《Backyard Hero》


 Prologue

    The three walls of Max¡¯s cubicle were bare except for a single photograph held up with clear tape. The picture showed two men surrounded by climbing gear standing at the base of a mountain.Both of them had untamed beardsand were surrounded by a group of sled dogs.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get there one day, Gramps.¡±


    Max pressed his fingers against the photo before turning back to his computer. A blinking cursor stood at the top of an empty page. The blank screen was like a void that ate away at Max¡¯s will as he sat there, fingers poised over still keys.


    ¡°Hey, Chatter,¡± Max turned as he heard his last name followed by three loud knocks. ¡°You¡¯ll still have that report by four, right? I need to get it upstairs pronto.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hi Chett,¡± Max turned to face a man in a three-piece suit. ¡°I¡¯m, uh, it¡¯s just the research is ...¡±


    ¡°Great, get it done. Listen, this is Kevin. He¡¯s a classer, just got back from Alaska and the boss wants you to show him the ropes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Chett put a finger to his ear, ¡°Go for Chett.¡± He began walking backward while giving Max a thumbs up before disappearing into a beige sea of cubicles.


    ¡°So, uh,¡± said Max, ¡°you¡¯re a classer?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m like a third level Sweeper. My uncle got me into a crew doing cleanup behind a group of delvers up in Alaska, you know it¡¯s super top secret and all, but you seem pretty chill.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡ª"


    ¡°My uncle, Brett, says that I¡¯m like the only classer here. Keep my nose clean for a few months and I¡¯ll be, like, your boss and shit. Don¡¯t worry, though, I¡¯ll be cool.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well I¡¯m working on¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hold that thought, bro. I have to holler at that cutie in the red. You hold down the fort here, and we¡¯ll catch a couple brewskis later. Deals?¡±


    Max watched his new trainee walk away, committing numerous workplace violations including harassment and insubordination. But what could Max do? Kevin may have been worthless and annoying, but he was still a classer.


    Max sat in silence before a wide smile came over his face and he withdrew a small orb from a pocket. Slowly, and with reverent care, he placed it on the desk in front of him. It was smooth and white and seemed to be made of some sort of ceramic.


    ¡°Hi Max,¡± said a chipper voice. A brunette with long bangs appeared over the wall of Max¡¯s cubicle. ¡°Nice toy.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Oh, hi Darla.¡± Max snatched the orb and put it back into his pocket. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she blushed before continuing, ¡°it¡¯s just a few of us were wondering what was up with the new guy. Is it true,¡± she leaned down into the cubicle to whisper, ¡°he¡¯s a classer?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a glorified garbage man, barely has three levels and he thinks he¡¯s the shit.¡±


    ¡°Third level?¡± Darla''s cheeks reddened even more as her eyes widened. ¡°Wow! I never thought ¡­¡±


    ¡°Darla,¡± Max interrupted, ¡°Can you let me get back to work? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll have plenty to gossip about without me.¡±


    She harrumphed, crossing her arms as she sank back into her own cubicle. As she fell back into her chair she couldn¡¯t resist shouting one last barb through the thin cubicle walls. ¡°By the way, Max, how are things with Samantha?¡±


    This day just needs to be over, Max thought. The only thing tiding him over were the thoughts of getting home. He had gotten so close last time. Tonight, he was going to finish the first level.


    If that was going to happen, he needed to finish this report. Max looked around, but he finally seemed to be alone. He carefully removed the orb and placed it in his palm. Lines of faint blue hieroglyphs appeared on the sphere as it began to slowly spin.


    Max wrapped both hands around the orb as it came to a stop.


    ¡°Welcome, User,¡± said a computerized female voice thatonly max could hear. ¡°What are your commands?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Eve,¡± Max thought, ¡°Show stats.¡±


    Maximillian J. Chatter


    Class: Chameleon (4)


    Stamina: 12/12


    Mana: 4/4


    Might: 2


    Intellect: 2


    Reaction: 3


    Techniques: Fade, Re-spec


    Max studied the screen in front of him. He was happy with the way he¡¯d allocated the meager four points he¡¯d gained, but the even split wasn¡¯t what he needed now.


    ¡°Re-spec,¡± he thought, ¡°allocate all available points into intellect.¡±


    ¡°Re-Spec successful,¡± said Eve, ¡°All points allocated to Intellect; the user is granted the Scholar role for the next 47 minutes, 15 seconds.¡±


    Max immediately felt his limbs grow heavy as if gravity had suddenly doubled. Everything else, however, gained a new energy. His eyes were drawn to a pile of folders, and he instantly began to calculate the angle of each document. Max closed his eyes and repressed the instinct to organize.


    When he opened his eyes, he turned to his work computer. Information from charts he had read an hour ago effortlessly flowed into his mind. Max had casually perused the charts and documents Chett had given him, but he had been overwhelming at the time. Now, every fact and datewas as familiar to him as his own name.


    Two-thousand units shipped to Japan ... Seventy percent increase ... last quarter market share ...


    Facts and figures spilled onto the page, seemingly unbidden. Time slipped away until a voice brought Max back to reality. He looked away from the computer and glanced at the readout from the command orb; there were only a few minutes remaining before his stats reverted.


    ¡°Chatter,¡± Chett¡¯s voice brought Max¡¯s typing to a stop, ¡°You listening to me? I need that report. The boys booked a four o¡¯clock tee time, but I have to run that report upstairs before I can bounce.¡±


    ¡°One second,¡± Max typed a few more lines, ¡°It¡¯s printing in your office ¡­ now.¡±


    ¡°My man,¡± Chett clapped Max on the back and began walking away. ¡°Oh,¡± he turned back, ¡°don¡¯t forget to get your own numbers done before you leave. You¡¯ve got a performance review coming up.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Chett.¡± Max''s shoulders slumped.


    Fuck, he thought. It''ll be hours before I get out of here.

 Chapter 1: The Girl in the White Dress

    The sun had long since set by the time Max rode his ten-speed bike down the narrow ramp leading out of the Class-Tech parking garage. Flickering yellow lights lined the street outside the office building, but it was the giant blue sign spelling ¡°CT¡± at the top of the tower that lit up the sky like a second moon.


    Blue light fell over everything, even washing out the pale flicker of the streetlamps. A few cars exited the parking garage - fellow late workers - and drove past Max as they hurried back to their lives.


    They¡¯ll be back here tomorrow, thought max. Just like me.


    They¡¯d sleep and work only to repeat it again, they had nothing to break up the monotony of their boring lives. Only the company mattered, only Class-Tech. But not for Max, at least not since last week when a package had arrived on his doorstep in a white, carboard box. There had been no return address, just a small drawing of a door in the upper left-hand corner, a symbol often found in the letters Max¡¯s grandfather sent from his ¡®expeditions.¡¯


    When he opened the box ¡­ well Max couldn¡¯t wait to get home and try it again. He began to peddle his bike down the long narrow road, appropriately named Class-Tech Avenue. Max smiled as he charged past the green and white street sign, peddling just a bit faster than an average office worker should have been capable of.


    Max slowed down as he started to catch up to one of the cars that had passed him earlier. He had to be careful. It wasn¡¯t exactly illegal to have an unregistered class, but it would raise a lot of questions Max wasn¡¯t comfortable answering.


    A quick flash of light was followed by the crackle of thunder. The sky seemed to open as rain fell in thick sheets. Max could barely see through the torrent. He began looking around for shelter before spotting an old bus stop with a closed roof.


    ¡°Just my luck,¡± Max sighed.


    He pulled off his soaked work shirt, revealing the equally wet t-shirt beneath. He rolled up the blue button-up and shoved it into his backpack before sitting down on the wooden bench. He¡¯d just have to wait out the storm. How long could it last?


    Max reached into his bag and took out a set of earphones before plugging them into his phone. He fell back onto the bench, scrolling through songs before finally selecting one that was loud and energetic enough to keep him awake. Max waited, but the rain grew only heavier and the crash of thunder grew more frequent. Looking up at the clock on his phone Max sighed, 10:47.


    No, there was no way he was spending the whole night here. He was finishing that level even if he had to stay up all night. He¡¯d pulled all-nighters before, in fact, a stat point spent in Might had made them a tiny bit easier. A few energy drinks and he¡¯d be good to go.


    Max grabbed his bike and pushed it out of the enclosed bus stop. The rain was heavy and cold and he was occasionally forced to stop so he could wade through knee-high puddles. He was shivering and soggy by the time he made it to the bridge leading out of the city. Fifteen minutes, even in this weather, and he should be home.


    Plenty of time to get in one more go ¡­


    A bright white flash nearly blinded Max, and he shielded his eyes with an outstretched arm. What kind of storm is this? Max thought.


    He looked over to the bridge where the glow was continuing to grow brighter ¡­ until it suddenly stopped. A shockwave pushed Max backward, nearly causing him to fall. His bike was ripped from his hands and sent tumbling behind him.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°What the ¡­¡± Max said. He watched his bike land in a deep puddle before he turned his eyes back to the bridge.


    Steam was pouring upwards as rain fell onto the cracked pavement. At the center of the branching network of fissures was a deep crater, glowing red around the edges. Long tendrils of white cloth spread out from the depression in a perfect circle. Max heard something begin to move in the rubble, and the white cloth spun and pulled inward.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Max said, as he slowly started walking toward the edge of the crater. ¡°Is someone there? Are you hurt?¡±


    A girl. She turned and looked up at Max from her position at the center of debris. A white shawl covered most of her face, leaving only two fierce eyes visible. They were dark and beautiful, and when they landed on Max he lost himself in their depths.


    Not a girl, a woman.


    ¡°I can help ¡ª¡± Max began to say, as he reached his hand out to help her up.


    A curved sword appeared in the woman''s hand. She thrust forward and began to spin. Her dress twirled and spread out from her like the petals of a white lily. She rose up into the air like the morning sun. Ribbons of white cloth rained down over the cracked pavement as Max looked up in amazement.


    ¡°You¡¯re a ¡ª¡± Max said.


    ¡°Run, you idiot.¡±


    The mysterious woman landed next to Max, now wearing nothing but a skintight black jumpsuit. It was armored in strategic places, but it still left so little to the imagination that Max couldn¡¯t help himself as his eyes drifted downward. Before Max could finish his inspection she was already running.


    ¡°Wait!¡± He yelled while chasing after her. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±


    ¡°Run!¡± she answered without turning back.


    Before he realized it, Max was running at full speed, without worrying to hold back. Shit, he thought, I can¡¯t let myself get caught keeping up with a classer. He began to fall back but the woman reachedout and grabbed him by the hand.


    ¡°Look,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you die for something that is my fault. When they get here, just stay behind me and run when I say.¡±


    ¡°When who¡ª¡±


    ¡°Them,¡± she came to a stop and pointed in front of her where three brilliant orbs of white energy were beginning to form. Max looked away for a moment as the orbs grew brighter before exploding into a wave of light and kinetic force.


    Three men and a woman appeared where the orbs had been. Each wore utilitarian looking uniforms that were lightly armored and vaguely military, but that had no identifying marks. Classers.


    ¡°Is that a ¡­¡± Max said. ¡°That¡¯s a Quad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re after me. If you don¡¯t interfere ¡­ well, they¡¯ll still probably kill you. Good news is that you¡¯ll be an afterthought. I¡¯ll deal with them and buy you some time to escape.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Max shook his head. ¡°I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯m not leaving you alone if these guys are after you. Quad or not.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± the woman smiled and held her sword above her head.


    She shimmered for a moment before her blade lengthened and became wider. Around her formed a suit of polished armor, much like that of a medieval knight. The metal was almost pure white and was adorned with gold plating and expensive jewels.


    This is no ordinary classer, Max thought. Even still, there was no way she could take on a Quad by herself.


    ¡°Eve,¡± Max reached into a pocket and grasped the command orb. ¡°Re-Spec: Might.¡±


    ¡°Re-Spec successful,¡± said Eve, ¡°All points allocated to Might; user is granted the Warrior role for the next 45 minutes, 27 seconds.¡±


    Max felt his muscles grow and strengthen. The wet t-shirt that clung to his chest and stomach grew taught and threatened to break. At the same time, Max felt sluggish and it became difficult to think of anything but battle.


    The mysterious girl looked at Max with a raised eyebrow but said nothing before she charged toward the Quad that was also beginning to move forward.


    The female member of the Quad was dressed in a flowing gown and held a long staff with a blazing azure gem affixed to one end. As she ran, arrows of blue light shot from her staff. Dozens of them were cutting through the rain, aiming directly for the mysterious woman in the white armor.


    Max roared, drawing eyes toward him. Damn, not smart. He couldn¡¯t help but respond, his body launching forward before his mind could react.


    ¡°I told you to run!¡± The mystery woman yelled as she effortlessly batted away countless magical arrows. ¡°I don¡¯t need the help of some single-digit classer fresh off his first delve!¡±


    ¡°I am running!¡± Max yelled right before colliding with the startled girl. He grabbed her in his arms and leaped. They sailed over the railing and began to plunge towards the dark water beneath the bridge.


    ¡°What are you doing ¡ª¡±


    ¡°Saving your life,¡± Max said.


    ¡°Eve! Activate Fade.¡±


    ¡°Fade Initializing: Commencing in 3 ¡­ 2 ¡­¡±


    Everything became cold and black as they sank beneath the waves.

 Chapter 2: Fade Space

    ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t come back empty-handed,¡± said a man¡¯s voice.


    The speaker reclined in a heavily padded chair that sat at the end of a long glass table. At the other end of the table sat four people that seemed out of place in the richly decorated boardroom.


