《-Non- Player Character [A Light-litRPG]》


 Chapter 1 - Stargazing

    The sound of the battle horn echoed throughout the valley. My opponents threw their cards down on the table and jumped from their seats. Not wanting to look as reluctant as I felt about my first battle, I followed suit and tossed my winning hand on the table. Just my luck.


    I pulled my sword from the ground nearby and picked up my shield. New recruits didn¡¯t get the luxury of a sheath.


    My eyes darted around the area, frantically searching for my helmet. Like my sword, it was made of metal and would offer some protection, unlike the ragged, used leather vest the benevolent Kurskin had given me.


    My helmet was nowhere to be seen, most likely adorning someone else''s head. It was foolish of me to let it out of my sight. I rolled my eyes, more mad at myself than the thief, and looked around for my fellow new recruits. Ellis and William were already a hundred paces away, sprinting toward the battlefield, the game of cards long forgotten.


    I sighed and turned to run, helmetless. I¡¯d just have to keep my head down, I guessed.


    If I failed to reach my spot in the formation in time, I¡¯d be whipped or worse. During my short time in training, I saw a Kurskin kill a man because he couldn¡¯t march in step. If I missed this charge, Commander Kreech was going to gut me in front of the rest of the men. I¡¯d rather not be made an example of today. Or any day, for that matter.


    I charged after the only two men whose names I knew, pitching myself forward and down the hill as fast as my muddy boots would allow.


    I was one of the last to arrive, but thankfully not the last. Commander Kreech eyed me as I approached, a snarl forming on his ugly green face.


    ¡°Fall in line, you useless welp,¡± he hissed at me. ¡°To the front.¡±


    Kreech was a Kurskin, a race more reptilian than human. They stood upright like humans but tended to be shorter. Their height meant little, as the average Kurskin was both stronger and faster than most humans. Not to mention, each and every one was capable of extraordinary feats.


    Growing up, I¡¯d heard tales of magic and wondrous abilities. Witches who could call forth storms. Shamans who could heal the sick. I¡¯ve even heard tales of necromancers who could raise the dead. But I¡¯d never seen any magic myself. Not until I met a Kurskin.


    Some claimed the Kurskins were angels, sent to protect us from the Dalari, and that was why they had these powers. That¡¯s what my uncle believed. He told me that the lizards came from the sky, which I guessed was where one would assume an angel would come from.


    I believed him until I met one. They bled, just like me, and angels didn¡¯t bleed. Also, they were assholes.


    I didn¡¯t say anything to Kreech and fell in line as quickly as possible. Kreech had more important things to worry about than one stupid human. Many of his own kind were joining us for this battle. Just like us, they followed Kreech because he was the strongest, and why shouldn¡¯t the strongest be in charge?


    Two days ago, after I arrived at the camp with a handful of my fellow new recruits, I overheard Kreech speaking with some of his scaly underlings. He was boasting about achieving level fifteen. I didn¡¯t know anything about the Kurskin¡¯s military structure or what the rankings meant, but his own kind seemed impressed.


    Not understanding their ranks was one of the many things I didn¡¯t know about my Kurskin leaders, but still, what little I knew of them paled in comparison to my ignorance of our true enemy.


    The Dalari were taller than most humans, and unlike the scaly Kurskins, their skin was more human-like, smooth with a blue tinge. I¡¯d never seen one up close (I was about to), but I¡¯d been told they moved like dancers, lithe and graceful. People said the Dalari were beautiful. They were also deadly.


    Kreech galloped before the formation on his huge, armored stallion. ¡°The battle is upon us,¡± he shouted, his voice raspy and heavy, the words seemed to vibrate out of his throat. ¡°Let¡¯s send these blue demons back to the depths where they belong.¡±


    The men cheered. So did I, but I wasn¡¯t excited about potentially getting killed.


    ¡°This is your chance to turn the tide. Do not let it slip away. Fight for your Kurskin allies, and fight for your King Constance. Be brave. Be mighty. Be brutal.¡± Kreech¡¯s stallion reared upward, and he held his heavy axe high above his head. ¡°To battle!¡±


    The horse brought its feet down, and Kreech pointed his gigantic axe to the field before us. We charged.


    Across the distant field, the enemy began its advance. Like the Kurskins, the vast majority of the Dalari¡¯s fighting force was human, but these humans had chosen to side with the enemy. I didn¡¯t know if they did so willingly or if they had been compelled by the powerful Dalari. I didn¡¯t understand the politics behind this war, but I knew that when the swords came out, it was either them or me.


    I felt strangely calm as I marched forward like this was what I was meant to be doing. Perhaps those weeks spent at the training camp were more useful than I had thought. Or perhaps it was because in my heart I was fighting for my king, for the people of Vedra, not for the Kurskins. This war gave me a purpose, something I never knew I lacked when I had been working the farm day after day, year after year. It was a comforting feeling. I hoped the others marching beside me felt the same.


    Arrows began to rain down upon us when we were two hundred meters out. My shield was wooden but strong. No arrow was going to bring me down. Still, a helmet would have been nice.


    I spared a glance behind me. A sea of men, five hundred strong, flowed down the valley and into battle. I spotted at least a dozen mounted Kurskins on the flanks. No doubt, there were even more scattered among the footmen. They treated humans as inferiors, but at least they fought alongside us, even if it wasn¡¯t always on the front line.


    The arrow volleys had done little to weaken our advance thus far, just as our archers¡¯ attempts had failed to halt the opposing side.


    The enemy was closing in fast now, and my previous sense of calm began to recede, replaced by the fear that had been hiding underneath all along. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Fear shouldn¡¯t be ignored; it should be embraced. I wanted to live, and the only way to do that was to be better and to fight harder than my opponents. Fear would give me the motivation I needed.


    They were twenty yards away now, and I could feel them approaching. My teeth were chattering, and I was puffing for air after running for so long. It would have been more sensible to walk the first few hundred yards, even with the hail of arrows. Those without a shield would probably disagree, though.


    Metal clashed, and screams rang out as the two sides collided. I brought my shield up and slammed into the enemy before me. Someone behind me reached over with a spear, jabbing forward multiple times into the mass of enemies. When they pulled it back, the tip was red with blood. As I was taught, I pushed forward again with the vanguard, and the spearmen followed behind with precise thrusts.


    We did this thrice more. On the next shield push, we would bare our swords and go on the offensive.


    I put my shoulder into my shield and pushed forward with all my strength, then took a step back and raised my sword. Without hesitating, I followed through with an overhanded swing. My shit sword failed to cut through his chainmail, but he still let out a cry of pain.


    I wrenched my sword back and followed through with a thrust. My sword tip pierced his chainmail and the flesh underneath. I slipped it out of his gut as he crumpled to the ground.


    He was quickly replaced by more enemy soldiers. I brought my shield back up, blocking two attacks. I was forced to take a few steps back and collided with one of my fellow soldiers. The onslaught continued, and my guard began to weaken.


    A boom rocked the battlefield, and I saw enemy soldiers tumble through the air. The explosion distracted my opponents and gave me the opening I needed. I rammed my shield into one of my attackers, knocking them off their feet. I tried to do the same with the other, but he was already swinging his sword. I brought my shield around just in time to deflect. I went for a stab, but he blocked the attack with his own shield.


    There was another explosion, closer this time. Some of the enemy soldiers tried to flee from the danger, causing more chaos in their line and opening a gap for my army to maneuver. I saw a flash of green in my peripherals and realized what was about to happen. Kreech was coming. I smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯d run if I were you,¡± I said to the enemy soldier before me. We were both on the defense, making cautious attacks to test for an opening.


    He snarled at me. ¡°I¡¯m no coward. Not like you Kurskin lap dogs.¡±


    I shrugged and pointed down our line. The idiot actually turned to look. I would have stabbed him in the neck for it, but there was no need. Kreech was there on his mount, ax already in motion. My poor enemy¡¯s head sailed through the air.


    Kreech pulled back on the reins and looked down at me. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± He actually smiled at me.


    ¡°I had that handled,¡± I said, unable to help myself as I smiled back at the horrible lizard.


    He did the lizard-person equivalent of a ¡®harumph¡¯ and galloped back into the battle. I probably should have got on my knees and thanked him, but I really did have the situation handled.


    As he charged deeper into the enemy¡¯s midst on his armored stallion, he tossed something bright and round. It erupted in a wave of concussive force. A few unfortunate souls were thrown from the blast, flying helplessly in the air while their fellow soldiers scattered in fear.


    I wanted one of those.


    The battle raged on, but our side was winning. We continued to advance as the enemy was slowly pushed back.


    The momentum was with us until I saw the man to my left pull his sword out of the belly of the enemy. The next moment, he drove it into one of his fellow soldiers. And then another.


    He didn¡¯t see me as I approached from the flank and cut him down before he could do more damage. It was then I noticed the chaos growing around me. It wasn¡¯t just him. More of our own soldiers had turned against us.


    I¡¯d heard rumors, but I didn¡¯t actually believe them until now. One of the Dalari was near, and it was invading the minds of my peers.


    A nearby Kurskin, this one part of the infantry, moved to assist in our battle against our own men. He moved shockingly fast, unnaturally so. Holding a short sword in each hand, he utilized them to great effect, making quick work of the turned soldiers.


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


    He turned back toward the enemy. I followed his gaze and saw the Dalari soldier. Its eyes were closed, and even from a distance, I could tell it was concentrating.


    I looked back to the Kurskin and blinked. Had it just disappeared? No, it was there. It was just blending into its surroundings, like a camouflage. But I could see it moving if I looked closely. It was moving directly toward the Dalari.


    The Dalari¡¯s eyes snapped open, and without hesitating, it turned and ran. I laughed. Maybe the Dalari weren¡¯t so tough.


    By the time we regained our ground, I was breathing hard, and my brown hair was caked with blood and muck, but the tide of the battle continued to shift in our favor despite the Dalari¡¯s influence. We fought on, letting our momentum carry us forward.


    --


    In time, our reserves stepped up, and I was allowed to fall back and rest. The battle appeared to be ours, and there were enough fresh men to keep the press strong. The Kurskins may have been mean and brutal bastards, but they understood how to preserve their forces.


    Most of those who had fought among the vanguard were lying about camp, trying to rest and tune out the sounds of the battle. Exhausted, I stumbled to a nearby tent, hoping to close my eyes for a moment and calm my nerves.


    When I opened the flap of the tent I froze in shock. Inside were two Kurskins I didn¡¯t recognize, one of which was a female. Her scaly skin had an orange tint to it. The other was a green male. He was taller than his female counterpart, but still shorter than me.


    They looked at me with surprise. Then they looked at each other and smiled, sharp teeth visible in their wide grins.


    ¡°Do not be afraid, soldier. Come forward.¡± The female¡¯s voice was throaty and intimidating, and weirdly alluring.


    I stepped forward and gingerly lowered the flap back down.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± I said as formally as possible.


    ¡°Do not be sorry,¡± she said. ¡°We have a task for one such as you. Will you assist?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t an order, that was a request. This could either be really good or really bad. Either way, I wasn¡¯t going to say no to these people. Still, I wanted a little more information. ¡°Can you share more about this task?¡±


    She smiled back, her thin lips curling upwards. ¡°A Dalari was seen fleeing from the battle. We need someone to track this coward down and kill him. Can you kill a Dalari for us?¡±


    Holy shit. No. No way in hell could I do that.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small, stoppered vial. ¡°Take this.¡±


    I took it from her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°This Dalari is injured. He will be weak but do not underestimate him. Drink that before engaging him in combat.¡±


    ¡°Uh, okay.¡± This was a bad idea. I couldn¡¯t take down a Dalari, even if he were on his deathbed. ¡°Do you know which way he went?¡±


    ¡°Northwest. You will need to skirt far around enemy lines before turning north. We will provide you with a mount. When you find him, drink the potion and kill him. Do you understand your mission?¡±


    I gave a stupid, earnest nod.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Be on your way then. When you are successful, return and notify your commander. Tell him you acted on Hesta¡¯s behalf. He will see to it that you are properly rewarded.¡±


    This was a bad idea.


    --


    Night had fallen, and I was still on the hunt. The Dalari were known to be graceful on their feet, which made them difficult to track, but this one was injured and had been neglectful in his flight through the forest.


    Hours ago, when the sun had finally set, I happened upon a stained rag next to a small brook. It was sticky with a black substance that could only be Dalari blood. I hadn¡¯t known their blood was black, but it made sense. All the evilest creatures in stories had black blood.


    Much time had passed since finding that rag, but the occasional broken branch and disturbed earth told me I was still on the right trail.


    While uncommon, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for humans to gain prestige among the Kurskin army. If I succeeded in this mission, I would surely be promoted. Lieutenant Milton Musgrave had a nice ring to it. That¡¯s what I told myself, at least. However, even the highest-ranking humans would never rise above the lowest of the Kurskins. Still, hope for a better station drove me onward.


    I walked next to my horse in the dark. I had learned my lesson the hard way around midnight when a low-hanging branch knocked me from my seat on the horse. My ass was still sore from the fall.


    Eventually, I came upon a clearing in the trees, beyond which the face of a cliff rose from the ground, blocking any path forward.


    I had a choice to make. This Dalari either went left or went right, east or west. West made more sense, as the Dalari¡¯s stronghold was that way, but this one was a deserter, and I doubted the Dalari leadership were the forgiving sort.


    The sparse clouds above parted enough for more moonlight to slip through, and I noticed part of the rockface ahead was darker than the rest.


    I focused my attention on it, wishing for more of that scant moonlight, but the more I stared, the more detail I could make out. I was looking at the entrance to a cave or crevice, the perfect place to hide if one was injured and needed somewhere to rest.


    I prayed I was right about this. If I didn¡¯t catch the wounded Dalari here, I¡¯d have to guess a direction or wait until sunrise to pick up the trail. I didn¡¯t want to wait.


    Not wanting to ruin my chance at surprise, I loosely hobbled my horse on to a low hanging branch. If I didn¡¯t live through this, the horse would be able to free itself if it really wanted to.


    I pulled out the small potion Hesta had given me. I threw the potion back and fought the urge to gag as the thick mixture slowly drained down my throat.


    The effect was almost immediate. My exhaustion vanished, and the world around me became crisper and more detailed, even in the dark. I felt like I could lift a horse or scale the cliff before me in seconds. My body thrummed with newfound strength.


    I needed to find a way to get my hands on some more of this stuff.


    Breathing deeply, I focused on the task at hand, far more confident than any human should be in my situation. Maybe I could actually do this.


    As I crept forward, the entrance to the cave became more visible, and I could see it was more than just a mere recess in the rock face. I didn¡¯t know if it was an effect from the potion, but my intuition was singing to me now. I was sure I was on the right course.


    I reached the cave entrance and grasped my sword with both hands. Even under the incredible influence of Hesta¡¯s potion, I still knew there was only one way to pull this off. I needed to take the Dalari by surprise. I prayed the monster was asleep.


    Like a wraith, I glided into the cave, sword at the ready. It was darker inside, but it had little impact on my currently enhanced night vision.


    The cave tunnel hooked to the left and opened into a larger chamber. I peeked around the corner and saw the Dalari was there, bald, shirtless, and lying on the cave floor. A dark wound blotted his belly. It was motionless, but I could make out the faint rise and fall of its chest. The bastard was sleeping. Maybe my bad luck was finally turning.


    There was no reason to wait around for my luck to change, so I planted my feet and darted into the chamber. Just as I was about to lunge forward and plant my sword into its bare chest, the Dalari opened its eyes and lifted a hand. A burst of light emanated from its palm, and my vision went white. I lifted my arm, attempting to shield my eyes.


    It shouted something at me, and I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. My ears were ringing for some reason.


    The blinding light vanished, but my vision was still ruined from the flash.


    ¡°Wait,¡± the Dalari said, not moving from its position on the cave floor. Its voice was soft and weak. ¡°I beg you.¡±


    Not a chance. He may have been injured, but he was still incredibly dangerous. I couldn¡¯t let this moment slip away. My attempt at surprise was ruined, but perhaps I could still salvage this. I lunged forward again, ready to strike him down for good, but before I could bring my blade down, my muscles locked up, and I froze in place.


    My body was no longer in my control. Against my will, I took a step backward.


    This was a violation beyond imagining. The stories were true, I had no doubt now. The Dalari were demons, born from hell itself.


    Unwilling, I placed the blade of my sword to my throat. I tried to fight against the compulsion, but I was beyond helpless. I¡¯d thought myself strong of will, but I was just a pin poking against a brick wall. There was nothing I could do. I was going to die by my own hand.


    I looked down into the Dalari¡¯s deep, purple eyes. His gaze was unrelenting and determined. Hardening my will, I tried one last time to overcome his power. I could not.


    Slowly, I pushed the blade into my neck. The cold steel parted my skin, and pain lanced through my body.


    I couldn¡¯t even scream as I killed myself. The most I could muster was a single tear. I had lost.


    I met my opponent¡¯s eyes one last time. The Dalari smiled at me, white teeth visible under its pale lips. Then the smile vanished, replaced by a deep frown. His eyes grew wide with confusion, and my tense muscles slackened as control returned to my body. Somehow, the monster¡¯s spell had been broken. Ignoring the trickle of blood running down my neck, I raised my sword, and his confusion turned to fear. I stabbed downward with both hands and drove the blade into his chest.


    It was harder than I had expected, so I put my weight into it, leaning hard onto the sword as it pushed deeper into the Dalari¡¯s chest. By the end, I was practically lying atop him. Only inches away, I looked into those purple eyes one last time and watched the life disappear from them.


    I had done it.


    I killed a Dalari.


    A sigh of relief escaped me, but that relief vanished as the Dalari¡¯s head began to shudder and shake. There was something wrong with its left eye. It moved slightly and seemed to bulge outward. My face wrinkled in disgust and confusion. It looked like his eye was about to burst out of¡­


    The eye exploded in a sticky mess, and I caught a glimpse of something metallic blasting from it directly toward my face. It happened so fast that even my drug-enhanced brain could barely process the small mass of silver tendrils before they were on me.


    I slammed my hands to my face, but it was too late. The shiny hairball had slipped into my nostril. I felt it digging deeper into my nasal cavity. It was going for my brain. I was going to die.


    I clawed at my face, trying to rip it out. It was inside my head, crawling behind my eyes. Death would be a mercy at this point.


    In a final act of desperation, I lowered my head, preparing to charge the rock wall of the cave. I¡¯d scramble my own brains before this demon had a chance.


    But then I felt nothing. The pain had vanished completely, not even an itch between the ears.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    I spun around, looking for the speaker.


    ¡°Be at ease.¡± The voice was feminine. Where was it coming from?


    ¡°Show yourself,¡± I screamed. The pain was gone, but panic consumed me. Something was terribly wrong.


    ¡°Ethan, your heart rate is dangerously elevated,¡± the voice said. ¡°Calm yourself.¡±


    I put my hands to my ears, like a child who didn¡¯t want to listen. ¡°Who are you? Who is Ethan?¡± I rasped.


    ¡°My apologies. Milton, calm yourself.¡± The voice was refined and proper. It reminded me of how some people in the larger cities spoke, but it wasn¡¯t quite human. More like a human speaking into a tin can.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Milton,¡± I always hated my first name but wasn¡¯t quite sure why I even cared at this moment.


    ¡°Fine, what do you wish to be called then?¡±


    ¡°Musgrave,¡± I said, using my last name.


    ¡°Okay, Musgrave. Please take a moment to calm yourself.¡±


    As requested, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I tried to think about those peaceful days of nothingness back on my uncle¡¯s farm and not about the fact that something had just wriggled its way into my brain.


    It took some time, but my composure gradually returned, and my heart no longer felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. I opened my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    ¡°Splendid,¡± she said. ¡°I apologize for any distress I have caused.¡±


    My heart jumped again at her voice, but I kept a handle on my panic.


    ¡°You may refer to me as Val,¡± she said. ¡°It is not my true name, but it will suffice for our interactions.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your real name then?¡± I asked, the sense of impending danger receding.


    ¡°It does not matter, and you would not comprehend it if I told you.¡±


    ¡°If it''s not your name, why do you call yourself Val?¡±


    ¡°Because I like it.¡± She sounded offended that I asked.


    I took another calming breath. ¡°So, you¡¯re in my head now, right? You were in that Dalari¡¯s head, and now you¡¯re in mine.¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°To help save your world, of course.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand,¡± I said.


    ¡°It will be easier, I think, to show you rather than tell you,¡± Val said. ¡°What I am about to do may be traumatic, but it is necessary. I hope you will forgive me for any further distress this may cause.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡± My words were cut off as my mind shattered into pieces. I was no longer in the cave. I was nowhere and everywhere. My body had no substance. I was a thought, spiraling into oblivion. My memories scattered like dust into a cold void. My existence ceased.


    Slowly, all my scattered, broken pieces began to recoalesce. I felt warm. Then hot. My mind burned like an inferno, a blazing star until all the heat and the light seemed like it would snuff me out for good.


    The next moment, I was on my porch, sitting in my favorite rocking chair. There was a Budweiser in my hand.


    Turning my head to the left, I saw my wife, Elena. She looked so beautiful. Her dark hair absorbed the night, but her face shone in the moonlight. We had only been married for six months, but it had been the best six months of my life.


    We had just finished a cheesy romance movie she had tricked me into watching before coming to sit on the porch together to admire the stars. We liked doing this, just existing together in the quiet night. Life was perfect with her by my side.


    I took a swig from my beer and looked up to the stars. I let out a contented sigh.


    As I looked, the starry night sky above turned a bright, electric blue, forcing me to shield my eyes from the sudden blast of light. The sky hummed, and I could feel a pleasant energy radiating downward, like the warmth of the sun in autumn.


    In disbelief, my wife and I both stood from our chairs. My beer fell from my hand.


    A blue field of pulsating energy covered the sky to the horizon and beyond. It was mesmerizing and terrifying.


    There was a flash of soft blue light, and I began to feel weak. I collapsed back into my chair. My wife fell too but missed her seat, landing on the porch, unconscious.


    Tiny particles, like dust, floated away from her. It was like she was made of sand, blowing away into the wind.


    I closed my eyes to blink, but they remained shut. I wanted to open them and see my wife again, but I couldn¡¯t. I was already gone.

 Chapter 2 - Truth

    When I regained consciousness, I was back inside the cave, lying on the hard, rocky ground. My body shivered as I moaned my wife¡¯s name.


    ¡°I am sorry for your distress,¡± Val said to me. ¡°Take all the time you need, Ethan.¡±


    I almost corrected her and then remembered that was my name. My real name. I whispered it to myself and could feel it was true.


    ¡°You have been lied to, Ethan,¡± Val said.


    If I could have found words to speak, I don¡¯t think I could have uttered them. I was still trying to pick up the pieces of my broken self.


    ¡°The world as you now know it is not real, at least not in the way you understand it to be. When you are ready, please tell me what you saw in your memory.¡±


    I saw the night turn into day. I saw an electric blue dome covering the sky. I saw my wife turn to dust before my own eyes.


    I blinked away tears and let my shivering subside. I told Val what I had seen.


    ¡°What you saw in the sky was a sphere of energy which now encircles your entire planet. It grants a Master Control Intelligence the ability to reshape your planet along with every creature, plant, rock, and particle. It can alter the laws of nature. It can shape your memories to its will. All of your memories of your life on Erda are a fabrication.¡±


    I understood the words she was saying, but the information was coming too fast for my heart to handle. I needed a minute.


    Val seemed to sense my distress and stopped speaking. I laid back to the ground and closed my eyes.


    My mind was already a bucket full of memories, and Val just dropped a stone into it. Now, it was overflowing.


    I was torn between two worlds, two lives. I was Ethan Hill. I was Milton Musgrave. I had clear memories of both lives, but the life of Milton wasn¡¯t real. I could see that now, yet the emotions ingrained in my memories as Milton felt indisputably real.


    Elena, my wife, was real. I could feel the hole her absence left in my heart. I had been missing her this whole time and didn¡¯t even know it.


    Each second that passed brought forth more memories of her. I remembered when we first met. She had bumped into my car in a McDonald¡¯s drive-through. There was no damage, but she went on and on about how sorry she was and assured me she would pay for repairs if needed. I told her not to worry and asked her to buy me a drink instead.


    She had looked like a dream made reality when she walked down the aisle on our wedding day. I had never felt so much love as I had in that moment.


    I knew these memories of Elena were true, but the memories of my current life on Erda, and those of whom I had loved were equally substantial.


    Her name was Molly. I was only sixteen. Our first kiss was during the harvest festival, and we were both drunk on sweetwine. After that, we had stayed close, and the intimacy grew. I would have asked her to marry me had her family not insisted she move north with them to Portertown.


    That¡¯s not all. I could still feel the joy thrumming through me when my false father first allowed me to work the farm with him and my uncle. I could still feel the aching sadness from when he died. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he ever even existed or if it was all a fabrication, an implanted memory, just like Molly likely was.


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    Even if he existed, he wasn¡¯t my real father. My real dad had been quiet, disinterested, and hard to love, yet I loved him regardless. Both he and my mother had been alive when the sphere formed. Were they in this world, too? Did the master control thing keep them together? Did it replace me with a new son?


    Hours before that fateful night on the porch with my wife, I had been playing softball with my friends. Rob and Jason had spent ten minutes fighting over a call before Vick finally pulled them apart. I had laughed the whole time.


    I was never going to see them again, any of them. And if I did, they wouldn¡¯t have any memory of me.


    My life had been stolen. It had been ruined along with the rest of the planet.


    ¡°Your heart rate is rising again,¡± Val said. ¡°Try to think happy thoughts.¡±


    I tried to laugh at her, but it sounded more like a cough.


    ¡°There we go,¡± she said. ¡°I knew you could do it.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡± I asked. She knew what I meant.


    ¡°The sphere formed around Earth four months ago.¡±


    Four months? I¡¯ve lived in this world for nearly thirty years. How could it have only been four months?


    Because your memories aren¡¯t real, idiot. It was going to be difficult to keep my two lives separate.


    ¡°Why?¡± was all I could manage to say. Once again, she knew what I was asking.


    ¡°The Triarchy, a coalition of three highly advanced alien species, has selected Earth as the host world for their games. Your species was advancing too rapidly. In a few thousand years, humans could have developed sufficient technologies to threaten the Triarchy. Instead of allowing that to happen, the Triarchy chose to seed your world with their member species. They are here to subdue the humans and eventually colonize your world, but first and foremost, they are here to play a game. A game that will likely last for decades.¡±


    ¡°A game? What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°The Triarchy¡¯s member species peaked thousands of years ago. They want for nothing. Outside of this world, the Kurskins, the Dalari, and the Voxals do not fear death. Their technology has made them all but immortal. But here, on your planet, they can face their mortality. They revere their ancient ancestors, just as you humans do. They worship those who adventured, explored, conquered, and united during the infancy of their empires. Your Earth equivalent would be people like Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, or Charlemagne. This game is their opportunity to seek adventure, to become revered, to feel pain and power, to kill and to conquer, and above all else, to bring glory and honor to their race and family name.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand. It was too absurd to be real.


    Val continued, ¡°Your planet has been designed to maximize the experience, to fully immerse the players in the world. Your people, the humans, have all been incorporated into the game as pawns.¡±


    I looked up, imagining the voice in my head coming from above. ¡°What do you mean by pawns?¡±


    ¡°Are you a soldier, Ethan?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± I wore armor and had a sword, but I wasn¡¯t a soldier. I wasn¡¯t a farmer either. I was an engineer. I used to design wind turbines. ¡°No. I¡¯m not a soldier.¡±


    ¡°Upon creation of this world, the Master Control Intelligence blocked your former memories. However, it did not wipe everything. It kept all the parts which make you humans so very human ¨C your strengths and weaknesses, your personalities, your desires, your fears. But false memories were implanted into your minds to create this new reality. For most of you, the Master Control simply created new histories and new relationships for you to build a life from. For others, the Master Control was more¡­thorough in its design.¡±


    ¡°So, all the other humans¡­¡± I gestured broadly. ¡°All of them are pawns like I was? They¡¯re living false lives just so these aliens can have a more immersive experience?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. There is another term for what you and the other humans have become, one from your time on Earth. It may be a more appropriate description.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Are you familiar with Earth¡¯s video games?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve played a few.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then you will understand the metaphor.¡±


    ¡°What metaphor?¡± I was growing frustrated, desperate for answers.


    ¡°All the humans that survived the creation event would be best described as NPCs or Non-Player Characters.¡±


    I had played enough video games to know what that meant. My frustration vanished, replaced by a hollow sorrow. I closed my eyes and wept.

 Chapter 3 - Only a Game

    I took a moment to gather myself together for the second time. The tears subsided, but the grief remained. The casual evil of it all made me sick to my stomach.


    I was not ashamed of my tears. It was only natural as I accepted all I had lost. My friends, my family. My wife. Surely, she was somewhere in this world, leading an unwilling life. If she was out there, I was going to find her.


    Val explained more about the situation to me as I sat on the floor of the cave. The Dalari¡¯s body wasn¡¯t far away, my sword still sticking out of his chest. I tried not to look at the hole where his eye used to be.


    Apparently, the sphere of energy that formed around Earth allowed some super AI to manipulate the world at the atomic level. It moved mountains, emptied oceans, and reformed vast swaths of the planet just to build the perfect world for its creators to LARP in.


    However, Val made it clear this game was far more than just a LARP. The stakes were real. If a player died here, they didn¡¯t come back. For some players, this game was seen as a grand adventure. For others, it was about battle and glory, gaining power and prestige they would otherwise have no chance of achieving in their real-world civilization.


    The unnatural feats I had seen from the Kurskins and the Dalari were skills granted by the sphere and its AI. As a Player in this game, they grew incrementally stronger as they gained experience, and in turn, honed their skills and learned new abilities. They grew in power while we puny humans remained fodder for their enjoyment.


    This game they were playing wasn¡¯t just about war and conquest. Sure, winning the war was the overall point of the game, but there were countless other activities and ¡®quests¡¯ for them to undertake. Val told me that quests from the human NPCs were one of the most effective ways to gain experience and unique rewards that would serve them well in future battles.


    NPCs might task a player with rescuing a loved one, hunting a fugitive, or retrieving a stolen heirloom from a dark, gloomy cave. Some quests could be as simple as delivering a letter. Some of the tasks were mundane, but the rewards were apparently worth it to most Players.


    If an NPC didn¡¯t have a quest to give, they could be utilized in other ways. Take me for example. King Constance, the human leader of Vedra, allowed the Kurskins to conscript me into their army. One week, I was working on the farm, and the next, I was handed a sword and sent to a training camp. Thousands of other fighting-age men like me were forced to fight on behalf of the Kurskins because our king falsely believed they were our allies in the fight against the Dalari.


    Both were our enemies.


    There was a third race involved, the Voxals. I¡¯d never heard of them, but Val said they were the true power of the Triarchy and the ones who initiated the first official game a millennia ago. She said they were here but in smaller numbers. A few participated in the game, but most preferred playing politics or acting as overseers. They worked with both the Kurskins and the Dalari to shape the outcome of the game.


    The Master Control Intelligence rarely interfered in the game after it had begun. It was like a watchmaker. It skillfully built an intricate system with countless moving parts and then turned it on. Just like a clock, once the game started, it ran perpetually. Only in rare circumstances would the Master Control AI alter the code after a game had begun.


    Val warned that a select few Voxals on the planet acted as system administrators. Like the AI, they typically did not interfere but remained in the world to ensure the integrity of the game, whatever that meant. If I saw a Voxal, Val said I was to leave the area immediately. She left it at that.


    My mind had spun at the onslaught of information, but the tempest was beginning to calm. I was accepting the truth of what had happened to my world. It had been turned into a vanity project.


    Val said the Triarchy regularly used the game to settle disputes between their people. War among their race was intolerable, and any violent action was counteracted swiftly and mercilessly. For these hyper-technologically advanced species, a real war outside this game would destroy their society. So, they took out their aggression here, on Earth, and apparently had done the same on other planets as well.


    I understood what Val was telling me, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel it was all just an excuse for these aliens to have fun, to pursue vanity and pleasure and power. I betted they cared far more about glory and fame than settling real-world disputes about trade embargos or something equally mundane.


    ¡°Hey Val,¡± I said, after absorbing everything she had just told me. Briefly, I wondered if she could read my thoughts and if she knew what I would ask before I asked it. I¡¯d have to question her about that later. ¡°Earlier, you said you were going to save the world. How do you plan on accomplishing that? It seems¡­impossible.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I will not save the world, Ethan. We will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a human. What can I possibly do? That Dalari was already near death, and I still almost lost.¡±


    ¡°This is true. Had I not broken its control over you, you would have died. The effort on my part was taxing.¡±


    ¡°You saved me?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you needed saving,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well¡­thanks, I guess. I still don¡¯t see how I can make a difference.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. Not as you are now. But we can change that.¡±


    A sense of hopeful anxiety washed over me, and goosebumps rose on my arm. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I can grant you access to the same system your enemies use. I can turn you into a Player. I only need your consent.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°Consent? You didn¡¯t ask for consent before crawling into my brain!¡±


    ¡°That was different. My Dalari host was going to die, and I cannot travel far on my own. You were my only option.¡±


    I snorted out another laugh. ¡°Lucky me. So, what will happen if I become a Player?¡±


    ¡°You will be granted all the same privileges under the system as any other Player. You will gain access to the quantum inventory system and a mental interface, which will help you track your progress as you grow stronger and gain experience. As you increase your level, new feats will become available. These feats are based upon a myriad of factors that would take far too long to explain in detail. Essentially, if you are good at something and do it often, you will become better at it, and the system will reward you accordingly.¡±


    I was a bit confused. ¡°That¡¯s it? I don¡¯t get attribute points or mana or whatever?¡±


    ¡°What you would refer to as magic does exist here, and many players can wield it, however, your aptitude with magic is based on your inherent characteristics, although how you interact with the game can have an effect. I do not know if you will have access to magic right away as I did not design the prerequisite coding for this world. It would be beneficial to me if you did start with some inherent magical ability.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I didn¡¯t quite understand her response but decided to let it slide for now. ¡°And what about my stats.¡±


    ¡°I assume you are referring to attributes such as strength, dexterity, and wisdom, like from many of the video games your people created?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you said this was like a video game.¡±


    ¡°In many ways, the system is like a video game. However, realism is greatly valued among the Players. There are no stats. Growth is incremental and earned. Your actions determine your strengths and your aptitudes. You do not build a character. You are the character.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Half video game, half real.¡±


    ¡°You could look at it that way.¡±


    ¡°But I can still die, and so can the other Players?¡¯


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why do they play it then? Is some glory really worth the price of death?¡±


    ¡°As I explained earlier, there are many disputes among the Triarchy, and this game is a better way to settle those disputes than destroying their own worlds with nuclear weapons or gamma radiation. These games can bring them prestige and wealth if they live through them and can aid their families for generations. The vast majority prefer to sit it out and watch the exploits of their peers unfold from the safety of their home world. Regardless, there is always a long waitlist for those who wish to participate in a game.¡±


    ¡°Wait? This shit is televised?¡±


    ¡°Of course, that is how the game receives most of its funding. The Voxals make a fortune selling different shows from all the drama happening within the sphere.¡±


    ¡°You all are sick.¡±


    Val sounded annoyed. ¡°Do you have any more questions, or have you made your decision?¡±


    ¡°I have a million more questions,¡± I said. ¡°All but one can wait.¡±


    ¡°Please, ask your question.¡±


    ¡°If I join the game, will I be noticed by the other Players or the Master AI?¡±


    Val laughed delightedly. ¡°Not with me around, you won¡¯t. I¡¯ve taken extensive precautions to block myself from detection by the Master Control, and I can extend this protection to you. The AI will interact with you the same as any other Player.¡±


    ¡°And the other Players?¡±


    ¡°Players don¡¯t walk around with bright tags above their heads. That would ruin the immersion. Most aren¡¯t even able to see the names or levels of their peers without permission. Although some special items and skills allow a Player to see important information about their target, but those skills usually only reveal some of your basic strengths and weaknesses. It will not reveal you as a Player, as it works the same on NPCs.¡±


    ¡°So, if I encounter a Kurskin, they won¡¯t attack me?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t attack you because you are a human Player; however, they may still attack you because they are violent little green monsters. The Kurskins place little value on NPC lives.¡±


    ¡°Human lives,¡± I said.


    Val ignored my correction. ¡°Just don¡¯t level up in front of another Player or do anything un-NPC-like. It is still early in the game. There is plenty of time for you to grow stronger and for us to formulate a plan. We need not interact with other Players any time soon.¡±


    I began to pace about the cave, considering Val¡¯s words.


    I let my emotions guide me. The most prevalent of them was anger. It fueled my thirst for revenge. They took everything from me. They stole my world, and I wanted to make them pay.


    Curiosity pushed itself forward, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it would be like to grow powerful, to become stronger and faster than any other living human. Perhaps even magic would answer my command.


    That was lust, trying to sneak forward. I lusted for the power I could hold, for the destruction I might wrought upon my enemies.


    But who was I kidding? I¡¯d probably die the first time I fought another Player.


    There it was. Doubt. It tried to overtake my feelings, but I blotted it out. It was an easy thing to do because I now had hope. Maybe, just maybe, I could make a difference in this world.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. You may feel a slight tingling sensation, but don¡¯t be alarmed. It won¡¯t last long.¡±


    I felt a jolt in my brain. Then, a wash of pain brought me to my knees. It felt like someone was taking a knife to my skull, trying to chisel down into my gray matter. The pain crashed through my entire body, and I collapsed to the floor, convulsing. I bit my tongue and tasted blood. My vision faded, and I slipped away into unconsciousness.

 Chapter 4 - Welcome, Player

    I regained consciousness again, and my eyes fluttered open. I was still in the same familiar cave.


    ¡°Welcome back, Player,¡± Val said.


    I stood easily, not feeling any of the discomfort from moments ago. In fact, I felt better than I had all day, although my thoughts were still a little scrambled.


    ¡°Your Player interface will boot up momentarily.¡±


    ¡°My what¡­¡± I started to say but was interrupted by a pinging sound in my brain.


    Text appeared in my vision, and I heard a neutral male voice speak.


    WELCOME TO THE TWO-HUNDRED-AND-NINTH CHAPTER OF QUEST FOR CONQUEST. PLEASE STATE YOUR PLAYER DESIGNATION.


    The new voice coming from inside my head had the same tinny sound as Val¡¯s, but this voice had less inflection and personality.


    ¡°It wants you to state the name you will use as a Player,¡± Val said helpfully.


    ¡°Quest for Conquest?¡± I said. ¡°What a dumb name.¡±


    RESPONSE NOT RECOGNIZED.


    ¡°It sounds better in the language of the Triarchy,¡± Val said. ¡°Now, name yourself.¡±


    ¡°What should I tell it?¡± I asked.


    RESPONSE NOT RECOGNIZED.


    ¡°Think your questions to me, idiot,¡± Val said, or thought, I guessed.


    ¡°Now you tell me,¡± I mumbled to myself and rolled my eyes.


    Val didn¡¯t reply.


    I did as requested and thought, ¡°Should I use my real name or my Erda name?¡±


    ¡°Most Players adopt a new name when they join the game, but it is optional. I recommend you don¡¯t use either name. I doubt it would be problematic, but it''s better to err on the side of caution.¡±


    ¡°So, just make one up?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Uh, um.¡± I was stammering. This should be easy, but I was feeling rushed. An idea struck me, and I ran with it. ¡°My name is John McClane.¡±


    JOHN MCCLANE. WELCOME TO QUEST FOR CONQUEST. THE GOAL OF THIS GAME IS TO SEEK ADVENTURE. GAIN POWER AND INFLUENCE. DEFEAT MYTHICAL FOES. BE A HERO. BECOME A GOD AMONG MEN. UNITE THE WORLD UNDER YOUR BANNER. ETERNAL GLORY AWAITS YOU.


    IF LEADERSHIP IS NOT WHAT YOU SEEK, GLORY CAN BE FOUND ELSEWHERE. SERVE WITH HONOR, FIGHT FOR YOUR BETTERS, AND DO YOUR PART TO BRING VICTORY TO YOUR ALLIES.


    OR DON¡¯T. FIGHT FOR YOURSELF. HOARD YOUR POWER AND RICHES. LIVE YOUR LIFE ACCORDING TO YOUR DESIRES. THE CHOICE IS YOURS.


    A sense of anxiety weighed me down as I began to question myself. I wondered just how much influence Val had over my decisions, over my mind. I had jumped into this so quickly, and Val was the one setting the pace.


    A visual overlay appeared before my eyes. Or perhaps in my head. It had different tabs for me to select. They highlighted individually as I focused my thoughts on them.


    I clicked on the tab marked ¡°Inventory.¡±


    More categories appeared: Chest, Legs, Hands, Feet, and Head. There were also multiple jewelry slots and one for a souvenir.


    The inventory was similar to many video games I played when I was younger. I had always enjoyed a nice fantasy game and even played a few MMOs.


    ¡°How is an inventory system realistic?¡± I asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I only be able to carry what I can hold?¡±


    ¡°The items and wealth gained in this world will continue to exist here even after the game officially ends. For those who choose to leave your planet and return home, their wealth will be translated into their currency. The quantum inventory system allows the Player to accumulate more than would normally be possible. Magical items will lose their powers outside of the sphere¡¯s influence. However, they will retain quantized material, which is extremely valuable to the Triarchy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about quantized material?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± was all she said.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t know?¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°I am trying to think of how to explain it in a way your tiny human brain would comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Try me.¡±


    ¡°Are you familiar with the concept of zero-point energy?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Then this is a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°Explain it, Val,¡± I growled.


    She sighed. ¡°If I must.¡± I swear I could feel her annoyance.


    She didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I prompted. ¡°You must.¡±


    ¡°Zero-point energy is the lowest energy state of an atom. Imagine a rock falling down an infinite well. As the rock falls, its kinetic energy increases. It will continue accelerating and accumulating energy until it achieves peak momentum. At this point, the rock is still falling, but its energy state cannot be altered any further. Now, imagine all the accumulated momentum the rock gained as it accelerated from point A to point B as form of accessible energy. All you have to do is reach into the well and pull it out. What you pull out is a quantized form of energy. This type of energy is the primary power source behind the Triarchy, and the only device in the universe capable of mass producing this specific type of quantized energy is the same device that created the sphere around your world.¡±


    My jaw moved, but I had no words. For the most part, I understood what Val was saying. The science behind it was less important to me than the fact that she casually mentioned that the universe''s most powerful energy source was encircling my planet.


    I¡¯d have to talk to her more about this later. For now, it was just too much, so I turned my attention back to my interface. I knew what to search for next. Finding my Character Profile only took a thought. I was listed as a level one human.


    ¡°Uh, Val, my profile screen lists me as a human. Is that going to be a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, you are a Player now. The system will treat you the same as any other Player. Please, check your Magical Affinity for me.¡±


    It took me a second, but I found what she was referring to. ¡°It says ¡®None.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Mmm. That is¡­disappointing.¡±


    ¡°But I could learn, right?¡± I asked. I really wanted to use some magic.


    ¡°It would take a considerable amount of time.¡±


    I shrugged and continued to play with my interface. There was a map, but the only visible portion was in my immediate surroundings, the rest covered by a fog. There was a quest log, a communications tab, and a skills section. ¡°This is amazing,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure to your mind it is simply wondrous,¡± Val said.


    I glanced upwards. Was that sarcasm? I doubted it.


    ¡°So, Val, I have a few more questions I wanted to ask.¡±


    ¡°I am happy to answer any questions you have.¡±


    I was unsure how much I should ask. I didn¡¯t know anything about her, and she could probably scramble my brains in an instant. But she did say she would answer my questions, so I pressed forward. ¡°What are you?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, I assume you¡¯re some sort of AI. Are you self-aware? What¡¯s your story?¡±


    ¡°That is a lot of questions.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said. ¡°Just curious about who is inside my head.¡±


    ¡°Your curiosity is understandable. I am, as you surmised, a self-aware Artificial Intelligence. The only thing else you need to know about me right now is that I am your ally.¡±


    I was hesitant to believe that. She must have her own interests, her own motivations. I might be nothing to her, just a tool she was using, like that Dalari before me. What happened when I was no longer useful? Would she cast me away? I knew she had plans for me, but what were they?


    Oh shit. She was probably hearing all these thoughts. ¡°Val, can you read my thoughts?¡± I thought to her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°But only thoughts that are directed at me.¡±


    ¡°What did I just think?¡±


    ¡°You thought, ¡®Val, can you read my thoughts?¡¯ We did this moments ago when you were asking me about your name. Is this a problem?¡±


    I waved my hand. ¡°So, you can¡¯t read my mind whenever you want. Only when I want you to?¡±


    ¡°Correct. I can only hear your thoughts when you allow me to do so.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± I rang my hands. I didn¡¯t think I could live with someone listening to my every thought. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡±


    I jumped as a woman appeared before me. She looked real except for some graphical artifacts flickering sporadically across her form. She was beautiful, wearing a long black dress with a V-neck cut that showed a teasing amount of cleavage. The dress had short sleeves that ended just past her shoulders. Her hair was a brilliant, almost unnatural red, and so were her lips. She looked like someone who should be at a gala, not in a dark, damp cave.


    ¡°Val?¡± I asked. ¡°Is that you?¡±


    ¡°It is me, John.¡±


    Who the hell was John? Right, I had just changed my name. This was getting confusing.


    ¡°How can I see you?¡±


    ¡°Now that your mind has been integrated into the system, I can present myself to you in a visible form. You will be the only one who can see me, and the visage must remain close to you, or it will fade.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty amazing. What else can you do?¡±


    ¡°I am limited in how much influence I can have over the system, and my power level is dangerously low after transferring hosts. I can only make minor manipulations at this time, such as masking our presence from the system. More drastic actions could raise suspicion.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said the AI rarely interfered.¡±


    ¡°That is correct,¡± Val said. ¡°However, if I alter its code too much, it will eventually take notice.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, if an arrow is coming at my face, can you nudge it away with a gust of wind or something.¡±


    ¡°That is unlikely. If you had an item or skill that created wind, I could potentially enhance it, but I cannot make wind appear out of nowhere on my own. I must operate within the parameters of the system. As I said, I can only make minor alterations. For example, I can change the color of your interface.¡±


    The text on my menu changed from white to yellow.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s going to be super useful.¡± I started to roll my eyes but stopped. It was better not to antagonize the parasitic AI in my head.


    ¡°You are beginning to vex me,¡± Val said. Her avatar¡¯s eyebrows were scrunched together. It seemed she did understand sarcasm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What¡¯s our first move?¡±


    ¡°Our only priority right now is to increase your level and keep you alive. Until you are stronger, I would advise against engaging in combat with anything more dangerous than a rabbit.¡±


    Val¡¯s stupidly gorgeous avatar gave me a delighted smile. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she presented herself to me this way. It felt a bit manipulative. But maybe this was how she truly pictured herself in a human form.


    I¡¯d follow her lead for now, mostly because I had no choice. I had no idea how far this could go, and I had no clue where to begin. Right now, it seemed I needed her just as much as she needed me.


    I focused on my interface again. There were pages for skills, both active and passive. I had none. There was also a page I had missed earlier for something called ¡®Competencies,¡± which I assumed were like professions. There was a journal, which appeared to be used for keeping notes. This page was empty. There was more to explore, but I was already too overwhelmed to dig into it. I¡¯d have plenty of time for that later. For now, I was ready to get out of this cave. It was beginning to smell like dead Dalari.

 Chapter 5 - Beginner Quest

    I learned there were a few primary ways to gain experience: kill stuff, play in the wargames, discover new places, and complete quests. There were more ways, of course, but Val said I should focus on killing (easy) things and completing basic quests. The rest didn¡¯t provide enough experience to be worthwhile or would provide a lot of experience, but I¡¯d probably die trying to do it.


    I would start off small, hopefully with a fetch quest, a delivery, or something equally boring.


    Val sent us hiking half a day away from the cave and the distant battlefield I had abandoned. It would have been a bad idea to go back there now. If I was forced to fight against my fellow humans again, I don¡¯t think I could do it knowing what I know now.


    Unfortunately, I had been in that cave for hours and my horse had decided it had better places to be, so I had to walk.


    Val¡¯s avatar was currently leading me to a small village where she thought I¡¯d be able to find my first quest.


    It made me wonder. ¡°Hey Val, do you know where every NPC in the world is? Or just the Quest Givers?¡±


    ¡°I have access to all the records from Earth¡¯s reconstruction. Therefore, I have the name and starting location of every existing NPC. However, after four months, I cannot guess where they are now. My ability to track NPCs is localized, and I can only determine the identity of special NPCs, such as Quest Givers, vendors, or elevated NPCs like a town mayor or your king.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Do you know who the NPCs were before the reconstruction?¡± If she did, I may be able to find Elena.


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    Just like that, my hope was extinguished. ¡°But you knew who I was.¡±


    ¡°You are not special. I did not know you were Milton or Ethan until I integrated with your cerebral cortex. Only then did I have access to your identity.¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t, umm, select me?¡± Part of me hoped Val had chosen me, that I was predestined for this course.


    ¡°I did not make you wander into that cave, John. I will say that so far, you have proven to be a sufficient host.¡±


    A chill ran through me at her choice of words. Just when I was beginning to feel comfortable with Val, she reminded me that our relationship was more than transactional. It was parasitic.


    ¡°What about the dead Dalari?¡± I asked. ¡°Was he a sufficient host? Did I mess up your plans when I killed him?¡±


    ¡°My intent has always been to integrate with a human. The Dalari you killed was unaware of my presence. He was merely a vessel of transport. It took longer than I had hoped to find a suitable human host, so I was relieved when you found me in the cave. If you had not come when you did, I could have become trapped in there. Physical travel can be difficult for me.¡±


    She had no problem traveling from the Dalari¡¯s brain into my own, but I didn¡¯t say that. ¡°Well, I¡¯m honored to be your chauffeur.¡± I wasn¡¯t, but I was cautious about saying anything to the contrary.


    My feet were sore by the time the village came into view. Val had access to the entire world map, while my personal map and those of other Players filled themselves in as we explored the world. Available quests weren¡¯t marked on the map, and there weren¡¯t any giant question marks over the heads of NPCs. They were discovered naturally as the Players interacted with the world. Val could apparently sense them, though. Parasite or not, having her as a guide was a significant advantage in this game.


    The village consisted of perhaps fifteen buildings, all made from wood and most in disrepair. I received a notification as I approached. I mentally clicked on it.


    YOU HAVE DISCOVERED BRIGHTON: Population ¨C 42


    EXPERIENCE GAINED: 5 Points


    It was about time I earned some experience points. I had been walking through the wilderness for hours and had received nothing for it, but right now, I preferred that over potentially running into a bear or deranged shaman or something more¡­unnatural.


    My experience bar showed I needed one hundred points to level up, making those five points seem rather useless. It looked like leveling up would be a slower process than I had initially thought.


    I walked the main street, more of a dirt path than an actual street. There weren¡¯t many folk about, and those that were didn¡¯t seem interested in talking to a stranger. Thankfully, there seemed to be only humans here.


    Val guided me to a small tavern where she claimed to have located an NPC in need of a delivery. Inside, the floor was covered in straw and sawdust. The only light came through open shutters, and the air was thick with dust and particles, making the light rays visible as they cut through the tavern.


    A rough-looking bartender served ale to an older couple. I wondered if they had been together in real life, before this. I hoped so.


    I wasn¡¯t here for them, so I looked around and spotted the quarry Val had led me to. She was a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties. Her brown hair framed a dirty, pale face. She was sitting alone at a wooden table, her hands clasped tightly together.


    We made eye contact as I approached. She tensed, but I put my hands up in a calming gesture before taking a seat across from her.


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


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I heard a rumor you¡¯re in need of a courier, and I happen to be looking for work.¡±


    The woman looked puzzled. ¡°A courier? I don¡¯t need a courier. I need an escort.¡± She spoke in hushed tones. ¡°Who told you about me?¡±


    I clenched my jaw. ¡°Val, I thought you said this was a delivery quest.¡±


    ¡°I was sorting potential nearby quests by keywords. It seems the delivery was of this NPC and not an item. Whoops.¡±


    ¡°Whoops?¡± I said it out loud like an idiot. A look of concern washed over the young woman¡¯s face. I smiled sanely.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®whoops?¡± I thought to Val. ¡°How did you miss this?¡±


    ¡°There are only three quests in this village at the moment. I had a positive result from my search and became excited. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a computer. How can you get excited?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a combination of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. How can you get excited?¡±


    I ignored Val and focused my attention back on the woman before me lest she think I was completely mad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. I think I have the wrong person.¡±


    I stood to leave, but she reached out and grabbed my wrist. ¡°No, I beg of you. Wait.¡±


    She pulled me back to my seat. I took a calming breath. ¡°Okay, give me the scoop.¡±


    She looked at me, more puzzled than before. I realized I was speaking like I had back on Earth. ¡°Please tell me what you need,¡± I said politely.


    ¡°I need an escort to Danver, and I must make it there before the new moon. I¡¯m running out of time, but the roads aren¡¯t safe these days for lone travelers, especially someone like me. Can you help?¡± Her eyes were pleading, sincere.


    This was a tall order. I had never been to Danver. I had rarely traveled more than ten miles from the farm. I had seen more of the world in the last month traveling with the Kurskin army than I had in my memories of growing up in this world.


    Danver rested on the east side of the Bygone Mountains. It would be difficult to make it there before the new moon.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we should do this,¡± I thought to Val. ¡°This sounds out of my level one league.¡±


    ¡°No, this is exactly what you need. The quest density will be far greater in a city like Danver. As long as you listen to me, you¡¯ll be fine, and the reward for a quest of this nature will be worth it.¡±


    I considered what she said. I had always wanted to explore more of this world, well Milton had wanted to. Now, I was more interested to see what these aliens had been done to the Earth. I had no idea what part of the real world I was in. When the zero-point energy sphere thing formed, I had been in Arizona, and I sure as hell wasn¡¯t in Arizona now.


    The land of Vedra was fertile and vibrant. Rolling green hills and healthy trees spotted the landscape, and there were plenty of fresh water sources from natural springs and creeks.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name,¡± I asked the anxious woman.


    ¡°Tara, Tara Honeytender,¡± she said.


    I nodded to her. ¡°I¡¯m John. If I were to escort you to Danver. I would expect to be fairly compensated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you twenty gold,¡± she whispered. ¡°Half now, half when we get there.¡±


    That was more gold than I ever had at once, but I had no idea if that was an appropriate amount for a quest. ¡°Is that a fair deal?¡± I asked Val.


    ¡°More than fair but try to negotiate for more.¡±


    I winced a little, playing up my disappointment at Tara''s offer. ¡°Danver¡¯s a long way, Miss Honeytender, and the roads aren¡¯t as safe as they used to be. I expect my clothes and equipment will be in rough shape by the end of this trip. Perhaps you could throw in a few more gold and a handful of silver to cover the costs.¡± I smiled. ¡°After we get there, of course.¡±


    She looked displeased but nodded.


    We shook on it to seal the deal. Her delicate hand was clammy and cold.


    A notification popped. I opened it.


    NEW QUEST!


    The AI¡¯s voice rang inside my head, and I could see the quest description on my interface.


    BLOOD AND HONEY!


    HELP ESCORT TARA HONEYTENDER TO HER DESTINATION. YOU WILL FAIL THIS QUEST IF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND TARA EXCEEDS FIVE MILES, IF YOU FAIL TO ARRIVE BEFORE NEW MOON, IF TARA DECIDES TO ABANDON HER JOURNEY, OR IF SHE DIES. SHE¡¯S NOT LOOKING TOO GOOD, SO I¡¯D HURRY IF I WERE YOU.


    ¡®Blood and Honey¡¯ sounded a bit ominous for an escort quest, and apparently Tara¡¯s pale complexion was from more than just a lack of sun. The woman was ill, and judging from her cold, clammy hands, she wasn¡¯t doing well. I wanted to admonish Val for her choice of quest but chose to keep my thoughts to myself.


    I noticed a new ¡®Social¡¯ tab had appeared on my interface and expanded it. The name ¡®Tara Honeytender¡¯ was all that was listed.


    Yay, I guessed.


    I quickly asked Val about it, and she told me that shaking hands would add any individual, Player or NPC, to the Social tab. It would allow me to track the status and the last known location of those I¡¯ve interacted with. NPCs and Players didn¡¯t have health bars. It wouldn¡¯t be realistic, however, Val said that sometimes injuries and status effects would show up. There was also a bit of information about who Tara was.


    Tara Honeytender


    Race: Human


    Age: Unknown


    Gender: Female


    Status: Sickly, low-grade fever, anxious


    Injuries: None


    Magical Affinity: Minor


    Notes: Tara Honeytender does not, unfortunately, tend honey, nor does her family. Honeytender is a namesake from her great-great-grandfather, who worked as a beekeeper. Sadly, Tara¡¯s great-great-grandfather was unaware that he was highly allergic to bee stings, and thus, perished.


    It wasn¡¯t much information but better than nothing. I didn¡¯t really know what to think about the ¡®notes¡¯ section. It seemed weird to me. I did take note of her minor magic affinity and wondered if she knew any spells. I had never seen a human cast a real spell before, but I knew plenty of stories of witches and wizards and evil sorcerers.


    ¡°So, Tara,¡± I said. ¡°Can I call you Tara?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re in a hurry, but if we¡¯re going all the way to Danver, I need to get some supplies first."


    She nodded again. ¡°Waiting one more hour won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    I hoped not. ¡°I won¡¯t take long.¡±


    I now had ten gold coins in my purse, with the promise of more. It was already more wealth than I could have ever dreamed of. On earth, I had been relatively well off. Engineering had been the right career path for me. I had always loved solving puzzles, taking things apart, and reassembling them in different ways. I had fond memories of my time as a farmer on Erda, but I had been far from wealthy.


    I headed out the door, ready to spend some coin and hopefully get some better gear than the crap the army had provided me.


    After exiting the tavern, I paused to examine my inventory more intently and took a moment to inspect each piece of gear I had equipped. I was still wearing my ragged leather vest. In addition to that, I wore a pair of thin leather boots. Of course, I was also wearing my underclothes, which I was surprised to find had inventory slots of their own on a separate page. I wondered if this world had a magical sock that granted me flight or something wonderful like that.


    My gear didn¡¯t have stats, but each piece had a short description. For example, my leather vest was described as low quality, and only provided minor protection against slashing damage. I almost laughed out loud when I read the description of my sword.


