time you like!¡± He said with a chuckle. ¡°Not that I¡¯m any kind of student, but yeah, I definitely got your back, the upcoming semester, you better believe it.¡±


    Eric swallowed, not expecting the flush he felt creeping up his cheek, or the teasing look Alice was giving him.


    ¡°Careful, Jackie boy, too much praise will get to Boyscout¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°And maybe he earned it,¡± Yuki admitted, looking back at Eric with an oddly assessing gaze. ¡°Seriously, what you did was absolute badass, looking that captain radiating so much fucking killing intent right in the eyes, your lips curved with an I-don¡¯t-give-a-fuck smirk, just like you did in that movie! Just like the fucking protag about to wipe the smirk off whatever baddie the director¡¯s about to have him fight.¡± Her smirk hardened. ¡°Which was kinda beyond stupid, because this wasn¡¯t a movie scene. That was a monster that could have killed you in 0.5 seconds flat. Which is scary as fuck, because we all know who would have been next.¡±


    Eric¡¯s awkward smile turned to an apologetic wince. ¡°I know. If my stupidity had gotten me killed¡­ that would have been the end of everything for our crew. I¡¯m sorry about that, Yuki. Seriously.¡±


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Are you fucking kidding? The excited chatter my favorite employer slash friend slash party leader in the world is giving me is off the charts! Me and Jack and Marsha too are now officially New Arcadian nobles, this counting as our one major sacrifice and donation for the sweetest country in the world that we kinda needed to do on our own for Elonia to reward us, and boy, we¡¯re talking rewards in spades! Can you say personal city manors?¡± She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll bet she¡¯ll even give you a castle, Jack, if you ask nicely.¡±


    Jack happily tapped the gearshifts he was now controlling effortlessly. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll pass! I used to be a medieval history buff. I know how much work those things were to maintain, and even if Elonia gives me a full staff, I¡¯d far rather the low maintenance lifestyle of living in the capital where the action and the fun is, than overseeing a few thousand farmers and tradesmen and falling in love with one of the local girls and having a blissfully quiet life that drives me crazy in about two weeks¡¯ time.¡±


    Marsha bit her lip, while Morlekai and Alice exchanged amused smiles.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a castle,¡± she quietly said before flushing prettily as the wind from their once more open-air levi blew Marsha¡¯s hair in the increasingly peach-scented breeze. ¡°I¡¯d kind of like to be a princess¡­ or a lady-in-waiting? Someone elegant noblewoman that everyone can look up to.¡±


    Morlekai chuckled. ¡°It seems joining your diplomatic envoy was definitely the right play to make.¡±


    ¡°Our Boyscout has all sorts of juicy connections. I think it¡¯s time we made our splash into high renaissance society, Brother,¡± Alice concurred.


    Yuki tapped Eric¡¯s knee. ¡°So¡­ yeah. You did good, Eric. Damn good. And we owe you, and we¡¯re not going to forget.¡± She furrowed her brow. ¡°But maybe don¡¯t act quite so cocky and sangfroid next time? Because all it takes is one low-IQ orc who can¡¯t see the big picture to call your bluff, pull the trigger of his flintlock, and that¡¯s it. Game over. No takebacks.¡±


    ¡°Because those things fire musket balls that are basically ten gauge slugs,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°Exactly. Have you seen those Self-tube videos of people actually firing muskets at realistic ballistic dummies? A head shot really can tear your skull clean off, leaving nothing but a spurting jaw behind, just like in a fucking zombie movie! Unlike modern high speed low mass bullets where casualties meant injuries forcing you out of the action more than instant death¡­ back then, any hit meant getting your head or limb blown off, or your entrails obliterated, assuring an incredibly agonizing death. Any shot that hit at close range was probably lethal, even if they didn¡¯t have nearly the range, accuracy, or firing speed of modern infantry. I mean¡­ obviously.¡±


    Eric whistled at Yuki¡¯s oddly animated description. ¡°No, shit. I¡¯d have to be some kind of cocky bastard to goad orcs to the point that they¡¯re actually firing those things right at me, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    Yuki nodded animatedly before her features tightened. ¡°Why do I think you¡¯re silently laughing at me?¡±


    Eric gave an innocent shrug.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, idiot. We reset. Even the stupidest classless musket-wielding orc could easily kill any of us.¡± She stole a glance Morlekai¡¯s way. ¡°Anyone who wasn¡¯t a prince or princess of darkness, I mean.¡±


    Alice and Morlekai smirked at that.


    ¡°Princess of Darkness. Has a nice ring, doesn¡¯t it, brother?¡±


    Morlekai nodded.


    Marsha squeezed Eric¡¯s hand. ¡°Jack and Yuki are right,¡± she said, soft brown eyes gazing into his own. ¡°You were kind of awesome back there.¡± She gave him a warm smile. ¡°Even if classes aren¡¯t your thing, you really do shine where it counts, Eric Silver.¡±


    Eric winked. ¡°Remember all those stories I used to bullshit you with regarding background deals and cutthroat negotiations?¡±


    Marsha swallowed. ¡°Yes?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°It was pretty much exactly that. Keep your cool, don¡¯t show an ounce of fear or let yourself be intimidated while playing down their own offers and threats and playing up your own.¡±


    She blinked at this. ¡°That¡¯s all there is to it?¡±


    He tilted his head thoughtfully. ¡°Well, it¡¯s important to appreciate what exactly the other party wants, what they¡¯re desperate for, even if they don¡¯t say it, and make sure you can meet their needs. Your negotiating position is a fuck ton stronger if you know they¡¯re dead broke with a mountain of debt knocking at their door, their entire economic empire about to crumble, then if they¡¯re up thirty million that they keep in cash and highly liquid investments. In those cases it helps if you know the whereabouts of, say, a portfolio of sugar baby pics they really don¡¯t want their wives and the media getting a hold of, and you have the power to make it disappear for good.¡±


    He cracked a ruthless smile. ¡°But most of all, if you got a few good bodyguards at your back to make sure impulses are kept in control and you can pull out briefcases full of unmarked bills and digital accounts full of zeroes¡­ you can make almost anything happen.¡±


    Marsha blinked. ¡°So you would, what, intimidate, bribe, and extort whoever got in your mom¡¯s way when she was carving out her real estate empire?¡±


    ¡°It would be more accurate to say I was her wingman. But you get the point.¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, So all those tabloid stories were true?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡±


    Yuki frowned. ¡°They didn¡¯t paint a very pretty picture of your mom, Eric.¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°I know, right? Until suddenly changes of ownership happened and they did.¡±


    Yuki whistled, before giving Eric an odd smile. ¡°I think your mom and my uncle had a lot in common.¡±


    ¡°I know they did.¡±


    Her eyes widened at that, a certain something flickering behind her gaze. In that moment it was just them. He didn¡¯t hesitate to accept the party invite she gave him.


    ¡°Did we know each other¡­ back then?¡±


    Eric gave a slow nod, knowing exactly what she meant.


    Her cheeks flushed. ¡°Shit.¡±


    He winked. ¡°But seriously, who gives a fuck? Past is past, and we¡¯re here in the present, netting ourselves an awesome future.¡±


    Her caramel complexion darkened. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s that simple, Eric. I¡¯m¡­ not exactly proud of my past shit.¡±


    ¡°Seriously. It doesn¡¯t matter. We were both puppets. We cut our strings, and now we¡¯re free. The end.¡±


    She blinked at that. ¡°I guess that¡¯s one way of looking at it,¡± she said aloud, before turning to gaze with wide-eyed wonder at the sight suddenly before them as they crossed from Ashland to Picksonville.


    ¡°This is incredible!¡± Jack whooped.


    It was sentiment Eric knew they all agreed with, as the air now filled with the exquisite scents of peach blossoms now perfuming the air. The warm summer light gave everything a golden tint with glorious Fire aligned Spiritual Energy even greater than Ashland had.


    All of them in the levi were rendered breathless by the majestic sight of an entire grand forest of giant peach trees rustling in the breeze.


    And every last tree was covered in fragrant peach blossoms of fiery sunset hues.


    It was a sight that brought tears to Eric¡¯s eyes.


    It was finally happening.


    The first step of what would be a crop of spirit peaches that could rekindle the fires of youth, cleanse meridians, and boost the cultivation of hundreds of thousands if not millions of people.


    One day.


    Then Eric saw it, the building that would change their entire strategy.


    ¡°Jeezus TH¡­ are you guys seeing this?¡±


    Jack¡¯s awed words underscored Eric¡¯s own thoughts as they caught sight of what was suddenly rising beyond the clearing, beholding a massive multistory pagoda that soared so high that Eric had to crane his neck, the grand sky-blue eaves providing shade to the whole clearing.


    ¡°The fuck! Look at all those people!¡± Yuki hissed as they passed the last of the gently rustling trees into the heart of a grand courtyard.


    The air rang with the shouts of hundreds of martial artists in training all assembled in rows with weapons in hand, going through disciplined katas before the cool sky-blue eyes of a senior cultivator wearing hanfu robes the color of a windy day, snow white beard and eyebrows blowing in the breeze.


    Eric blinked to see a character straight out of his favorite manga¡­ yet he was no fool. He sensed a potency and a presence strikingly similar to the elders of the Feng Ren sect that he had encountered in the rift that had catalyzed so much growth in him. A rift where he had bested a dragon, defeated an abomination, and plucked a colony ship free of the mists of improbability. A realm where he had bargained for the rights to cultivation techniques with which he had hoped he might one day found a school.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Perhaps one very much like the one an awed Jack was now pulling to a stop before all of them captivated by the sight of hundreds of orcs amongst the assembled, so many whirling wickedly sharp guandao like they actually knew what they were doing.


    Then Eric caught sight of who else was wearing the robes of a student, eyes bulging as all their plans turned to sand, Elonia¡¯s proposed treaties unlikely now to hold any weight at all.


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s not just orcs! There are elves and humans and so many girls¡­ girls with horns! And very large¡­ yeah,¡± Jack noted with a quick glance a scowling Yuki¡¯s way.


    ¡°What kind of manga fantasy bullshit is this?¡± Yuki snapped at the sight of a full two hundred beautiful young women with carefully strapped robes who moved with such a fluid grace with their ko-naginatas that it seemed as much dance as martial art.


    Eric, cheeks flushing as much by how exquisitely graceful his Milk Maids looked as for any other reason said nothing at all.


    ¡°Shit, Boyscout. Are those elves I see training? Alongside the orcs!?!¡±


    Eric, at a loss for the anomaly of elves training with the exact same weapons as his Milk Maids across from the orcs without a single hostile glare passing between the groups, just shook his head.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± a dismayed Morlekai hissed, fists clenched tight, hating the orcs almost as much as Eric. ¡°Those two races are mortal enemies!¡±


    Morlekai¡¯s words echoed oddly in the sudden silence as the elder on the silvered steps leading to the grand pagoda abruptly clapped his hands.


    Instantly, every single disciple of all races halted their training, hundreds of weapon butts slamming to the ground in a resounding crack, everyone now standing at attention before bowing as one before their cool-eyed master who was descending the steps with his hands behind his back at that very moment.


    Then he was leaving the steps entirely, stepping on the air itself, it seemed.


    Unified Perception Check: Successful!


    Then Eric blinked, realizing the man was walking not so much on air as the element of Wind. Which was one and the same¡­ yet somehow, not entirely.


    The man¡¯s eyes seemed to go over every student he passed as he steadily made his way toward Eric¡¯s levi¡­ An awed Jack having long since stopped his car, all of them leaving it to stand respectfully beside their vehicle.


    ¡°Are we really doing this?¡± Yuki whispered as the white-haired elder approached.


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Jack hissed.


    ¡°About to get confronted before some manga character in the middle of a freekin¡¯ cultivation academy?¡±


    ¡°Quiet,¡± Eric hissed, positioning himself in front of his friends, before giving the approaching elder a respectful 45 degree bow, eyes not leaving the man for a second.


    ¡°Eric, you¡¯re not actually the fucking lead!¡± Yuki hissed. ¡°Step back for once. This is my operation!¡±


    Eric slowly shook his head, knowing he¡¯d pay for it later by Yuki¡¯s glare.


    Yet he could all too easily sense the power of the seemingly diminutive elder approaching at a deceptively fast pace, no matter how slow his steps.


    And Alice¡¯s angry utterances made it clear that he wasn¡¯t the only one.


    ¡°What the fuck is this pressure, Morlekai?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s curse turned to a gasp. ¡°Oh fuck, not again.¡±


    Eric caught the cool, measuring eyes of the elder approaching, then shook his head.


    ¡°Please control your aura. Half-step mortals are among us.¡±


    This earned a snort from the elder approaching.


    A snort that became a gust of Wind that roared violently, sending Yuki, Marsha, and Jack slamming into Alice and Morlekai who wall stumbled to the soft grass on their butts.