    ¡°We do have leads,¡± said a woman, the leader of the Quad. ¡°Your sister ¡ª¡±


    ¡°My what!¡± the man at the other end of the table yelled, slamming his fist into the thick glass. Fractures spread out from his hand, leaving long, branching lines that reached all the way to the other end of the table.


    The four members of the Quad looked at each other nervously, before the woman spoke once more, ¡°I meant to say the target, Lord Reech. My apologies for misspeaking.¡±


    She bowed her head, her partners quickly following suit.


    ¡°Ah, no need to concern yourself,¡± Lord Reech said, his features softening. ¡°She always was the troublesome one. And the man who aided her? Your report indicated you had identified him?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the female Quad leader said, ¡°Maximillian Chatter,¡± she waved her hand and a holographic display appeared over the table, depicting Max¡¯s company ID badge as well as pages of information on him.


    ¡°Class-Tech?¡± Lord Reech interjected. ¡°It indicates here that he¡¯s ¡­ a data entry specialist? And unclassed as well? Are you sure your information is correct?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, my lord,¡± she bowed once more, ¡°it is likely, however, that the identity is a fabrication. The individual we encountered had a powerful stealth ability, and it seems too much of a coincidence that your ¡­ that the target fled directly to his location.¡±


    ¡°So ¡­¡± Lord Reech steepled his finger, ¡°Class-Tech is protecting Nina. How ¡­ unexpected. I never suspected my sister could be so ruthless and self-serving. I will be sure to inform the rest of the family. Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°How should we proceed?¡±


    ¡°Round up everyone who had contact with this Chatter person. I doubt you¡¯ll find him, he¡¯s obviously using a burner identity. Interrogate his co-workers and friends, anyone you can get your hands on. I want a full report by the end of tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Cassandra?¡± he smiled. ¡°If you let her get away again, I will personally see to it that you are stripped of your class. You¡¯ll be working on your back, right where I found you, by the end of the week. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she touched her forehead to the fractured glass, ¡°I understand and will obey.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Let me go!¡± screamed Nina.


    Her protests were silenced as she plunged under the icy water. She struggled against the madman, managing to free only a single hand. Had he specced entirely into strength?


    Nina was pulling back her arm, readying herself to strike the idiot who had doomed them both. Did he think a Quad was afraid to get wet? By now, they likely had a dozen support teams on each side of the river. There was absolutely no way to escape, unless ¡­ wait, what is that?


    Nina felt weightless, she was still sinking but the descent had slowed considerably. The black water had disappeared, replaced with shining lines of brilliant white that cut through a dull grey backdrop. Tiny orbs of light escaped from her mouth, slowly drifting upwards.


    This can¡¯t be ¡­ Fade Space? Nina had read of it, of course, but the ability hadn¡¯t been documented in over twenty years. How could a nobody civilian boy possibly have access to it? Just who was this man?


    Nina looked at her hands, now just a black silhouette. Her armor and sword still glowed a brilliant white. The man who clung to her was equally featureless, save for a single point of intense light held in his left hand.


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± the man said. His voice was distorted and seemed far away.


    ¡°What, yes. I can breathe ¡­ What is this?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the featureless shadow shook its head. ¡°The skill is called Fade, it allows me to ¡­ kinda sink into the background for a few minutes. I can¡¯t interact with much, but it¡¯s great for running away.¡±


    For ¡­ was he joking? Nina shook her head, they didn¡¯t have much time, but she finally had hope. They¡¯d need to act fast.


    ¡°Do you actually have a plan?¡± she asked. ¡°Someplace to go?¡±


    ¡°Can you stop pointing that thing at me first?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Nina looked down at the glowing sword in her hand. ¡°Of course. Now tell me your plan. Who sent you?¡±


    The man watched as the glowing sword slowly shrank into a tiny bead and disappeared into Nina¡¯s hand. ¡°Well, My name¡¯s Max. No one sent me, but I do have a place to go. I¡¯ve been staying at my grandfather¡¯s house, it¡¯s only a few minutes away.¡±


    Their descent finally ended. Lina looked down to the ground, a rolling hill of misty sand and translucent rock. It was like seeing the ocean floor beneath a sea of fog. A ghostly fish swam by Nina¡¯s arm, its skeleton visible as a network of glowing lines. She shivered as the fish changed course, swimming through her outstretched arm.


    ¡°Which way?¡± Nina asked.


    ¡°Follow me, don¡¯t let go.¡±


    The man began to run, clutching tightly at Nina¡¯s wrist. He was nearly as strong as her, but obviously, he had specced poorly, neglecting reaction entirely. His movements were graceless, his steps more like the stampeding hoofs of a bovine than the light footfalls expected from someone with a stealth class.


    How could someone with such a powerful ability have had so little guidance?


    ¡°Eve,¡± the man spoke. ¡°Give me a readout: Fade, current duration.¡±


    ¡°Nina!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My name,¡± she yelled, ¡°is Nina.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s save the introductions for later, we¡¯ve got ¡­ a little less than four minutes before Fade runs out and we don¡¯t want to be underwater when that happens.¡±


    ¡°Head north,¡± Nina said. ¡°There¡¯s a storm drain that we should be able to hide in that is less than a mile from here.¡±


    The man stared at Nina for a minute, but she couldn¡¯t read his expression. His face was a black mask, devoid of features. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, ¡°but we¡¯d better move fast.¡±


    They ran along the ghostly river floor, hand in hand, their legs pounding at the ground with furious speed. Despite striking the ground with strength far beyond normal human limits, it showed no marks of their passing.


    ¡°Thirty seconds,¡± Max barked, ¡°where is this drain?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Nina said. ¡°My AR implants don¡¯t seem to be working ¡­ there!¡±


    She pointed to a large pipe. A stream of rainwater, looking like a cascade of glittering diamonds under the strange light of the Fade Space, fell from the drain.


    ¡°Alright, sewer girl,¡± Max said. ¡°We need to make it up there without breaking physical contact.¡±


    ¡°Sewer ¡­¡± Nina harrumphed. Had her face not been a shapeless shadow it would have been beet red. ¡°Watch and learn.¡±


    Nina held out her hand, a crystal bead appearing in her palm. As the crystal began to glow, it lengthened into a pole.It extended until reaching the edge of the drain and then widened and split into a perfectly formed ladder.


    ¡°Neat trick,¡± Max said, holding his free hand towards the ladder. ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    As Nina began to climb she felt Max¡¯s hand slowly slide down her back and along her leg before ending on her ankle. The man climbed up behind her, holding onto her the entire time. She glanced down and made eye contact, and she noted the gleeful smirk on his face.


    ¡°Pervert,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time,¡± he hollered back. ¡°I¡¯m enjoying the view, but you really don¡¯t want to be under that storm runoff when time runs out.¡±


    They finished the climb, Max¡¯s hands again sliding up Nina¡¯s back as they walked into the drainage pipe.


    ¡°Great!¡± Max yelled.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a grate here, we can¡¯t get ¡­¡±


    Nina¡¯s saber shot forward, cutting through the translucent bars. From what she knew of Fade Space, this should leave no evidence behind once they shifted back to normal space.


    ¡°Ten seconds,¡± Max yelled.


    Nina nodded, running through the hole she had created. Inside was a deep tunnel. It glowed a brilliant white that swirled and mixed with deep grey shadows. The entire structured seemed to move, undulate, as if Nina was walking into the living belly of crystal snake.


    The water current was heavy, but a narrow walkway ran along one side of the tunnel. As soon as they set foot on the walkway, Nina slapped away Max¡¯s hand. He disappeared as the glowing white gradually faded into darkness.


    A few seconds later, Max began to appear as a flickering shadow. He slowly regained color, his limbs appearing first. His face was the last to fully appear. It was rather plain, without the dignity or character generally found in those of noble blood.


    He is at least well-muscled, Nina thought. She glanced at Max¡¯s chest and shoulders, each clearly defined under the wet undershirt that clung to him like a second skin. As she watched Max, he began to ¡­ deflate. He wasn¡¯t exactly scrawny, but his bulging muscles grew more compact and wiry.


    ¡°What the ¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Max said, ¡°I dismissed Re-Spec. It¡¯s hard to think when I¡¯m in warrior mode, you know.¡±


    Nina stared at the boy. She knew every ability ever recorded. Re-Spec was not one of them.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name,¡± he said with the same lecherous grin he wore during their shared climb, ¡°is Max Chatter. And you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    Max yelped in pain as Nina pushed him against the concrete wall, walking past him into the darkness.

 Chapter 3: There, and Back Again

    Max watched Nina stalk into the dark. He sighed. Every time the girl had looked at Max he had tried to put on his friendliest smile. Her nose would scrunch up and her eyes narrow before she would walk away while muttering to herself. Max couldn¡¯t help but wonder what he¡¯d done to upset the girl, he¡¯d even saved her life.


    Maybe girls really do only like bad boys?


    Shaking his head, Max pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight app. The tunnel was wide enough for at least three people to travel side-by-side, but Max was forced to walk along a narrow, raised walkway. A deluge of rainwater flowed under his feet.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Nina¡¯s face appeared from nowhere.


    She snatched the phone from Max¡¯s hand. Her hand flexed and the crumbled components of Max¡¯s phone fell into the water.


    ¡°Every time I think that you may be acting, that there is some semblance of competency hidden behind your farm boy routine you ¡­ you go and do something so colossally stupid.¡±


    ¡°That was my phone! How do you expect me to find my way home through these tunnels without it?¡±


    ¡°My god ¡­ you were trying to use GPS?¡±


    ¡°Well, do you carry a map of the sewers around with you? Besides, it¡¯s dark in here.¡±


    Nina held up a finger on one hand as she massaged the space between her eyes with the other. Max waited for her to finish, putting on his best smile. She sighed, before looking up at Max once more.


    ¡°Wipe that perverted grin off your face,¡± she huffed.


    Max¡¯s smile dropped, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know who you think you are ¡­ but I risked a lot back there. Truth is, I don¡¯t know what came over me. I could have been killed!¡±


    ¡°I ¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s just keep moving, okay?¡±


    Max followed the girl as she led him further into the tunnel. They went by several access ladders, but the girl never slowed. Max had no idea where they were going, but he was fine with any direction that led away from the river. Away from the Quad that was hunting them.


    What have I gotten myself into?


    ¡°Look,¡± said Max, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of trouble you¡¯ve gotten yourself into, but I think it¡¯s time we split up.¡±


    ¡°Split up?¡± the girl laughed. ¡°By all means Max, go your own way. When my brother¡¯s men find you, and they will, I won¡¯t be there to save you.¡±


    ¡°Save me? I saved you!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she shook her head. ¡°The only thing that matters is getting out of the city as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I told you, we can go to my grandfather¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Assuming the house is not in your name, and is not your listed mailing address,¡± Max winced as Nina counted on her fingers, ¡°and assuming they haven¡¯t already identified you ¡­ and aren¡¯t already there waiting for us. We have, at most, until morning before a dozen agents kick down your door. Probably a Quad as well.¡±


    Max watched Nina¡¯s face as she yelled. Her breath was heavy, and her face slightly flushed. A vein pulsed on her forehead. It was almost cute.


    ¡°Is your grandfather¡¯s place equipped to deal with that? I don¡¯t suppose Grandpa is hiding an army, is he? Oooh, maybe you¡¯ve got an elder elemental in your broom closet? A tank under the stairs?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Is that all you need?¡± Max smiled. ¡°I mean, he¡¯s got a few guns and antique swords but ¡­ I think what is really going to slow them down is in the shed.¡±


    ¡°In the shed? I¡¯m traveling with a crazy person ¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, just listen to me. I know a place they¡¯ll never find us. I haven¡¯t found any way to open the dungeon without this.¡±


    Nina snatched the orb as soon as it appeared in Max¡¯s hand. Her movements were too quick for Max to even register. As he tried to take it back, the woman held him at arm¡¯s length with a single palm pressed into his chest.


    ¡°Is this ¡­ how could you possibly have a command orb?¡±


    She seemed almost reverential as if the orb were a holy artifact. She continued to ignore Max, despite his increasingly loud and physical protests. Max began to hyperventilate; his panic slowly being replaced by a blind rage.


    ¡°Give it back,¡± Max roared.


    The girl looked up in surprise as if she had forgotten Max was there. She glanced down at the orb a final time before placing it in Max¡¯s hand and letting him go.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The words were almost too quiet for Max to hear. The girl seemed lost, her expression blank and unmoving. Her head was turned slightly to the side and her eyes remained firmly glued to Max.


    ¡°Just,¡± Max let out a breath, ¡°just don¡¯t touch it again. It¡¯s the only clue I have about where my grandfather went.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she shook her head, finally recovering from her shock. ¡°I just don¡¯t think you realize how valuable what you have is ¡­ if my brother found out. Let¡¯s just say it would be enough for him to overlook what I took. Entire governments have gone to war for less.¡±


    ¡°¡­ what did you take?¡±


    She ignored Max¡¯s question as she grabbed his shoulder, pressing him up against the damp wall. ¡°Don¡¯t show it to anyone.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Max said, thinking back to the numerous times he had taken the orb out in public over the last week. Hopefully, no one remembered seeing it.


    ¡°What functions have you discovered?¡±


    Maxed noticed her lip tremble and her eyes widen for a moment before her face froze into an unreadable mask. Not the perfectly controlled aristocrat she thinks she is.