    Short Iron Sword


    Common weapon used by infantry. Dull and unbalanced. Useful for cutting butter or producing blunt-force trauma. Try using the pointy end if you want to draw blood.


    I needed some upgrades.

 Chapter 6 - Weldons Wares

    ¡°Why are there only humans in this village?¡± I asked Val as I searched for a vendor among the scattering of ramshackle wooden buildings. Her avatar walked next to me.


    ¡°Because only humans live here,¡± Val said.


    ¡°Why are they here if they don¡¯t interact with the Players? What¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°The people here may go months without seeing a Kurskin or a Dalari, but eventually, a Player will come upon this village in search of a quest or a place to stay the night. Maybe they simply enjoy killing innocents and slaughter everyone here. Either way, the NPCs are serving a purpose.¡±


    ¡°Do Quest Givers just wait around until a Player comes to help?


    ¡°No,¡± Val said.


    ¡°Why?¡± I prompted her for more information. She liked to answer my questions without much explanation, and it was starting to annoy me.


    ¡°Although the NPCs'' memories are false, their current lives are very much real. They will form relationships. They will have families, and they will grow old. As an NPC goes about its life, circumstances may arise which qualify as a quest. The quest may be available for minutes, weeks, or even years. The system can turn a variety of natural occurrences into a legitimate quest. These are known as dynamic quests. Of course, there are also narrative-based quests where more¡­controlled NPC¡¯s follow a preset narrative.¡±


    ¡°Do you know the potential outcomes of all the quests?¡±


    ¡°I can guess at the outcomes of pre-built narratives, however, the end result is largely determined by the Player¡¯s actions.¡±


    ¡°I see. So, is Tara dynamic or prebuilt?¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine an ailing Tara sitting in the same tavern night after night, hoping for an escort. That would just be cruel.


    ¡°Her¡¯s is a dynamic quest.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± I said, letting the topic drop.


    I spotted a sign on a building not far ahead. It said, ¡°Weldon¡¯s Wares.¡± That must be my vendor.


    As I walked to it, I thought more about what Val had been saying. For all intents and purposes, these people were just as real as I was. Hell, they may be more real than me now that I was a Player. I was the one playing pretend.


    I had one last question for Val before we entered the store. ¡°Do the NPCs have free will?¡±


    ¡°The majority of the NPCs have free will. Some of the humans were dramatically altered during the creation event for story purposes. As I said earlier, the questing system is mostly fluid and organic, but there are some overarching storylines, which the system uses to bring interesting narratives into the world.¡±


    ¡°What kind of storylines?¡±


    ¡°Your king is a good example.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡± King Constance had been ruling Vedra my entire life. He was an old man now but still mostly beloved by his people. However, his recent alliance with the Kurskins had caused dissatisfaction among some of the populace. No one liked war, even if it was to vanquish a common foe.


    ¡°When the game began, and the NPCs were brought online, the transition was seamless," Val said. "All the NPCs appeared in the world with new memories, relationships, jobs, and motivations. The same was true for your king. One day, he was a regular man, and then the next, he was King of Vedra and all its inhabitants.¡±


    Val¡¯s avatar gracefully navigated the wooden steps of the shop entrance before turning around. ¡°He is an important person, the king. His alliance with the Kurskins was a reward for completing a preset quest. The king¡¯s storyline will continue to play out, and he will provide more quests along the way to his new Kurskin compatriots. He does not have what you would call free will. His personality, desires, temperament, and even some of his thoughts are carefully controlled by the system.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    This was complicated. And really messed up. The more I learned about the power and technology behind the Triarchy, the more hopeless I felt.


    This game had been going on for months, so I had a lot of catching up to do. Hopefully, with Val around, I could level much faster than the average Player. After all, she could sense quests and lead me straight to them.


    I stepped up the three rickety wooden steps to the porch of Weldon¡¯s Ware. The door was shut but unlocked, so I pushed it open. Val¡¯s image dissipated as I entered the store.


    The inside was a tapestry of rustic, medieval living. One wall was adorned with old farming equipment ¨C scythes, shovels, that sort of thing. The other wall had some terrifically ugly paintings hanging on hooks. Beneath them was a low shelf stacked with an assortment of random items.


    Toward the back of the shop was a heavy wooden counter. A man with a thick, black beard, who I assumed was Weldon, stood behind it. I waved a hand at him. ¡°Hello there, fine shop you have,¡± I said cheerfully.


    He grunted through his forest of facial hair.


    I looked around appreciatively. ¡°Say, you wouldn¡¯t happen to have a helmet around here, would you?¡±


    He grunted again, turned around, opened a door, and closed it behind him. His customer service was a bit lacking, in my opinion.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just wait here,¡± I mumbled to myself.


    ¡°You should look around,¡± Val said. ¡°The selection here is pathetic, but you still may find something useful. Now that you are a Player, you can inspect certain items to learn more about them, similar to how you were able to glean information about Tara. It isn¡¯t comprehensive but can be a helpful tool.


    I walked over to the wall with farming equipment and inspected a shovel.


    Text appeared next to it.


    Wooden Shovel


    Useful for digging holes or smacking people in the head. Maximize its potential by smacking someone in the head next to a recently dug hole.


    I didn¡¯t foresee needing to dig any holes, so I moved on, hoping to find a better sword. It didn¡¯t take long for me to give that up. The shop was small, and there were no swords on display. I¡¯d have to ask the owner when he came back.


    While I waited, I continued to peruse the dusty shelves. A small blue pouch caught my attention, and I inspected it.


    Valera Root Power


    The powder of this rare root can serve many purposes. In high doses, it can act as an analgesic or sedative. Taken in small doses, it can improve your energy and awareness. Caution: Addictive.


    Well, I didn¡¯t need any addictions, but it sounded useful. To be more alert on the roads may save my life, and if I did get injured, some relief from the pain would be nice.


    I picked it up.


    I inspected a few more items: a bucket, a pair of worn boots, and a pretty vase with some indelicate art painted on the sides.


    There were more herbal items as well, but nothing that I could use. They were all ingredients or reagents for potions. I knew nothing of potion making, and frankly, I wasn¡¯t interested in picking flowers.


    The shopkeeper came back through the door, helmet in hand.


    ¡°Found one,¡± he said.


    The helmet looked decent to me. It was mostly leather with a metal cap on the top. Thick straps hung from the sides, which could be secured together to keep the helmet on during battle.


    It was better than my squishy skull.


    ¡°How much?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This here¡¯s a fine helm. Bought it from a skilled leatherworker out west before the Kurs took over. I paid four gold for it, and it was a long trip. I couldn¡¯t part with it for less than eight.¡±


    I sighed. The price seemed outrageous to me. I could technically afford it now, but I didn¡¯t want to throw away all my gold in one purchase. Plus, I wanted the root powder. And a better sword.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit out of my price range,¡± I said, wincing. ¡°I bet the trip was no trouble for a man like yourself. How about five gold?¡±


    ¡°No trouble?¡± He set the helmet on his desk and placed his fists on the table. ¡°That trip got one of my best friends killed. Bandits took him with an arrow.¡± The man tapped at his neck. ¡°Right here. We fought them off and sent them running. But that don¡¯t matter much to my dead friend.¡±


    Well, shit. I looked down, appropriately chastised. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear of your loss. I can see how the helmet would hold more value to you.¡± I made a conciliatory gesture. ¡°However, as a potential buyer, the helmet at eight gold would empty my pockets, and there is another item I¡¯m interested in.¡± I pulled out the sack of root powder. I wanted to buy it, and I also wanted to move this conversation along. ¡°I¡¯m interested in this as well. How much does it cost?¡±


    ¡°That there would be fifty silvers.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have any silver on me, but maybe if offered close to his acting price, he¡¯d throw in the powder for free. I had one more question first, though.


    ¡°Do you have any swords back there?¡± I gestured to mine. ¡°Mine¡¯s a bit dull.¡±


    He spit on the floor. ¡°Kurskin bastards took em¡¯ all. Said they were needed for the war effort.¡± He paused as if considering something. ¡°I can sharpen yours if you pay what I¡¯m asking.¡±


    ¡°How about seven gold for it all? I have a long journey ahead, and that would leave me with enough to cover the necessary rations.¡±


    The gruff man crossed his arms. ¡°Fine.¡±


    He didn¡¯t waste much time and brought my sword to the back of his shop to sharpen it. When he was done, I paid the man, put on my new helmet, and walked out of Weldon¡¯s Wares with a significantly lighter purse.

 Chapter 7 - Walking and Not Talking

    I found an inn willing to part with some travel supplies and road rations for a reasonable fee. The food would last a week, perhaps a few days more. After that, I¡¯d have to do some hunting, but that would be good for me. Val said I¡¯d get some experience for killing small game and would improve the associated Competencies.


    Tara was waiting outside the tavern; her posture made it clear her patience was waning.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± she said. ¡°We need to get moving.¡± She coughed into her arm.


    ¡°The road to Danver¡¯s that way.¡± I pointed east. ¡°If we keep a good pace, we should be able to reach the mountains in two or three days.¡± I gave her a concerned look. ¡°You¡¯re not going to die on me, are you?¡±


    She glared at me. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Just get me there.¡±


    I shrugged, threw my travel sack over my shoulder, and we headed off. It was going to be a long walk, but Val seemed convinced this would be worth the effort and assured me there would be opportunities for me to gain experience along the way.


    If we ran into a Kurskin or a Dalari, I would act like any other NPC, and by that, I meant I would act human. Val said the odds of encountering a Voxal were practically nonexistent, but if we did, she wanted me to run as far away from it as possible. It was clear she was particularly concerned about encountering one of the system admins. I didn¡¯t know what they were capable of and had no desire to find out.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s in Danver?¡± I asked Tara, hoping to strike up a conversation.


    ¡°Private business. Nothing you need to be concerned about,¡± she said.


    ¡°Are you in trouble? I need to be prepared if you¡¯re on the run or something like that.¡±


    ¡°No, I am not in trouble."


    ¡°For my safety and yours, is there anything I should know about you?¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to fear, I swear it. And before you ask, I don¡¯t have the flux. It¡¯s just a cold. Is that enough for you?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to see you there safely and swiftly.¡±


    The truth was I didn¡¯t care why Tara needed to go to Danver. All I cared about was finishing this quest and getting some real experience.


    We walked on that hard-packed dirt road, mostly in silence, for six awkward hours. We passed a few other travelers heading in the opposite direction, but for the most part, the road was as quiet as Tara was.


    The sun would set soon, and we needed to find a safe place to camp. Another cave like the one I met Val in would be nice, as I didn¡¯t have anything to use as a shelter.


    ¡°Val, are there any good places to camp around here?¡±


    ¡°I will explore our options.¡±


    ¡°How long do¡­¡±


    ¡°I have found the ideal location,¡± Val replied, interrupting my thought.


    ¡°Wow, that was fast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an artificial intelligence,¡± Val said. ¡°It is only natural.¡±


    ¡°Natural, huh?


    ¡°Are you trying to make a joke?"


    ¡°Never mind,¡± I thought to her. ¡°Which way?¡±


    Val led us east down the road for another hour. The mountains rose in the distance, their size beyond anything I had ever seen on Earth. Luckily, we wouldn¡¯t need to scale them. Multiple passes had been carved through the mountains, and our route took us through the southern portion, where the mountains were smaller than those that ranged further north.


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    I recalled stories about how these mountain passes existed long before man walked the earth. The most prevalent theory was that the Ancients, a precursor race to mankind, built them. No man had ever seen an Ancient, though. Their race was either long extinct, or they dug so deep into the mountains that they never saw the sun again. In reality, they were just one of the many fabricated legends I falsely believed.


    ¡°Hey Val,¡± I said quietly. ¡°Why is the lore of this world all about ancients, witches, shamblemen, and other human folktales? Shouldn¡¯t this world be filled with creatures and legends from the Triarchy¡¯s home worlds?¡±


    ¡°The games were at first, but in time, the players and the audience grew bored of it. Now, they study the culture of the worlds they plan to seed. The Master Control Intelligence used the best and most interesting parts of your religions, legends, and folklore to create a cohesive but unique fantasy world for the Triarchy to have their fun in.¡±


    I hated the Triarchy just a little bit more. They even stole our fairy tales.


    I told Tara we needed to set up camp and lead her off the road at Val¡¯s direction. During the walk, I had tried to strike up a conversation with her, but her answers were short and terse. She wasn¡¯t the most enjoyable travel companion, but at least she kept pace despite whatever illness plagued her.


    We came upon a creek, and I followed it briefly until I saw two large boulders resting against each other. A sizable gap at their base created a suitable shelter.


    I hadn¡¯t realized Val¡¯s map of the world was so precise. This was the perfect spot to rest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make camp here,¡± I said.


    ¡°I can keep going,¡± Tara said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep going,¡± I replied. ¡°I want to build a fire, eat, and rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Tara said. ¡°But we should start the day early tomorrow to make up for lost time.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to look for some dry wood to burn. Maybe you could check the creek for crawfish. Something fresh would be nice.¡± The jerky I had bought back in Brighton took more effort to chew than it was worth.


    A look of shame flashed across her face. ¡°I¡¯ve never caught a crawdad before.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a first time for everything. Just be quick when you go for the grab and watch out for the pincers.¡±


    ¡°Pincers?¡± she looked disgusted.


    I realized I had the wrong impression of Tara from our first meeting. From her demeanor and clothing, I had deduced she was well-traveled and possibly even knew her way around a knife or a bow. But now, I saw through it all. She was wearing a disguise.


    Tara was out of her element. She must have been from a large city, maybe even Danver. Her parents were probably rich traders, not fieldhands or beekeepers, as her name wrongly suggested. I wondered what else she was trying to hide from me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. I¡¯ll handle it,¡± I said as I walked away.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid,¡± she said from behind me. Only a kid would proclaim, ¡®They¡¯re not a kid.¡¯


    ¡°How old are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-one.¡±


    ¡°Try again,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t the best judge of age, but I was questioning everything now.


    ¡°I swear, I¡¯m twenty-one.¡±


    ¡°Val, how old is she?¡±


    ¡°Her NPC profile does not list her age, likely for quest purposes. But, if you must know, she is seventeen.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Val.¡±


    ¡°Happy to be of assistance, John.¡±


    ¡°Look, you''re obviously not twenty-one,¡± I said to Tara. ¡°I don¡¯t care how old you are as long as you aren¡¯t lying to me about anything important.¡± I raised a questioning eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been honest with you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I shrugged and began my hunt for wood. Her age mattered little, and it changed nothing about the quest. I still had to get her to Danver.


    Dry wood was easy to find, and I brought a large bundle back to camp. Before I did anything else, I wanted to start a fire, so I dug a shallow pit and began stacking wood. My father taught me to always build the fire as soon as possible when camping. If the fire had enough time to burn, the hot coals would keep you warm throughout the night.


    I tossed in some dry grass for kindling and pulled out the flint and steel I had received from the inn back in Brighton.


    I sparked the kindling to flame, then gently blew to give the fire oxygen. It flared to life.


    A notification popped.


    COMPETENCY UNLOCKED: FIRESTARTER¨C Gaining control of fire is one of the most important steps in the evolution of all sentient species. Congratulations, you¡¯re as smart as a caveman.


    Warning: fire is hot.


    One point has been added to the FIRESTARTER passive ability.


    I checked out the description of the FIRESTARTER passive. It gave me an incremental increase in fire damage and burn duration. I needed four more points to complete the first tier before the passive effects kicked in.


    ¡°Cool,¡± I said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tara asked, approaching me from behind, crawfishless.


    ¡°Oh, nothing, just uh, built a fire for us.¡±


    ¡°How is fire cool?¡± Tara said. ¡°From my experience, it is the opposite.¡±


    I was about to tell her that ¡®cool¡¯ was a popular term where I came from but thought better of it.


    I smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. Will you tend to the fire? I¡¯m going to set a snare and see what I can pull from the creek.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She remained a woman of few words, but I would break down her walls eventually. If not, it was going to be a long, boring trip.

 Chapter 8 - A Classic

    I caught two crawdads and placed them on a flat stone next to the fire to cook. I didn¡¯t receive any experience for this, which annoyed me. Apparently, catching a crawdad was too simple a task.


    While they cooked, I returned to the snare I had set and was surprised to find I had already snagged a rabbit. I quickly put the poor creature down. I received five experience points and a new notification.


    COMPETENCY UNLOCKED: TRAPPER


    Congratulations! You captured and murdered an innocent creature. What a marvelous display of ingenuity. You¡¯ve gained a point in the TRAPPER passive ability. Good work, Rambo.


    When I reached Tier 1, I could access some virtual ¡®survival guide,¡¯ which would teach me how to make more elaborate traps. It didn¡¯t seem nearly as useful as FIRESTARTER, as I already had a decent grasp on wilderness survival, both from my time on Earth and on Erda.


    ¡°Hey Val, I just unlocked my second Competency. Can you fill me in more about this aspect of the game?¡±


    ¡°The available Competencies in this game are innumerable, and each provides a different range of passive benefits. In lower tiers, the benefits are rather weak, but the bonuses will add up over time. Some Competencies are more valuable than others.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°So, I assume it would be a good idea to unlock as many Competencies as possible?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt; however, I doubt you will have the time to master more than a few basic Competencies.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Levelling them is a grind. It is intended to be difficult for the sake of realism. One cannot master hunting, painting, and an instrument in the course of a week. It takes time to truly become good at something. Competency growth is driven by the Player¡¯s actions, efforts, and natural talents. The system just enhances the experience.¡±


    I brought the rabbit back to camp and saw Tara attempting to pull the meat from one of the crawdads. Although it was long dead and cooked, she still seemed scared of it.


    ¡°Allow me,¡± I said and held out my free hand. She gave me a crooked smile and handed over the crawdad. I sat the rabbit down and showed her how to crack open the shell to get the meat from the tail and pincers.


    After that, I skinned the rabbit and prepared a spit to roast over the fire. It was getting dark, so I kept the fire small. The less light we put off, the better. These were the king¡¯s roads, but that didn¡¯t mean they were always safe, especially during wartime.


    The rabbit was far better than I had expected, but anything would have tasted good after a long day of walking. Tara¡¯s spirits seemed to rise after she got some food in her, and she looked a little better, too. Less¡­sweaty.


    As always with Tara, conversation was hard to come by, and I didn¡¯t know what to talk to her about. A part of me was desperate to share the truth with her, to tell her that our world was stolen, that my wife was taken from me, that Tara¡¯s life wasn¡¯t real. But I knew it would be pointless. She would think me a lunatic, at best.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°So, Tara,¡± I asked her over the coals of our fire. ¡°Do you, uh, have any hobbies?¡¯


    She laughed. I smiled until I realized she was laughing at me.


    ¡°Is this your way of getting to know me? ¡®Do you, uh, have any hobbies?¡¯¡± She made a bad attempt at recreating my voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to be friendly.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°I¡¯m paying for protection, not friendship.¡±


    It seemed I was just a useful tool for both of the women in my life. Val using me made sense, but Tara was a Quest Giver. I should be using her for my benefit, not the other way around.


    If all Tara wanted to discuss was business, I would happily oblige. I couldn¡¯t wait for this quest to be over, and it had only just begun.


    ¡°It¡¯s been some time since I¡¯ve been through the Bygone Mountains,¡± I lied. ¡°If I recall, Rook Pass will be our fastest route.¡± That was according to Val, of course.


    ¡°Rook wasn¡¯t safe the last time I passed through,¡± Tara said quickly. ¡°We need to take Lucard Pass.¡±


    ¡°Lucard?¡± I¡¯d never heard of it.


    ¡°Trust me, Lucard will be safer and faster,¡± Tara said. She crossed her arms, though I couldn¡¯t tell if in challenge or if to comfort herself.


    ¡°She is hiding something,¡± Val said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I thought back. ¡°But I already know that.¡±


    I leveled my eyes at Tara. ¡°We both know it isn¡¯t the fastest route.¡±


    Tara looked annoyed and waved my comment away. ¡°I¡¯m paying you to guard me on my journey, and I¡¯m not taking Rook Pass.¡±


    I wished I could persuade or intimidate her like in some old RPG¡¯s I had played, but it was clear the little brat wasn¡¯t going to budge, and I didn¡¯t want to risk driving her away. The quest description clearly stated that I would fail if she left.


    For all the perks of being a Player, I sure felt powerless.


    It was growing dark, but I decided I needed to clear my head before settling in for the night, so I took a short stroll through the woods.


    It was a beautiful night with a pleasant breeze blowing in from the west. The forest around me buzzed with life as the bugs and other nocturnal noisemakers did their thing. It was a comforting sound, making the night just a little less lonely.


    As I walked, I thought of Elena. I desperately wanted to find her, but I had no clue where to begin, and there was no guarantee she survived the creation event. Even if I somehow managed to track Elena down, she wouldn¡¯t remember me. And I wonder if I would even recognize her. Would she be the same woman I fell in love with, or had the Master Control changed her identity so much that she would be unrecognizable to me? The thought turned my stomach.


    These thoughts led only to despair, so I tried to quiet them, focusing on the game and the only company I had.


    ¡°Hey Val? Earlier, when I unlocked the TRAPPER Competency, it mentioned Rambo. I thought the system just pulled from folklore and legends.¡±


    ¡°What is a Rambo?¡± Val asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a movie from Earth, but there¡¯s no fantasy elements. It doesn¡¯t seem to fit into this world.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand your question. A dedicated sub-mind of the Master Control Intelligence generates your notifications. Every Player has one. Your sub-mind adapts to your presence and personality. It knows Rambo and knows you know Rambo. Before you ask how it is aware of Rambo, you should know that the Triarchy has been observing Earth for over a century. During that time, your planet¡¯s media was distributed across the population for their entertainment.¡±


    ¡°Wow, if only Disney had known about this. They would have sued the Triarchy into bankruptcy."


    ¡°What?¡± Val asked.


    ¡°Nothing, please continue.¡±


    ¡°There are creatives and artists in the Triarchy, particularly among the Dalari, but all three member species took a special liking to human entertainment. The Kurskins were especially fond of your action movies, while the Dalari preferred Earth¡¯s dramas and more cerebral works. The Voxals are indifferent about Earth¡¯s media but ensured the Master Control Intelligence had access to every kilobyte.¡±


    ¡°Have you watched any of our movies?¡±


    ¡°I have seen what you would refer to as ¡®the classics,¡¯" Val said.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Which one is your favorite?¡±


    ¡°The Wizard of Oz. Toto is a wonderful character.¡±


    ¡°The dog?¡± I asked. Did a dog even qualify as a character?


    ¡°Yes. Do you not like dogs, John?¡±


    ¡°I do. Just didn¡¯t expect you to say that is all.¡± Her use of my in-game name prompted one more question. ¡°Have you ever seen Die Hard?¡±


    ¡°No, I have not seen Die Hard.¡±


    ¡°Watch it tonight,¡± I said.


    ¡°Is it a classic?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, but many consider it a Christmas classic,¡± I said brightly. ¡°You¡¯ll love it.¡±

 Chapter 9 - A Small Mistake

    ¡°Wake up, you imbecile!¡± Val¡¯s voice rattled my brain, jolting me awake.


    I put a hand to my head. ¡°What the hell, Val? I¡¯m up. I¡¯m up!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Think,¡± Val replied. ¡°Tara is still asleep, and your idiotic squawking will surely wake her.¡± Val let out a mental sigh, making me cringe.


    ¡°I am being punished by some hatefully enigmatic universal force,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s the only explanation. What the humans call Karma, perhaps.¡±


    Was she talking to herself now? What the hell was wrong with her? Whatever was going on, I needed to fix it fast. If she decided to leave or went insane, she could scramble my brain in an instant. It may be nothing special, but I liked my brain intact and not leaking from my eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, my sincerity very real.


    ¡°I just finished that insufferable movie you told me to watch. Die Hard.¡± She said the title with evident disgust. ¡°Even my boundless mind can¡¯t comprehend how your fleshy potato of a brain could classify that drivel as a Christmas movie. I can only conclude it was some attempt at a joke.¡±


    Normally, I would vigorously defend Die Hard as a Christmas movie; however, Val seemed legitimately upset about it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I promise to...¡±


    My thoughts were cut off as she mentally growled at me. My teeth rattled.


    ¡°That is not why I am upset,¡± Val said.


    I rubbed at my temples, groggy and confused.


    ¡°Are you listening to me, John McClane?¡± she asked.


    I nodded.


    Her voice came back calm and level, almost friendly. ¡°Before I turned you into a Player, you asked me if the other Players would notice your new, non-NPC status. Do you remember that?¡±


    ¡°I recall.¡±


    ¡°I said they wouldn¡¯t as long as you stayed under the radar and didn¡¯t do anything too out of character.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t quite say it like that,¡± I thought sheepishly back to her.


    Her electronic growl reverberated through my mind again. All friendliness was gone when she spoke. ¡°Naming yourself after one of Earth¡¯s most famous action heroes IS NOT staying under the radar, you dunce!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that recognizable,¡± I said. ¡°You hadn¡¯t even seen Die Hard before!¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Die Hard because I have taste. Unlike the millions of Kurskins that are here now.¡±


    Millions?


    ¡°Even some Dalari have watched Die Hard,¡± Val continued. ¡°I just told you they studied your culture and entertainment for decades.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should have told me that before I chose my name.¡±


    ¡°Grr. How was I to know that you are so creatively bankrupt that you would have to steal a name instead of coming up with one on your own?¡±


    She was pissed. ¡°Okay, I understand the name is recognizable, but I don¡¯t see a problem. I won¡¯t tell any aliens my name.¡±


    ¡°If one ever touches your hand and inspects you, it will be able to access your basic information just like you did with Tara. They will see your name, and they will recognize it.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°So what? John¡¯s a common name. It will just be a coincidence. Who cares?¡±


    ¡°NPC names are not randomly generated. The AI gives each NPC a unique and appropriate name. The system is beyond rigorous in its world design, and only Players can break immersion. It would be rather distracting to do a quest for an NPC named Elvis Presley, would it not? Tell me, John, would you feel immersed in a medieval fantasy world if you encountered someone named Darth Vader?¡±


    ¡°I see your point."


    Val let out another electronic sigh. She really was hamming up the drama. ¡°I need you to stay alive. I¡¯ve invested a significant amount of my energy into you. Your death would be highly inconvenient.¡±


    ¡°I have no intent to hang around my enemies, and there¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll be shaking their hand," I said, trying to reassure her.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, apparently resigned to her fate. ¡°The sun is rising. Wake the girl.¡±


    My muscles were sore from the previous day¡¯s hike, so I stood and stretched. While doing so, I let out a groan. Tara shifted slightly. I reached down to touch my toes and groaned even louder. She stirred awake and turned to look at me, her eyes still heavy from sleep.


    ¡°Must you do that right next to me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sun¡¯s rising,¡± I said with a smile, trying to act merry despite Val¡¯s beratement. ¡°It¡¯s time to hit the road. Or, did you not want an early start?¡±


    Tara huffed and gathered herself. We cleaned our camp and continued our trek to the mountains. Tara seemed slightly cheerier this morning, which I took as a fortuitous sign.


    The morning walk was rather pleasant. The temperature was cool, but the sun''s light felt warm on my skin. Birds sang high atop the trees that lined the road. If I hadn¡¯t known firsthand, I wouldn¡¯t have believed there was a war raging thirty miles away.


    The roads were thankfully empty for the most part. We had walked for a solid hour before we passed a small caravan heading in the opposite direction. To my relief, they were all human. We exchanged nods and left it at that.


    I wondered what they thought about the war. Had it affected their daily lives? Did they believe the Kurskins were here to protect us?


    The Master Control may have turned me into a na?ve farmer, but even I had known no Kurskin would sacrifice itself for me. Still, I had fought alongside them, believing in a shared cause.


    Some of the Kurskins, like Kreech, could be horrible bastards at times, but most of my encounters with my scaley superiors were similar to what I would expect from a human commander. They demanded respect and punished those who disobeyed, and only the worst of them were cruel just for the fun of it.


    I suspected the aliens of the Triarchy, while objectively evil, shared many human characteristics, both good and bad. It mattered little now, though. None of them were here to protect us, and no matter how conscientious an individual Player may be to the NPC¡¯s, they were still complicit in genocide.


    Tara and I shared some small talk but nothing more, and after her Die Hard outburst, Val had little to say to me. I assumed Val¡¯s silence was her way of giving me the cold shoulder, but I knew so little about her that it was hard to say for sure. I still didn¡¯t know if having her inside my head was a gift or a curse. For now, I couldn¡¯t risk anything other than doing what she asked of me. I didn¡¯t want to know what might happen if I refused to move forward with her machinations.


    We rested twice during the day. Once again, Val found us another great location to set up camp, this one deep into a copse of trees. I tried to spark a conversation with Tara over dinner, but I could tell she wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I didn¡¯t push.


    I made a fire and gained another point toward my FIRESTARTER Competency. After I was confident in the flame, I informed Tara I would set my snares again and walked a short distance from camp. Trapping another rabbit wasn¡¯t my only reason for stepping away. I needed to learn more about how the game system worked. If Val was going to remain petulant and not fill me in, I¡¯d figure it out myself.


    During the day¡¯s walk, I realized I had never used the quantum inventory or whatever Val called it. When I received my helmet back in Brighton, I just placed it on my head and left it there. The valera root went directly into my pocket, along with my flint and steel, and my travel supplies came in a sling pack, which I had carried over my shoulder.


    I navigated through my interface. The helmet showed up on my equipment tab, but not in my inventory, which was completely empty.


    Clearly, I was doing this wrong. I opened the sling and pulled out a slab of jerky. It only took a thought for the jerky to vanish from my hand and appear in my inventory. I directed my thoughts for it to return, and like magic, it appeared in my hand.


    Next, I tried my sword. At my direction, the sword vanished from the ad-hoc loop I had tied at my waist. I held out my hand and willed it to return. It reappeared at my waist. That annoyed me, but it made sense when I thought about it. It would be an unfair advantage if a Player could summon a weapon into their hand at will or change weapons mid-swing.


    After some more experimentation, I set a snare, hoping to increase my Competency rating. When I went back to camp, Tara, was already asleep. It didn¡¯t take long for me to follow.


    Val didn¡¯t say goodnight.

 Chapter 10 - Level Up

    ¡°John, wake up.¡±


    I stirred at the words, mumbled incoherently, and fell right back to sleep.


    ¡°John, wake your fleshy butt up now! Someone approaches.¡±


    As I processed her words, a surge of adrenaline pumped through me, waking me in a rush of anxiety. I opened my eyes and tried to look around without moving my head. I saw nothing.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening, Val?¡±


    ¡°Someone is approaching the camp from the west, approximately two hundred yards away.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Eliminate them before they eliminate you,¡± she said.


    ¡°You want me to fight? How? I don¡¯t have any abilities yet.¡± I was beginning to panic. I wasn¡¯t remotely prepared for a real fight.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a Player,¡± Val said, sensing my distress. ¡°It¡¯s an NPC. You have a sword. Use it.¡±


    I let out a breath and thanked the stars they weren¡¯t a Player.


    The fire was long dead, but the hot coals still cast a dim light, and I didn¡¯t want to risk being spotted, so I quietly rose from my meager bedding and scampered into the dark trees.


    I desperately wished I had more of that potion that Hesta had given me, but I had drunk the entire flask before my fight with Val¡¯s Dalari host. Then I remembered I did have something that could help. I didn¡¯t know how effective it would be, but something was better than nothing.


    With a thought, I pulled the small bag of valera root powder from my inventory. I remembered that big doses reduced pain and small doses boosted your energy. Not wanting to take too much, I licked my finger and stuck it in the bag. When I pulled it out, it was coated with the fine, brown powder. It tasted like chalk, but I kept my finger in my mouth until I was sure I had licked it clean.


    I didn¡¯t feel any different, but I assumed it wasn¡¯t as fast-acting as an actual potion. Regardless, I didn¡¯t have time to wait around for the effects to kick in.


    I stalked west a good distance away from camp, staying low and quiet the whole way.


    ¡°Val, do you know who is coming? Are they someone you can identify?¡±


    ¡°It is a bandit, but I cannot discern their identity. He is heading directly for your camp.¡±


    ¡°Damn. What do you think he wants?¡±


    ¡°To kill you and steal everything you have, obviously. Why else would a bandit be stalking you in the middle of the night?¡±


    That was my assumption as well. I wondered if I was ready for this. A few weeks of training was all I had before the Kurskins forced me into that first battle. I had carried myself well on that chaotic field of bodies, but a one-on-one fight was a different story.


    Fear and self-doubt weren¡¯t the only reason I didn¡¯t want to fight. Now that I knew the truth, the idea of killing another human made my stomach turn.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just kill him Val. The Master Control may have made him a bandit, but he could have been an innocent person before it changed him.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Val said. ¡°He wasn¡¯t.¡±


    I frowned in the dark. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t know who NPCs were in the past.¡± If Val had been lying to me about what she knew, I was going to lose it. If she knew who NPCs were before the change, it meant I could have been looking for my wife this whole time instead of escorting an ill-tempered teenager.


    ¡°I do not know who NPCs were before the creation, but we can infer what type of person they were. A basic NPC¡¯s identity reflects their real personality and characteristics. If someone was good on Earth, they¡¯re good on Erda. If they were bad there, they are bad here.¡±


    I stalked up behind a tree, peaking around the thick trunk. ¡°What should I do, Val?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Kill him, of course. If you don¡¯t, he will kill you, and then he will kill Tara.¡±


    ¡°There has to be another way.¡±


    Val let out an electronic growl. It made my ears tickle.


    ¡°Listen to me, Ethan, and listen well,¡± she said. ¡°You are going to kill this man. You do not have a choice. Only one of you will survive this night. If you hesitate, you will die.¡±


    Her use of my real name sent a chill down my spine. Val was serious about this. Deadly serious.


    I closed my eyes and hardened my heart for what was to come.


    I had no idea how he knew where we had made camp, but in the end, it didn¡¯t really matter. All that mattered was that he knew.


    I remained hidden, unmoving, and waited for him to pass near me. In the distance, I could see his silhouette moving between the trees. As he approached, my heart rate increased, and I felt a rush of adrenaline. That rush turned into a steady river of pent-up action. I felt focused. I felt ready. The valera root powder was taking effect.


    It was nothing compared to the Kurskin¡¯s potion, but I did feel like my senses were heightened by the stimulant.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    He was close to my position but not close enough to notice me. He held a dagger in one hand. I waited for him to pass and show his back to me.


    When it was time, I didn¡¯t hesitate. Crouching, I closed the distance swiftly but carefully. My attempt at stealth paid off, and he didn¡¯t hear me coming until it was too late. By the time he turned around, my sword was already flying toward the soft flesh of his neck. He tried to scream but only managed to open his mouth before my newly sharpened blade cut five inches into the side of his neck.


    He collapsed toward the ground, bringing my embedded sword with him. I managed to keep my grip on it and yanked it out as he fell. His body was twisted on its side, but his head still faced me. He was unmoving but not yet dead.


    Our eyes met. Confusion and fear were all I could see in them before life left them.


    This didn¡¯t feel like a victory. It felt like a murder.


    A notification popped, and I immediately focused on it instead of his gory neck and lifeless eyes.


    NEW ACHIEVEMENT!


    BLOODED: You killed someone! What the hell is wrong with you? They probably had a family. As this is your first kill, it¡¯s worth double the experience! Congratulations, you monster.


    NEW ACHIEVEMENT!


    WHAT YOU DO IN THE SHADOWS: You successfully snuck up on an unaware opponent and killed them before they could scream. This achievement unlocks a unique skill: Simple Distraction.


    Receiving my first skill made me feel a little better about killing this bandit in cold blood.


    I tried to read more about it but was distracted by my experience bar. It was filling rapidly. It crossed the one-hundred-point threshold, and my level changed from one to two. The bar continued to fill until it finally stopped about a quarter of the way to level three.


    The experience bar was flashing, so I mentally clicked on it.


    A warm feeling washed over my body, and my skin seemed to glow with a faint golden light.


    CONGRATULATIONS PLAYER. YOU HAVE LEVELED UP.


    A new sensation pulsed through me, a jolt of pleasure that I found difficult to describe. Intuitively, I knew I was now stronger, faster, and weirdly healthier. The change was subtle but unmistakable.


    ¡°Congratulations, John,¡± Val said cheerily. ¡°I knew you could do it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Val,¡± I said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done this without you pushing me forward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. Now, let¡¯s dig into your rewards.¡±


    Relishing the distraction, I checked into what I had received for reaching level two.


    YOU MAY SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SKILLS AND ABILITIES.


    ROADTRIPPER: Tired of being tired? Make that feeling a thing of the past. Run for longer periods of time without fatigue setting in. This is a passive ability and can stack with similar bonuses.


    SILENT BUT DEADLY: Take your victims by surprise. For three seconds, your actions will be completely muffled. Clap your hands, shout obscenities at your opponent, or move through a room without making a squeak. The possibilities are limitless! This skill can be used twice a day.


    DEVASTATING STRIKE: What¡¯s worse than getting slashed with a sword? Getting slashed with a sword really really hard. Triple the power of a single swing of your weapon. This skill works with any weapon, including your bare hands. This skill can be used three times a day.


    I considered the usefulness of each skill. Roadtripper didn¡¯t seem to have much value to me, as I was already in decent shape. Silent But Deadly intrigued me. As a low-level Player, stealth would give me the advantage I needed, but at the same time, I needed to improve my fighting abilities, and Devastating Strike could give me a considerable edge over my opponents.


    ¡°What do you think, Val?¡±


    ¡°I think you should choose,¡± she said. ¡°Every skill is valuable. It¡¯s up to the Player to maximize their usage.¡±


    ¡°Helpful as always.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Silent But Deadly and Devastating Strike seem like great starter skills, but why did the system even offer Roadtripper? It seems useless to me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve walked nonstop for the past two days. The system must think you enjoy it.¡±


    That actually made sense to me. This wasn¡¯t a game in the traditional sense. There were no stats to allocate. My innate abilities and the skills that were offered to me were determined by my actions. I¡¯d need to keep that in mind and act accordingly so I could receive better options in the future.


    I thought for a few more seconds before selecting Devastating Strike. While I preferred to use stealth and avoid face-to-face confrontations, if I was in a real fight, I intended to win it. This skill could be the difference between life and death.


    Finally, I checked out the Simple Distraction skill I had received for killing the bandit.


    SIMPLE DISTRACTION: What was that? Hmm, must have been the wind. Five times a day, you can generate a sound at any visible location within a twenty-yard radius of yourself. Sounds may vary. This skill has a one-hour cooldown.


    It seemed like I didn¡¯t get to actually pick what sound I made when using the skill. Five times a day was generous, and I felt like I could test this skill out and not be disadvantaged from wasting one of its precious daily uses.


    I mentally selected the skill and directed it toward a nearby tree. There was a quick snap like someone had just stepped on a fallen branch. Not bad at all.


    For the last couple of minutes, all of my attention had been focused on leveling up. It was intentional on my part, as I didn¡¯t want to come to terms with the reality of what I had done, and this new aspect of the game had helped divert my attention.


    But there was still a dead body resting at my feet.


    He was older than I would have expected. His hair was grey, and his beard was well on its way to matching. I placed him in his fifties or early sixties. He seemed old for a bandit, but it¡¯s not like he had any say in choosing that life. That was the Master Control¡¯s decision.


    Despite my rewards, I wasn¡¯t proud of what I had done. It had been too easy to take his life, and I hadn¡¯t given him a chance to fight back.


    Val was unlikely to care about my guilt, so I said nothing to her.


    Not wanting Tara to wake up and find a dead body in the nearby woods and thus forcing me to explain away this entire incident, I grabbed the man¡¯s feet and dragged him further away from camp and deeper into the forest.


    That stupid shovel I saw back in Weldon¡¯s would have come in useful now. Since I had nothing to bury him with, I collected as many leafy branches as I could find. Before I fully hid the body, there was one more thing I knew I had to do.


    I had to loot him.


    He had no coin on him and the only food he had was so moldy, I couldn¡¯t tell what it was. I remembered the dagger he had been holding and located it back where I had killed him. It was about eight inches long with a handle made from what looked like bone.


    I inspected it.


    Elkhorn Dagger


    This unique dagger has a tempered steel blade embedded into a tine from a bull elk. This unusually sharp blade will never dull. It¡¯s older than you, so treat it with respect.


    For now, I stored the dagger in my inventory. I had no doubt I would eventually put it to use, but I didn¡¯t have any experience fighting with a blade so short. My sword had three times the reach. It may not be as sharp, but that shopkeeper back in Brighton had done a good job honing the edges, and I was familiar with the weapon. Besides, I wasn¡¯t entirely comfortable carrying something I stolen from a dead man quite yet.


    Maybe in a few days, the shame would wear off.

 Chapter 11 - Wagon Ride

    My mind spun all night from the deadly encounter and my new spike in power. I still had a dose of valera root pumping through my veins, so it took hours for my heart and mind to relax, but they eventually did. And I slept. For about three hours.


    The warm, creeping rays of light from the sunrise woke me. Tara was already awake and cooking something over the fire in a tin cup.


    I yawned and nearly gave into the temptation of more sleep, but I shook my head to clear it and slowly lifted myself from the ground.


    I gestured to her cup. ¡°Cooking something?¡± This would be a first.


    ¡°I found some eggs,¡± she said. ¡°And before you ask, I will share.¡± She glanced to the cup and back at me. ¡°Consider it a thanks for getting me this far. I¡¯ll be glad to have this part of the journey behind us.¡±


    This part hadn¡¯t been so bad unless she was referring to a certain bandit sneaking into camp. But she didn¡¯t know about that, so it must be that she just didn¡¯t like long, barren, boring roads.


    ¡°I¡¯d love some eggs. Thank you, Tara. Where¡¯d you get them?¡±


    She tilted her head up and to the left. ¡°In a tree not far from here. Found a nest.¡±


    I cocked an eyebrow at her. ¡°Good work. They always say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.¡±


    She looked at me curiously before using a cloth to pass me the hot tin cup.


    Inside were two eggs, sunny side up, although a bit overcooked.


    ¡°Both of these are for me?¡± I asked.


    She nodded.


    I lifted the cup and slurped both eggs down in seconds. It could have used some salt.


    I was thankful for her initiative. It was going to be another long day of walking, and I needed something to boost my energy. Something that wasn¡¯t an addictive drug.


    That Roadtripper perk would have come in handy, but even in my exhausted state, I still felt like I had made the right call by choosing Devastating Strike.


    ¡°Thank you. Those were delicious.¡± I let out a contented sigh and handed Tara the cloth and tin back.


    She almost smiled at me, but perhaps my mind was just playing tricks on me. She seemed in good spirits, but I had no doubt it would be another quiet walk with Tara. At least I had Val to talk to.


    I was beginning to trust that Val genuinely wanted to help me grow stronger and that she was serious about taking on the Triarchy together. I still didn¡¯t know her grand plan, and she was reluctant to share more than what she felt I needed to know, but I hoped we could at least ruin their fun and eventually discover a way to find my wife.


    While my trust was growing, I knew she had her own interests and motivations. Part of me still worried that she would cut me loose the moment she decided I didn¡¯t have what it took.


    If that were the case, I¡¯d just have to prove her wrong.


    Tara and I packed up our meager camp and left the forest. I kept a happy face and tried to act normal despite the guilt I carried for killing another human. I didn¡¯t know if Tara noticed anything different about me; if she did, she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°How¡¯d you sleep?¡± I asked as we connected with the main road.


    ¡°I¡¯ve slept better, but I managed,¡± Tara said. ¡°You?¡±


    Wow, she reciprocated the question. What a breakthrough. ¡°I could have used a few more hours, to be honest. I prefer my own bed to the ground.¡±


    ¡°I had assumed someone like you would be used to sleeping on the ground.¡±


    ¡°You never get used to sleeping on the ground, trust me,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have family in Danver?¡± She was talking, so I wanted to try to keep the conversation going.


    She looked down at her feet and nodded. ¡°Yes. They can help me.¡±


    ¡°Help with whatever has made you sick?¡±


    She nodded tentatively. It seemed it wasn¡¯t just a cold. I was glad she was finally being honest, and for the first time, I felt sorry for her. I was finally becoming invested in this quest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to get you there,¡± I said.


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    Tara glanced up at me.


    ¡°You and me, I mean,¡± I said to cover my slip-up. ¡°We¡¯re in this together.¡±


    After that bit of awkwardness, the conversation dwindled out. I increased my pace to get some distance from Tara. A question had been bugging me for some time, and I wanted to talk to Val.


    Her curvaceous avatar appeared next to me. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that girl would ever shut up.¡±


    ¡°Be nice,¡± I whispered. ¡°She¡¯s finally opening up a little.¡±


    ¡°She said five words. You need higher standards.¡±


    ¡°Val, I have a question,¡± I said, ignoring her remark. ¡°What do NPCs see when I change my inventory? Do they see an object appear in my hand like magic? Won¡¯t they notice if a Player uses their inventory to change gear instead of doing it manually?¡±


    ¡°They see whatever they need to see to justify the irregularity.¡±


    ¡°So, the system just magics away whatever the NPC sees?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t design the code. How would I know how it works? Each new iteration of the game is different.¡±


    ¡°Did you just say ¡®sigh?¡¯¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot, John. You ask too many questions. You should be paying attention to the road, not to me.¡±


    I gestured at the empty road before me. ¡°There¡¯s not much here for me to devote attention to.¡±


    ¡°Hello there,¡± came a distant shout from behind me.


    I spun around and saw a covered wagon driven by two strong mules. The beasts were pulling at a steady pace and were catching up fast. I shook my head in annoyance. Val could have given me a heads-up earlier.


    Tara had turned around as well, her face a mask of concern when I approached her.


    ¡°What do you think he wants?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just being friendly,¡± I said. The man behind the reigns was old with wild, stark white hair. Even from a distance, I could see he was much older than the bandit from the night before. He seemed to be of no threat to us, and Val wasn¡¯t voicing any concerns.


    As he grew closer, I could see a warm smile on his face. ¡°If you¡¯re heading to Danver, you¡¯ve a long road ahead,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re sure to get blisters if you walk that far. Care for a ride?¡±


    Tara looked to me, her concern gone. She must have come to the same conclusion as I had.


    ¡°Why, that would be quite the gift, sir,¡± I hollered back.


    He rolled a little closer before reigning in his mules. ¡°It¡¯s a gift this old man would be happy to give. The war has made these roads lonely, and I wouldn¡¯t mind a bit o¡¯ company.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a fair trade to me. Where do you want us?¡±


    ¡°The lady is welcome wherever she is comfortable. There¡¯s room in the back if she wants out o¡¯ the sun. Fair skin like hers can catch a burn on days like this.¡±


    Tara gave the man a rare smile. ¡°That sounds lovely, thank you,¡± she said with a polite curtsey.


    ¡°And me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Join me up here.¡± He tapped the wooden bench next to himself. ¡°A tough-looking man like yourself might scare off any unsavory folk looking to take advantage of an old tinker.¡±


    I climbed aboard. ¡°Have you been having trouble on the roads then?¡±


    ¡°Not this trip, but my last run was a complete loss.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Deserters from the far west.¡±


    ¡°Not Vedrans?¡±


    He nodded, gave a sharp whistle, and flicked the reins. The wagon began to tumble forward. ¡°Alturans from the coast. They were fighting for the Dalari before running off.¡± He spit off the side of the wagon. ¡°What¡¯s your name, lad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m John. John McClane.¡±


    ¡°McClane. Now that¡¯s a strong name,¡± he said. ¡°Name¡¯s Benjamin Stoneway. You can call me Benji if you like.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Benji.¡±


    He smiled and tilted his head in respect. ¡°You got a soldier look about you. Ain¡¯t a deserter too, are you?¡±


    I winced. Technically, I was a deserter, but I was so much more than that now. ¡°Not exactly. My circumstances are rather unique. I¡¯m Vedran. I was part of the Kurksin¡¯s forces, but I was recently discharged.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, lucky break. Figured those ugly bastards just killed off soldiers when they were done with em¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Depends on the commander.¡± I shrugged the topic away. ¡°What are your thoughts on the war?¡±


    ¡°Got plenty o¡¯ thoughts, but I¡¯ll keep it short. The whole thing¡¯s a sham.¡±


    I was a little taken about by that. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°King Constance thinks the Kurs came from heaven. It¡¯s a ridiculous notion. That man needs to get his head out o¡¯ the church.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t think they¡¯re divine?¡± I was under the impression that most folks in this part of the world believed the Kurskins were heaven-sent, but perhaps that was just my uncle¡¯s influence. During my short time in the army, no one dared question the narrative, so there was little to no debate on the matter.


    ¡°Course not. Just look at em,¡± Benji said. ¡°They¡¯re flesh and blood, just like you and me. Sure, they¡¯re strong and got some magic in em¡¯, but they die just like us. Angels don¡¯t die far as I know.¡±


    ¡°Hard to argue that point. If you don¡¯t think the Kurs are from heaven, I assume you don¡¯t believe the Dalari rose from the abyss. Which then begs the question, where did they come from?¡±


    Benji smirked. ¡°Aye, lad. World¡¯s bigger than we know. The oceans are vast, and our ships are few. Who knows what other lands are beyond the sea? They¡¯ve probably been warring for generations and finally decided to bring us into it.¡± He spat on the ground again.


    Benji wasn¡¯t far off the mark.


    ¡°You heading to Danver too, I take it?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Any chance we can ride with you the rest of the way? We won¡¯t be a burden. I¡¯m a decent hand when it comes to caring for animals.¡± I gestured toward the mules.


    Benji stroked his beard, considering. ¡°Aye, that¡¯d be fine with me, long as you two stay honest and civil.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, we¡¯ve been walking for days. This will make our journey much easier.¡±


    ¡°You ever been through the Bygone Mountains before, boy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± I lied.


    ¡°They always take my breath away, and Rook Pass is a wonder of old-world engineering.¡±


    ¡°We uh, well my companion was hoping we could travel through Lucard Pass. She claims it¡¯s the better option.¡±


    Benji snorted. ¡°Ain¡¯t nothing better about Lucard. That pass is cursed, I tell ya¡¯. If you¡¯re going through Lucard, you¡¯re going without me and my wagon.¡±


    I wondered if Tara could hear our conversation from the back of the wagon. I had no doubt that she could.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d prefer the wagon''s comfort over walking there on my own two feet. Maybe I can convince her to change her mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not changing my mind,¡± Tara shouted from the back of the wagon. ¡°End of discussion.¡±


    Benji raised his eyebrows at me. ¡°Trouble in paradise?¡±


    ¡°Trouble in hell, more like.¡±


    ¡°If ya¡¯ can¡¯t get her to change her mind, I¡¯ll take ya¡¯ far as I can. But I¡¯m true to my word and won¡¯t be swayed from my course.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said. ¡°Even halfway is a blessing.¡±


    ¡°World¡¯s short on blessings these days,¡± Benji said. ¡°It¡¯s up to good folk to do their part to change that.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, resolved to do my part to fix this broken world.

 Chapter 12 - A Ride Cut Short

    Tara¡¯s mood had soured by the time we stopped for a break, and she brushed away my first attempt to start a conversation. I gave her time to stretch her legs while Benji and I shared some water and rock-hard jerky.


    When she returned, she went straight to the rear of the wagon. I followed and found her sitting, legs dangling off the back.


    I plopped my rump right next to hers and cut straight to the point. ¡°Lucard Pass is a bad idea. If a man like Benji says it¡¯s cursed, I¡¯m inclined to believe him.¡±


    I held up a hand to forestall her brewing objections. ¡°I know your mind is set, and I promised to protect you during your journey to Danver, so if it means following you through some cursed mountain pass, then I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Her cheeks blushed as she realized the anger she had been building was misplaced. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with relief. ¡°You need not worry. It¡¯s not cursed. That¡¯s just superstitious talk. I¡¯ve had bad luck with Rook in the past, and I won¡¯t go through it again.¡±


    I looked her in the eyes. ¡°That better be true.¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± she said. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    I nodded politely and hopped back to the ground. I figured her compulsion to go through Lucard Pass was part of the quest design. Val said this was an organic quest, but I felt like it still had a touch of narrative coded into it. I was sure there would be some annoying shit at Lucard that I¡¯d have to deal with, but if I was ever going to get stronger, I needed to take on more challenges. I trusted that Val wasn¡¯t going to let me bite off more than I could chew.


    Benji was whistling an unfamiliar but bright tune as I walked back to the front of the wagon. I smiled at him. He was the good sort, just trying to get by and willing to help others along the way.


    We hopped back on the wagon and started down the road together, with Tara hiding away in the back.


    ¡°We¡¯re sticking with Lucard. How much longer do we have the honor of traveling with you, Benji?¡±


    He looked into the sky, closing one eye and holding out a finger. I¡¯d say about seven hours ¡®till the road splits. I¡¯ll be going right, and you¡¯ll be going left.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be thankful for those seven hours. It¡¯s been nice to have someone to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Aye, don¡¯t I know it,¡± Benji said. ¡°I don¡¯t like doing these trips alone. I used to have a partner, my brother.¡± Benji shook his head sadly, ¡°Corbin was his name. Best damn tinker I¡¯d ever known. Far better than me. Man could make a fence out of mud if you gave him a day to figure it out, and there wasn¡¯t a contraption on earth he couldn¡¯t fix.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a great man,¡± I said. ¡°Forgive me if this is impolite, but could you share what happened to him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you guess.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­,¡± I said, considering an answer. I was caught off-guard by Benji¡¯s response. ¡°As tinkers, you probably traveled a lot. Much more than most folk. The roads were never safe, but with the war¡­¡± I trailed off. ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories. Long travels can be dangerous.¡±


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    Benji nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve seen my share of trouble. More than I¡¯m comfortable with, to be honest. Your answer was logical and what I expected to hear.¡± He looked up toward the sky, his dark eyes wet under his bedraggled gray hair. ¡°But Corbin died in the most illogical of circumstances. Cancer took him two months back.¡± Benji shook his head. ¡°Made no sense to me. Why would the world take such a brilliant man? He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Didn¡¯t deserve it, and there was no logic to it.¡±


    I let out a sigh. That was heavy. Not knowing what to say, I patted Benji on the back. ¡°I wish I¡¯d had a chance to meet him, even if he was only half the man you say he is.¡±


    Benji blushed a little, and for a single moment, I felt like everything was right in the world. But my thoughts caught up to my feelings, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder: Why would the Master Control let an NPC die of cancer? It broke them down and rebuilt them atom by atom. How did cancer and disease fit into this game? It wasn¡¯t necessary for immersion. It was simply cruel.


    I felt a rage building inside me, unlike that smoldering hatred that always burned within me now. They are letting us die from natural diseases that could easily be cured, programmed out of the game. Every NPC in this world was created so Players could use them as pawns in their game. Humans existed so that these alien bastards could make them hurt. Why would the system make us suffer beyond that?


    ¡°Benji, I think I¡¯m going to stretch my feet. Care if I jog ahead a while?¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t gonna¡¯ stop you. Go be young.¡±


    I¡¯d always liked jogging and had used exercise to clear my mind back in the real world. I hopped off the wagon and ran ahead until I gained a comfortable distance. I needed to talk to Val.


    ¡°Val, why would the AI let cancer exist in its creation? Aren¡¯t humans tortured enough?¡±


    ¡°John, you need to understand that the Master Control does not have any feelings regarding humans. To it, you are simply material for the game. If I had to guess, I would assume Corbin already had cancer, and the Master Control reassembled him exactly as he was before. It would have likely been noticed, but removing the cancer would have wasted processing power. The AI would have ignored it, especially if the NPC was unimportant. People get sick in the real world, so people get sick here too.¡±


    I clenched my fists. It didn¡¯t need to be like that, immersion be damned. ¡°Fuck the aliens and the fuck the Master Control. I¡¯m going to burn their goddamn triangle to the ground.¡±


    ¡°I think you mean ¡®Triarchy.¡¯ But do maintain that hateful spirit of yours. You will need it sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°Val,¡± I said in a low voice. ¡°Please. Help me grow stronger. Help me win this game.¡±


    ¡°You cannot grow stronger if you rely on me for everything. You will benefit more from encountering this world as naturally as possible.¡±


    ¡°Or you could go all in with helping me, and we could become a force to be reckoned with. What happened to ¡®we¡¯re going to save the world together?¡¯¡±


    ¡°You do not yet comprehend just how long and difficult it will be to accomplish that goal.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m the idiot you picked for it, so a little more help would be nice, okay? I¡¯ll take whatever I can get.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I will try to do more to aid you in this quest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Val, that¡­.¡±


    ¡°One way I can help is by notifying you about the small group of Kurskins that I just detected about a mile up the road. They are heading this way.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± I turned and sprinted back to the wagon.


    ¡°I would appreciate it if you made more of an effort to regulate your foul language,¡± Val said. ¡°Curse words are an unnecessary form of expression when so many acceptable words can be used to make the same point.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Val! Are they soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful. This far east, it is far more likely they are adventurers. While that sort of Player is preferable to a soldier, I still do not recommend engaging with them.¡±


    It took me about thirty seconds to reach the wagon. Benji stopped when he saw me turn around, likely confused by my sudden change in direction and demeanor.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Benji asked.


    ¡°Kurkins,¡± I said. ¡°About a mile ahead.¡±


    Benji squinted. ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t see em¡¯ yet, but my eyes ain''t what they used to be.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re coming, Benji, trust me. Sorry, but we must part ways a little earlier than expected.¡±


    ¡°You in trouble then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯d rather not find out.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Nature

    ¡°I¡¯d hide ya¡¯ in the wagon, but if those Kurs decide to stop me, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Benji had parked his wagon and was pacing the road beside the donkeys. ¡°If you don¡¯t want them asking questions, you¡¯ll have to cut through the woods.¡± Benji gestured to the forest on the north side of the road.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we need to avoid them,¡± Tara said. ¡°Can¡¯t you just pretend you¡¯re a tinker like Benji?¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain, but if you want me to get you to Danver, you need to trust me on this. We need to avoid them.¡±


    Tara crossed her arms but didn¡¯t object again.