    Eric¡¯s hand tightened on the hilt of a blade suddenly in existence on his hip. ¡°You risk breaking bones with your posturing, elder. I will say this one final time. Mortals are present. Have a care.¡±


    The elder scowled, as did over half a thousand disciples now most definitely glaring Eric¡¯s way.


    ¡°And yet your aura, boy, is no greater than those children who have suffered no worse than a blow to their overweening pride. Yet, somehow, the Wind doesn¡¯t affect you at all.¡± The elder¡¯s scowl turned to an odd smile. ¡°You have adopted classic Wind Cultivation into your martial stance. I see it in your every movement. And your blade¡­ ah. What a fascinating artifact.¡±


    Eric huffed as the elder advanced no further, shifting his stance and lifting his hand from the hilt of a blade he most definitely had not been intending on instinctively summoning around hims hip. And the weight of it¡­ shit. Not good for his cover, if certain people had half a clue.


    Yet the bemused elder¡¯s affable persona immediately shifted to the imposing presence of a half-step Bronze.


    ¡°You have the pleasure of addressing Elder Weifeng of North Wind Academy. Now tell me, outsiders, why are you here? Do you seek to enroll in our academy? To test yourself against our disciples? To learn our secrets? To prove yourselves worthy?¡±


    Eric took a steadying breath, thoughts racing as he took in the entirety of the multiracial forces that had clearly embraced the living tale that this cultivation academy had become.


    Which could only mean one thing.


    Eric gazed intently at the elder. ¡°This isn¡¯t your academy. Is it.¡±


    Weifeng gave him a pointed look, before he flashed a calculating smile. ¡°It is under my stewardship.¡±


    ¡°But it was formed by another. Formed by one who can compel fate to his will. One who can shape the story of reality sufficient to unify four races; orc, human, elf, and faerie maiden, to train as one under his¡­ or her banner.¡±


    Weifeng snorted with laughter. ¡°You think the gods walk among us, then?¡±


    Eric slowly shook his head. ¡°Not a god¡­ a Contender.¡±


    The elder¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Eric!¡± Morlekai hissed, he also sensing the sudden buildup of Qi.


    But Eric didn¡¯t budge before the stony-eyed elder no longer playing at being the eccentric old man.


    ¡°I take it there¡¯s absolutely no reason for us head to Dairyland, Queensland, Silvergrove, or Solaris, is there? They¡¯re all consolidated under your master.¡±


    ¡°Eric, what the fuck, man? I can¡¯t understand a word you¡¯re saying!¡± Jack hissed in growing anxiety. ¡°Can you, Yuki?¡±


    Yuki scowled. ¡°They¡¯re speaking some Chinese dialect. That¡¯s all I know.¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously? This cat picked up Mandarin when he wasn¡¯t rehearsing for movie scenes?¡±


    Eric ignored the byplay, Universal Translator working so smoothly that he hadn¡¯t even noticed the shift, yet thanks to his gift and perhaps his high Scholarship, he had no problem understanding both the words and the mindset that came so naturally to speakers of this language.


    But still¡­ between the threats he sensed overhead and his sister¡¯s alarmed Interface message, he was well aware of how precarious the situation had just become.


    - Eric! Queensland¡¯s fallen! What the hell happened? Wait¡­ when did this happen? What¡¯s going on?


    ¡°I would see your master, Elder Weifeng. We have business to discuss.¡±


    Weifeng¡¯s aura flared, earning a gasp and cry from the others behind Eric. ¡°You seek to challenge my master? Then you will have to best me first, boy.¡±


    Eric¡¯s heart began to pound with exhilaration, no matter how outclassed he might be at that moment, facing a true master who was the farthest thing from a bumbling old fool.


    ¡°Nice blade,¡± he said, lips curling in a fierce grin as he beheld mithril he knew as well as anyone alive on earth. Before forcing himself to step back, easing the killing fury he felt roaring through his blood.


    ¡°But I have no interest in cutting down the only cultivating instructor I¡¯ve seen on this entire planet, one tending to a flock of over half a thousand students of four different races.¡±


    Weifeng¡¯s glare held Eric¡¯s gaze for long moments.


    ¡°I would think you the most foolish of boys, daring to hold mithril no budding novice as you appear to be could properly lift, let alone use¡­ a tool you deserve to be stripped of before being humbled as the lowest of outer disciples who must learn and earn his place¡­ yet not once have you flinched, before pressure or Wind.¡±


    Elder Weifeng huffed, crossing his arms. ¡°So I will ask you one more time. Why are you here?¡±


    Eric reached his hand back, Yuki fortunately savvy enough to slip him the document he needed to see.


    ¡°We¡¯re actually a diplomatic envoy. We¡¯re here to offer your master terms of¡­¡± His eyes widened as he quickly scanned the Dominion Interface message his sister had sent him. ¡°We¡¯re here to offer them the opportunity to join the Sylvan Alliance as an honored Champion and Lord with autonomy over all regions you have so far claimed, save for Queensland, with tithe and responsibilities to be hashed out when your¡­¡± He sighed, closing his eyes. ¡°When your master meets with Queen Elonia Silver in New Arcadia.¡±


    That was when he felt it, amongst the curses and cries of dismay from his friends, no less than a third of the disciplined rows of aspirants also stumbling to one knee, bracing themselves on their polearms as Eric felt a sudden surge of spiritual energy flooding in from the peach grove that soon became a massive wind of Spiritual Energy whirling into the massive pagoda.


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened as Weifeng¡¯s lips curved in a satisfied smile.


    ¡°It is done.¡±


    ¡°Eric! What the fuck just happened?¡± Alice cursed when all three of his original companions had slumped over in a faint.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± Morlekai quietly noted, Eric dipping his head in agreement. If anything, the whirlwind of Spiritual Energy continued to grow as the entire pagoda radiated a silvery-blue glow.


    Eric lowered himself in a warrior¡¯s crouch, pretty sure he knew what had happened.


    ¡°Eric?¡±


    ¡°I think we just had our first Bronze-tier evolution.¡±


    Morlekai¡¯s crimson eyes widened. ¡°Shit!¡±


    Eric paid no further mind, all his focus now on the figure dressed in hanfu robes robes of sky-blue silk making his way out of the pagoda entrance, all his students flowing into an effortless, perfectly choreographed kowtow as he did so.


    ¡°Honor our master!¡± Weifeng roared, eyes lit with the embers of fanatic devotion. ¡°For he has Ascended!¡±


    Eric felt a twist in his gut as flawless features radiating perfect health and poise gazed fondly at his people. Before abruptly turning to meet his own, locking stares with Eric across the courtyard.


    Eric felt a twist in his gut.


    There was no mistaking the potency of the Spiritual Energy now radiating from the young man, his high cheekbones, wide almond brown eyes and silky dark hair speaking of his mixed heritage, just as the mithril blade at his hip spoke of commonalities as well.


    And then, so fast that Alice and Morlekai could barely register, the youth who couldn¡¯t have been older than 16 effortlessly raced through the air to land before his suddenly kowtowing second.


    ¡°Master, I can sense the strength of your ascension. You have achieved Pristine Cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Only thanks to your wisdom and guidance,¡± the youth said. ¡°Now please introduce me to our guests.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course, master!¡± He turned to glare at Eric and the others. ¡°You have the pleasure of addressing Earth¡¯s future emperor, Lord Richard Li, the first cultivator to ascend in all of Terra!¡±


    Eric¡¯s dazed companion were gazing at the beaming youth with looks of disbelief.


    ¡°Eric! What the fuck are they even saying?¡±


    The strikingly handsome youth had the grace to look embarrassed. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve been so used to speaking the Hidden Kingdom dialect that I forgot not everyone automatically understands it. My SiFu was congratulating my ascension, and was about to invite you all to celebrate the occasion.¡±


    Alice blinked at this. ¡°Wait! You can speak English?¡±


    This earned a soft chuckle. ¡°Of course. I grew up in Manhattan.¡±


    ¡°No shit! So I¡¯m guessing you must be a Contender like Boyscout, here?¡±


    Richard raised a polite brow. ¡°Boy scout?¡±


    Morlekai dipped his head Eric¡¯s way, and he was now most definitely scowling. Because Eric realized he recognized the youth with the friendly demeanor and deadly sharp eyes all too well.


    He found himself rubbing his wrist in memory of ghostly pain long forgotten, ears ringing with the remembered crack of a non-regulation heater against the back of his wrist in one of the few youth HEMA tournaments he had lost. It was a perfect shot, causing a hairline fracture and forcing Eric out of the competition, no matter that he had been ahead in points for most of the tournament. Yet all it took was a few matches for Eric¡¯s almost perfect victory to be snatched from his grasp. Unable to participate in the final rounds, Richard Li managed to sweep longsword, saber, and sword and buckler... and Eric hadn¡¯t even placed.


    The silken-robed youth gazed at Eric thoughtfully before his features lightened in a disgustingly cheerful smile.


    ¡°Wait¡­ your Eric Silver. Elonia Silver¡¯s brother, right? And you¡¯re a fellow Contender? I guess it is a small world!¡±


    Eric rubbed his brow, doing his best to suppress his irritation, knowing this was neither the time nor the place. ¡°Correct. Congratulations on your ascension.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes twinkled. His laughter was the warmth of a summer day. ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t tell you how wondrous it is to wake up to a storybook isekai adventure, only to find that far from the bitter grim horror I knew to expect, it was actually as storybook wondrous as I hadn¡¯t even dared to hope! All my favorite author¡¯s assumptions about the best ways to cultivate with a pristine foundation were nothing less than the truth! And when I stumbled upon this peach grove and unlocked a quest to bring back a lost academy and unite four broken tribes¡­ I knew that I was walking in the steps of destiny!¡±


    His eyes were bright with wonder and fiercest satisfaction as he clasped a trembling Weifeng¡¯s hand. ¡°It is only thanks to my mentor that I was able to ascend so far, so quickly, with a pristine foundation!¡±


    ¡°No, master!¡± Weifeng sobbed, now speaking in perfect English as he kowtowed before the younger man. ¡°It is because of your own efforts that you ascended, beloved leader. It was only through your perseverance, dedication, and skill that our school was saved and peace brought to these lands!¡±


    Richard gazed fondly at the academy before him, eyes actually tearing up as he took a deep inhalation of blossom-scented air. ¡°Truly, I feel as if I woke up to a fairy tale of a dream.¡±


    His gentle smile turned to solemn resolve. ¡°And I will feel no shame for my blessing, for all that I sense the chaos and turmoil that still dominate so many lives. So it is now my mission to spread the secrets of cultivation, ascension, and serenity to all who are worthy, all who would dare to embrace the teachings of North Wind Academy and help gift enlightenment to the entire world.¡±


    Eric furrowed his brow, yet his Know The Score and What the Other Party Wants perks made it all too painfully clear what was happening.


    ¡°Eric, what kinda shit is this kid sprouting? What¡¯s his angle?¡± Alice querried in their interface.


    ¡°Nothing. He has no angle. This fucking innocent idealist who managed to achieve fucking Bronze clearing already tame White-tier areas means every idiotic word coming out of his mouth.¡±


    Eric cleared his throat. ¡°My sister, Queen Elonia Silver, is both impressed with your accomplishments and very interested in welcoming you into the fold of her kingdom.¡±


    He sighed internally when Richard¡¯s smile faded.


    ¡°To be fair, Eric, I now hold six territories, and my interface just made it clear that your sister only holds one. I have nothing but respect for my fellow brother and sisters survivors, but I won¡¯t be treated lightly.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°Fair point. And it sounds like your storybook conquest, or hero¡¯s tale, went as smoothly as a dream, which is incredible and awesome. So let me ask you this¡­ what¡¯s your next step?¡±


    Richard frowned momentarily. ¡°Now? Now it¡¯s about doing all I can to fill my Bronze-tier core and ascend the ranks.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°Exactly. You¡¯ve basically had a perfect run and ascended to Bronze after unifying a half dozen territories, and congratulations on making something of those orcs and having elves and Milk Maids by your side as well. And Terran survivors also being welcomed into the fold? Impressive as heck.¡±


    Richard beamed at that. Eric spoke on.


    ¡°Point is, the most exciting part of your tale seems to be over, doesn¡¯t it? You don¡¯t have any immediate quest to grab you by the nose and lead you to rapid advancement¡­ I mean, do you?¡±


    Richard sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Only one that I have no hope of completing.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now, you can either sit in relative quiet and cultivate quietly for years¡­ but if you want to get ahead faster than that, you¡¯re going to have to forge yourself in the crucible of combat. Not in nice low key White tier regions where the average level is fifteen or twenty¡­ but in Wild Orange tiers¡­ which are rapidly ascending to Red Tiers where we¡¯re talking about level 100 critters. And I¡¯m not exactly sure how powerful you are as a newly ascended Bronze, but I can tell you that Red Tier creatures often swarm in packs. And if you¡¯re not ready? Yeah¡­ you definitely want to be ready.¡±


    Richard dipped his head. ¡°Thank you for the concern, friend Eric. I will do my best to be careful.¡± He tilted his head curiously. ¡°Master Weifeng made it clear that the protective blessings of my sanctuary will fade just as soon as I achieve Bronze, and I¡¯m given to understand as well that Contender challenges are not as uncommon as one would hope, yet you haven¡¯t challenged me. Is it because you .wish for me to join your party and adventure with you?¡±


    Eric flashed a genuine smile. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s for something arguably better. How would you like to join Mistridge Academy and unlock the Primal Arts that could allow you to tap into the elemental plane of Wind itself and boost the power of your Wind Arts beyond belief?¡±


    And as simple as that, Eric felt the world shift.