    ¡°It has an intelligent interface that allows me to interact with my skills, but that¡¯s not the best part. The best part is ¡ª¡±


    ¡°You have a dungeon in your backyard. The orb unlocks it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just take me to your grandfather¡¯s house. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ***


    Nina carefully pushed the manhole cover up, sliding it across the black asphalt. Her green eyes appeared next, scanning the quiet neighborhood.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear,¡± she said.


    She jumped upward with a single motion, landing on the empty road, before reaching down to help Max. His hands were strong and surprisingly large, but his palms were smooth and soft. He had the hands of a man who had never held a weapon. The command orb really was wasted on him.


    Nina glanced down at the small pouch on her waist and felt a slight tinge of doubt. Certainly, she needed the orb more. Taking it might even save Max¡¯s life. No, she glanced at Max again, dropping his hand. I won¡¯t become as bad as the rest of my family.


    ¡°The house is just down the street,¡± Max pointed to his left. ¡°Should only take as a few minutes if we walk.¡±


    Nina nodded and began to stroll forward. She¡¯d have to let him point out which house it was, but there was no way she would follow Max¡¯s lead. The very thought made her stomach turn.


    ¡°So,¡± Max said after nearly a minute of blissful silence. ¡°Are you going to tell me why those guys are after you?¡±


    ¡°I took something,¡± Nina said. ¡°Something precious, and they want it back. They will kill me, you, and anyone else who hinders this objective. Remember that. You don¡¯t know what kind of people you¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    ¡°Seems to me,¡± he shrugged, ¡°that I¡¯m already caught up in it. Any chance I can just say, ¡®Oh, my mistake. No harm no foul?¡¯ Think they¡¯d let me off with a warning?¡±


    Nina chuckled, but quickly guarded herself. Still, she couldn¡¯t entirely suppress the warmth in her cheeks. The pervert could be funny.


    ¡°There,¡± Max said. ¡°That¡¯s the house.¡±


    The house was old and made entirely of brick. A stone wall covered in leaves and creepers ran around the front of the building. The grass needs mowing ¡­ and someone really should look at the shrubs.


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡­¡± Nina looked back at Max. ¡°Surprisingly presentable. Who was your grandfather?¡±


    ¡°Is. Present tense.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I just assumed ¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Max dismissed her apology with a wave of his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what happened to him. He could be ¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Nina rested her hand on Max¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I understand. Now are you going to invite me inside, or not?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Max pulled a set of keys out his pocket and walked towards a small wooden gate. As the gate opened he bowed with a slight flourish, ¡°After you, milady.¡±


    Nina ignored his antics, walking right past Max and up the cobblestone path that led to the front door.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Max yelled, ¡°The shed¡¯s this way.¡±


    ¡°I know. Are you telling me that after everything we¡¯ve been through together you aren¡¯t going to even offer the lady a bite to eat? Some tea perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Tea? Well, you might have to settle for coffee, but I can rustle up some sandwiches. After that though ¡­¡± Max smiled, fumbling with his keys.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to show you the dungeon under the shed.¡±

 Chapter 4: Skip Trace

    ¡°Just toss everything you have in the bag,¡± Nina said, ¡°it¡¯ll stay fresh for weeks.¡±


    Max looked down at the silver duffle bag dubiously, before shrugging. The girl has certainly shown stranger abilities, Max thought as he placed a carton of orange juice into the bag. The sides never bulged, no matter how many cans or frozen pastries he dropped into it.


    ¡°That¡¯s about everything,¡± Max reached behind him, his fingers passing over an empty plate. ¡°Did you eat all the sandwiches already? I had one, you must have eaten ¡­ at least five.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a growing girl.¡±


    Max narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He was smart enough not to fall into that trap.


    He swung his legs over a stool next to the counter and began sipping a cup of black coffee. At least some things are still just right. The lack of control was beginning to eat at Max, slowly eroding his ability to stay calm.


    All I wanted was to be left in peace. He could let the Chads of the world run things, as long as Max was allowed his own small corner. If he was just left alone and given time to uncover his grandfather¡¯s secrets, Max knew he could stand on equal footing with anyone. But now ¡­


    I had to play the hero.


    ¡°Look,¡± he said, ¡°I have to warn you ¡ª"


    Max was interrupted by the sound of Nina¡¯s stomach growling.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she smiled and gave a slight shrug, ¡°we¡¯ve been on the run for days. I¡¯ve barely had time to feed myself let alone ¡­¡±


    ¡°Let alone what? And you said we.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ I wasn¡¯t alone originally, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Max sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, what were you saying before? A warning?¡±


    Max sighed, he obviously wasn¡¯t going to get any answers out of her. He watched as Nina opened a jar of peanut butter and began smearing it on bread with a small stiletto. She seemed calm as if they hadn¡¯t just jumped off a bridge and run through a sewer. Even after all that, she still smelled good.


    ¡°Right,¡± Max said, ¡°the dungeon has ¡­ tests I need to complete before I can proceed further. So far, I haven¡¯t been able to get past the first level, and each time I fail I end up back in the shed with a timer counting down the hours until I can try again.¡±


    Nina¡¯s smile turned into a wince as she tried a sip of coffee.


    ¡°This,¡± her face softened a bit, ¡°well, it¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s no earl grey, but it¡¯s not as unpleasant as I thought it would be.¡±


    ¡°You keep avoiding my questions.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask one,¡± she said, ignoring Max¡¯s blank stare. ¡°But look, what level are you?¡±


    ¡°Fourth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, wow, I knew you were single digits. Four,¡± she shook her head, ¡°Listen Max I¡¯m a level thirty-two Regent. Whatever little tests this dungeon has, I think I¡¯ll be able to handle them. You can just stay behind me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°For what, protecting you? I think ¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thanking you ¡­ I was. Just stop being so insufferable! I¡¯ve risked my life, and now we have what, hours at the most? And then company agents kick down the door to my grandfather¡¯s house, the house I was raised in, and you ¡­ you can¡¯t even say thank you.¡±


    Nina sighed, ¡°Thank you, Max. Truly, but we don¡¯t have time for this. My brother¡¯s men could be here any moment.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Just who is your brother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Nina Reech. My brother is Victor Reech, the CEO of Reech Industries.¡±


    ¡°Wait you¡¯re telling me that last year¡¯s ¡®Man of the Year¡¯ is the one hunting us? CEO of the world¡¯s third largest corporation and the governor of Northern California? That Victor Reech? And you¡¯re a member of the Seven Families.¡±


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been just seven controlling families since before the Breach, Max. The term is outdated, and a bit offensive. There are hundreds of recognized families now, but yes I¡¯m a member of the Reech family.¡±


    ¡°And your own brother is willing to kill you? Aren¡¯t you important or something?¡±


    ¡°Max, when we are safe I will tell you everything. I promise, but until then I just need to ask you to trust me for a little bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Max said, ¡°but I want you to tell me everything. I deserve that much.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s just one more thing I need to grab. Can you wait here?¡±


    Nina nodded and took another sip of her coffee. Max reached down and plucked a revolver off the counter and stuck it in the back of his jeans.


    Directly outside the kitchen was a set of stairs that led to the second floor, where Max¡¯s grandfather kept his study. The room was cramped and strewn with books and artifacts. Old maps covered the walls, with bits of yarn running between bright red tacks.


    A small, round table was tucked into one of the back corners. A dagger with a clear quartz on the pommel rested on top of a red leather journal. Max picked up the dagger and carefully ran his fingers along the bindings of the book.


    The Second Cataclysm: Notes and Observations. Max had read it a hundred times, had it nearly memorized by now, and yet he couldn¡¯t imagine leaving it behind. It was his grandfather¡¯s life work.


    Max looked up as he heard a bang followed by the sound of yelling. There were two voices coming from the kitchen. Max tucked the dagger into his belt and grabbed the book, before charging down the stairs.


    He entered the kitchen with his revolver drawn. Shattered pieces of ceramic cracked under his feet. Did they find us already?


    The room was a mess. Much of the food Max had packed was now strewn about in small piles. The copper pots that usually hung above the marble counter had been knocked down, and shards of glass and pottery were scattered along the floor. A small bamboo plant had a split stalk, its roots, and soil exposed in the remains of a shattered antique vase.


    ¡°No,¡± Max yelled, quickly picking up the plant and finding a bowl to place it in. ¡°What happened ¡­¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Max looked up to find Nina. She stood against the back wall of the kitchen, hiding a small boy behind her legs.


    ¡°Max, I can explain.¡±


    ***


    ¡°How¡¯s Kat?¡± Casandra spoke to a small hologram that floated above her phone.


    ¡°She¡¯s been in bed for hours,¡± the woman said. Even in miniature, Cassandra thought, I could stare at her all night.


    ¡°I wish I could have tucked her in. I¡¯m sorry, Lilly. I really am. You know what it¡¯s like ¡­¡±


    ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to work for that monster,¡± Lilly¡¯s hologram said.


    ¡°I know, babe, but that¡¯s just the way it is. I¡¯ll be in late, don¡¯t ¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you say ¡®don¡¯t wait up for me¡¯ one more time I might not be here when you get back. You know I¡¯ll wait. I love you Cas. We both do.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too. Kiss Kaitlin for me. Okay?¡±


    Cassandra slid her phone closed and wiped a single tear away from her eye. Five more years, she thought, then I¡¯ll be able to give them the life they deserve. That we all deserve.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± a soldier stepped in front of Cassandra. His salute was as crisp as his uniform, but Casandra couldn¡¯t help but notice a slight tremble in his arm.


    ¡°Report.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, the target was seen entering a house in the Old French Quarter. The domicile was flagged as belonging to one Arthur Wentworth, a retired delver reported as a missing person by our secondary person of interest.¡±


    ¡°Good work, soldier. What¡¯s your ETA?¡±


    ¡°A strike team is already in place and we are awaiting orders.¡±


    ¡°Good, tell them to stand down until I get there. No one goes in our out. Lethal force is authorized, prisoners are not. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    Why is he standing there when he should be running?


    ¡°Move soldier! You have your orders.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± he yelled as he bolted down the narrow catwalk.


    Cassandra sighed as she slid her phone open once more. ¡°Call, Victor Reech.¡±


    The phone rang a single time before the face of Lord Reech appeared on Cassandra¡¯s display. ¡°You had better not be calling me with bad news.¡±


    ¡°No sir, their location is surrounded. I have two Quads, my own included, ready to use the skip relay as soon as I end this call.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the holdup. Bring it to me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just following your orders, Sir. You wanted an update once she was found.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Lord Reech waved his hand. ¡°No more delays. Bring me the package, eliminate the offspring. Succeed, and I¡¯ll guarantee your daughter''s placement in the Delver Trainee Program ¡­ fail and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t fail, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Good, now get to work.¡±


    ¡°And your ¡­ the target?¡±


    ¡°Eliminate the traitor. I can trust you with this, I hope?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± Cassandra bowed, keeping the phone held above her head.


    The call had already ended by the time Cassandra looked back to the display. She typed in several commands, sending a group message to the classers under her command.


    ¡°Skip relay, ETA 30 sec. Current orders stand.¡±


    Cassandra grabbed her staff from the small metal desk and began running down the catwalk. She might even get home early enough to curl up with Lilly before the ravishing redhead passed out. Perhaps tomorrow we can all go to the boardwalk?

 Chapter 5: Stone and Scale

    ¡°Man, this heat,¡± Smith said as he fanned himself with one hand.


    The other members of Response Team 4 looked up at Smith with cold glances. Still, he heard a few grunts of approval. They all knew the job, and the importance of stealth, but Reech Industry tactical gear was not made for stakeouts. Especially when that entailed boiling in a van that had no air conditioning.


    ¡°So, who do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°No idea, Smith,¡± said the Lieutenant. ¡°That¡¯s need to know, and your ass doesn¡¯t need to know.¡±


    ¡°Bah,¡± Smith sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll know as soon as I get ¡®em in my sights. Why the suspense? Wessen, what¡¯d you think?¡±


    ¡°Gotta be a high roller, a real whale,¡± Wessen shook his head. ¡°No other way¡ª"


    A cough was enough to shut up both men. Smith turned towards the lieutenant and found a glare that could have cut steel. The grizzled war vet was staring him down, and Smith could tell he was warming himself up to give one of his epic ass chewings. Smith tried to look apologetic, but the truth was that he and the boys would all have a good laugh about it later ¡ª preferably over a cold beer.


    ¡°Smith, you sorry¡ª¡± but the officer¡¯s reprimand was cut short as the rear doors were flung open. A tall blonde in four-inch heels stepped onto the grooved, metal floor.


    ¡°Officer on Deck!¡± the lieutenant called out.


    There goes my night, Smith thought. Cassandra had earned the nickname ¡°Ice Queen¡± not only for her ruthless efficiency but also for the brutality she employed while on the job. Smith loathed working with her, not because of her methods, but because he knew that any job she was on would get a lot of attention from the suits. They wouldn¡¯t send the leader of the Assassin Quad without good reason.


    ¡°At ease, men,¡± she said.


    Cassandra stepped into the center of the van and turned to look at each man. The hard clicks of her heels sounded like nails on a chalkboard. Smith pushed down a premonition of dread, but he couldn¡¯t quite shake the coldness in his gut.


    ¡°My name is Cassandra Fleming, but I suspect most of you already know that,¡± she paused as Smith exchanged glances with his teammates. ¡°I have taken direct control of this operation. I expect your full cooperation.¡±


    Cassandra turned to make eye contact with the lieutenant.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± he said with a meek nod.