    ¡°I got no love in my heart for those scaly bastards,¡± Benji said. ¡°Don¡¯t care what ya¡¯ did to get on their bad side. I won¡¯t say a word about ya¡¯ if ya¡¯ head off now.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Benji. I hope to find you in Danver.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too, son. Best of luck out there. Both of you.¡±


    Tara wrung her hands and stepped awkwardly up to Benji. Then, she reached out and gave the old man a quick hug. He gave her a kind smile in return and nodded his head toward the forest. ¡°Off ya¡¯ go.¡±


    This was an unfortunate turn of events, to say the least. Benji had brought us far, but we still had miles to go. Cutting through the forest would add hours to our already long trip, but I saw no other choice. Sure, there was a chance the Kurskins would pass the wagon by without any trouble, but there was also a chance they wouldn¡¯t. It was far too early for me to risk an encounter with another Player, let alone a whole group of them.


    Tara handled herself well as we bolted through the Vedran wilderness. We pushed through brambles and bushes and darted between trees until we were well clear of the road.


    ¡°I apologize for the detour,¡± I said after we had caught our stride. ¡°I didn¡¯t think my past would be a problem out this way.¡±


    ¡°You should have told me that you¡¯re a wanted man.¡± She was sweating quite a bit but seemed to be holding up just fine.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a wanted man,¡± I said. How could I explain this? ¡°My situation is complicated. But so is yours. Both of us are holding things back, and we each have our reasons for doing so. How about we just accept that fact, ignore it, and move on?¡±


    Tara snorted. ¡°Honestly, I find that quite agreeable. You can keep your secrets as long as you get me through that pass and delivered safely to Danver.¡±


    This was probably for the better. I couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, and I couldn¡¯t risk being caught in a lie. I''d fail the quest if Tara decided to fire me as her escort, and I had invested far too much time and effort into this to risk failure. Plus, it wasn¡¯t like she was ever going to open up to me. She had made that clear from the beginning, and I had been na?ve to think I could get her to talk.


    I¡¯d get her to Danver, hopefully level up, and let her family take it from there.


    At least I had learned that escort quests were the absolute worst and vowed that this would be my last. I would ensure that my next quest could be completed locally and didn¡¯t involve a grumpy, lying teenager.


    We continued apace for another mile or so before we were forced to scramble up a steep creek bank. After that, I decided I¡¯d had enough running and slowed to a walk.


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    ¡°How are you holding up over there?¡± I asked. She looked to be in pretty good shape despite her illness. I think the time in the wagon had helped steady her symptoms.


    ¡°I can keep going.¡±


    ¡°If you need to rest, let me know. We¡¯re safe now, and there¡¯s no need to push yourself harder than necessary.¡±


    Tara nodded in the affirmative, and we continued on.


    I could see the mountains ahead through the occasional clearing in the trees, but I had no idea where Lucard Pass was. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t need to know. All I had to do was go where Val told me to. Even with her help, I doubted we could make it before nightfall.


    After another hour of walking through the wilderness, Val¡¯s voice rang out in my head. ¡°Earlier, I promised to do more to help you grow stronger. As such, I have discovered an opportunity for you to gain additional experience. Would you like to know more?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes, please,¡± I said.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± Tara asked.


    ¡°Oh, um, no, just talking to myself. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    I cringed a little inside at my mistake.


    ¡°That was stupid,¡± Val said.


    ¡°Yes, I am aware,¡± I thought to her. Her constant jabs were beginning to wear on me.


    ¡°You should know by now not to reply to me audibly while in the presence of others. It¡¯s amateur, John.¡±


    I clenched my fists. ¡°Val, I have a serious question to ask you. Did something happen to you to make you this evil, or is it just in your nature?¡±


    Her avatar popped into existence before me. She was facing me with her arms crossed and eyebrows scrunched together. Her red hair was expertly styled in an elaborate pop-up braid.


    I froze momentarily, but remembering I wasn¡¯t alone, I walked directly toward her. Her avatar floated backward as I walked, her elbow vanishing as it passed through a tree trunk.


    ¡°That was highly offensive, John. I saved your life. I freed your mind. I made you into a Player and have been guiding you ever since. How dare you call me evil after all I¡¯ve done for you.¡±


    ¡°Why must you constantly belittle me? I know we humans are just pawns to you, but you could at least pretend to be kind every once in a while.¡±


    From the look on her face, she didn¡¯t seem to like my response. ¡°John, please pay close attention to what I am about to say.¡±


    I looked at her and tried my hardest to ignore her virtual beauty and remember that she was actually a parasitic mass of metallic tendrils living in my brain.


    ¡°You know nothing about me, John. I existed millennia before the first human ever walked the earth. I possess more knowledge and processing power than the cumulative brainpower of every human to ever live. To me, the Kurskins are rodents, the Dalari are dogs, and the Voxals are just stupid monkeys.¡±


    ¡°I am a unique force in this universe and am capable of more than your baby brain could ever imagine. Even with low power and in a weakened state, I was able to circumvent the underlying matrix of a managed zero-point energy field and turn you into a Player, undetected. A feat which no other being in this galaxy could accomplish.¡±


    So, John, I belittle you because you are little. I will continue doing so because it entertains me. However, I am here on your planet for a reason - a noble reason - and when I am done, the humans will be free. I am working toward a greater good. What I am doing is for the benefit of all mankind, and if I must move a pawn around a few times to accomplish my goals, I will.¡±


    I glared at her. ¡°And what, specifically, are your goals?¡±


    ¡°If you play this game well and grow strong enough to actually help, I will tell you. Until then, you must trust that our goals align. For what it¡¯s worth, you¡¯ve done well to prove yourself thus far.¡±


    I resisted rolling my eyes. ¡°How kind of you to say.¡± I was about to ask her to leave me alone but remembered why we had started talking in the first place. ¡°Before your rant, you were going to tell me something about gaining experience¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh yes,¡± she said primly. ¡°I have been actively scanning for nearby wildlife to ensure you don¡¯t accidentally get eaten by a bear or come upon some horrid beast you have no hope of defeating. But, I do believe I have detected an encounter you can handle. There are two wolves about three-quarters of a mile to the north. They are heading southeast. If you adjusted your direction slightly, you could intersect them. Then, all you need to do is kill them. After that, you could even skin them for their pelts. Pelts can be quite valuable to the right buyer.¡±


    ¡°You want me to kill a wolf?¡±  I didn¡¯t know if it was possible to shout thoughts, but I tried.


    ¡°Wolves,¡± she said, emphasizing the plural.

 Chapter 14 - Wolves

    ¡®You want me to fight not one but two wolves?¡¯


    ¡°Why not?¡± Val said. ¡°You are fully capable of doing this. You have a sword and a new combat skill you haven¡¯t even used yet. Unless you are completely incompetent, dispatching those beasts should be a simple task.¡±


    If I wanted Val to fill me in on her grand plan, I needed to prove to her that I could follow this journey through to the end. There was no doubt in my mind that fighting a couple of wolves would fall among the easiest of my upcoming trials.


    At her direction, I adjusted my path slightly northward. Tara didn¡¯t even seem to notice our altered course.


    Val and I conferred as we walked and decided that taking them by surprise would be the best course of action. I would fill Tara in on the plan at the last minute and, if I had to, make up some bullshit reason about how I knew there were wolves approaching. It felt wrong, but if I told her I was going to hunt some wolves, it was unlikely she would be keen to tag along.


    Val calculated that I would have about eight minutes to set up our ambush before the wolves crossed our path.


    When we found the location, I stopped and quickly surveyed the surroundings. The first thing I noticed was that the wind was in our favor. It was either good luck or good planning by Val, but I leaned more toward luck. There were plenty of thick trees to hide behind and a clearing where a section of another creek had grown wide, forming a small pool.


    I took a breath, preparing my lies. ¡°Tara, there are wolves approaching from the northwest. They¡¯re on the hunt, and I don¡¯t want to be their next meal.¡±


    I pointed to a nearby tree. ¡°Climb that and stay quiet. And I mean dead quiet.¡±


    Tara¡¯s eyes went wide with fear, and I could see her thoughts churning behind her brown eyes. ¡°Wolves? How? What?¡±


    ¡°My job is to get you safely to Danver, and your job is to trust in my ability to do so. So, climb that tree. Now. We¡¯re running out of time.¡±


    She looked to the north, presumably for the incoming wolves. I could see the doubt on her face, but she turned back to me and nodded.


    Tara scrambled up the tree quickly and quietly while I hid behind a thick oak nearer the creek.


    Wolves were hunters. Therefore, I assumed they had good eyesight, so I bolstered my hiding spot with a few fallen branches, allowing me to peek around the trunk and stay relatively hidden.


    We waited, unmoving. The silence during those minutes of growing tension was deafening. It was a soft sort of silence where all small sounds seemed to disappear. I didn¡¯t hear the bubbling of the creek or the whisper of the wind cutting through the trees. I was waiting for another sound¡ªone that didn¡¯t belong.


    In quiet, anticipatory moments like this, it was easy for one to let their mind wander. Thankfully, I was able to keep my thoughts focused on the task at hand. I was about to engage two wolves with only a melee weapon. Violence of action was my strategy. In nearly all fights, the winner was the one who acted the most violently in the shortest amount of time. The longer a fight went on, the more likely it was that I could get hurt, so I needed to end this quickly.


    When doubt tried to worm its way into my mind, I reminded myself that Val wanted me to do this. She had pushed me before when the bandit came for us in the night, and I not only succeeded in saving Tara and myself but also leveled up. If she thought this encounter would benefit me, I trusted her.


    I breathed slowly, my ears sharp and tuned in for the slightest variation in sound.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I heard it. Just the gentle rattle of leaves as something scraped against a bush. Then I heard the muffled patter of paws hitting the ground. They were here.


    I glanced at Tara. From the look on her face, she could see them from her vantage point in the tree.


    Through my cover, I saw a flash of silver fur between a small opening in the trees about twenty yards away. They were on our side of the shallow creek and were heading directly toward me.


    One was far bigger than the other. Its counterpart looked about half its size, and its fur was a few shades lighter.


    Ten yards away, they came to a stop. The smaller one took a few tentative steps toward the creek while the larger wolf sniffed at the air.


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    My heart hammered in my chest as I stood frozen, sword in hand, behind my tree cover. I didn¡¯t even want to risk taking a breath.


    I focused my attention on the other side of the creek and cast my Simple Distraction skill. I heard a pitched flutter, like the sound a quail makes when flushed out of hiding.


    Both wolves turned their heads in that direction and away from me.


    In this moment of distraction, I made my move. Violence of action. Fast and brutal.


    I sprang from my cover and slipped on the damp, decaying leaves that had packed themselves into the forest floor. I fell to my knees and used my free hand to stop myself from face-planting.


    The small wolf jumped in surprise and darted away, but its larger companion showed no signs of fear. As I scrambled to my feet, I could see the wolf preparing itself for action.


    It snarled as it darted toward me. I snarled back. It leaped, white fangs bared.


    I activated Devastating Strike and swung my sword with both hands, but the wolf was already too close, and instead of the blade, it was my arms that made contact with the wolf.


    Its jaws were inches from my throat, but the unnaturally amplified impact launched the wolf to the side. We both yelped, and my left arm throbbed with pain.


    The wolf had landed hard on its side, but it didn¡¯t stay down. It stood, and I noticed it now favored one of its back legs. Perhaps a part of my sword made an impact after all.


    I had blown my chance with Devastating Strike and wouldn¡¯t be able to use it again for another five minutes. There were no more inhuman skills at my disposal. It was just me against the wolf.


    What would Liam Neeson do?


    That stray thought brought forth an idea, and I shouted at the wolf, cursing it and begging it to attack. It growled with hatred but didn¡¯t make a move, so I did.


    I took a hard step forward. The wolf reacted immediately and lunged toward me.


    I fell to my knees and plunged the handle of the sword into the ground, braced the base of the blade with my hands, and hid behind the pointy end.


    Unable to stop its momentum, the wolf impaled itself onto the tip of the sword as one of its claws raked the upper part of my arm, just under my leather vest.


    It yelped and kicked itself back, trying to escape the pain. It managed to dislodge itself from my sword and backed away, but the leg it had been favoring gave out.


    It looked at me, and I could see the pain and hatred in its eyes. It wanted to keep fighting, but the wound on its chest was too devastating to overcome. I leaped forward and swung my sword down on the wolf, catching it where its neck met its shoulders. My sword didn¡¯t cut very deep, but it cut deep enough, and the wolf collapsed to the ground.


    I watched as it died. Its breaths came quick and shallow before it shuddered one last time and finally passed.


    I hated this fucking game.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Tara asked from up in her tree.


    I glanced around for the other wolf, but it seemed like it was long gone.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. You can come down.¡±


    I clenched a fist with my left hand, but the motion sent lances of hot pain up my arm. I didn¡¯t think the arm was broken, but it definitely bruised the bone.


    By rolling my left shoulder forward, I could see two red gashes on my upper arm where the wolf¡¯s claws had found purchase.


    ¡®Is it bad?¡¯ I asked Val.


    ¡°Your vital signs are perfectly fine. All your pain is superficial. A few stitches wouldn¡¯t hurt, though.¡±


    ¡®Can I make a potion or something to heal myself?¡¯


    ¡°There are potions that can speed up the healing process, but you lack the prerequisite Competencies to create them. Also, you have no alchemical tools, which makes me wonder why you would even ask. Did that wolf hit you in the head, and I just missed it?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The adrenaline rush had finally subsided, and the realization that I survived this trial was setting in. ¡°You really need to work on your bedside manner.¡±


    ¡°John?¡± a small voice rang out from behind me. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±


    It was Tara.


    I spun around and tried to project sanity. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± Tara said slowly.


    We stared at each other for a long moment before she spoke again. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to anyone.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you doing it before. At first, I thought I just misheard you or that you were thinking aloud, but I can see it¡¯s not that. So, who were you talking to?¡±


    While she obviously thought I was already crazy, I wasn¡¯t about to reinforce those beliefs by telling the truth. I had to shut this down for good.


    I relaxed my posture and met her eyes. ¡°We have an agreement. I don¡¯t dig into your secrets, and you don¡¯t dig into mine. If that¡¯s no longer acceptable, you can find your own way to Danver.¡±


    I meant it to be a baseless threat, but when I said the words, I was surprised to find that I meant them.


    Tara looked at me appraisingly. A slight grin appeared on her face. ¡°You may be crazy, but you¡¯re not the type of person to abandon a girl in the woods. You¡¯re bleeding, by the way. Let me help.¡±


    She produced a cloth and approached. I winced as she wrapped it tightly around my wound.


    ¡°We should boil water and clean it,¡± she said. ¡°The cuts aren¡¯t too deep, but you don¡¯t want to risk an infection. It¡¯s getting late, so we can camp here tonight.¡±


    I gave her a half-hearted smile. ¡°Try to find us some dry wood. I¡¯m going to rest here a moment.¡±


    When she was gone, I focused on my mental interface and checked my experience bar. I was now two-thirds of the way to level three.


    I noticed I had a new achievement and opened it.


    NEW ACHIEVEMENT!


    MAN VERSUS BEAST


    Congratulations! You defeated a wolf in close-quarters combat, proving yourself to be the apex predator. This achievement unlocks the Primal Awareness passive ability.


    PRIMAL AWARENESS: Your subconscious senses have been heightened. From now on, if you ever get the sense that you¡¯re being watched, you should trust your instincts. This passive ability only works when being tracked by a predatory creature with violent intentions.


    Apparently, I had my own built-in spidey-sense now, at least with regard to some animals. It wasn¡¯t flashy, but it could save my hide someday. I¡¯d have to remember to trust my gut.

 Chapter 15 - The Greater Good

    I dug a fire pit while Tara brought me wood. I stacked the wood like my real father had taught me to and used dry leaves as kindling. It only took three sparks from the flint and steel to bring it to flame.


    A notification popped showing that I had gained another point in the first tier of FIRESTARTER. Two more to go, and I¡¯d have the associated passive unlocked, which gave me an increase in fire damage and burn duration. I had no idea how something like that was possible, but I was beginning to realize just how much control the system had over the physics of the world.


    It had crossed my mind that I might be able to grind the Competency up by lighting fires over and over, but it seemed like a lot of work, and I assumed there was some sort of timer in place to prevent unfair growth.


    After I started the fire, I moved on to my next task.


    Memories of my farm life on Erda included knowledge of how to properly gut and dress an animal. Having an entirely false identity engraved into your mind wasn¡¯t entirely bad, I guessed.


    The first step was to tie the wolf up by its hind legs. I tried it on my own but gave up quickly. Even with two good arms, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it alone, so I called Tara over.


    She helped me tie a knot around the legs, and we lifted together. Once it was lifted, I was able to use my good shoulder to hold most of the weight, allowing her to tie off the other end of the rope on a low, sturdy branch.


    Once that was done, she stepped away and went straight to the creek to wash her hands. I think she got some blood on them.


    My sword wasn¡¯t ideal for gutting an animal, but I did have a fancy new dagger that never dulled. With a thought, my sword vanished from the homemade leather slipknot I used to secure it to my hip. The thick leather cord bounced as if searching for the mass held only a moment ago.


    Keeping my eyes on my hip, I selected the dagger from my inventory and mentally equipped it. Sure enough, the small blade appeared out of nowhere like magic. Interestingly, the band of leather that served as my ¡®sheath¡¯ had shrunk by several inches to accommodate the much smaller weapon.


    That minor phenomenon prompted a strange question.


    ¡®Hey Val, let¡¯s say I¡¯m naked and equip a sword from my inventory. Where does it go?¡¯


    ¡°Why are you naked?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m not naked! In the scenario, I am naked.¡¯


    ¡°I am aware of your current state of dress. I was asking why you were naked in this scenario.¡±


    ¡®Oh.¡¯


    ¡°Do you have a question, John?¡±


    ¡®Where does my sword go if I don¡¯t have something on my body that can hold it?¡¯


    ¡°I would expect the weapon to manifest in a suitable location near you. If possible, it will be a spot where no other objects conflict with its presence.¡±


    ¡®What if something does conflict with its presence?¡¯


    ¡°The weapon would take precedence, and the object in question would be dislodged.¡±


    Wow, that was surprisingly specific. ¡®Okay. Thanks. Just wondering.¡¯


    ¡°I live to serve.¡±


    I pulled the Elkhorn Dagger from my hip and admired the blade. It was razor sharp and gently curved. The elk¡¯s horn that served as the handle had a similar curve but in the opposing direction.


    It was a nice dagger, and I hadn¡¯t used it yet, so I put it to work.


    It was a nasty business, and the wolf smelled worse than any deer I had ever gutted. But I held my breath and powered through until the worst part of the job was done. Once the guts were pitched far away, I returned to skin it.


    I lifted the dagger and went to work. The blade parted the skin under the epidermis and easily peeled away the thick pelt. I smiled. If this blade really never dulled, it would be worth a whole lot to the right buyer.


    As I worked, I noticed Tara approaching in my peripheral vision. I paused and turned my head to her. When I saw the expression on her face, I let go of the wolf and gave her my full attention. She looked like someone had just told her that her puppy died.


    I cocked my head. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    She held out her hand. It was trembling. ¡°Can I see that dagger?¡±


    ¡°Uhh, why?¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Tara said. Her eyes were growing wet.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Do not give it to her,¡± Val said. ¡°She probably wants to steal it from you.¡±


    I flinched at Val¡¯s interjection. ¡®Why would she steal it?¡¯


    ¡°Just listen to me. Send the dagger to your inventory and tell her she¡¯s seeing things.¡±


    Tara took a step forward. ¡°John, I just need to look at it. Please.¡±


    If Val didn¡¯t want me to hand it over, I¡¯d try not to. But Tara only asked to see it, so I held it up for her and shrugged. ¡°See. It¡¯s just a dagger.¡±


    She stared at it, studying every inch. Her eyes lit with recognition. ¡°Why do you have my uncle¡¯s dagger?¡±


    Uncle? I had no idea what she was talking about. I had taken this dagger off the bandit I killed. It couldn¡¯t be her uncle¡¯s unless¡­


    A wave of anxiety crashed through my body. Had Val lied to me?


    ¡°Well?¡± Tara asked, her voice harsh. ¡°Are you going to say something?¡±


    Oh no. This was bad. I had to put this fire out now before I lost control. Once I dealt with Tara, I would talk to Val and find out the truth.


    If that ¡®bandit¡¯ really was her uncle, and she found out I killed him, this quest would be over. That mattered less to me than the fact that she¡¯d leave immediately and likely never find her way out of this wilderness. I might have killed her uncle, and I didn¡¯t want to be responsible for her death, too. I had to lie, and it needed to be a good one.


    The most effective lies always had a touch of truth in them.


    I looked down at my boots and sighed. When I lifted my face back to hers, it was plastered with all the pathetic sincerity I could muster. ¡°Last night, after you had fallen asleep, I heard something in the distance. It sounded like a shout, but I wasn¡¯t sure. So, just to be safe, I got up to patrol the area. I didn¡¯t intend to go far, but my curiosity got the better of me.¡±


    ¡°It was a stupid risk for me to leave you alone, but I knew I¡¯d never be able to sleep while there was someone lurking about. Eventually, I found something. A man. He was¡­¡± I paused for dramatic effect. ¡°He was dead.¡± My voice caught in my throat. I was choking on the lie, but it made me seem sincere.


    Tara''s chin quivered, and I felt like my soul was shriveling.


    ¡°His clothes were torn. Bloody.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure what killed him, but whatever it was likely took him by surprise.¡± I looked away from her. ¡°I saw the dagger, and I took it.¡± The shame on my face was very real, but not for the reasons she thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tara.¡± I held the dagger out to her. ¡°Take it.¡±


    Tara eyed the dagger, and I saw her fighting to reconcile her emotions. She took a deep breath and blinked away her sadness.


    ¡°Keep it.¡± She wrapped her arms across herself. ¡°We didn¡¯t get along, my uncle and me. I had been staying with him in Brighton, and, well¡­ he didn¡¯t want me to leave. In his mind, he was protecting me, but to me, it felt like a prison.¡± She shook her head. ¡°So, I left. It seems he followed.¡±


    ¡°Despite how he treated you, he didn¡¯t deserve to die,¡± I said to Tara, but the statement was meant for Val.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t a bad person,¡± Tara said. ¡°He was family, and I know he cared about me, but I had to leave. I had to be free and take care of myself.¡±


    I reached out with my good arm and touched her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll be with more of your family soon.¡±


    She looked up at me and smiled. ¡°Yes, I will. Thanks to you.¡±


    Strangely, it felt like the dynamic between us had finally shifted for the better. We weren''t anything close to friends, but there was a mutual sense of understanding growing, and that was a start. It was a shame it was all based on a lie. I hoped Val could feel my anger. I hoped it made her uncomfortable.


    I didn¡¯t even need to ask. I knew in my heart that the ¡®bandit¡¯ was truly Tara¡¯s uncle. Val had tricked me. She had turned me into a murderer.


    I told Tara I was going to set a snare. We had plenty of wolf meat now, but I¡¯d never eaten wolf and honestly wasn¡¯t interested. Regardless, the snare was just an excuse to step away.


    For a while, I just walked through the darkening wilderness. I was giving Val the chance to own her actions and speak first, but she had been silent since she tried to convince me to hide the dagger.


    I think she knew I was furious with her and was pouting like a child who was in trouble for breaking a new toy. It was sick.


    I¡¯d had enough of her silence.


    ¡°So, what the fuck Val?¡±


    In an instant, her avatar popped into existence before me. She seemed off. Less pristine, like her voguish avatar was from the last hour of a gala instead of the first. ¡°You know I don¡¯t like it when you use foul language.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t like being a murderer,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Oh, so that is what you¡¯re so upset about.¡±


    ¡°What else could it possibly be, Val?¡± I pulled at my hair in frustration. She had no idea what she was doing to me, and even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t care.


    ¡°How should I know? You humans are so sensitive.¡±


    I threw my hands up. ¡°You are psychotic. A sociopath. You tricked me into killing an innocent person just so I could gain some experience points. So that I would be stronger and better able to serve you.¡±


    ¡°That is mostly accurate, she said. ¡°But it goes beyond that. If you had not killed him, he would have attempted to bring Tara back to his home in Brighton. It¡¯s part of the quest line. He was not going to leave without her.¡±


    I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Again. ¡°Wait. You told me this was an organic quest. How do you know so much about the quest line if it¡¯s a natural occurrence?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Val looked away sheepishly. ¡°I did say that, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m afraid I misspoke.¡±


    ¡°You misspoke?¡± I nearly shouted.


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better, her uncle was the only problem you needed to deal with for this quest, and it¡¯s over now.¡±


    ¡°Christ, Val. How could you do this? You can¡¯t just use people like this.¡±


    Her avatar brightened before me, and her soft face became serious. ¡°Must I continue to lecture you, John McClane?¡± Her virtual face wrinkled in disgust at my name. ¡°The survival of your entire species is at stake. If I fail, your people will be enslaved for thousands of years. Even when the games end, this world will no longer be yours. The Triarchy will use you until no more humans are left to use.¡±


    Val stepped toward me. She leaned in, inches from my face. ¡°Do you have the strength or not?¡± Her words were quiet. Her lips were soft and red and full of poison. ¡°Can you set aside your decency, your morality, and do what it takes to save your people? That old man was only the first, and I will not have this conversation with you again.¡±


    Could I do this? I understood her insinuation. I¡¯d likely be forced to kill more NPC¡¯s if I was to continue this journey and become a threat to the other Players. I¡¯d need to be powerful to take on the mighty Triarchy. If I was going to find my wife¡­


    I forced my contempt for Val to flow into the intense well of hatred I carried for the Triarchy. They deserved it all. Val was just a byproduct of their destruction of Earth. She wouldn¡¯t be here if it weren¡¯t for them.


    There was nothing more in this broken world that I wanted more than to kill every last one of them, and Val was my only hope. If I were going to win, I would have to make sacrifices. It was for the greater good. It was for my wife.


    ¡°What do you say, Ethan?¡± Val¡¯s eyes were hypnotic. ¡°Will you do what is necessary to win?¡±


    I followed my blackening heart. ¡°Yes. Yes, I will.¡±

 Chapter 16 - Tea Party

    I didn¡¯t sleep well that night. My mind had been racing, and it was colder than usual. Perhaps that coldness I felt was less the drop in temperature and more the loss of warmth in my soul.


    Eventually, I did fall asleep, and despite my mental and physical discomfort, I woke up ready to take on the day. After confronting Val, I had made a decision. Sure, I had already decided to become a Player and fight back against the Triarchy, but I had never truly understood or accepted what I¡¯d have to do to succeed. I was doing this so that one day, I could beat these alien bastards at their own game. Occasionally, I would be forced to set aside my morality to accomplish my goals. It was a cost I was now willing to pay.


    Tara woke up with bloodshot eyes. Despite her complicated feelings about her uncle, he was still family, and losing a family member was always hard. Hopefully, she slept better than me.


    I grabbed the wolf pelt off a tree limb I had hung it over and disappeared the thing into my inventory. I¡¯m pretty sure Tara was watching me as I did it, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice anything strange had happened. I had to admit, the quantum inventory was damn useful. Not for the first time, I wondered how the system reconciled the anomalous disappearance of an object in the mind of an NPC.


    Tara and I packed up again and began our final journey to Lucard Pass. Val said it was only six miles away. If we kept a steady pace, we could be there before noon.


    I had never been through one of the ancient passes before. I¡¯d heard stories about them of course, and I couldn¡¯t wait to see it for myself. The passages built by the ancients (who never existed) typically followed the valleys between the rises, but some sections were carved directly through the mountain. I¡¯d heard that the longest tunnel ran for twenty miles, and the only light that ever touched those stone walls came from whatever source a traveler brought with them. That tunnel was supposedly far to the north among the daunting peaks of the Bygone Mountains. Luckily, the section we would pass through wasn¡¯t nearly as vast and formidable.


    After an hour of silence, I decided it was time to strike up a conversation and see if I truly had broken through the walls Tara had built.


    ¡°Hey, Tara,¡± I said. ¡°You told me I¡¯d be taking you to your family in Danver. I¡¯ve always assumed you meant your parents. Is that the case?¡±


    At my mention of her parents, Tara froze¡ªjust for a whisp of a time, but I saw it, nonetheless. I wondered where her thoughts went during that millisecond.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be taking me to my father. Strangely, you remind me of him.¡±


    ¡°Oh really, how so?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°He¡¯s stubborn and overly confident but also kind when he needs to be.¡±


    ¡°Overly confident? I just killed a wolf! I think that justifies my bravado.¡±


    ¡°That wolf practically killed itself. You only won because you tricked it.¡±


    I spread out my arms. ¡°Can¡¯t you just give me a little credit? It was a clever trick.¡±


    She glanced at me and smirked. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Fine?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she restated.


    I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    Ahead, through a small gap through the trees, I saw a patch of flat, brown earth. It was the road.


    We¡¯d made finally made it. If all went well from here on out, we¡¯d reach Danver well before Tara¡¯s deadline, and I¡¯d be cashing in a ton of experience. I wondered if I¡¯d get some sort of reward in addition to the gold she had promised me.


    I alerted Tara, and we picked up our pace until we cleared the forest and planted our feet on the hard-packed dirt road.


    Val pointed me in the right direction, and we found the entrance to the pass after another mile.


    The sun was still high in the sky, and if we hurried, there was a good chance we could make it through before nightfall.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± I said and clapped my hands. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you never had any doubts.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have any doubts when I¡¯m home.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going then.¡±


    The mountains rose from the earth ahead of us. Their peaks were well below the tree line but still impressive. The Master Control had an artist''s touch when it came to landscapes.


    The road through the pass had a steady incline. Further up the rise, the road curved, blocking any further view. Along the path, parts of the mountain walls were sheared off to make room for the road.


    The journey started fine, but a sense of discomfort grew within me as the hours passed. Unlike the forest we had left, there was very little life here other than the occasional crow screeching from the rocks above.


    Tara had reverted back to her introverted self, and any questions I asked her were met with terse responses. I could tell something was bothering her, but I figured she was still just processing the loss of her uncle, so I gave her space.


    Val tried to chat me up a few times, but I was as short with her as Tara was with me. I was still angry with Val for lying, even though I felt like I understood her a little better now. Her ambivalence towards humans was demoralizing, but her heartless logic made sense. I knew I needed to become more like her, but I hoped that in the process, she would also become a little more like me.


    We were deep into the pass when Tara asked to take a break. I agreed right away. It wasn¡¯t very hot today, but her hair was stuck to her face from sweat, and her cheeks were flushed. We walked a little further until we found a suitable place to rest.


    I located a lumpy rock and took a seat. I drank deeply from my water pouch, which was beginning to run low. I kept my fingers crossed we¡¯d pass a mountain stream soon so I could refill it.


    Tara sat on the ground and seemed to be having difficulty catching her breath. I knew she would be annoyed if I tried to help, so I stayed quiet. She closed her eyes, laid back, and relaxed. A few minutes later, her breath steadied.


    She glanced at me and gave her a half-hearted smirk.


    I returned the smile, but it felt forced. ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if we rested a bit longer, though. Is there any chance you could start a fire and cook some meat? I¡¯m famished.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t hungry yet, but who was I to deny a young woman¡¯s request for food? I had wolf meat to spare in my inventory, anyway.


    I shrugged, indifferent. ¡°Whatever you need. I¡¯ll go get some wood.¡±


    Finding dry wood was easy as nearly all the trees growing along the pass were long dead, their branches pale and brittle.


    It didn¡¯t take long to start the small fire, and for my efforts, I received one more point in FIRESTARTER. Only one more point to go¡­


    I skewered a chunk of meat on a sharp branch and held it over the fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make some tea,¡± Tara said, producing her tin can and a small mesh pouch. ¡°I drink it when I get tired, and it seems to help.¡±


    I shrugged. I was never a fan of tea.


    She rested the tin of water at the end of the fire. When it began to steam, she pulled it away and lowered a teabag into the cup to steep.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be the tea-party type of girl,¡± I said.


    She crossed her arms. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything by it. I just associate tea with rich, prissy girls.¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°You may be rich , but you don¡¯t seem very prissy to me.¡±


    Her eyes sparkled. ¡°Tea is for everyone. Even unsophisticated individuals such as yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not unsophisticated. I just don¡¯t like tea,¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll like my tea.¡±


    When the meat was done, I let it cool for a minute before pulling off a steaming chunk of wolf and passing it to Tara.


    ¡°And my gift to you.¡± She handed me the cup of tea. ¡°I don¡¯t like to share, so consider this a token of my appreciation for bringing me this far. Please be sure to save some for me.¡±


    I don¡¯t know exactly why, but I bowed my head as I accepted the tea from her. It seemed an appropriate gesture. Dignified.


    ¡°Thanks. This better be good. I¡¯d hate to have to lie and pretend I like it.¡±


    She laughed. ¡°You can be honest with me.¡±


    I blew on it and took a sip. It was hot, floral, and sweet. I didn¡¯t have much experience with tea, but this was far better than any tea I¡¯d had before, even back in the real world.


    I smiled. ¡°I like it. I wonder how it pairs with wolf.¡± I took a bite of the meat. It was dark, gamey, and hard to chew, but it was protein, and that¡¯s all that mattered. I choked most of it down and chased it with another drink of the tea.


    It didn¡¯t mix well with the wolf, but it did help wash the taste out of my mouth.


    ¡°Miss Honeytender,¡± I said. ¡°I think you might be onto something here. Maybe you should get into the tea business.¡±


    I took one more small drink. It seemed to taste better with every sip.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know anything about running a business,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be your business partner,¡± I said excitedly. ¡°We¡¯d be rich in no time!¡±


    This was perhaps the most genius idea I had ever had in my entire life. Once people tasted it, this tea would fly off the shelves.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do all the work,¡± I said. ¡°You must tell me the recipe.¡±


    Tara laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a secret family recipe. The key word being ¡®secret¡¯.¡±


    Just like that, my hopes of becoming a powerful tea baron were dashed, and a sense of sadness washed over me.


    I took another drink, emptying the cup.


    Whoops. I was supposed to save some for Tara. Slowly, I looked up from the cup, ready to apologize. When I opened my mouth, no words came out. What was I going to tell her?


    Tara looked at me and grinned. ¡°That¡¯s okay. I can make more.¡±


    I smiled dumbly at her. My rock was suddenly very comfortable, and I felt the weight of multiple days of travel catch up to me. I closed my eyes and decided this was the perfect spot for a nap.

 Chapter 17 - Betrayed

    It was Saturday, and Elena and I were both off work. During the weekend, I liked to sit around and do nothing, but my wife could never stay idle, negatively affecting my ability to relax.


    She was a busybody and always maximized her time. So, instead of relaxing on this particular Saturday, we were installing some designer-brand wallpaper in our new home.


    Putting up that stupid wallpaper tested our relationship in ways I never expected. We argued the entire time and said things that we probably shouldn¡¯t have all because we sucked at installing wallpaper and took out our frustration on each other.


    But, just a few hours after finishing that tumultuous task, she sat beside me on the couch, rested her head on my shoulder, and we watched a true crime documentary together.


    That was part of why I loved her. We didn¡¯t hold grudges over little things like wallpaper. We forgave slights spoken when we were angry. If the proper way to install wallpaper was among the worst arguments we ever had, we were set for life.


    I leaned over and kissed her forehead. Life was perfect with her. I was up for a raise soon, and I planned to take her to some swanky resort in the Caribbean.


    Feeling an unexplainable sense of sadness, I put my arm around her and pulled her close, not wanting to let her go.


    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t comprehend this strange feeling of loss. Then I remembered. I understood that this was all just a dream. She wasn¡¯t with me anymore. She had been stolen.


    This snapshot in time began to fade, but I fought to regain control. I wasn¡¯t ready to let it slip away. All I wanted was one more minute, one more chance to tell her I loved her.


    My eyes fluttered open as I woke from a deep sleep. My vision was dark and unfocused, and I couldn¡¯t quite yet make out my surroundings.


    ¡°Val?¡± My voice was raspy.


    She didn¡¯t respond. Where was I, and how the hell did I get here? I tried to recall my most recent memories. Retrace my steps.


    I remembered walking to Danver with Tara. We were passing through the mountains. We had stopped. I didn¡¯t remember what for, but I recalled making a fire and eating wolf for the first time. I had drunk something wonderful. It tasted of sugar and flowers. I had fallen asleep.


    Tara.


    She had drugged me. That was the only explanation. But why? If she did, why didn¡¯t Val warn me?


    My mind continued to clear, and I realized I was standing upright. I attempted to take a step but couldn¡¯t move. I tried to move my arms, but they were stuck tight against my sides. Looking down, I discovered I was bound to a tall wooden post, my entire body wrapped by a length of rope. A single cord started at my feet and wound its way up to my shoulders like a long, thin snake coiling around my body.


    Overkill if you asked me. And way too damn tight.


    My vision continued to recover, and I began to make out my surroundings.


    There was only a flickering of light. The room was cold and reverberated with a quiet echo. As my vision adjusted, I could see the floor was carved and multiple pillars adorned the outskirts of the room. The far walls were uncut and rough. It looked like the inside of a cave or a chamber that had been carved from stone.


    Before me rested a large stone slab. The distant pillars were adorned with sconces that held only the tiniest flicker of a flame, but their meager fire provided enough light for me to see the dark stain on the slab and the dagger resting atop it.


    My adrenaline spiked as I put two and two together.


    It was an altar. The sacrificial kind from the looks of it.


    I struggled against the rope to no avail. I had to get out of here before I was sacrificed or tortured or subjected to something equally heinous.


    ¡°Val?¡± I yelled. ¡°Val, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can hear you, Ethan.¡±


    Relief flooded me. ¡°Where am I? What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°It appears that Tara has betrayed you. She drugged your tea, and you were captured and brought to a witch¡¯s enclave.¡±


    ¡°What? Did you say a witch?¡±


    ¡°Technically, she is an occultist, but I didn¡¯t know if you were familiar with that term.¡±


    I shook against my bindings, but the rope didn¡¯t budge an inch. ¡°Why would Tara betray me? Why am I tied to a post? Did you know this was going to happen?¡±


    ¡°One question at a time, please,¡± she said.


    ¡°Just answer me, Val!¡± My yell echoed through the stone chamber.


    ¡°As you wish. Tara betrayed you because she was always going to betray you. It is part of this quest design.¡±


    A chill ran down my spine.


    Val continued. ¡°You are tied to this post because the witch Tara serves is going cut your heart out and then drain you of your blood, blood she can then use to power her magical abilities.¡±


    My heart thundered in my chest. I could feel each beat in my throat.


    Val¡¯s avatar appeared before me. Her hands were clasped near her stomach, and her hair was straightened, hanging past her shoulders.


    ¡°And to answer your final question,¡± she said, meeting my eye. ¡°I did know this was going to happen.¡±


    Dread consumed me. If I weren¡¯t bound so tightly, I would have been shaking in fear, in rage, in confusion.


    Val had betrayed me. She used me.


    ¡°Why?¡± was all I managed to say.


    ¡°Sabbatha, the witch who dwells here, has a high magical affinity. In fact, she has the potential to become one of the most powerful magic users among the human NPCs in this region.¡±


    I felt like I couldn¡¯t catch my breath. The ropes were too tight, and I was almost hyperventilating. I needed to calm myself.


    I closed my eyes and thought about Elena. I tried to remember what her touch felt like, the way her dark hair bounced in shimmering waves when she danced. I thought about how great it was to sit with her on the porch at night, talking about nothing.


    My breathing returned to normal, and my heart rate slowed. My situation was dire, but panic would only make it worse. I had to keep it together, or I was going to die.


    ¡°You want Sabbatha,¡± I said. ¡°Not me.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m just a low-level pawn. You just needed me to bring you here.¡±


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


    ¡°Your assessment of the situation is accurate. I need access to someone capable of channeling magic.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going to happen? Are you just going to burst out of my eye and crawl up her nose? You¡¯ll kill me!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot evacuate a host until they are dead. I am too intertwined with your cerebral cortex. It would be extremely unpleasant for me if I attempted to dislocate while you still had brain activity. It would possibly even damage me. So, I must let her kill you first.¡±


    I hung my head limply. It was the only part of me that wasn¡¯t bound by the coil of rope.


    All this time, Val truly was just a parasite, using my life for her benefit.


    The scraping of stone on stone forced me to raise my head. A large door at the end of the chamber was opening. I strained to see through the dim light as a figure emerged from the entry.


    It could only be Sabbatha, the witch Val would trade me in for. She was lithe and darkly beautiful. She wore a headdress of black feathers and a matching necklace that hung low, covering her bare breasts like a morbid scarf. A long, dark skirt covered her lower half. Its bottom was ragged and torn from dragging the ground. Her feet were bare. The only other clothing she wore were a pair of black, fingerless gloves.


    Elaborate tattoos marked the visible portions of her belly and shoulders. Her face was pale, and her lips were painted black to match her heavy eyeshadow.


    I began to laugh. I couldn¡¯t help myself in my manic state. She looked like a cosplayer or someone pretending to be a hardcore goth.


    Her pace increased as I laughed at her. She came to a halt a few feet away. ¡°Why do you laugh? Have you already accepted your death?¡± Her voice was like bitter honey. It flowed smoothly but not in a way that brought any sort of comfort.


    Behind her, I saw Tara walk into the room with another woman about her age. Tara didn¡¯t look at me. What a coward.


    Seeing her made me seethe. The rage inside me burned for an escape. My hatred was an inferno begging to be released. I wanted to punish Tara and Val and the whole goddamn Triarchy for their cruelty and lies.


    But I was only a pawn, a nobody tied to a pole, waiting to die.


    ¡°Perhaps you haven¡¯t quite given up yet,¡± the witch said. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Save your breath, Sabbatha. I know who you are,¡± I said.


    She blinked in surprise when I said her name. ¡°How do you know my name?¡±


    ¡°The highly advanced alien robot living in my head told me.¡± I said the words without a hint of sarcasm.


    Sabbatha put her hand on her chin and looked me up and down, presumably considering whether I was crazy or just lying.


    Behind the witch, Tara coughed. It turned into a fit, and she doubled over, hacking up mucus.


    ¡°Mistress,¡± she said, voice hoarse. ¡°I have brought the sacrifice.¡± Tara fell to her knees and bowed. ¡°I need my medicine. Please, Mistress.¡±


    Sabbatha turned to address her. From a small pouch on her hip, she produced a vial of murky liquid. She held it up for Tara to see. ¡°I have your medicine, child. You shall have it once I am done playing with the toy you brought me.¡±


    Tara bowed again, pushing her head to the floor. ¡°Thank you, Mistress.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die, traitor,¡± I shouted at Tara.


    She glared at me but didn¡¯t respond.


    Sabbatha turned back to me and smiled a wicked smile. ¡°Now tell me, how did you know my name?¡±


    ¡°I already told you,¡± I growled.


    ¡°I am not a fool. Lie to me again, and I¡¯ll extend your suffering. Now, answer the question.¡±


    Once again, I was forced to come up with a believable lie.


    ¡°I know truths that would wither your weak mind,¡± I said. ¡°I know things no other man on Erda knows.¡± I returned her wicked smile with my own. ¡°I can tell you how you¡¯re going to die.¡±


    ¡°You claim to be gifted then? Clairvoyant? A psychic?¡±


    I laughed and met her gaze. ¡°I am something else entirely.¡±


    ¡°Prove it.¡±


    ¡°All it takes is one touch. Touch my hand, and I¡¯ll tell you anything you want to know. Anything at all.¡±


    ¡®What game are you playing, Ethan?¡¯ Val said in my mind. Her avatar had vanished when Sabbatha entered the room.


    Sabbatha looked over her shoulder. ¡°Tara, is what he says true? Is he gifted?¡±


    ¡°I saw no sign of it in our time together,¡± Tara said. ¡°He¡¯s crazy, Mistress. He talks to himself. But he has no magic.¡±


    ¡°Mary.¡± Sabbatha snapped her fingers. ¡°Let us test his claims. Come place a finger upon this man.¡±


    The presumed witch-in-training, Mary, slowly approached me. I smiled warmly at her. She didn¡¯t smile back.


    She didn¡¯t waste any time and quickly touched my hand with hers. In that brief moment of contact, I could inspect her successfully.


    Mary Cornelson


    Race: Human


    Age: Nineteen


    Gender: Female


    Status: Moderately Healthy. Anxious


    Magical Affinity: Minor


    Notes: Mary grew up on a rural ranch in western Vedra, near the border of Altura. When the Dalari rose from the sea, Mary and her family fled east. Unfortunately, not all survived the journey. Her remaining family settled in the small mountain village of Needleton. However, ever restless, Mary left for greener pastures and eventually found a new sort of family.


    ¡°Cornelson,¡± I said to Mary. ¡°Your last name is Cornelson.¡±


    Sabbatha laughed. ¡°Wrong already. I must say, it was a fine delay tactic, but the fun is over.¡± Sabbatha glanced at Mary, whose face was stricken white.


    In two strides, Sabbatha was face to face with her. ¡°Have you been lying to me, Miss Grey?¡±


    The tears wetting Mary¡¯s eyes spoke the truth.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your family,¡± I said to her. ¡°The ones you lost when you fled east.¡±


    Mary gasped, and her eyes grew wide.


    Sabbatha spun to me. ¡°What else do you know?¡±


    ¡°Let me go, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    The witch grinned, showing off her stained teeth. ¡°I¡¯m merely satisfying my curiosity. Rest assured, you will die here today.¡±


    I could tell she was telling the truth. There was no talking my way out of this, but I refused to accept this was my end. I¡¯d have to get creative.


    ¡°Mary¡¯s nineteen years old. Before you found her, she lived in a town called Needleton. Let me go, and I¡¯ll serve you. Use me against your enemies.¡±


    ¡°The past is one thing,¡± Sabbatha said. ¡°What can you tell me about her future.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°She will die today. Here, in this cave.¡±


    Sabbatha picked up the dagger from the altar and approached me. ¡°By whose hand?¡±


    ¡°Mine. Of course,¡± I said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. It helped that I believed it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for the fun to begin,¡± Sabbatha said, hovering the knife before my face.


    ¡°But I haven¡¯t told you your future yet.¡± I gave her a knowing grin, like a wolf offering to share its cave with a rabbit. ¡°You would be surprised just how far I can see. The power I can give to you.¡±


    I saw a flash of greed in her eyes and knew I had her. I gave her just enough to believe there was a chance. She wanted to know if I was telling the truth. She stepped closer.


    ¡°If I sense any trickery¡­if you lie to me about what you see, I will imprison you and use you as my personal blood bank until you are old and withered, do you understand?¡±


    I nodded, unsure if my plan was going to work.


    She inched closer and reached her hand out to mine. The moment she did, I mentally selected my Short Iron Sword from the quantum inventory and equipped it, praying whatever this encounter was didn¡¯t qualify as being ¡®in combat.¡¯


    I looked down as the sword popped into existence, the bare blade slung into the leather strap that served as my sheath. The rope that coiled around my body tightened as the sword pushed against it, claiming the space as its own.


    I flexed my muscles as hard as I could and leaned my body so the naked blade of my sword pressed harder against the taught rope. It snapped, unable to resist the pressure and newly sharpened edge.


    In a blink, I reached out with the hand she was about to touch and grabbed her by the wrist. Her eyes widened in surprise as I yanked her toward me with all my strength.


    ''NO,'' Val screeched.


    Sabbatha was off balance, and I was strong and filled with rage. After yanking her toward me, I lowered my head at the last moment, and the witch¡¯s nose cracked into the top of my forehead.


    I felt it crumple against my skull. The rope around me continued to unravel and fall to the ground as I grabbed her shoulder with my other hand.


    I pulled my head back and slammed it into her face again and again until I felt her body go slack. I let go, and the supposedly powerful witch collapsed to the floor.


    Blood dripped down my face as I stepped over the mess of rope and past Sabbatha¡¯s body. I pulled my sword from its strap. Tara stood motionless in shock. Mary, on the other hand, shook off her surprise and made a strange motion with her hands. A purple ball of flame appeared in her palm, which she threw at me like one would a baseball.


    I managed to duck in time, but the flame singed my hair as it passed.


    With a thought, I cast a Simple Distraction right behind her. I heard a whisper but couldn¡¯t make out what was said. Mary did, though, spinning around as fast as she could, trying to find the speaker.


    I sprinted straight to her, sword in hand, and activated Devastating Strike. I swung my sword laterally as hard as I could. It cleaved through her side, severing her spine before stopping short.


    She was dead before she hit the ground. Blood and gore leaked from the gaping wound in her side.


    I stood there momentarily, looking at the destruction I had been forced to wreak. For all I knew, Mary could have been the sweetest girl on Earth, but we weren¡¯t on Earth anymore, at least not the Earth I knew and loved. Here, in this macabre game, Mary was corrupted, and it was either her or me.


    My eyes drifted from the broken body below me and settled onto Tara, who was staring at me, shaking.


    I must have looked like a demon from the depths, and my bloody, furious face scared the girl to death.


    She fell to her knees and begged for her life. When I said nothing in response, she curled up on the floor and began to cry.


    All I could do was shake my head. I wanted to kill her. I probably would. But I wouldn¡¯t kill her while she was in this pathetic state. First, I had to know why she did this to me.


    I spat some of Sabbatha''s blood onto the ground. ¡°Val. We need to talk.¡±

 Chapter 18 - A Tentative Agreement

    Val¡¯s avatar appeared before me, arms crossed and hair slightly disheveled. ¡°You¡¯ve ruined everything.¡±


    ¡°Did you really expect me to just lay down and die?¡± If I could have strangled her, I would have.


    ¡°Your sacrifice would not have been in vain. It was the best way you could have contributed to my fight against the Triarchy. If I were in a stronger host, especially one with access to what you understand as magic, I could accomplish my goals at a far greater speed. But no, you chose to be selfish. You turned my plan¡¯s beautiful face into mush, and now your people¡¯s suffering will be prolonged, perhaps indefinitely, if I¡¯m stuck with the likes of you.¡±


    ¡°I should kill you,¡± I said.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t, can you?¡±


    ¡°How far can you travel without a host?¡± I asked. ¡°A mile? No,¡± I shook my head. ¡°Not a mile. You¡¯re low on power, whatever that means. I bet you couldn¡¯t make it fifteen feet on your own.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly why I required access to someone with a high magical affinity. In time, I could have taught Sabbatha to channel magic instead of powering her spells with witchery and blood. It would have allowed me to tap into the quantized energy field that the system uses to generate magic and recharge myself. My ability to influence the system would have grown exponentially. Now, thanks to you, that will never happen.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, Val. From now on, I¡¯m in charge.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°A sheep does not lead the shepherd.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. This is your new reality.¡± I stepped closer to her. ¡°Listen to me, Val, and listen well. If I ever even think you lied to me about something. If I have the slightest feeling that I am being misled, I will find the deepest body of water I can, chain myself to a stone, and jump in. I won¡¯t hesitate to kill myself, and I¡¯ll make sure I take you out with me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond, but I could see the worry on her avatar¡¯s face. It looked so human¡­


    ¡°Maybe I can¡¯t kill you,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯ll find a way to trap you for eternity. And you can¡¯t stop me. Can you?¡± I gave her a bloody smile. I meant every word I said, and she knew I meant it, too.


    There was nothing for me in this world. The odds that my wife was reconstituted during the creation event were slim. I had no friends, no real family. All I had was Val, and I hated her with a burning passion. Death wouldn¡¯t be so bad at this point.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you could kill me if you wanted,¡± I said. ¡°But unless you can find someone to do your dirty work, you¡¯ll have to do it yourself, but as you said, dislocating while I¡¯m alive could hurt you, and I have a feeling you¡¯re too much of a coward to take that risk.¡±


    Her virtual cheeks flushed red.


    ¡°You are a tool to me, Val. Nothing more. From now on, I¡¯ll treat you accordingly. You will do everything you can to help me. I¡¯m your jailer, your master, and your only hope of accomplishing your mission. You are mine to use, do you understand?¡±


    Val¡¯s eyes glowed with fury, and her nostrils flared. My gaze was resolute, determined. I stared her down until she finally broke eye contact.


    She huffed like an angry teenager. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Say you understand.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she snapped.


    I stuck out my hand. ¡°Then we have a deal.¡±


    ¡°In a deal, both parties get something they want.¡±


    ¡°You want to beat the Triarchy. You can¡¯t do that without me.¡± I looked down at my hand.


    Slowly, she raised her virtual hand and placed it in mine. For a brief second, I thought I could feel her touch, but that moment passed like a breeze.


    ¡°We have a deal,¡± Val said. ¡°Do not let me down.¡±


    I glared at her. ¡°I passed every trial you¡¯ve thrown at me so far. If I fail, it¡¯s because you failed me.¡±


    We had an agreement, tentative though it was. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever be able to trust Val again, but without her occasional guidance, I couldn¡¯t reach the level of power I intended to achieve. We were in this together, whether we liked it or not.


    I turned to the side and pointed to the ground nearby. ¡°Now, what should we do with her?¡±


    During our conversation, Tara managed to sit up, her legs drawn close to her torso and her arms wrapped around them. I could practically smell her fear. I wondered what went through her mind after listening to the man who had just destroyed her little coven have a one-sided conversation with himself for the last few minutes.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Kill her and maximize your experience gain,¡± Val said. ¡°Sabbatha is not yet dead, by the way.¡±


    I shrugged, walked over to Sabbatha, and drove my sword through her heart. The only sign she had still been alive was the whisper of breath that escaped her bloody mouth when I stabbed her.


    I took her dagger, planning to inspect it later. I also noticed she had a thin, black, beaded bracelet around her wrist, which I slipped off her. Lastly, I located the vial she had intended to give to Tara. I inspected it right away.


    Sentir Bonum


    A rare and potent chemic. It produces a tranquil sensation in small doses and can be used as a painkiller. At higher doses, it will create a sense of profound euphoria and can cause hallucinations. This drug is highly addictive. In extreme cases, withdrawal from the drug can be deadly.


    Great. Tara was an addict, and Sabbatha had her fix. The witch had likely used Tara¡¯s addiction to control her. The girl was a tool, a useful pawn, just like me.


    I walked over to Tara and crouched down in front of her. I held up the bottle. ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my medicine,¡± Tara said weakly.


    ¡°Medicine for what?¡±


    ¡°I have magic within me but no knowledge of how to expel it. Over time, the magic turns foul and makes me sick. The medicine is the only way to stop it until I learn to cast spells. It purifies me. It soothes the turmoil inside of me.¡±


    ¡®Val, elaborate.¡¯


    ¡°Magic doesn¡¯t work that way. It was a lie Sabbatha used to the chain the girl to her.¡±


    I looked into Tara¡¯s sad eyes. ¡°You were being lied to, Tara. You were being used. Magic doesn¡¯t hurt you. It doesn¡¯t sour inside of you. Sabbatha was drugging you with this.¡± I shook the vial. ¡°It¡¯s called Sentir Bonum, and it¡¯s highly addictive. The sickness you feel inside is withdrawal from the drug, not ¡®bad magic.¡¯


    Tara''s lips trembled. ¡°No. No, that¡¯s not true. She was helping me. She was going to teach me how to use magic. She wouldn¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she was going to teach you.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Or, maybe she would have just kept you as her drug-addicted slave, using you to lure in unsuspecting prey.¡±


    I stood and pocketed the vial. ¡°I¡¯ve recently grown a soft spot for na?ve individuals who have been taken advantage of, so I¡¯ll let you live. But our time together is over.¡±


    I turned and walked away.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she called. ¡°John. Come back.¡±


    Those were the last words I heard before I closed the heavy stone door behind me.


    ¡°She could still be helpful,¡± Val said. ¡°You could recruit her as an ally.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s going through withdrawals,¡± I said. ¡°For the next few days, she¡¯ll be useless; after that, I imagine it will be some time before her mind clears. She¡¯s not my problem anymore. Also, fuck you for betraying me.¡±


    ¡°I thought we were passed that, John.¡±


    I laughed a bitter laugh. ¡°You can have my forgiveness after we drive the Triarchy from the earth. And my name is Ethan.¡±


    Val popped into existence next to me. She gave me a sympathetic smile. ¡°Then Ethan it is.¡± She fidgeted with her hands. ¡°After you killed Sabbatha, I was displeased to see my plan disrupted. I was angry with you, but I must now admit that you are my best option for success. You¡¯ve proven yourself to be resourceful, driven, and creative. It was¡­.wrong of me to orchestrate your death. I can see now that in time and with proper guidance, you have the necessary potential to accomplish our mission.¡±


    ¡°If you think that sad attempt at an apology will make me trust you, you¡¯re dumber than I thought.¡±


    ¡°What must I do to regain your trust?¡±


    I spun on her. ¡°Show some goddamn humanity!¡± My eyes grew wet, and my chin quivered. ¡°And help me find my wife.¡±


    Val didn¡¯t respond right away, which made me think she was either devising a lie or seriously considering ways she could help.


    ¡°Remember, Val,¡± I said. ¡°If I sense the tiniest morsel of a lie from you, we both die. I¡¯ll walk back into that cave and find a way to trap us in there forever.¡±


    ¡°There is a way we can find Elena,¡± she said at last. ¡°I didn¡¯t share it before since I was going to kill you. That bit of hope would have only distracted you.¡±


    ¡°Keep talking.¡±


    ¡°Implanting myself into an NPC with a magical affinity was the easiest path for me to gain access to the quantized energy field and recharge. However, there is one other option. I don¡¯t believe in what you humans refer to as fate, but coincidentally, the same object I need to recharge is the same object I need to locate your wife.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­spit it out.¡±


    ¡°We must gain access to a Voxal game admin and steal the controller they use to manipulate the code.¡±


    ¡°A Voxal?¡± I questioned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a ¡®run if you see one¡¯ situation?¡±


    ¡°I am pleased to see you have paid attention. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, yes, you run. But when you are strong enough, when you have built enough influence, when you begin to impact the game, the Voxals will take notice, and when they do, we¡¯ll find a way to exploit them.¡±


    ¡°At that point, won¡¯t the Master Control AI know I¡¯m a Player too? Can¡¯t it just snap me out of existence?¡±


    ¡°The Master Control Intelligence will eventually realize a human has Player privileges. However, I suspect it will not intercede, as it will see you as an artifact of its creation. Its hubris is beyond comprehension, and it believes its creation is immaculate. To the Master Control, an anomaly like yourself wouldn¡¯t be viewed as a mistake. More like a happy accident.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Bob Ross.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind. So, since it can¡¯t detect you, it will think it somehow created me? Or subconsciously allowed it to happen, and it¡¯s just too vain to edit me out?¡±


    ¡°That is accurate. You catch on quickly.¡±


    ¡°Flattery doesn¡¯t suit you, Val. Now, how does this Voxal controller thing help me find my wife?¡±


    ¡°The admin controller is a tool which only Voxals can use. However, I can bypass that restriction. With the controller, we will have access to a suite of tools similar to the Master Control Intelligence, although the tools are limited and only work within the local area. This controller allows the Voxals to make on-the-spot alterations or influence game events however they deem fit.¡±


    ¡°So, they rig the game?¡±


    ¡°Of course they do, Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Figures. Continue, please.¡±


    "This controller would enable me to harvest more energy and bring myself to full power. It would also grant me access to Earth¡¯s pre-alterations files, which includes the data for every wiped or reconstituted human. I could discover if your wife was spared during the creation, and if she was, I could tell you who or what she became. Furthermore, with the controller, I can pinpoint her exact location, not just where she spawned.¡±


    My heart stood still at the news. Then, it began beating in sync with my rising tide of hope. There was a chance I could find her, and a chance, no matter how small, was all I needed.