    ¡°What the hell, Eric?¡± Alice hissed, Eric himself stumbling back as Richard suddenly seemed to glow.


    Eric felt a discomfiting mixture of wonder and dismay as the boyish uncertainty Richard had revealed up til now was replaced with absolute certitude and a confident demeanor worthy of a king. Or perhaps, someone who had found his true calling.


    Surprisingly, he paid Eric the respect of a full 45 degree bow.


    ¡°Master!¡± A horrified Weifeng choked out.


    Gentle eyes filled with wisdom twinkled with a smile. ¡°Fret not, dear Weifeng. That which had been hidden is now clear to my eyes. The Wind of eternal change has swept aside the fog of doubt that had been clouding my mind.


    Eyes that were now clear blue locked with Eric¡¯s own. ¡°I accept your offer. I would very much like to join Mistridge Academy.¡±


    Eric blinked past his mental whiplash. ¡°Um¡­ sure. That would be awesome. Alright, as for your territories¡­¡±


    Richard held up his hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Eric. I¡¯m more than happy to discuss the particulars with Elonia.¡± His eyes twinkled with excitement, and Eric didn¡¯t like the too bright smile gracing the youth¡¯s features. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how many times I fantasized about playing the hero in a movie where I saved a princess who looked just like, well, you know.¡±


    Richard had the grace to blush, as if only then catching himself speaking aloud. He shook away the awkwardness. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go see your sister.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Really?¡±


    -- Eric! Great News! Richard Lee has agreed to negotiate terms of unification! This is Wonderful! He¡¯s the first native cultivator to achieve a Bronze Core! He even surrendered Queensland to me free and clear, as a sign of good faith! He will be such a great addition, I can tell already! Thank you, Eric! Thank you so much!¡±

 Chapter 439 - A Contenders Golden Destiny I

    ¡°I just sent a message to Queen Elonia. I hope she likes my gift.¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°You just gave her Queensland. You¡¯re trying to impress her.¡±


    Richard flashed a shameless smile. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you want to impress the most beautiful girl in the entire world?¡±


    ¡°Not if she¡¯s my sister!¡±


    Richard gave him a look. ¡°Well she certainly isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    Eric closed his eyes and groaned, not expecting the pat on his shoulder.


    ¡°Relax, kung fu brother. Things are going to work out beautifully. For all of us! I can just feel it in the air. Can¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric caught sight of dozens of widened eyes, looks of speechless awe, and jealousy from the hundreds of disciples.


    ¡°Look at how Master honors him! Calling him brother!¡±


    ¡°What did he do to earn such privilege?¡±


    ¡°Who does he think he is?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s steeling our master away from us! He¡¯s a conniver. He must be!¡±


    Eric held back a wince at the murmurs that belonged in every xianxia novel ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry. When do we eat?¡±


    ¡°Master said we would soon be ready for the delves! I want to fight!¡±


    He even noted the well-behaved orcs, not a one looking at him like they wanted to torture or eat him. Rather, they all looked a bit famished.


    ¡°Did you actually manage to awaken nodes in classless orcs?¡±


    Richard gave a casual nod. ¡°Yup. It wasn¡¯t that hard. You just have to rekindle the fires of their ancestral potential.¡±


    Eric gave the youth a surprised look. ¡°Seriously? You can activate nodes in people without any nodes whatsoever? Do you have any idea how powerful that is?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re PC-protag vibes are off the fucking charts.¡±


    ¡°Only if they have the potential for nodes!¡± Richard clarified. ¡°And if they swear themselves as a disciple of my academy, of course. Now come on! Just let me rekindle the boundary wards, so no unexpected guests will disturb my disciples, and we can go.


    Eric blinked. ¡°You can protect your own territories with a boundary ward?¡±


    Richard grinned. ¡°You better believe I can!¡± Then he sighed. ¡°But I¡¯ve achieved Bronze, so it no longer protects me personally. It wouldn¡¯t be balanced otherwise, and Terra thinks I have plenty of room to grow.¡±


    Eric opened his mouth, then snapped it shut at the bemused looks that Alice and Morlekai were giving him as they gently placed their exhausted-looking level zero in the back seat.


    ¡°Looks like Boyscout isn¡¯t the only one embracing the absolute absurd,¡± Alice snorted, before flashing Eric a cheeky grin. ¡°Finally getting a taste of your own medicine?¡±


    Morlekai said nothing, but his twinkling eyes and bemused smile made it clear that he too was enjoying seeing Eric get put in his place.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Eric huffed, then spent long moments staring at the levi controls.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Eric?¡± Richard asked, looking the picture of concerned innocence.


    Eric didn¡¯t believe it for a second.


    ¡°Yeah, um¡­ I can¡¯t actually¡­¡± He turned to Alice and Morlekai. ¡°Can you guys drive this thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I actually have a knack for this,¡± Richard said with a smile, giving Eric a consoling clap on his shoulder. ¡°Scoot over. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Richard turned to Weifeng the moment he was seated and Eric found himself riding shotgun. ¡°Have our disciples train as always, Weifeng! The food pills should last for another six months, but if all goes well, we¡¯ll have new disciples and fresh produce and several hundred cows for my most loyal maiden warriors to care for within the week... as well as a feast that our orcish brothers won¡¯t soon forget!¡±


    These words earned cheers from his disciples, most especially the Milk Maids squealing over cattle to tend to, and the orcs, squealing at the thought of filling their bellies, who all snapped to attention as Richard gave a casual wave and headed out, driving the levi far more smoothly than Jack ever had.


    Eric blinked in dismay. ¡°Alright, how the fuck is it that this cat is now the one playing chauffeur, and punching my shoulder while regaling me with his adventures like I¡¯m his little fucking brother? What just happened?¡±


    ¡°Humbling, isn¡¯t it?¡± Morlekai silently commiserated, though his smirk as he gently adjusted their sleeping companions made it clear he wasn¡¯t commiserating at all. He was enjoying it!


    Alice flashed Eric a sangfroid grin. ¡°Clearly his storybook destiny is even more outrageous than yours, Boyscout!¡±


    ¡°¡­ So there I was, faced with two hundred orc musketeers when it suddenly dawned on my how ridiculous this conflict between us all was, how much stronger we could be if we all worked together, so I coaxed a cease-fire between the orcs and the elves enticing enough that even our wonderful Milk Maids left their tree fortress when I told them that I could aid them in opening their meridians and achieving enlightenment!¡±


    Eric forced a smile. ¡°That sounds fascinating.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? We had some hairy scrapes and plenty of misunderstandings, but after exactly one hundred sparring matches where I showed absolute mastery by not permanently maiming or killing a single opponent, they were all eager to become disciples of my school!¡±


    ¡°Wait, let me get this straight,¡± a now awake and frowning Yuki said from the back. ¡°You got six freekin¡¯ territories under your banner and you didn¡¯t have to kill a single orc or faerie or whatever else there was? You got all those levels from meditating and completing quests?¡±


    ¡°Well, I did have to clear a handful of spirit beasts attacking the lost elven faction still in Queensland after having been abandoned by the Sylvan Alliance, but once I took care of them, my elven disciples have become some of my most stalwart supporters!¡±


    Eric rubbed his eyes. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Queensland was never abandoned!¡±


    ¡°It was according to my quest log,¡± Richard assured. ¡°But what was so awesome about it is that I got a Bloodless Conquest title! And a Races United title! Do you have any idea how sweet that is?¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°I¡¯m betting it¡¯s a pretty fucking sweet bonus.¡±


    The boy laughed, a golden shaft of sunlight highlighting his playful features, and Eric found himself laughing right along with him. The whole levimobile was soon cracking jokes and just savoring the halcyon joy of racing across forest and fields filling Eric with such a dreamlike wonder that tears were forming in the corners of his eyes.


    He¡¯d missed this. Joking with friends old and new.


    Savoring just how sweet life could be. Even if he normally didn¡¯t feel like he had just stepped out of the grandest sports academy in Tokyo and was about to enjoy an awesome afternoon shopping with friends before coming home to his distracted but well-meaning parents, already planning tomorrow¡¯s adventures in his mind.


    Sure, he knew it was slice-of-life fantasy bullshit.


    But who said it had to be that far from the truth? Their levimobile was as sleek as any sleek, anime drifter. Freetown had tech wonders to rival Tokyo, and New Arcadia was both the perfect isekai and European city, all rolled into one. Best of all, they really were attending an academy, or at least would be, very soon. The ultimate magic, and for all Eric knew, as soon as Richard Li here joined, the academy would be graced by Sagacious elders teaching any and all cultivators how to infuse planes of reality into enhancing their Qi attacks with Primal Spiritual Energy which would make Eric such an awesome ascending phoenix. Besides, boosting Qi attacks was so freekin¡¯ anime awesome that he didn¡¯t mind his new friend, and Eric¡¯s Social perception made it pretty clear that Richard Li really DID see himself as their friend, the only reason why all their defenses were down. And Richard was now gently wrapping them up in the gentle cloak of slice-of-life anime awesome that they all secretly craved to be a part of.


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


    Eric sighed, chuckling softly, pretty sure that their young newly ascended cultivating school captain athlete was making full use of 30+ Charisma and PC Protag vibes that might just rival Eric¡¯s own to shape the world, and his newest companions, into a version of reality as sweet and filled with hope as any could be. And he probably didn¡¯t have a clue as to what he was doing.


    And that was okay, Eric decided.


    The whole point of joining the academy was to take a break from the slaughterfest. A temporary armistice between him and all the major bloodthirsty powers, and savor some slice-of-life moments.


    He was fucking tired of playing grim dark anyway.


    But as much as Eric admired his new friend, talking so animatedly to Jack and Morlekai, already earning a warmth in Yuki¡¯s captivated stare that Eric knew he was falling so fucking flat trying to hit that it was time to let past what-ifs go¡­


    Eric still had concerns.


    The boy was almost protected by his innocent idealism. By being forged in a story so gentle, a training area that would have done both Chibli and FF proud, meant that Richard wasn¡¯t quite prepared for the genre most of the world knew to expect.


    At last not yet.


    But he would be. And it was Eric¡¯s totally voluntary job as his good-natured, low key but streetwise friend, to keep golden boy safe.


    ¡°Hey Rich, I need you to do me a favor,¡± Eric said with that jaded smile that he knew would gain a surprised look and a natural nod from the future school golden boy. And how odd and oddly natural it was for Richard Li to gaze at Eric as if he were exactly that type of former gang-centric classmate gone good that had always been Eric¡¯s favorite flavor of sidekick in all the best manga.


    ¡°Yeah, Eric, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°You see that glittering tetrahedron of obsidian glass and chrome just across the fields to our right? I need you to head to it like we¡¯re not eagerly making a break out of Ashland for Freetown as fast as we damn well can.¡±


    Rich snorted at that but nodded. ¡°Sure, buddy.¡± His eyes widened as the pyramid-like structure with the perfectly flat paneled sides came into view. ¡°Oh hey, I sense something about it. It¡¯s radiates with magic¡­ but not just that, it echoes with fate as well!¡±


    Eric dipped his head.


    Alice¡¯s eyes had also widened. ¡°Boyscout! Is that I think it is?¡±


    Eric smirked. ¡°If you think it¡¯s a T-II Ascension Center with a dozen pods that will access any and all classes available, at least up to Master-Tier, which is actually a pretty sweet freekin¡¯ tier, then yes. It is.¡±


    Morlekai¡¯s eyes widened, as if even he, free of any Contender¡¯s blessing though extremely potent in his own way, could feel its potential. Eric could sense Yuki, Marsha, and Jack gazing at the pyramid structure whose true size and scope only became obvious as they grew ever closer, with awe the equal of Morlekai¡¯s own.


    ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve been here before?¡±


    Eric grinned at his debonair friend. ¡°Because I think you just might have¡­ but not quite in this timeline.¡±


    This earned a furrowed brow. ¡°Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you remember meeting your favorite Boyscout, and our adventures up to Freetown, because that involved the singularity of a half-trillion in gold. Heck, I¡¯m increasingly certain that gold is a magical power, or stabilizer, all its own, and maybe that¡¯s why it has so much value in this time and place, where every pound¡¯s worth about close to 300 thousand credits and not the 28 thousand or so US dollars that it was before life as we knew it went to shit.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± the older man said. ¡°But if we¡¯re about to head to this Mistridge Academy to unlock the keys to Legendary-Tier classes, why exactly are we heading to this ascension facility?¡±


    Eric inhaled to answer, before turning to his equally curious looking driving companion.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t get it,¡± Eric said with a knowing smile, as if including Richard in the joke.