    ¡°Good. You will be the breach team. You will approach the main entrance, place charges, and secure the area. Teams 3, 6, and 7 are already in position. I will give the order to detonate the charges once the heavies are in place. There is zero room for error, any questions?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Smith said, receiving a glare from both Cassandra and the lieutenant. ¡°Uh, I mean no Ma¡¯am. Just eager to kick some ass.¡±


    ¡°You have your orders,¡± screamed the lieutenant, ¡°move, move, move!¡±


    ***


    Max heard a crash. A shattered bowl was spread across the kitchen, and the bent bamboo stalk was once again lying on the floor. He looked back up at the boy hiding behind Nina¡¯s legs and then back at the mess.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting a broom,¡± he said.


    ¡°Max, we don¡¯t have time for this! Leave it, you¡¯re never coming back here. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°This is ¡­¡± Max looked around. He sighed, dropping his eyes to the floor once more. ¡°Fine, I understand. But you need to tell me what is going on.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Nina said, ¡°but we really don¡¯t have much time. I¡¯ll tell you everything once the dungeon has closed behind us.¡±


    ¡°Just,¡± Max sighed, ¡°Just tell me why you dragged a child into all of this.¡±


    ¡°This is George,¡± she smiled and kneeled while taking the small boy¡¯s face in her hands. ¡°George, it¡¯s okay, Max is a friend.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The child pressed his forehead against Nina¡¯s, holding it there for several seconds before turning to regard Max. The boy sniffed at the air before dropping to all fours and growling. The sound didn¡¯t seem human. Is that what she¡¯s been hiding this whole time, Max thought, a feral child?


    ¡°George, honey,¡± Nina said. ¡°Please show Max what you can do, okay?¡±


    The boy¡¯s expression immediately brightened as he looked up at Nina with wide eyes. He looked back at Max, frowning slightly, but no longer growling.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Just wait ¡ª¡±


    Max was looking at the child. The boy was standing with a straight back and his chest puffed out. He had a look of mischievous joy was on his face. Is that ¡­ Max thought, is his skin getting darker?


    The boom of shattering rock startled Max, causing him to look towards the front door. Three loud crashes were followed by an animal roar and the sound of human screams punctuated by rapid gunfire.


    ¡°They found us!¡± Nina yelled, turning towards Max. ¡°How long will it take you to get the dungeon ready for all of us to enter?¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Max concentrate!¡±


    ¡°Right, umm less than a minute but I¡¯ll need you all there.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, alright just get there and wait. Don¡¯t let anyone through until I get there and take ... George?¡±


    ¡°He was just here,¡± Max said.


    ¡°Just go! I¡¯ll take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Alri¡­¡± he started to say, but Nina was already charging towards the front door.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Max yelled, considering chasing after the strange pair.


    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. I can¡¯t fight strike teams and Quads, Max thought. It was supposed to be a quiet evening at home, maybe a little light dungeon delving. Nothing too strenuous. Instead, he was a fugitive being hunted in his own home.


    He paced for a few moments, before tucking his grandfather¡¯s book under his left arm and drawing his revolver with the right.


    The weight of the gun in his hand calmed Max. It gave him a feeling of control and conjured nostalgic memories of his grandfather¡¯s stories. The tales had obviously been full of embellishment and outright falsehoods, but Max had always felt they held some truth. This revolver had featured prominently in many of them.


    What would Gramps do? Max thought, but the answer was obvious. He¡¯d back up his team.


    Max sprinted from the kitchen and navigated the narrow hall leading towards the rear door. Once he was outside, it would only be a few short steps to the shed.


    Eve, Max thought, Re-spec: Put all points into reaction.


    ¡°Re-Spec successful, all points allocated to reaction: The user is granted the Acrobat role for the next 45 min 27 sec.¡±


    Max shot forward, his speed and coordination instantly exploding. He sped up as he hit a turn in the hallway. His feet slid over the smooth tile. Rather than put a human-sized hole in the drywall, Max leaped from the floor and turned sideways. For a fleeting moment, he was running across the wall.


    After a brief feeling of weightlessness, Max flipped and skid to a halt right before the back door. He was almost there. Max reached out towards the handle, but he pulled back right before something hot tore through his left bicep. A small red book fell to the ground.


    Max leaped to the side as three rapid shotgun blasts tore through the door. He pulled himself into a small laundry room next to the back door.


    ¡°I¡¯m shot!¡± Max yelled, his back sliding down the wall. ¡°You bastards shot me.¡±


    Max felt something warm and wet flow down his arm as a red pool formed under him. He grabbed a shirt from an overturned hamper and wrapped it around the wound. Just as he was tightening the knot, Max heard a crash as the wooden door exploded inward.


    Shattered wood slid across the white tile, stopping just outside the entrance to the laundry room. Max tried to stand, but the process was slow, and his legs were wobbly.


    ¡°Eve,¡± Max said aloud, ¡°Re-Spec: Might¡±


    ¡°Re-Spec partially successful, all points allocated to Might for the next 42 min 53 sec. The user has not gained a role.¡±


    ¡°WARNING: Re-Spec has zero (0) daily uses remaining.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Eve,¡± Max said, as he released a sigh of relief.


    He didn¡¯t feel as tough as he did when under the effects of the Warrior role, but neither did he suffer the slow down in thinking. This might actually be better, Max thought. More importantly, his legs were no longer shaking, and he was able to stand just as he heard boots stepping onto broken glass.


    Max grabbed the nearby washing machine and lifted it above his head, pulling the cable and exhaust hose from the wall. Max waited, his arms beginning to shake after only a few seconds. Blood began to run down his arms once more. His makeshift bandage had become completely soaked.


    Just one more second ¡­


    Max saw the barrel of a gun appear in the doorway. He heaved the washing machine. The doorway was too small for the machine to pass through, and the frame exploded into splinters. Max heard a yell of pain and the clang of metal crashing into the hard tile before bouncing off a wall.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    No one answered. Max took a step forward, letting the barrel of his revolver exit the doorway first. He stayed there, motionless, for a moment. Still nothing.


    Max leaped out into the hallway and rolled with his gun held in front of him. As his acrobatics ended he looked up, steadying his gun before him. Once his vision began to focus, he found himself looking into Nina¡¯s eyes. They were blue with just the barest hint of silver flecks.


    A soldier in a mask and black body armor lay unconscious, pinned under the heavy washing machine. Two more identical looking soldiers had collapsed like ragdolls outside the door, which was now more like a splintered hole in the back of the house.


    ¡°Nina! How did you get here so fast?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We need to go.¡±


    As Nina turned Max noticed the strange creature resting on her shoulder. It was like a lizard, but jet black and it had large wings folded behind its back. Its snake-like tail wrapped around Nina¡¯s throat like a pitch-black choker.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Max said, ¡°where¡¯s George?¡±

 Chapter 6: Breach

    Smith watched the house through the ¡°T¡± shaped slit in his shield as he slowly moved forward. This place must be owned by a classer, he thought. It wasn¡¯t large, but the subtle signs of taste and wealth were apparent.


    The walls were made of solid stone and surrounded by well-maintained landscaping. The front door alone was ringed by relief sculptures that must have cost more to commission than everything Smith had ever owned. He smiled, anticipating the feeling of burying a few ounces of lead in the lucky bastard.


    Nothing like class warfare, Smith thought, while chuckling at his own joke.


    He caught Wessen giving him a sidelong glance, but the large man stayed silent. Behind Wessen trailed a thin copper wire that he was unraveling from a spool with one hand, as he kept the other on his rifle.


    ¡°Smith,¡± he heard the buzzing voice of lieutenant in his ear, ¡°Hold once you are in position, slow and steady. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes on this job.¡±


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±


    ¡°Then do it. Just remember, shields high asses low.¡±


    Smith shook his head but bit back his usual retort. They were all on edge tonight, even the never rattled lieutenant. Something about this job felt off, and Smith knew he would feel a lot better once it was behind him.


    Smith felt a hand clasp his shoulder, causing him to drop to one knee and plant his shield in the soft dirt. He looked up at Wessen and gave a nod. The big man kept moving, slowly unraveling the wire behind him. Smith raised his weapon, keeping it trained on the door, ready to lay down suppressing fire.


    Just a bit more ¡­


    There! Wessen placed the charge and began slowly walking backward. Smith raised his hand, giving the signal for the rest of the team to begin advancing. So far, so good.


    The rest of the response team charged forward, quickly taking a formation around the yard, covering the flanks. All that firepower at his back bolstered Smith¡¯s confidence. What was I getting worked up for? he thought.


    Everything is ¡­


    The relief sculptures around the door were beginning to glow a faint blue, and the carved lines seemed to be stretching. They were moving. Smith watched in shock as an orange-furred paw reached out from the carvings as if conjured from another world.


    ¡°Golems!¡± he shouted, picking up his shield and charging towards Wessen.


    The large man had stopped walking backward but had dropped the copper wire and had his weapon trained on the door. Smith collided with him from behind, pushing him out of the way. An orange streak struck Smith¡¯s shield as a crushing weight pressed him into the ground.


    Something powerful and massive bashed into his shield, and Smith struggled to push upwards at the weight that was bearing down on him. Four white claws pierced his shield, slowly moving down as they tore long gashes in black metal.


    Smith struggled at his belt to remove his knife. Another heavy blow sent the shield downward, pinning his hand to the ground and pushing the air from his lungs. Smith let out a silent scream just as he heard gunfire.


    The weight immediately lessened, and Smith rolled to the side. He set his shield down horizontally and used it to steady his rifle. He still struggled for breath, but his body seemed to be reacting on instinct. Countless hours of drills and simulation had proven their worth.


    Where was it?


    Behind him, Smith could still hear gunfire. The salvo seemed unfocused, there wasn¡¯t the slow steady sound of aimed bursts. Instead, all he heard was the constant hum of suppressing fire. The team didn¡¯t have a shot, and Smith was exposed in no man¡¯s land.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he yelled. ¡°Wessen, you okay?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Wessen?¡±


    Smith looked in the direction his teammate had fallen, but he could see only shadow. He spun around, moving his shield with him but there was nothing there.


    A scream cut through the night. One less gun was firing.


    ¡°Lieutenant!¡± Smith yelled into the radio, ¡°We¡¯re getting killed out here, I¡¯m falling back.¡±


    ¡°Negative,¡± said the crackling radio, ¡°Detonate the charge. If we take out the Animus we ca ¡­¡±


    The transmission cut off just as Smith heard another scream. Shit, what had the lieutenant said? The Animus ¡­ the carving! Smith realized.


    He picked up his shield and began to charge towards where Wessen had fallen. He had to be close by. When Smith reached the area he again planted his shield in the ground and swept his weapon in a circle.


    Was that a flash of orange?


    There! Smith saw a small spool of copper wire resting in a pool of blood. Probably the blood of the only other guy he knew with a sense of humor. More¡¯s the pity.


    Smith dove forward, ending his roll with his shield held above him and one hand on the detonator. He pressed the button and held. Three seconds, then ¡­ nothing.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he yelled. ¡°Lieutenant? Lieutenant can you ¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I see your problem,¡± said a woman¡¯s voice.


    A woman in glowing white armor looked down at him. She held a massive, curved blade in one hand and in the other ¡ª she held a clump of grey putty. Something small and black moved behind her head, but it was too dark for Smith to make out what.


    ¡°You¡¯re ¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she smiled.


    The pommel of her sword collided with Smith¡¯s head.


    ***


    ¡°All response teams,¡± Cassandra yelled, her finger pressed against her earpiece. ¡°All teams sound off!¡±


    Static was the only answer.


    ¡°If you want something done ¡­¡±


    She kicked off her heels and held her arm out in front of her. A long staff of spiraling black wood appeared in her hand. Wind began to spin beneath her as she rose into the air.


    ¡°Quad Zulu, do you copy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. We¡¯re in position now, should we move in?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative, sweep the house. Eliminate all hostiles.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    Cassandra surveyed the battle from above. She could see the bodies of Response Team 4 strewn about the front lawn, a complete casualty. Team 3 was little better; they were currently engaged with a mastiff sized orange cat that seemed to be able to shrug off bullets like rainwater.


    At least the golem was distracted, she didn¡¯t have time to deal with it now.


    ¡°Quad leader Zulu.¡±


    ¡°Sweep in progress, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Can you confirm the status of Team 7?¡±


    ¡°Complete casualty Ma¡¯am, dead or incapacitated.¡±


    So, she thought, they exited from the rear of the building. A stone wall divided the property from a thick growth of trees. It would have been easy for Nina to scale the wall, and the girl had shown a knack for escaping.


    ¡°Quad Alpha,¡± she called to her own Quad, ¡°report.¡±


    ¡°In position.¡±


    ¡°Spread out on the other side of the tree line behind the house. Call in the reserve team to search in grids eight, seven, and thirteen. Advise air support to break silence and put out an APB with the locals.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡±


    Now, where have you gone? Cassandra had a feeling there was something she wasn¡¯t seeing. It didn¡¯t make sense for Nina to come here without a backup plan. The man helping her was still an unknown factor, as well. They obviously had a plan, Cassandra just couldn¡¯t see what it could be.


    There was nothing else behind the house besides a garden and a small stone path that wound around a small, white shed. Cassandra frowned as she examined it. The door was still ajar, and a faint light flashed from inside. Something about that light seemed familiar ¡­


    No!


    ¡°Everyone, they are in the garden shed! I want all resources on me, surround and contain. No one, I repeat, no one is to enter until I have given the all clear.¡±


    Cassandra ignored the cascade of questions and responses that came over the radio. She dashed towards the shed just as the light was growing stronger. She had only seconds before it was too late.