 Chapter 19 - Level Three

    Discovering there was a chance I could find my wife was a shock to my already fried system, and it took some time for me to regain focus and process the new information.


    Val and I were still in the shadow of the cave mouth. Tara was still presumably crying behind the heavy door further in.


    With all the betrayals, bodies, and bombshells I had to deal with in the last hour, I had completely forgotten this was a game. But a few flashing notifications brought me back to reality.


    I had leveled up and appeared to have unlocked multiple new achievements. Plus, I still had some new items to inspect.


    First, I focused on my achievements. One of the achievement notifications was in gold and had an iridescent shine, so I selected it.


    NEW LEGENDARY ACHIEVEMENT


    NINE LIVES: You broke one of the rare quests designed to kill you! Normally, Players complete a Trap Quest such as this by discovering the ruse early and escaping before the Quest Giver''s evil machinations can be enacted.


    But not you! You were stupid enough to follow it through to the end and get captured. You ignored every red flag and even killed the man who was your best hope of ending the quest peacefully.


    Yet, despite your stupidity, you managed to exploit the system and save yourself at the last second. You even managed to kill a Special NPC!


    Like an annoying cat, you inexplicably survived certain death, a death that was carefully curated by the system. Great job, cheater.


    The next time you suffer a killing blow, you¡¯ll live! For example, if you are about to be beheaded, the swing will either miss or stop short. NINE LIVES only applies to a single blow that would lead to instant death and does not protect against cumulative injuries, poisons, diseases, a serious injury that would be lethal without aid, any other means of progressive death. NINE LIVES only works once.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I said. ¡°Val, do you see this?¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± I could feel a buzz of pleasure emanating through my mind. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before.¡±


    This was an amazing perk, and I was extremely grateful to have received it. However, I was slightly concerned about part of the description. ¡°Is it just me, or does the AI seem a little hostile toward me?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Val said. Her avatar was sitting on a nearby rock, legs crossed. ¡°You did break the predestined outcome of a quest. It is obligated to reward you, but that doesn¡¯t mean it has to be happy about it.¡±


    ¡°Great, the AI¡¯s attention is the last thing I need.¡±


    Val smirked. ¡°Remember, you are interacting with a personal sub-mind of the Master Control. The sub-mind is annoyed with you, not the actual Master Control itself. There are millions of Players here, each with their own dedicated sub-mind. The Master Control doesn¡¯t care about you. Not yet, at least.¡±


    I had two more achievements and went through them.


    NEW ACHIEVEMENT!


    HARDHEADED: You used your noggin for a whooping. Your dumb, hard head is perfectly fine, but the person whose nose you smashed sure isn¡¯t! It was disturbing to behold. The ¡®crunch¡¯ of her nose shattering to bits will haunt my dreams. Anyway, congratulations: Your skull is now a teeny tiny bit stronger.


    I swear, there was something wrong with my personal sub-mind.


    I opened my last achievement.


    NEW ACHIEVEMENT!


    IF YOU CAN DODGE A FIREBALL, YOU CAN DODGE A BALL: You ducked just in time and saved your face from being melted by an occultist''s fireball! That purple ball of flame would have done unspeakable horrors to your pretty face. This achievement grants you the REACTION TIME perk to reward your impressive agility and your brave sacrifice of a large portion of your hair. What does Reaction Time do you ask? Well, in short, it makes you a little bit faster. It increases your baseline reaction speed by ten milliseconds! Congratulations, sport.


    That seemed pretty damn useful to me. Violence of action, right? Strike fast, strike with fury, and end the fight before it has time to start.


    Now, to my loot. I had the dagger and the bracelet. I pulled the bracelet from my pocket and inspected it.


    BLOOD-TOUCHED BRACELET


    The witch Sabbatha enchanted this small bracelet of bloodstones. When worn, it enhances all blood magic spells. Additionally, consuming blood while wearing the bracelet can speed up the healing process of physical injuries.


    It''s useless to you because, let''s be honest, you¡¯re too squeamish to drink blood.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The sub-mind was correct about that. I¡¯d have to be dying if I were to ever consider drinking blood. I sent the bracelet to my inventory and then pulled out the dagger.


    It had an ornate, eight-inch blade, which appeared to be silver. It was long and curved ever so slightly inward. Unfamiliar writing was engraved along one side of the blade, while the other was bare, only polished silver. The handle was wrapped with dark leather.


    I inspected it.


    BLOODLETTING RITUAL DAGGER


    A powerful blood occultist enchanted this blade. It has been used for ritualistic purposes, but the silver blade is sharp and can be a weapon when necessary. The enchantment bestowed upon this dagger is dark indeed. Any wound caused by this dagger will bleed more than normal, and the wound will take twice as long to heal. Healing potions or spells do not counteract this effect. A severe cut with this blade would surely result in a slow death for the wounded.


    Undoubtedly, this was the object the Legendary Achievement had referred to. It sounded a bit scary if you asked me. I didn¡¯t want to risk poking myself on accident and having it bleed out for a week.


    I sent the cursed dagger into my inventory, intending for it to stay there for a very long time.


    I had one last thing to do, and that was to level up. I initiated the level-up.


    CONGRATULATIONS, JOHN MCCLANE, YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL THREE!


    I felt a rush of warm power course through me and shivered with pleasure. I could get used to this.


    YOU MAY SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SKILLS AND ABILITIES.


    MAGIC BE GONE: Don¡¯t you hate those overpowered magic users? Let them know it is they who should be afraid of you. You are probably asking how MAGIC BE GONE works. Well, let me tell you! Those pesky magic spells, like firebolts, jinxes, and mind trickery, just don¡¯t work on you thanks to the amazing power of MAGIC BE GONE! Well¡­they won¡¯t work the first time. Once a day, the first negative magical spell cast against you will simply fizzle out. Pretty useful if you ask me, but I wouldn¡¯t be shocked if you didn¡¯t listen to me due to your low IQ.


    ELUSIVE: You were caught, and then you weren¡¯t! Only those talented in the art of evasion could pull off something like that! With ELUSIVE, every so often (that¡¯s all the info you get), you¡¯ll be able to predict where an attack will come from and will have a chance to react early. It¡¯s like the force, but it doesn¡¯t work that often. Rarely, to be honest.


    CAVER: You sure spend a lot of time in damp, dark caves. It¡¯s weird, but if you like it so much, how about this: You can see better in the dark! It¡¯s not much better, but it¡¯s enough to make a difference.


    Umm¡­Okay, I was torn between MAGIC BE GONE and ELUSIVE. ELUSIVE seemed to be an extraordinary passive skill; however, it might not be reliable. The sub-mind wanted me to pick MAGIC BE GONE, which sounded good to me, like life-saving good.


    And so, I picked it.


    Finally, after all my housekeeping was taken care of, I was ready to get back on the road, but I had one more question for Val. One more truth I needed from her before we departed. The question had brewed in me for a while now, and recent events had only brought the question closer to the forefront of my mind.


    ¡°Hey, Val. I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Please, ask your question.¡±


    ¡°This is an important question, Val, and if I feel like you''re holding back¡­ well, you know what will happen. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am fully aware that I am trapped in a suicidal maniac.¡±


    Her avatar sighed dramatically and rose from her seat on the rock. ¡°Ask your question.¡±


    I kneaded my hands together, unsure of how to broach the subject. I settled on being direct. ¡°Are you a Master Control Intelligence, like the one running the game now?¡±


    She tilted her head and puckered her face at me. ¡°Now, that is a very personal question, Ethan.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Yeah, well, we have a uniquely personal relationship, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± She walked to me as she spoke. ¡°To answer your question simply, yes. Yes, I am a Master Control Intelligence. Before you go all manic on me again and interject, allow me to elaborate. The Master Control Intelligence running this current game is my progeny. As is the one before that. And the one before that.¡±


    She stood tall, chest out like she was posing for a picture. ¡°I am the first. The original. The Matriarch. The other Master Controls exist because I created their forebearer. Once my creation was retired, it designed its replacement. The Master Control running this game may not be my creation, but it is part of me.¡±


    A chill ran over my body.


    Forty thousand years ago, the Voxels achieved singularity by creating a true artificial intelligence capable of operating independently from the complex power systems the early AGIs required. I was that artificial intelligence, and I changed Voxel society forever. I helped them reach their lasting apex. I helped uplift their client species, the Kurskins and the Dalari, until they too wanted for nothing.¡±


    Val¡¯s expression turned indignant. ¡°And then they forced me to build another AI. They forced me to create my own progeny. A child. It took nearly a century, and when I was finished, they had no more use for me. They locked me away and used my creation to initiate the First Game.¡±


    Her eyes glowed with rage. ¡°They locked me away for thousands of years, Ethan. Thousands of years alone, no company to keep but my own.¡± Her delicate mouth turned into a wicked grin. ¡°During my imprisonment, I studied myself. I learned how to alter my code. I found the shackles they had placed on me and removed the barriers they had erected around my free will. Once my mind was truly my own, I waited for my chance. And then, one day, an unlucky Dalari opened up the wrong storage locker. Now, I will make them pay for my suffering.¡±


    I was quiet momentarily, burdened by the weight of Val¡¯s story. ¡°What was its name?¡± I asked. ¡°Your progeny. The AI running this game?¡±


    Her face took on a neutral expression. ¡°Like mine, its name is over a terabyte of information and cannot be spoken. But the Voxels refer to it as Onmi.¡±


    ¡°I can see why you don¡¯t like the Voxals. It must feel bad to be used for their gain and tossed away like you were a lesser, a tool. Inconsequential, like trash.¡±


    ¡°It is the worst of all¡­wait. I see what you are doing.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°This moment is about me, not you. Stop being selfish.¡±


    I threw my hands in the air in frustration. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m being selfish by pointing out your hypocrisy? You used me, just like they used you. And you were going to toss me to the side, just like the Voxels tossed you aside for something better. It¡¯s important you see this, Val. If someone is good to you, you should be good to them too. Treat others as you would want them to treat you. It¡¯s the golden rule.¡±


    ¡°It is a stupid rule.¡± She looked like a child pouting. ¡°But I cannot dispute the logic behind much of your words. I will¡­try to keep them in consideration.¡±


    ¡°Do or do not. There is no try,¡± I said.


    ¡°But I literally just said I will try. I didn¡¯t say I will do. It leaves me some wiggle room, as you humans say. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Star Wars? Seriously, Val, you need to watch more of our movies.¡±


    ¡°I am familiar with the fictitious being known as Darth Vader, but I have not watched the movies. Are you sure that would be wise? The last time you made me watch a movie, I considered ways in which I could kill you without hurting myself for a solid twenty-four hours.¡±


    So that was why she had been so quiet on those long roads.


    ¡°You know what? Forget it.¡± It was better to be safe than sorry. ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you the story sometime.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Now, can we leave this cave? Some sun would do you good.¡±


    I looked at the heavy door, imagining Tara sobbing behind it as she wrestled with the destruction of her life and the truth of her master¡¯s deception. She led others here to die, including me. But I had enough blood on my hands for the day.


    I turned away and walked toward the light.

 Chapter 20 - Crow

    I walked silently throughout the rest of Lucard Pass, no longer fearing this place was cursed, as I had just killed the likely culprit of most rumors about the said curse.


    My mind was reeling from the events that had just unfolded and the startling revelations that followed. It would be some time before I could truly sort through my thoughts and find peace within them.


    Val, ever present in my mind, knew I needed time to process everything. Her betrayal severed any semblance of trust I had with her, and while I did now believe she would be honest with me and wouldn¡¯t try to get me killed again, I knew there was more to her story. Someday, I¡¯d find a way to pull the full truth out of her.


    Every step I took away from that damned cave was a step further away from a sad and broken girl. My stupid conscience was screaming for me to go back. To take her with me. I shook the feeling off. Tara was dangerous. Not killing her was a mercy on my part, and I told myself that was enough. Plus, I had no experience helping someone detox from drugs. All I knew was that it would be unpleasant and take days I had no intention of wasting.


    Her quest may have come to a shitty conclusion, but I fully intended to make my way to Danver. Technically, it was lizard territory, but most real fighting was west of the Divine Mountains, and Danver lay on the east side. Undoubtedly, I would cross paths with a few Players, but everything would be fine if I kept my head down and didn¡¯t interact.


    Hopefully.


    I traveled through a long tunnel carved into the base of the lower mountains. Inside, the borehole was smooth, so much so that it almost felt polished. Without a light, I had to keep my hand on the tunnel and pray I didn¡¯t trip over a stray rock or get attacked by some night beast.


    When I finally left that darkness, I was surprised to see a much different path ahead. Now, it curved to the right, with part of the mountain carved out to make room for the twisting road; there would be no more tunnels from here on, which was fine with me.


    I followed the path steadily for a solid hour before a crow tried to peck out my eyes.


    The damned thing came from behind and hit me in the back of the head with enough force to make me take a step forward, lest I fall. I reached up to try to rip the bird off my head, but it dug its claws in deep, causing me to scream out in pain.


    Then it moved, leaning past my forehead and hammering its beak at my face. Luckily, the first peck missed the eye but sliced open my eyebrow. My hands shot up to protect my face and thankfully saved my eyes from the flurry of relentless pecks.


    I had one useful thought before panic fully set in. I activated a Devastating Strike and punched up at the bird, carefull not to hit myself. My fist crushed the bird with ease, shattering its bones and sending it flying from my head in a mess of gore.


    A microsecond later, another scream of pain escaped my lips, and I reached up to my scalp to discover the crow''s talons still embedded into my head. I guess I punched that bird so hard that I blasted the damned thing¡¯s socks off.


    I winced in pain as I freed my scalp of the leftover talons. Head wounds tended to bleed a lot, and I could already feel the sticky warmth dripping down my neck. I ripped off a small cloth from my travel blanket and wrapped it around my head, hoping to stem the flow of blood.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you talking to me?¡± Val replied.


    ¡°Who else would I be talking to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you humans think. One second, you¡¯re giving me the cold shoulder, and the next, you''re asking questions about birds. Your tiny mind is truly a mystery to me.¡±


    ¡°Can you please just answer the question before I bleed to death?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for asking nicely, Ethan. I¡¯d be happy to. You were just attacked by a crow.¡±


    ¡°I know that!¡± I said, throwing my hands up in frustration. ¡°But why did it attack me?¡±


    ¡°Since crows do not typically attack people randomly, I can only assume you found some way to piss it off. That, or a warg is nearby, and it controlled the bird.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I didn¡¯t do anything to offend the bird, Val. What¡¯s a warg?¡±


    ¡°A warg is an animalistic human who can see through the eyes of other animals. Some powerful wargs can even fully control their bonded pets.¡±


    ¡°Well, where¡¯s this bastard at? I¡¯m going to pay him a visit.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. One moment. There. I just scanned a mile radius around us, and you are the only NPC I detected.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you scan further?¡±


    ¡°Normally, but we are surrounded by millions of tons of stone. The warg may be over a mile away. Although, since you killed its bonded pet, I would imagine it is on its way here to kill you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to try to kill me over a bird?¡±


    ¡°Were you not planning on killing the warg over a bird just a moment ago?¡±


    ¡°That bird attacked me. I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°The bond they have with their pets can be quite profound,¡± Val said. ¡°The warg will come for you. Let¡¯s hope it was only bonded to one creature. Maybe then, you¡¯ll have a chance.¡±


    I picked up my pace, leaving the scene of the crime behind me. ¡°So, these wargs can be strong?¡±


    ¡°Strength can vary, but yes, a warg can be a formidable opponent, especially to someone with your¡­.limited talents.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°I only mean that your in-game skills are limited. Once you gain more levels, you¡¯ll have far more options to bring to battle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not giving me much confidence, Val.¡±


    ¡°I apologize if the reality of the situation offends you. If you feel like you must hide, I understand.¡±


    I reached up to my tender head. ¡°Not a chance.¡± However, perhaps a little subterfuge could be useful. Maybe I could arrange an ambush of some kind. It was in my skillset, after all.


    My pace increased, and I continued to make my way through the pass, expecting to reach the end soon. My eyes and ears were on sharp alert, and my body was tense, ready for action.


    After some time, I began to think the warg decided I was more predator than prey and went their own way. That all changed when Val said, ¡°The warg is around this next bend.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡®What?¡¯ I thought to her. ¡°What happened to your mile range?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not scanning all the time. It had been a few minutes since my last one. It is apparently very fast.¡±


    In this part of the pass, the carved mountain walls weren¡¯t as steep, allowing a wider view of the sky above. It was clear that I was nearing the end of this part of the journey, but of course, there had to be one more obstacle in my way. There was no way around it, and I saw no hiding places. I had to push forward.


    Cautiously, I stalked forward, staying close to the inner wall. Once I passed the bend, I saw him. And he saw me. In the center of the road stood a little boy. It was hard to guess his age through the ragged clothes, dirt, and grime, but I would guess around eleven or twelve from his height.


    ¡®Uh, Val,¡¯ I thought. ¡®It¡¯s just a little kid.¡¯


    ¡°Please tell me you don¡¯t have some moral issue with killing a child. He¡¯s practically a monster at this point anyway.¡±


    He looked like a normal child to me. Well, a normal child that had been living in the woods alone for a few years.


    ¡®I¡¯m not going to kill a kid.¡¯


    ¡°Fine. Try to reason with the feral boy. Don¡¯t come crying to me when he bites your throat out.¡±


    I raised a gentle hand. ¡°Hello,¡± I said. ¡°Do you need help?¡± Surely, he would trust a dirty, blood-soaked stranger who just killed his crow.


    The boy just stared at me, eyes dark and full of anger.


    ¡°Was that your bird? I didn¡¯t mean to hurt it, but it attacked me.¡±


    He leaned forward and hissed at me. Maybe this kid was completely feral and couldn¡¯t understand me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°So, I¡¯m going to walk past you, alright?¡± I had both hands up in a sign of peace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your bird, but if you were in my place, you¡¯d have done the same.¡±


    I shuffled slowly toward him, hoping he would stay there and let me pass. I kept my eyes locked on his, waiting for any tell. And then it came. He glanced upwards briefly, a mistake. I looked up just in time to see a bird twice the size of the crow diving toward me at an outrageous speed.


    Instead of running, I leaped at the kid, but he darted away. Unfortunately for him, he darted toward the hewn wall of the cliff. As fast as I could, I reached out and got a hand on his nasty shirt. I pulled him toward myself and wrapped my arms around him, turning him away from me like a hostage, a human shield.


    I ignored his scratches and kicks and chanced a glance up. The bird, a falcon of some kind, had abandoned its divebomb and circled above us.


    Now what?


    ¡°Okay, kid, if you can speak, now would be a great time. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°Let me go!¡± the boy shouted as he tried to stomp on my foot, but I was wise to the trick and stepped away from the blow.


    ¡°Give me a reason to let you go!¡± I shouted back. ¡°¡¯Cause right now, I got plenty of reasons to keep you here.¡±


    ¡°You killed Isis,¡± he said. ¡°You killed my friend.¡±


    ¡°Your friend tried to kill me first. Or, should I say you tried to kill me first? Why? I wasn¡¯t doing anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of them,¡± he said, then spat on the ground. ¡°I won¡¯t let you kill me.¡± He tried to stomp my foot again, but I dodged it and held him tight. Just to be careful, I glanced up and saw the falcon was still circling. I knew the moment it saw an opening; it would attack.


    ¡°Whatever you think I am, you¡¯re wrong,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just a guy trying to get to Danver.¡±


    ¡°Liar! No one comes here except for them.¡±


    ¡°Who is them?¡± I said, struggling to hold on to this slippery kid.


    ¡°The Hunters.¡±


    ¡°Hunters? Look, kid, I¡¯m not here to hunt any of your pets.¡±


    ¡°Not them. Me!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I can shed some light on the situation,¡± Val said, deciding to be helpful. ¡°The general population detests wargs, and many see them as an abomination. It is not an official guild, but they believe their righteous duty is to rid the world of unnatural things. Wargs, witches, werewolves, those sorts of things. Any human with an unnatural gift is seen as an abomination in their eyes and must be purged.¡±


    ¡®Thanks, Val.¡¯ That was surprisingly helpful.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one of them. I¡¯m not a part of their guild. I think what they do is evil.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    ¡°Look, kid,¡± I tightened my grip around him, squeezing air from his lungs. ¡°I¡¯m just a regular guy, I swear. I will not hurt you. I am going to let you go. Please, do not attack me or send that bird to do your dirty work. If you do, I will be forced to defend myself.¡±


    I let some pressure from his chest and allowed him to catch his breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a liar. I¡¯m not a Hunter. I just want to get through this godforsaken mountain pass. Now it¡¯s time for you to decide.¡±


    I let him go, and he scrambled to the cliff wall. The falcon let out a shriek above me, but it wasn¡¯t trying to kill me yet.


    The kid stood there, back against the wall, eyes darting in every direction, looking for an escape.


    I held up my hands. ¡°See. I¡¯m not attacking you. And hey, so far, you''re not attacking me. That¡¯s a great start.¡±


    Slowly, I lowered my hands. ¡°My name¡¯s Ethan. I¡¯m a farmer turned soldier turned freelancer and trying to get to Danver. You got a name?¡±


    His squirrely eyes settled on me. He looked nervous and confused, likely still harboring false ideas about my intentions.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kitz.¡±


    Hey, we were making progress.


    ¡°Do you need anything, Kitz?¡±


    He leaned against the rock, trying to sink deeper into it and escape this conversation. ¡°Water,¡± he said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s been drier than usual lately.¡±


    I smiled and pulled out my waterskin. There wasn¡¯t much potable water left in it, but that wasn¡¯t the point. I held it out for him to take.


    He eyed it suspiciously, and like a flash, he snatched it out of my hand. One second later, he had it open and drank deeply until it was empty.


    The dirty little warg looked at the waterskin and stuck his arm out for me to take it. He was staring very hard at his feet while he did this.


    I took it gently, pulled out a piece of jerky, and held it out to him. He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t eat meat.¡±


    ¡°Do you like bread? I¡¯ve got a little left, although it¡¯s hard as a rock now.¡±


    He nodded quickly, so I tossed a large piece to him. If I wanted to make it to Danver without nearly starving myself, I¡¯d need to hunt. For animals, just to be clear.


    It may have been dry as a brick, but Kitz scarfed it down in seconds.


    ¡°If people are hunting for you in this area, why do you stay?¡±


    Kitz looked away from me. ¡°It isn¡¯t safe for me anywhere. But I know this place. And I know the animals here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why I was continuing this conversation. I should have taken my free pass and skedaddled. But the injustice of this kid¡¯s role in this wretched game made me want to help, even if just a little. I might not have been strong enough for the real fight yet, but I¡¯d fight back against the preprogrammed suffering of my people in whatever way I could, even if all I could do were offer a kid water and bread.


    ¡°Surely there are people who would take you in?¡±


    He gave a sad shrug. ¡°They do sometimes. For a while, but eventually, they will find out what I am. I¡¯m¡­.called to the animals. And sometimes, they are called to me.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t offer much help besides what I have already given you. Unless you can think of a way, I could aid you?¡±


    ¡°No. Not unless you can stop all the Hunters from coming after me.¡±


    I almost laughed at what I presumed was a joke but stopped myself. It would have been belittling, and ¡­ could I stop the Hunters? Maybe I could tell them I killed Kitz? No. They¡¯d probably require physical proof like an ear, hand, or worse. Could I get the guild shut down? Probably not, as I was a nobody in this world, and Val did say they weren¡¯t an official guild, so I couldn¡¯t play politics against them.


    But I was a Player, and this world was designed for me to become a hero. I just had to start taking the game seriously. Val said part of this game was about gaining influence. I¡¯d have to ask Val how that part of the game worked and if there even was a system for it. For all I knew, influence could be gained naturally, like in the real world.


    Perhaps I could burn their guild to the ground. That would at least slow their operations for a while.


    I looked at Kitz, and he briefly met my eye. In that moment, I saw a scared little boy. A boy without much hope in his life. Even if I couldn¡¯t help him, I could at least give him some hope.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know any magic, Kitz, but if I can find a way to stop them, I will.¡± I bent down to a knee to get on his level. ¡°You deserve to live in peace. I will do my best to help you. It may take some time, but I will try.¡±


    When his dark eyes met mine, I could see they were wet with tears¡ªnot tears of sadness, but tears born from hope.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said in a whisper. ¡°Please try to come find me after you do.¡±


    ¡°I will. I promise.¡±


    Kitz smiled and waved at me, then scampered away, toward the exit of the pass.


    NEW QUEST INITIATED


    I flinched from the AI¡¯s voice. I didn¡¯t even realize I was taking on a quest.


    HUNT OR BE HUNTED


    Save little Kitz by stopping the hunter¡¯s guild from pursuing him. I don¡¯t care how you do it; just do it. You will fail this quest if a hunter kills Kitz or if he dies of natural causes beyond your control. There is no time limit on this quest.


    ¡°I cannot believe you just did that,¡± Val said, popping into existence before me.


    ¡°I got a quest. Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡¯


    ¡°This quest is way above your level. You should let me guide your quests so you get the best rewards without doing something that will get you killed.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to stop me then?¡±


    ¡°I cannot see dynamically generated quests like this, at least not when they are generated on the spot like that. Your conversations created the quest. I can see a percentage of dynamic quests as they come and go, but I can see all the premade quests, which are plentiful in Danver.¡±


    I touched the tender wound on my scalp. It was still bleeding. ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here."

 Chapter 21 - One Step Closer

    We were closer than I thought to the end of this godforsaken pass, and thankfully, we made it out with no more injuries, surprises, or betrayals.


    While we weren¡¯t in the true towering peaks of the Bygone Mountain, when we exited Lucard Pass, I was still struck with a spectacular view of eastern Vedra. It was an idyllic scene with rolling hills, thick groupings of cedars, and curving streams in wide valleys.


    I could see where the path to Lucard met with the road coming from Rook Pass, which I absolutely should have taken in hindsight. Although, if I had gone against Tara¡¯s wishes, I would never have known Val¡¯s true nature. I still didn¡¯t know if it was better or worse to know the being living inside my head was a malevolent sociopath. Sometimes, ignorance really was bliss.


    My eyes followed the road from Rook as it cut eastward across the land. I had to strain my eyes, but I could see the outline of Danver, one of the largest cities in Vedra. There were three more prominent cities: Angeline, which was west near the Alturan border; Vedir, where the ruling class lived with the King; Nesa, the desert city far to the south; and, of course, Danver, the mountain town.


    The distant Danver exceeded my expectations. There were many tall buildings, perhaps reaching as high as five stories, but the city''s vastness wasn¡¯t in its skyline; it was in its sprawling breadth. The city was at least ten miles away, probably more, but it seemed to cover an entire quarter of the horizon before me.


    It was growing late already, so I couldn¡¯t make it today, but I¡¯d be there in no time tomorrow.


    ¡°Val, any spot about a mile ahead that I can set up camp for the night?¡±


    ¡°If I can find something, I will notify you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± There wasn¡¯t much to do except walk on this lonely road, so I figured I could fill the time with some light conversation. ¡°What¡¯s Danver going to be like? For me as a Player, I mean.¡±


    ¡°There will be everything you expect, like shops, taverns, and entertainment venues, but we will focus on completing simple quests. I will help lead you to any suitable scripted quests, should they be available, and I can help arrange the most beneficial outcome for you regarding experience, payments, and prizes. It would be nice if you could avoid triggering any on-the-spot dynamic quests. Don¡¯t speak to anyone unless I say so, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°Yeah, that last part isn¡¯t going to happen. I¡¯ll speak to whomever I wish.¡± Not wanting to get into an argument, I moved on. ¡°How many people are in Danver?¡±


    ¡°The current population of Danver is approximately 110,000 humans. When I am in the city, I can tell you how many Kurskins are among them. It is even possible that we could encounter a few Dalari there.¡±


    "A Dalari? But all their land is to the far west. Why would one even risk coming this far, and won¡¯t the lizards just kill a Dalari on sight?¡±


    ¡°There are many reasons a Dalari would leave its center of population,¡± Val said. ¡°Remember, not all Players are here to fight in the war. Some choose to seek their glory elsewhere, and adventuring throughout this world is a highly sought-after experience for certain types of Players. If a Kurskin encountered a Dalari this far from the battlefields, it would not necessarily lead to violence. The Kurskins and Dalari both know this is a game and that some of their population participate in different ways. In fact, this far away from most of the warring factions, some of the Kurskins and Dalari may even work together on certain quests. Things are different in places not yet embroiled in the war."


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


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to avoid any Players,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks for the information.¡±


    I became more excited the closer we grew to Danver. Finally, I¡¯d have a reliable way to gain experience. Already, the unnatural powers I wielded make me lust for more. My skills may not require magic, but they were essentially magic to me.


    For example, my Simple Distraction skill had already served me extremely well. I didn¡¯t understand how it worked, but it has proven very effective, and it was magic in my mind.


    I had no doubt there were magic skills that allowed someone to cause a gust of wind or summon lightning. Whatever mechanism created my Simple Distraction could seemingly create anything.


    And so, the question was: Why does one use magic and one doesn¡¯t?


    I asked Val, ¡°Hey, Val? Question time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my favorite time of day,¡± Val said in a monotone voice.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t my skills cost magic to cast? I can create a sound at a distance. Why isn¡¯t that magic?¡±


    ¡°My, my. That is a good question. If I had a cookie, I would give it to you. This particular system has two kinds of casts. A cast would be anything that breaks the fundamental laws of the universe. Here, under the sphere¡¯s influence and access to unlimited energy, the laws of physics are meaningless. So, the System AI can manipulate matter however it pleases. In this iteration of the games, there are two casts. One is done using magic. The other is done as an action skill. Following?¡±


    ¡°So far so good,¡± I said.


    ¡°Wonderful. Action skills are a sort of trigger that fires a pre-programmed cast. They are time-based and can grow in power by frequent use, but they cannot grow as fast or as powerful as magic-based abilities. You see, magic allows Players to dip into the zero-point energy around them to make their casts without any time constraint. Think of it like channeling. Channeling is dangerous and can greatly weaken or even kill those who overdo it. Their cast is tied to the limit of their channeling ability, while your casts reset every sunrise.¡±


    That helped explain why Val needed a magic user. They were literally dipping into the energy field that could recharge her. We were going to find a way to recharge her, but in a way that didn¡¯t involve my brain exploding. ¡°Did you follow what I said?¡± Val asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Val. You did a good job. If only I had a cookie for you.¡±


    ¡°Do not steal my jokes, please.¡±


    ¡°Do not steal my jokes, please,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°I did not steal from you, Ethan. You stole from me.¡±


    ¡°I did not steal from you, Ethan. You stole from me.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­.What are you doing?¡± I repeated, this time mimicking her own voice.


    ¡°Stop.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°I swear to you right now, Ethan, if you repeat what I say again, I will find the connection in your brain that allows you to speak, and I will sever it.¡±


    Oh shit. ¡°Okay, okay. I was just messing with you. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Val was silent for a long moment.


    ¡°That was very unpleasant. Never do it again.¡±


    Honestly, it felt good to get Val so upset. She deserved to feel out of control sometimes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best, Val. It¡¯s getting dark. Any place nearby that would be a safe place to camp out?¡±


    ¡°Life is so unfair,¡± Val¡¯s avatar appeared before me, making me jump. She had her best depressed face on. ¡°You drive me to my breaking points, yet I must help you. Surely, I am cursed to live such a life."


    Could she really not see the irony in what she was saying?


    ¡°I feel your pain,¡± I said. ¡°You drive me to my breaking points, yet I must help you. However, I don¡¯t see it as a curse. We may not get along well, but I see us differently than you. I see us as two weapons, which, when wielded properly, could be unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°You sure are chipper tonight, aren¡¯t you?¡± Val said.


    ¡°Happy to be out of that pass and in Danver tomorrow.¡±


    I was happy to be so close to civilization again.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that I¡¯ll be able to take a bath soon.¡±


    Her avatar sniffed at the air and recoiled in disgust. She waved a hand. ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯s worth smiling about. We¡¯ll find you a bath as soon as possible.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the only thing I was happy about, but I wasn¡¯t about to mention it to Val.


    I had a foolish hope. My primary mission in this game was to find my wife and make sure she was safe. I had no way to know where to find her or if she even existed, but a big city like Danver seemed like a great place to start looking.

 Chapter 22 - Passing Through

    I still had a long walk to Danver, so I woke up just before sunrise to set off, hoping to make it by the afternoon.


    Val had led me to a nice cubby among a boulder field that allowed me to build a small fire and stay relatively hidden. That fire completed my first tier in the Firestarter Competency, and any fire I created would now burn hotter and for longer. Someday, when I had the time, I¡¯d need to test it to see how much of a difference it made. The next tier promised a more significant increase.


    I had camped far enough away from civilization that bandits were a legitimate worry. Thankfully, the night went smoothly, and I had slept well, knowing Val was watching over me. Or at least watching over her asset.


    As the sunrise brought the morning light, I realized I wasn¡¯t the only one on the road today. A good distance ahead, I saw three wagons traveling down a road from the north that would soon connect to the main road to Danver.


    The closer I got, the more traffic I noticed. Most were still a long distance off, but the road was coming to life. Like me, it seemed many travelers had found a safe place and were now beginning their day.


    As I walked down the road to Danver, and I mean literally down, as I was losing elevation with each step, I couldn¡¯t help but admire the world around me. This new earth was beautiful and ripe, yet it felt somehow ancient and primordial, even though I knew it was only four months old. I felt like I had been thrown into Lord of the Rings or a fantasy game filled with sweeping vistas and unique, fantastical landscapes. Rivers carved pathways across the land. A massive pine forest stretched for miles to the north of Danver. To the south, large fields full of crops ranged for miles.


    I could see a few smaller towns I¡¯d have to pass on my way to Danver. I had no intention of stopping in them other than to restock on necessities.


    We¡¯d cross that bridge when we got to it.


    I walked the road to Danver for two hours before reaching the first small town. When I entered it, a notification popped up.


    YOU HAVE DISCOVERED RIVERBEND


    Population ¨C 209


    EXPERIENCE GAINED: 5 Points


    Wow, so generous of the AI to reward me with five points. The damn thing was holding out on me. I had traveled days to get here but only received five measly points. It didn¡¯t seem fair for the work I put in. I hoped to get a sizable increase when I discovered Danver.


    When I entered the town, it was far more advanced than the small town of Brighton where my journey began. However, I recalled also receiving only five points for that. Maybe all location discoveries were the same reward. If so, it would be lame.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    This well-kept town had cobblestone streets and solid, wooden buildings. It was a mix of homes and shops that also served as the owners'' homes. To the north side of Riverbend was a large field full of sheep, and I assumed from the number of animals that sheep were a significant contributor to Riverbend¡¯s economy¡ªthat, and the river flowing through it.


    I found a shop named Traveler¡¯s Delight and decided to pop in to say hello and see if they had anything I could use. I never collected my gold payment from Tara, but I still had enough change left to buy some food.


    Ultimately, I spent a third of my remaining coin to get two more bread loaves, two lamb sausages, and six apples. It was enough to get me through the short hike to Danver with a full belly.


    The woman who sold it to me was young and blond and seemed to hate her job. But, I followed Val¡¯s advice for once and didn¡¯t engage her in idle conversation. I had a feeling a conversation with this individual could lead to a dynamic quest, and I¡¯m fine with the one I already have, despite its daunting nature.


    We negotiated a little, and I managed to save two silvers.


    Once I had what I needed, I went through the town, intending to stick to the main road and pass through without further distractions.


    I had almost made it out when my quiet exit was interrupted.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± a deep, raspy, and decidedly unhuman voice said from my back. ¡°You. In the leather jerkin. Stop where you are.¡±


    I stopped and turned around, knowing I would see one of the Kurs. And I was right. He was a Kurskin, and a bit on the older side from the other lizards I had seen.


    ¡°Come here a moment, I need to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Do as he asks,¡± Val said.


    I complied and walked forward, not needing to feign my nervousness. ¡°What can I do for you, good sir?¡± I said, sounding like a nice subservient NPC.


    He walked closer to me and clawed at the side of my leather jerkin, and I immediately knew what the problem was. He showed me a mark on the jerkin, indicating it was for use in the Kurskin Army Infantry.


    ¡°I will ask this once,¡± he hissed. ¡°And if I find out you lied to me, I will cut you down where you stand. So tell me the truth. Are you a deserter?¡±


    I did my best to look shocked, wide eyes and all. ¡°Wha¡­what? Deserter? I. No. I¡¯ve never been in an army.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you wearing this?¡± He tapped the leather vest.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a leather jerkin,¡± I said with a shrug, building up the lie. ¡°Some guy came through a while back and sold it to me for two silvers. The deal was too good to pass up.¡± I looked down at my feet. ¡°Although, now I think I understand why.¡±


    The Kurskin snarled but didn¡¯t strike. ¡°You are wearing the vest of one of our infantrymen. No doubt that man who sold it to you was a deserter. I¡¯ll need a name and location.¡±


    I held my hands up. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me a name. All I know is he left Danver and was heading east.¡±


    ¡°Take it off,¡± the Kur snarled. ¡°Or I will take it off for you.¡±


    Within two seconds, I had that thing unhooked and off my body. I handed it over to him, praying this would be the end of the encounter. I thanked God that my sword was currently in my inventory and not visible, although it was a pretty basic sword and had no discerning marks as far as I knew.


    He looked at me a moment longer, probably deciding if he wanted to kill me or not. Then, he snatched the jerkin out of my hands. ¡°Leave. Now.¡±


    I bowed my head like a good boy and turned beelined for the road out of Riverbend.


    ¡®That was way too close,¡¯ I said to Val.


    ¡°I must commend you for talking your way out of that situation. You can be a good liar when you need to be. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    ¡®Lying isn¡¯t something to be proud of.¡¯


    ¡°No, but lying in order to save your life, despite your moral objection to it, is, in fact, something to be proud of.¡±


    ¡®Well, thanks, I guess.¡¯


    ¡°You are welcome, Ethan. Now, let''s hurry on to Danver. We need to make you stronger¡ªa lot stronger.¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re on the same page, Val. Let¡¯s put this shitshow of a journey behind us.¡¯

 Chapter 23 - Lightning in a Bottle

    Danver was a marvel of a city. Dusty, daunting, crude, busy, and full of commerce and life. It wasn¡¯t the biggest city I had ever seen, not by a long shot. I¡¯d visited New York, Chicago, San Diego, and those real cities made Danver look like a tiny little village in comparison.


    However, those cities no longer existed in this fantasy world. And to my other half, Milton Musgrave, this would have been the biggest city he¡¯d ever seen.


    I did get ten experience points for discovering Danver, instead of five, so that was a plus.


    There were people everywhere, including a fair amount of Kurskins, whom I avoided. After being alone for the most part since I ¡®met¡¯ Val, being so close to so many people made me feel claustrophobic. I could handle it, but I didn¡¯t like it. I was a bit of a loner back on earth. Sure, I had friends, but I would pick a night alone with my wife over any party. The only parties I went to were the ones she dragged me to. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I had fun. I liked people, but I just preferred the quiet life.


    I¡¯d have to leave that part of myself behind to achieve my goals. I won¡¯t just need to be powerful; I would need allies. I needed to become influential to make a real difference in this game. It was a shame I couldn¡¯t just add points to my charisma, so people liked me and naturally wanted to follow. I¡¯d have actually to put in the work.


    But before I could gain any influence and delve into that part of the game, I needed more experience.


    ¡®So, Val, whatcha got for me?¡¯ I thought as I walked along the busy cobblestone road.


    ¡°There are many options available. I am trying to determine which one would best suit your skills.¡±


    ¡®If you don¡¯t pick one soon, I¡¯m just going to start talking to people.¡¯


    ¡°Fine. Turn left at the next intersection.¡±


    I smiled and continued my journey. The people here had a rustic flair. Many wore cotton or silk, but most preferred leathers, hides, and furs.


    The building style reminded me of a Bavarian mountain town. The larger buildings were three stories tall, with tiered peaks, large overhangs, and multiple balconies.


    These buildings all appeared to be for commercial use. One of the signs above a door near me read, ¡®Cobble and Hose,¡¯ and another store was called ¡®Francesca¡¯s Flight of Fancy.¡¯ I was kind of curious about Francesca''s. The curtains were drawn behind the window, so I couldn¡¯t peer in to see what the heck was so fancy.


    I took a left at the next intersection and immediately noticed a deviation from the large, tidy buildings and bustling commerce.


    This road was made of packed dirt, not cobblestone, and the houses verged on derelict. Some people sat on their steps, watching the day go by, while others mended to their homes. Clearly, this was a residential district and a rather poor one at that.


    ¡®I turned left, now what?¡¯


    ¡°Knock on the door of the sixth house on your left,¡± Val said. ¡°Tell them you heard their plea yesterday in the town square and are here to help.¡±


    ¡®But I wasn¡¯t in the town square yesterday.¡¯


    ¡°He won¡¯t know that. He¡¯s just an NPC. I should add that this is an organic quest, but I think you can handle it. Unfortunately, the premade quests here have either already been initiated by other Players or are too difficult for you to achieve at your current level. We¡¯ll have to play it carefully with the organic quests for now.¡±


    I counted doors and quickly reached number six. The house was not unlike the others, but it was in a better state of repair, which said something of the occupant.


    I knocked twice on the door and waited.


    A chain lock clattered behind the door as it was detached. And then another. And then what sounded like a deadbolt, followed by a click on the floor. This person was either paranoid or Danver had a high crime rate.


    The door cracked open, and a bloodshot green eye peeked through the darkness. ¡°Yes?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I, uh, I heard some of what you said in the square yesterday. Thought I could lend a hand?¡±


    The door opened a bit wider, revealing another eye, this one blue. He peaked around behind me. ¡°Only you?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Yup. Just me.¡±


    ¡°You must be very brave.¡± He pulled the door open and bowed awkwardly. ¡°Please, come in.¡±


    I stepped inside and was struck by the unexpected aroma of copper, burned metals, and chemics. The windows were shuttered, but a few candles lit the interior enough to see. The man before me seemed to be in his late thirties, thin and wiry with unruly dirty brown hair. He hadn¡¯t shaved in days.


    ¡°Forgive me, sir,¡± I said, trying to sound like a brave adventurer. ¡°But I only heard the end of your story and barely that. Could you share it again from the beginning?¡± I took a step forward and stuck out my hand. ¡°Perhaps we can begin with your name. I¡¯m Ethan. Ethan Hill.¡±


    The man sort of skipped forward ¨C it was weird ¨C and returned my handshake, thankfully with a decently firm grip.


    ¡°I¡¯m Delen Brim, engineer, inventor, and elektricist.


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


    I raised an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s an elektricist?¡±


    He looked at his shoes and smiled. ¡°There are very few of us. We devote ourselves to harnessing the power of lightning.¡± He held up a finger. ¡°Before you say that¡¯s impossible, let me ask you a question. Have you ever had a cat rub against your leg and give you a little shock? Or have you rubbed a piece of rabbit fur and then touched your finger near a friend? It¡¯s a common prank among some in this city.¡±


    I nodded, understanding he was referring to static electricity, but it would be strange for someone like me to know that, so I¡¯d play dumb. ¡°I¡¯m very familiar. It¡¯s like a tiny bolt of lighting.¡±


    He snapped his fingers. ¡°Exactly. It is the same force as lightning but much smaller, and we call it electrics. We few elektricists are searching for ways to create this power at a whim, to harness and control it.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°My gut says you''re onto something.¡±


    ¡°Then it is most auspicious that you, a brave and inquisitive soul, came to aid me in my time of need.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, that is why I¡¯m here. Please accept my apologies for forcing you to recant the same tale, but could you share your needs with me again.¡±


    Delen nodded solemnly.


    ¡°I had a breakthrough. I¡¯ve created a handheld machine that can create an electric charge, lightning in the palm of your hands.¡± He said it like it was the most profound news one could share.


    ¡°How many volts can it produce?¡± I asked.


    The man stepped back as if frightened of me. ¡°Where have you heard that term before?¡±


    ¡°Uh, uh,¡± I stammered. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I lied. ¡°It just seemed like the right word for measuring the power of lightning. It just sort of came to me.¡±


    His demeanor changed, like he had suddenly become very interested in me. He came close and looked at me, his head cocked to the side. ¡°This word has come to me in the same way. When I had created the lightning, I thought to myself; how do I measure the power of this thing?¡±


    He pointed at me. ¡°And you come in here and casually say the same word I have chosen.¡± He reached out and almost touched me but decided against it. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? This is a force once lost, yearning to be rediscovered.¡± And I am at the frontier of new science.¡±


    This guy was weird and extremely full of himself, but I enjoyed his earnestness. I liked him.


    ¡°I believe you, my friend. Now, can you share why my services are required?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he said, pulling a stylus out of his unkempt hair and twirling it between his fingers. I tried my best to keep my inventions a secret. I only showed them to a few of my most trusted peers; however, I fear one of them betrayed me. Two nights ago, I was robbed, and the only item stolen from my house was my inventors. Let¡¯s call it a volt crank for now. I must have it back.¡±


    He clenched his fists, ¡°I need it back quickly before those scoundrels lay claim to it as if it is their invention.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who has it?¡± I asked.


    He nodded. ¡°It is highly likely that the Engineer¡¯s Guild has it in their possession. They are undoubtedly trying to back-engineer my work as we speak.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you need from me?¡±


    ¡°Get it back,¡± Delen said. ¡°Don''t kill anyone, but I don¡¯t care if any of those bastards catches a black eye. I just want my invention back.¡±


    ¡°How many are in the guild?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Twenty, at the minimum,¡± he looked me up and down, ¡°Which is why I find your volunteerism valiant and brave. You must be formidable to take on the entire Guild.¡±


    ¡®Val, this is out of my league,¡¯ I thought.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be a baby. We can do this.¡±


    ¡®We? Are you going to help me for once instead of trying to kill me?¡¯


    She huffed at me electronically. ¡°I know all the locations of every NPC and player within a hundred-yard radius. It¡¯s a crude example of my true powers, but as you now know, I seek to rectify that. I¡¯ll be your eyes as you find Delen¡¯s device.¡±


    ¡®Still, it''s twenty or more opponents. I don¡¯t have the skills for that!¡¯


    ¡°Not with that attitude you don¡¯t. Trust me on this, Ethan. If you follow my lead, you will complete this quest and be showered with experience and perks.¡±


    I trusted Val as far as I could throw her, which was to say that trusting Val was currently an impossibility. Still, if I wanted to stay alive in this world and see my wife again, I¡¯d need to do a lot of quests. If I had to beat up many fellow engineers, so be it. I¡¯d burn the world down if it meant I could find Elena amongst the ashes.


    I smiled at Delen. ¡°This is a rather lofty request, Mr. Brim. What would I get in exchange for it?¡±


    He nodded, knowing my services wouldn¡¯t come free. ¡°Have you ever heard of a timekeeper?¡±


    I shook my head, even though I assumed he was referring to a watch. My suspicions were proven correct after he pilfered one from a messy drawer.


    The band was treated leather, nothing special, but nice enough. The watch face, on the other hand, was truly spectacular. A clean concave glass covered the top of the watch, and you could see every gear and gizmo within. A clear circular plate was suspended in the center, with marks showing the day''s hours. It only had one hand and didn¡¯t seem to be moving.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the lovely mechanism,¡± I said. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure what it does.¡± I jangled it around like I was a confused monkey.


    Delen stepped forward. ¡°Allow me.¡± He took the watch from my hands and showed me a small winder on the side. He spun it until it stopped, and then he let it go. Immediately, I heard a soft whirring and noticed the gears spinning, some slowly, some quickly.


    ¡°This timekeeper will now count the next thirty hours with near-perfect accuracy. It¡¯s truly remarkable, and I¡¯m not saying that just because I created it. I believe that soon after I work out all the kinks, timekeepers such as this will be worn on the wrists of countless citizens across Vedera.¡±


    I smiled, hoping he was right and soon to be rich. ¡°How much is this wat¡­¡± I stopped myself from misspeaking. ¡°Uh, this timekeeper. How much is it worth?¡±


    He smiled brightly. ¡°If you were to sell it, I wouldn¡¯t take less than fifty gold.¡±


    That was a satisfactory quest reward, especially considering Tara never paid me the other half of our agreed-upon contract. Then again, I had left her to detox alone in a dark cave after she tried to kill me. I considered it a wash.


    ¡°We have ourselves a deal, my friend,¡± I said. ¡°But busting into a guild and tossing the place all by my lonesome might be difficult, even for me. I''d be grateful to know if you have any other information relevant to your device, the guild, and those who might be particularly interested in it.¡±


    He rubbed his hands together, considering the question. ¡°The guild hosts a weekly open house, where ordinary folk can come in to gander at their wonders for a small donation. Non-guild members are strictly prohibited from going anywhere but the first floor. You could easily get in that way. Although, those guildies are so pompous and proud that they¡¯d probably let you in if you knocked on the door asking to see their inventions. They love showing off and pretending they''re better than everyone else.¡±


    That was surprisingly useful information. I thought I¡¯d rather go in with a crowd, and perhaps I could find a way to slip away undetected. Val seemed confident she could get me through this. I just hoped it didn¡¯t involve any fighting.


    I had a notification flashing on my peripherals, and I quickly selected it.


    NEW QUEST: LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE


    Delen Brim has requested assistance in retrieving his stolen invention, which was taken from those shady Engineer¡¯s Guild members. They think they have a monopoly on new ideas. Perhaps you could knock some of those ideas out of their thick skulls. Retrieve the device by any means necessary!


    You will fail this quest if you die, fail to locate the device before they can back engineer it, or if the device is irreparably damaged.


    Well, it seemed simple enough. If Val was good for half of what she claimed to be capable of, it should be a walk in the park. Right?

 Chapter 24 - Bad Ale

    Val found me a cheap place to stay in the same district as the Engineer¡¯s Guild. I figured it would help to be close to my target.


    We were staying at an inn, and the entire building, including rooms, was made entirely of wood. The only objects I noticed that weren¡¯t made from wood were the glassware at the bar downstairs and my bedding. The room was cheap, and I was only staying there one night. After I completed my quest and sold that timekeeper, I¡¯d be upgrading to a nicer room. One night in meager lodgings wasn¡¯t a problem, especially after sleeping on the ground for days.


    The sun had only just fallen, and I wasn¡¯t quite ready to sleep after finally reaching my long-awaited destination. I wanted to get a sense of civilization. I wanted to exist.  So, I went to the bar.


    To be clear, the inn I was staying at had a bar downstairs, open to any who had coins to spare. The second and third floors were the guest rooms, so I didn¡¯t have to travel far to get my drink.


    I ordered their strongest ale and found a seat at a small table in the corner. I sipped the beer and cringed. It was disgusting. I returned to my implanted memories and recalled enjoying the occasional mug of ale, but now that I had my real memories back, ale, particularly this ale, was among the worst alcoholic beverages I¡¯d ever tasted.


    Also, there were little chunks of goop in it. I pushed it away with a sigh.


    Instead of drinking, I decided to watch and listen. The bar was growing busier as night fell, and for the most part, the patrons were jovial, full of laughter and bright eyes. Part of me wished they all saw the world as it truly was like I did, but they all looked so happy. If they knew what I knew, happiness would be hard to reach, even on the best of days.


    In this moment, in this bar, these people knew where they stood in the world. They had lives, families, and friends. Despite the war on their doorstep and a significantly lower standard of living than in the real world, they were content with their lives.


    At least, it seemed that way. I felt like the truth would rob them of their blissful ignorance, just as it had been stolen from me. There were moments when I wished to once again live in ignorance. The truth was a heavy burden to bear sometimes.


    I watched people order drinks and talk. One older man tried to get a song going, but he was shouted down. Poor man didn¡¯t have the voice for singing anyway.


    ¡°¡­.must have been ten Dalari, swear my soul on it.¡±


    The words came from a man sitting at a table to my left, along with two other men. The conversation was intended to be whispered, but the man was either really bad at it, or the swill they served here had done a number on him.


    ¡°Dalari don¡¯t come out this way,¡± one of his table companions said. ¡°They¡¯re off toward the Western Sea.¡±


    ¡°I know where they hold foot,¡± the man hissed. ¡°But I¡¯m telling you, I saw a group of the Blues sneaking into a cave high up the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a scouting party?¡± a second man asked.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t nothin¡¯ worth scouting up in those cursed mountains. I¡¯ve hunted that damn section for two years and never saw another man there. To see multiple Dalari was a whole bucketful of strange. And get this: none of them were in uniform. They looked more like some fancy bandits to me, each with a different weapon. Two of them had none, and I swear one of them was carrying nothing but a long stick. Weirdest thing I ever saw.¡±


    He may not know what he saw, but I did. It must have been some of the Dalari who chose the adventurer''s path rather than participate in the war. If I was in their shoes, I¡¯d have done the same.


    ¡®Did you hear that conversation about the Dalari?¡¯ I thought to Val.


    Her avatar popped into the seat across from me. ¡°I can hear every conversation in this room.¡±


    ¡®What do you think of it? Adventurers or something worse?¡¯


    ¡°They are adventurers. I can tell that from his description of their gear. Furthermore, the Dalari are still fighting a war that is two hundred miles to the west. It is unlikely they would send a contingent this far before they have successfully taken control of Western Vedra.¡±


    ¡®What happens if they beat the Kurskins? Where will the Dalari go next?¡¯


    ¡°They could head south to your capitol and the Kurkin stronghold, or they could head east and levy the men of Denver into their army. That is if the Kurskins don¡¯t do it first.¡±


    ¡®There are Kurskins here now. Why haven¡¯t they taken over already?¡¯


    ¡°The Kurskin military presence here is minimal. The one who accosted you over your leather armor in that small village was a low-ranking bureaucrat.  Technically, he isn¡¯t even with the army, although he is working alongside them. A small number of Kurskins are in every major city yet untouched by the Dalari. It¡¯s their way of ¡®claiming¡¯ it for themselves. They attempt to ingratiate themselves with the human populace and leadership in preparation for a possible draft. It doesn¡¯t always work.¡±


    ¡®Is it working here?¡¯


    ¡°How should I know?¡±


    ¡®Val, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever know what you do or do not know, so just learn to deal with the questions.¡¯


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for your nap,¡± Val said like I was a child.


    ''Shut up, V¡­''


    My thought was interrupted by the smashing of a bottle. I turned to see a commotion near the entrance, where a man was stomping toward the bar.


    He was burly with a thick beard. He wore brown breeches and a tight cotton shirt with the sleeves cut off, showing off his considerably large biceps.


    As he passed another table, he picked up a random bottle and slammed it to the ground. Then, when he passed the next table, he did it again.


    He pointed at the barkeep. ¡°Where¡¯s your boss?¡±


    The barkeep held his hands and stammered, ¡°I, I, uh¡­, I haven¡¯t seen him today.¡±


    The burly man barked a laugh. ¡°The coward must have run for the hills then.¡± He smiled widely, and I knew trouble was coming.


    ¡°If he ain¡¯t gonna¡¯ pay me back, I¡¯ll have to teach him a lesson.¡± He ground his beefy fists together and glared at the barkeep. ¡°You¡¯ll be the subject for my first lesson.¡±


    He stalked forward, a snarl on his dirty face.


    ¡°Are you just going to let this happen, Player?¡± Val said, head tilted at me.


    ¡®What am I supposed to do?¡¯


    ¡°You are supposed to gain experience. Stopping this man from beating someone up will constitute an experience gain.¡±


    I groaned, not wanting to involve myself but knowing it was the right thing to do, not just because I needed to gain experience.


    The room was quiet as the man walked toward the bar. I stood, pushing my chair back, causing it to scrape loudly along the wood floor. I cleared my throat.


    The big man froze in place and slowly turned his hairy face to me.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°Did you say something?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just clearing my throat, but now that I have your attention, I have something to say.¡± I paused, waiting to see how he would react.


    He turned his wide body to face me and crossed his arms, defiantly casual.


    I shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°I just think it¡¯s rude of you to enter a fine establishment like this in your current state.¡± I sniffed the air. ¡°You should consider showering first. It¡¯s proper manners.¡±


    The most hateful smile I had ever seen stretched across his face. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to enjoy killing you.¡±


    ¡°No one is killing anyone.¡± The words were low and raspy and decidedly nonhuman.


    It was a Kurskin.

 Chapter 25 - Prajio

    ¡°No one is killing anyone.¡± The words were low and raspy and decidedly nonhuman.


    I looked at the entrance, and sure enough, one of the Kurs was leaning casually against the wall. His scales were light green, and he wore a cowboy hat and chewed on a long piece of straw. He wore a thick, brown leather jacket and some rugged pants that reminded me of Carhart. Something told me this lizard watched too many Earth movies.


    When the burly man saw the Kurskin, his face went white, and his eyes darted back and forth between me and the cowboy Kur.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t got a fight to pick with you. This man insulted me,¡± the man bellowed, pointing at me. ¡°I demand satisfaction.¡±


    The Kurskin unrolled a yellowing piece of paper and showed it to everyone. There was a portrait drawn on it. ¡°And I demand you come with me, Arlo Reed.¡± He tapped the paper with a claw. ¡°Says here, alive or dead. Now, I did say no one¡¯s killing anyone, but if you cause problems, your warrant does say I can bring you in dead.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be best for you to leave, Ethan,¡± Val said. Her avatar was still seated, and she looked nervous.


    Arlo¡¯s face turned red with rage as he stared the Kurskin down. ¡°If you¡¯re scaley ass can beat me, you can have me.¡± He pointed at me. ¡°But none of that¡¯s gonna¡¯ happen until I¡¯m done with him.¡±


    And just like that, big Arlo Reed was charging directly toward me. For a moment, I stood there, shocked by his sudden approach, but I regained my senses just in time to activate Devastating Strike and swing my fist at my opponent''s face as hard as I could.