    The youth¡¯s eyes widened, Perception then catching what the others had so far missed. ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡± Yet he still had the grace to give his new friends a concerned look. ¡°Will it keep them safe?¡±


    ¡°It should. You want to break it down for our friends, or should I?¡±


    Alice glared from the backseat, matched by Yuki.


    ¡°What the fuck are you assholes talking about?¡± The girls said in odd tandem.


    ¡°Look up and to your right. But be discreet!¡± Rich said.


    Yuki frowned and did just that. ¡°There¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    But Alice was cursing under her breath. ¡°Fuck. Fuck! We got trouble, Morlekai!¡±


    Morlekai¡¯s features tightened, and Eric didn¡¯t miss the pair of crimson friends fluttering for the nearby swaying copse of trees.


    ¡°What¡¯s our play?¡± Morlekai asked, not wasting time with hows or whys or rank.


    Eric gave the now intently frowning Rich a comradely nod. ¡°The temple is safe. Only those friendly to my clan can enter. So I think we both know the best play for our friends.¡±


    Richard furrowed his brow before nodding. ¡°Agreed. And our aerial buddies are rapidly closing.¡±


    Eric dipped his head. ¡°As long as we¡¯re making our way to the temple whose secrets they¡¯re desperate to unlock, I think we¡¯re safe. We¡¯re going right where they want us to. That¡¯s why I had us shift course. So we¡¯re just silly patsies they can enjoy watching fall right into their hands. If we had deviated, then they might have felt the need to use their toys to force compliance, at the cost of a few fragile lives.¡±


    Richard¡¯s early slice-of-life twinkling eyes and smile had turned to something hard and cold.


    A warrior ready for combat, the entire concert playing the notes of battle in his honor.


    Eric winced.


    The boy still didn¡¯t get it, no matter how awed the look he was now giving Eric.


    ¡°My Perception is over 300. I even got a title! So how were you able to spot them so quickly!¡±


    Eric blinked at this. ¡°Seriously? You got a 300 Perception and you just broke through to Bronze? Do you have any¡­¡± He shook his head. Because it didn¡¯t matter in the least. Not when he had been gifted with a tiny microworld¡¯s blessings. A microworld where he had been, however briefly, the chosen one before his reality molded with their own.


    Yet in this reality¡­ a single mistake from an overconfident young master against an exceedingly deadly foe could only have one outcome.


    Eric tapped his skull and grinned. ¡°Dominion Tactical Interface Map. Anda few fortuitous encounters helping the elves.¡±


    ¡°But wait, you¡¯re sister is the head of the Sylvan Faction! Doesn¡¯t that make you¡­¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it at the time. Point is, they¡¯d be blinking on my interface even with my baseline Perception. And Richard? This is the part you need to understand,¡± he said, as the temple now came into full view before them, their levimobile slowing down as a full half dozen very serious looking steel and chrome plated mech-warriors touched down.


    He grabbed the youth¡¯s shoulder, all of them somehow already linked as a party, a dreamlike occurrence that only the gentle fate flowing with the 30+ Charisma of their driver had put into effect. Retroactively. And Eric didn¡¯t mind a bit.


    Because there was still shit that needed to be said.


    ¡°Boxer Rebellion.¡±


    Richard froze, the cocky fire in his eyes going ice cold as Eric¡¯s words sunk in. As the sight of power-armored mech warriors towering at nearly eight feet rapidly approached, face plates already raised. Gazing at them with sneering confidence.


    Because Eric was pretty sure he had read the former straight A scholar student right. A future doctor or engineer or business tycoon making his Manhattanite parents proud by day, an anime nerd like Eric was by night. And someone who had damn well read his history and enjoyed the grittier stories.


    Stories where the hero didn¡¯t always win by manifest destiny


    Stories where martial artists who trained with all their heart and soul to better themselves, to tap into a strength and brotherhood that could overcome all obstacles¡­


    Were still effortlessly slaughtered by British soldiers.


    Butchered like pigs, their fists, hardened bodies, and multiple layers of padding proving to be absolutely no match for English bullets.


    ¡°Those boys aren¡¯t elite White tiers. They¡¯re Bronze. Levels ten to thirty. And they really enjoy using T-3 Hyperion Blasters which could tear through an Abrams tank and all it¡¯s modern counterparts as easily as you could burn through paper with the lighter you hid in your top dresser drawer.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how the fuck do you know¡ª¡±


    ¡°The point, Richard, is that you were the golden boy of your own pocket realm and it was a wild and wonderful adventure, wasn¡¯t it? But now the divine conjunction of worlds has past, your tiny ream has fused with our own, and believe me, buddy, this is the grim dark gritty anime where fuckups get to die for the vicarious pleasure of a jaded audience and you do NOT want to be a fuckup. You want to be the smart, savvy player who understands the threat, takes defensive measures, and tears his enemies a new asshole WHEN the terrain and timing favors you. NOT when half a dozen elite mercs are pointing T-3 Hyperion Blasters our way!¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widened with something close to horrified dismay. For the first time, he looked less like a young prince coming home and more like a frightened kid in way over his head.


    Thank common sense.


    ¡°What¡¯s our play?¡± Richard asked in party-linked hyperthought matching Eric¡¯s own. So fast that their friends were clearly only catching one word in three. So Eric slowed his thoughts enough for the entire party to register.


    ¡°Our play is clueless idiots who want to rehire our friends to unlock glorious secrets like the treasure-hunting dreamers we are. I¡¯ll lead. You protect us from anything that might be in the facility. Sound good?¡±


    And in the time it took Richard to nod, Captain Arnor and the others had effectively surrounded them, their cat-like grins making it clear they were enjoying Eric and his friends dropping right into their lap.


    Eric could work with that.

 Chapter 440 - Hook, line, and sinker.

    ¡°Captain Arnor of the Blood Ravens. You¡¯re timing is perfect!¡± Eric said with a perfectly straight face. ¡°So, you got the interface message I shot your way? I was afraid it wouldn¡¯t cross different domains. I¡¯m not that strong yet, but you¡¯re elite, so why wouldn¡¯t you get a business message?¡±


    The mech-warrior slowly shook his head. ¡°Sorry, kid. We¡¯re no longer Blood Raven. Our former corp folded. We¡¯re now all members of Crimson Song corp, owned and operated by Lord Song.¡±


    Eric chuckled good-naturedly, as if he didn¡¯t realize what that meant. ¡°Well then it¡¯s twice as fortunate that I met you here! In case you couldn¡¯t tell in our negotiations, I have a good feeling about this place!¡±


    Arnor laughed coldly, a certain fierce glint in his eyes. ¡°Oh, we figured that much kid. You played us good. I guess you could say that¡¯s why we¡¯re here, having this conversation.¡±


    ¡°Well good. We should have it,¡± Eric agreed with perfect candor. ¡°Because this territory does me absolutely no good, even with the keys to opening it, if I don¡¯t have enough Spiritual Energy or Core potency to force open the panels of this Ascension facility, even if I did piece together the ritual. And since you boys are the only Bronze-tier miracle workers I¡¯ve seen outside of Freetown, and I¡¯ve negotiated with you before¡­ how would you boys like a job?¡±


    Arnor turned to share a cold smile with his men. ¡°A job, he says.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Yup! I¡¯m willing to go fifty - fifty. If my understanding of crossed timelines is right, some desperate fool left over three billion in gold, holed up in that ascension temple! It was only when I successfully brought in the only Spiritual Energy wielder in this part of the world on board that I realized we were still massively short on power.¡±


    He flashed a winning smile. ¡°Fortunately, as a Treasure Hunter, I have access to unexpected fortune. Besides having a knack for unlocking hidden treasure and the quests and puzzles that lead to said treasure, I¡¯m also good at jury-rigging unorthodox means of unlocking pretty much any safe, temple entrance, or stubborn heritage library portal I stumble across. So long as I treat prospective partners fair and square. And you boys, with your Bronze ascensions, are the perfect batteries to power down this temple and let us slip inside.¡±


    He sighed, turning to gaze at the territory behind him, nodding his head at the pair of smirking chrome-covered sentinels covering them with actual Tier-III Hyperion Blasters, not the Tier-II Deathblazes he had hoped at least a few of them would be limited to¡­ yet Eric kept his smile innocuous. Friendly. Clueless. Like someone speaking to his business partners and future best friends.


    And the fact that Yuki and Jack and Marsha were too terrifed to do anything but sit there, stiff and silent as boards, was extremely helpful. Alice was favoring the boys with flirtations grins that would have done Marilyn Monroe herself proud, and Morlekai was his most debonair brat-pack self imaginable. Looking just as cool as a Peaky Blinder bad boy could.


    ¡°And let¡¯s be honest, ideal noob level hunting grounds or no, this territory sure as heck isn¡¯t worth a hundred million in gold,¡± Eric declared. ¡°So, here¡¯s my proposal. Whatever gold we find up to three billion, we split between our groups fifty-fifty! Anything more I get to keep, since that¡¯s my Class in action.¡±


    ¡°Fifty-fifty,¡± Arnor said with the bemused smirk of a man who had everything in the palm of his hand, but was content to see the deluded mouse dance for a few seconds longer. ¡°I¡¯ve heard worse deals, kid. But that goes for the entire fortune. Any class perk sweetening the pot? That¡¯s a bonus we¡¯re going to share, you and me. Because your treasure hunting class is the only reason why we¡¯re having this conversation right now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fair,¡± Eric acknowledged. ¡°But the first hundred million comes out of your share. If we¡¯re doing this fifty-fifty, then we should both be paying the upfront costs.¡±


    This earned a cold chuckle. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, kid. I think that hundred million was you buying in for a shot to play with the big guns. And what do you know? You¡¯re now playing with the big guns,¡± he said, patting his massive T-3 Minigun.


    ¡°Guns like you wouldn¡¯t believe,¡± Leely said, holding her T-3 Hyperion sniper rifle with a smirk that was half flirtatious with eyes that could have frozen beer.


    Eric gave a lighthearted chuckle. A young intern happy for his betters to put him in his place. ¡°Alright, fair enough. Worth a shot, right? Okay. Fifty-fifty split. But the first step is we need to get inside.¡± His expression grew solemn. ¡°Will you work with me, Captain? Will you help me get inside?¡±


    Arnor¡¯s smirk eased into a curious smile. He shrugged, clearly willing to play along for a chance at a fortune, though he made no move to shake Eric¡¯s hand. ¡°Sure, kid. Show us what your treasure hunting class can do. If you manage to impress us? Hell. We¡¯re open-minded enough we might just have a place for you in our corp. What do you think of that?¡±


    Joc, also there, glared at that pronouncement, though Leely just chuckled.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a fucking twist,¡± she muttered in her comms.


    ¡°Fucking arrogant shit, this isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to go down!¡± Joc snapped.


    ¡°Chill, Joc. Do you know how fucking rare Treasure Hunters are? You¡¯re only going to find them on ascending worlds. If this kid¡¯s the real deal¡­ maybe he could help us find them before it¡¯s too late!¡±


    ¡°But Lord Song¡­¡±


    ¡°Is probably playing us for fools. But he¡¯s our only hope. Unless we make our own luck, right here, right now.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯d be willing to take me on, show me how to get to Bronze? Every classers dream? Sign me up!¡±


    Arnor chuckled, for a moment looking genuinely pleased, his ire of before fading, at least to a point. ¡°Sure, kid.¡± His smile hardened. ¡°Show us you¡¯re not full of shit. Show us you can actually unlock this temple that¡¯s been impervious to absolutely everything we¡¯ve thrown at it for weeks! You do that? Hell. We might all come out winners here.¡± His gaze hardened. ¡°But the corp invite¡¯s just for you.¡± He frowned thoughtfully at an oddly solemn Richard. ¡°And maybe your cultivating friend too. But your other buddies aren¡¯t part of the deal. They can go back to Freetown and believe me, kid, that¡¯s a pretty sweet fucking deal.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°Good thing they¡¯re just hired help! But so long as I get them home safely, I get a major perk bonus for my next haul! So let¡¯s do this. Here¡¯s to a profitable hunt for us all!¡±


    This earned good-natured chuckles as Eric, cool as a cucumber, gently helping his friends out of the levimobile while conveying all he could with soothing smile and the party chat, doing his best to give everyone hope that they would get through this, no matter how effortlessly those power-armored monsters could obliterate a handful of level 1 paper tigers.