    She burst through the door, bringing with her hurricane-level winds. Dust and pebbles spun around her and metal tools clanged against the rear wall. In the center of the room was a small metal pedestal covered in markings. Centered at the top of the pedestal was a recession that was currently filled by a spinning orb.


    A Command Orb! Lord Reech had suspected that Nina was being aided by one of the major families, most likely Class-Tech. Cassandra had been sure he was wrong, Nina had always been so loyal to the family ¡­ And yet who else? Who else could expend such resources?


    ¡°Nina!¡± she yelled.


    The girl was still visible, though she was quickly fading. Already it was too late for Cassandra to follow or attack. All she could do was sow doubt. She looked towards the accomplice.


    ¡°And you must be Max,¡± she said. ¡°I know that¡¯s not your real name, but I also know how difficult it is to avoid ¡­ attachments while undercover.¡±


    Max looked towards her, a look of confusion on his face. It gave nothing away, and only served to reinforce his cover. For a moment Cassandra even began to believe he might just be a hapless bystander. What she could do with ten just like him!


    ¡°Take this,¡± she tossed a fingernail-sized card towards him. ¡°This is the file we have on you, and we¡¯ve just started digging.¡±


    Cassandra smiled as she saw the first lines of doubt on his face. Talented, but still green. That had been a genuine reaction. I have you now.


    ¡°We have the girl.¡±


    The fading forms disappeared in a flash of light just before she finished her threat. She knew he had heard it. The fact that Cassandra wasn¡¯t even sure what girl she intended to take, hardly mattered. There was always a girl.

 Chapter 7: Vestibule

    White.


    It spread out in every direction for as far as Nina could see ¡ª no sky, no horizon. Just White. She could feel a solid plane beneath her feet, and yet when she looked down all she saw was the same void that was spread out above her.


    ¡°This,¡± she said, looking down at Max.


    The man had tears running down his face and he was running his fingers through his thick, brown hair. Occasionally, he would mutter a name, clutching at the small orb in his hand. What was he saying ¡­ Samantha? Sandra?


    ¡°Max,¡± she said, ¡°You can¡¯t trust her. That bitch Cassandra is scary. I¡¯ve seen her pull off some amazing, and terrible things, but she can only be in one place at a time. There¡¯s no way they would have time to go after your friends.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± he said, flaring his nostrils, ¡°but they knew enough about me to threaten my ex. That ¡­ that classer didn¡¯t seem like the squeamish type, you know?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t help her from here, Max. We certainly can¡¯t help her if we¡¯re dead or carted off to some company black site.¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Max held out the orb, ¡°this can take me back. Once she has it, perhaps she¡¯ll have no reason to go after the people I know.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t work like that, Max.¡± Nina shook her head and crossed her arms. ¡°She¡¯ll still go after anyone with even the slightest chance of knowing anything. Besides, are you really willing to sacrifice yourself for an ex?¡±


    Max grunted noncommittally, but Nina recognized the look of resolve that was slowly growing on his face. Even his posture was beginning to straighten as he regained his confidence. If Nina didn¡¯t intervene he was likely to do something foolish.


    She could deal with the hero type. They always wanted something, just like anyone else. In most cases, what they wanted was to consider themselves the good guy. Righteousness. Offer it to them and they¡¯d follow you like an obedient hound.


    ¡°Listen, Max. George¡¯s mother died trying to get him away from those people, and I need to keep him safe. I need your help to do that.¡±


    Nina could see the anger begin to grow on Max¡¯s face, but it was gradually replaced by confusion. He was less sure of what to do. Now to drive it home.


    ¡°Listen, Max,¡± she rested a hand on his shoulder, ¡°there are two ways out of every dungeon. Out ¡­¡± She swung her arm behind her.


    ¡°And in,¡± Max finished. ¡°We get to the heart.¡±


    That¡¯s it, Nina thought. Let him think it¡¯s his idea.


    ¡°If we can reach the Dungeon¡¯s heart,¡± Nina said, ¡°we can sneak past that icy bitch. Even I¡¯m not sure I could take her head on. I wouldn¡¯t want to try without my Quad.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Max said. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but I don¡¯t think we have much choice.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Max,¡± Nina said, ¡°I don¡¯t like running either, but we need to choose where we make our stand. If we let Cassandra or my brother choose, we lose every time.¡±


    ¡°Sound like something Gramps would say.¡±


    ¡°Then he¡¯s a wise man,¡± Nina said. ¡°Can you tell me about this place? I¡¯ve never seen a dungeon like it.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the real dungeon,¡± Max smiled, wrapping his fingers around the orb. ¡°This is more like ¡­ a training area. Watch!¡±


    He tossed the orb in front of him, but it gently glided down and came to a rest at Max¡¯s eye level.


    ¡°Eve, initiate training program: subterranean; mission: camp defense, beginner.¡±


    ¡°Training initiated. Please wait ¡­¡±


    Nina heard a feminine yet mechanical voice reverberate out from the empty white void. It didn¡¯t sound completely unlike the translation AI she had on her phone, and yet Nina couldn¡¯t help but feel ill at ease. Something about the voice seemed more ¡­ alive.


    The light faded until Nina could see nothing but darkness. Her other senses, however, were less deprived. She could hear flowing water, gentle susurrus that was far away and difficult to pinpoint. The temperature dropped, and the air was filled with scents of rotting wood and mold. Nina shivered.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Max,¡± she said, stepping back. ¡°What is happening?¡±


    A beam of light cut through the gloom, and Nina looked towards its source. Max was holding a flashlight. At the other end of the beam was the rough curvature of natural stone. As Max turned around, Nina could see that they were in a wide-open cavern.


    As her eyes adjusted they were drawn to the faint blue glow coming from high above. Around her feet grew sparse, woody plants and a blue grass that was dotted with pallid white flowers.


    ¡°I¡¯d hold your questions, for now,¡± Max said, grinning. ¡°They¡¯ll be here any moment ¡­¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    An echoing roar drew Nina¡¯s attention and she spun to meet it. Her saber instantly appeared in her hand as she slashed through two crude arrows bound with vine and tipped with stone. A third arrow struck her shoulder but failed to pierce her armor.


    ¡°Max!¡± she yelled in waring.


    The fool was already charging towards the attackers. In one hand he carried an ornate dagger, but he had left his revolver tucked into his belt. Idiot, she thought. This was not the time worry about conserving ammo.


    She was surprised to find he was such a miser. It didn¡¯t bode well for his survival.


    Nina crouched down before sending herself into a spinning leap, just as another volley of primitive projectiles drew sparks from the stone beneath her. At the top of her jump, she reached into her belt pouch and withdrew a small crystal orb.


    It released a soft mist and left a shimmering tail of golden light when she threw it towards the direction of the archers. The orb landed just before she did and filled the cavern with blinding light. She felt the edges of the kinetic blast, but it was barely enough to ruffle her skirt. Hard feet slammed into cold stone as she landed in a roll. She slashed at thin legs.


    Three were dead before she ended her roll with a thrust to the back of a pale, grey head. She could sense several more of the creatures moving behind her, already spreading out to surround her. Stun pellets were generally more effective. Perhaps these creatures are blind? she thought.


    Nina jumped again, this time launching three daggers behind her. Two clattered across rock, but the third struck flesh eliciting a high-pitched wail. She landed on a single leg, lifting the other behind her to preserve her momentum as she began a series of forward flips.


    With each turn, she struck out at another creature, pale limbs disappearing as they fell into the shadow that clung to the stone floor. The creatures would try to surround her, but each time they charged she would pause her rotation and pirouette. Daggers and clubs will narrowly miss her as she removed the offending hands or slashed at exposed backs.


    Arrows rained around her, mostly missing, as she danced in quick, erratic movements. Occasionally, a curved blade would deflect an arrow and at other times she relied on her armor to stop the blow. The entire time, her blade never stopped moving and it quickly grew heavy and slick.


    She quickly fell into the meditative state that all warriors sought in battle. Her blade was one with her arm, and her mind focused only on the stances. Rock flows into water. Fire rushes the brush. She made her way through all seven of the combat stances. Again, and again.


    Then, she stopped.


    The darkness was still and silent. No more of the creatures charged her and she could no longer hear them moving through the shadow.


    ¡°Max?¡±


    She spun around looking for his flashlight but finding nothing. She came to stop as she heard the clatter a body falling onto stone. Max or ¡­


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Nina sighed in relief.


    His voice echoed and seemed distant. She was surprised how far away she had moved. The creatures were weak, but there had been many of them and they had never broken in retreat. Nina had seen such tactics used before and knew how dangerous they could be in large numbers.


    Had Max been fighting these things?


    Bending down, she grasped one of the severed heads. Its face was eyeless and covered in thick leathery skin. Rows of needle-thin teeth poked through open lips, and two long ears curved back behind its head.


    No wonder the stunner didn¡¯t work, she thought.


    ¡°They¡¯re called Dark Fey,¡± Max said, still slightly panting.


    ¡°How do you know that? Just what kind of place is this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard ¡­ well, let me just show you.¡±


    Max held out his hand and a beam of light cut through the cavern as the orb appeared in Max¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Eve,¡± he said. ¡°End training program. Setting: Neutral, exterior.¡±


    ¡°Session ending ¡­ calculating. No XP awarded, the challenge was insufficient for current level.¡±


    Nina watched in amazement as the head in her hands quickly disintegrated into blue light. The cavern began to grow brighter, and the walls expanded until they disappeared completely. Nina spun around as she found herself surrounded by knee-high grass.


    A bright sun hung above her in a clear blue sky. She could feel it¡¯s warmth seeping into her, driving out the chill of the caverns she had just been in. A single tree rose above the horizon to the west, the only thing breaking up the monotony of the endless sea of grass.


    ¡°Max? Is this ¡­ can you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a simulation, as best as I can tell. The real dungeon is that way,¡± he pointed west, towards the tree.


    ¡°Are there limits to what you can summon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I only have access to a few beginning level programs. Eve says to unlock more I have to progress through the dungeon, but I haven¡¯t even been able to get past the first level. Yet.¡±


    ¡°Max, this is amazing. I¡¯ve never heard of anything like it ¡­ and my family has records going back as far as the second Cohort. This ¡­ is just.¡±


    ¡°Will it be enough?¡±


    ¡°To hide? Maybe,¡± Nina shook her head. ¡°My brother and his assassins won¡¯t stop trying. If we¡¯re going to defeat him, we¡¯ll need allies. But first, we need to conquer this dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Conquer? I don¡¯t know if you heard me, but I can¡¯t even get past the first floor. Who knows how far it goes down?¡±


    ¡°That might have been true, before,¡± she smiled, ¡°but before, you didn¡¯t have me.¡±


    A chirp drew Nina¡¯s attention to a small black head peering out of her pouch.


    ¡°George will help too.¡±

 Chapter 8: Charlemagne

    The first floor of the dungeon ¡­ was rather pleasant.


    Gentle rays of sunshine warmed Nina¡¯s face as they filtered through the thick canopy of green leaves. Around her loomed the trunks of gargantuan trees that stretched into the sky and had trunks as wide as a bus. The trees were widely spaced, and there was almost no undergrowth to wade through. It felt almost like walking through a park, just one designed for giants.


    Not bad, Nina thought, as far as dungeons go.


    George sat on her shoulder purring, his slender tail wrapped loosely around her throat. He nuzzled her face as she slipped him a strip of jerky. He¡¯d stayed close to her ever since the escape and ... everything that had happened after. He still refused to talk and had reacted violently towards most strangers. Nina worried about him, but she had no idea how to socialize a child as unique as he was. Shewould focus on keeping him safe. Finding the boy a proper caretaker would have to wait.


    Max seemed to be the only exception to George¡¯s distrust of strangers. He had not warmed to the man, not exactly, but neither did he hide or grow aggressive when Max approached.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for an hour,¡± Nina said. ¡°Do you know where you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Max said, ¡°Took me days to find it the first time, so you should consider yourself lucky that I¡¯m here to show you the way.¡±


    ¡°My white knight, little ol'' me would be helpless alone. That better? I¡¯m more concerned with getting out of here than stroking your ego.¡±


    George chirped in agreement and sent a puff of smoke towards Max. The man turned towards the dragonling and smiled, showing two rows of white teeth. George yelped, and wound his tail around Nina¡¯s waist as he disappeared behind her back, clinging to her armor. After a few moments, George risked peeking one eye above Nina¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I see you little lizard,¡± Max said. ¡°Just make sure you aim that fire in the right direction when it counts.¡±


    George responded with what he probably thought was a mighty roar but came out more like a kitten¡¯s mewling. Nina couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This was the most animated she¡¯d seen the child in days.


    ¡°I think he likes you,¡± she said, rubbing her hand across the bony ridge behind George¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Of course he does. What¡¯s not to like?¡±


    ¡°Well, for one ¡ª¡±


    The sun grew brighter as they stepped out of the trees and into a wide-open field of golden grass. Wind brushed through Nina¡¯s hair, and she felt a slight chill tickle at her nose. She drew her eyes across the field and her mouth dropped in awe.


    ¡°There it is,¡± Max said. ¡°I call it Yggdrasil, but Eve refuses to acknowledge the name. She just calls it ¡®Trial Dais One.¡¯ She¡¯s not much fun, if you haven¡¯t noticed.¡±


    A long gorge cut through the plain, carving a line towards a large crater surrounded by jagged rock. A large plume of crystalline branches rose up above the cliffs like diamond spears thrusting into the heavens.


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­¡± Nina said.