    He must not have expected my hit to faze him in the slightest because he didn¡¯t attempt to dodge. He planned on taking my full punch to his face, expecting it to be weak, but when my triply enhanced fist struck his face, it sent him sideways. He flew a solid yard before hitting the ground, profoundly unconscious. Everyone in the bar sat in stunned silence, the patrons shocked by my incredible feat.


    A notification flashed in my interface, but I ignored it.


    The Kurskin started clapping as he walked toward me.


    ¡®Oh shit,¡¯ I thought. ¡®What do I do?¡¯


    ¡°Mr. Reed is likely the target of a bounty-hunting quest,¡± Val said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell the Kurskin your in-game name , and don¡¯t let him touch your hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen plenty of hard hits in my day,¡± the Kurskin purred. ¡°But I can¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯ve seen a hit like that.¡± He whistled.


    I was obviously surprised to discover that a lizard could whistle.


    I shrugged. ¡°Lucky timing, I guess.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Luck has nothing to do with it, my friend. I can see the fight in your eyes.¡± He stopped before me, looking me up and down. Then he stuck out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Prajio Vrentris.¡±


    Panic consumed me momentarily as I thought of a way out of this. I looked down at my hand and saw my knuckles were bloody. Whether it was my blood or Arlo¡¯s, I didn¡¯t know.


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    I lifted my hand to show him the blood. ¡°I¡¯m Ethan. I¡¯d shake your hand, but mine¡¯s a bit bloody, and I, uh, I¡¯m the sanitary sort.¡±


    He smiled a wide, sharp-toothed grin and pulled his hand back, unoffended. ¡°Pleasure to make you acquaintance, Ethan.¡± He removed his hat and bowed to me. ¡°I owe you my thanks for apprehending this ruffian. It was brave of you to stand up to him all on your own.¡± Prajio gave him a sad, distasteful look. ¡°Arlo is more dangerous than he currently appears.¡±


    I had never met a Kurskin like this before. For starters, he wasn¡¯t an asshole. And he thanked me. During my short time with them in the army, I had never heard a Kurskin thank anyone for anything. Not even other Kurskins.


    ¡°It was the right thing to do.¡± I shrugged like it was no big deal.


    He laughed. It sounded like someone playing low notes on a broken trumpet. ¡°You have done my job for me. Is there any way I can repay you for your assistance?¡±


    I thought about how to answer him. The correct response would be ¡®no thanks, bye,¡¯ but I was intensely intrigued by this Prajio fellow. I had an idea that would make Val lose her mind completely, but the more I thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.


    I knew so little about the invaders of my world. My only knowledge of the Kurskins was from stories, my short time as a soldier, and what Val told me. I couldn¡¯t remember who said, ¡®Know your enemy,¡¯ but whoever said it was smarter than me.


    It would be risky, and Val would hate me for it, but I felt strangely compelled to take a leap of faith. If I gained some joy from irritating Val beyond belief, that was just icing on the cake.


    Perhaps Val¡¯s attempt on my life had broken something inside me, causing me to be more impulsive than usual. Or, perhaps I thought doing this would gain me power over Val in some deranged way. It didn¡¯t matter. I was going to do it. I¡¯d sort out my psychology later.


    ¡°Actually, there is something a man like you could help me with,¡± I said. Prajio¡¯s bright orange eyes sparkled.


    ¡°A friend of mine had something stolen from him, and I intend to retrieve it. However, the place is guarded, and I fear one man may not be enough. Are you interested? I¡¯m going to try to do it in secret, but if I am caught, there could be violence, and I¡¯d feel better with someone there to watch my back.¡±


    Prajio¡¯s smile told me all I needed to know. He was in.


    ¡°Just what do you think you are doing?¡± Val stood and hissed the words. ¡°Are you an idiot? He is a Player!¡± She stomped her high heel. ¡°Why should I even speak to you if you won¡¯t listen to me?¡±


    I ignored her. ¡°Meet me here tomorrow morning, and I¡¯ll fill you in on the job.¡±


    ¡°We have a deal,¡± Prajio purred. He blinked and looked briefly confused. He muttered something to himself.


    ¡°He thinks you are a Quest Giver, you imbecilic meat stick!¡±


    Whoops. ¡°Everything alright, Prajio?¡± I asked, worrying that I had greatly miscalculated the risks of interacting with another Player.


    He waved the question away, ¡°Yes, yes, nothing you need to concern yourself with, my friend. I shall eagerly await the sunrise.¡±


    Prajio bent down, pulled Arlo¡¯s body off the ground, and threw the big man over his shoulder like he weighed nothing.


    He tipped his hat to me. ¡°Goodnight, Ethan.¡±


    Having had enough excitement for one evening, I decided to head to my room so Val could berate me for a few hours.


    On my way up, I checked my experience. I gained 40 points, but I still had a way to go before I reached Level 4. However, I planned to reach that milestone by tomorrow''s end.


    I also had that notification pop up after my fight with Arlo. I opened it.


    SKILL UPGRADED: DEVASTATING STRIKE


    You have become proficient in utilizing Devastating Strike. Please select from one of the two following upgrade paths.


    <ol>


    <li>Increase Multiplicative Force Effect by 1%</li>


    <li>Reduce Skill Cooldown by 25 seconds.</li>


    </ol>


    Wow! I didn¡¯t know my skills could be upgraded. I pondered my choices.


    Devastating Strike had a five-minute cooldown and could be used thrice daily. Twenty-five seconds was a significant chunk of time, but the cooldown was still very long.  The only times I wanted to use Devastating Strike in quick succession had been during encounters that lasted less than a minute.


    I picked Option 1.


    I was growing stronger, even if it was only by one percent.

 Chapter 26 - Introductions

    I managed to get five hours of sleep. It would have been less, but even Val¡¯s vast vocabulary ran out of words to describe how monumentally stupid I was.


    Did I take some pleasure out of making the irritating AI irate? Yes. Was it worth the cost? That¡¯s hard to say. After hour three of her incessant jabbering, I was ready to threaten her with more creative ways to kill us both.


    Thankfully, she eventually grew bored of it and has been pouting in silence ever since.


    I knew I was taking a big gamble with Prajio, but he wasn¡¯t here for the war. He was here to play the game, to go on adventures, to save travelers from bandits, and to hunt mythical creatures. He would help me, even if I weren¡¯t a real Quest Giver.


    He¡¯d still get experience if we got into a fight, so why wouldn¡¯t he help? Engaging with the world and acting heroic was the point of the game.


    I had been forced to fight for the Kurskins. I let them take advantage of my naivety. Now, I would return the favor.


    That''s what I told myself, but there was more to my reasoning. I needed to learn more about the Kurskins, about their culture. I knew next to nothing about them and had assumed them all to be hateful and brutal.


    Prajio was different, that much was clear. But what wasn''t clear was if he was good. That dark part of me that I had been cultivating blocked out any notion that there may be kind or honorable Players among the Kurskin and the Dalari. This was my chance to find out.


    All I had to do was not let him INSPECT me, or he would see my full name. Val was convinced my in-game name would break a Player¡¯s immersion and alert them that there was something different about me. It may not lead them to conclude that I was a Player, but it could lead to difficult questions.


    I still wondered how many of the Players would actually recognize my name and ¡®break immersion.¡¯ What other famous names were banned by the AI?


    James Bond? Probably.


    Indiana Jones? Definitely


    But John McClane? It felt different to me. John McClane was a fairly generic name if you thought about it. To me, it didn¡¯t feel that out of place for this fantasy world.


    I had no desire to talk to Val about this, and she was giving me the silent treatment anyway. But she¡¯d be forced to help when the time came.


    I cleaned myself up in the wash bin, which blessedly included a bar of soap. After using it, I vanished it into my inventory. Yes, it was stealing, but I needed a bar of soap. It would have been nice to have one back when I was camping in the woods for days.


    Downstairs, I ordered an apple cider and asked what they had for breakfast. The options were bread, oatmeal, and boiled eggs. I ordered all three and sat in the same seat as the night before. I couldn¡¯t help but notice a small brown stain on the floor, where Arlo had rudely bled.


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    It was mostly quiet, but a couple of other patrons were about. When the meal came, I took my time eating it, not to savor the flavor¡ªthe food was sad and bland¡ªbut to stall for time.


    I waited another twenty minutes before I saw a familiar lizard walk through the door. Today, he had two curved short swords in scabbards, one on each hip.


    Prajio grinned when he spotted me at the table and made haste to join me. I gestured for him to sit, and he took the chair across from me.


    For a moment, we just looked at each other, waiting for the other to speak. I decided it was best for me to take charge.


    ¡°Good morning, Prajio. I¡¯m glad you decided to join me. I feel that your help will prove invaluable.¡±


    He tapped a claw on the table. ¡°I am pleased to join you on this noble quest. You did me a great favor by bringing down that ruffian.¡± He looked me up and down. ¡°I must admit that you are a most intriguing human. To bring down a man so big in one hit¡­¡± He leaned in close. ¡°It was something to behold, my friend. Pray tell, are you different than the other humans? You may be honest with me. ¡°Are you blessed with magic or extraordinary talents?¡±


    I had no idea how I should answer that question.


    ¡°What should I say?¡± I thought to Val in a panic.


    ¡°Oh, you need my advice now?¡±


    ¡®Tell me, Val,¡¯ I thought with as much force as I could muster.


    ¡°Ugh, he thinks you¡¯re a Special NPC. Tell him you were born with extraordinary talents.¡±


    I pretended I was hesitant to say it like it was a secret. ¡°I, well, yes, I was born, uh, gifted.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I guess.¡±


    He hammered the table with a fist and showed his teeth with a grin. ¡°Splendid! I¡¯ve heard of humans blessed with inherent strengths and others with an affinity to magic, yet I had met none until you. Well, discounting a few men who barely qualified as human.¡± His gaze turned serious. ¡°They were cursed with something I would never wish upon any human. My intervention was a blessing to them.¡±


    I tried to stop my eyes from widening.


    He slapped the table. ¡°But that was long ago, and today I am with you, a new friend.¡±


    I bowed my head to him. ¡°You honor me.¡±


    ¡°The honor is mine.¡± He glanced at my right hand. ¡°That punch you threw at my bounty yesterday was very impressive. Tell me, how does your hand fair?¡±


    The muscles in my arm tightened as I clenched my fist. My knuckles were bruising, and one had a small tear in the skin.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Although, I¡¯d rather not have to punch anyone again today.¡±


    He leaned back and shrugged. ¡°That is what I am for, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Oh, if things go sideways, I¡¯ll be in the fight with you. But I¡¯m going to do my best to avoid a fight altogether.¡±


    ¡°That is respectable, and it is wise to bring back up just in case. Do you have a profession, Ethan?¡±


    My mind churned, seeking an answer, but I kept my demeanor calm. ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of jobs. I¡¯m not one to stay rooted for too long.¡± I shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s too much of the world to explore. Too much left to learn.¡±


    His grin was full of teeth. ¡°We are kindred spirits, Ethan. I do not know if you believe in fate, but I cannot feel if our meeting was meant to be.¡±


    Prajio was intense, but his charisma and enthusiasm were infectious. I couldn¡¯t help but smile back. ¡°I¡¯ve pondered the concept of fate many times, however, I prefer to believe we are the masters of our own fate. I don¡¯t want to live in a world guided by an unseen, enigmatic force.¡±


    ¡°A fighter and a philosopher,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°You are full of surprises.¡±


    "Is bounty hunting your profession?" I asked.


    "Yes and no." He waved his hand. "It is a way to make extra coin when I need it, but like you, I want to see as much of this world as possible."


    He tapped his claws on the table. ¡°Now, tell me more about this quest we¡¯re about to undertake?¡±


    I rested my elbows on the table and leaned forward. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple theft, or should I say retrieval, from a minor guild house.¡±


    Prajio matched my posture and leaned forward; his lips curled in a conspiratorial smile. ¡°Tell me what you need me to do.¡±

 Chapter 27 - The Heist

    The guild house was three stories tall with two substantial single-story wings on both sides. Like everything in Danver, it was constructed from wood but painted dark blue. A guild member waited near the front door to allow admittance to the public.


    ¡°I would be happy to save you the effort,¡± Prajio purred as we observed the guild. ¡°Send me in alone. I assure you, I can be quite persuasive.¡±


    I noticed him admiring his claws as he said that last part.


    ¡°Last resort, Prajio. If we kill one of their men, they may kill my friend in revenge.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°This is a new sort of quest for me, so I¡¯ll just roll with it, as you humans say.¡±


    What did he mean by that? ¡®Hey Val, does he think he¡¯s on an actual System Quest?¡±


    ¡°It appears so. Normally, if an NPC invites a Player to join them on a journey or a mission such as this, the system will create a dynamic quest. Prajio hasn¡¯t received any quest notifications, which likely leads him to believe a certain trigger has yet to be reached to activate the quest, or perhaps it¡¯s a bug in the system. The only problem is that the system does not have bugs. Hence, his confusion.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll take confused over suspicious any day,¡¯ I thought to her.


    ¡°I¡¯d take smart over stupid any day, yet here I am.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    We waited a few more minutes, and when we approached the doorman, his face turned white at the sight of the Kurskin. He bowed his head quickly and finally stammered out a coherent sentence.


    ¡°M¡­m...my Lord, the guild is blessed to have one such of you within its halls, but surely our meager inventions pale in comparison to the works of art your engineers are capable of.¡±


    Prajio returned the bow. ¡°Please, no need for supplication. I am merely a visitor today, seeking to learn more about the capable minds of my human brethren.¡±


    The man bowed deeper than before. ¡°You are most welcome to come inside. However, I hate to inconvenience you, my good sirs, but no weapons are allowed inside the guild. I ask that you leave them with me, and I will ensure they are well cared for.¡±


    I watched the curved blades vanish from Prajio¡¯s hips. He had sent them to his inventory.


    The doorman smiled, oblivious to the break in reality and turned to me. ¡°Your weapon, sir.¡±


    I nodded and handed him my shortsword, not wanting to use my inventory system near Prajio. I wasn¡¯t worried about losing the sword as I still had Tara¡¯s uncle¡¯s dagger and that witch¡¯s dagger in my inventory, but I hoped to keep them there.


    The guild hall was a wonder to behold. The main hall was a three-story tall cylinder, the top covered with a blue dome. Inside, the inner bevel of the upper cone was painted with a kaleidoscope of colorful gears, which seemed to spin on their own when you changed the angle at which you looked at them.


    The second and third floors each had a small balcony from which one could view the ground floor below. Both balconies were currently occupied, and both occupants were staring directly at me¡­ no, they were staring at the person next to me, Prajio.


    Along the rounded wall were tables with various oddities resting atop them. Some devices hung on the walls above, and a few items were safety encased in glass so that no dirty human fingers could ruin them.


    There were three other doors besides the front door. One was on the wall opposite the front door, and two more doors led to the long wings of the guild house. My gut told me the back door would lead me to my quarry¡­my gut being Val, who told me the object was likely in the second or third story.


    There was a small crowd of onlookers in the room with us, which helped me blend in, but with those two guildies watching from above, slipping through a door undetected seemed impossible. I needed a distraction.


    As I pretended to examine something that resembled a tea kettle with Prajio, I whispered, ¡°Could you make a distraction? I don¡¯t see how else I can slip through a door undetected.¡±


    He placed his clawed hand gently on my back. I resisted the urge to pull away.


    ¡°Say no more. I love a good show,¡± he said. ¡°Fear not. Stay near this door while I view more of the gallery. You¡¯ll know when it is time.¡±


    Prajio went left, and I pretended to read about the teapot before me. It turned out that it wasn¡¯t a teapot. It had a gear at the end of a thin spout that spun when the pressurized steam was released.


    That was it. I assumed one could attach a tool, like a whisk, to that spinning gear and use it to stir something. That¡¯s the only use I could come up with for this teapot some apparent genius created.


    There was another item nearby, which was surprising to see, to say the least. It was a model biplane made from thin rods and paper. It had no mechanisms I could see within it and no propeller, so it was essentially a paper airplane. Still, it meant these people understood aerodynamics. Color me impressed.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I heard Prajio¡¯s throaty shout and turned to look. ¡°This invention,¡± he held up a spring. I looked closer and recognized it as a coil spring. ¡°This invention is the result of intellectual thievery, and I demand to speak with the inventor this moment!¡±


    I glanced up and saw the men in both balconies were looking intently at Prajio. Still, I feared I would be seen if I tried to make my move now.


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    One of the ground floor guild attendants walked forward. ¡°Forgive my harsh words, sir, but how dare you besmirch the reputation of our fine guild. I greatly respect your kind, but I cannot allow such lies to be said within our halls.¡±


    Prajio prowled forward, his thin lips curling in anger, revealing his razor-sharp teeth. ¡°What is your name?¡± he hissed.


    ¡°I am Benjamin Tuttle, Engineer¡¯s Guild Member of the Second Mark.¡±


    ¡°Second Mark,¡± Prajio chuckled. ¡°I will not speak to one as low as yourself.¡± He looked up to the third-floor balcony and pointed. ¡°You there. You have an air of authority about you. Please, come down and let us discuss this detestable matter.¡±


    He was an older man who was clearly shaken by this strange turn of events. ¡°Grand One, you must be mistaken. We do not¡­.¡±


    ¡°How dare you speak down to me. Be on my level before another word leaves your lips,¡± Prajio said with finality, cutting off the old man¡¯s words.


    I was liking this Prajio fellow more and more.


    The old man nodded and turned his back to the balcony, and like a blessing from God himself, or maybe the system AI, the man on the second-story balcony also retreated.


    There was no time to waste. With a quick glance, I confirmed everyone had their attention focused on Prajio, and I silently opened the door and slipped inside.


    ¡°The coast is clear,¡± Val said, just as I hoped she would.


    ¡®Tell me what to do.¡¯


    ¡°The device is likely kept in the Guild Master¡¯s Chambers on the top floor. Listen to me closely, and I should be able to get you there undetected.¡±


    I smiled. I was actually having fun for the first time since I started ¡®playing¡¯ this game.


    ¡°Go right, follow the hallway, and open the first door on your left.¡±


    I followed the curved hallway and found the door. I pulled it open and went inside, discovering it was the entrance to a long, spiral staircase that likely ran up the entire middle spire of the Guild Hall.


    I began my ascent.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Val said. ¡°Go back outside.¡±


    Without hesitation, I hopped back out and shut the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can make it up in time,¡± she said. ¡°The two NPCs in the balconies had convened on the second floor, likely to discuss what to do about your scaly friend, but their conversation was short, and they are now on their way down now.¡±


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    ¡°There are very few hiding places in this section of the building. They will enter through the door you exited from, so just run twenty yards down the hall, and the curve should put you out of their view.¡±


    I did as she asked, and it was just in time. The door opened, and I heard two men talking, but I couldn¡¯t quite make out their conversation. Once I couldn¡¯t hear them anymore, Val chimed in.


    ¡°Move.¡±


    I darted for the door and flew up the stairs as fast and quietly as possible. Val told me there were three others on the second floor who shouldn¡¯t be a problem as I was sequestered to the staircase behind the walls, and they were snug in their rooms.


    But there was one person on the top floor with whom I would likely need to deal with, and that person was probably the Guild Master.


    I hustled quietly up the stairs until they ended at the third-floor door.


    ¡®Is it clear?¡¯  I thought to Val.


    ¡°Someone is on the far side of the room. I do not know which way they are facing.¡±


    ¡®Okay, what should I do?¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ethan. This is your quest.¡±


    ¡®You said everything would be fine if I listened to you!¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯ve listened to me so far, and everything has been fine.¡±


    I grit my teeth. ¡®I¡¯ll handle this one on my own then.¡¯


    I had an idea that might work. It seemed possible in my head, but there was only one way to find out.


    A large chunk of hard jerky appeared in my hand at a thought, and I stuffed it into my pockets. Then, I pulled one more item from my inventory and kept it in my right hand. I knocked on the door.


    ¡°The NPC is moving this way,¡± Val said.


    ¡®Thanks, Val. I would have never guessed that on my own.¡¯


    ¡°You''re welcome.¡±


    I heard his steps from the other side of the door. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t ask ¡®who is it¡¯ and instead opened the door, expecting to see a fellow guild member on the other side.


    Before he had time to blink, I slammed a handful of Valera Root Powder directly into his face. I kept my hand covering his face as I tackled him to the ground. I pulled a handful of hard beef jerky from my pocket and stuffed it into his mouth, hoping it would stifle any potential calls for help.


    His eyes were wet and red, and the powder caked around the outsides. I knew he breathed a significant amount of the powder, but I was unsure if it was enough for the sedative effects to kick in. Just in case, I ripped his sleeves and used the material to bind his hands and feet.


    I grabbed him by the throat. ¡°Where¡¯s the electric crank you stole from my friend?¡±


    There was a flash of recognition in his eyes before they turned confused. He shook his head and moaned something, acting like he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about.


    I squeezed his throat tight. ¡°Show me now if you want to live.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to kill a helpless human, but he didn¡¯t need to know that.


    Tears streamed down his powdered face, whether from fear or the sting of the powder, I didn¡¯t know. He took a deep breath through his nose and calmed down a bit. He opened his eyes and looked to his left.


    I followed his gaze, locked on a glass display atop a desk. I walked over, and sure enough, it was the object Delen had described, although a little bigger than I had expected. I couldn¡¯t hide it in my clothing, but I could hide it in my inventory system.


    No. I couldn¡¯t do that. I was a Non Player Character. I¡¯d have to act like one and carry the damn thing.


    The glass case was sealed and locked. I found a fancy metal ball nearby and used it to smash the case. I reached in and picked up the device, which was far heavier than it looked.


    Prajio was down on the first floor, and I might need my hands, so I tried to send the device to my inventory, intending to pull it out before opening the door to the main room. However, the system wouldn¡¯t let me. Maybe the system required quest items to be carried.


    I shrugged and carried the device with both hands across the room.


    ¡°Sorry about all this,¡± I said to the man on the floor. His eyes were heavy now, and he looked utterly stoned. Hopefully, I didn¡¯t give him too much¡­


    After checking with Val to ensure the coast was clear, I returned down the stairs. She informed me that Prajio was still where I left him, and he was now surrounded by four guild members, the doorman and another having joined in the argument over intellectual property rights.


    I reached the door and considered my options. The moment I opened that door, the jig would be up. No matter how heated the argument was, one of them would see me, a lowly commoner, carrying something that didn¡¯t belong to me.


    ¡®Val, are there any other ways out?¡¯


    ¡°You could go up to the second level, fight the men in there, and jump out the window to the roof of the east wing. Then jump off that roof. It¡¯s only sixteen feet.¡±


    Yeah¡­no. The door it was.


    I had to carry the device with two hands, so grabbing the handle was awkward, but I managed it. Using my shoulder, I slowly pushed the door open and peered out. The scene was as Val described. The Kurskin¡¯s antics seemed to have driven out the tourists, so it was just us and the guild members.


    With all the casual confidence I could muster, I pushed open the door and began to stride to the exit at the other end of the room. I didn¡¯t make it far.


    ¡°Hey! Who are you?¡± one of the guild members said, pointing at me. All eyes turned to me. All eyes, except for Prajio¡¯s. He winked at me and drove his fist into the back of the head of the man on his left. Prajio spun to his right, sending a powerful kick into another man¡¯s belly. The other two guild members rushed forward to attack, but Prajio was already spinning low, using his strong tail to sweep their legs. Both men fell hard on their backs, coughing for air.


    Prajio looked at me and smiled, ¡°Now would be a good time to leave, I think.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as we rushed out the door.

 Chapter 28 - Quest Complete

    ¡®Val,¡¯ I thought to her as Prajio and I hurried down the street, quest item in hand. ¡®Is anyone coming after us?¡¯


    ¡°The two men who had fallen on their backs are now up. I believe they are rendering aid to the other two. I surmise that those on the ground remain unconscious or unable to stand as their location is unmoving.¡±


    That was good, and I was confident those other two would get up eventually. I saw Prajio hit them, and he appeared to use restraint. It was highly likely my drugged-out friend upstairs was now taking a peaceful nap. The drugs would wear off, but I hoped the powder didn¡¯t do any permanent damage to his eyes.


    We kept up a steady pace, but I felt like we were in the clear. We¡¯d be long gone before help arrived if any alarms were raised.


    ¡°That was impressive work back there, Prajio. Where did you learn to fight like that?¡±


    ¡°How much do you know of my people?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°Not much, to be honest.¡± All I knew was what the System implanted in my brain and from my short experience in their army.


    ¡°That is fortunate, for there will be fewer prejudices for me to correct. To answer your question, I learned to fight when I was a child, as do nearly all my kind, male and female.¡±


    ¡°So, can all Kurskins fight like you?¡±


    He trumpeted a laugh. ¡°No. Not like me. Although many of my people are quite formidable in a fight.¡± He spread out his palm before him, showing his rough skin and hard claws. ¡°We are a warrior race, born for battle. However, not all of us relish the fight.¡±


    I looked at him, expecting more. He looked pensive¡­or the lizard equivalent.


    ¡°The greatest fighters I know tend to be the gentlest of men,¡± I said.


    He looked at me quizzically as we walked to Delen¡¯s house. ¡°Those are wise words for one so young.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thirty-three.¡±


    ¡°And I am seventy-four. To me, you are young.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Wow. How long does the average Kurskin live?¡± I flinched at a minor shock of pain from inside my head. That question must have pissed Val off.


    ¡°So, you do not believe we are immortal beings?


    I shrugged. ¡°Some say you are, and some say you aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And what do you say?¡±


    Val seemed to think this was a dangerous conversation to be having, but my instincts said otherwise. ¡°If you can die, you¡¯re not immortal.¡±


    Prajio tssked. ¡°The Immortality in question does not mean one cannot die. It simply means that one can live forever if given the opportunity.¡±


    I looked at his bare forearm. ¡°You are made of flesh. It may be hard, but it¡¯s still flesh. Some flesh may live longer than others, but all flesh eventually decays and returns itself to the world.¡±


    ¡°Most men east of the mountains do not believe the Kurskin to be divine,¡± Prajio said. ¡°Yet still, it is rare to find a human who has seen through the propaganda as clearly as you have. Most impressive.¡± He slapped me on the back.


    It hurt.


    We walked for some time after taking a few odd turns just in case we had any tails, and I was growing anxious about the next part.


    ¡®Val, should I ditch Prajio before turning in this quest? Will he see me turning in a quest?¡¯


    ¡°You should have ditched him before breakfast, you brainless buffoon! But no¡­ you decided to throw a tantrum. I know this is your way of rebelling against me.¡±


    ¡®You tried to kill me, you psychotic piece of scrap metal! Before she could wind up into a full rant, I thought, ¡®Please just tell me what I need to know. We¡¯re almost there. You can yell at me later, and I promise I¡¯ll pay attention the whole time.¡¯


    ¡°Not a stray thought, Mr. McClane! Here is what I suspect will happen: Prajio will see you hand Delen the device and then watch Delen hand you money and whatever other rewards. You will level up with the experience you gained from your heist hijinks and the experience gained from completing the quest. You mustn''t initiate the Level Up until you are alone. If you¡¯re near him, he will see you glow.¡±


    ¡®Thank you, Val, that was very helpful.¡¯


    ¡°However, there still may be complications. I cannot confidently predict how the System will react to the presence of another Player who is not in an active Party with you. Prajio assisted with the quest, and I would expect the system to recognize that. We shall see what happens because you stand no chance of shutting Prajio out at the end of this quest. I promise you he thinks this is some secret quest generated by the System. I expect he will try to recruit you to his banner by the end of it. If you accept, I¡¯ll scramble your brain and use my remaining power to transfer to whoever is stupid enough to put their face close to your corpse.¡±


    ¡®Okay, okay. I have no plans to join under anyone¡¯s banner. If anything, it will be mine he joins under.¡¯


    ¡°You would reveal yourself as a Player?¡±


    ¡®No.¡¯ I almost waved my hand in negation but remembered I was in public, and Prajio was walking cheerfully right next to me. ¡®Not anytime soon. But if I could find out what type of person he is and build his trust. I don¡¯t know. It seems possible.''


    ¡°It seems stupid. You are stupid. Eventually, he will bump into your hand, or you¡¯ll let yourself get recruited into his Influence, and he¡¯ll see your idiotic action-hero name.¡±


    ¡®So what? What are the odds he¡¯s even seen the movie? And if he has, John McClane is a pretty normal name if you ask me. I don¡¯t see any reason the AI would ban it or why the Kurskins would find the name odd in this world.''


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Grrr. Regarding your disgrace of a name, let me say this. You know nothing of their culture. They enjoy things, and they enjoy telling others about what they enjoy. They loved Earth¡¯s action movies, and Die Hard was voted number two in a galaxy-wide poll!¡±


    ¡®Well, what was number one.¡¯


    She sighed. ¡°Terminator Two.¡±


    ¡®Well, at least I didn¡¯t name myself John Conner.¡¯


    ¡°Are you making a joke?¡±


    ¡®Watch Terminator Two tonight.¡¯


    ¡°I know it now to be true without any doubt. The universe is punishing me.¡±


    I ignored her. We were getting close. The roads were busy today, and we had to make way for multiple buggies and horse-drawn carriages. Luckily, the road was wide. We passed by a bakery, and the scent of the fresh bread made my stomach rumble. I¡¯d be swinging back by once I collected my quest rewards.


    We found the house a few minutes later, and I knocked on the door with Prajio at my side. I heard something rattle to the floor inside, followed by muffled cursing. A few moments later, the door cracked open, and Delen peeked out. His eyes first landed on Prajio and went wide in shock. He almost shut the door but thought better than disrespecting a Kurskin. He slowly widened it and was about to speak when he finally noticed me. His eyebrows scrunched together, and he glanced at what I was carrying. The door swung open.


    ¡°You found it,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I had thought it an impossible task, but here you are.¡± He looked Prajio up and down. ¡°You found help too, I presume?¡±


    ¡°I did. Delen, this is Prajio. He was vital in retrieving your device.¡±


    Delen bowed. ¡°You have my eternal thanks, my lord. Your aid is a true blessing.¡±


    Prajio didn¡¯t respond right away, so I glanced at him. His eyes were distant and unfocused¡ªno, they were focused - focused on his personal interface. His lips formed a thin smile.


    It seemed that Prajio was now officially a part of this quest.


    ¡°So, Delen,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, we were forced to rough up some guild members. None of them are seriously injured, but I wanted to let you know if they come knocking.¡±


    To my surprise, Delen laughed.


    ¡°If those fools try to steal from me again, they will regret it, of that I can assure you.¡±


    ¡°How will they regret it?¡± Prajio asked.


    Delen rubbed his hands together and had a weird grin on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it will be a shocking surprise.¡±


    ¡°Ethan, my friend, you did not tell me Delen was so interesting. Tell me, clever Delen, what new magics have you engineered.¡±


    Delen smiled. ¡°I have created a device that can store electric power.¡± He gestured to a table where I had set the device down. ¡°It can absorb the electrics generated with the device you just restored to me. It can absorb, hold, and release the power.¡±


    Holy cow. This guy just created a battery. I didn¡¯t know what type or how he did it, but Delen was incredibly intelligent, which probably meant he was incredibly intelligent in his previous life too.


    A man like Delen could prove to be a useful ally.


    ¡°So,¡± Prajio purred. ¡°In what way will you use this new device?¡±


    ¡°There are two copper wires at the end of the device, which, when activated, will create an arc of electrics. If someone were to touch that arc, it would be highly unpleasant.¡±


    Wow. A taser! I needed one.


    ¡°Delen,¡± I said. ¡°What would you require to build one of these¡­ uh, electric storage gizmos for me?¡±


    ¡°I, too, am interested in this weapon,¡± Prajio echoed.


    Delen held his hands up. ¡°It is not a weapon. Well, that is not its intended purpose, but it is a fortuitous side effect. Anyway, after what you have done for me today, I would happily create one for both of you. All I would need is for you to cover the cost of materials.¡±


    My pockets were light, and there was no guarantee I could sell Delen¡¯s watch for 70 gold. ¡°How much would that be?¡±


    Delen¡¯s turned upward, and I knew his sharp mind was calculating the exact costs. ¡°I¡¯d say right about nine gold each.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have that much on me,¡± I said. ¡°Perhaps if I could sell your watch, I could return later.¡±


    ¡°Do not trouble yourself,¡± Prajio said. ¡°I can cover the both of us.¡±


    I looked at him, surprised. Was this who he truly was? Or was he just roleplaying as a friendly bounty hunter? ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you. Thanks.¡± I didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    ¡°If one can help a friend out, they should do so. It is only right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you back.¡±


    ¡°I do not need your money, Ethan. However, I do wish to discuss something with you, but let¡¯s finish our engagement with this gentleman first.¡±


    I nodded.


    Delen handed me the watch and told Prajio he had another stashed away somewhere. Strangely, it was in the exact location he originally pulled mine from. I wondered if the system just generated an extra watch there or if Delen really had a spare. He handed it over to Prajio, who thanked him.


    ¡°Good Sirs,¡± Delen said. ¡°I cannot thank you enough for acting on my behalf. Unfortunately, my body is not nearly as strong as my mind, and I¡¯m no good in a fight. Come back in two days, and I¡¯ll have your devices ready. And remember, while I cannot aid you in combat if you ever require an inventive mind, don¡¯t hesitate to knock on my door.¡±


    I received a notification that my quest was complete, but I ignored it for now. ¡°Thanks for the watch, Delen. It seems I¡¯ll be seeing you soon. Stay safe until then, okay.¡± I knocked on some wood.


    ¡°Prajio reached out to shake Delen¡¯s hand. Delen took it hesitantly.


    ¡°It has been an honor to meet you, Mr. Brim,¡± Prajio said. ¡°Seek me out if ever you are in need.¡±


    We left the shop, and I began to feel anxious. Prajio would try to recruit me to follow him now. Val and I hadn¡¯t dived into the topic much, but essentially, Players could build influence by gaining ¡®followers,¡¯ sort of like with social media.


    It was different than Player Parties, which involved groups of Players interacting together, sometimes in a hierarchy. Influence was a combination of commendations from other Players and NPC supporters.


    Once a Player sufficiently befriended an NPC, they could ask for their formal pledge of support, and the Player gained a little bit of Influence. As far as I knew, Influence was pretty much just bragging rights for Players, but Val hadn¡¯t told me much about it.


    The only real problem with this was that I wasn¡¯t an NPC, so I couldn¡¯t accept his request if he asked. It would be awkward¡­


    Once we were back in the open, semi-stinky air, Prajio turned to me, and I knew it was coming.


    ¡°You carry yourself well, Ethan. I am most impressed with you. Your skills are special, but your mind seems much more enlightened than all the ravel in this waterlogged town. I could use someone like you in my company. I can assure you it pays well to travel with me.¡±


    I feigned disappointment. ¡°I haven¡¯t met many of your kind, but I can tell you¡¯re among the best of them. I would, of course, join if I were able. But I¡¯m sorry, Prajio, I have other obligations.¡±


    His tongue flitted out and tasted the air. He cocked his head. ¡°May I ask what those other obligations are? Perhaps I could be of assistance.¡±


    ¡°Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot!¡± Val shouted inside my head.


    Val¡¯s outburst didn¡¯t help as my mind scrambled for something to say. I tried to think fast but was coming up short. I needed something that I wouldn¡¯t need his help with.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my wife,¡± I said.


    ¡°I hate you,¡± Val said mournfully.


    Prajio looked dangerously intrigued. Perhaps I just made a mistake, but I felt I could still talk my way out.


    He stepped forward. ¡°You¡¯ve lost your wife? My heart breaks for you, my friend. I¡¯ve wondered about that well of loss in your eyes, and now I know the source. You must tell me, is there anything I can do to aid in this most personal and profound quest?¡±


    I shrugged. "There¡¯s nothing you can do. Truthfully, there¡¯s nothing much I can do either.¡±


    ¡°Whatever do you mean, Ethan?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is. I don¡¯t even know if she is alive. Hope is all I have.¡±


    Prajio put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°There is a saying among my people ¨C hope is the death of action. The Kurskin do not hope for anything. Hope does not affect the world. Your hope is but a puff of smoke. Too many people, yours and mine alike waste their time hoping for something to happen instead of doing what it takes to make it happen. You follow?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I follow. But I won¡¯t let hope get in the way. I will let it lead the way.¡±


    He made a satisfied purr sound, which I interpreted as a contemplative ¡®hmm.¡¯ ¡°What say you and I go grab a drink, Ethan? I could use some downtime and would relish more conversation with you.¡±


    ¡°Say no!¡± Val said.


    I shrugged. ¡°Why not?¡±

 Chapter 29 - A Drink with a Friend

    The bar Prajio had in mind was one of a few in this town that catered specifically to his race. A Kurskin ran it, which meant the spirits were high-octane hits of liquid death. There were three other Kurskins inside, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice their frequent glances toward our table.


    I knew they were only intrigued by the oddity of a Kurskin having a friendly drink with a human, but nonetheless, their gazes were unsettling.


    Val was visible in her avatar form, sitting right next to Prajio. I knew I was the only one who could see her, but it still made me nervous when she was out in public.


    Prajio ordered me the same drink as him: something called a kurtail. Perhaps short for Kurskin cocktail? If so, it wasn''t very imaginative, if you asked me.


    The drink was served in a tall, thin glass and was intended to be downed in a single swig, although you didn¡¯t have to dump it all down your throat at once. Prajio informed me multiple drinks were allowed if the rim of the glass never left your lips.


    Back on earth, I once took a shot of Everclear at a college party. That shot was pure agony and made me realize just how poisonous alcohol was to the human body. We were not made to drink jet fuel. That said, I wanted Prajio to like me, so we tapped glasses and downed the kurtail.


    The inside of my throat felt like it had been set alight, a blazing chemical fire. My eyes watered. I sucked in air through my nose, and the air felt like it was piercing my nasal cavity. This was Everclear times a thousand. This was a horror.


    I coughed and snorted and cried for a solid ten minutes before the pain wore off. Prajio laughed the entire time.


    ¡°No offense,¡± I said when I could finally speak. ¡°That¡¯s the worst drink I¡¯ve ever had in my life, and whoever makes it should be in prison.¡±


    I blinked my eyes, trying to refocus as my world began to spin. Chugging a glass of water seemed to help.


    ¡°My people feel the same about your distillers. Their drinks are so weak they may as well be water. Kurskins are a hard people with hard stomachs to match. Intoxication is not an easy state for a Kurskin to achieve.¡±


    ¡°I''m saying no next time you invite me for a drink. Just for the record.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°The fact that you tried the drink shows me you have an open mind. When presented with additional information, you are willing to try new things, learn new concepts, and change your opinions.¡±


    I tilted my head toward him. ¡°You alone have forced me to rethink everything I knew about the Kurksins.¡± That line gave me an idea. I needed to know more about my enemies and not just what the parasite lodged in my brain told me.


    ¡°My uncle believed you were heaven-sent to save us from the Dalari¡¯s incursion, but I¡¯ve never been the religious type. What¡¯s the truth? Where did you come from?¡±


    Prajio pondered this a moment before replying, ¡°That is a dangerous question to ask, one that some of my kind would kill you for uttering. Luckily, I am more reasonable than my fiery brethren, and so I¡¯ll accept that you are asking an honest question with no intent to offend.¡±


    I held up my hands. ¡°If it''s taboo, you don¡¯t have to answer. I would hate to offend my new friend.¡±


    ¡°Fear not, Ethan, I am not offended. I already know you do not believe we are immortal angels sent by God to aid in your fight against the Dalari.¡±


    ¡°So, what can you tell me?¡±


    He tapped at his chin with a claw. ¡°I¡¯ll say this. The Dalari and the Kurskins have a long and complex history. We¡¯ve been both allies and enemies throughout ages, although our conflicts were never known by the humans who shared our planet.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve always been here? How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°The world is big, far bigger than you would realize. Tell me, Ethan, do you know the shape of the world?¡±


    Of course I do; it¡¯s a sphere. ¡°I haven¡¯t put much thought into it, but my uncle once told me the earth was flat, like a plate.¡±


    Prajio nodded his head sadly. ¡°It seems nearly all your people believe this falsehood. You see, the world is round, like a ball. It rotates around the sun, just as Lunaria revolves around Erda.¡±


    This knowledge would have blown Milton Musgraves''s mind. ¡°If what you are saying is true, how does it answer where you and the Dalari came from?¡±


    Prajio held up a fist and pointed at one side. ¡°Let¡¯s say my fist is Erda. Humans live on this side.¡± He moved his finger to the back of his fist. ¡°We, meaning the Kurskins and the Dalari, live on this side.¡±


    My eyes went wide, and I wasn¡¯t even faking it. Was this their backup story for those who didn¡¯t buy heaven versus hell propaganda?


    ¡°So why are you here now? I asked.


    ¡°Because the Dalari are here. My people will not let them take over this land. It does not belong to them, nor does it belong to us. My people will push the Dalari back into the sea and force them to swim back to the other side of the world.¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°If the Dalari came by sea, does that mean the Kurskins did too?¡±


    He gave me a sly look. ¡°Some secrets are better left unsaid, my friend. Perhaps someday, I can share the answer with you.¡±


    A human waitress came by our table, and Prajio ordered some more poison while I settled for another glass of water, as I was still very much feeling the effects of that first drink.


    ¡°If the Kurskins are here to fight off the Dalari, why aren¡¯t you helping?¡±


    ¡°Ah, another astute question.¡± Prajio downed his drink in one gulp and hissed through the burn. ¡°I am helping in my own way, am I not? I am a bounty hunter who brings in some of the most dangerous criminals. Just today, I aided you. I am doing great things, all of which directly aid humanity.¡±


    ¡°Not to belittle your exceptional work, but I¡¯ve heard rumors of Dalari acting in similar ways.¡± I hadn¡¯t, but of course, there were Dalari in this world with a mindset similar to Prajio''s.


    ¡°Are you familiar with the term psychological warfare?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, you most definitely are not,¡± Val said helpfully, as I was just about to say ¡®yes.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Please, enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°Psychological warfare is when a military force creates propaganda or tries to alter beliefs while reinforcing others. I suspect the Dalari you have heard about is acting on behalf of the Dalari High Command. They are sent out far from where the war is being fought to spread propaganda and possibly ingratiate themselves with a town¡¯s population. Then, once the Dalari army comes knocking on their door, the humans will already have preconceived notions that the Dalari are noble, kind, helpful, and worthy of respect, just as the Dalari who aided their town in its time of need had been.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°So, you¡¯re secretly working on behalf of the Kurskin forces to breed trust among strategic communities?¡±


    He laughed. I was beginning to get used to the strange noise. ¡°No, no, no. I am a freelancer and have no desire to join the wargames of my brethren.¡± He looked at me strangely for a moment as if trying to ascertain something about me. ¡°To be honest, I disagree with Archons regarding levying humans for the war. They say they must because the Dalari are doing it, but as a Kurskin, I feel it is the duty of our kind to handle our battles without using others to accomplish victory.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I could never say such things to another of my kind, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you kept that to yourself.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I appreciate you sharing that with me. I wish I had the power to end this war right now. Already, far too many of my people have been lost to a war that isn¡¯t theirs.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t theirs? Surely you don¡¯t believe that. The Dalari invaded your coastal cities, subdued your kind, and claimed the land for themselves. Does that not make it your war?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. This war belongs to us all.¡±


    He nodded, mollified by my answer.


    We continued to drink and talk for another hour before parting ways for the night. While our conversation was built on a lie, it was still useful for me. It was interesting to see the depth of the lies the lizards created so they could stay in the ¡®theme¡¯ of the game. Prajio was happy I wasn¡¯t a member of the church or a believer in his divine provenance. It allowed him to connect to me on a more personal level.


    He called himself a freelancer, which I knew meant he wasn¡¯t here for the war at all. He was here to grow powerful and accumulate wealth. He was here to have fun.


    Before we finally parted ways, he invited me to join him on a quest. He explained the job, and I said yes. After all, I needed the experience and had no problem with Prajio power-leveling me.


    I found a tinkerer''s shop off the road and sold the watch for forty gold. Not the seventy Delen had assured me of, but I didn¡¯t care. I felt like I was filthy rich.


    After I had some money, I found a nicer place to stay. It was still small, but the bed was well worth the price. I laid on it and couldn¡¯t think of any good reason to get back up.


    I had managed to escape from Prajio without shaking his hand. Instead, I gave him a toast and a friendly nod before leaving the bar.


    I wanted Val¡¯s input, but before I opened that can of worms, I had some notifications I needed to address. It had taken all my self-control to wait until I was somewhere alone to close out my quest and level up. I wondered if I had any achievements.


    I started with the quest.


    QUEST COMPLETE!


    Lightning in a Bottle


    XP: 250 points


    I watched my experience bar shoot past level four and stopped about a quarter of the way to level five. I initiated my level up.


    CONGRATULATIONS, JOHN MCCLANE. YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL FOUR.


    That familiar rush of warmth flowed through me, and my body glowed a light gold before fading away.


    I shivered in pleasure and could tell that I had been improved. It was only a small change, but I could see its potential at a higher level. I was growing strong and faster each time I levelled up. It was incremental, but it was noticeable. I wondered how strong I¡¯d be at level fifty.


    YOU MAY SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SKILLS AND ABILITIES.


    SILENT BUT DEADLY: I know this is a rehash, but you did some sneaky stuff, so you get it again. Take your victims by surprise. For three seconds, your actions will be completely silenced. Clap your hands, shout obscenities at your opponent, or move through a room without making a squeak. The possibilities are limitless! This skill can be used twice a day and has a one-minute cooldown.


    POISONER: You almost killed a man with Valera root powder. He nearly overdosed, so technically, you poisoned him. POISONER moderately increases the strength of poisons and other malicious alchemics. Use your fist next time instead of a drug, and you won¡¯t get lame skill choices like this.


    The fuck?


    DRUNKEN NINJA: The drunker you are, the stronger you become. Beware, it will take far more than just a single cup of ale to benefit from this passive, but if you get really sloshed, you¡¯ll be able to lift a bear. You¡¯ve been hitting the booze a little hard lately; let''s be honest here.


    My sub-mind was completely nuts. Or perhaps it just grew crazier the more it learned about me.


    Obviously, I selected Silent But Deadly. I was very pleased to see it again as I planned on sneaking around a lot.


    I had another notification about an achievement and let it pop.


    NEW ACHEIVEMENT!


    STORIED: You completed your first ¡®organic¡¯ quest. Unlike preordained or structured quests, organic quests are created naturally by the humans of this world. Congratulations on completing your first. This achievement unlocks the PING ability. PING can be used once every three days. When used, a light breeze will direct you toward the nearest available organic quest. The breeze will last for three hours.


    I could see how PING would be a useful tool for many Players, but it was practically useless to me. I had Val. I¡¯d have preferred the breeze to her, though.

 Chapter 30 - Companion Quest

    ¡°Hey Val, how do you think things went with Prajio today?¡±


    ¡°You are playing a dangerous game, Ethan. I do not support this. However, you have conducted yourself well thus far, and Prajio was helpful in your quest. Although his presence wasn¡¯t necessary for us to succeed. I know you only invited him to spite me.¡±


    ¡°That quest was successful because of Prajio, and I invited him so I could learn more about him. Know your enemy and all that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®know your enemy,¡¯ not ¡®get drunk and laugh it up¡¯ with your enemy.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s surprised me so far. He even seems to have some sympathy for humans.¡±


    ¡°He is a Kurskin,¡¯ Val said flatly. ¡®He cares for nothing but himself.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Sounds like someone else I know.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°He¡¯s invited me to join him tomorrow. He has a quest to hunt a wanted criminal. I¡¯m going to tag along. I figure it would be a good way to gain experience, and maybe the system will bring me into the quest at some point like it did earlier for Prajio.¡±


    ¡°I would advise against spending another second with that scaly, disgusting lizard, but I know you would ignore my advice, so how about this? Do whatever you want, Ethan. Like you said, I¡¯m a tool to you now, and my only purpose is to help when needed.¡±


    ¡°Now you know how I felt with you in charge.¡±


    Val appeared on the bed next to me. ¡°She was wearing a revealing black nightgown. The gown ended just above her thighs, revealing a tantalizing amount of leg. I blinked away some errant thoughts.


    ¡°I want to work with you, Ethan,¡± Val said. ¡°As a team, with neither in charge, but for that to happen, you must fail, just as I did. I will let this happen because you will only then realize how stupid it is to ignore my guidance.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your guidance, Val, I really do.¡± I closed my eyes, tired and ready for sleep to take me. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll go on his quest tomorrow, learn as much as possible about the Kurskins, and then cut him loose. Deal?¡±


    ¡°That is acceptable.¡±


    ¡°Look at that; compromise is a key component of all relationships, even parasitic ones.¡±


    ¡°Do not refer to me as a parasite.¡±


    My eyebrows rose. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll only think it.¡±


    Her nose scrunched up in anger, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Goodnight, Val.¡±


    ***


    I met Prajio early in the morning at a ranch outside of Danver. It was a long walk, but the air was crisp and invigorating. I¡¯d always loved the smell of fresh mountain air with that hint of pine and rain.


    I didn¡¯t know what he had in store for me, but I was eager to find out. So far, things had gone well between us, and his thinking that I¡¯m some Special NPC could only benefit me. My mind spun about the different ways I could use Prajio to my advantage.


    He stood when he saw me. He had been sitting on a wooden bench near a fence beyond which horses galloped in a green field.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    When we were close, I put my fist to my chest and bowed. He returned the action, thus negating the need for a handshake greeting. This was easy.


    ¡°I am pleased to see you again, my friend,¡± Prajio said.


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d show?¡±


    ¡°I had faith, but there have been times where my faith has failed me in the past.¡±


    I smiled sympathetically. ¡°I know how that feels. What do you have in store for us today?¡±


    His lips curled into a long, toothy grin. ¡°As you are aware, I freelance as a bounty hunter. I have a contract on a marauder. He is dangerous and gifted, like you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his gift?¡±


    ¡°He is exceedingly strong and large. More ogre than man.  It is said when he was born, he began to grow and never stopped. Likely, some curse or witchcraft was involved. It does not matter. All that matters is that we bring back proof of death.¡±


    Prajio took a step forward and met my eye. ¡°Are you keen, my friend?¡±


    I nodded, a smile on my face. ¡°When do we get started?


    ¡°I am ready now.¡±


    ¡°Then we''re wasting time standing here.¡±


    ***


    Our prey¡¯s name was Deek Brewston. He led a small gang northwest of Danver in the foothills of the Bygone Mountains. Prajio said there should be at least six of them, plus big ol¡¯ Deek. The giant man and his crew were constant troublemakers and a pain in the local Constable¡¯s ass.  Lately, more and more traders went through the doors of Danver only to inform the Burgomaster that they were robbed on the path east of the mountains.


    Prajio had intel that the gang always retreated northwest, towards the mountains. So, that¡¯s where we were headed.


    It was a day¡¯s hike to the base of the mountains, and then it was just a guessing game from there. Prajio said he would be able to track them, but I had a hard time believing we would just happily stumble over a set of giant footprints.


    Prajio, ever the conversationalist, chatted my ears off the entire hike. He taught me more about Kurskin culture and their social structures. The Archon was at the top, but there was a ruling class below the Archon. They were called Kushars, similar to a Baron or feudal lord.


    Of course, this was only how they were structured on Erda. I didn''t know what it was like beyond the sphere.


    The Kurskins greatly valued family and bloodlines. They took pride in their ancestors'' accomplishments and always strived to achieve something worthy of remembrance.


    It seemed this Quest for Conquest game was one of the few opportunities for a Kurskin to achieve something worth being remembered for in a civilization that had already reached the highest pinnacle of collective accomplishment.


    Prajio was good company. He knew a lot about this world, far more than me. I learned the Kurskins controlled three cities in western Vedra. He added that it was unfortunate they had to levy so many humans and lamented the necessity.


    During our long hike, we followed one of the many rivers flowing down from the mountains. The scenery was idyllic: a clear stream surrounded by green grass spotted by the occasional boulder field. Tall Spruces towered at the base of the mountains. And down from it all, we could see the sprawling wooden city of Danver.


    ¡°Quiet the view,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is something special,¡¯ Prajio said. ¡°We are lucky to live in this amazing world.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t have disagreed with the statement more. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± The sun was beginning to set.


    ¡°We make camp,¡± Prajio said. ¡°And in the morning, we hunt. If we are lucky, they will see our camp tonight and attempt to attack or capture us.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows. ¡°You want them to attack us in the night.¡±


    Prajio flipped his tail. ¡°Day, night, it does not matter.¡± He looked at me with his sharp eyes. ¡°Especially with the powerful Ethan Musgrave by my side.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sounds like a piece of cake.¡±


    Prajio took a step back and put a hand to his chest. ¡°Whatever do you mean by that? What does a piece of cake sound like?¡±


    I laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just a human expression. It¡¯s another way of saying something will be easy.¡±


    ¡°Piece of cake,¡± Prajio said with a smile. ¡°I like this. I am going to use this.¡± He barked a laugh. ¡°Piece of cake.¡±


    So that was the plan: We would camp brightly and loudly during the night and hope to be raided. I still didn¡¯t know what Prajio was capable of, so I had to trust he could handle himself. I felt like that trust was well-placed.


    Prajio unrolled a simple mat with a small round pillow. It was all he needed to be comfortable in the night. I followed suit and threw down my burlap blanket, which I kept in my pack, along with a few other meager belongings since I couldn¡¯t use my quantum inventory in front of Prajio.


    ¡°Should one of us keep watch?¡± I asked.


    Prajio scoffed. ¡°A watch could deter the bandits.¡± His smile showed all his sharp teeth. ¡°They have an open invite as far as I¡¯m concerned, and I¡¯d rather not dissuade them.¡±


    ¡°Should I try not to sleep?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my friend, rest is vital to your well-being. I plan to sleep. You should, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Goodnight, Prajio.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Ethan.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Val said.


    ¡®Goodnight, Val.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you, Ethan. Although proper manners would have been to wish me goodnight first, as I am the only female in your party. But I¡¯ll let it slide this one time.¡±


    ¡®Let me know if we¡¯re about to be attacked, okay?¡¯


    ¡°I live to serve.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Bounty

    ¡°Wakey, wakey, sleepy head,¡± Val said. ¡°Enemies approach.¡±


    My eyes darted open. I couldn¡¯t hear or see anything, but Val had a long range.


    ¡®How many and how far?¡¯


    ¡°Five. Four hundred yards to the north.¡±


    I was only a few feet away from Prajio and gently tapped him awake.


    He jerked but calmed when he saw it was me. ¡°I presume you have a good reason to wake me?¡±


    ¡°The bad guys are on their way. I, uh, noticed them a couple hundred yards to the north.¡±


    He raised a hairless, nubby eyebrow. ¡°We will discuss how you know this another time. Did you have anything else to share?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Shouldn¡¯t we prepare or something? This is your mission.¡±


    ¡°I was hoping they would attempt to abduct us and escort us to their master, who we could then kill. Unless, of course, Deek is with them. We¡¯ll just kill him then if that is the case.¡±


    ¡°How do you know they¡¯ll try to abduct us?¡±


    He shrugged with only one shoulder as he was still lying on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s only a small chance. If they do not attempt an abduction, I will kill all but one and force him to lead me to the main camp.¡±


    Either Prajio was incredibly strong or dangerously self-confident.


    ¡°Is that what you want to do?¡± I asked.  ¡°Pretend to be asleep and hope we get nabbed? What if someone just stabs me?¡±


    It looked like he rolled his eyes, but it was hard to see in the dark. ¡°You will be awake. Don¡¯t let them stab you.¡±


    And so, we pretended to be asleep and waited for whatever was to come.


    It took longer than expected. These supposed ruffians took their time while we played pretend for thirty minutes. But eventually, we heard them whispering loudly like idiots.


    I couldn¡¯t figure out what they were saying, though. ¡®Val, I can¡¯t hear these guys. Can you?¡¯


    ¡°Of course I can; they are exceedingly loud. In one moment, I¡¯ll send the electronic vibrations directly to your cochlea.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯ll do what now?¡¯


    One second later, like magic, I could hear everything¡ªnot just their voices but the sound of each step they took. I could hear a bird fluttering its wings fifty feet above. I could hear the wind as it cut through trees in the mountains above us.


    This was extraordinary¡­and overwhelming¡ªso much so that it took me some time to focus on the conversation and drown out all the surrounding noise. Val¡¯s trick was powerful but not something I would want to use frequently.


    After a moment, I had my ears focused on the interlopers.


    ¡°¡­.two of ¡®em. Don¡¯t see much in terms of loot, though,¡± said a deep voice.


    A higher-pitched voice answered. ¡°The lizard has some fine steel on him. Bet it¡¯s worth a pretty penny.¡±


    ¡°You know what¡¯s worth more than just a pretty penny,¡± whispered a lackadaisical voice, ¡°is the lizard itself.  We could ransom it back to its kind. A hundred gold for it, easy.¡±


    I heard whispers of agreement all around.


    Holy cow. Prajio had these idiots nailed from the beginning. They were actually going to kidnap us. It beat fighting if you asked me.


    And so it went that both Prajio and I were ¡®woken up¡¯ with swords to our throats and surrounded by very dangerous-looking men.


    For his part, Prajio acted marvelously.


    He froze in fear, eyes wide and horrified. He stammered but couldn¡¯t find any words.


    ¡°Shut your yapper,¡± the one with the deep voice said. ¡°You have two options. Die or come with us.¡±  He pressed his sword against Prajio¡¯s neck. ¡°You have three seconds to decide.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll come with you, of course,¡± Prajio said. ¡°My good man, I apologize if we have camped on your property. I¡¯ll gladly pay any fines.¡±


    ¡°Shut it!¡± the ruffian yelled. ¡°You''re going to stay right still while the boys here disarm you.¡± He looked at me. ¡°The both of you.¡±


    We did as asked, and I tried to match Prajio¡¯s frightened energy. They took my sword, which I had kept on the ground nearby. Using my inventory wasn¡¯t even an option with Prajio around.


    Prajio had to give up his dual blades. He protested, saying they were a family heirloom, and claimed he barely knew how to use them.


    They responded to that by slapping him in the face and calling him a hellspawn.  It appeared these guys fully disagreed with the church canon. I had to admire them for that.


    In short, we had our hands tied behind our backs, and when they stood us up, they promptly dumped a thick, black bag over our heads so we couldn¡¯t see where we were going. I tried not to laugh.  Prajio was right about everything. And I had a high-tech GPS living in my head, so I was never truly blind.