    Eric had set the stage as well as he could. Implying both that he was okay joining and no need to worry about dead weight. He wasn¡¯t tied to everyone else so they could just depart. And the former Blood Ravens renamed Crimson Song obviously to get out of their earlier signed contract, needed to think it was in their own best interest to let everyone else leae with their tales between their legs and their lives intact, since Eric would then get a bonus with his next heist and if he actually joined¡­ his wealth was their wealth, so Captain Arnor had every reason to let Eric¡¯s friends live.


    Or, at least, hold off on pointing blasters their way and shooting them all dead the instant the temple was opened.


    ¡°Come on, Yuki. We¡¯re here!¡± Isn¡¯t this exciting?¡± Eric said with boundless enthusiasm, covering for his friends lurch and wide-eyed terror, Yuki understanding all too well both Eric¡¯s interface messages¡­ and just how utterly fucked they were. Level 0 Arcane Apprentices trying to match stats and wits with exotic alloy covered monsters with attributes in the multi hundreds.


    Fucking insane.


    ¡°Now, Yuki, you need to put your hands here and here.¡± - ¡°You can enter any time you even think the oath I mentioned. But don¡¯t! Please. Wait until I finish saying it and give the signal!¡±


    Eric¡¯s gentle eyes fastened to Yuki¡¯s own as Morlekai and Alice helped an equally Terrified Jack and Marsha position themselves on adjoining panels, their old skills coming to the fore so that no cop or tin-head enforcer would realize just how overwhelmed their prey, or in this case party allies, were.


    ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Yuki jerked a silent nod, biting her lip, eyes pleading with his own.


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Eric said with heartfelt enthusiasm, turning to the grim-faced mercenaries.


    ¡°Alright, just as soon as I¡¯ve positioned our latest hire¡­¡± He placed Richard¡¯s hands on an adjoining panel. The boy¡¯s eyes lit up. Eric¡¯s heart jolted with a spike of adrenaline. If that idiot slipped through now¡­


    ¡°No! Wait! Or they¡¯ll slaughter my friends!¡± Eric screamed in his mind, his smile not twitching once when Richard froze, jerking a nod.


    He patted the youth¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Relax. I told you you didn¡¯t have enough energy! Wait for our newest friends to join you, then we¡¯ll do it in unison.¡±


    Eric gave a satisfied nod, turning to the captain.


    ¡°Alright, sir. If you would come over to this panel and put your hands here and here¡­ and have the rest of your crew do the same¡­ we should have enough power to force our way through!¡±


    Arnor glared, crossing his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need all of us on those panels, Treasure Hunter.¡±


    Eric frowned thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s possible I could do it with four¡­ but six would make it a lot less exhausting to push through.¡±


    Leely scowled. ¡°Captain..¡±


    Arnor glared, then slowly nodded. ¡°Four, then. Leely and I will hold off and guard everyone¡¯s back.¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes widened at this. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a good point, Captain. We don¡¯t need anyone ambushing us before we get the gold.¡± He gave a nod as if in perfect agreement. ¡°Okay, you and Leely wait here. I¡¯ll direct the others.¡±


    Arnor scowled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to touch the panels yourself?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, Captain. Now Joc¡­ if you¡¯d be so kind as to put your hands here and here?¡±


    Joc glared. ¡°And let go of my gun?¡±


    Eric gave the captain a helpless look.


    Arnor rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Joc.¡±


    ¡°Captain¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re covered. You have a strap. Use it.¡±


    Joc glared at Eric before sighing, securing his weapon to his back, and putting both hands on the panel before him.


    ¡°Alright, genius. What next?¡±


    Eric grinned as the last of the mercs positioned themselves. He deliberately backed up to be right behind the captain and a smirking Leely¡¯s casually held sniper rifle, paying the pair of sentinels no mind at all, like the clueless White-tier idiot he so obviously was.


    ¡°Okay everyone! Repeat after me! ¡®I <insert name> swear to do no deliberate harm to the Silver Clan here on Earth. May my foundation crumble if I intentionally break this oath!¡¯ Okay, say it¡­ now!¡±


    ¡°Now!¡±


    As one, Eric¡¯s companions and four of the mercenaries said those words, six startled souls suddenly lurching through.


    Eric spun around, grabbing the captain¡¯s attention with his sheer enthusiasm. ¡°It worked, Captain! They got through!¡±


    Arnor and Leely¡¯s eyes were torn away from Eric¡¯s companions, locked on Eric¡¯s excited form, before flicking back to see their companions futilely smacking the sides of the panels.


    Joc spun around with a glare. ¡°Captain! It¡¯s not working!¡±


    Arnor¡¯s surprise turned to a scowl. He pointed his minigun Eric¡¯s way. ¡°You played us.¡±


    Eric raised his hands with an alarmed look. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? Captain, you¡¯ve got to get your men inside. Those guys are just hired help! I didn¡¯t promise them fifty percent, but whatever they could carry! What if they carry out all our gold before us? We got to get in there!¡± His voice rose to a panicked shout.


    Leely glared. ¡°This is bullshit. You better tell us how to fucking get in, kid.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Do I look like I can fight to you? What if my employees break our contract? You guys have to secure our gold!¡±


    ¡°Then how the fuck do we get in!?¡±


    Eric blinked, miming confusion, before shaking his head with a rueful smile. ¡°Oh gosh, I know what went wrong. It¡¯s so obvious!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Arnor snapped, jaw tightly clenched. ¡°If you think you can fuck with us¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, Captain, don¡¯t you get it? The difference between your elite soldiers and my day-hires?¡±


    Leely¡¯s lip curled. ¡°If you think you can string us along with your¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your mecha battle armor! You¡¯re men aren¡¯t touching the panels with their bare hands! They¡¯re covered in exotic alloys messing with the electromana signature!¡±


    Captain Arnor frowned, he turned to glare at the men below. ¡°Sento?¡±


    A lean-faced, violet-eyed man with tanned Han features lifted up his face plate and gave a quick nod. ¡°Yeah, it makes sense, actually, captain. This is a risen world artifact and our mecha gear normally isn¡¯t even allowed¡ª¡±


    His words broke off when the captain raised his fist. He turned back to Eric, taking a breath, forcing a brittle calm.


    ¡°Alright, Treasure Hunter. What¡¯s our next step?¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it obvious? Take off the gauntlets! But don¡¯t worry, we now know that we don¡¯t need to fill all the panels like before, so you and Leely can stay here and supervise with me.¡±


    Leely glared. ¡°We can¡¯t just take off our gauntlets, idiot. This is powered mecha-ware. Not a suit of fucking plate and mail! Save for the helmet, our armor is a full battle harness!¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Okay. Seeing as I have absolutely no knowledge of how mech armor works, but I should probably learn if I¡¯m going to join your corp¡­¡±


    Arnor glared at a confused-looking Eric for long seconds before turning to the tech specialist he had spoken to before.


    ¡°Sento?¡±


    ¡°No readings from inside, Captain.


    Leely tapped the hilt of her gun with her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡± Arnor turned to stare Eric down. ¡°I think you¡¯re bullshitting us.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°How am I bullshitting you?¡± He then scowled. ¡°Hey, you promised to let me join your corp if this works out, right?¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m stupid. I know you just want me for my class. But if I¡¯m going to be your Treasure Hunter, I need your promise that you¡¯ll actually get me to Bronze and help me to evolve my class!¡±


    ¡°Sure, you have it, kid.¡± Arnor said, before forcing Eric to look down the barrel of his minigun. ¡°But you won¡¯t get shit but an early grave if you don¡¯t help us get inside.¡±


    Eric gave the man a disbelieving look, while sending a rapid-fire message to his friends. ¡°Dude, I just told you! I don¡¯t care if you keep your armor on, but the gauntlets clearly have to go! Look, do you want me to try a panel? Maybe we can get away with just three of your men doing it with me.¡±


    Arnor flashed a mirthless smile. ¡°That¡¯s okay, kid. I think I like you right where you are. Overseeing things with me and Leely.¡±


    Leely smirked. ¡°That¡¯s right, kid. This works out better for all of us.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Alright, boys. Time to step out and try it with mesh suits.¡±


    Sento turned to the captain. ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea, sir?¡±


    ¡°You questioning me, Sento?¡±


    ¡°No, sir!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then. You know what to do.¡±


    Sento sighed. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    And within less than thirty seconds, all two men and two women had stepped out of their power armor, not one of them over six feet, a full foot and a half added by their cross between powered armor and full battle mecha.


    Eric grinned, trying very hard not to focus on the anxious gazes the two obvious couples were exchanging. Looking worried. Anxious. And all too human.


    ¡°Cute, toys,¡± Eric said.


    Arnor scowled. ¡°Alright, quit the crap. Do your magic and lets get the gold.¡±


    Eric nodded, before pulling out three pale ales, cracking one open and drinking deep. He gave a satisfied grin, ignoring the look Leely was giving him. ¡°That¡¯s refreshing.¡± He turned the scowling pair glaring at him. ¡°Say, you guys thirsty?¡± He passed the ales to a clearly exasperated Leely took before turning around.


    ¡°Okay, you guys, repeat after me! ¡®I <insert name> swear to do no deliberate harm to the Silver Clan here on Earth. May my foundation crumble if I intentionally break this oath!¡¯ Okay, say it¡­ now!¡±


    The air rang with four unmodified voices, Eric raising his bottle with his left hand to clink with his two unimpressed looking momentary drinking companions, scratching his hip with his right.


    He grinned. ¡°There we are, captain. Success!¡±


    Arnor glared at the panels, jaw clenching when absolutely nothing happened.


    He snarled and spat. ¡°That¡¯s it, kid! You think you can¡ª¡±


    Before either mercenary could blink, their erstwhile clueless Treasure Hunting patsy seemed to disappear.


    Burst of Strength Unarmed Combat Check: Critical success!


    You have successfully claimed T-III Hyperion Minigun!


    Snap kick successfully shattered Mercenary Leely¡¯s elbow!


    You have successfully claimed T-III Hyperion Sniper Rifle!


    *


    Before Arnor could inhale to give fresh orders, his too casually held minigun was torn free of his slack left hand with such force that the thin bracing pin on his palm snapped, pointing to shocking Strength. The pale ale he had been holding didn¡¯t drop more than two inches before the air rang with Leely¡¯s startled scream and the crack of mecha armor being struck so violently at the joint that Bronze-tier armor warped and ascended bone cracked.


    Before the bottle had fallen four inches, Leely was lurching back, sniper rifle torn free of her weakened grip.


    ¡°Hell Vines!¡±


    Before the captain¡¯s bottle fell a foot, the air roared with a twisting knot of potency throbbing against Arnor¡¯s throbbing skull, disbelieving eyes unable to register the sudden surge of fiery whipping vines springing from the earth before his confused-looking crew, momentarily naked of both arms and armaments


    Yet his men, even if just Advanced Classers, were effectively the elites of the galaxy, trained with such thorough dedication that they could act on automatic pilot even if thrown in the thick of it, all of them knowing that to freeze was to die. They immediately drew backup vibro blades from hip sheaths and tore into the vines with ruthless efficiency.


    Arnor allowed himself only a moment¡¯s fierce pride. He had been fucked with and had played the fool beyond belief. Greed getting the best of him as it too often did. But as soon as he got this situation under control there would be hell to¡ª


    His thoughts froze in dismay.


    ¡°Arnie! Their mecha!¡±


    In the time it took Leely to say the words, it had happened, Arnor appreciating in that moment that the vines, deadly as they were, giving Sento an ugly burn before he shredded the pair lashing out at him, making it clear they were no joke¡­ but they were a distraction.


    Having torn his crew¡¯s focus just long enough for whatever shadowy force was arrayed against them to claim both power armor and T-3 Blasters.


    Gone. In the blink of an eye.


    Leely¡¯s anxious gaze locked with Arnor¡¯s own. ¡°We need to leave, now!¡± Yet before she could move, before either of them could act, her fierce resolve turned to dismay, orders abruptly cut off with a whimper.


    ¡°No!¡± Arnor cried, hand instinctively reaching out as if to stop the inevitability of death itself.


    Leely froze, even as her hair began to burn, flesh blistering at the terrible fiery crimson heat radiating from the mithril blade now caressing her helmetless head.


    Tears streamed down her eyes as her flesh began to smoke and smolder.


    And it was all Arnor¡¯s fault


    Because he had been overconfident fucks who thought they had low-level nothings covered.


    Eagerly drinking ale tossed to them by a boy playing them all for fools. And now that innocent blond-haired boy was gone. They faced a wild-eyed monster with bright green eyes, fiery red hair, and a too wide grin who had mithril death to his partner¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Captain! What¡¯s going on?¡± Joc desperately cried as he and his companions finished chopping up the vines, though not extinguishing it, to see the figure who now had their leaders at swordspoint.


    And all their cute little hyperion toys were gone.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±


    Eric¡¯s laughter was as chill as a winter gale.