    The sun refracted through the branches of the crystal tree, splitting the light into shimmering rainbows and sparkling reflections. Nina felt George¡¯s weight as he climbed on her head and stretched his neck forward to get a better view.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Max said. ¡°I had the same reaction. It¡¯s breathtaking ¡ª Also, it¡¯s full of traps and spiders, so don¡¯t go getting too enamored.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Nina said, subconsciously drawing her arms around herself. ¡°Did ¡­ did you say spiders?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, giant crystal spiders the size of a minivan and tough as diamonds. Nothing too difficult for the first freaking floor.¡±


    ¡°Thank god,¡± Nina said, while visibly relaxing. ¡°I thought you meant normal sized ones, my skin crawls just thinking about them. I can deal with the larger variety.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Nina¡¯s sword appeared in her hand and she gave it a few experimental swings. George chirped in excitement, breathing out sparks and thick lines of smoke in time with Nina¡¯s mimed attacks.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Max interrupted, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of those too. Thousands of baby spiders that can pick the meat off your bones in seconds. I¡¯d be dead five times over if Eve hadn¡¯t got me out of there.¡±


    "You''re joking?"


    Max just smiled and kept walking.


    ***


    ¡°Once again, you come to me empty-handed,¡± Victor shouted. ¡°I warned you what would happen.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, My Lord,¡± Cassandra dropped to one knee. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    He placed his hand over Cassandra¡¯s bowed head, gently stroking her hair. It was so lovely, and yet he¡¯d long ago grown bored with the woman¡¯s physical charms. She had better uses.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been so patient with you,¡± he said, grabbing a clump of her hair. ¡°I¡¯ve trained you, provided resources and comfort to you and to your family. I feel almost like a ¡­ a surrogate father to little Kattie. I¡¯ve been so kind, and yet at every turn, you betray that trust.¡±


    He slammed Cassandra¡¯s face into the floor, causing branching fissures to grow across the blue marble. Victor lifted Cassandra¡¯s limp form and stared into her ruined face, one unfocused eye met his gaze. Shards of stone had stabbed into her cheeks and long rivulets of blood flowed down her face. One eyebrow was nothing but a bloody pulp above an eye too swollen to open.


    Victor sighed, letting Cassandra slump onto the floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this. It hurts me just as much as it hurts you, but I cannot tolerate weakness, and you Cassandra ¡ª are not weak. I chose you for that reason.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Reech.¡±


    ¡°I blame myself for your failures. It¡¯s why I¡¯m so hard on you. Perhaps I failed to provide you with the proper resources or guidance?¡±


    ¡°No. My failures are my own and I wish to atone.¡±


    ¡°And you shall, but first,¡± he picked up a red journal, ¡°tell me everything you can about this book.¡±


    ¡°We ¡­¡±


    Cassandra stumbled as she tried to stand, her head spinning as her vision became blurry. Victor caught her, shushing her as he gently placed her into a plush office chair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve had a head injury, so you shouldn¡¯t try to move. I need you to think. Where did you find this book?¡±


    ¡°It ¡­¡± she said. ¡°The book was recovered during my most recent op. The target escaped with the aid of a male accomplice, we believe he was the same accomplice who aided her previously. He dro ¡­ he ¡ª¡±


    ¡°This accomplice had the book?¡±


    Nina shook her head as she tried to force out the words.


    ¡°You,¡± he turned to point at the other members of Cassandra¡¯s quad. ¡°Get her to a healer and send me everything you have on this accomplice. Family. Friends. Background. If he has a favorite brand of toilet paper, I want to know about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, My Lord,¡± they answered in unison.


    The three men picked up their injured leader and quickly filed out of the room. Victor couldn¡¯t help but notice the shattered stone as they trampled it under their feet. Something about the blue marble tugged at his memory, but the thought proved to be elusive.


    ¡°One last thing,¡± he yelled at the retreating quad, ¡°Once you¡¯ve patched her up, see to it that Cassandra reports to the Halls.¡±


    Victor ignored the startled responses. His hands shook as his fingers wrapped tightly around the small journal. His eyes focused on the intertwining dragons depicted on its cover. When the ding of the elevator told him he was finally alone, he screamed. He tore free a chunk of the cracked marble floor, crushing it between his fingers.


    ¡°Why now,¡± he shouted, ¡°when I¡¯m so close?¡±


    He let the rage course through him long enough to vent his frustration but quickly tamped it down. Now was not the time to give in to emotion. Not if he was still alive. That shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    It must be an heir ... an impostor.


    Victor gently removed a priceless portrait depicting the first Lord Reech, behind which was hidden a small keypad. After setting the painting down, he screamed again. His foot lashed out, sending the painting careening into the wall. Its frame shattered into splinters and rained down over the torn canvas.


    Five quick beeps indicated that Victor had entered the correct password and a small cylinder emerged above the keypad with a whirling buzz. He placed his eye in front of the scanner as a blue light washed over his face.


    ¡°Victor Reech,¡± He said. ¡°Voice input code: Alpha ¨C Zero- Fortnight.¡±


    ¡°Welcome, Lord Reech,¡± said a computerized voice. ¡°Access granted: Vault 23-B is now opening.¡±


    The hiss of pneumatics was followed by the sound of grinding stone. A panel of the wall slid down into the floor, revealing a long hallway surrounded by glass cases. Each case held some powerful artifact, or an heirloom passed down by the Reech family.


    Someday, Victor would leave his own offering to the future leaders of the family. Today, however, he wasn¡¯t worried about the future. It was the past, long thought buried, that interested him.


    Victor stopped at a suit of emerald armor emblazoned with the family dragons. A heavy lance was held in the armor''s right gauntlet. The point of the lance was still stained with blood said to have been from the last dragon. A legend from nearly a hundred years ago.


    Victor grabbed the lance and hurled it towards a case at the rear of the vault, shattering the glass and pinning the object inside to the wall. He slowly walked across the room, the crunch of broken glass echoed with each step.


    He held up the red journal with one hand as he pulled the lance from the wall with the other. At the tip of the weapon was a small red book. Even destroyed, he knew that the symbols on the covers of the two books were identical.


    Was it a forgery?


    Victor shook his head. No, the timing is too perfect.


    Charlemagne had returned.

 Chapter 9: A Sun Rises Beneath the Earth

    Max doused the remains of the campfire in sand before stamping the remaining embers under his boots. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm, orange light over the golden plains and the sleeping forms of Nina and George. The boy, still in dragon form, was curled up against the woman, her arms wrapped protectively around him.


    Waking them would be a shame, they looked so peaceful, but Max wasn¡¯t willing to waste any more time. Images of that classer woman¡¯s threat had kept him up almost all night. We¡¯ve got the girl. There were so few women in Max¡¯s life, who else could she have meant other than his ex, Samantha?


    He held the small memory card Cassandra had given him right before he had disappeared into the dungeon. He was unable to access it and yet certain it contained everything there was to know about him. His entire life distilled into 1s and 0s ¡ª a boring story up till now. Max flipped the card between his knuckles before pocketing it and walking towards Nina and George.


    ¡°Alright, time to ¡ª¡±


    A curved blade appeared against Max¡¯s throat. His eyes ran down the length of the saber until they met a fierce, blue gaze. A single drop of red fell into the rolling yellow of the grass. Max¡¯s eyes grew wide and Nina let out a gasp as she dropped her blade, letting it fade into thin wisps of light.


    ¡°Max,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but it¡¯s best not to approach me when I¡¯m asleep. I¡¯ve got ¡­ trust issues.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Max said, backing away as he ran his fingers over his neck, ¡°I needed to shave anyway. How about we just scoff down a few donuts and get back to getting out of here? My treat.¡±


    ¡°Donuts?¡±


    Nina smiled, as George awoke with a sleepy yawn.


    ¡°Morning, little guy,¡± Max said. ¡°Sleep okay?¡±


    Smoke rose from the tiny dragon¡¯s nostrils as he gave Max a silent stare. George snorted, small sparks appearing in his maw, before breaking eye contact and climbing up to Nina¡¯s shoulder where he promptly fell back asleep.


    ¡°I get the feeling he¡¯s warming up to me.¡±


    ¡°It might not seem like it, but he really is ¡­ now, about those donuts?¡±


    ¡°In that silver duffle bag you had me fill. How does that trick work anyway?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Nina materialized a bracelet made from woven silver thread and tossed it to Max. ¡°It¡¯s an SSD, or Sub-dimensional storage device. Just about every high-level quad has access to at least one. My family are the only ones that can make artificial SSDs.¡±


    ¡°SSDs? I¡¯ve heard of them, but one as big as a duffle bag ¡ª that must be worth a fortune. And I don¡¯t mean ¡®fuck you¡¯ money. I mean ¡®buy a small country and everybody in it¡¯ kinda money.¡±


    ¡°Colorful, but you¡¯re not wrong.¡±


    As Max slipped the bracelet over his hand, Nina threw the said bag onto the ground and began rummaging through its contents. ¡°Aha,¡± she exclaimed as she pulled a pink cardboard carton from the depths.


    ¡°Save me a jelly,¡± Max said. ¡°So how does this thing work?¡±


    ¡°Just,¡± Nina said through a mouthful of pastry, ¡°hold on.¡±


    She held a powdered treat in front of George, who opened one eye just long enough to take a large bite, before slipping back into sleep. Nina smiled contentedly, nibbling on the rest of the donut as she scratched the sleeping dragon behind his ears.


    ¡°Sorry, but these are the best day-old donuts I¡¯ve ever had. You know, hunger is the best spice and all.¡±


    ¡°Hunger and unrelenting terror, yeah,¡± Max said. ¡°Now about this bracelet?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tier IV artificial SSD,¡± she said. ¡°Just hold an item, think ¡®store,¡¯ and give the item a name. Any name you can think of but be sure it¡¯s something you can remember. To retrieve the object just think ¡®retrieve¡¯ followed by the same name. That bracelet can hold five items, as long as the items are small enough to fit in a single hand and don¡¯t weigh more than five pounds. Try it.¡±


    Max drew the revolver from his waistband with his left hand. Store gun, he thought. The weapon instantly disappeared.


    ¡°Inventory detected,¡± said the computerized voice of Eve. ¡°Synchronization in progress ¡­ initializing ¡­ process complete.¡±


    The familiar glow of his status screen appeared in front of Max, but a new category had been added. Clicking on the blinking symbol, a row of greyed out squares appeared in front of him. The only square that wasn¡¯t grey held a small, stylized image of a revolver above the description ¡°Gun, Lesser Artifact (6/6).¡±


    ¡°This is ¡­¡±


    Max thought, retrieve gun, and felt his hand grow heavy as the item disappeared from his display. He stored and retrieved the item several times before finally closing his status screen, leaving the gun in the extradimensional space.


    How cool is this?If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Pretty fun, huh?¡± said Nina. ¡°I got my first when I was just a little bit bigger than George.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Really. By the way, how old is George?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ¡­ complicated. Mentally he¡¯s about eight, but he¡¯s actually much younger. I know I can trust you Max, really. I just need you to trust me a little longer. I¡¯ll tell you everything when I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pressure you, I just hate bringing a child into danger and it will keep bugging me unless you can tell me you had a damn good reason for doing so.¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I trust you.¡± About as far I can throw you, he thought. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The journey down the narrow ravine took several hours. The hard, sandstone ground was level and the cliff walls shaded the group from the sweltering sun. Even so, it continued to get hotter as the sun rose higher. Max¡¯s face was turning red from exertion, as thick beads of sweat ran down his face.


    Looking behind him, he saw the pale, unblemished face of Nina. She seemed unaffected by the heat or the length of the hike, despite her heavy-looking armor. Max knew she could summon or dismiss it at will, and yet she hadn¡¯t taken it off since he first met her at the bridge, even sleeping in it.


    ¡°Do you need a rest?¡± the girl called.


    ¡°What, no,¡± Max shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Besides we¡¯re almost there. The tree is just around the next bend.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve never been attacked inside the ravine? It seems a good place for an ambush.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he shook his head again, ¡°I¡¯ve never so much as seen a monster outside the tree, but once we¡¯re inside they¡¯ll attack us almost immediately. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Nina said, her saber appearing in her hand. ¡°There is something tracking us from the ledge above.¡±


    Max looked up, spinning around as he scanned the cliffs. He conjured his revolver into his left hand, as he pulled his dagger with the right. Nothing, no ambush or sign of motion. Not even the sound of pebbles falling from the soft rock.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Max asked.


    Nina answered by spinning, launching three daggers behind her. A shriek echoed through the canyon, as red blood stained the white and brown striations of the cliff. The corpse of a humanoid with stony scales, and a thick tail covered in raised plates tumbled down the cliff.


    ¡°Kobolds,¡± Max leveled his gun at the fallen creature.


    He watched as Nina leaped and ran across the surface of the cliff wall. As her blade lashed out, blood and severed limbs appeared as if from nowhere. Mangled corpses fell onto the floor of the ravine.


    Max ran after the girl, taking the time to kick at every corpse as he passed it. The last thing he needed was to be taken out by some lizard because he got careless. As Max¡¯s boot came down on the skull of a kobold, a soft chime and Eve¡¯s voice caught his attention.


    ¡°Item detected within range. Would you like to store ¡­ Item: Common, Used Loincloth?¡±


    ¡°What! No Eve, I do not want to store a loincloth, thank you.¡±


    Several more chimes appeared as Eve began to ask Max if he wanted to store each loincloth and broken spear he came across.