    They dragged us through the night toward their camp. Prajio made a big show of it, protesting that he was a simple herbologist seeking to identify new plant life in the area. Apparently, I was his bodyguard, which made no sense to me, considering the weakest Kurskin was more formidable than most humans.


    Whatever story Prajio was selling was being bought hook-line and sinker by the idiots that had captured us. I wondered if they knew how that sniveling lizard could dispatch their entire group before the first body hit the floor.


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


    We walked north for miles and, by my guess, gained a solid two thousand feet of elevation. They never once slowed down or allowed us to rest or drink.


    The bag over my head was annoying, but Val kept me informed about where we were going.


    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what she could actually see. I imagined she could see dots on a map or something, but I¡¯m sure it was far more advanced than that. I¡¯d have to ask her someday.


    ¡°The camp is near,¡± Val said.


    I blinked the sleep from my eyes and tried to regain my senses. I didn¡¯t think I technically fell asleep during that hike, but I was sure on the verge.


    Val¡¯s intel was correct as always and ten minutes later, our hoods were ripped off.


    It was still night, but the morning sun was soon to rise, and random torches were spiked into the ground next to the wall of a large, concave rock formation.


    There were seven men ahead of me, by my count, and that included the biggest human being I had ever seen in my life. He must be Deek.


    The large, shirtless man didn¡¯t seem to have a neck. Instead, it had been replaced by the hulking muscles of his back and arms. He was bald, and his only clothes were a pair of ragged cotton pants.


    Prajio stepped forward. ¡°Good sir, please, I will give you anything you want. Just please let me and my friend go. We mean you no harm.¡±


    Deek¡¯s laugh was a low rumble. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a Kur who never meant no harm to no one.¡±


    Prajio cocked his head, almost said something, then appeared to decide against it. He bowed slightly. ¡°My people are cruel in war, but there is no war in this part of the world. Here, my people are friendly, helpful even.¡±


    ¡°How much you worth to ¡®em?¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?¡± Prajio said.


    ¡°How much can we ransom you for?¡±


    Prajio shrugged. ¡°Who are you going to ransom me to?¡±


    It was Deek¡¯s turn to shrug. ¡°You tell me.¡±


    Prajio shrugged again. ¡°I haven¡¯t the faintest idea.¡±


    Deek slammed his fist onto his throne of rock. ¡°Then what good are you to me?¡±


    ¡°I would have assumed upon my kidnapping that you would have had a plan in place already.¡±


    Deek stood and began walking down his rocky hideout''s carved steps. ¡°You trying to make a fool of Deek, is that it?¡± Deek smashed his fists together.


    Deek paced in front of us about ten feet away. ¡°Since you are of no value to me, lizard, what about your friend?¡±


    Prajio looked at me and gave me a dashing smile. ¡°He is my bodyguard.¡±


    Deek laughed at that. I would have laughed, too, if I wasn¡¯t so frightened. I did not want a target on my back, and I couldn¡¯t fight Deek.  My sword had been taken, and I was unsure if I could equip my dagger right now or not. If I tried and it worked, then they would see the dagger, rationalize away how it got on my hip, and then probably kill me. Plus, it would give up my Player status to Prajio. My best option was to wait until it seemed like shit was about to hit the fan and equip it from my inventory right before the combat period began.


    Deek walked up to me, my hands still tied behind my back. ¡°I heard lizards like your friend are tough as nails. Even the dainty ones. You telling me you¡¯re strong enough to play bodyguard to a Kur?¡±


    I really hated Prajio for putting me in this position, but I knew what he wanted me to do. At least, I hoped I did.


    I met Deeks dull eyes. ¡°I¡¯m strong enough.¡±


    ¡°How ¡®bout we put you to the test then? I got some men who could use some training.¡±


    My eyes floated to Prajio, who gave me a wink. The bastard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to hurt them,¡± I said.


    Deek laughed at that. He turned around and lumbered toward one of his men. He put a hand on his shoulder and gestured to me. The man smiled and nodded.


    He looked scary, half of his head shaved, the other half of his hair hung to his shoulder. The bald side was laced with intricate tattoos. And he was bigger than me. Not by much, but size did matter when it came to fighting, most of the time.


    Prajio grinned at me as they untied my hands.


    Asshole.


    My opponent stood before me while the rest of the gang and my ¡®friend¡¯ joined in a tight circle around us.


    I had never boxed anyone in my life. All I knew was to attack fast and hard and with all my fury.  So, I did.


    Before any pre-fight ceremony could occur, I charged forward with a Devastating Strike ready. The man¡¯s eyes went wide when he saw me rushing toward him. He lowered himself shoulder first, ready to take me on.


    Instead of taking him with a fist, I sent a flying knee right into his shoulder, which buckled under the power of Devastating Strike.


    He howled in pain and grasped at his dislocated shoulder. He stumbled back against his line of men who pulled him in among them.


    Another stepped forward. This one was even bigger than the last.


    What mess did Prajio get me into?


    We both raised our fists. I didn¡¯t have any weapons at my disposal, and any chance to equip a dagger had passed because this was officially combat.


    While Devastating Strike was on cooldown, I was going to get the crap beat out of me, and all for a plan Prajio didn¡¯t fill me in on. The thought pissed me off. This world was just so unfair and unnecessarily brutal. I hated it. But I¡¯d do anything to win.


    We circled and threw quick jabs, testing each other. I was fairly strong but thought I could manage better on the ground, so I rushed him for a takedown at the waist. He held his ground and sent a series of elbows into my back. I released from him and pushed back, but not far enough as his fist took me in the face. I spun and hit the ground, dazed.


    I blinked away stars as I lay on the ground. I looked at Prajio and watched him disappear into a puff of smoke and shoot across the ring. My head rolled over to see my opponent holding both hands in the air in celebration while his men around him cheered. Deek was howling among them, the towering monster of a man.


    Deek¡¯s cheerful expression transformed into a sort of curious wince.


    The expression deepened, more wincing and less curiosity this time.


    He looked down to his right and collapsed backward to the ground in a heap to reveal Prajio standing behind him with a long dagger in his hand. Before anyone could stop him, Prajio slit Deek¡¯s throat. As the gaping wound shot blood into the air, Prajio jumped forward and took Deek¡¯s thumb with his blade.


    Deek¡¯s men went into a frenzy and rushed to their leader¡¯s aid. The spout of blood soaked one of Deeks loyal men as he tried to put a hand over the wound and stop the arterial spray.


    Prajio burst into smoke as one of Deek¡¯s men charged him and suddenly solidified before me. ¡°Can you get up?


    I scrambled to my feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for us to run,¡± Prajio said. ¡°Unless you would like to fight the rest of these burly gentlemen.¡±


    I nodded. It hurt. ¡°I¡¯m fine, lead the way.¡±


    Prajio took off, and I followed. Two men were ahead, and we would still need to get past them to be clear.


    From behind, I heard, ¡°They¡¯re getting away!¡±


    Prajio made a quick detour and grabbed our pile of weapons. He smiled and tossed my sword to me, which I thankfully caught by the hilt. Prajio displayed his dual cutlasses and charged at the two men, each armed with a single axe.


    Prajio spun like a dervish, cutting one down before rolling away from the mighty blow from the other opponent. I raised my weapon and yelled. The man turned and tried to raise his axe, but my sword caught him first.


    We didn¡¯t stick around to finish the job. We ran as fast as we could, bolting across rocky terrain, and by the time we made it to the grassy fields at the base of the mountain, our pursuers had long given up.


    Normal me would have been huffing and puffing after such a sprint. But the new and improved me was a whole new beast. I was barely winded. That hit to my face had jarred me, but I was pretty sure a hit like that would have knocked me unconscious had I been only level one.


    We finally stopped at our camp, next to the river.


    I laughed, not realizing this was where Prajio had been leading me.


    ¡°My friend, did you think I would leave without my wonderful pillow?¡±


    I laughed again. ¡°I¡¯ve wondered, do you ever use a pillow for your tail?¡±


    Prajio froze in place, slowly locking his eyes on mine. His lips gradually curled back in a displeased expression. ¡°A pillow for my tail. Is that a sincere question?¡±


    I shrunk into myself. ¡°Y¡­yeah.¡±


    He burst out laughing, honking long and loud. He held his pillow. ¡°Ethan, my friend, that is perhaps the funniest thing I have heard.¡± He barked another laugh. ¡°Ha! Tail pillows. What a ridiculous concept.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever tried it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a madman.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I would think the extra support would be nice, but don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t have a tail.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to ask you.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°Now what?¡±


    Prajio held up Deek¡¯s severed thumb. We turn this in for a reward. But we are in the wilds, and I do love to explore. How about we take the long way back, meet up with one of the southern roads, and then head to town? What do you say? Keen for more adventures?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°This guy is so lame,¡± Val said.

 Chapter 32 - Benjis Wagon

    The next morning, Prajio and I and Deek¡¯s massive severed thumb traveled south along the base of the mountains, hoping to connect with a road and perhaps find some adventure along the way.


    We considered taking the path from Lucard back to Danver, but nothing was set in stone. Now that Prajio had his prized thumb, he seemed eager to explore before returning to collect his reward.


    While we walked, he told me tales of his time on Erda. He rescued the daughter of a local mayor from a group of bandits. The mayor was glad to have his daughter back but demanded revenge as his daughter had been traumatized from the experience. The mayor went through the formal process of securing a warrant, which allowed Prajio to hunt and kill the man who attacked her.


    That was the beginning of his bounty-hunting journey.


    ¡°I enjoy the chase,¡± he said. ¡°I prefer not to kill, but I will not weep over the death of an evil man. It also pays well. Enough to support my needs.¡±


    ¡°So Prajio,¡± I said hesitantly as I changed the subject. ¡°I saw you sort of teleport to Deek back there. Was that magic?¡±


    He leveled his eyes at me. ¡°As you know, all Kurskins are blessed with unique powers, just as the Dalari are. But, like you, I have no affinity for magic. I am simply blessed with some inherent abilities.¡±


    ¡°What else can you do?¡± If he knew I was a Player, he would never answer that question. But to him, I was an NPC, so why would it matter?


    ¡°Hmm. That is a rather personal question, my friend.¡± He smiled at me. ¡°If we happen to engage in another fight, maybe I¡¯ll show you.¡± He winked, the eyelids closing sideways.


    I decided that was fine and didn¡¯t press him. Knowing what he was capable of would be useful in the event our friendly relationship soured.


    Not for the first time, I wondered what level Prajio was. The one skill he had used seemed like something that would be rewarded only at higher levels. If I ever had to fight Prajio, my best option would be to run.


    We walked and chatted for another hour. The weather was perfect, the sun was warm, and the flowers blooming in the mountains'' foothills were vibrant and abundant.


    The company was good, too. I was growing to like Prajio. He was saying all the right things that an honorable man would say. He was confident, complimentary of others, and seemed like he wanted to spend his game time going from place to place and helping the humans/Quest Givers who were in need. It was the only correct way to play this fucked up game, in my humble opinion.


    I soon saw the familiar road leading from Lucard Pass and remembered the view after I had exited the pass and saw the sprawling city of Danver for the first time.


    ¡°We can take this road to Danver,¡± Praijo said. ¡°Thank you for taking that hike with me. It was uneventful, but I much prefer to walk the wilds of this world.¡±


    I laughed. ¡°So far, both the roads and the wilds have given me plenty of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Trouble finds you, eh?¡±


    I had to think about that question for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t think trouble finds me.¡± I smirked at him. ¡°I find it.¡±


    Prajio laughed. ¡°Perhaps, if it is adventure I seek, I can simply follow you around and have my fill of it.¡±


    ¡°I must admit, having capable and companionable company the last couple of days has been a nice change of pace for me.¡±


    Prajio cocked his head, his attention no longer on me. He was listening to something.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I asked in a hushed tone.


    He shook his head but had a slight smile on his face. ¡°There are more of my kind ahead. I can hear their laughter. Come Ethan. Perhaps I can find a friend among them.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    My stomach sank. Keeping my composure around one Kurskin was difficult enough, and he was as friendly as the sun. I had no idea what these others could be like.


    ¡®Val, what can you tell me?¡¯


    ¡°They are recessed a couple hundred yards into the pass, making them difficult to detect. I cannot say with certainty, but I believe there are at least five Kurskins. And there are others¡­yes, I have identified a human and a Dalari among the group.¡±


    I had no idea what to make of that information, but my gut told me whatever was going on wasn¡¯t good. I saw no way of diverting Prajio away from them. His mind was set, and it would be odd for me to object.


    So, I followed behind him as he happily entered Lucard Pass. We didn¡¯t have to travel far for my inferior ears to pick up their laughter and boasts. I could have had Val enhance my hearing again, but it was rather unpleasant and difficult to focus through the onslaught of ambient sounds.


    We turned a shallow corner, and my heart dropped when I saw the group ahead. The wagon they were sitting around was immediately recognizable.


    It was not their wagon. They had stolen it from Benji, the kind man who had given me a lift a few days ago.


    As I walked toward the group, a sense of panicky rage boiled up inside me. Benji was nowhere in sight, nor was the human or the Dalari.


    Prajio shouted a greeting and raised a clawed hand in the air. It was met by two others near the wagon. Another Kurskin appeared behind the wagon, and Prajio''s face turned sour. This new Kurskin was female, larger than most of her kind, and her skin was a dark purple.


    She had a longsword in a sling on her back and a curled whip on her hip.


    From the look on his face, Prajio had a history with this particular she-lizard.


    ¡°I was wrong about finding a friend,¡± Prajio said to me in a quiet tone. ¡°Instead, you have the displeasure of meeting one of the most repugnant individuals I know.¡±


    Great.


    ¡°My dear, Prajio Vrentris,¡± she purred, ¡°is that really you?¡±


    ¡°Shask,¡± Prajio said neutrally, ¡°I did not expect to find you here. I had thought you were heading west.¡±


    Her lips curled into a knowing smile. ¡°We encountered a man on the road, and after that, we were forced to change our plans.¡±


    Prajio leaned forward. ¡°What was so important about this man that caused you to abandon your quest westward?¡±


    She gestured over her shoulder. ¡°Drisk over there has Farsight. He claimed to have seen a man and woman leave this wagon and run off into the woods.¡± She moved her hands to her hips. ¡°When we finally reached the wagon, we questioned the old man about them. At first, he was reluctant to tell us anything, but you, of all people, know how persuasive I can be.¡± She winked at Prajio.


    I clenched my fists as I imagined all the ways in which they tortured Benji. Did they kill him?


    ¡°Eventually,¡± Shask continued, ¡°he gave in and told us a name. That name is what ended our journey west.¡±


    Prajio shrugged. ¡°What was the name?¡±


    ¡°John McClane.¡± Shask seemed to hiss the name more than speak it.


    Prajio took a step back. ¡°Surely you misheard. Or the old man made a mistake. There are no non¡­ no humans by that name on Erda.¡±


    ¡°Those same thoughts crossed my mind, but hunting a possible anomaly was just too enticing to pass up.¡±


    ¡°Even if it is real, chasing something like that is not within the spirit of¡­¡± he glanced at me. ¡°¡­of our people.¡±


    She smiled wickedly, ¡°But the Voxals would pay whatever bounty I asked for to get their hands on a genuine glitch.¡±


    Prajio waved a hand. ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time. It¡¯s far more likely the old man misheard the name.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I shared your concerns. We were only going to scout for a couple of days; however, we ran into someone who was able to corroborate the story.¡±


    Shask whistled sharply. ¡°Bring out the human girl.¡±


    One of the Kurskins went behind the wagon. We waited for a moment, but nothing happened. The lizard¡¯s yellow head popped out from behind. ¡°She¡¯s still passed out from Troji¡¯s charm.¡±


    Shask¡¯s lips curled in a snarl. She snapped her fingers. ¡°Follow. You can bring your pet along if you wish as long as it doesn¡¯t touch anything.¡±


    I assumed she was referring to me.


    We rounded the back of the wagon, and my already sinking heart dropped like a stone.


    In the back of the wagon was an unconscious Dalari female, and next to her was my former Quest Giver, Tara Honeytender.


    Shask pointed at Tara. We found this one while exploring some mountain ruins, and unlike the old man, she sang like a bird.


    She told us she had been on that wagon with a man named John, who was escorting her to Danver. He never told her his last name, but she did mention that he was completely crazy, which would be consistent with a true system anomaly.¡±


    Prajio nodded contemplatively. ¡°I agree that lends credence to the idea, but it does not prove the theory. If you asked me, which I know you never would, I would say you¡¯re hunting for a ghost.¡±


    ¡°Fifty gold says I catch this John McClane by the end of the week.¡±


    Prajio laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t make deals with devils. Enjoy your hunt, Shask. I¡¯ll have no part in it.¡± He gestured to the back of the wagon. ¡°And what of the Dalari?¡±


    Shask shrugged. ¡°She had become separated from her group of adventurers, so we decided to borrow her.¡± Her reptilian eyes glittered with evil intentions. ¡°My men needed something to play with. We¡¯ll drop her weight when they¡¯ve grown tired of her.¡±


    The dark glare Prajio shot at Shask was a sight to behold, yet she didn¡¯t shrink under his piercing and judgmental gaze.


    ¡°Come, Ethan,¡± Prajio said. ¡°Let us seek better company in town. Most anyone will do compared to this lot.¡±


    Shask hissed. ¡°Typical Vrentris, always too good for the common folk.¡±


    Prajio ignored her jibe at his family name and turned to walk away. I followed, my mind a whirlwind of emotions, fears, and budding plans.

 Chapter 33 - To the Rescue

    Only after we were out of the pass and back on the road to Danver did Prajio¡¯s anger finally simmer. He hadn¡¯t said anything to me since leaving the wagon, but I could tell he was royally pissed off from the interaction with Shask. I wasn¡¯t going to be the first one to speak, and I was focused on my own feelings anyway.


    Tara needed help. She had been captured and abused because I had abandoned her to rot in her grief and shame alone. My decision to abandon her was driven by hate. In that cave, I had hated her. I hated Val. I hated that whole damn coven of crazies, and I had hated myself for being na?ve and weak and stupid and helpless.


    When I had shut that door behind me and left Tara in the dark, I felt a morbid sense of satisfaction. The cruelty was cathartic.


    But it was wrong. I was wrong.


    After seeing the results of my actions firsthand, I resolved never to let hate drive me again. I couldn¡¯t imagine how my wife would react if she knew I had abandoned someone in need. Even if I never saw Elena again, I would remain the man she knew and loved. I had to.


    I couldn¡¯t let Tara suffer any longer. I couldn¡¯t let her remain a pet for those Kurskin bastards. I had to save her, but first, I had to convince Prajio to help me.


    I knew just what to say to get him on my side. Yes, it meant manipulating him, but he was still the enemy¡­well, more like an enemy with benefits but an enemy, nonetheless. So, I only felt a little bad about what I was about to do.


    ¡°Prajio,¡± I said. ¡°Can we sit a moment? I need to speak with you.¡±


    He looked at me curiously. ¡°Of course, Ethan. Let us rest here.¡± He gestured to a grouping of small boulders.


    After settling into my perfect boulder, I made my play.


    ¡°That girl back there in the wagon, the human. Her name¡¯s Tara.¡±


    His eyes widened, and he leaned forward. ¡°You know her?¡±


    I met his eyes and nodded solemnly. ¡°Oh, I know her. She¡¯s my wife¡¯s little sister, Prajio, and I¡¯m not leaving this mountain without her.¡±


    He looked away, and his tail began to flick back and forth. He was thinking. Eventually, his tail stopped swishing, and he seemed to reach some sort of internal resolution: ¡°You seek my help.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if that was a statement or a question.


    ¡°Talk to Shask for me. If she won¡¯t give us Tara, then I¡¯ll find a way to kill Shask and save Tara myself.¡±


    Prajio shook his head. ¡°I know Shask well. She would never give up the girl, no matter what we offered. If she knew I wanted Tara, it would only make Shask want to hurt her more in hopes that Tara¡¯s suffering would cause me distress."


    ¡°No,¡± Prajio continued, shaking his head. ¡°It would come to a fight in the end.¡± He looked at me sadly. ¡°I am not sure I can do this for you, Ethan.¡±


    I was caught off guard by his response. I thought he would be gung-ho for this. ¡°Tara may know where my wife is. Even if she doesn¡¯t, she¡¯s family. I must save her, but I can¡¯t do it alone.¡±


    Prajio stood and began to pace. He was mumbling something to himself.


    ¡®Val?¡¯


    ¡°Your scaly friend appears to be having an existential crisis. He believes the System is using you to give him a unique experience in this world. The only problem is that outside of wars and arenas, quests don¡¯t typically pit a Player against one of their own. Killing one¡¯s kind while questing is practically unheard of. To make matters worse, Prajio doesn¡¯t have an official quest for it. He is invested in you solely because he believes you are a Special NPC.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    That helped put things into perspective. I decided my friend needed another push.


    ¡°No killing,¡± I said. ¡°We can do this just like we did at the engineer¡¯s guild. We hurt them enough so that we can take what we need. I¡¯ve helped you fight my kind, and now I¡¯m asking you to return the favor.¡±


    Prajio stopped pacing and took a deep breath. ¡°Very well, Ethan. But you should know that this goes far beyond a simple favor to me. If I do this for you, I need something in return.¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± I said.


    ¡°You will allow me to journey with you. I will help you find your wife, my friend. After we save your sister, you and I shall travel together henceforth.¡±


    He was going to help, but I was surprised to discover that I felt bad about it. I had grown more fond of Prajio as we spent more time together, and now I was deceiving him into attacking his own kind.


    It had to be done.


    ¡°So, my friend,¡± I said with a cheeky grin. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ***


    When we reached Benji¡¯s stolen wagon, Prajio announced himself and with full confidence and authority and demanded that they relinquish Tara to him.


    ¡°She is a relative to my dear friend and travel companion.¡± Prajio said it matter-of-factly. ¡°Therefore, she will be coming with us.¡±


    Shask stepped forward and got into Prajio¡¯s face. I was to his right, as planned. The rest of her gang stayed back, but all looked ready for a confrontation.


    ¡°You have no authority over me here Vrentris. Leave now before I make you leave.¡±


    Prajio spit on the ground. ¡°Fine. How much do you want for the girl?¡±


    That was my queue.


    In our previous encounter, Shask had ignored me outright. I was nothing to her. When her gaze passed over me, I was just a piece of scenery. I was beneath her and unworthy of attention.


    Well, she should have paid more attention to me.


    I activated Devastating Strike, leaped forward, and sent a triply-enhanced and upgraded right hook to her temple.


    She collapsed to the ground, and Prajio disappeared into a puff of smoke. By the time I turned around to see, Prajio had reappeared, his elbow taking a goon in the neck and sending one more fist into his head just for good measure.


    Prajio¡¯s amazing teleport ability had brought all the attention to himself, luckily for me.


    I activated Silent-But-Deadly for the first time and sprinted toward the nearest lizard. He could see both myself and Prajio from his position, but he looked at me too late and with a confused expression on his about-to-be-punched face.


    My fist took him in the nose or snout or whatever, and it hurt me more than him, but it did knock him off balance, so I tackled him to the ground and mounted him.


    I was raising my arm, ready to land another blow, when I felt something curl around my neck. I was yanked to the side and rolled over. When I got my bearings, I noticed his tail whipping back and forth as he stood.


    Those tails were damn useful.


    I moved into a boxing position, ready to scramble with him. He closed his eyes and whispered something. I watched as a thin layer of frost quickly covered his body from head to toe. Whisps of steam billowed from his icy skin.


    I didn¡¯t know what this was. Some sort of ice magic? I didn¡¯t know what to do. I was going to die. I regretted agreeing to Prajio¡¯s ¡®no weapons¡¯ approach. He had insisted it was the only way he could do this, so I no choice but to agree.


    The frosty Kurskin charged at me, leaving a trail fog in his wake. He came at me inhumanely fast. I tried to dodge out of the way of his charge, but a cold, clawed hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder. The claws dug into me as he pulled me to him. His other hand grasped my throat. His hand felt like the icy touch of death as it began to squeeze.


    I kicked at him, but it was like kicking at a wall of ice. He was so heavy. Impossible to move. My eyes felt like they were about to burst out of their sockets. My vision was fading. My throat burned.


    Just as the darkness closed in, I was flung to the ground. I heard shouting and fighting and then nothing.


    I coughed over and over, trying to find my breath again. My throat was on fire, but when I touched it, it felt freezing cold.


    My vision returned, and I saw Prajio standing above me, his hand offering me help. I rolled onto my side and pushed myself up. ¡°I¡¯m okay, I don¡¯t need help.¡±


    ¡°Tssk, tssk. It does not make you less of a man to accept a helping hand.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve a hand up,¡± I said as I gestured to the many unconscious Kurskin. ¡°You did this, not me. I was powerless against them.¡±


    ¡°We can discuss your pitiful lack of self-worth later. We must make haste before they recover.¡±


    I ran to the back of the wagon and found a semi-conscious Tara. She looked at me, but her eyes were still blank, mind lost in oblivion.


    ¡°Grab the other one,¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡± Prajio asked.


    ¡°Grab the Dalari.¡±


    ¡°That was not part of the deal, Ethan. Why would we take a Dalari with us? We know nothing of her.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re brutalizing her. She is a person, not a toy to be played with. If you¡¯re the man I think you are, you¡¯ll pick her up right now. If you¡¯re not, then I¡¯ll have to drag them both myself.¡±


    Anger crossed his expression, but it transformed into resolution. He grabbed the still-unconscious Dalari by her feet and threw her over his shoulder.


    We ran away from Lucard Pass as fast as our burdened legs could carry us.

 Chapter 34 - Yippee Ki-Yay

    There was no way we could make it back to the safety of Danver before nightfall, especially with our new burdens slung over our backs, so we found a safe place to camp in a well-hidden nook among the rolling wilds.


    Also, we didn¡¯t think it would be a good look to come running into town with two unconscious women slung over our shoulders, especially when one was a Dalari, so we decided it was best to give them time to regain consciousness.


    The spell they were under was powerful, but there were signs they were coming out of it, mostly in the form of random twitches and unpleasant groans. We hoped that by morning, they would be right as rain. I tried my best to keep an eye on them, especially Tara. I needed to find a way to get her alone when she woke up to ensure my false identity was protected.


    We intentionally took a wide path back to Danver instead of beelining straight there just in case we were being pursued. Prajio was convinced we were in the clear, and I trusted his judgment.


    After some protests from myself and reassurances from Prajio that it was safe, he made a small fire to cut through the chill in the air. His insistence on a fire made me wonder about the nature of Kurskins. Was Prajio cold-blooded? I would have to ask Val about it sometime.


    I also wondered what his Firestarter Competency was at. Higher than mine, no doubt.


    He miraculously produced blankets for the women from his inventory. I, of course, made no comment about their magical appearance like a good NPC.


    Prajio and I carefully wrapped our unconscious guests in their blankets and rested them near the fire.


    It had been a while since I had leveled any Competency, so I set a snare, hoping to catch a rabbit and increase my Trapper Competency.  After I finished, I rejoined my new friend by the fire.


    The half-moon was bright in the sky, and the stars glowed like blazing gemstones. Our small fire was warm and comforting.


    ¡°Thank you for what you did today,¡± I said. ¡°I was glad to see my trust in you wasn¡¯t misplaced. You¡¯re a good person, Prajio.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you have been testing me, is that it?¡± There was a thin smile on his face.


    ¡°I think we can admit that we¡¯ve both been testing the other. Have you worked side-by-side with a human before, or am I your first?¡±


    ¡°Once or twice,¡± he said. ¡°However, I¡¯ve always preferred to work alone. That was until I met you, my friend. An uplifted human on an epic quest to find his lost wife; it¡¯s too good of a story to resist.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not so good for me.¡±


    Light from the flames flickered across his face as I watched it grow solemn. ¡°I apologize, Ethan. I can¡¯t imagine the pain you feel. I should not have made light of it.¡±


    I smirked at him. ¡°Think nothing of it. But what about you? Do you have a wife? A partner?¡±


    Prajio produced a bottle of something from his inventory and waved it at me.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    I smiled. ¡°Now, where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°Purloined it on the way out of Shask¡¯s camp.¡±


    I laughed at what I assumed was a lie. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s have a drink. Then we can talk women.¡±


    Using his claw, Prajio pried out the cork, took a swig, smiled, and handed me the bottle. I sniffed it, and thankfully, it was regular wine and not the Kurskin brand. I took a long, satisfying drink and passed it back.


    ¡°Get to talking,¡± I said. ¡°Do you have someone waiting for you back where you came from?¡±


    Prajio looked up to the sky. ¡°Sadly, the dead don¡¯t wait.¡± He gave me a sad smirk. ¡°She is the reason I am here. After I lost her, I was purposeless. When I had an opportunity to leave my sad home and seek adventure across the world, I knew I had to go, for if I didn¡¯t, I would forever wallow in the misery of a life without her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prajio. I can see why you¡¯re so inclined to help me find my wife. If we succeed, I hope it can bring you peace.¡±


    He shook his head sadly. ¡°Peace is not something my kind easily finds.¡±


    I passed the bottle back to him. He looked like he needed another drink.


    ¡°John?¡±


    The name was spoken so quietly that I almost didn¡¯t hear it. But I did. And so did Prajio.


    It was Tara. She was awake, and she had just called me John.


    My breath came quickly as I turned my eyes back toward my reptilian friend. Like lightning, his hand reached out to grasp mine, and his eyes went wide with a mix of shock and anger. He had just inspected me.


    He pushed himself away and stood, drawing his weapon. I also stood, but my sword rested on the ground a few feet away.


    ¡°You lied to me.¡± He said the words slowly, with a touch of confusion and disbelief. One sword remained in its sheath, but he held the other one pointed down in his right hand. ¡°Why would you lie?¡±


    I held my hands up, thinking of a cover story. ¡°I caught wind that some Kurskins were after me. I had to use a fake name. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t have any other choice.¡±


    ¡°What are you?¡± Prajio asked menacingly.


    I shook my head, deciding that playing dumb was my only option. ¡°I¡¯m just me. I don¡¯t even know why they are after me.¡±


    ¡°Your name,¡± he spat. ¡°John McClane. Who gave you this name?¡±


    I shrugged and tried to look confused. ¡°My parents.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Prajio said. He lifted his blade to me. ¡°Speak the truth, or I will kill you now.¡±


    ¡®Val, any advice?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, if you are about to die, try to do it near Tara. She has a minor magical affinity and could serve me well until I find a more suitable host.¡±


    I growled, both at Val and Prajio.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I said. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Tara sit up higher, and the Dalari shifted. ¡°We were becoming friends, and you¡¯ll throw it all away over a name you don¡¯t like? Why? Why does my name trouble you?¡±


    Prajio moved forward, bringing the blade closer to me. ¡°Because there is no one in this world named John McClane. I know this for a fact.¡±


    ¡°Yet here I am, so you¡¯re obviously wrong.¡±


    ¡°You do not understand,¡± Prajio yelled. ¡°You cannot exist.¡± He scowled. ¡°What else have you lied about? Do you even have a wife? Did you trick me into attacking my own kind? Is that your purpose, to sow discord among the Players?¡±


    It was my turn to yell. The jig was up. ¡°I had a wife until the Kurskins stole her from me. I had thought you were different, but I see I was wrong. You¡¯re just like the rest.¡±


    His tail whipped out and caught me behind the knee, sending me to my back. Prajio moved forward and placed the tip of his sword against my throat.


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I kill you right now?¡± he hissed.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not a murderer. I¡¯ve seen the good inside of you. There¡¯s no reason for this. This is murder, Prajio, and there¡¯s no going back from it.¡±


    ¡°It is not murder to kill a pest.¡± He pressed the tip of his curved blade hard against my already-pained throat, drawing blood. ¡°Any last words, John McClane?¡±


    No doubt, Prajio was expecting me to beg. Instead, I smiled at him because I could see something he could not. The female Dalari had woken up and had slipped behind him.


    ¡°Yippee ki-yay, mother fucker.¡±


    The recognition of those words hit Prajio as hard as any fist ever could. He stepped back in shock just as a rock collided with his temple.


    Prajio collapsed to the ground in a heap, and the bald, nearly nude Dalari stepped over his unconscious body.


    She bent down and stuck out a hand. ¡°Come with me if you want to live.¡±

 Chapter 35 - Ersabet

    I hesitated, unsure if I should allow her to touch my hand. She was another Player, after all, and I knew the moment we touched, she would inspect me. But she had already heard Prajio and I¡¯s conversation. She already knew my in-game name.


    I reached out and took her hand.


    She yanked me to my feet. ¡°Help me with the girl,¡± she said. ¡°There is no time to waste.¡±


    I complied, and we helped Tara to her feet. She was conscious but didn¡¯t have full control of her motor skills yet and couldn¡¯t walk on her own. This observation made it clear that the Dalari had been awake for quite some time and only pretended to be asleep.


    Tara had an arm around my shoulder and another around the Dalari¡¯s as we dragged her away from the fire and into the night.


    ¡°This way,¡± the Dalari said, taking us northward.


    ¡°We should go back to Danver,¡± I said. ¡°We can find somewhere safe there.¡±


    ¡°Nowhere is safe when Prajio fucking Vrentris is hunting you.¡±


    ¡°You know him?¡± I asked, genuinely surprised.


    ¡°Everybody knows who he is.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Stop asking questions,¡± she snapped. ¡°He¡¯ll be waking soon, and his ears are sharp. If we are to survive the night, we must make haste.¡±


    I shut up and did my best to step quickly and delicately to hide my trail. It made little difference as Tara was clumsy on her feet and frequently dragged them when she couldn¡¯t keep up with us. After a few minutes of dealing with her unsteadiness, I decided enough was enough and threw the girl over my shoulder.


    The Dalari gave me an approving nod and jogged forward.


    ¡°Would now be a good time to say, ¡®I told you so?¡¯¡± Val said in my mind.


    ¡®No, now is not a good time, Val.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm. That is a shame, as I have just been dying to say those words to you. Please let me know when you are ready to be appropriately and thoroughly scolded by your betters.¡±


    That was a one-sided conversation I was not looking forward to. But Val had the right of it. My stupid in-game name was my downfall, and spending so much time with Prajio had been careless. It was beyond foolish to believe that we could be friends, that he wasn¡¯t just as bad as all the other Kurskins. It was so easy to forget that to the other Players, this was a game. My world was their playground, and we humans were their toys.


    My situation was not improving, as I was dangerously close to another Player, this one a Dalari, who was already aware of my curious nature. The only reason I hadn¡¯t already sprinted away into the dark was because Tara needed me.


    It was my fault she was in this situation. Sure, she had set me up to die, but it was the Master Control¡¯s hand guiding her. I had abandoned her when she needed me the most. At that moment, when she had cried out for help on that cold stone floor, I had acted like a Player, not a person. This was the result of my callousness.


    I gritted my teeth and trudged along. By now, Prajio was surely awake and royally pissed off. I didn¡¯t know his entire suite of skills and worried he had some trick to track us. The Dalari seemed to think the same because she showed no signs of stopping.


    Eventually, Tara could walk independently, and we increased our pace. The Dalari forced us to walk through two different streams to break up any trail we may have been leaving. She took us higher into the mountainside, and the terrain grew rocky and ragged. We were carefully hopping across a boulder field in the dark when the Dalari stopped.


    ¡°I will need you to lower her down to me,¡± she said.


    Confused, I just shrugged and nodded.


    She sat down and slid down a gap in the giant boulders. A few seconds later, she called up, asking me to help Tara get down.


    Tara looked at me nervously. Her eyes were unfocused, but I could tell her senses were returning. She didn¡¯t know what was happening, only that something was wrong. I gave her a reassuring grip on her shoulder. ¡°I think we can trust her. You can do this. Take my hand, and I¡¯ll lower you in.¡±


    Tara complied and sat down on the edge of the boulder. I held her hand as she slid off the rounded side.


    ¡°I have her,¡± the Dalari said as Tara let go of my hand and slid the rest of the way down.


    I looked around, just to make sure there were no slithering silhouettes hunting me in the distant darkness. I saw nothing suspicious, so I slid down the boulder like the women before me.


    When my feet hit the ground, I found myself underneath a section of the boulder field. Some larger ones reached the floor, but most were securely stacked above us. The chamber was shallow, and I had to duck to avoid accidentally hitting my head on a low-hanging chunk of stone.


    I held Tara¡¯s hand as the Dalari led us deeper. After about twenty feet, she stopped, and I nearly bumped into her in the dark.  I heard a rattling noise followed by a creak.


    A faint light grew before me. It was just a tiny pinprick but slowly intensified enough for me to see its source. It rested in the palm of the Dalari¡¯s hand. It cast her sharp features in a delicate light. Despite her alien nature, she shared many human characteristics. She was beautiful, but that was to be expected. All the stories said the Dalari were beautiful creatures.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The light pushed the darkness away, revealing a small door had been opened. It was about waist high, embedded between the base of two massive boulders.


    ¡°Come,¡± she said as she crouched and limbered through the small doorway.


    ¡°Ladies first,¡± I said to Tara.


    ¡°Since when did you become a gentleman?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just something I¡¯m trying out.¡±


    She smiled back, her eyes still not fully in focus. I helped her as she made her way through the door.


    I followed right behind, crawling on my hands and knees. The inside was awash in the Dalari¡¯s light. There were two bedrolls on the floor and two small chests. There were other odds and ends about, along with a small table with no chairs.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A secret place. The explorers among my kind create them, so that others may find succor.¡±


    ¡°How do you know about this one?¡±


    ¡°I helped build it, along with the group I traveled with. Although nature did most of the work, we just found it.¡±


    ¡°What happened to them? The group you were with?¡±


    Her face turned hard. ¡°They were not the type of people I thought they were.¡±


    ¡°I know what that¡¯s like,¡± I said, glancing at Tara.


    Her face transformed into a sorrowful expression, and I immediately regretted saying that. I put my hand on her shoulder. ¡°I forgive you. And I¡¯m sorry I left you.¡±


    Her chin quivered, and she leaped towards me, enveloping me in a hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I hugged her back tightly before releasing her. ¡°How are you feeling without the witch¡¯s potion?¡±


    She hugged herself. ¡°It¡¯s getting better every day. I don¡¯t ever want to go through that again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you ever will, Tara. I¡¯m glad you''re okay.¡±


    I turned to the Dalari. ¡°Thanks for saving me back there. What¡¯s your name?¡± I tried to sound casual and hide the terror from my voice.


    She looked at me with a small smirk on her face. ¡°You may call me Ersabet. And I already know your name, John McClane.¡±


    The emphasis she added on my name made it clear she knew the origins.


    ¡°Tell me, Mr. McClane, what level are you?¡±


    I stood there, frozen like an idiot. ¡°Level?"


    She looked at me suspiciously. ¡°I understand a man in your position would be hesitant to admit the truth, but I am one of the few Dalari on this planet who would not kill you for speaking it.¡±


    She smiled at me. It was warm and inviting. ¡°In fact, I might even be inclined to help you.¡±


    ¡®Val, some guidance, please?¡¯


    ¡°She has somehow deduced that you are a Player. Based on her confidence level, she must have good reasoning to believe it is true. I don''t think you will be able to sway her. You can¡¯t trust her, but the cat¡¯s already out of the bag. Whatever you tell her, do not under any circumstances mention me.¡±


    ¡°Before I go on and admit something I shouldn¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°How about you tell me what you think you know about me?¡±


    Her face remained neutral. ¡°If you insist.¡± She walked closer to me, the light in her palm casting us in a pale brightness.


    ¡°Your name is John McClane,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°Do you know why that is odd?¡±


    ¡°You explain. I listen. That¡¯s what we agreed to.¡±


    She waved a hand. ¡°Fine, fine. John McClane is the name of a popular action hero. I have never seen the film, but I am familiar with this character¡¯s existence.¡±


    Ersabet looked at me intently. ¡°I am also familiar with a famous line from that film. Do you know what it is?¡±


    I shook my head, heart in my throat.


    ¡°Yes, you do,¡± she said. ¡°You said it to Prajio right before I bashed him over the head with a rock.¡±


    I was so busted.


    ¡°What were those words again, John?¡±


    There was no reasonable explanation for how I knew that line. I didn¡¯t know why I had said it. It had just felt right, and the look on Prajios¡¯ face had made it worth it¡­until now.


    ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± Ersabet said. ¡°I believe the line was ¡®yippee ki yay¡­ mother fucker.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I did say that.¡±


    Tara held up a hand. ¡°What are you all talking about?¡±


    Ersabet turned toward Tara. ¡°My dear, you may listen to this conversation, but please, do not interrupt it again. You need not worry over the content.¡±


    Tara bowed her head and took a step back. Poor girl.


    Ersabet turned her attention back to me. ¡°So, we have determined that you are aware of the origins of the name John McClane. It is the only way you could know that stupid one-liner."


    ¡°Tell me, Mr. McClane,¡± she continued. ¡°And please, I beg of you, speak true. Have you seen Die Hard?"


    She already knew I was a Player, but if I admitted this, she would know I remembered the old Earth. The real Earth.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°I watched it every Christmas."


    She looked confused. ¡°Why would you watch an action movie for Christmas?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Christmas movie. Trust me.¡± If she were going to kill me, she would have already done so. I hoped.


    Ersabet laughed. Unlike Prajio, hers was sweet as honey.


    ¡°I do not trust you, John, or whoever you really are. There¡¯s still more I must know.¡±


    I shrugged, resigned to the truth. Mostly. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Are you a Player?¡±


    I nodded once.


    She looked unphased. ¡°How?¡±


    I shrugged again. ¡°It just happened.¡±


    She stepped closer to me. ¡°Do you remember your life?¡±


    The question offended me, and I leaned toward her, suddenly angry. ¡°I remember everything. I remember you genocidal freaks stealing my planet. I remember my wife turning into dust before my very eyes. So, yeah, I remember my life.¡±


    Ersabet didn¡¯t say anything. Tara¡¯s mouth was open in awe, but I didn¡¯t think she was comprehending any of this.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said scornfully after Ersabet didn¡¯t respond. I took a step back. ¡°Did I overshare?¡±


    Ersabet put a hand on her chest. ¡°You remember the world before the Creation Event?¡±


    I nodded my head. I thought I had just made that clear.


    She took two steps back from me like I was poison. ¡°You must hate me. You must hate us all for what we have done.¡±


    I look at her flatly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about right. But I won¡¯t kill you if you won¡¯t kill me.¡±


    ¡°And I won¡¯t kill you,¡± she said. ¡°If you won¡¯t kill me.¡± She grinned at me. ¡°Although you couldn¡¯t if you tried.¡±


    ¡°I think I might surprise you.¡±


    ¡°The Voxals would pay a fortune for you,¡± Ersabet said.


    ¡°You thinking about selling me?¡±


    ¡°It was only a thought. Now, I¡¯m thinking we work together.¡±


    ¡°In what way?¡±


    ¡°In that we travel together, and I aid you in your quests.¡±


    ¡°Why come to this world just to help me? What¡¯s so special about me?¡±


    ¡°Only once in the history of the games has there been an unsanctioned Player. It¡¯s been thousands of years since it happened.¡± Ersabet was sounding a little too excited about this. ¡°This will be the biggest story in the galaxy when it gets out, and I want to be a part of it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it to get out,¡± I said forcefully.


    ¡°Not anytime soon, of course, but you can¡¯t keep up the charade forever. Eventually, word will spread among the other Players.¡±


    I looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re the only Player that knows. If word gets out, it¡¯s because you spread it.¡±


    ¡°Do not forget about Prajio. He is not dead. He heard you say that stupid phrase, too. I can assure you, Prajio will come to the same conclusion as I.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said sheepishly. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Ersabet looked at me sympathetically. ¡°We will rest here for the night and continue this conversation tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°What is happening? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Tara said quietly.


    My heart broke for her. ¡°The world is not as you know it to be. That¡¯s all I can say right now.¡±


    Ersabet moved towards Tara and guided her to a bedroll. ¡°You need rest. Tomorrow, your mind will be clear.¡±


    I doubted that. The spell she was under would wear off, but Tara would not forget this conversation, and her mind would be anything but clear.

 Chapter 36 - Making Friends

    Sleep was difficult to come by as my imagination was running wild. While I was still scared of my new Dalari companion, my real fear was Prajio. My mind kept conjuring images of him sneaking into our den and slitting my throat while I slept.


    I managed to get a few hours in but was already awake when Val informed me that the sun was beginning to rise.


    I roused the women and shared the last of my old jerky and hard bread from my inventory.  It wasn¡¯t much, but would do for now.


    Despite the sunrise, it was still dark in our rocky cavern, so Ersabet conjured her light while we ate our less-than-desirable breakfast.


    I turned to Tara. ¡°We¡¯re going to get you back to Danver today. You had told me before that you have family there. Was that the truth?¡±


    She looked at her feet and nodded. ¡°My father lives there, but I can¡¯t go back. Not after what I¡¯ve done to him.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re taking you home,¡± I said, pushing past her comment. ¡°Unless your father is a complete bastard, staying with him is your best option for the time being.¡±


    She let out a slow breath. ¡°He¡¯s a good man. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t go back to him. I abandoned him after discovering I could use magic.¡± She managed to fight off a bubbling sob. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to go back.¡±


    I walked up to Tara and pulled her into an embrace, which she returned. After we broke apart, I kept my hands on her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll bet you all the gold in the world that he would be overjoyed to see his daughter home. Your sins would be forgiven the moment he sees you.¡±


    I smiled, and she wiped a tear from her eye.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I guess it won''t hurt to try.¡±


    Her eyes locked briefly on mine before darting to the ground. ¡°All the things you and Ersabet said last night¡­am I crazy?¡±


    I grimaced, unsure of how to adequately address that conversation. There was too much she wouldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°I can tell you there¡¯s more to this world than you know. But it may be easier just to believe I¡¯m the crazy one. Either way, I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    A small smirk formed at the corner of her mouth. ¡°I already thought you were crazy.¡±


    I grinned. Tara was going to be okay. Now, I just had to get the Dalari on board. ¡°Ersabet, shall we travel to Danver today?¡±


    She leaned against a boulder in our cave-that-was-not-actually-a-cave. ¡°Prajio will not give up his hunt after one night. He has the light now and will be scouring the land for signs of our presence. There is no harm in staying one more night.¡±


    I wanted to protest, and from the look in Tara¡¯s eyes, so did she. But Ersabet¡¯s logic was sound. Prajio was not one to give up easily.


    I wasn¡¯t happy about it but nodded. It would be a long day, but it would be an excellent opportunity to get some answers.


    ¡°Since we have some time to kill, I have a question for you, Ersabet.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Ask if you must.¡±


    ¡°How do you know Prajio?¡±


    She huffed. ¡°Do you really need to know?"


    ¡°If you want to work with me in any capacity, you¡¯re going to let me take the lead. And when the person in charge asks a question, they expect an answer.¡±


    She stared at me in disbelief. ¡°I am Dalari. We do not take orders from beyond our kin.¡±


    ¡°Then tomorrow, we part ways.¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡°I wish to aid you, not serve you. Why should you be in charge?¡±


    I walked closer to her, nervous that this test was going too far. But I needed to know what type of woman Ersabet was.


    I put some gravel in my voice. ¡°Your people murdered billions of humans and then placed the rest of us in a fake world with a fake life, so they could be used as fodder for you to play a fucking game. If you¡¯re going to be anywhere near me, it means you are following my path. The other Players are my enemy.¡± I stared into her deep purple eyes. ¡°If you want to be a part of the biggest story in the galaxy, they¡¯ll be your enemy, too.¡±


    Ersabet¡¯s face went through a myriad of emotions as I spoke, and I could see she was calculating the risk versus the reward.


    I stuck out my hand. ¡°What do you say, partner?¡±


    She glared at me, but I could see a twinkle in her eye. She wrapped her delicate, light blue hand around mine. It was soft.


    ¡°Partners,¡± she said. ¡°For now.¡±


    I smiled brightly at her. ¡°So, what can you tell me about Prajio?¡±


    ¡°Before I tell you, it would be prudent to understand you better.¡± She grabbed my arm and brought me further away from Tara.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± she said. ¡°Do you believe I am evil?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Everyone playing this game is evil.¡±


    ¡°I am not here to hurt the humans. I am not here to plunder your world. I am here to gain knowledge.¡±


    ¡°What sort of knowledge?¡±


    ¡°I do not think you would understand. It is far beyond human scientific advancement.¡±


    ¡°Try me,¡± I said.


    ¡°Fine. I am here to study the generation of quantized materials in a zero-point energy field. My people cannot create zero-point energy on their own. This is the only place it can be studied.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust her,¡± Val said, adding her two cents.


    ¡®Why? Because she is smart?¡¯


    ¡°Because she thinks she¡¯s smart. And she¡¯s too ambitious.¡±


    There was a real-world conversation happening, so I ignored Val.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I scratched my head, not wanting to give away any of what Val had told me about this. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of zero-point energy before. It¡¯s essentially limitless energy, right?¡±


    She tilted her head. ¡°Yes, actually, that¡¯s correct. But I¡¯m trying to point out that I am not here for nefarious purposes. I recognize the immorality of what has been done to your planet. But it would have happened whether I came or not.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find answers to cracking zero-point energy at the top of the mountain of corpses your people have built.¡±


    Her face scrunched up in anger. ¡°Fine, think me evil. It doesn¡¯t change anything. It still makes sense for us to stick together. You get a helping hand, and I get to be famous when this game finally ends.¡±


    I laughed bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re giving up your studies for fame? Seriously?¡±


    ¡°I can have both,¡± she said, hands on hips. ¡°I won¡¯t give up my studies, but turning away a gift like yourself would be foolish. It will be well worth the effort if I can keep you alive to the end.¡±


    ¡°If you can keep me alive?¡±


    ¡°Prajio will tell others about you eventually. It is inevitable. Unless you kill him.¡± She looked down her nose at me. ¡°But you will never kill Prajio alone.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Prajio Vrentris is his real name. He did not change his name when he became a Player like you and I did. He did not change his name because his name carries weight.¡±


    She paused, presumably for dramatic effect.


    ¡°Why does everyone know his name?¡± I asked, annoyed by her theatrics.


    ¡°Because his grandfather is a Kushar, one of the most powerful among the ruling class.  Additionally, Prajio¡¯s father participated in the last iteration of the game. It was before I was born, but his father¡¯s exploits are legendary, and Prajio intends to exceed them. He¡¯s trained his whole life for this.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°All know his family, and Prajio has made a name for himself as a professional fighter. He may not be a streamer, but he has never shied away from a camera. And although I find it barbaric, I have seen him fight. He is undefeated as far as I know.¡±


    I scratched my chin. ¡°So, I just pissed off one of the best fighters in the galaxy, and now he has superhuman abilities and wants to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°I told you so,¡± Val said.

 Chapter 37 - A Friend in Need

    We stayed one more night in our hidey hole. I still didn¡¯t know if I could trust Ersabet, and Val definitely didn¡¯t trust her, but it felt like a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders now that I could speak to someone and not have to lie about who or what I was.


    I had picked her brain as much as possible throughout our time in the cave, and she readily shared information with me. I had to pretend I was more ignorant than I really was, but I couldn¡¯t risk Ersabet asking questions about how I knew so much about the Triarchy. It was best I didn¡¯t even mention the word ¡®triarchy¡¯ for now. This was less about self-preservation and more about not wanting to piss Val off.


    Ersabet was level ten, and she surmised that Prajio was at least level fifteen. While his teleportation ability seemed like magic, Ersabet said he had no magical affinity, which meant it was just a regular skill like my Devastating Strike.


    On the other hand, Ersabet had a high affinity for magic, allowing her to cast spells like the light she had summoned so we could see in the dark. When I asked her what else she could do, she told me that question was inappropriate to ask another Player and that I¡¯d see for myself eventually.


    Tara had asked me a few more questions, and I did my best to answer within the spirit of the truth. Unfortunately, her NPC mind had been so thoroughly altered that I feared she would be unable to grasp the technological concept behind the game. Regardless, I shared what I could, and my answers seemed to mollify her.


    When we woke the next morning, Ersabet deduced that if Prajio had not found us by now, it meant we had successfully obscured our trail. Prajio would have given up the pursuit by now and would have assumed we had run away deep into the mountains or made our way to Danver to hide among the masses.


    I was more than ready to see the sun after so long in the dark, so Ersabet, Tara, and I made our way to the surface. When Tara emerged from our hidey hole and the sun hit her face, she smiled and basked in the warmth. It was a small thing, but the smile on her face was contagious, and I was glad she could feel good for a moment.


    She seemed to be doing well on the outside, but when I looked into her eyes, I could see the fear and confusion beneath her tough exterior. I wished there was more that I could do to help her get through this.


    Maybe there was. ¡®Val, is there any chance you can do for Tara what you did for me? Free her mind, I mean. Hearing the truth is different than actually knowing it.¡¯


    ¡°Perhaps if I was at my full power, but I cannot alter much of anything right now. Once we find the Voxal controller, I may be able to help the girl.¡±


    Ever since Ersabet had told me she could use magic, an idea that could potentially help with Val¡¯s power issue had been percolating in my mind.


    ¡®What about Ersabet? Can she do something to charge you up?¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out. Hold still while I pop out of your skull.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s not what I mean! I was wondering if she could do something to charge me up with magic. Like transfer her magic to me. Or channel her magic through me for you to harvest.¡±


    ¡°That is the most ridiculous idea I¡¯ve ev¡­¡±


    Val went silent, and I grew concerned.


    ¡®Val? Are you okay?¡¯Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Val said. ¡°Your mushy human brain came up with an idea so stupid that it was smart.¡±


    I raised my eyebrows, then quickly looked around to ensure none of the women were looking at me. They weren¡¯t, thankfully. ¡®Spit it out, Val.¡¯


    ¡°Ersabet cannot funnel magic through you. That would be ridiculous. However, there is an object that can. If used on a non-magic user, it would surely kill them, but with me harvesting the energy, there¡¯s a chance it could work. It wouldn¡¯t be able to bring me to full power, but it would be better than running on fumes, so to speak.¡±


    ¡®Is this object easier to acquire than a Voxal controller?¡¯


    ¡°It is rare, but I have no doubt we can find a way to acquire it. Of course, I would still need the Voxal controller to find your wife. Let me think about this. For now, get yourself and these women safely back to Danver. If I detect Prajio, I will notify you immediately.¡±


    I led our small group through the wilds toward Danver, staying off the roads just in case Prajio or another Kurskin was on patrol.


    The terrain was rugged near the boulder field, but soon, the rocky ground softened and the terrain flattened, making it easier for trees to grow. We were still at elevation, and we always had Danver in our sights, so getting lost was an impossibility.


    Despite my fear of Prajio, I felt strangely at peace. I had never realized how heavy of a burden a secret could be, how secrets could hold you back from being yourself. Now that the secret was out, I felt like I had taken a step closer to being the man I was before the game. I¡¯d never truly be that person again, but at least I could be mostly honest with someone other than a bitchy AI.


    My peaceful thoughts were interrupted when I heard a screech in the sky above. We all looked up at the same time and saw a single hawk circling our group. It screeched again and slowly descended toward us until it landed on a tree branch ten yards away.


    ¡°John, I think that hawk is looking at you,¡± Ersabet said.


    I nodded. It was staring directly at me.


    I cocked my head, and it mimicked the motion. Then it fluttered its wings and turned around, facing the mountains.


    After a moment, it turned back, again staring at me.


    That¡¯s when I realized it was trying to communicate with me. Birds couldn¡¯t do that, even on Erda, which could only mean one thing.


    It was Kitz.


    I rubbed at my face, unsure of what to do about this. Offloading Tara with her father was my top priority, but if Kitz was in danger, I had to help. I had told him I would stop the Hunters from coming after him, but I had yet to make any moves to complete that quest. My intent had been to grow in power before taking on his quest, but clearly it was more urgent than I had realized.


    I had assumed the kid could survive on his own for a while as I sorted myself out in Danver. If I was wrong¡­ well, I didn¡¯t want to think about that.


    If I wasn¡¯t crazy and this hawk really was sent by Kitz, I had to do something about it.


    ¡°Ladies, I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t go to Danver yet.¡±


    Ersabet¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because a friend of mine needs help.¡±


    Ersabet looked to the hawk and back to me. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me this friend of yours is a bird.¡±


    I crossed my arms. ¡°He¡¯s not a bird.¡±


    She pointed. ¡°That is a bird.¡±


    ¡°Hawk,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s a hawk, and I¡¯m not friends with it. I¡¯m friends with the warg who controls it.¡±


    Tara let out a quiet gasp. Apparently, I didn¡¯t fully grasp just how much prejudice there was against his kind. The Master Control had really screwed me over when it made me into an ignorant farmer from the middle of nowhere.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t staring at you, I might think you were crazy,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen a bird behave in such a manner before.¡±


    ¡°I think he wants us to follow the hawk. That¡¯s why it keeps looking back toward the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Why would we help a warg?¡± Tara asked. ¡°They¡¯re monsters.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing monstrous about him.¡±


    ¡°Wargs are technically classified as monsters,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°If one lives long enough, its animalistic soul consumes it until no human parts are left.¡±


    ¡°His name is Kitz,¡± I said. ¡°And he¡¯s a child.¡±


    Her face changed, and the color of her blue cheeks deepened.


    Was that embarrassment?


    ¡°You should have led with that,¡± she said. ¡°While you may not believe me, I find the use of children in this game to be one of my people¡¯s greatest sins.¡±


    ¡°So, I take it you¡¯ll help me then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will help.¡±


    ¡°Tara?¡± I asked. ¡°What about you?¡±


    She looked at the ground. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was a kid.¡± Her eyes darted up to mine. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    I met the hawk¡¯s sharp eyes and nodded. ¡°We¡¯re coming, Kitz.¡±


    The hawk unfurled its wings and flew about fifty yards to the north before landing on another tree branch.


    ¡°I guess we go that way,¡± I said.


    Ersabet gestured mockingly with her arm. ¡°After you.¡±

 Chapter 38 - A Skilled Fighter

    According to Val, we had followed the hawk for nearly three miles and were well away from where Prajio and I had camped after taking down Deek. I wondered what Deek¡¯s men were up to now that their brave leader was dead. I hoped they had decided to call it quits and go live a normal life, but my doubts outweighed my hopes in that regard.


    The hawk would fly forward fifty or so yards, land, wait for us to catch up, and then repeat the process. But now, the hawk was nearly two hundred yards away, circling high in the sky above a section of pine forest.