    ¡°Ernest Edgelord Slaughter, at your service.¡±


    Arnor¡¯s eyes widened with genuine dismay. ¡°You¡¯re the half-step Silver that the entire Terran Counsel put a bounty on.¡±


    This earned a mocking oh of surprise. ¡°Really? The entire Terran Counsel? I guess I really AM moving up in the world. How exciting!¡±


    ¡°Captain, what do we do?¡± A panicked Joc pled.


    Eric winked. ¡°Do you want to tell him, or should I?¡±


    ¡°No. Please. We can work out a deal!¡± Arnor croaked.


    Eric nodded. ¡°Sure we can. A deal where you give your oath not to fuck with my friends only to slide out of it with another shell corporation, like a serpent shedding old unwanted skin.¡± He tilted his head sadly. ¡°To think that elite mercenary companies have fallen so low. Tell me, is there really a Lord Song?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll swear personal oaths! No games, we swear!¡±


    ¡°Tell me about this Lord Song.¡±


    Arnor stiffened. ¡°Please. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Leely cried out when Eric¡¯ blade got just a bit closer to her eye.


    ¡°Tell. Me. About. Lord. Song.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s someone who found out about your so-called academy and is very interested in¡­ hiring¡­ it¡¯s students.¡±


    Eric flashed a humorless smile. ¡°By hire do we mean dissect to see how we tick?¡±


    Leely¡¯s wild-frightened eyes and despairing whimper made it clear that Eric¡¯s guess had been right on the mark.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know that!¡± Arnor cried. ¡°We only know he wants several of you! It could be for anything. It could be to teach you, to shape you and mould you into elites grateful to serve under his banner!¡±


    ¡°Sure, you can think that, if it lets you sleep better at night. Not that that¡¯s something you¡¯ll ever have to worry about again.¡±


    Leely broke into sobs.


    Eric glared. ¡°Tell me where I can find this Lord Song.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t¡± The relatively slender tech specialist Sentos shouted. ¡°He¡¯s a Silver. He only works via proxies.¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°That¡¯s fucking convenient.¡± He glared at the captain. ¡°Strip free of your battle mecha.¡±


    The man froze, jaw stiffening. There was no mistaking the dread in his eyes, or the despair.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Eric nodded. ¡°I know. But you see, I WANT to do this.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Leely sobbed.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and take off your armor. Both of you.¡±


    ¡°And if we refuse?¡±


    Eric rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course we have to have that conversation.¡±


    400 Points of Strength and Quickness channeled into Bloodfire Strike: Power Blow variant!


    Modified Strength is 453 (Burst of Strength not presently in use. You are using this ability at baseline cost!)


    Modified Quickness is now 727.


    Length of Bloodfire Blade is now 8-fold normal!


    Destructive potency of Bloodfire Blade is now 8-fold normal!


    Leely screamed when a massive bar of bloodfire tore through the air. It hummed and crackled with the screams of the damned, or perhaps the sound of air molecules exploding against its deadly, tightly controlled heat. The air itself seemed to grow dark, color fading as it was all claimed by the brilliant bar of crackling crimson fire and lightning that left both captain and liutenant stumbling to their knees. The blood seemed to leave their features, as if such close proximity to oblivion was slowly draining their life force, without even touching them.


    ¡°Oh fuck, we are so dead,¡± Joc sighed, falling to his knees, as did the others.


    Leely gave Arnor a winsome smile. ¡°I guess this is it, babe.¡±


    ¡°Leely, no!¡±


    ¡°Repudio!¡± Eric angrily snapped, dispelling his blade as both suits of power armor immediately went inert. ¡°And if my abjuration damaged that armor just so I could diffuse whatever fucking deadman¡¯s switches you think I don¡¯t know about, then I¡¯m taking it out of your fucking hides!¡±


    Leely gazed at Eric with horrified dismay. Pushed to the absolute brink, even to the point of suicide, only for her bomb to be diffused, now with no energy left.


    Tears streamed freely as trembling hands levered herserf free of her now inert armor with creeks and groans. She stumbled to the ground, on her knees. ¡°Please.¡±


    Eric didn¡¯t bother responding. ¡°You¡¯re turn, Captain.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± The man asked, desperate for an answer to the riddle that might just save his life as he gazed so intently Eric¡¯s way. ¡°Why are you stripping us of our armor when you could just¡­¡±


    ¡°Because, idiot. Do you know how much resale value I give up when I bring my contacts tattered armor and chopped up weapons? It¡¯s fucking bullshit!¡± He flashed his trademark winning grin. ¡°But when I bring them pristine T-3 Hyperion weapons and perfectly intact power armor, THAT¡¯S when the credits start rolling in.¡±


    Arnor gazed at Eric in stunned disbelief, before he wheezed with bitter laughter. ¡°You were playing us. From the very start. A weak, naive, foolish kid. You were goading us on from the fucking start!¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°Nope. Don¡¯t get it twisted. I dealt with you in good faith. This territory? This ascension center? Yeah. I was reclaiming both, over or under your dead bodies. But if you had played it straight, you¡¯d be up a hundred million credits and the possibility of future Freetown hires.¡±


    Eric let the desperate tension, the flicker of hope flare brightly for just a couple more seconds.


    Before flashing a smile just as cold as his mother¡¯s had once been.


    ¡°But you made your choice. This is the final scene to the play that you wrote, not I. Now? Now, we¡¯re just playing it through.¡±


    ¡°Please! We had no choice!¡± Leely sobbed. ¡°We had to take the contract!¡±


    Eric tightened his jaw, glaring down at the woman once Arnor finally began stripping free of his armor. ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because Lord Song swore he could send us all home!¡±


    ¡°Home.¡±


    Leely nodded. ¡°Yes, home.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re just thinking of home now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± Arnor choked out, now wearing nothing besides a mesh suit, holding the trembling hand of his partner, both of their vibro blades surrendered. ¡°We¡­¡± He shook his head in dismay. ¡°It felt like we were living in a dream, or a loop¡­¡±


    ¡°Like we were NPCs¡± Sento helpfully said. ¡°Only now¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, we remember home and the people who should be with us¡­ who need us¡­ but aren¡¯t here,¡± Joc said. ¡°The moment I met your party¡­ it was like we were finally waking up.¡±


    Eric glared, cursing under his breath. Absolutely hating the fact that his heartstrings were being pulled. That he was getting played almost as thoroughly as he had played them.


    He activated his blade once more. ¡°Nice fucking try. But if you think I¡¯m going to leave half a dozen elite tier killers to paint targets on my back for pretty much fucking ever¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, Eric! You don¡¯t have to do this!¡±


    Eric suppressed a groan.


    Because of course that was when a doe-eyed idealistic and far too handsome Richard Li would slip free of the ascension center Eric had purposely kept sealed, race to his side, and plead before the obvious couple Eric now held a crackling sword of crimson death to.


    ¡°Please, Eric, it doesn¡¯t have to end this way. Even this story, dark and torturous as it has become, can have a happy ending!¡±


    Eric gazed deadpan at the youth before him. ¡°You¡¯re fucking kidding.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s true!¡± His eyes shown with warmth and excitement. ¡°Now I know what felt so wrong when we first encountered them. The anger I knew shouldn¡¯t be there¡­ tinny voices through power helmets that I was a heartbeat from recognizing. Faces I now know!¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about, Richard?¡±


    The youth¡¯s eyes lit with excitement. ¡°You were right, Eric. About everything!¡±


    ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°There really was treasure hidden in the ascension center!¡±


    Eric gazed in wide-eyed disbelief at the massive 16<sup>th</sup> century chest absolutely filled with golden doubloons that Richard proudly slammed on the ground before Eric.


    A chest he somehow hadn¡¯t even noticed the boy carrying until that very moment.


    How?


    ¡°It''s an absolute fortune, Eric. Multiple chests! What I¡¯m guessing is exactly three billion credits worth of gold! Just like you said.¡±


    Eric glared at the way too innocent looking chest. ¡°No. Fucking. Way.¡±


    ¡°Way!¡± Richard cheerfully countered, before gazing fondly down at the pair before him.


    ¡°You¡¯re Arny and Leely, right?¡±


    Leely blanched. Arnor gazed at Richard in shock. ¡°No. There¡¯s no way you could know¡­¡±


    Richard¡¯s smile was like holy benediction, gazing at the pair with the warmth and love that had no place outside storybooks or parents gazing upon their little ones.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I had one last quest while I was here¡­ and I think... yes. I think I can complete it.¡±


    Arnor¡¯s eyes grew desperate. ¡°Please, what can you tell us!?¡±


    ¡°Rye and Sembie are safe, hale, and whole, along with the other children I found in the suspension pod.¡± He gazed down at the handful of mercenaries, male and female, eye wide with desperate hope. ¡°All of your children. They were safely rescued. I¡¯ve taken them all on as my disciples, of course, and I¡¯m so excited to share with you that they have started clearing their meridians in absolutely record time!¡±


    ¡°What the actual fuck?¡±


    Within minutes, a stunned Eric witnessed all six mercenaries sobbing with desperate relief as his solemn faced friends pulled out one treasure-filled chest after another.


    A muttering Eric didn¡¯t even fight it when Richard had them all racing back the way they had come in high spirits, the now magic levimobile somehow fitting all thirteen of them not to mention several tons worth of treasure in ancient galleon chests, which was absolutely ridiculous, yet somehow worked. And before the sun had set, Richard¡¯s grand pagoda was filled with laughter and cheer and hundreds of good-natured orcs drinking besides elves and humans and well-endowed fairy maidens and Captain Arnor and his Wife Leely were smiling with tears in their eyes as they held their absolutely adorable looking violet-eyed children, as were the other mercenary pairs that were of course married couples, and the scene was so sweet and poignant with the sounds of erhu, lute, and dulcimer filling the air that Eric had to take a deep breath and step outside, gazing at the magnificent display of stars painting the heavens above.


    ¡°You okay, Boyscout?¡± Alice asked, gently squeezing his shoulder.


    He swallowed the unexpected lump in his throat. ¡°We uncovered multiple chests absolutely filled with priceless jewelry and Spanish doubloons.¡±


    ¡°That we did,¡± Alice said in a voice matching his own.


    ¡°And the mercs that could have so easily killed us¡­ were just parents desperate to be reunited with their children. Children that Richard had somehow already rescued.¡±


    A smiling Alice nodded, wiping a tear from her eye. ¡°A dozen children saved from a failing cluster of life support pods.¡±


    Eric sighed, gazing back at the gentle light washing over him from the pagoda, so filled with with laughter and celebration.


    ¡°It was a bluff, you know.¡±


    Alice blinked. ¡°Wait, what!?¡±


    Eric shook his head. ¡°Why the hell would there be a fortune in gold stashed away in my ascension center? I was just trying to entice them with absolute bullshit.¡±


    Alice blinked at this. ¡°The way you were going¡­ Yeah, I know we were going to pull a fast one, but you were so enthusiastic, I thought maybe you did have a treasure hunting class!¡±


    Eric rubbed his eyes, suppressing a groan. ¡°And to think, I was going to¡­¡±


    Alice squeezed his hand. ¡°But you didn¡¯t.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°But that¡¯s what¡¯s so crazy! That was the ruthless move, sure, but it was the smart move. Richard racing to catch my arm like that¡­ staying the executioner¡¯s hand at the last second, with a fucking chest of gold between his arms¡­¡± Eric fell to his knees, gazing at the rich topsoil in dazed disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not how the world works.¡±


    Alice sighed. ¡°Yeah, I know. But I learned long ago that sometimes wild luck really does favor the foolish dreamer. Even if nine times out of ten it will get you killed¡­ it¡¯s that one time when you just know that all lights are green that you can dare to blaze forward and change your fate.¡±


    Eric scowled. ¡°Who taught you that bullshit?¡±


    She punched his arm. ¡°You did, Eric. The things we did¡­ the insane odds we faced... yet somehow, we pulled through. Be some miracle, we got the gold, Gilton was pulled free of the clutches of the orcs and turned to a paradise.¡±


    Morlekai, stepping free of a murder of swarming crows, nodded his agreement. ¡°And let¡¯s not forget Freetown. How close the goblins came to having us all in chains. Yet by the end of the night, I¡¯m witnessing the actual summoning of a multistory mountain of gold bricks. Enough to fill a black book depository, with a billion credits¡¯ worth casually dumped at the feet of those who could have so easily crushed us in chains of legal spite.¡±


    The vampire smiled fondly at the pagoda behind them. ¡°If I¡¯ve learned one thing this past year, it¡¯s to never, ever underestimate a Contender.¡±


    Eric snorted. ¡°Beyond even a Contender. That was some major PC Protag bullshit. And if Richy back there thinks I¡¯m going to follow him around like some anime sidekick¡­¡±


    Alice chuckled. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t think you gotta worry about that, Boyscout.¡±


    Eric nodded, lying back on the grass with his head in his hands. ¡°Yup. As soon as this mission is over and we get credit for a flawless kill-free clear, I get to go back to doing what I do best, free of sidekicks or competing Contenders¡­ at least until time runs out.¡±


    Alice massaged his neck. He closed his eyes, soothed by her touch.