    ¡°Stop it, Eve. I don¡¯t want any filthy loincloths. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°¡­ affirmative. Would the user like to update inventory settings?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Inventory settings: would you like to turn off automatic looting?¡±


    ¡°Can you just make it so you only alert me if the item is actually worth anything?¡±


    ¡°¡­ unable to comply. Please clarify.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me,¡± Max said as his boot fell onto another skull, ¡°if you detect any items worth at least, let¡¯s say ¡­ fifty bucks?¡±


    ¡°Processing ¡­ request confirmed. Inventory management, auto-loot set to values of greater than fifty US dollars. Alerts on. Confirm?¡±


    ¡°Confirmed,¡± Max said.


    ¡°Max!¡± Nina yelled. ¡°Behind you.¡±


    Shit, Max thought as he spun, dropping to one knee and raising his gun. I got distracted. A group of three kobolds was charging towards him. The had dropped onto all fours and were scurrying over the ground, constantly changing position as they leaped frogged over each other like the world¡¯s most terrifying shell game.


    Max fired twice, but the only results were two plumes of dust and powdered sandstone. The leader of the trio reached Max, its teeth sinking into the soft flesh of his calf. He screamed in pain, as he slammed his dagger into the creature¡¯s skull.


    The blade turned as it met hard scale stretched over even harder bone. Max could feel his shin begin to fracture, as sharp teeth dug into his flesh. Max tried to stab at the eyes, but the kobold had closed them behind two scaly eyelids that were impenetrable to Max¡¯s stabs.


    ¡°Eve,¡± Max yelled. ¡°Re-spec, all points into Might!¡±


    Instantaneously, Max felt his muscles begin to swell. The mouth of the kobold was even pushed further open as it tried to bite down on the growing calf. A deep rage filled max as the creature began to shake its mouth back and forth, trying to fling Max away.


    Instead, Max took the creature''s jaw in his hands and began to pry them open. Max¡¯s own grin widened as he felt the ligaments in the creature¡¯s jaw begin to strain. The other two creatures stopped, taking a moment to glance at Max and their endangered comrade. They slowly began circling behind Max.


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to save you,¡± Max roared.


    A sickening snap echoed through the canyon, spraying blood over Max¡¯s head as crimson rained down onto the sand and rock. Max tossed aside the severed portion of the kobold¡¯s jaw as he swung the rest of the body behind him.


    He felt resistance as the corpse collided with one of the circling kobolds, sending the creature spinning through the air like a homerun ball. The other kobold lurched forward, stabbing at Max¡¯s exposed chest with a crude spear.


    Max turned, trying to use the jawless kobold as a shield, but he was too slow. A spear tip made of fire-hardened wood pierced Max¡¯s skin just before he completed his turn. Max continued to swing the dead kobold as he felt the point sinking deeper into his flesh. Only his improved toughness and muscle mass had stopped the spear from impaling Max¡¯s lung.


    The spear exploded into splinters as Max dropped the corpse and smashed through the spear with his empty hand. The spear-wielding kobold was expecting this and had dropped its weapon and fallen into a low stance. The creature waited until Max had fully committed to his swing, his own strength locking him into the motion as centrifugal force pulled him off balance.


    The kobold lunged, its teeth aimed for Max¡¯s exposed throat. Max¡¯s eyes grew wide in panic as he desperately tried to raise his gun towards the creature.


    A gory mist covered Max¡¯s face as the thick blade of Nina¡¯s saber dissected the kobolds head. The creature slumped down, one half of its face sliding down the blade onto the sandy rock below. Max was left staring into the eyes of his savior.


    Nina¡¯s face and blade were covered in splotches of red, but her armor remained pristine. Long, golden hair trailed behind her as George clung to her shoulder with a look of triumph, smoke still rising from his nostrils.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Max said.


    ¡°I said, are you all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little ¡­ well, I was caught off guard is all. Thanks for the save.¡±


    ¡°No problem, Mr. Tightpants. It was my pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Tight ¡­¡± Max said as he looked down at himself.


    He had worn loose jeans on purpose, but the effects of increasing Might through re-spec had caused his muscles to grow to the point that they threatened to break free of the struggling denim.


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± he deadpanned. ¡°Now let¡¯s get out of here before any more of those lizards show up. I prefer the spiders.¡±

 Chapter 10: Catharsis

    ¡°Report,¡± Cassandra ordered.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± said the tiny hologram of a soldier wearing the grey uniform of House Reech. ¡°We¡¯ve had some difficulty, but nothing we couldn¡¯t handle. Traps and a few more of those golems mostly. No casualties. We have a team cataloging everything in the main residence, a few interesting artifacts but nothing spectacular.¡±


    ¡°Anything I should know about?¡±


    ¡°Well, a few relics that could only have come out of a dungeon. An old one too, perhaps even pre-cataclysm, but nothing specific worth mentioning ¡­ other than the bo¡ª"


    ¡°And the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just it, Ma¡¯am. The obelisk is there, but we¡¯ve been drilling and performing seismic tests for hours, and we haven¡¯t found a thing.¡±


    ¡°That is hardly conclusive,¡± Cassandra interrupted, ¡°certainly there are more drastic steps you can take?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have a thumper truck here by this afternoon, might give us a better picture. Blasting might work as well, but Ma¡¯am I¡¯ve got to be honest with you ¡­ I¡¯ve studied decades of seismic reports from the surrounding area and there is nothing below this location ¡ª no void and nothing unusually dense. If there is a dungeon down there it is either buried deep, collapsed, or hidden in ways that defy decades of research.¡±


    ¡°I want the entire area excavated,¡± Cassandra frowned, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. ¡°Give me a full report on everything you¡¯ve recovered so far, oh and lieutenant?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°If any of this leaks, you and all your men will find yourselves on a flight to Antarctica faster than you can say ¡®please, no.¡¯ I don¡¯t care if the First Spear himself descends from the heavens and asks you to tongue bathe his pointed phallus, you keep your mouth shut. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ¡ª¡±


    ¡°One last thing, send the obelisk to Reech Industries, I have a team standing by to receive it.¡±


    Cassandra terminated the call before the soldier could respond. She knew he would perform his job, she had hand-selected everyone on the team, after all. It wouldn¡¯t do, however, to let them forget who was in charge or what the stakes were.


    Antarctica was always in need of fresh ¡­ volunteers.


    She shivered at the thought. No one, not even Cassandra, knew for certain what happened there, only that the great families had all called a truce over the area. Occasionally, high-level classers would be recruited for expeditions, but none returned.


    ¡°Slav,¡± Cassandra yelled, waving towards a large man in bulky black armor.


    Yaroslav looked over his shoulder and gave Cassandra a crisp salute. He dwarfed the technicians around him, his wrench seeming like a toy in the bearish man¡¯s hands. He gave a few curt orders to his maintenance techs before passing off his tools and heading towards Cassandra.


    He had filled the Defender role in Cassandra¡¯s Quad for three years now and had served her predecessor for several years before that. Like his role suggested, Yaroslav had always shown remarkable loyalty and dedication to his teammates. He had earned a reputation as one always ready to put himself in danger to save others ¡ª trusting his remarkable strength and durability to see him through even the toughest encounters.


    He had seemed stern and taciturn at first, but Cassandra had spent many summers at his family¡¯s lake house and she had seen how gregarious he was over a grill and a few cans of cheap beer. His sons even attended the same school as Katie.


    ¡°Yeah, boss, you got something for me?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Where are Striker and Gen?¡±


    ¡°Gen¡¯s in the simulator, like usual. I think Striker was down in R&D chatting up a piece of ¡­ I mean he¡¯s speaking with one of the squints down in the lab. Should I get them?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cassandra said. ¡°Lord Reech has granted us access to a core, and I¡¯ve just made arrangements for the obelisk to be delivered here ¡ª I have a feeling we¡¯ll be doing a little dungeon diving in the near future. Have the men suited up and primed by fourteen-hundred hours.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s going to ¡­¡±


    Casandra gave him a hard glance with narrowed eyes. The giant took off in the other direction, leaving only enough time for a hasty salute. Cassandra could understand his shock; most corporations and even many of the great families wouldn¡¯t have access to even a single dungeon core. It was an understatement to say wars had been fought over them, and yet ¡­


    Even with the stipulation that the core had to stay inside the facility, Lord Reech had displayed an uncharacteristic level of trust. There was no guarantee it would work, either. Without a dungeon, the obelisk was useless, but Cassandra had a hunch there was something unique about this one.


    Lord Reech hadn¡¯t even questioned her motive or the likelihood of success. Instead, he had hastily signed over an object worth a decade of corporate revenue. He seemed as if he had expected the request, surprising Cassandra further when he informed her a core was already in the building ready to be delivered at her convenience.


    What is that slimy bastard keeping from me this time?


    ***


    Nina¡¯s steel-tipped boot came down on the thorax of a Doberman sized spider. Its splintered carapace gleamed like diamonds as it crashed into the hard earth. The sound of shattered crystal echoed through the cavern as ice-clear shards spun across the faintly glowing cavern floor.


    The air hummed as Nina turned, her saber slashing in a wide arc. It was silent, nothing moved. An itch played over the back of her mind as she scanned for more enemies. None appeared to quench her blade. She frowned slightly as she dropped her saber, thin streams of energy flowed into arm as the blade disappeared.


    Piles of blue crystal were all that remained of the battle, some more intact than others. Sapphire limbs twisted above cracked thoraxes and bulbous, gemlike eyes. Some of the remains still contained faint sparks of light, slowly fading as the energy was absorbed back into the dungeon.


    Nina felt a shiver run up her arms as a small part of that energy flowed into her. Her eyes closed as a gasp escaped her slightly open mouth. The energy did little towards advancing her level, and yet it still felt euphoric. Tense muscles eased, and Nina smiled. It was her first true moment of happiness in days.


    ¡°Feel better?¡± Max raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I certainly do,¡± Nina¡¯s eyes glittered under the shifting light. ¡°I needed to let off a little steam, what better way than crushing a bunch of monstrous spiders? I could do this all day.¡±


    Nina watched as Max continued to sift through the shattered crystals. Occasionally, he would look at a particularly large chunk before shaking his head and tossing it aside to pick up an intact limb or faceted eye. Was he a crafter, or just so poor that even these ¡­ scraps, had value to him?


    ¡°You could have left a few for me,¡± he said. ¡°I do need the XP, after all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s,¡± she harrumphed, ¡°well I¡¯m sure there will be plenty more, I¡¯ll be waiting to bail you out when you get in over your head. You did mention this floor had given you trouble in the past?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can stealth or fight my way through this part pretty easily, but there¡¯s a Boss at the top of the tree. Eve calls her the ¡®Matriarch of the Resplendent Weave¡¯ and she¡¯s a pain in the ass. Not only is she as big as a Mack Truck, she¡¯s got a horde of these,¡± Max gestured towards the crystal remains, ¡°guarding her.¡±


    ¡°I should be able to take care of that myself, you just hold back and let me do the heavy lifting.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I intend to, I¡¯m too pretty to be spider food ¡ª but there is ¡­ well, better not mention that just yet.¡±


    ¡°What? Tell me, Max, what else is there?¡±


    ¡°I can beat Ole Splendy if I spec into Might or Reaction, hell it feels like we¡¯re old friends at this point. The real problem is when she dies ¡­ she crumbles into thousands of tiny, swarming spiders. A door appears at the same time, but I can never make it. Eve has had to teleport me out each time, which I doubt is a viable option at this point.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Nina shivered, ¡°I thought you were joking about that. Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders?¡±


    George agreed, launching a small jet of flame from his perch on Nina¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Max said. ¡°We¡¯ll roast those critters.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him. George is just a child, and I¡¯ll be keeping him tucked away when we are fighting the flesh tearing spiders, thank you.¡±


    George protested with a smoke-filled snort but quickly curled up on Nina¡¯s shoulder, forgetting the insult as his eyes closed. Nina scratched between the boy¡¯s eyes, before turning back to Max.


    ¡°All right,¡± she said. ¡°You lead the way. I¡¯ll leave the small fry to you, and you leave the big gal to me. I think I have a plan, but we¡¯re going to have to be quick.¡±


    ¡°You had me at, ¡®you lead.¡¯¡±


    Nina forced down a smile, covering her face with her hand. Either the man¡¯s inane chatter was starting to fracture her sanity or killing those spiders had put her in way too good a mood. Either way, it was something Nina needed to fix.

 Chapter 11: Commerce

    Max smiled, enjoying the feeling of energy and strength that came from absorbing XP. It was a bit like chugging a dozen energy drinks followed by dunking your head into a bucket of ice ¡ª an invigorating experience, but once it was over it left you feeling a bit uncomfortable.


    Bits of shattered spider littered the crystalized wood of the dungeon floor. Max¡¯s eyes immediately began scanning as he looked for intact eyes and limbs. He¡¯d been through this floor nearly a dozen times and had never thought to keep any of the crystal remains.


    He¡¯d missed out on a fortune.


    Max had originally told Eve to set the orb¡¯s auto-loot feature to only alert him of items worth more than fifty dollars, it had seemed a reasonable amount that should limit the number of alerts he received. In the first room of the dungeon, after Max had watched Nina destroy an army of crystal arachnids in a dance of twirling steel and dazzling white, he had been flooded with alerts.


    Nearly every crystal shard had been valuable enough to get his attention, thousands of them. Max had continuously raised the value at which he was alerted¡­ two-hundred, five-hundred, and then a thousand dollars, but the alerts kept coming. Max¡¯s inventory and pockets were now heavy with crystals that were each worth tens of thousands of dollars.