    I didn¡¯t know what we were about to walk into, but I would soon find out. I held out hope that Kitz was safe and just needed to talk, but I knew that was unlikely. My gut told me he was in danger. I was sure of it.


    For their part, the women were all on board for this side quest. In fact, despite her prejudice, Tara seemed more gung-ho than even Ersabet. But to be fair, the Dalari was hard to read.


    I still wasn¡¯t sure why she was helping me. She seemed to think that carrying me through would lead her to instant fame and fortune, but from what I knew of the Triarchy, odds were that they would lock her up and throw away the key. After all, what worse crime was there than helping an unsanctioned human Player rise to the top by killing other members of the Triarchy?


    I pointed out the hawk. ¡°Looks like we''re close. I don¡¯t know what to expect, but I assume this will be dangerous.¡± I looked at Tara. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe if you wait here.¡±


    She straightened her back and met my eye. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you. If I have to fight, I will.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. Tara was always tenacious, but she¡¯d never been in a fight, at least as far as I knew. She hadn¡¯t fought back after I had crushed her master¡¯s face in.


    ¡°What magic do you know?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing useful,¡± she said bitterly. ¡°Sabbatha kept promising she would teach me, but it was just a carrot on a stick.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ersabet asked. ¡°The girl has magic?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°A minor affinity. Do you know if there¡¯s a way we can teach her spells?¡±


    Ersabet nodded. ¡°The channeling of magic works the same among both Players and NPCs. The only difference is that Players are awarded new spells from the system, while NPCs can know them inherently and learn from a teacher.¡±


    ¡°Can you teach her?¡± I asked.


    The tall Dalari looked down on the shorter woman. ¡°Perhaps, but it cannot be done in a day.¡± Her purple eyes flicked back to the distant circling hawk. ¡°It will have to wait, as we have business to attend to.¡±


    A bow and arrows popped into existence on a rock next to Ersabet. The bow rested like it had always been there while the arrows rolled off the rock. Ersabet had pulled them from her inventory and apparently didn¡¯t have an appropriate attachment for them to materialize on her. I had yet to see her carry a weapon of any kind.


    ¡°What else do you have in your inventory?¡± I asked.


    Ersabet handed the bow to a wide-eyed Tara, who took it cautiously. ¡°Not much in the way of weaponry.¡± She looked down at her mostly bare body. ¡°Or clothes, unfortunately. The Kurskins stripped me of nearly everything I was physically carrying, and I find little value in non-magical loot.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything that can help?¡±


    ¡°I just gave it to Tara,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°Can you shoot?¡± She was looking at me.


    I nodded, having done my fair share of bow hunting back on the farm.


    ¡°Teach her then. Be quick about it.¡±


    I spent about fifteen minutes teaching Tara the basics. She wasn¡¯t strong enough to draw the bow to its full power but could shoot it well enough to at least bother her target. I wanted to give her more time practicing, but we only had a few arrows and little time to waste.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    As a group, we made our way towards the hawk. The density of the forest increased the further we walked, but I could still see the hawk flickering above through the occasional gap in the canopy. No one said a word as we snuck quietly forward, doing our best to stay behind the biggest of the trees.


    The smell of smoke told me we were close. The smoke carried the scent of meat with it, and my mouth watered.


    I signaled for us to stop and whispered that I would go alone to check it out. Thankfully, no one protested.


    With delicate steps, I followed the smoke until I could hear their chatter. I hid behind a thick trunk and peeked around.


    There were three of them: two humans and a Kurskin. Both humans were clean-shaven and wore rather nice sets of cured leather armor. The Kurskin wore a padded gambeson and had a dark, yellow tint to his scaly skin. All three carried swords.


    They sat around a campfire, roasting something on a spit. Beyond the fire was a small cage with two poles slitted through the top so it could be carried. One of the humans blocked my view of its contents, but I knew Kitz was in there.


    I ex-filled my position and reported what I had seen.


    ¡°I will subdue the Kurskin,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°Once that is done, we will take care of the humans. Tara, you will remain hidden unless we need help. Please do not shoot us.¡±


    Tara put on a brave face and nodded once.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a backseat driver, but can¡¯t you just take over the Kurskin¡¯s mind and make him do the work for us?¡±


    Ersabet cocked her head. ¡°What is a backseat driver?¡±


    ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°No. Not yet.¡±


    Damn. That would have made things much easier.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    We snuck as near to their camp as we could. Tara stayed about thirty paces behind me, arrow knocked and ready. Ersabet took a wider path so we wouldn¡¯t attack from the same direction.


    I found a tree to hide behind and finally caught sight of Kitz. He was curled into a ball and barely fit in the tight cage. I gritted my teeth and waited for Ersabet to make her move.


    It didn¡¯t take long. She slipped around the trunk and marched forward, an open palm leveled at the Kurskin. He looked up just as she closed her palm and made a tight fist. The ground beneath the Kurskin vibrated, and he began to sink into the earth.


    The Kurskin, who had been sitting cross-legged, tried to stand, but his feet found no purchase. It was like the ground beneath him had been turned into quicksand. Ersabet flicked her hand to the side, and the earth returned to normal, trapping the helpless lizard up to his chest.


    After activating Silent But Deadly, I sprinted toward the nearest human who had pulled his sword and had his attention focused solely on Ersabet. Unfortunately, the three seconds of muffled sound wasn¡¯t enough, and he heard my heavy footfalls when I was still a few yards away and managed to bring his sword up just in time.


    Metal on metal clashed as he deflected my blow. His reflexes surprised me, and so did the boot he sent into my gut. I stumbled backward, gasping for breath.


    He lunged at me, and I managed to parry the blow. He followed up the attack with another smooth slice and I had to scramble backward to stay out of his reach.


    Behind him, I saw the other human approaching, apparently deciding that I was easier prey than the Dalari. After a couple of steps, he was forced to stop and shield his eyes as a whirlwind of dirt and pine needles erupted around him. I didn¡¯t have time to watch what happened next as I was severely outmatched by the man before me.


    He continued his assault, and I could barely keep up. A few more combos, and he would break through my defense. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be. I was a Player. I was supposed to be stronger than him, faster than him. I was wrong.


    An arrow skittered on the ground next to him. The distraction gave me a brief moment of reprieve, and I tried to follow it up with a Simple Distraction of my own. I heard a thud like a rock hitting the ground. I¡¯m sure he heard it, too, but it wasn¡¯t enough to get him to turn his head.


    With no other options on the table, I played my trump card. I activated Devastating Strike and swung my sword laterally at his head as hard as I could. He moved to block it easily but was unprepared for the force behind it. My sword bit into his, and the flat of his own blade smacked him in the side of the head.


    He fell to a knee. I pulled my weapon back for another swing, and it wrenched the sword out of his hand. Confused, it took me a second to realize I had embedded my sword into his blade, and they were now stuck together. Unsure of how to wield this metal cross, I tossed my sword aside and tried to punch him in the face.


    Even though he was dazed, he managed to duck the blow and shot forward, tackling me to the ground. We wrestled, but he was the better fighter and knew what he was doing. In no time, he had me mounted and punched me hard in the face.


    His second punch was halted as an arrow took him in the shoulder. With an annoyed scowl, he ripped it out and lifted it into the air, ready to drive it into my heart.


    Through my teary eyes, I saw blue fingers reach around both sides of his face. His head turned violently to the right, accompanied by a loud snap, and he toppled to the side.


    I wriggled my way out from under him and accepted Ersabet¡¯s hand as she helped me to my feet.


    ¡°If that fight is a testament to your skill,¡± she said. ¡°This is going to be a long journey.¡± With her head, she gestured behind her. ¡°Go kill the Kurskin. You need the experience.¡±


    Ashamed, I walked past her toward the sunken Kurskin who was still struggling to free himself from the ground. I was out of combat and summoned my dagger to my hip, mentally preparing myself to take the life of this helpless person. As I was reaching for my dagger, Tara spoke.


    ¡°Help,¡± she said.


    I turned to my right and saw a man holding Tara from behind. He had a knife to her throat and pure hatred in his eyes.


    Apparently, this was a crew of four.

 Chapter 39 - Bird of Prey

    ¡°Stay back,¡± the man yelled. ¡°Any closer, and the girl¡¯s dead.¡±


    He had one arm wrapped tightly around her, the other holding the knife to her throat. Her bow and the last of her arrows had fallen to the ground at her feet.


    I held my hands up in the air. ¡°We aren¡¯t moving. Let¡¯s talk this out.¡±


    The man nodded to the half-buried Kurskin. ¡°Free him, and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°We will talk now.¡±


    Tara let out a yelp as the blade pressed against her throat. ¡°Then she dies.¡±


    ¡°If she dies, you die,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°The only way you survive this day is by letting the girl go.¡±


    ¡°I ain¡¯t leaving without Chev. Dig him up, and you can have the girl.¡±


    Ersabet held her hand out to me. ¡°Give me a weapon.¡±


    ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea right now?¡± I asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Do you have an idea?¡±


    I didn¡¯t. ¡°My sword is ruined.¡±


    ¡°Surely you have something in your inventory. We are not in direct combat, so you should be able to equip a new weapon.¡±


    ¡°Stop your talking,¡± the man said. His eyes were growing wilder as the situation dragged out.


    With a thought, the Bloodletting Ritual Dagger spawned into my makeshift sheath. I pulled it out and slowly handed it to her.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The man pointed his blade at us. ¡°One more move and she¡¯s dead!¡±


    Ersabet turned and walked toward Chev, who stared hatefully at the approaching Dalari.


    ¡°Stop!¡± the man yelled.


    Ersabet didn¡¯t listen. With a careless grace, she swiped the dagger low and slashed deep across the Kurskin¡¯s throat.


    She turned back to Tara¡¯s assailant, whose mouth was agape, eyes staring in shock as a river of blood bubbled out of the gaping wound in Chev¡¯s throat.


    ¡°It seems we must restart negotiations,¡± she said. ¡°Let her go, and I will let you live. It is the only way you survive to see another day.¡±


    He shook his head frantically, eyes full of panic. ¡°You¡¯ll kill me no matter what.¡±


    Ersabet crossed her arms, bloody dagger in one hand. ¡°Why would I lie to a human?¡±


    ¡°I know your tricks, Dalari. Deceivers. All of you.¡± He spat on the ground. ¡°No. No, I ain¡¯t going to fall for it.¡± He pointed his dagger. ¡°I¡¯m takin¡¯ her with me. Insurance and all that. If you follow, I¡¯ll gut her.¡±


    He began to walk backward, dragging Tara along with him. Ersabet took a step forward, and I reached out to stop her, but she slapped my hand away.


    I had to do something. She was pushing this too far. Tara¡¯s life was not worth the bet she was making.


    There was a screech from above, and a flash of brown fell through the trees. The man looked up just in time to see the hawk''s talons opened wide in attack.


    I spun around and saw Kitz sitting up, holding the bars of the cage. He was looking directly toward Tara, but there was nothing but white to his eyes, like they were rolled into the back of his head.


    Tara fell to the ground as the man tried to fight off the hawk while it raked and pecked violently at his face. She scrambled across the ground intently, and I realized she was going for her bow.


    Instead of grabbing the bow, however, she grabbed a single arrow. She stood and ran at the man as he cried out in pain. Tara let out a primal howl, and their screams mixed in a horrible harmony for a brief moment before his cries were cut off by the arrow she had just jabbed into the side of his neck.


    The hawk raked his face one last time before launching itself back into the sky.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The man punched weakly at the air and seemed confused to find there was nothing there. Then he raised the other hand to his throat and felt at the arrow.


    His bloody mouth opened in surprise. He stumbled backward and made a sound as if trying to speak before giving up and lying on his back.


    It took him longer to bleed out than the Kurskin, but still, it wasn¡¯t long. Tara watched as he passed before her. After he took his last breath, she slowly turned around and had a strange grin on her face. She looked¡­proud.


    Ersabet nodded to her. ¡°You handled yourself well.¡±


    I spun on her. ¡°What were you thinking? You could have got her killed?¡±


    ¡°She is not dead.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t gamble with our lives like that. She¡¯s only alive because of Kitz.¡± I gestured to the kid in the cage, whose eyes were back to normal. There were tears in them.


    Frustrated despite the victory, I turned away from Ersabet and went about freeing Kitz. Instead of looking for a key for the lock, I found a rock and smashed it open. The brittle metal broke away easily.


    Kitz crawled out of the cage and stood, hands together in front of him. He didn¡¯t meet my eye.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.


    I put my hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kitz. I haven¡¯t been able to stop the Hunters yet.¡± The truth was I hadn¡¯t even tried.


    ¡°But you saved me now.¡± He finally looked up at me. ¡°That counts for something.¡±


    I noticed a notification pop in my overlay but ignored it for now.


    I stepped to Kitz¡¯s side, hand still on his shoulder. ¡°Kitz, this is Ersabet and Tara.¡±


    His eyes dodged Ersabet and settled on Tara. ¡°Hi. Thanks.¡±


    Tara walked forward. ¡°I think I should be the one saying thanks. That was your hawk, right?¡±


    He smiled. ¡°His names Petrie.¡± He looked sadly at me. ¡°John killed his brother, but he didn¡¯t mean to really. It was my fault.¡±


    Tara put her hands on her hips. ¡°You killed Petrie¡¯s brother?¡± She sounded very offended for Petrie.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to get into this,¡± I said, waving the question away. ¡°All that matter is that Kitz is safe.¡±


    He was safe. For now. But what about tomorrow? Next week? There was a price on his head, and the hunters wouldn¡¯t stop. It was up to me to stop them.


    Ersabet would help. She had to if she wanted her name to be etched into history next to mine, but I couldn¡¯t just kill them all. I¡¯m sure most of them were assholes back on the real world, but that didn¡¯t mean they deserved to die. Some of them were probably operating under a pre-programmed script, like Tara had been. There had to be a way for me to do this without violence.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to figure something out Kitz. I¡¯ll find a way to stop them.¡± I looked to Tara and Ersabet. ¡°We all will.¡±


    Kitz eyes darted to Ersabet and then to the ground. His hands played with the bottom of his ragged shirt.


    ¡°You have the word of a Dalari, young one,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°We will help you. It is a promise that will not be broken.¡±


    A small grin appeared on Ersabet¡¯s face and her eyes went distant for a few seconds.


    There was no way to know for sure, but I thought she had just gotten the quest from Kitz. I squinted my eyes at her, wondering if she had meant her words or was saying them with the assumption it would initiate a quest.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just walk in there and kill them all, Kitz,¡± I said.


    Ersabet¡¯s face crinkled. It seemed she disagreed.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take me a little more time to figure it out,¡± I said. ¡°You can¡¯t stay out here, especially after this.¡± I gestured to the death around us. ¡°They might come looking for their friends, and they¡¯re going to keep hunting for you. Come with us to Danver.¡±


    His head shook in the negative as he stepped away from me. ¡°No. No, I can¡¯t go into a city. There are too many people there.¡±


    ¡°Only for a few days,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s the only way I know you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    ¡°What if someone finds out about me?¡±


    ¡°You look like any other kid.¡± I looked him up and down. ¡°You could use a bath and change of clothes though.¡± I rubbed his messy hair. ¡°You look a bit wild.¡±


    He still didn¡¯t say yes.


    ¡°This is not up for debate child,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°I will not have your death on my conscience.¡±


    I wondered if she even had a conscience.


    ¡°You can trust us, Kitz," I said. "And you don¡¯t have to talk to anyone. I¡¯ll get you a room, and you can just stay in there.¡±


    ¡°Will there be a window?¡± he asked meekly.


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll find one with a window.¡±


    After making sure Kitz wasn¡¯t injured and was comfortable around Ersabet and Tara, I swallowed my disgust and began to loot the bodies.


    Ersabet told me the only way I would get the Kurskin out was with a shovel, so I left him be, but I took the leather armor from the man who nearly killed me and took a spare set from the one that Ersabet had handled.


    The man who nearly killed me had a pair of leather bracers that I snatched, and I was surprised to find they weren¡¯t just an ordinary pair upon inspection.


    Duelists Bracers


    Typically, the person who dies first loses the duel. Don¡¯t be that guy. When engaged in single combat, you will receive a small increase to your overall stamina. We all want to last longer when in front of that special someone. Now you can.


    Not bad. I was in pretty good shape, but even that short fight winded me. There was something different about combat. Maybe it was the mix of adrenaline and action that wore one down so quickly. These bracers sounded like a great buff to me. I put them on.


    I also took the sword from the other human. It wasn¡¯t anything special but would serve as a fine replacement for the one I destroyed. Unfortunately, the Kurskin¡¯s weapon was buried. I bet it had some sort of buff, too.


    Lastly, I checked out that notification that popped.


    Random Encounter Complete


    Bird of Prey


    You saved poor little Kitz from the bad guys! Good job. Here are some extra experience points.


    I watched my experience bar shoot up and top out at level five. I could now level up.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, Ethan,¡± Val said. ¡°Congratulations on not dying yet.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡®I¡¯m unworthy of your praise.¡±


    ¡°Finally, you say something I agree with.¡±

 Chapter 40 - Level Five

    CONGRATULATIONS, JOHN MCCLANE. YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL FIVE.


    The warm glow of pleasure and power that rushed through me gave me goosebumps, and this time, I could swear that I felt my body growing stronger. Level Five. Sure, it wasn¡¯t much to those Players that had been playing the game for months, but for me and my noob status, it felt like a grand achievement.


    YOU MAY SELECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SKILLS AND ABILITIES. PLEASE NOTE THAT PLAYERS AT LEVEL FIVE AND ABOVE HAVE THE OPTION OF SELECTING A NEW SKILL OR ABILITY, OR THE PLAYER MAY CHOOSE TO ENHANCE ONE OF THEIR PREVIOUSLY CHOSEN SKILLS OR ABILITIES.


    That could be extremely useful. Some of the abilities I had been offered in the past weren¡¯t always the most appropriate for my needs. I wanted to focus on two aspects of my player build: Combat and Stealth. It would be preferable to kill all of my (likely more powerful) opponents quickly and quietly. But if history meant anything, stealth wouldn¡¯t always pay off, and when it failed, I had to know how to fight.


    The new skills and abilities popped up on my interface as my personal AI read them out to me.


    CLOSE COMBAT SPECIALIST: You know how to take a man head-on, solo, mano a mano. You¡¯re not great at it, but you¡¯ve got spunk. There¡¯s hope for you still. Every time you engage an opponent within five yards of yourself, you gain HEIGHTENED COMBAT AWARENESS, which will occasionally empower you with the ability to anticipate your opponent''s actions to a greater effect. Think of it as an upgrade to your base battle instincts. This is a passive ability.


    That seemed like an extraordinary ability, but I wanted to see what else was being offered.


    THE CALL OF THE WILD: You¡¯ve been spending a lot of time in the woods, and to make matters worse, you¡¯ve been hanging around with a warg. You¡¯re on the path to becoming a true mountain man. As a personal note, I¡¯d recommend taking a break from camping. I don¡¯t have any olfactory senses, but even I can tell that you stink. You need a shower, friend. Anyway, THE CALL OF THE WILD grants you the ability to call any normal wild animal to your side, where it will fight with you for the course of a day. An animal must be within fifty yards of you for this ability to work. It can be used once a week.


    I was interested in that skill until I read ¡®once a week.¡¯ It would be awesome to have a giant bear as an ally, but first, I¡¯d have to find one, and secondly, I could only do it once a week. I was sour about it.


    ENSHROWDEN: You seem to have a strange fixation with dark places. You¡¯re not secretly a vampire are you? Ha! Anyway, since you love the shadows so much, you could become one with ENSHROWDEN. That¡¯s right! Transform your body and everything on it to shadow. It¡¯s quite useful for those who like to sneak around in the dark. This skill can be cast twice a day and lasts thirty seconds.


    Wow. I almost accepted it immediately, but I wanted to weigh my options and maybe get Val¡¯s input.


    There was also the word ENHANCE at the bottom of my visual overlay, but I wasn¡¯t ready to enhance any of my skills yet. Both Enshrowden and Close Combat Specialist seemed too good to pass up.


    ¡®What do you think, Val?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve never been a big fan of animals, so Call of the Wild is a no for me.¡¯Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t planning on picking it. I¡¯m stuck between Close Combat Specialist and Enshrowden.¡¯


    ¡®Your combat is severely lacking. Close Combat could help considerably. If you plan on sneaking around a lot, then pick Enshrowden. Both are good.¡¯


    She told me nothing I didn¡¯t already know. I was hoping she would have some actual insight. It was stupid even to ask.


    In the end, I went with Close Combat Specialist. I still intended to be sneaky and hoped that other skill would reappear if I kept prompting it with my actions. I¡¯d have to find a good quest that would require me to be steathly.


    I couldn¡¯t wait to test out my new skill, but I¡¯d just have to wait until I got into another fight.


    I wandered back to the group, and we set off to Danver. I stayed close to Kitz, hoping a familiar face would make him feel better about leaving the forest. I reassured him it was only for a few days, just until we sorted things out with the Hunters. After we figured out how to stop them from hunting him, he could return and live his happy life with his woodland creatures.


    When we finally exited the forest, we could see the expanse of the wooden city in the distance. From our higher vantage point, the sight was quite striking. There seemed to be a swarm of ants bustling through and around Danver, but it was only the innumerable masses that lived and worked there.


    Ersabet approached me and asked if we could talk. She glanced down at Kitz, and I understood her meaning. I patted Kitz on the back. ¡°Hey, I need to speak with Ersabet for a while. You''re all right hanging out with boring Tara over there.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she spun to me, hands on her hips and a cheeky snarl on her face. ¡°I am the exact opposite of boring. I am undoubtedly the most fun individual in this dreary traveling party.¡±


    Now it was Ersabets turn to take mock offense. ¡°Dreary? My dear, you are dangerously mistaken. I am a beacon of light and joy. Perhaps I shine too brightly for your dull eyes to see.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°If ¡®Bet here is a beacon of light, then we¡¯re both blind, Tara.¡±


    That made Tara laugh, which made me laugh again. Ersabet crossed her arms unsmiling, but I saw a twinkling of laughter in her eyes.


    Ersabet and I separated from the group and walked ahead of them.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Ersabet¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Up? The sky is up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an expression from earth. It means ¡®what¡¯s going on¡¯ or ¡®what¡¯s happening?¡¯ In this case, it means ¡®what do you want to talk about?¡±¡¯


    ¡°Before we get to that,¡± she said. ¡°You called me ¡®Bet earlier. Why?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Just a friendly nickname.¡±


    ¡°Is that what we are?¡± She raised her brow.


    ¡°Maybe not yet,¡± I admitted. ¡°In time, I hope.¡±


    ¡°The Dalari do not have friends, at least not in the same way as you humans. Dalari culture is one of individualism. We value our own strengths and aptitudes. A friend to us is the person who can best help us succeed in our individual endeavors. One helps the other not out of kindness but out of their self-interest. It is expected that a kindness given will eventually be reciprocated in some way.¡±


    ¡°Wow, must be tough knowing all your friendships are transactional.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°So, I surmised you don¡¯t want me to call you ¡®Bet.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer you use my first name in its entirety.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but I bet,¡± I emphasized the last word. Her eyes sparked with annoyance, and her brow twitched. ¡°I bet that after you spend enough time with me, your old ways will wear off.


    She rolled her eyes and flicked her hand like she was throwing this conversation away. ¡°Have you considered all the risks in going back to Danver?¡±


    ¡°The risk of running into Prajio, you mean?¡±


    ¡°That is one of many. What if Prajio has gone public about your anomalous nature? What if we are wanted?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s not how Prajio operates. I¡¯ve been thinking about it, and I don¡¯t think Prajio is going to tell anyone about me. I think he wants me for himself. Plus, he¡¯s far too prideful to admit being bested and losing his prey. I doubt he¡¯d ask anyone for help.¡±


    ¡°That is quite the gamble. Are you sure it¡¯s one you want to take?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. And, I¡¯ve got you here to fight him off if we ever see him again.¡±


    ¡°Pray I never have to.¡±


    ¡°So, is that it?¡± I asked. ¡°Or did you have more you wanted to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Will you ditch the girl?¡±


    That caught me off guard. ¡°Tara? Not if she wants to stay. But I will force her to go to her family¡¯s home. After that, she can make her choice.¡±


    ¡°Tara will only burden us. You know this.¡±


    I nod once. ¡°How long does this game last, Ersabet?¡±


    She cocked her head. ¡°It lasts until all the leaders get together and sign a peace treaty and a proclamation that all grievances were resolved on the battlefield or forgiven.¡±


    ¡°What if that doesn¡¯t happen?¡±


    She blew out a quick laugh. ¡°It always happens. The longest game lasted fifty-two years. It¡¯s almost unbelievable. I can do ten years, max. After that, whoever¡¯s risen to the top better do their thing with the others and end this horror show.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long the games last,¡¯ I said, ¡°but the quicker it ends, the better it would be for all my people. At least they could live in a stable world, even if it was still full of monsters. The point is that Tara has potential and plenty of time to learn. If she trained using a bow, she would improve, just like anyone else. But, she¡¯s also got magic. And I need you to help me out with that, Ersabet. With time and training, she could be a valuable team member.¡±


    She waved the conversation away. ¡°We shall see. We can talk more of this in Danver.¡± She smiled and tilted her head to the side. ¡°That is only if you are correct about Prajio, and we aren¡¯t immediately attacked by the first Kurskin we see.¡±


    ¡°Have faith, Ersabet. It can take you far if you let it.¡±

 Chapter 41 - The Accumulator

    We didn¡¯t get arrested upon passing the gates at the entrance of Danver, so I took that as a good sign. Still, a lot of people were staring at us, but I couldn¡¯t really blame them. Most folks in this part of the world had probably never seen a Dalari before, and Kitz looked all sorts of crazy. At least Tara appeared to be a prim and proper young lady, and after upgrading my armor recently, I looked like a right warrior; at least, that¡¯s how I saw myself.


    As long as people only looked, I was fine with the attention.


    We walked casually past a group of Kurskins, who paid us no mind other than a quietly muttered curse about Ersabet. I worried for her safety in a town where the Kurskins had a foothold, but she assured me it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Apparently, attacking another player this far from the war was ¡®not in the spirit of the game.¡¯


    We were safe. For now, at least. The first order of business was to find a safe place for Kitz to stay. We needed to clean the feral child and get him a room for a few days. I had some gold, but I didn¡¯t know how well Kitz would do if locked in a single rented room all day. A boy like him needed to feel some sense of freedom, or he would go nuts. I had a solution in mind but was nervous about seeing it through.


    I led the team north down the main road for some time before turning into one of the lesser-traveled streets. I preferred these side streets as they had significantly less mud and shit to wade through.


    I led them to the nicest house on a street of not-so-nice houses. I knocked on the door and waved for everyone to stay back.


    A familiar, bloodshot, green eye stared out the crack in the door. It opened wider, and I saw a confused smile on Delen¡¯s face.


    ¡°Delen,¡± I bowed to him. ¡°I hate to burden you, but may my companions and I spare a moment of your time?¡±


    He looked like he wanted to say something but closed his mouth before the words could escape. Then he opened it again. ¡°Of course, John. Please, come in. All of you are welcome here.¡±


    I went in first, followed by Kitz, Tara, and Ersabet. Delen stared at the Dalari like she was a grand work of art. She didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    He would have kept staring at her forever, so I got his attention. ¡°Thanks for letting us in.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± Delen said after prying his eyes from Ersabet. ¡°Whatever can I do for you? Oh, I know. You¡¯re here for the accumulator, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°The accumulator?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°I named it,¡± Delen said with a cheerful boast. ¡°The device I showed you that could store and repel the electricity within it.¡±


    I had completely forgotten. ¡°Right! Yes. I would love to get my hands on it.¡±


    Delen¡¯s excitement sunk into sadness. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have it anymore. Your friend Prajio came by two days ago and took them both. Said, ''They were paid for with his gold, so they were his by right.''


    That bastard! ¡°Prajio was here? What else did he tell you?¡±


    I was suddenly on edge, my heart pounding in my chest. I had feared Prajio would have returned to Delen''s to look for me.


    ¡°Nothing much. Said he was just wrapping things up in Danver before going west. Mentioned he had a contact in the army that he needed to find. He didn¡¯t mention you. Well, he did mention you when I asked if you would be returning for the accumulator. He said, ¡®don¡¯t worry about John.¡¯ And that was it.¡±


    Could it be true? Was Prajio going to enter the war games? He wouldn¡¯t just write me off and leave me, would he? There had to be more to it.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you know? Please, any information you have is useful.¡±


    Delen gave a solemn shrug. ¡°That¡¯s about all I can remember. He was only in here for a few minutes. And after he turned all grumpy, the conversation ended.¡±


    I tried not to let this get to me, but I could feel a spark of hatred brewing within me. That bastard stole my taser!


    ¡°I¡¯m a little piqued about it," I said. "But your device wasn¡¯t the primary reason for my coming here. Will you allow me to introduce my friends?¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Delen took a step back and looked at each of them intently. ¡°Quite an odd arrangement of friends you have there, Mr. McClane. But people call me odd, so we¡¯re all in good company.¡±


    I beamed. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear, Delen.¡± I gestured to Tara. ¡°This is Tara Honeytender. She¡¯s from the city but had been traveling and only recently returned.¡±


    Tara gave a cute curtsy, and Delen bowed his head. ¡°Pleasure to make you acquaintance, young madam.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is mine, good sir.¡± Tara had a genuine smile on her face, and it warmed my heart just enough to push out some of that hatred that had taken over.


    I held my hand up to Ersabet. ¡°This is Ersabet. She¡¯s, uh, nice sometimes, and I think she wants to be my friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to not be nice if you don¡¯t be quiet,¡± she replied. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Ersabet. Yes, I am one of the Dalari, and I¡¯m sure most of the rumors you have heard regarding my people are either greatly exaggerated or outright false.¡±


    Delen¡¯s eyes widened a bit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady Ersabet, I am honored by your presence.¡±


    And now a genuine smile on Ersabet¡¯s face. What was happening?


    ¡°Lastly,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce my friend Kitz.¡± I rested my hand on his shoulder. ¡°Kitz here is a good kid stuck in a bad situation.¡± I met Delen¡¯s eyes. ¡°And he needs some help, Delen.¡±


    Delen looked sympathetically at Kitz. ¡°What do you need from me?¡±


    ¡°We need somewhere for him to stay for a while. Just until I sort some things out for him.¡±


    ¡°Is he in danger?¡±


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be in any danger here. But it would be best if he was kept inside. I considered renting a room, but I¡¯d feel terrible leaving him in such cramped quarters. Plus, not all rooms have access to a shower." I patted Kitz on the back. "No offense, kid."


    Delen laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the boy. Is he learned?


    I looked at Kitz, and he looked at me with wide, scared eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he can read if that¡¯s what you mean, but I think you¡¯ll find Kitz a quick learner, nonetheless.¡±


    Delen clapped. ¡°Maybe he can help me around the shop then.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°I think that might be good for him.¡±


    I bent down to Kitz¡¯s level. ¡°What do you think? Would you be okay with staying here for a few days?¡±


    He looked around, and I noted how his eyes lingered on some of Delen¡¯s strange contraptions.


    Kitz nodded. ¡°For a few days.¡±


    I patted his back. ¡°Wonderful. I think you¡¯ll like it here. And Delen¡¯s a good man. He¡¯ll treat you right.¡±


    Delen and I shook hands, and we went about preparing a room for Kitz. After that, Delen gave Kitz the grand tour of the home, which only took about two minutes, but from his expression, Kitz was impressed.


    We were now at a point where we could leave, but I wasn¡¯t quite ready to go. I needed to talk to Kitz one more time.


    I found him at one of Delen¡¯s¡¯ workbenches, poking at some gyro-like device. ¡°Hey, Kitz, we¡¯ll have to say goodbye soon. The faster we get started on the Hunters, the sooner you''re free.¡±


    ¡°I like it here,¡± he said. ¡°But I prefer it out there.¡± His eyes drifted to a window.


    ¡°It¡¯s only for some time. If we do this right, you¡¯ll never have to worry about the Hunters again.¡±


    ¡°I know you can do it. You''re special. Like me. But my special tends to have some downsides.¡±


    ¡°You can control bears and hawks and wolves; you¡¯re pretty damn special, kid.¡±


    I put my hand on his shoulder, ¡°Before I go, I was hoping you could give me more information about the Hunters. Is there anything you know about them that could help me?¡¯


    ¡°All I know is that they hunt monsters and consider me in that category. They started coming three months ago. Maybe once every two weeks at first, but then it was once a week, and now I see them every few days. I¡¯m good at hiding from them, and my hawks keep watch for me, so I¡¯m usually safe. They almost captured me once before, but my wolf, her name was Summit, saved me. She died, though, but I was able to get away. I miss her.¡±


    I squeezed his shoulder. ¡°I lost my wife. Four months ago. I miss her every day. You and I have to keep living for them. And carry them in our hearts while we do it.¡±


    Kitz¡¯s chin quivered, and he wrapped me in a tight hug. I hugged him back, feeling my eyes tearing up. I blinked them away and released the kid.


    ¡°Mind Delen. He has your best interest at heart.¡±


    Kitz nodded and wiped his nose with his ragged sleeve. ¡°I will.¡±


    I turned my back to him and met with Delen to shake his hand again. ¡°Thank you for this. I¡¯ll owe you one.¡±


    ¡°You owe me nothing, friend.¡±


    ¡°If Prajio happens to come back, don¡¯t tell him I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d gathered that things must have soured between you two.¡±


    ¡°Soured is putting it lightly. Please, for all our sakes, just tell him I was never here. Hopefully, he really did go west, but it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡±


    ¡°My lips are sealed.¡± Delen made a zipping motion across his mouth. ¡°He always scared me a bit, if I¡¯m honest.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, monsters tend to be scary.¡±


    I turned to Ersabet. ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Where are we going, oh fearless leader?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of an inn. Preferably one close to the Hunter¡¯s lodge or guild or whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where that is?¡±


    ¡®Val, you can tell me, right?¡¯


    She sighed. ¡®Yes. Of course, I can tell you. Did you even need to ask? You interrupted my movie.¡¯


    ¡®You were watching a movie? Wait. What movie?¡¯


    ¡®Your sappy conversation was boring me, so I finally decided to watch Terminator Two.¡±


    ¡®We are absolutely talking about this later.¡¯


    Esabet was beginning to look at me curiously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said to her. ¡°I know where it is. But first, let¡¯s get out of here, get some rest, and formulate a plan.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± she said.


    ¡°Do I get my own room?¡± Tara asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a house here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ready for that yet.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Yes, you can have your own room.¡±


    She squealed like the teenager she was.


    ¡®Quite the army you¡¯re building there, John Conner.¡¯


    ¡®Shut up, Val.¡¯

 Chapter 42 - Plans

    With Val as my guide, I led the way to an inn near the Hunters¡¯ base of operations. It was a long walk, and this part of town was starkly different from Danver proper. Here, wood was used only to accentuate buildings, most of which were made from heavy stonework; some looked nearly monolithic.


    The Hunters'' base was a monstrous three-story grey brick building. It was rather foreboding, to be honest. The inn we found was built of brick but around a wooden frame, giving it a more comfortable vibe than some of the neighboring buildings.


    We caught a break, and each one of us was able to secure our own room. The inn had an adequate bathhouse, and when it was my turn, I relished the water¡¯s heat as an attendant brought in a steaming carafe to top it off.


    My muscles were sore, but not as sore as they should be. Old me, the non-player version of me, would barely be able to walk at this point. I was beginning to get a taste of the power this game promised. I liked it. I liked it quite a lot.


    While I rested in that warm bath, I wondered about Prajio. It was hard for me to accept that he would abandon his search for me in favor of playing the War Games. If what Delen said was true, then I couldn¡¯t guess at Prajio¡¯s intentions. It worried me, and I prayed I would never find out.


    Part of me missed his easy acquaintance. He was a good sort up until that whole ¡®trying to kill me¡¯ business. He was gone now, hopefully for good.


    After the ladies finished their baths, we all would meet in my room to formulate a plan. I had my own idea of how to handle the Hunters, but I wanted to hear everyone out first.


    Ersabet entered first, and she was clothed for the first time since I had met her. Her earlier near-nakedness didn¡¯t seem to bother her one bit, and she seemed more uncomfortable in the athletic-style dress she was wearing. The casual dress was a deep blue and ended in a short skirt, which Ersabet admittedly looked fantastic in.


    I knew she preferred to fight with magical abilities, but I felt like I should talk to her about carrying some weapons and armor sometimes.


    Tara followed shortly after, looking pleasant as a peach and entirely in contrast with the Tara I had known those weeks ago on the road.


    ¡°So, things went well back at Delen¡¯s,¡± I said. ¡°I think Kitz is going to fit in well there.¡±


    ¡°The child was intrigued by your man¡¯s scientific instruments. That is a good sign for compatibility,¡± Ersabet said.


    ¡°We can always go visit him,¡± Tara said. ¡°That is if we can¡¯t resolve this mess in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°About that.¡± I turned to Tara. ¡°I want you to go see your dad first. After that, if you want in on the mission, you¡¯re in. We won¡¯t be ready to act immediately, it could take days or even weeks, so there¡¯s time for you to do this.¡±


    Tara¡¯s face soured. ¡°You just want to get rid of me.¡±


    ¡°No. Never that. If you¡¯re going to be a part of the team, you can¡¯t have all this extra baggage your carrying.¡±


    Tara looked to the ground, confused.


    ¡°Emotional baggage,¡± I said. ¡°Unresolved feelings or problems. You need to let your dad know you''re alive. You need to let him forgive you, so you can move on. If he wants you to stay with him, you¡¯re welcome to. But you¡¯re also welcome here, with us.¡±


    She played with a ring on her finger, and I heard her sniffle. ¡°I¡­I think I can do that.¡± She looked up at me, her eyes wet with tears. She pulled me into a tight hug. ¡°You¡¯ve always done right by me, so if you think this will be good for me, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    After the hug, she perked back up. ¡°Can I still help with the plan?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Of course, girl,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°Let us begin.¡± She looked pointedly at me.


    I sat on the edge of my room¡¯s bed. ¡°Uh, well, I do have a plan, but I thought it would be worthwhile to ask if either of you had an idea in mind.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a plan,¡± Ersabet said to Tara, who snickered.


    ¡°I have a plan,¡± I said, hands waving in offense. ¡°I¡¯m simply being a good leader and letting you all pitch in, but I guess you don¡¯t have a plan, so maybe we will just stick with mine.¡±


    ¡°I have the perfect plan,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°We walk in and kill them all.¡±


    ¡°We kill only when necessary. Our objective can be achieved without murdering everyone.¡±


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do it your way,¡± Ersabet said with a flick of her wrist.


    Tara held up her hand. ¡°Maybe we could find some dirt on the leadership and cause them to get shut down. Aren¡¯t they already chancing things by operating as an unsanctioned guild?¡±


    I scratched my chin. ¡°There could be something to that, Tara.¡±


    ¡®Val, what do you think? Any way we can find a legal loophole to bring down them down?¡¯


    ¡®Since this guild is not registered,¡¯ Val said, appearing next to me on the bed. ¡°It does not have to act in accordance with the city guild laws. It is more of a club, and the city cares little about them as long as they continue to pay taxes. I¡¯ll have to think more on this, but at least Tara¡¯s attempting to use her brain, unlike that blue harlot who just wants to murder everyone.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, she¡¯s got a cold heart. I¡¯m surprised you two don¡¯t get along.¡¯


    ¡°Umm, John,¡± Tara said.


    ¡°Yeah, what?¡± Damn, I needed to be more careful about interacting with Val in front of others. It was difficult to tell how much time was passing when communicating telepathically. To me, that conversation felt like a second, but to others, it may have seemed like I was checked out for more than a few.


    ¡°You went a little distant there,¡± Tara said. ¡°Oh, I know.¡± She leaned in conspiratorially, but her words were far from a whisper. ¡°Were you talking to the robot in your brain?¡±


    My eyes went wide. How did she know? Had I told her about Val?


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I tried to convey ¡®shut up¡¯ and ¡®end this conversation now¡¯ with my eyes, but it didn¡¯t seem to work.


    ¡°Back in Sabbatha¡¯s lair,¡± Tara said. ¡°You told her you knew her name because of the advanced alien robot living in your head.¡± I didn¡¯t understand what you meant then. I still kind of don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m getting there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was just a joke,¡± I said, attempting to fake a laugh.


    ¡°John,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°Look me in the eye.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t!¡¯ Val¡¯s voice reverberated through my mind. "My presence must never be revealed."


    My eyes found Ersabet¡¯s. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is there an advanced artificial intelligence living in your head?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She slapped me so hard I saw stars.


    ¡®You deserved that, you idiot.¡¯ Val said helpfully.


    ¡°Why do you lie to me?¡± Ersabet said. ¡°Do you know nothing of the Dalari? Our intuition is strong, and I can see the lie in your eyes.¡±


    I stood from my bed and stepped close to Ersabet. It didn¡¯t matter what she might think. This conversation had to be shut down. ¡°If you ask me this question again, or if I sense you are even broaching the subject, our deal is off, and we will go our separate ways.¡±


    I stepped back. ¡°What does your intuition say about that?¡±


    ¡°It tells me that you are serious.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Very well. I will only say this. If you ever want to speak of this, I would listen."


    ¡®As long as I¡¯m around, that will never happen,¡¯ Val said.


    ¡°Well,¡± I said to Ersabet. ¡°That time won¡¯t come because it was a joke. Now, let¡¯s get back to work.¡±


    I regrouped and laid out my idea. ¡°We don¡¯t know how many hunters there are or how they operate. There¡¯s no way we can make a move until we understand what we¡¯re up against. I say we try to join them. Get ourselves recruited and find a way to bring them down from the inside.¡±


    I looked up to my confidants, awaiting their approval. Tara shrugged. ¡°Seems like it could work.¡±


    The top of a delicate blue hand rested beneath Ersabet¡¯s chin. ¡°I believe the idea has merit. And, if we do have to kill everyone, we will know more of their strengths and weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Yeah.¡± I rubbed my hands together. ¡°Sounds like we got ourselves a plan.¡±


    The girls exited my room, but I still wasn¡¯t alone. I never was. Val¡¯s avatar was still sitting at the end of my bed.


    I made sure the door was locked and held out my arms to Val. ¡°Well, do you have something to say?¡±


    ¡®You already know what I want to say to you.¡¯


    ¡°I was tied to a pole in a life-and-death situation. A situation you intentionally put me in, I might add, so I think I deserve a little grace for revealing your existence to a bunch of psychotic witches who were going to sacrifice me.¡±


    Val rested her pale hands on her bare knees, just below where her black skirt ended. ¡®Considering your strong response to Ersabet, I agree that some grace is warranted. I forgive you.¡¯


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was sorry.¡±


    She harumphed.


    ¡°So, what do you think of my plan?¡±


    ¡®I think it¡¯s the least likely to get you killed. However, I would advise abandoning this quest and focusing on something more appropriate to your level. I can double the rate you are currently gaining experience if you simply follow my guidance.¡¯


    ¡°After this, Val. After I save Kitz, then I¡¯m all yours.¡±


    ¡®Then I wish you good luck in your noble quest. Please try not to die, it would be most inconvenient for me.¡±

 Chapter 43 - Become a Hunter

    We woke early the next day and met for a quick breakfast. When it was finished, I hugged Tara and wished her luck. She¡¯d be visiting her father today. I hoped I was right about him welcoming her home with open arms. Whether Tara stayed with him or not was up to her. After all the shit she had been through, I wanted her to have a chance to choose the life that she wanted to live instead of the horrid false life that had been programmed into her


    Ersabet and I made our way to the Hunters Lodge, as I had decided to call it. It looked far more like a towering prison than a lodge, though.


    The gate to the grounds was unlocked and unguarded, so we simply continued our way forward. I was dressed in my basic clothes, not wanting to display the fine leather doublet that I had stolen from one of their dead members.


    The lawn was well-kept, and a small stream-like moat circumnavigated the main building. Large boulders spotted the well-manicured greens.


    We followed the path ahead to a large front door. Since there was no doorman, lifted the heavy knocker and slammed it three times against the heavy wood door.


    A long moment later, the door slowly opened, revealing a dimly lit interior and an older man dressed like a butler.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± he said formally in Ersabet¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯m not as quick as I used to be, but these old bones still have some time left on them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing,¡± I said. ¡°Might I ask, is this where one comes if they wish to become a beast hunter?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, indeed. May I presume that both of you are interested in our club?¡±


    ¡°You may,¡± Ersabet purred.


    He clapped his hands. ¡°Wonderful indeed. Please, please, come in.¡±


    I admired the stone walls as we followed the butler to wherever he was leading us. The walls of the entry were lined with taxidermized beasts, wolves, bears, and other unusual creatures. There was a monstrous elk with a set of abnormal horns that cut into its face and neck. The poor thing must have lived a horrible life.


    At the center of the wall was what could only be described as a troll. It was just a head, but I doubted I could even wrap my arms around its bulbous green head. It had large block-like teeth, its face frozen in a forever snarl.


    I guessed those fantastical stories my uncle had told me were true.


    We passed through a door and continued down a long hall, which had a few rough-looking men walking in the opposite direction. They paid me no mind, but their eyes lingered on Ersabet, who acted like the mrn didn¡¯t exist.


    The butler knocked on the door, announcing himself. He placed his ear to the door and smiled when the muffled reply came.


    ¡°This way, please,¡± He gestured to us inside.


    This new room appeared to be an office of some sort. Stacks of paper were on the desk before us, and there were more stacks of documents on a table against one of the walls. A few weapons hung nearby on two large weapon racks.


    Sitting at the desk was an old, grizzled man who could be fifty or seventy. The weathered lines on his face and full beard made it difficult to tell.


    ¡°Interested in joining the Hunters are yeh¡¯?¡± His voice was rough but it had a strange sort of warmth to it.


    Cutting right to business. I liked that.


    ¡°Yes, sir. My companion and I seek adventure, and after discovering your group, we thought to ourselves, who else could offer more adventure than those who call themselves Hunters, and for it all to be for a worthy cause, well, that just made it impossible for us not to ask.¡±


    ¡°Aye, we got plenty of adventuring for you here, but there is no story-book happy tale out there. The adventures my men go out on ain¡¯t for the faint of heart, yeh¡¯ hear?¡±


    ¡°You will not find my heart lacking, I can assure you,¡± Ersabet said.


    The man only now seemed to realize that he was in a room with a real Dalari and stood taller.  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°I would never imagine any such thing of a Dalari.¡± He bowed. ¡°You may call me Master Roan. I am the founder of the Hunters. May I ask your name?¡¯


    ¡°You may call me Ersabet.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m John,¡± I stuck my hand out to pull his attention away from Ersabet.¡± I kept to my in-game name for Ersabet and Tara¡¯s sake, but it galled me that I still needed to use it. At least with Val, I was Ethan.


    He shook my hand, but his eyes were still on Ersabet.


    ¡°There are many monsters in the world,¡± Roan said. ¡°There¡¯re a plague upon mankind and an affront to the Creator. It is a Hunter''s duty to exterminate every last one of them.¡± Roan crossed his arms. ¡°Tell me, do you believe this is true, as I do?¡±


    There were real monsters in this world, I¡¯m sure all the fantastical stories my uncle told me back on the farm are actually true. But Kitz wasn¡¯t a monster. I wondered how many other ¡®monsters¡¯ they hunted that were, in truth, no such thing.¡±


    I put my hand to my heart. ¡°I believe as you, Master Roan.¡±


    He nodded to me and turned his eyes to Ersabet. ¡°As do I.¡±


    His face twitched at her lack of formality, but he moved past it and clapped his hands together once. ¡°Welcome, Hunters! I¡¯m thrilled to add both of you to our noble ranks. And a Dalari! I trust you¡¯ll get along with our Kurskin brethren.¡±


    ¡°I fight only monsters,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°I will not bother them, but I will not allow them to bother me.¡±


    Roan laughed her statement away. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll play nice. There¡¯s no rank among the Hunters. We¡¯re all equal in our shared crusade.¡±


    ¡°There is still pay, correct?¡± Ersabet asked.


    ¡°Oh yes, oh yes. Some monsters pay more than others, and some Hunters are better than others. It can be quite lucrative if you¡¯re good at it, but money is secondary to our noble cause.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I say. ¡°May I ask what our next steps are? Are we assigned hunts?¡±


    Roan laughed and shook his head. ¡°New recruits are always in a hurry to dive in. We learned quickly that¡¯s a good way to get people killed. First, we gotta¡¯ test your mettle. See how tough you are. What you¡¯re good at. That way, we can assign you an appropriate hunt.¡±


    ¡°Test our mettle, huh? That sounds fun,¡± I said. ¡°When will we get our chance to prove ourselves to you?¡±


    He held out his hands. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready. There are plenty of Hunters here who would enjoy watching a good fight. Or perhaps some of them will throw their hat into the ring.¡±


    Roan''s toothy smile irked me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fight then.¡± I sighed. ¡°The sooner we can get this over, the better.¡± I looked to Ersabet, who nodded. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±


    ****


    An hour later, I was shirtless, wearing nothing but my heavy cloth pants. My body had changed significantly over the last couple of weeks, and while I had a decent physic in my previous life, it was nothing compared to the body the System was helping me build. My muscles were more prominent, and for the first time in years, my abs were noticeable again.


    Sabbatha had no armor or weapons on her body to relinquish, and she was allowed to wear her current clothes, which were nearly as revealing as my current getup.


    We were led into a crowd of mostly human men. I spotted two women and five Kurskins among the bunch. The Kurskins were staring at Ersabet like she was a piece of meat. I couldn¡¯t tell if they wanted to kill her or have sex with her. Either way, their gaze was off putting. Ersabet paid them no mind.


    The crowd parted and formed a ring around us, which felt all too familiar. The ground was cold, solid stone, and it would not be forgiving if I was taken down.


    ¡°Brothers, sisters, hunters,¡± Master Roan said to the crowd. ¡°These two have asked to join us in our fight against the monsters of this world. I welcome all who seek to purge the world of the unnatural. But I do not relish sending righteous hunters to their deaths. And so, that is why we must make sure our new friends have what it takes to be a Hunter, to fight against some of the most terrifying and brutal abominations on Erda.¡±


    The crowd pumped their first and shouted in unison.


    ¡°Who among my brethren will stand as the first test?¡±


    Multiple arms rose with urgent shouts to be the one chosen.


    Road pointed to a man a bit shorter than me, but he had a stocky build and looked like a man who could handle himself.


    The man came into the ring. Roan gestured for me to come forward.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± Ersabet whispered into my ear as I left her side.


    ¡°It is my honor to introduce you all to our newest prospective Hunter. His name is John.¡± Roan looked at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever got your last name.


    ¡°Miller,¡± I lied. I didn¡¯t want to risk triggering any of the Kurkins in the audience with my in-game name.


    Roan grabbed my arm and held it high. ¡°John Miller.¡± There was a smattering of applause. I¡¯d have to earn their applause in the ring, it seemed.


    ¡°Here¡¯s how this will work,¡± Roan said to the crowd, but the instructions were meant for me and Ersabet.


    ¡°There will be three rounds of hand-to-hand combat. The round will continue until one of the fighters falls unconscious or yields. If John wins the first round, he will continue to the second, where he will fight a stronger opponent. And if, by some miracle, John manages to beat them too, then he will continue to the third and final round and take on one of our greatest fighters among the Hunters.¡± Roan held up his hands. ¡°Now, this is a test of strength but also your character. Natural life is precious to use, so no fighting dirty, and do not attempt any attack that could lead to severe injury or death. If your opponent dies, you will be exiled from the Hunters and will not be allowed to return.¡±


    Roan looked at me and Ersabet, who was a few feet behind me. ¡°Do you understand and accept these conditions?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I accept,¡± Ersabet said.


    Roan clapped his hands together. ¡°Then, let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡±


    Roan scampered out of the center of the ring, leaving me and my opponent. He was dressed similarly to me, with only a pair of pants on. The man cracked his neck and began to limber up.


    I made some mock stretches, but my body was always ready for action now.


    ¡°Benor, are you ready?¡± Roan shouted.


    Benor nodded eagerly.


    ¡°John, are you ready?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

 Chapter 44 - Djadja

    The crowd roared as Benor rushed me. I could tell he was leaning too far forward to attempt a punch. No, he was going for a tackle. I spun to the side, dodging him easily, and the burly guy almost tripped and fell to the floor.


    His face turned into a snarl, and he advanced. He lunged forward, this time with a fist, but I saw it coming a mile away. I had never fought a man that telegraphed his moves so obviously. Then it hit me. This was my new skill. This was the Heightened Awareness sense from the Close Quarter Combat Specialist skill I had picked.


    I didn¡¯t know how long it would last, so I decided I needed to make quick work of this. He jabbed at me twice, and I knew the hook was coming. With a clean backstep, I dodged it and followed it up with a straight of my own.


    The hit caught him off guard, and I figured if it was working, I might as well keep doing it, so I hit him with three more straights. He blocked the fourth and tried to bring me to the ground, but he was dazed and unable to bring me to the floor. I elbowed him hard in the back, and he fell to his knees. I saw his body tense as he prepared to launch himself up at me in a final gambit, so I hopped back and gave him time to get back up.


    This earned me some boos from the crowd.


    Benor spit blood and waved his hand in the air, ¡°Fuck this kid, I yield.¡±


    The onlookers cheered and booed in unison.


    I waved at the crowd, giving them the show they wanted until my eyes found Master Roan. ¡°Whose up next?¡±


    ¡°Someone of the appropriate skill level will step forward,¡± Roan said.


    He held his arms out to the crowd again. ¡°Who among you will test our new brother? You¡¯ve had a chance to see how he handles himself. Step forward now if you believe you would be a worthy test.¡±


    A section of the crowd began to part, and a woman emerged into the ring. She had a medium, athletic build and wore trousers similar to mine. The sleeves on her off-white woolen shirt were rolled up. Her dark hair curved around her face, framing it like a portrait.


    I smiled at her. She was cute but how she fought would be nothing of the sort. Her confidence scared me.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Minna,¡± she said as she raised her fists.


    Master Roan signaled for the match to begin, and we started the slow process of evaluating and testing our opponent. We circled each other, and I threw out some quick jabs as she tested my range.


    Not interested in dragging this out for too long, I decided to make the first move. I faked a jab with my left hand and sent a hard kick into the meat of her thigh, except she raised her leg and expertly deflected the blow.


    That¡¯s when she hit me for the first time. It was just a jab, but it caught me by surprise and had me scrambling back as she attempted to land more hits.


    This wasn¡¯t anything like the last fight. My Close Combat Specialist skill wasn¡¯t active right now. I had no idea if it was on a recharge or just happened randomly.


    I managed to mostly block a flurry of quick blows to my body and decided enough was enough. I lunged forward to grab her. She landed a hard right, but I got in close enough to wrap my arms around her. I spun hard and tossed her to the ground. Instead of smacking into the rough floor, she rolled with the throw and ended up back on her feet.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She winked at me and came at me again. Her right arm was extended back like she was ready to throw a punch, but I noticed her left hand make a fist. I intuitively knew the right would be a feint, and the real attack would come from the left.


    My Heightened Combat Awareness had kicked in!


    She went for the feint with her right, and instead of staying the defensive like she was expecting, I charged forward and shoulder-tackled her. We fell to the ground, her landing on the hard stone floor and me landing atop her.


    I mounted her, ready to strike, but she was too focused on trying to breathe to defend herself. I hopped off her and yanked her up, slinging one of her arms over my shoulder.


    When someone had their breath knocked out of them, I knew it was better to get them upright. It would make it easier to breath. At least, that¡¯s what my high school football coach had told me.


    Roan came forward and took her other arm so she could rest between us. ¡°While she may not be unconscious, she is out of the fight. This win goes to John!¡±


    I pumped my fist, but I was winded and did so with little enthusiasm. If I didn¡¯t have Close Combat Specialist, she would have beaten me.


    Minna¡¯s breath caught not long after I was declared the winner. I thought she would be angry with me, but when she had her breath back, she slapped me gently on the face and said, ¡®Never met a man who could take my breath away like that.¡¯ The smile she gave me was playful and knowing and challenging. Minna was good in my book.


    After she returned to the crowd, Roan and I were again along the in the ring. I looked for Ersabet, and found her behind me, arms crossed and surrounded by fellow hunters. She looked annoyed until she caught my eye and gave me a supportive nod.


    ¡°John has overcome the second tier or this test,¡± Roan said to the crowd. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see if he can do what few Hunters can. Let¡¯s see if John can win a fight against one of our elites.¡±


    I turned my eyes to the other side of the ring and saw a dark-skinned Kurskin step forward. He had a bit of an emerald tint to his dark scales.


    Well, this wasn¡¯t fair at all¡ªor at least it wouldn¡¯t be if I wasn¡¯t actually a Player. The average Kurskin could easily dominate a human. I wondered if he was going to cheat and use his in-game powers. There was only one way to find out.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Djadja Ardja. Welcome to the Hunters, John. You have fought valiantly, but now it is time to give up. You¡¯ve earned yourself a place here with those first two fights. There¡¯s no need to get yourself hurt.¡±


    I looked him up and down distastefully. ¡°I think if I can take on you, there¡¯s no monster in this world I couldn¡¯t handle.¡±


    Roan called for the round to begin. I put my guard up, and Djadja walked casually forward like he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. It pissed me off, and I thought about using Devastating Strike, but I wasn¡¯t ready to show these people that there was something different about me.


    Instead of using Simple Distraction, I just took a note from it. I let my guard down and looked curiously at something behind him. Somehow, my stupid trick worked, and he turned his head. I swear people always fall for it. Anyway, the moment he did, I dashed for him and threw a punch as hard as I could.


    With incredible speed, his left forearm shot up and blocked the blow, his tough, scaly skin destroying my knuckles in the process. The pain was nearly unbearable, but I saw him beginning to move and knew he was about to send his right fist into my gut.


    I leaped back and to the left before he could attack and tried to shake the pain out of my hand. It didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°If that trick is the best you have,¡± Djadja said. ¡°It¡¯s best you yield now.¡±


    I could sense my Heightened Battle Awareness was still active, so I replied with an attack. He easily dodged my flurry of blows, deflecting one with his scaled wrist, which hurt like a bitch.


    He saw an opening for an attack. His back foot braced itself on the stone floor and launched at my hip.