    ¡°What¡¯s your play, Boyscout?¡±


    Eric chuckled. ¡°Just thinking of a certain commitment I made. There''s a certain city I promised myself I¡¯d claim and an alliance of assholes I swore I¡¯d break. The only question is¡­ can I do it before the start of semester?¡±

 Chapter 441 - A taste of your own medicine!

    Eric could only focus on dreams of conquest and the financial mecca he¡¯d made this world¡¯s New York for so long before he was distracted by Richard¡¯s stories and his friend¡¯s laughter filling the car. It wasn¡¯t that he was scowling, or didn¡¯t appreciate a good tale. But how many times could he hear tales of absolutely everything going according to plan and Richard enjoying one flawless victory after another without getting a massive migraine?


    He was almost hurt by Morlekai¡¯s bemused smirk when he whispered his complaint.


    Which of course earned a perked ear from his bunny.


    ¡°Really, Eric? You¡¯re thinking of jumping ship, or levi, literally, and letting this Bronze-tier boy wonder, who technically hasn¡¯t actually surrendered, steal the show entirely?¡±


    Eric¡¯s cheeks heated before his familiar¡¯s too-knowing look. ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    His rabbit snorted. ¡°Complicated, right? Okay, let me see if I can break it down for you, fearless leader. You¡¯re upset because you got an unexpected addition to your party and he¡¯s smart, friendly, charming, always sees the good in every situation, and actually manages to bring the best out of the people he¡¯s around?¡±


    ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re making me feel like the jealous extra.¡± he frowned down at the rabbit in his arms before closing his eyes, enjoying the taste of the fragrant evening breeze smelling so strongly of wildflowers and sun-kissed apples. The wind to caressed his once-more golden locks as he leaned back in the levi, ears filled with the near-hypnotic enthusiasm of their latest addition regaling the entire crew with his adventures, which somehow sounded so much more exciting and engaging than Eric¡¯s own adventures, never mind that Richard had technically done nothing more arduous than clear out White-tier threats that were 20<sup>th</sup> level at worst, and earn multiple titles for heroic rescues, diplomatic wins, and of course, unlocking the long lost Feng Ren Wind Cultivation technique which he somehow had a double affinity with.


    A double affinity.


    ¡°So, I received twice as many points as normal which each level I earned, and now it¡¯s locked in forever with a Pristine Bronze ascension! Isn¡¯t that awesome, Eric? Eric!¡±


    Eric had forced a smile and nod when Rich had dropped that little info bomb, knowing that he really had no right to complain. Not one tiny excuse to complain! His own stats were beyond awesome.


    And so what if this kid had had the perfect storybook start that so many young adventurers had so hoped would be there own, only to die the most horrific deaths with goblin sneers and mockery the final sounds to caress their ears, save for the awful bubble of molten iron and the screams of countless tormented souls.


    Eric knew it was unfair. So fucking unfair for him to complain even the tiniest bit. His own boons were even more absurd and he was GLAD Richard had somehow lucked into a happy slice-of-life intro to this savage realm. A golden boy aura that clearly still shown bright, even thrust into the world Eric knew so painfully well. Or perhaps¡­


    Bunbun chuckled wickedly. ¡°Perhaps those mercs were the last of his golden start, Eric? Maybe the next idealistic move he makes will end in tragedy worthy of a goblin tale, if there isn¡¯t some hard-bitten vigilante sidekick who always keeps his own incredible powers in firm check so he never outshines the lead man. And we all know and love the secret badass saving our idealistic hero¡¯s hide, episode after episode, for countless seasons to come!¡±


    Bunbun¡¯s eyes twinkled mischievously as she gazed up at her master from his lap. ¡°Oh come on, Eric. You know you secretly want to play the brooding rebel number two that all the series fans love just as much as our lead golden boy!¡±


    ¡°Pass,¡± Eric said with a snort, having no problem at all with Lilly reading him so well, his smile turning wistful as he gazed out at the peaceful storybook villages and towns they passed on their way back to New Arcadia¡¯s capital. ¡°Even Caliban was falling under this kid¡¯s charm. Multiple chests that belonged in sixteenth century galleons somehow in our possession. Over a three billion credits¡¯ worth of jewels and gold. And Rich insisted on messaging Elonia, asking her what she wanted to do with it all! Even though Ashland is technically not mine, only the Ascension centers that still respond solely to my will. And I can¡¯t complain. How can I complain? It was a complete fucking bluff, and Caliban is absolutely thrilled because Elonia insisted on letting our bank manage all the Ashland delves and the cities that will spring up around each and every one of them for a way too modest profit share for herself.¡±


    Eric shook his head in disbelief. ¡°She even insisted on depositing what should be her share, one and a half billion credits worth of gold, right into funding our chartered bank, under my account! So we¡¯d have even more capital to get started on all our development projects. She basically just gave me her share, what should have been her share, at least, in return for a very modest tax rate which we were going to pay her anyway. Only now, I¡¯m not even sure how much of this happy ending is me, or¡­¡±


    ¡°Our boy Richie Li pulling the strings of fate?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Well¡­ yeah? Because with all the gold Caliban can now pour into our Ashland projects, how can we not start with developing a feng shui-friendly city complete with cultivation parks and training fields, right next to the delve that just ¡®feels right¡¯ to our unexpected patron? Which of course is going to be the one filled with spirit beasts, hidden cultivation techniques, and lost heritage libraries and all the cultivation goodies. And now Richard¡¯s going to have unlimited delving opportunities to level up all 667 of his recruits. Because the difference between good and evil can be a single life, all of them cultivating on the razor thin margin of excellence¡­ which sounds so badass for a kid who enjoyed such a sweet, idealistic start.¡±


    Bunbun snorted. ¡°Yeah, it is pretty absurd, alright. Bringing the best out of hard-bitten mercenaries. Finding treasure where we least expect it, and somehow realizing it had been there all along. Retroactive causality in full effect! Orcs and elves and humans and your otaku fantasies now all close buddies, all 667 of them, and we actually getting to enjoy a happy adventure without wading in blood.¡±


    Lilly gave Eric a pointed look. ¡°And it¡¯s enough to get under your skin. So much that your murmuring to your familiar while your friends are having the time of their lives with their super high Charisma friend in what¡¯s now a mini magic school bus-sized levimobile.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    Lilly¡¯s gaze grew more pointed. ¡°You¡¯re pouting about a young hero¡¯s lucky find and legendary diplomacy skill while we drive through a magical kingdom filled with how many reborn souls enjoying their perfectly sweet, storybook lives?¡±


    Eric froze at those words, truly taking in the natural wonder they were so casually driving through. A land of golden fields of barley and wheat and millions of reborn souls desperate for happiness. The pristine fields lining the perfectly straight highway broken up by apple orchards and pear trees along with fields of daisies, marigolds, and a riot of other flowers blooming under the gentle silvery light of twin full moons as Richard, still in the driver¡¯s seat, regaled his friends with yet another wild tale.


    His heart began to pound.


    He closed his eyes.


    Knowing that just beneath the surface of pitiless probability were howling desert winds, the clank of steel cages, and countless panicked screams.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    Eric gasped, jolting awake. He turned to gaze at Marsha, now petting his perfectly innocuous looking rabbit.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry. I guess I dozed off.¡±


    Marsha¡¯s expression was an odd mixture of concern and consternation. ¡°So, when were you going to tell us?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Tell you what?¡±


    Her gaze hardened. ¡°Richard told us what happened.¡±


    Eric had the grace to flush. ¡°Oh, that.¡±


    She smirked. ¡°He painted you as a right, proper hero. A persuasive diplomat and accomplished wizard who managed to avert tragedy. But Eric¡­ we¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    Eric winced.


    ¡°I talked to Arnie who was holding his kids like my dad used to. And sure, he looked like an active duty soldier spending time with the fam, but he no longer radiated those killer vibes that had scared the crap out of us. And his eyes were so awkward and apologetic and he reminded me so much of my own father that I¡¯m so glad things worked out the way the did. But Eric¡­ He both apologized and explained things to us.¡±


    ¡°He did?¡±


    Marsha nodded. ¡°He did. While you were outside. Pouting with your ex-con friends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very nice thing to say.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Their words, not mine. According to them, though, you were involved in a heist way more epic than a simple treasure hunt. Point is, Arny was awed by just how deadly a Contender you turned out to be, and he was swearing off the game for good, now that he had his family back. Now that he knew just how perilous life here on Earth could be. Especially now that Richard has made them all welcome as disciples of his cultivation academy. And somehow, all six of them have rare Wind affinities, and that¡¯s how and why they managed to become such good friends for all these years and were so well suited to anti-grav power armor.¡±


    Marsha¡¯s eyes positively twinkled. ¡°And now they all have a far better path to take with their lives. A path that let¡¯s them basically double their stat pools, even if taking cultivator¡¯s paths will require them to surrender all their old System perks as they cleanse their meridians eager to reforge themselves into something even better, in the years to come. Something that¡¯s normally impossible¡­ except on ascending worlds where all the rules and guidelines can be bent like taffy to a Contender¡¯s will. And, coincidentally, they¡¯re suddenly totally okay with you keeping all of their powered sets of high tech armor and hyperion blasters and sniper rifles, because their cultivation path precludes their use in any case. So just how much are you worth now, Eric Silver?¡±


    Eric smirked. He couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Yeah, that sounds some like serious PC Protag bullshit. Not that I don¡¯t mind a happy ending.¡±


    Marsha gave him a look. ¡°You¡¯re jealous. Even if you¡¯re up a fortune in gold and high tech gear.¡±


    Eric winced. ¡°Well, if I am, I really shouldn¡¯t be. Not very cool of me.¡±


    Marsha slowly shook her head, her haunted gaze never leaving his own. ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t. And we both know why.¡±


    Eric swallowed. ¡°Marsha¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± She turned, gazing at the beautiful starry night sky, twinkling like a million jewels overhead. ¡°It¡¯s so much prettier than the stars we used to have. And instead of the smell of hot blacktop and exhaust and the sound of traffic and drunk screaming assholes, the air smells like my mother¡¯s old garden. And if you listen really hard, you can hear singing carried by the wind.¡±


    Eric nodded, lips curving in a gentle smile. ¡°It is a treasure.¡±


    Marsha nodded, the hand that wasn¡¯t stroking a purring Bunbun now clasping his own.


    ¡°So, just how strong are you?¡±


    Eric chuckled softly. ¡°Pretty strong.¡±


    ¡°Over a hundred?¡±


    Eric shrugged. ¡°Could be.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°Have to be. Arnor didn¡¯t even act like he was bragging when he confessed to all of his physical stats being 300 or better.¡± Her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°300! That¡¯s fucking insane! Incredible! Three times over the hundred that so many Warrior-types hope for. Jack was still a ways from that before he reset. Yuki too.¡±


    ¡°Strength can be useful.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°And Arnie¡¯s so fast that he¡¯s beyond any stage magician. He can dart around you so quickly that you think he teleported, except for the sudden burst of wind against your face and his kids are laughing and his wife is telling him to behave, and you can see the love in her eyes and just know she¡¯s afraid he¡¯ll move so fast that he¡¯ll hurt their children. But when he holds them he¡¯s so sweet and gentle¡­¡±


    Eric sighed. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t kill them.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She mock glared. ¡°So how fast are you, that Arnor¡¯s gazing at you with the same disbelief we did him, saying you somehow managed to disarm his entire squad in just a handful of seconds?¡±


    Eric grinned. ¡°Pretty fast.¡±


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true. And it¡¯s not like I hadn¡¯t been stringing them along, getting their defenses down, distracting them all and catching them all off guard. If everything hadn¡¯t lined up just right¡­¡±


    ¡°Like things line up for Richie?¡±


    Eric frowned. ¡°I was making my Negotiation skill checks, and my Social Perception and What The Other Party Wants perks were helping big-time. So, I hardly think that¡¯s a fair comparison.¡±


    Eric flushed when Marsha and Bunbun gave him identical hairy eyeballs.


    ¡°Did you seriously just say that?¡±


    ¡°Um...maybe?¡±


    ¡°You, a nineteen year old kid, were manipulating a half dozen Bronze-tier mercenaries a century old if they¡¯re a day.¡±


    ¡°Um... maybe?¡±


    Marsha snorted. ¡°You know that Richie has names for his oddball powers too, right? And to him, they make perfect sense.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Eric gave his familiar a worried look. ¡°It makes sense to you, though. Right, Bunbun? It wasn¡¯t any oddball Contender power. I just told Arnor and the others what they wanted to hear while playing the harmless goofball.¡±


    Bunbun shrugged her ears. ¡°Made perfect sense to me, boss.¡±


    Eric smiled in relief.


    ¡°But then again, I¡¯m your resurrected undead revenant familiar that you infused with AWESOME magical powers and gave my clone a second life as our beautiful daughter who¡¯s somehow both of us and I love her with all of my heart so¡­ I¡¯m not exactly an unbiased party, you know?¡±


    Eric winced.


    Marsha gave him a look. ¡°You have a daughter with your familiar?¡±


    ¡°To be fair, she wasn¡¯t always a bunny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Bunbun said. ¡°I once went by the moniker Little Lilly.¡±


    Marsha eye¡¯s bulged. ¡°No fucking way. You¡¯re Little Lilly?¡±


    The rabbit in her lap preened. ¡°That¡¯s right! You want tips on rocking Exile¡¯s Paths or Cavern Killers, you watched my SelfTube videos. You know I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Marsha¡¯s gaze was one of awe. ¡°Oh my gosh¡­ I used to watch your streams! Weren¡¯t you going to do one with Eric? I was so looking forward to seeing my favorite terrible student die outrageously horribly as he always did in his own streams which was the only reason why I watched them.¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Seriously? You didn¡¯t enjoy my witty banter and awesome combos?¡±


    Marsha gave him a look. ¡°Eric.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it.¡±


    ¡°No one watched you for your banter. Well, that¡¯s not true. Your cringe was adorable. But mostly it was to see you wipe with weak-ass excuses and all your friends would laugh and carry you and it was okay because you were a good sport and you seemed so friendly and approachable and not like your mother and sister who were so high on their otherworldly pedestal than none of us could hope to compare. But you?¡± She smiled fondly at his blushing cheeks. ¡°You were the goofy little brother that made the whole family seem human and approachable. That¡¯s why we loved your streams.¡±


    Eric groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. ¡°I am so feeling the cringe right now.¡±


    Marsha bit her lip, giving him the strangest look he could sense so well with infravision before leaning close. ¡°You seemed like the kind of boy that if we actually had the courage to ask out¡­ you might say yes?¡±


    Eric¡¯s eyes jolted open. He slowly turned to a furiously blushing Marsha who was now pointedly not looking at him, all her attention on the rabbit in her lap.


    Bunbun snorted, smirking right up at her master.


    ¡°Leave her alone, big guy. You know what happens if you go too far with her second life. Now less existential angst and more scritches!¡±


    Eric chuckled and decided to let all his pointless cares slip away like leaves fluttering away in the breeze they left behind, an excited Rich showing them just how well a talented driver with elite stats could push their levi, going 100 MPH if it was moving an inch, weaving past other vehicles to angry honks and laughter.


    Eric, contrary to Marsha¡¯s stricken features slowly easing into a madcap grin, wasn¡¯t worried. Because the speed, sweet as it was, terrifying as it would have been a lifetime ago, was nothing that someone couldn¡¯t easily control with Finesse and Quickness both over¡­ three times over, a hundred. Which meant that Richard was fifteen-fold as graceful as any Olympian. The young Contender was in perfect control, and the stricken looks on both Jack and Marsha¡¯s face a sight Eric enjoyed a bit more than he wanted to admit. And the way Marsha trembled and curled up next to him, his arm instinctively encircling her, earned a look from his bunny and a chuckle from Eric.


    ¡°You¡¯re enjoying this,¡± Lilly accused, before winking her approval. ¡°About time you did.¡±


    Eric nodded, turning his gaze to a softly cursing Alice and a beaming Morlekai.


    ¡°How are you guys holding up?¡±


    ¡°Guys a maniac! I love it!¡± Alice enthused.


    Morlekai chuckled softly. ¡°Did I not sense how perfectly in tune he is with his vehicle, I would be having words. But as it stands?¡± He leaned back, both his hands behind his head, looking like quite the European prince, graced by the warm silvery light of the twin moons overhead. ¡°I have no complaints.¡±


    ¡°And you still won¡¯t accept any gold?¡±


    Morlekai¡¯s sangfroid grin soured. ¡°We discussed it already, Eric. The gold is yours. Alice and I could both feel it¡¯s significance, connection, and importance to whatever you and Prince Caliban are building.¡±


    Alice nodded. ¡°You¡¯re no shady vulture capitalist conglomeration, Eric. You¡¯re our friend. And we don¡¯t steal from our friends.¡±


    Eric blinked at this, but before he could object, she solemnly shook her head, hypnotic amber eyes locked on his own. ¡°No, Eric. It was your ascension center you brought us to that managed to save our lives¡­ even if we¡¯re now all pretending it was a misunderstanding and we¡¯ve earned a half dozen powerful friends with whom we¡¯re firmly on their nice list. Now. After the miracle of not one but two Contenders steers our story along tributaries that are the farthest thing from the tragic ending the river of fate had all but demanded.¡± Her eyes twinkled. ¡°Besides, do you have any idea how bright those jewels within those hoards was glittering with the combined fates of two Contenders?¡± She shuddered. ¡°No way I¡¯m getting caught up in that madness.¡±


    She turned, flashing a hungry smile Richard¡¯s way. ¡°Even if I¡¯d absolutely love to give that boy a night he¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    Morlekai nodded. ¡°And if this Legendary-Tier academy is everything you say it is¡­ you¡¯ll be giving us the greatest gift we could possibly hope for.¡±


    Eric laughed at that. ¡°Well then you¡¯re definitely letting me treat next time we celebrate. And don¡¯t for a minute ever think you¡¯re paying for anything in Ashland. House? Villa? Guild hall for your future crew? You¡¯ll get first pick¡­ once Caliban and I actually start building our satellite cities.¡±


    Alice chuckled throatily. ¡°You really do spoil us, don¡¯t you, Boyscout?¡± She dipped her head. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll take you up on that offer. But we¡¯ll be letting our Drake design our future guild hall near whichever delve is most beneficial to classers of our particular¡­ temperament.¡±


    Eric grinned at that. ¡°Better believe we¡¯ll have a few acres of soon-to-be absolutely precious real estate waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Her eyes widened with wonder as they approached New Arcadia city. ¡°Jeezus, you weren¡¯t kidding, Boyscout! Look at all those towers past the city wall¡­ and just how massive is this city? What are there, a million people here or something?¡±


    Eric blinked. ¡°Oh, yeah, at least two million here in the capital. Don¡¯t worry. Plumbing, magical sewer systems and super clean sanitation are definitely the order of the day here.¡±


    But Alice¡¯s eyes were locked upon the pair of mithril plated guards¡¯ eyes widened in recognition upon catching sight of Eric, immediately pounding their polearms in salute and waving them through the magnificent ivory gates where most other travelers left their levimobiles parked outside the city walls. But no one said a word as countless well-dressed refugees from Freetown and well-to-do city folk peered thoughtfully their way.


    ¡°Mithril!¡± Alice squealed. ¡°The city guard are decked out in mithril! What the actual fuck!¡±


    Morlekai nodded. ¡°And those poleaxes aren¡¯t for show.¡±


    ¡°This is your sister¡¯s city?¡± Richard¡¯s voice had an unexpected touch of reverence as they passed by Sylvan towers and grand manors and colorful shops and countless citizens filling the night air with music, dance, laughter and merriment, the generous tree-lined boulevard allowing for plenty of room for joyful citizenry and sedate vehicles alike.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± He shook his head in wonder, no longer showing off in any way, moving as stately and sedately as the horse-drawn carriage ahead of them. ¡°Everyone looks so happy, their eyes so filled with hope!¡±


    Alice swallowed, eyes wide with reverence. ¡°Morlekai. Can you sense it?¡±


    Morlekai nodded, grave eyes turning to meet Eric¡¯s own.


    He winced, not sure why his cheeks were flushing.


    Yet Morlekai didn¡¯t say a word, merely squeezed Eric¡¯s arm, dipping his head with what seemed profoundest respect.


    Alice¡¯s eyes filled with tears, though all she did was smile when Eric her gaze. ¡°You did this. Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Marsha, still curled up against Eric, stiffened at the question, but Eric found himself nodding regardless.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    Eric swallowed, both of them knowing what was meant. ¡°Almost seven million.¡±


    Alice stiffened, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Morlekai¡¯s eyes flashed with wrath that quickly faded.


    ¡°What monster could possibly¡­¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± Eric said. ¡°That timeline is over and done. As far as this world is concerned¡­ as far as Elonia¡¯s people are concerned¡­ this is the only reality that¡¯s ever been.¡±


    Alice gazed at Eric for long moments with Richard regaling Jack and Yuki with a fanciful tale in the front of their now grand limo-sized levimobile. ¡°Just how strong are you, Boyscout?¡±


    Yet before Eric could even think of a way to answer that, everyone¡¯s focus was drawn to the grandest wonder of New Arcadia.


    ¡°Eric!¡±


    ¡°Richard!¡±


    ¡°Is that massive mountain-sized citadel I see over there what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°That depends. If you think it¡¯s the city¡¯s sewage treatment center, you¡¯re going to be sorely disappointed.¡±


    Richard visibly swallowed. ¡°I think its a nexus point for eighteen overlapping planes of existence,¡± he said breathlessly.


    Eric blinked. ¡°Wait. You sense more than twelve?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    Eric flushed.


    Yuki snorted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it suck to be constantly shown up by cocky party-members?¡± she teased.


    Eric smiled weakly. ¡°I think I understand the feeling a little bit better than I did before.¡±


    ¡°Guys, come on, we¡¯re here!¡± Richard said breathlessly, parking his levi before the translucent bridge with effortless grace, even as he hopped out of the vehicle, as excited as any kid going to Kanga World. ¡°Oh this is so exciting! I¡¯m going to meet a princess and enter the most magnificent, incredible academy that will unlock so many mysteries I just caught a glimpse of with my Bronze Core breakthrough!¡±


    He bit his lip, swallowing nervously. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll like me?¡±


    Yuki laughed. Eric scowled.


    Y ¨C Are you ready?


    E ¨C Let¡¯s do this.


    ¡°I think Elonia will find you adorable. Now come on!¡± Yuki clasped Richard¡¯s hand before bending down to one knee and looking up at him with her heart in her eyes, like she was going to propose.


    Richard¡¯s cheeks flushed adorably even as Yuki gave him a hyper-focused look.


    ¡°Richard, you¡¯re charming as hell, and there¡¯s no way any girl¡¯s not going to fall in love with you. Myself included. But before I fall way too hard for you... just so we¡¯re abso-fucking-lutely clear¡­ no funny business. You have only the best intentions for our school and for our queen¡­ right? Soul-Oath time, kiddo. Because if you don¡¯t¡­¡± She flashed Eric who had just gotten into position a wicked grin.


    ¡°Our badass prince goofball here with the mithril blade in his hand that¡¯s now dripping crimson fire will lop your head clean off.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for making me the bad guy, Yuki.¡±


    ¡°Any time, hero.¡± She winked. ¡°Because you will do it if necessary, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Still feeling awkward, like I just kicked a puppy.¡±


    The heartbroken expression crossing Richard Li¡¯s features made even Eric feel guilty.


    Yuki sighed, sardonic smirk turning to a wince. ¡°Sorry, Rich. I¡¯ve gotten nothing but good vibes with you, and I know that came off kind of harsh but¡­ Elonia¡¯s everything to us.¡±


    Richard immediately shook his head. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. You¡¯re right!¡± He didn¡¯t hesitate to sink to his knees, still squeezing Yuki¡¯s hand, now bowing before the citadel. ¡°I, Contender Richard Li of North Wind academy, do solemnly swear to do no deliberate harm to Elonia Silver or my boon companions before me now, save in self-defense. I further swear to do no malicious harm to the magnificent arcane citadel before me, though using the facilities and training hard won¡¯t count as malicious destruction. If I break this oath free of malicious influence without immediately putting things to rights to the absolute best of my ability, may my foundation crumble for all time.¡±


    ¡°No proactive strike first self-defense bullshit either, Richy Rich.¡±


    Yuki blinked. ¡°Ooh. I didn¡¯t think of that. Good call, Eric.¡±


    Richard gave an affronted huff. ¡°Of course not, Eric! I swear that I meant my words in good faith!¡±


    Eric gazed at Richard for long moments before slowly nodding his head.


    El - He sounds adorable, Eric. His words are so melodious they resonate perfectly with the city! He meant every word he said. Come on. Invite him inside! And don¡¯t forget the offer :)


    ¡°It works for me,¡± Eric, mithril dachi resheathed, walked over to clap the youth on the shoulder. ¡°Come on, Rich. Let¡¯s introduce you to Elonia and see what we can do about finalizing your status within the Sylvan Alliance and secure you an absolute shit-ton of sweet status perks and titles, including a really nice manor right by the castle that Elonia thinks you¡¯ll absolutely love.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°I love titles!¡±


    ¡°Me too. Come on, I''m sure my sister has a pretty medal she''d love to pin to your chest, and we don''t want to be late!¡±