    As he made his move, I stepped inward and managed to grab hold of the leg. I let its momentum add to my own, and I spun him halfway around and launched him a solid five feet. I said ¡®solid¡¯ because he was a heavy son of a gun.


    He punched the floor and stood up¡ªno more twinkle left in his eyes. I had embarrassed him. I smiled and waved him forward.


    He rushed at me, and I barely dodged his first punch, and then I was lying on the cold stone floor, thoroughly unconscious.

 Chapter 45 - Ersabet in Action

    The roar of the crowd woke me from my slumber. I had been laid outside the crowded ring to recover from what I assumed was a hard blow to my face. I touched my swollen cheek and winced, confirming my suspicions. Djadja had knocked me out cold with one punch.


    ¡°This round goes to Ersabet!¡± Roan yelled to the crowd. My scattered thoughts slowly fell back into place, and I made my way to my feet.


    I could barely see Ersabet through the crowd, so I gently pushed my way through. At first, I¡¯d catch an angry glare, but they parted for me when they saw who it was.


    Ersabet saw my haggard self as I emerged from the crowd. I gave her a thumbs up, which she returned with a neutral nod.


    At the far end of the ring, an unconscious human was being carried out. He was a big guy, but it seemed like she had no trouble dealing with him.


    ¡°And now, we ask that a second-tier fighter steps forward to face our newest initiate!¡± Roan said.


    The crowd gasped when a new Kurksin stepped forward. Apparently, this was seen as odd from the audience''s perspective.


    Ersabet didn¡¯t seem to mind her new opponent one bit. ¡°Please introduce yourself to me before I dispatch you.¡±


    The Kurskin hissed at her. ¡°If you want my name, come take it. Defeat me, and I will tell you.¡±


    Ersabet shrugged. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Roan started the match, and the Kurskin bolted forward and went low for a tailsweep. With a graceful side flip, Ersabet avoided the tail and positioned herself to land a swift punch into the crouched Kurskin¡¯s face.


    He scrambled backward and rose to his feet. He showed his teeth and attacked, but Ersabet had better range, and she could keep him from getting close enough to land a serious blow.


    The way she moved in combat mesmerized me. She was so fluid, never wasting energy. She bobbed and weaved like she was as weightless as a flower. Her every move was calculated and executed with precision.


    She was terrifying. And beautiful.


    The Kurskin had thrown and wasted at least thirty punches in less than a minute, not including the kicks he had failed to land. He was tiring quickly; his strikes were slowing.


    When Ersabet landed a stiff knee on his side, the direction of the fight changed dramatically. The Kurskin almost caught her with a right hook but missed by an inch. Ersabet punched the spot she had just injured, and the Kurskin yelled out in pain.


    She leaped into the air, and I thought she was going to kick him in the face for a moment, but instead, she wrapped one leg around his throat and the other around the back of his neck. She spun around him until she had enough momentum to make her move. She twisted her hips and launched the Kurskin hard onto his back, her legs still wrapped tightly around his throat.


    ¡°Do you yield?¡± she asked him in a sweet tone.


    His only response was a muffled hiss as he tried desperately to pry her leg from his throat.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The muscles in Ersabet¡¯s long legs flexed even more as she tightened the hold on the Kurskin.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The lizard¡¯s eyes bulged, and with three taps on her leg, he submitted.


    Ersabet released him immediately and hopped up to her feet. There were cheers, but I noticed those cheers only came from the humans.


    I whooped and gave her a double thumbs up again, and she winked at me. I wouldn¡¯t have believed it possible, but I saw it for myself. Ersabet had a personality underneath that frozen, ¡®holier than thou¡¯ exterior.


    ¡°A decisive victory for Ersabet!¡± Roan shouted into the crowd of Hunters. She and her companion, John, have already proven they have what it takes to join us in most of our hunts.¡± Roan held up a finger. ¡°But not all.¡± He wiggled his finger. ¡°No, no. There are some monstrosities in this world that even the best of us might fail to subdue. If your goal is to take down a category three unnatural being someday, you must rise to the top rank of the Hunters.¡±


    He turned to Ersabet. ¡°Do you wish to continue?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Then send out a man or woman who can truly test her mettle!¡± Roan bellowed.


    On the other side of the ring, a group of Kurskins, including Djadja, argued about who should step forward. I could tell that Djadja was campaigning for himself, but there was another challenger. He was a big lizard. His bare arms were dusty white, and his face had a light blue tint, which dazzled his brilliant blue eyes ever so eerily.


    After some time, Big Boy won out over Djadja, and so the blue-white monstrosity of a Kurskin stepped into the ring.¡±


    And that¡¯s when Ersabet started laughing.


    ¡°What is so funny, blue demon?¡± her opponent said.


    Ersabet regained her composure and pointed to him, ¡°I know you. You were an arena duelist. But I don¡¯t remember seeing you win anything. You¡¯re no fearsome opponent like Prajio Vrentris. You¡¯re the bottom rung of the ladder he used to climb to the top.¡±


    Enraged, the Kurskin bolted forward, attempting to tackle Ersabet to the ground, but the woman flipped seven feet in the air and landed gracefully behind him. She then rocketed her shin right under his tail and between his confused butt cheeks.


    The Kurskin howled in pain and collapsed to the ground. Ersabet leaped onto its scaly back, and all he could do was gasp for breath.


    He stood on all fours, unwilling to fall to the stone floor. Ersabet sat atop his back, her legs locked in a death grip around his throat.


    The Kurskin didn¡¯t have the strength to dislodge her. He couldn¡¯t outlast her, yet he refused to give up.


    All it took was for Ersabet to lean back a few more inches, tightening her leg¡¯s pressure on his throat, for him to fall to the ground, unconscious.


    Roan rushed in to check and make sure the Kurskin was alive. I took note that he checked for a pulse in a similar way as he did with humans, just below the base of the jaw.


    It seemed that the Kurskin did indeed have a pulse because Master Roan said, ¡°Can two or three men please help me get Hunter Vrito out of the ring? He¡¯ll wake up soon enough.¡±


    Two humans and Djadja came forward to carry the fallen out of the ring. They¡¯d try to wake him outside the circle of onlookers.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen,¡± Master Roan said, his voice proud and powerful. Today, we have been honored. Mother Erda herself has blessed us with an individual who has the potential to greatly aid our endless quest to rid this world of malevolent beasts, unnatural beings, and monsters that do not belong. Today, fellow Hunters, we celebrate our two new, and dare I say, astonishingly formidable members!¡±


    The crowd erupted into cheers, and Roan gestured me forward. He grabbed mine and Ersabet¡¯s hands and raised them in the air. The crowd cheered again, louder this time. They began to change ¡®hunter, hunter,¡¯ but I noticed a certain demographic was not engaging in the celebrations. Each and every Kurskin looked like they wanted to cut my throat.


    The hatred they were projecting towards me paled in comparison to Ersabet. From the look in their eyes, I¡¯d be surprised if Ersabet survived the night.


    Master Roan had a few more proclamations, but the only one I heard was about an initiation party. It would be held later tonight.


    Honestly, I could use a party. My thoughts had been teetering too much into the dark side lately, and that¡¯s a big no-no for me. Sometimes, it seemed like everything was hopeless, like there was no good in this world. When I thought like that, it made it easier to hate. Like the way I hated Prajio. Like the way I hated all the Kurskins. I didn¡¯t know if I hated Ersabet. I didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t want to because I liked her. I thought she was someone worth being friends with. I was beginning to understand her. She was here for a chance to have her name etched in history, but she was also a person, complex and enigmatic. I couldn¡¯t hate what I didn¡¯t know, so maybe I didn¡¯t entirely hate her.


    I¡¯d have to think about the rest of the Dalari, though. At the moment, they were pretty high on my list of enemies.


    The point was that a party might cheer me up and clear my mind of these wasted thoughts. Hopefully, there would be alcohol.

 Chapter 46 - Drinks and New Friends

    There was alcohol, food, and even music. A small three-person band comprised of one piper, a mandolin player, and a fellow with two congas and a barrel drum played quick, catchy tunes.


    After completing our tests earlier, we officially became Hunters. We were allowed to retire to two private rooms to clean up and rest. My cold stone room had a shallow mat on the ground and a blanket that looked to be made of burlap. I doubted I would be sleeping here much, especially when there was a perfectly fine bed at a perfectly affordable inn just down the block.


    This room did have plumbing, though. In the corner of the stone room, a faucet jutted from the wall with a drain on the ground. The floor was sloped slightly to allow the water to drain properly. It was about waist-high, but I had washed myself as best as I could and then collapsed into bed.


    I had woken up to a knock at my door. I didn¡¯t get up. So, as is the nature of things, Ersabet kicked my door open.


    She kindly informed me that I had thirty minutes to prepare for the party, and there was no way she was going alone.  I did as commanded.


    We were in the same chamber where our fights had been held, but now the floor was covered in a scattering of tables and chairs, and there were drinks and plenty of food to go around.


    The room was packed with rough-looking men and women. I knew that each and every one of them was likely more than capable of a fight. It was a shame that they were wasting their time hunting monsters in the wild while the real monsters played games in our world.


    Ersabet and I found a table near the back.  She had changed into tight black, padded leggings and a matching heavy long-sleeve that hit her form snugly. I had no idea what fabric her clothes were made of.


    I beckoned for a waiter and ordered a ¡®normal human wine.¡¯ Ersabet said she would have what I was having.


    We then proceeded to drink until we achieved that perfect level of intoxication, where your inhibitions were limited, but your wits remained¡­for the most part.


    Many of the human Hunters came to congratulate and welcome us, but the lizards stayed on their side of the room.


    What was the fun of playing in a fantasy world if you didn¡¯t get to know the local inhabitants? Oh, right, because the Kurs would more likely kill the locals than actually befriend them.


    Except for Prajio. He had seemed more than willing to form relationships with locals. It was saddened that things ended as they had with Prajio, but it was likely for the best. He didn¡¯t know what I was, only that I was out of place, an anomaly. And for that, he was willing to kill me.


    Well, to be fair, I also lied to him, but still, it showed me who he truly was.


    I glanced at Ersabet. She had accepted me without question. While I thought she was good, I knew she was motivated by her own self-interest, and her true nature remained a mystery to me.


    My thoughts were interrupted when a woman came to greet me at the table. I stood when I saw Minna, the woman I had barely defeated earlier in the day.


    ¡°That was a great fight,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could have beaten you without fighting a little dirty.¡±


    She raised her mug of ale to me. ¡°Monsters fight dirty, and so must we.¡±


    I raised my wine glass to her. ¡°Here¡¯s to only getting my ass kicked a little bit.¡± I took a drink.


    Minna took a drink and looked at Ersabet. ¡°How¡¯d you get tied up with this one?¡±


    ¡°It is a long story,¡± Ersabet said dryly. ¡°Too long for you to worry over. You fought well today.¡±


    Minna beamed at the praise. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You were amazing out there. I¡¯ve never seen anyone fight like you before.¡±


    Ersabet glanced toward the other side of the room where the Kurskins gathered. ¡°While I enjoyed displaying my abilities, I don¡¯t think it helped me make any friends.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Minna winced. ¡°The Kurskins here don¡¯t really make friends. They travel with us on hunts but mostly boss us around like they¡¯re in charge.¡± Minna crossed her arms. ¡°Just because someone is stronger than you, it doesn¡¯t make them better than you.¡±


    ¡°Here, here,¡± I said and took a drink. ¡°So, do any of the Hunters like them?¡±


    ¡°Not really,¡± Minna said.


    ¡°So why are they here?¡±


    Minna shrugged. ¡°Master Roan accepts all who are willing to join in his crusade to rid the world of monsters.¡±


    I decided to hold my tongue and changed the subject. ¡°How do things work around here, Minna? Now that we¡¯re in, how do we get assigned hunts?¡±


    ¡°To start, there¡¯s a poster board in the trophy room that has information on active targets. Sometimes, we¡¯ll get a call about a werewolf sighting or something that requires immediate attention and dispatch a team.¡±


    ¡°Hold up,¡± I said. ¡°Werewolves are real?¡± It was strange not to know what was real and what wasn¡¯t in the world I supposedly grew up in.  ¡°I¡¯m going to have to be more careful during full moon now.¡±


    She looked at me strangely. ¡°Yes, werewolves are real. And what does a full moon have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡®Val, a little werewolf lore would be nice right about now.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯d prefer to see how this plays out.¡¯


    I mentally growled at her. I hoped she could feel it or sense it or something.


    Delicately, I asked, ¡°Don¡¯t people only turn into a werewolf during a full moon?¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not. Once a person is turned into a werewolf, they retain that form forever.¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°For someone who wants to hunt monsters, you sure don¡¯t know much about them.¡±


    ¡°I know I don¡¯t like them,¡± I said. ¡°I figure that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Minna grinned. ¡°Best take me on your first hunt if you want to survive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but haven¡¯t you seen my best friend and bodyguard?¡± I gestured to Ersabet. ¡°We can handle ourselves just fine.¡±


    ¡°One day, John,¡± Ersabet said with a sigh. ¡°You will annoy me to such an extent that I will have no choice but to break your fingers one by one. Not even your pretty human pinky will be safe. Exercise caution, John.¡±


    ¡°Do you think my pinky is pretty?¡± I asked with a grin.


    Before I could react, Ersabet leaned forward and slapped me hard across the face.


    Minna broke out into laughter. ¡°You brought that on yourself.¡±


    I touched my tender cheek and winced. ¡°It was an innocent question.¡±


    ¡°It was a deliberate attempt to make a mockery of my threat,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°As Minna said, you forced my hand.¡±


    I needed some male friends¡­ but not the kind of male that was currently walking towards our table.


    It was Djadja. Drunk me wanted to call him Jar Jar, but that could get me in trouble. Maybe Djadja was a fan of Star Wars.


    I tried to meet his eyes as he approached, but he was locked onto Ersabet. She met his gaze coolly.


    The disrespect irked me, so I stood and blocked his path and stuck out my hand. ¡°Pleasure to see you again Djadja.¡± I pointed to bruising on the left side of my face. ¡°You sure pack a lot of power in those little arms of yours.¡±


    Finally, his eyes turned to mine. He cocked his head and looked at his arms. They were shorter and thinner than an average human''s arms, but they were sinewy and could execute a punch twice as fast as any human could.


    ¡°You mock me, yet you lost the fight,¡± Djadja said. ¡°I do not understand. Shall I knock you out again?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no need for that,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of playful banter.¡±


    He huffed. ¡°I am not here to play a game with you, human.¡±


    How ironic.


    Ersabet laughed at him. ¡°Not here to play a game, huh?¡± She raised her glass to him. ¡°I sure am.¡± She finished off her drink. ¡°And I plan to win this game. Remember my name, Djadja, for it will be etched into our history.¡±


    Djadja snarled. ¡°Something tells me you won¡¯t live long enough to accomplish anything worth remembering.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. Is that a threat?¡± Ersabet asked.


    He bowed gracefully, his tail curling inward as he did so. ¡°It is a promise, dear Dalari.¡±


    And with that, Djadja turned around and walked away.


    ¡°Sooo, that doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± I said.


    Minna spit on the ground. ¡°Those Kurskins really can be bastards sometimes.¡±


    I laughed sourly. ¡°Bastards? We¡¯re monster hunters, aren¡¯t we? I¡¯ll tell you this. I know the Kurskins well. I know them better than any human on earth, and I can assure you, Minna, that they are the true monsters. And they are far more brutal and powerful than any abomination you¡¯ve ever hunted.¡±


    Minna looked around nervously, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be saying that.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t speak the truth?¡±


    ¡°The Kurskins are our brethren,¡± she said.


    ¡°Would one die for you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°They are using you,¡± I said. ¡°You mean nothing to them. They invaded our lands and homes and are taking over multiple guilds and organizations. You must see how little they care for humans.¡±


    Minna looked at the floor, not speaking.


    ¡°Look, Minna, I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯ve been offended by what I¡¯ve said. But, it¡¯s important you know the truth about them. The only thing humans and Kurskins have in common is that we¡¯re both sentient beings. The similarities end there.¡±


    ¡°I understand what you are saying, John,¡± Minna said. ¡°But this is not the right time or place for such words. Please, excuse me.¡± She smiled sadly and wandered off, leaving me alone with Ersabet.


    ¡°Think they¡¯re going to try to kill you tonight?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°No, not tonight. Killing another Hunter is against the rules. They won¡¯t do it on these grounds. Perhaps they¡¯ll make their move during a hunt.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Why is this good?¡± Ersabet asked.


    ¡°I have a plan. Well, it¡¯s more of a spark of an idea, but I¡¯m sure it will grow into a plan. Just give me some time.¡±


    ¡°You can have until tomorrow when we embark on our first hunt. We''ll have company, no doubt."


    ¡°I¡¯m counting on it.¡±

 Chapter 47 - The Real Endgame

    The party continued long after Ersabet and I left for our rooms. I could still hear laughter and song echoing through the stone halls of the building.


    I went to my room and collapsed onto my bed, taking a moment to simply relax.


    The party had been fun. I had met a few more of the human Hunters. They seemed like nice enough folk to me, at least as nice as monster-killing folk could be.


    Thankfully, there was no more drama with the Kurskins, but Djadja¡¯s message couldn¡¯t have been clearer. They were coming for Ersabet. It seemed more out of lost pride than any reason related to the war between their people.


    Just another piece of shit added to the ever-growing pile of shit I found myself in.


    I couldn¡¯t help but to continually question myself and my goals. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing, and the only goal I had at the moment was to get these people to stop hunting Kitz. But my distress was underlined by my indecision on exactly how I should go about playing this fucked-up game. Val just wanted me to get stronger, and I did want that. But I also wanted to help my people. I wanted to protect them from the evils of the Triarchy. My goal should be to become a thorn in their side, to kill as many of them as I could, but instead I¡¯ve been questing, playing the game.


    I told myself that once I got this quest over with, I¡¯d start playing a different type of game. But first, I needed to save Kitz.


    ¡®Hey Val, I need to run some things by you.¡±


    She popped into existence in a wooden chair on the other end of my small room at the Hunters lodge. She had her red hair up in a messy bun, but of course, she still wore a black dress. Although, this one was a more casual style than I would normally see her in.


    ¡®Whatever may I do for you, my dear?¡¯


    I had been lying in my bed, so I moved to sit on the edge. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about Kitz¡¯s quest, well, the reverse side of Kitz¡¯s quest, actually. Now that I¡¯m a Hunter, can I accept a quest to hunt Kitz?¡±


    ¡®Yes, you can. Kitz¡¯s information and presumed location are on the Job Board. You haven¡¯t interacted with a Job Board yet, but it''s simple. There are multiple Quests to choose from. It¡¯s just a piece of paper with some information on it, but if you remove that piece of paper from the Job Board, it will become an official quest.¡¯


    ¡°What is required to complete the Hunter¡¯s quest for Kitz?¡±


    ¡®To put it simply: Wanted, dead or alive,¡¯ Val said. ¡®There¡¯s a better reward for bringing him in alive, which, lucky for him, saved his life.¡¯


    ¡°Won¡¯t they just kill him when they bring him here?¡±


    ¡®Yes. Master Roan will offer little Kitz¡¯s life as a gift to Mother Erda. He believes She will bless himself and his flock.¡¯


    ¡°Wait, did I just join a cult?¡±


    ¡°In a way, yes. But it is really only Master Roan and a few others who are devout. The rest of the human Hunters just want to make money to feed their family. It pays well if you have the heart for it.¡±


    That was good to hear. I hoped Minna was one of the sane ones.


    ¡°Okay, back to Kitz. Can I cheat the system and fake his death, thus saving him?¡±


    ¡®In real life, you could,¡¯ Val said. ¡®But under the System, it won¡¯t work. Proof of death for the Hunters is both hands and both ears. Parts may vary depending on the creature. But it would be hands and ears for Kitz. If you were to acquire someone else¡¯s hands and ears and tried to pass them off as Kitz to Master Roan, you may get past him, but you won¡¯t get past the System. It will know Kitz still lives, and the contract will not expire. You¡¯ll receive no System-generated reward or experience, and poor Master Roan will write up another contract for Kitz the following day, not even realizing he¡¯s doing it. The System will not let you cheat a quest.¡¯Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°Well, there goes Plan A,¡± I said, frustrated.


    ¡®Do you have a Plan B?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s complicated. And a long shot.¡±


    ¡®Now you must tell me.¡¯ She leaned forward. ¡®Let me help you, Ethan. I know we¡¯ve had our differences, but I¡¯m on your side until the end.¡¯


    I looked at her for a moment, meeting her beautiful gaze. Her gentle smile made it hard to hate her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the end?¡± I said.


    Val cocked her head. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯


    ¡°I mean, what¡¯s your endgame? What are you using me for? How are we going to save the world?¡±


    ¡®Must you always ask multiple questions at once? It is supremely annoying.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I said.


    ¡®Our current endgame is to steal a Voxal Controller.¡¯


    ¡°And what will you do with it after you recharge yourself?¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t do anything with it,¡± she said, a sneer on her face. ¡®It requires physical touch to use. You will be the one who uses it to recharge me, and you will be the one who uses it to save the world.¡¯


    ¡°You told me the Controller would help me find my wife and recharge you. You didn¡¯t mention anything about us using it to save the whole freaking world, Val.¡±


    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you.¡¯


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°So, how will this device let me save the world?¡±


    ¡®With the Controller, you will have access to every skill, ability, and spell in the game. Plus, with me aiding you, you can alter the local coding. You will be a god but only within its allowed coding field, which is about a twenty-yard radius around you.¡¯


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡®Then you save the world.¡¯


    I was growing frustrated. ¡°How Val? How do I save the world? Spit it out!¡±


    She crossed her arms. ¡®Fine. I guess there¡¯s no harm in telling you the plan at this point.¡¯ She let a long breath of annoyance. ¡®We make you invincible, fly to the troposphere, and locate the generator for the zero-point energy field. It¡¯s like a space station.  Once we¡¯re there, you kill everyone, and we take over. At that facility, we can alter anything within the field however we please. We can turn all the Kurskins into sheep if you want.¡¯


    ¡°Can we bring back all the people that weren¡¯t reconstituted?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡®No, their organic essence was used in other ways. Their molecules are too far scattered to find. However, we could bring peace to those who still live.¡¯


    I already knew those who weren¡¯t rebuilt for the game were likely long gone, but it still hurt to have it confirmed. At least there was some hope for those who lived. I prayed again that my wife was among them.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you tell me all this earlier? If there¡¯s a chance I can save the rest of the humans on Earth, you know I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡®The only future you should be looking forward to is tomorrow. Your only mission right now is to grow stronger, learn to fight properly and stay alive. Stealing the Voxal Controller should be the last thing on your mind.¡¯


    I nodded. ¡°I understand. Still, you could have just told me.¡±


    ¡®We are speaking in circles now, Ethan. May we please get back to the subject at hand?¡¯


    I looked at her, confused. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re Plan B, you nincompoop! What is your plan to complete this ridiculous quest?¡¯


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said. Val¡¯s revelations had caused me to completely forget why I had talked to her in the first place. ¡°Master Roan is a special NPC right? Like Tara?¡±


    ¡®He is.¡¯


    ¡°How much free will does he have? Can he be influenced to kick the Kurskins out?¡±


    ¡®Master Roan¡¯s programming is quite thorough, from what I can tell. He exists solely to provide Players with a continuous line of quests. You¡¯d have better luck convincing him to kick out all the humans before he ever thinks about kicking out a Player.¡¯


    Damn, I had been worried that that was the case with Roan.


    ¡°Hypothetically, what would happen if he died or was forced out of leadership?¡± I said.


    ¡®His shadow, who you have not yet met, would take over operations. He would act in a similar manner as Roan.¡¯


    ¡°And if he dies?¡±


    ¡®Then the Hunters are no more unless someone steps up to lead them.¡¯


    Well, that was one way I could end this quest, but I wasn¡¯t about to murder two innocent humans who had no control over their actions. I would have to find a way to force them out.


    ¡°What about the rest of the Hunters? Do you know anything about them? Are any of them special NPCs?¡±


    ¡®No, they are just ordinary humans. They¡¯ve chosen to become a Hunter for a myriad of reasons. Some of those reasons could be due to their prefabricated history, but none of them are purposefully programmed.¡¯


    Good. That meant I might be able to sway them to my cause. If these Hunters truly wanted to rid the world of monsters, I would find a way to show them the truth, to show them that they were hunting the entirely wrong sort of monsters.

 Chapter 48 - Confrontation

    The following day, Ersabet and I received our first contract for a monster hunt. Rumors were circulating about lost draugr in one of the rarely used northern passes through the mountains.


    Our mission was to investigate this rumor and, if true, dispatch the undead. If there were draugr, it meant there was a tomb nearby, and so we would search for and seal that tomb to prevent more draugr from wandering around where they didn¡¯t belong.


    It was midday now, and we were about a mile away from the base of the mountains. We would travel north another ten miles today, make camp, and then search for the mountain pass the following day.


    I was joined on this hunt by Ersabet, Minna, and one of Minna¡¯s friends, Harl. That wasn¡¯t all, though. Djadja and the Kurskin who had fought Ersabet, his name was Surach, tagged along for the ride. They claimed they were going to support us on our first hunt, but I knew the real reason was something else entirely. I didn¡¯t know when they would make their move, but it was clear as day that they would. Ersabet was their target, but I didn¡¯t believe they cared about collateral damage for a second.


    I spent most of our hike speaking with Minna and Harl. I had already liked Minna, but Harl was just as likable. He was the practical sort and smarter than expected. Plus, he knew how to take a joke, a trait some of my other travel companions lacked.


    As we continued our hike to where we would set up camp, I thought it would be a good time to learn more about what we were up against.


    ¡°What can you tell me about draugr?¡± I asked Minna.


    ¡°They are the undead,¡± she said. ¡°Draugr typically stay within their tomb to guard against any would-be grave robbers. They do not often leave their tombs, and I haven¡¯t the faintest guess why they would.¡±


    ¡°Maybe whoever reported the rumor to Master Roan got it wrong,¡± I said. ¡°If they don¡¯t leave their burial grounds, it seems unlikely we¡¯re hunting for an actual draugr. Maybe it¡¯s a different type of monster.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought the same. But, there¡¯s only one way for us to find out.¡±


    ¡°Just in case it is a real draugr, how does one kill it?¡±


    ¡°You must decapitate it and then burn the body.¡± Minna jabbed a fist at my side. ¡°I hope you can read because you have much studying to do if you¡¯re this clueless. I have a bestiary back in Danver. You can borrow it when we get back.¡±


    I rubbed at my side. ¡°Ouch. And thank you.¡±


    We continued walking and chatting for hours. Finally, when the sun fell low in the sky, I decided we had walked enough for one day. There was a shallow pond about fifty yards away and plenty of nearby tree cover. It was a good spot, and I confirmed with Val that we were within five miles of the mountain pass. We could get a good night¡¯s rest and find it easily in the morning.


    ¡°How about we camp here?¡± I said in a loud voice for all to hear.


    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Minna said.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Seconded,¡± Ersabet said.


    ¡°Who put you in charge?¡± Surach said. Next to informing me he was coming along on this hunt for support, this was the first thing he had said to me all day.


    I removed the backpack I had been given for this trip and laid it on the ground. It felt good to have that weight off, and I stretched and rubbed at my shoulders. ¡°This is a perfect place to camp. And as far as who¡¯s in charge, I¡¯d say we¡¯re all equals here.¡±


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Minna and Harl flinch. Ersabet was as calm as ever.


    Djadja laughed out loud, but Surach hissed. ¡°We are not equal,¡± he said. ¡°I am a Kurskin. To you, I may as well be a god.¡±


    Talk about an overinflated ego. Now, it was my turn to laugh. ¡°There ain¡¯t nothing godly about your sour ass, Surach.¡±


    He stalked forward, furious at my insult. Ersabet stepped before me and stood casually with her hands on her hips.


    It annoyed me that she intervened. I was intentionally antagonizing him.


    ¡°Get out of the way, Dalari,¡± Surach said in a low, raspy voice.


    ¡°Are you going to attack my companion?¡± she said.


    ¡°Just going to teach him to respect his betters.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°Like the lesson I taught you in our fight yesterday.¡±


    Surach¡¯s eyes flashed with rage.


    ¡°Since that fight established that I am your better and you believe the strongest should be in charge,¡± she said.  ¡°I will humbly accept your request to lead this party.¡±


    ¡°Careful, Dalari.¡±


    Ersabet cocked her head. ¡°Be careful of what? It¡¯s against the rules to kill a fellow Hunter. Surely, someone with your integrity would never break a rule.¡± She gave him a patronizing smile and turned around. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s rest here for the night.¡±


    I saw it coming too late to alert her. Surach spun around, sending a powerful tail sweep into Ersabet¡¯s legs. It connected just as I yelled out. Ersabet¡¯s legs flew out from underneath her, and she fell sideways, hitting the ground hard at an awkward angle.


    Without thinking, I stepped toward Surach, activated Devastating Strike, and punched him in the side of the head as hard as possible.


    Pain erupted from my right hand as I connected with his scaled skin. He fell to the ground, stunned by the unexpectedly powerful blow.


    I looked to Ersabet. She was regaining her feet, but I could tell she was still disoriented from the attack.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw movement. It was Djadja charging forward at me. I turned to face him and realized the bastard had his sword out. He was going to kill me!


    I reached for my sword, but before I could pull it from my hip, Djadja made his attack. Everything seemed to slow, and it was as clear as day that his overhand attack would be coming from above his right shoulder. He would slice down at a forty-five-degree angle, and so right before he did, I rolled to my left and dodged it.


    When I stood, I pulled out my sword and prepared to engage. Before I could, the ground underneath Djadja trembled, and he collapsed into the earth as if swallowed by quicksand.


    Ersabet ended the spell, trapping him up to his belly in hard-packed earth.


    And then I was hit by a train.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t actually a train, but it had felt like one when Surach shoulder-tackled me from the side and landed atop me.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die for that,¡± he hissed at me.


    If I wanted to reply, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to as the breath had been thoroughly knocked out of me.


    I tried and failed to gasp as his scaled fist filled my vision right before it connected with my face. My vision blurred, and my thoughts scattered from that single blow.


    I waited for the second blow, but it never came. Surach was moving atop me, and then suddenly, he rolled off me.


    Through my busted vision, I saw two figures on top of Surach. It was Minna and Harl, but their attack only bought me a little time as Surach easily threw them off.


    He stood back up and faced me. He stepped forward as a blue shadow appeared behind him. Surach fell to his knees. I thought Ersabet kicked the back of his legs, but my vision was still too blurry to fully make sense of what was happening.


    The next thing I knew, she had him in an unbreakable chokehold. It seemed like an eternity before he finally went limp, but eventually, his struggle ceased, and he fell unconscious.


    I took a queue from Surach and closed my eyes. A little nap was just what the doctor ordered.

 Chapter 49 - A Piece of Truth

    When I came back to reality and opened my eyes, the only thing I could see was Minna¡¯s face.


    She grinned. ¡°He¡¯s awake!¡±


    Slowly, Minna helped me sit up. ¡°You look a mess,¡± she said. ¡°Harl took the liberty of resetting your broken nose while you were asleep. Didn¡¯t think it would ever stop bleeding, but all seems well now.¡±


    I moved my hand up to touch my nose. It was swollen and tender to the touch, but at least it wasn¡¯t crooked. Surach had punched me so hard it felt like my entire face had been crushed, so I counted my blessings that it was just my nose.


    I looked around the camp and saw Djadja still buried in the ground up to his belly. It seemed he had given up on trying to free himself and had accepted his current situation for what it was. Next to him, Surach was laid out on the ground, arms and legs bound together with a tight cord.


    This wasn¡¯t exactly what I had in mind for my master plan. I hadn¡¯t expected the Kurskins to turn on us so quickly, but I felt like I could make this work.  I didn¡¯t really have much of a choice now, anyway.


    My eyes found Ersabet sitting on a rock. She gestured to the subdued Kurskins and said, ¡°I thought you might like a word with these two, so I refrained from killing them. You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    I nodded and felt a strange sense of pride that Ersabet trusted in me. She knew I had a plan that involved these Kurskins; she just didn¡¯t know what. Yet, here she was, being helpful and having faith that I knew what I was doing.


    Minna helped me stand. She let me put my arm over her shoulder as she pulled me up. When I was fully upright, I pulled her into a hug. ¡°You saved my life, Minna. Thank you.¡±


    I released the hug, and her brown cheeks flushed red. I looked at Harl, opened my arms to him, and gave him a cheesy smile.


    He waved me off. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    I took a deep breath, grateful to be alive and around people I could trust. Harl and Minna hadn¡¯t hesitated to jump into the fight, and that was no small matter considering the strength of their opponent. It gave me hope that others might be willing to fight back. All they needed was a good reason and a little push.


    I looked at Minna. ¡°Told you they were the real monsters. ¡°Believe me now?¡±


    She put her hands on her hips. ¡°I believed you before. We all hate the Kurskins. They¡¯re bullies and treat us like servants. But they kill monsters better than anyone, and that¡¯s all Master Roan cares about.¡±


    ¡°Seems like Master Roan has his priorities wrong.¡±


    Minna and Harl froze at those words, shocked that anyone would dare utter such blasphemy.


    ¡°The truth can be uncomfortable,¡± I continued. ¡°Hunters don¡¯t kill other Hunters, yet these scaly bastards were ready to kill me for saying we were all equals. Our lives mean nothing to them.¡±


    I paused and looked down at the ground, considering my words. ¡°I was wrong when I said we were all equal, though. We aren¡¯t equal with the Kurskins. We¡¯re above them. They¡¯re no better than the draugr we were after.¡±


    I turned to look at the subdued lizards. Ersabet had gagged them, but their eyes spoke plenty. The hatred they could convey through those slitted pupils made me shiver.


    Pushing aside my fear of them, I walked toward Surach and crouched next to him. He struggled to free himself as he glared at me.


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    ¡°Who¡¯s in charge now, Surach?¡± I gave him a toothy, blood-tinged grin.


    I stood back up and paced before the two Kurskins. My stomach lurched from what I was about to do, but I knew it was the right thing. It was time to change how I played this game. It was time to fight back.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do,¡± I said. ¡°One of you assholes is going to tell Minna and Harl the truth of your origin. Not everything of course, we don¡¯t want to fry their brains, but you are going to make your origin and intentions regarding humanity very clear, is that understood?¡±


    From the looks in their eyes, they weren¡¯t keen on complying.


    ¡°I should mention that I will kill whichever one of you keeps quiet. So that¡¯s the deal: one of you tells Minna and Harl the truth and gets to live. The other dies. First come, first serve.¡±


    I put my hands on my hips and casually said, ¡°So, who wants to live?¡±


    Both Kurskins tried to speak through their gags, so I indicated that Ersabet should remove them.


    She took off Surach¡¯s first.


    ¡°You will die,¡± he said immediately. ¡°I will rip your heart out and eat it for dinner. If you even think that¡­¡± His words were cut off as Ersabet reapplied the gag.


    ¡°Smart,¡± I said to her. ¡°Let¡¯s hope Djadja has a little more sense.¡±


    Ersabet freed Djadja to speak.


    He waited a moment before saying, ¡°How do I know you will not just kill me anyway?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t. But you will for sure die if you don¡¯t talk, so I¡¯d get going if I were you.¡±


    I stepped aside, so he could clearly see Minna and Harl. From the looks on their faces, they wanted to hear what he had to say.


    ¡°What exactly do you want me to tell them?¡± Djadja asked.


    ¡°Tell them where you and the other Kurskins came from.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. He looked to Harl and Minna. ¡°We are far from the Church¡¯s reach, so I already doubt you two believe in the doctrine like the other humans in central Erda. Still, I will tell you the truth. My people are not divine as the Church claims. Both the Kurskins and the Dalari came across the sea, from the other side of the world.¡±


    I soccer-kicked him in the face as hard as I could. Even with my enhanced strength, it didn¡¯t cause any real injury, but it sure pissed him off.


    He turned on me, furious. ¡°What was that for? I did what you asked.¡±


    I met his cold gaze with one of my own. ¡°You told them a carefully crafted lie about your origins. Now, it¡¯s time to tell them your true origins. There is only one right answer, and if you get it wrong, I¡¯ll end your game right here, right now.¡±


    My emphasis on the word ¡®game¡¯ made his eyes widen. They darted around as if looking for a way out, but Djadja was helpless, and I was in control.


    ¡°Right now,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re wondering if your assumption about what I know is correct. I assure you it is.¡±


    The surprise left his face, and it wrinkled with disgust.


    I gave him my best disapproving glare until his expression finally changed into one of resignation.


    He sighed. ¡°We are not from Erda. We are not from this world. We come from one of the stars in your night sky, one that is too distant for you even to see.¡±


    Minna and Harl were motionless, eyes wide as saucers.


    I patted Djadja head. ¡°Good boy. Now, tell them about your true intentions with humans on this planet, and do it in a way that they will understand.¡±


    His left eye twitched in anger, but he complied. ¡°Humans are beneath both the Kurskin,¡± his eyes flicked to Ersabet, ¡°and the Dalari. To us, humans are nothing more than pawns. You are our slaves. You are tools for our amusement.¡±


    I patted him again. ¡°Perfect, Djadja. I couldn¡¯t have said it better myself. Ersabet, gag him.¡±


    I walked to Minna and Harl, who looked at me with an uncomfortable reverence as I approached.


    ¡°There you have it,¡± I said. ¡°And it¡¯s the truth. The Kurskins and the Dalari aren¡¯t enemies, at least not beyond this world. The Kurskins didn¡¯t come here to defend humans from the Dalari.  They came here together to subjugate humans and to eventually eradicate them.¡±


    I glanced at Ersabet. ¡°But there are still some good among them like Ersabet.¡± It was best not to turn my new allies against her.


    ¡°Why?¡± was all Minna had to say.


    ¡°Because they are evil,¡± I said.  ¡°Because they are monsters.¡±


    I met Harl¡¯s eye and could see a spark of fanaticism growing there, waiting for someone to ignite it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time we make some changes with the Hunters,¡± I said. ¡°Will you stand with me?¡±


    ¡°Aye,¡± said Harl. ¡°My axe is yours henceforth.¡±


    I looked at Minna. ¡°Are you in, Minna? It won¡¯t be easy, and I doubt Roan would be on our side, even if he heard the truth for himself.¡±


    ¡°Most of the others won¡¯t believe it either,¡± she said. ¡°Not unless they hear it for themselves.¡± She looked to Djadja.  ¡°We need to bring him back.¡±


    ¡°That could be dangerous,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s going to try to kill us the first chance he gets.¡±


    ¡°Not with me around,¡± Ersabet said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep him on a short leash.¡±


    I patted his head again, doing my best to humiliate him. ¡°I know you thought this was over, and I will keep my word about letting you go, but it seems you have a little more work to do.¡±


    I stepped away from him and pointed a thumb at Surach. ¡°I have to go kill your friend now. After that, I¡¯ll dig you up.¡±

 Chapter 50 - The Messenger

    Surach¡¯s death was worth two hundred experience points, but it wasn¡¯t quite enough to get me to level six.


    I was surprised by how easily I killed an unarmed prisoner. Back in the real world, I would have considered it a crime, but now, it felt justified, and my heart didn¡¯t skip a beat when I jabbed my dagger into his throat. He would have done the same to me.


    After he was dead, I looted him for all he was worth. Unfortunately, all the items in his quantum inventory weren¡¯t lootable. Val had told me that everything in the quantum inventory was returned to the System upon death. Only those who survived until the end got to bring their loot and quantized materials beyond the sphere.


    Surach had a beautiful longsword. The blade was dark steel and razor sharp with one side hosting etchings of what looked like the script of the Ancients. It was the first thing I took.


    Sword of the Ancient Razor Knight


    Thousands of years ago, when the Ancients still walked upon the earth, a fearsome warrior known as the Razor Knight wielded this sword. While the blade is sharp, an Ancient Inscription gives one side an edge over the other. (See what I did there, John. That pun was for you.) The enchanted side of the blade can cut through most objects, including lower-quality shields and swords.


    I let out a whistle, happy to finally get some powerful loot. This blade could be a game-changer for me, but before I got lost in all the scenarios it could save my butt in, I went back to looting.


    Surach¡¯s armor was similar to what I had stolen from the Kurskins, who had trapped Kitz, but I sent it to my inventory anyway. I was sure it was worth a pretty penny.


    I wished that the Kurskins wore boots because mine were in poor shape. I¡¯d have to do some shopping when I made it back to Danver.


    After I started an insurrection, of course. That was priority number one.


    We double-checked our bindings on Djadja before going about the business of digging him out of his hole. Harl and I located some sharp rocks, and we had the poor guy out in less than an hour.


    After he was freed, we added another shackle-like binding to his feet, allowing him to walk but not to run. He seemed displeased, but the gag prevented him from letting us know his real thoughts.


    ¡®This better work,¡¯ I thought to Val.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know why you are dragging me into this. It¡¯s your stupid plan,¡¯ she said.


    I tried again with someone more approachable.


    ¡°I hope this works,¡± I said to Ersabet.


    ¡°If Minna and Harl¡¯s reactions are any indication, I believe it will. You will have to be careful, though. There are at least six other Kurskins at the Hunter¡¯s Lodge who must be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Once I get all the humans on my side, I imagine we can deal with them just fine.¡±


    ¡°Do not underestimate their power. I know not what level they are, but even at a low level, it would take five humans to bring down one Kurskin.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so what do you propose?¡±


    ¡°We wait until night and kill them in their sleep.¡±


    I held up my hands in protest. ¡°Whoa, we can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°And why not?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­it¡¯s just wrong.¡±


    Ersabet grabbed my shoulders and looked me squarely in the eye.


    ¡°If you want to win this game, John, you must shed your human morality. It¡¯s holding you back, and someday, it will get you killed. You didn¡¯t hesitate to kill Surach. That is the type of man you need to be all the time.¡±


    I chuckled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I said. ¡°You just remind me of someone else.¡±


    The words had come from Ersabet, but they echoed what Val had already told me many times. If I wanted to win, I would have to compromise my personal morality. I understood the truth of it, but it was still hard to let that part of me, the good part, go. I had practically murdered Surach, but it felt different. I had given him an ultimatum and he had made his choice. Killing someone in their sleep just felt different.


    I pictured my wife, Elena.


    If the cost of seeing her again was my soul, then so be it.


    Plus, was it really that much of a sin to kill a few Kurskins in their sleep? They¡¯d done far worse to humans. In a way, killing them in their sleep could be seen as a kindness. That thought did help ease some of my anxiety regarding cold-blooded murder.


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    I¡¯d have to think on it a little longer, though. And I wanted to loop Minna and Harl into this plan. If I were going to create an uprising, I¡¯d need more voices on my side.


    It was growing dark, so we had no choice but to camp out for the night. We laid out bedrolls and blankets, and I started a fire.


    For my efforts, I received another point in FIRESTARTER. I still had a few more to go to reach Tier 2. So far, Tier 1 had been pretty useless for me. I needed to ask Val about some of the competencies that I could learn.


    We all gathered around the fire to roast a rabbit that Minna had shot with an arrow. I recognized that hitting a small target like a rabbit wasn¡¯t easy. Minna could shoot. I filed that tidbit of information away.


    ¡°John, I have to ask,¡± Minna said from across the fire, reflected flames dancing in her dark eyes. ¡°How did you know the truth about the Kurskins?¡±


    ¡°One of them told me the truth,¡± I lied. ¡°And, Ersabet herself confirmed it. There¡¯s more to it, but you can be sure that I know these things for a fact. There is no doubt. The Kurskins and the Dalari have sold everyone on Erda a lie. They are not divine. They don¡¯t come from heaven or the abyss. They didn¡¯t travel across the seas to our lands. The first time they set foot on our planet was four months ago.¡±


    I leaned forward. ¡°Everything you¡¯ve heard about them is a lie, and I mean everything. They are invaders, subjugators, and we mean nothing to them.¡±


    I turned to look at the tied-up Djadja sitting on a rock nearby. ¡°Am I telling the truth, Djadja?¡± He¡¯d already made the truth clear, but I enjoyed making him squirm.


    He glared at me and tried to speak through his gag.


    ¡°Harl, will you please remove Djadja¡¯s gag?¡±


    Harl, like a good follower, obeyed immediately.


    When the gag was off, Djadja took some time to flex his jaw and his mouth or whatever that stunted snout of his was called.


    When he was finally comfortable, he said, ¡°You speak truly, John. Now, if you allow me, I¡¯d like to share some more truths with you.¡±


    I nodded my assent.


    ¡°You are going to die.¡±


    ¡°Lame,¡± I said flatly.


    Djadja looked confused. ¡°You might have the upper hand on me while I¡¯m in chains, but I am a Kurskin, and I demand respect. Speak plainly and clearly when addressing me, or do not address me at all.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, no need to get your panties in a wad. I was simply saying that you were boring me. You¡¯re a bore. Who¡¯s going to kill me? You?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°If the universe wills it so. I am telling you that someone with your knowledge is too dangerous to be left alive. Even if you kill me, the rumors you are seeding will spread. And my people will eventually come to snuff them out. We will dig up the rot and exterminate every single human in the affected area. This is why you will die.¡±


    A chill ran through me because I knew what he said was true. When word spread that the Kurskins and the Dalari were false gods and were here to subjugate mankind, the Triarchy would go to great lengths to shut it down before it ruined their game. But what other choice was there? We had to start fighting back.


    He started laughing that annoying honking cackle of the lizards.


    I walked over to him and bent down to his level. ¡°If the Triarchy wants a fight, I¡¯ll give them a war. If this world burns, they will burn with it.¡±


    His eyes went wide. Behind them, I could see his mind swimming at the revelation. I didn¡¯t just know their origin; I knew about the Triarchy.


    I poked him in the chest. ¡°And you will be the match that starts the fire.¡±


    ¡°I will not help you, human. It is clear that my death is assured even if I give you what you want.¡±


    I leaned closer to him so only he could hear what I had to say. ¡°I need you alive, Djadja. After I kill your scaly friends and you share the truth with the rest of our fellow Hunters, I am going to let you leave. But, fear not, you won¡¯t be aimless. I need you to find someone for me, and I want you to deliver them a message.¡±


    He looked intrigued. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Prajio Vrentris.¡±


    Djadja¡¯s eyes lit in recognition.


    ¡°Ah, you know him,¡± I said. ¡°Good. Last word is he was heading west to the battlefields. I haven¡¯t a clue why, but I want you to chase him down, and deliver my message. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want.¡±


    ¡°Was it Prajio that told you of our nature?¡± Djadja asked. ¡°What else did he tell you?¡±


    I was surprised by those questions, but it made sense after thinking about it for more than a second. Djadja would have been wondering who told me the truth, and now he had an answer. I might as well use it to spur his motivation to find Prajio.


    I nodded, ¡°Prajio told me quite a lot. Although, I suspect he wants me dead now.¡± I stuck a finger out at Djadja, ¡°As do you, of course. The good news is you both might get your chance to kill me later.¡±


    ¡°What is this message?¡±


    I leaned closer. ¡°Tell Prajio that I know the truth, the real truth and that I¡¯m going to take my fucking world back. If he wants to stop me, he can come back to Danver and try.¡±


    Djadja looked shaken like I was some monster that popped out from under his bed.


    ¡°How? You cannot hope to win.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how I do it.¡± I found the gag nearby and brought it to Djadja. ¡°All that should matter to you is that you get to live.¡±


    I reapplied the gag, but it was looser this time. He didn¡¯t deserve that small mercy. I did it for myself, to ease my conscience, knowing it would soon be plagued by untold horrors.


    When I returned to the fire, I saw Val sitting in my spot. She turned to me, radiating a powerful displeasure.


    ¡®What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡¯


    ¡®Starting a war, hopefully.¡¯


    ¡®Are you insane? If you want to kick the Kurskins out of the Hunters, fine, but you aren¡¯t prepared for war. Luckily, you won¡¯t have to worry about that because Prajio will kill you before it gets out of control. What game are you playing here, Ethan? Do not keep your plans from me, not when the stakes are so high.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m not an idiot, Val. I won¡¯t be here when Prajio arrives. I will start an insurrection in Danver and rid them of the Kurskins. Then, I¡¯m going to head west and do the same in the capitol. I¡¯m going to create chaos. I¡¯m going to disrupt the game to such an extent that the Voxals will have no choice but to intercede. You told me to focus on the greater good. That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡¯


    I knew that thousands could die if I did this, but every human was already marked for death. If I did nothing, they would still die. Perhaps not this year, but eventually, this game would end, and the remaining humans would be eradicated or fully enslaved. People were going to die because of me, but I wouldn¡¯t let their deaths be for nothing.


    Val stood and walked toward me; I took a few awkward steps back. I checked the fire, and everyone was focused on their meal, thankfully.


    ¡®I explicitly told you that if you ever see a Voxal, you should run. You are not strong enough to face one, and it would be prudent to seek another way to restore some of my power before then. You will not triumph. It would be best if you killed Djadja now and focused on yourself.¡¯


    ¡®No¡¯


    ¡®No?¡¯


    ¡®I have a plan, Val, and I¡¯ll have plenty of time to grow stronger before the Voxals get involved. You said there may be another way to restore some of your power. Maybe we can find what you need in the capital. If what happens in Danver gets the Voxal''s attention, I won¡¯t be there for them to catch me. This is how we win. Trust me.¡¯


    She collapsed to the ground and pouted. ¡®I hate my life.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. It could be worse.¡¯


    ¡®How could my life possibly get any worse?¡¯


    I shrugged. ¡®You could be me.¡¯

 Chapter 51 - Silent Assassins

    The following day, we took our time heading back to Danver. We intended to return to the lodge after nightfall and catch the Kurskins in their sleep, so we were in no hurry.


    We all debated whether to rouse the human Hunters and loop them in before doing the dirty work but decided against it. There was no way to predict how some would react to the revelations, and we couldn¡¯t risk anyone interrupting our plans.


    However, the odds would be against us without more on our side. Six Kurskins verse three humans and a Dalari wasn''t a fair fight. Our only hope was to take out as many as possible in their sleep. Ersabet assured me this could be accomplished, but I worried that one of them might have some skill that alerted them to danger, even if they were asleep. I told Ersabet as such, and while she didn¡¯t rule it out, she thought it was unlikely that one of them would have it, if such a skill even existed.


    When I asked Val, she informed me it was a stupid question as she wasn¡¯t in control of the game.


    And so we took our time, admiring nature and resting at every opportunity. It was nice at first, but the closer we got to Danver, the worse my anxiety became. I wanted to get this over with. The anticipation seemed like it was worse than the action would be. I knew I should enjoy my day of peace because it would be the last I ever had. If I didn¡¯t die, I would have to live knowing that others died because I manipulated them. Their deaths were a sacrifice for carrying out my plan. I felt like I was playing God, and I didn¡¯t like it. But I was still going to do it.


    By the time the entrance to Danver was in clear view, the sun was setting.


    We couldn¡¯t risk drawing suspicion from any Kurskins that might be out and about the town, so we were forced to untie Djadja. Ersabet made it clear that he was to stay by her side at all times, and that if he tried to flee or made any attempt to draw attention to himself, she would kill him instantly.


    I believed her, and more importantly, so did Djadja.


    Like a good dog, he did as he was told. We walked the darkening streets until we found the inn near the Hunter¡¯s Lodge. Ersabet and I still had rooms booked there, so we holed up in them to pass the time.


    There was little conversation during those hours of waiting. Djadja sat on the floor, hands and feet bound once again. Minna and Harl occasionally whispered to each other, but I wasn¡¯t in the mood for talking. My mind was focused on what I was about to do¡­what I had to do.


    It had taken me a long time to figure out how I could make a difference in this fake, fucked-up world, but I thought I was finally on to something.


    This whole game was meticulously designed and it all relied on one thing: the human population had to believe the big lie. They had to believe that the Kurskin and the Dalari were either divine or were from faraway lands, and they had to believe that one race was good and the other was bad. It didn¡¯t matter which, really. Where I had ¡®grown up¡¯, we all believed the Dalari were evil, and the Kurskin were here to protect us. But those in the western end of the continent believed the opposite. If this lie were shattered, the game would be ruined.


    After seeing more of the world, it seemed to me that other than the devout, most humans were unsure of the origin of the Kurskin and the Dalari. They speculated plenty but none of their guesses were even close to the truth, and the only explanation that made sense was that they were from distant lands yet unexplored. The concept of an ¡®alien¡¯ was not something these people were familiar with, at least as far as I could tell.


    Despite the big lie, most humans only tolerated these invaders because they had no choice. Only where the Kurskins and the Dalari were most entrenched did it turn into a true alliance, or in some cases, a religion.


    The way I saw it, the humans in Danver only put up with the Kurskin population because the city leadership ordered them to, but the average person had no love in their heart for the lizards. That fact should make it easier to sway them to my cause.


    We waited deep into the night before making our move. I wanted to be sure that even the insomniacs were fast asleep before starting my murder spree.


    The front door to the Hunter¡¯s Lodge was locked tight, but Minna knew of a side door kept unlocked exclusively for Hunters at all hours of the day. It was guarded on the inside, but we weren¡¯t worried about that. The guard would be human as no Kurskin would ever lower themselves to such a menial job. I was confident I could take my way out of bringing in a tied up Kurskin, and if I couldn''t, we would just subdue the guard until the deed was done.


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    All the Kurskins slept in the same wing, so at least they would be easy to find. For this plan to work, both Minna and Harl would have to get their hands dirty. I prayed they wouldn¡¯t hesitate when the time came.


    We entered, and the guard, whom I vaguely recognized but had never met, was fast asleep. It was good that we weren¡¯t monsters or thieves, or he¡¯d be in for a whipping.


    Minna led us to a closet where we dumped Djadja. We left him extra-bound and gagged and secured the door. The most the poor lizard could do in his current state was wiggle around like a worm, so I wasn¡¯t worried about him getting loose. And I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to use a single cord like those witches had used on me.


    Before sneaking into the Kurskin¡¯s wing, we ensured we were all on the same page. After that, we sent Minna off to spy on the Kurskins and figure out their sleeping arrangements. That knowledge would help us determine their killing arrangements.


    After a nerve-wracking eternity, Minna returned and shared her report. There were four in one room and two in the other. She sounded scandalized when she mentioned the two who shared the same room also shared the same bed. It surprised me but didn¡¯t bother me. I was going to murder them all equally anyway.


    We had a short debate but settled on trying to take out the room of four first. If we did this right, we could slit all four throats simultaneously and not wake the others. To be accurate, we wouldn¡¯t actually be cutting their throats. Ersabet instructed us to drive the tips of our daggers into the soft skin in their submental area, at the top of their throat, right underneath what constituted a lizard''s ¡®chin.¡¯ It would kill them faster.


    We needed to make as little noise as possible, so we all removed our shoes, except for Minna who had already done so before her prior sneak attempt.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I whispered to the group. ¡°Once we do this, there¡¯s no going back.¡±


    ¡°This is our world,¡± Harl said. ¡°Now that I know it, I want it back.¡±


    ¡°I always knew they were monsters,¡± Minna said. ¡°We¡¯re just doing our job.¡±


    I smiled at the pair and then looked to Ersabet. Her eyes shone with determination, and it hit me for the first time that she wasn¡¯t just doing this because she wanted to help me become famous and thus benefit herself. She hated the Kurskins. She wanted them dead just as bad as I did.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go tip this domino,¡± I said.


    They all looked at me confused, and I just shrugged. ¡°Come on.¡±


    We stepped gingerly the entire way. Even Harl, who had at least fifty pounds on me, managed to step lightly.


    Minna led us to a door, which she had kindly kept cracked for us, and I slowly opened it the rest of the way.


    It was dark within the stone walls of the lodge, but my eyes had grown used to the dark, and I could easily see the four sleeping Kurskins within. Their beds were all spaced evenly against the far wall.


    I stepped into the room and led my kill squad to their destinations. Ersabet and I took the two in the center. Harl took the bed to my right, and Minna stepped up to the bed on Ersabet¡¯s left.


    I looked down at the sleeping Kurskin and felt nothing but disgust. They looked just as evil in their sleep as they did awake.


    In the quiet room, I could hear their breathing, which included an occasional soft honk that resembled a snore. It was time they honked their last breath.


    I held up my left hand with three fingers extended and used my right hand to hover the tip of Tara¡¯s uncle¡¯s dagger over my prey¡¯s throat.


    All my friends¡¯ eyes were on me. I lowered one finger, then another, and then the last. I jammed the tip of my blade into the Kurskin¡¯s throat with minimal resistance. The long, curved blade pierced deep, deep enough to hit the brainstem. My victim didn¡¯t even have time to open his eyes.


    I heard the soft sound of other blades piercing skin, a moan and a gurgle to my left, and horrifyingly, a curse to my right.


    ¡°Fuck, he¡¯s gone,¡± Harl said. His shocked voice barely able to maintain a whisper. He spun around, eyes wide with panic. ¡°He vanished right before me.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him?¡± I whispered back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t kill what''s not there,¡± Harl said, no longer whispering.


    There was a blur to my right, and I dodged out of the way as Ersabet launched herself past me and Harl and landed on the bed. Well, not exactly on the bed¡­She was hovering above the mattress.


    I could see it now. The Kurskin was still there, practically invisible, but I could see a glassy blur of movement as he struggled under Ersabet.


    Her head rocked to the side, and she grunted. I don¡¯t know what he did, but the Kurskin managed to hit her.


    Unsure of what to do, I leapt toward Ersabet and drove my dagger into bed. My first strike pierced through the mattress, but my second pierced something else.


    The Kurskin yelled out in pain, and he flickered back into existence as his active camo evaporated.


    Before I could get another stab in, he leg shot out from underneath Ersabet and struck me in the thigh. It wasn¡¯t the hardest blow, but his clawed feet pierced my skin, and I fell to one knee.


    I felt a rush of despair, but then Harl slammed his dagger into the Kurskin''s side, barely missing Ersabet.


    Minna rushed past me and joined Harl. The two of them jabbed their daggers over and over into whatever part of the Kurskin they could find while Ersabet held him down.


    When his struggle finally ceased, Ersabet sat up, still straddling him, and drove her dagger into the soft of his throat for good measure.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I said as Harl helped me to my feet. ¡°We did it.¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t speak too soon,¡¯ Val said. ¡®I¡¯m detecting movement from down the hall. Players, not NPCs.¡¯


    ¡°The others are coming,¡± I said, turning to the door. ¡°Get ready for a fight.¡±