    Nina had given him strange looks after every battle as if she wanted to say something but couldn¡¯t find the words. Max had just shrugged as he continued to loot the crystal corpses, occasionally changing out one crystal for one slightly larger.


    ¡°I have to ask,¡± Nina said. ¡°What in name of the First Spear are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Getting rich!¡±


    Max tossed a cracked eye behind his back as another took its place in his inventory. Max hadn¡¯t felt this excited since the first time he had entered the dungeon ¡ª he had to hide his class out in the world, but money? He could have quit that data entry job weeks ago!


    ¡°How much,¡± Nina sighed, ¡°is one of those crystals worth? Ten thousand? A hundred? I just gave you an SSD worth several million!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Max had known the bracelet was valuable, but the amount had seemed abstract. How could he ever sell something that he was given as a gift, no matter how much it was worth? The crystals, on the other hand, could be exchanged for hard currency ¡ª though Max would probably have to sell them through an intermediary to avoid questions.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Max sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be able to sell them anyway.¡±


    ¡°Just stop, okay? We¡¯re wasting time, weren¡¯t you the one up at the ass crack of dawn whining about your precious Cathy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Samantha,¡± Max crossed his arms. ¡°And she¡¯s not precious, but I don¡¯t want to see her in danger because of me either.¡±


    ¡°Look, Max, I get it. I¡¯m sorry you got dragged into this, but we¡¯re both in over our heads. I¡¯ve got people I want to protect, as well.¡±


    She ran her fingers over George¡¯s sleeping head, smiling as she looked back at Max. He felt lost for a moment, staring into her eyes. Her face was pale and rather plain, but that smile and the way her eyes shone in the pale light ¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s just forget it and move on, okay?¡± Nina said, tossing Max a small stone that glowed with faint, blue light.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°That,¡± Nina paused for effect, ¡°is worth more than everything you¡¯ve ever owned, ten times over. Consider it my way of saying thanks.¡±


    Max frowned but nodded as he stored the item in his inventory. Every time he thought he was starting to like the girl she went and showed off her arrogance. She would smile and nod as if he should be grateful as she casually dismissed the value of everything he was or had ever done.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Max said. ¡°Ole Splendy is close. We¡¯ve only got a few more rooms. Some spiders and a couple spike traps ¡ª nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°Then lead the way.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ***


    ¡°Whew,¡± Gen whistled. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see one of these.¡±


    The scrawny man tossed the baseball-sized orb back and forth between scared and calloused hands. The weight of the object drew his arms down with each catch. The dungeon core was made from a material far heavier than any Gen had ever encountered.


    As a Shadowblade class, he wasn¡¯t physically strong, at least by classer standards. Gen¡¯s talents laid elsewhere, but he could still rip the doors off a car. In fact, he¡¯d done just that the other night when some nonclass garbage had tried to steal his cab. Gen¡¯s fingers twitched at the thought of using his knives, but the Company had threatened him with reassignment after a string of ¡­ incidents.


    This job was too cushy ¡­ and too fun, to give up that easily. What he wouldn¡¯t give to have a poke at that icy bitch one of these days. He¡¯d make sure she never talked down to him again, and then leave her a little extra to remember him by.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a toy,¡± Cassandra said, snatching the orb mid-toss. ¡°This core was taken from a dungeon captured by one of Lord Reech¡¯s predecessors. He¡¯s lent it to us, and expects professionalism and care.¡±


    ¡°Care?¡± Gen spat, ¡°you could fire that thing out of a mag-cannon and not leave a scratch. You know what I think? I think you¡¯re just looking for a reason to get me riled up. Maybe you were hoping for a little ¡ª"


    ¡°Enough,¡± said Slav, ¡°Cassandra would rip you limb from limb, but I¡¯m not going to let that happen. I¡¯d much rather take out the trash myself, save her from dirtying her hands.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± Cassandra said, ¡°I appreciate the chivalry, but I don¡¯t need anyone to fight my battles.¡±


    Gen could see the cold, frosty blue of Casandra¡¯s magic as it formed around his neck, raising him up until only his toes touched the ground. He lurched forward, hearing the squeal of his metal-tipped boots as they scratched the tile floor.


    ¡°This is my Quad, Gen,¡± Cassandra said. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡±


    ¡°No ma¡¯am,¡± he said, never dropping his toothy grin. ¡°But if you keep on pampering me like this I might just get the wrong idea. Seems like we could have a bit of fun if you¡¯d ¡­¡±


    Gen¡¯s heels struck the hard floor as a wave of force shoved him backward. Gen laughed, spinning with the blast, never so much as losing his balance before coming to a stop still facing the blonde Quad leader.


    His fingers itched as he ran them over the cool metal of his knives, but he kept them holstered. He¡¯d get plenty of that, but later. For now, he just had to play along, something about that bitch rubbed him the wrong way but she had a knack for pointing him towards carnage.


    ¡°Striker,¡± Cassandra yelled. ¡°Check everyone for injuries, and stock supplies for an extended delve. We¡¯ll be going into uncharted territory, and I have a feeling we¡¯ll all be in need of your services sooner rather than later.


    Gen frowned as he watched the silver-haired healer. Striker was a new addition to the Quad, but Gen had to admit he was talented. He¡¯d even stitched up Gen a few times and had left his scars intact. Gen had gutted more than one field medic that gotten carried away using healing magic.


    That wasn¡¯t the problem. The man could stay, it was just ¡­ he was too pretty. That smooth skin could use a few new scars to add life to the empty canvas.


    ¡°I¡¯m prepared,¡± Striker said, ¡°I have an SSD loadout for an Elder Dungeon and field rations and mana gems to last weeks. I¡¯m confident that we¡¯re all ready for action ¡­ physically at least.¡±


    ¡°Good enough,¡± Cassandra said. ¡°Gentlemen, this is the big one. You¡¯re all company men, so there¡¯s no ¡®last big job,¡¯ but you pull this off and you can write your own ticket. Fail ¡­ and we¡¯ll all be lucky to be tongue cleaning Lord Reech¡¯s privy.¡±


    ¡°Write my own ticket?¡± said Gen. ¡°I¡¯m already exactly where I want to be, working with collogues that I trust and respect, and who appreciate my ¡­ proclivities. What else could I ask for, eh boss?¡±


    Gen ran his eyes down Cassandra¡¯s ample curves, smiling to himself as he sensed her discomfort. He patted the knives on his belt. The twin blades grew warm, responded to his touch and growing hot to match his own lust.


    There was no greater joy than carving an unblemished canvas and the Quad leader¡¯s skin was exquisite. Just a few quick snips and she could be perfect.


    ¡°Just be ready to go in twenty,¡± Cassandra said. ¡°I¡¯ve got one more thing to do before we go. Slav?¡± she tossed the core to the large Defender, ¡°get this to the obelisk, I want a strike team to secure the staging area within the dungeon before I get back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Slav said, already turning to leave.


    ¡°Stay a minute, Gen?¡±


    Once Slav and Striker had left the room, the temperature cooled as a blue glow filled the room. Gen felt a force pressing down on him, but he fought it. He knew the outcome, but he was unable to submit without a fight. If the bitch wanted his service, let her earn it.


    The pressure grew until he fell to one knee, his head bowed as if in supplication. He growled as he reached for his knives, but they were ripped from his hands.


    ¡°Looking for these?¡±


    ¡°Give them back!¡± he roared. ¡°They¡¯re not yours, I found them, I nurtured them. They¡¯re mine!¡±


    Cassandra smiled, tossing the two daggers so they fell with a loud clank right below Gen¡¯s face. He tried to grab them, but his hands wouldn¡¯t respond as the pressure grew, pinning them to his sides.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°A job,¡± she said, ¡°One of the targets is Lord Reech¡¯s sister ... I see your anticipation. Good. I want you to get to her first, do with her what you want but she has a child with her. I want that child alive and unharmed. Capture him with this.¡±


    Gen smiled, as he caught the marble-sized SSD.


    ¡°Do the others know?¡±


    ¡°No one else needs to know, as far as the official report goes Nina Reech and her accomplice died resisting lawful arrest. We recovered the package but we never found the boy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have fun,¡± his cheeks burned as his grin widened. ¡°My blades have never carved a Reech.¡±

 Chapter 12: Trap Finding

    Max carefully pushed a raised plate down with the blade of his knife. He slowed, sweat rolling down his brow, as the resistance built. Finally, he let out a held breath as he heard a click. The metallic sound reverberated throughout the ice-like walls of the crystal tree, seeming to grow louder with each echo. Max froze as the color drained from his face.


    The echoes faded to reveal only the beating of Max¡¯s adrenaline-fueled heart.


    Sighing in relief, he pushed himself to his feet, tossing his knife over one shoulder. As he finished standing, he turned sharply on his heel and gently plucked the plunging blade from the air with a single hand. He twirled it through his fingers as he walked back towards Nina and the tiny dragonling. Max could feel his cheeks growing warm as he failed to repress the growing smirk.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you,¡± Nina said with a half-hearted clap. ¡°Now, are you done showing off?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡ª¡±


    The floor began to shake, and long splinters of crystal rained down, shattering on the glowing floor. George roared, an adorable squeak really, and breathed a pencil-thin jet of fire into the air as Nina conjured a massive saber and held it above her head like a shield.


    ¡°What is this, Max!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! This has never happened before. I mean ¡­ it¡¯s just a spike trap not self-destruct button!¡±


    ¡°Run!¡± Nina bellowed, pulling George from her shoulder and sliding him into one of the pouches on her belt.


    As they ran, Nina would casually swipe left and right with a blade that had grown to be larger than she was. The saber had a faint white glow that would erupt into dazzling sparks each time it cleaved one of the blue crystals.


    The corridor they ran through was narrow and curved, the spiral growing tighter as it led further up the tree. The smooth, glass-slick surface was uneven due to crystallized roots that twisted across the glittering floor like frozen arteries. They peaked up like daggers and crooks to catch unaware feet. This made it difficult for Max to keep up with the armored woman, but she never pulled too far ahead.


    More than once, she saved Max from being impaled as her blade shielded him from falling spikes and crystal boulders. Her saber would cut through the air like a gleaming blur, showering Max in dust before he had even seen the danger.


    ¡°I need to use Fade!¡± he yelled. ¡°We¡¯ll be safe in there.¡±


    ¡°Just wait! I¡¯ve got this. I need you ready to use Fade when we defeat the Boss, and I don¡¯t want to get tripped up by cooldowns and daily limits.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Max yelled, as Nina pulled him out of the way of a descending spike. ¡°Eve! Re-spec, allocate all available points into Reaction.¡±


    ¡°Re-Spec successful, all points allocated to Reaction: The user is granted the Acrobat role for the next 45 min, 27 sec.¡±


    The world slowed as Max¡¯s limbs seemed to grow a bit heavier. Everything felt cold and the light was dim and grey. He could feel the air move, causing him to instinctively pull back just as Nina¡¯s saber appeared in front of his face.


    Max could see the blade as it cut an arc through the air, rather than seeing only a blur as he had moments before. Nina had caught a large chunk of fractured crystal on the flat of her saber and Max turned his head to watch the translucent shard tumble across the cracking floor.


    An instinct made him look up, where he could see a long root beginning to fracture and shake. He was diving to the side before it had even begun to break away from the ceiling, easily avoiding death as several long sections of the root fell around him like crystal spears.


    Nina watched silently, slightly twisting her body to avoid the falling debris. Max accepted her hand, feeling her massive strength as she helped him to his feet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± yelled Max, ¡°I can take care of myself now.¡±


    He dropped her hand, sprinting up the uneven surface. His legs were weaker having lost a point of Might, and yet he moved with a new grace that sped up his motions. No longer did he trip over protruding roots, and his feet no longer slid or felt unsteady when he rounded curves or was forced to suddenly stop or change directions.


    Nina followed slightly behind him, despite Max¡¯s certainty that she could have easily overtaken him. Her blade still slashed out regularly, though she no longer seemed concerned with keeping Max safe, even as he was forced to leap and spin to avoid falling crystal.


    ¡°Max,¡± she yelled, placing a hand on his shoulder as they reached the end of a long slope that opened into a wide cavern. ¡°How much further is the door?¡±


    Max stopped just as a rain of pebbles narrowly missed his face. He spun, pressing himself against the wall as he turned his head away from a cloud of dust. ¡°We need to keep moving!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something behind us,¡± Nina said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much longer we can outrun it.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Max couldn¡¯t help but notice the subtle way the woman emphasized the world we. ¡°Another minute,¡± he shrugged, ¡°maybe more, maybe less.¡±


    ¡°Then go,¡± Nina said, pulling a pouch off her belt and thrusting it towards Max. ¡°Take George and go. I¡¯ll catch up when I can. If I¡¯m not there within five minutes go in without me.¡±


    ¡°Nina I ¡­ I.¡±


    ¡°Just go, this isn¡¯t a fucking funeral. Do you think I can¡¯t take anything this dungeon can throw at me? Just go ¡­ and take George with you!¡±


    Max nodded. He grabbed the pouch, and without another look back began charging into the open chamber. He paused as he heard something large slam into the wall at the bottom of the incline behind him. The floor shook, and a cloud of crystal particles filled the air as larger chunks rained down. Max was forced to leap and spin to avoid them.


    He looked back towards Nina as the dust settled, but she was already charging downward ¡ª her oversized saber resting on one shoulder.


    Max debated going after her, his feet already carrying him back when a familiar chirp stopped him. He looked down at the pouch still clutched in his hand where he found a black, scaly snout peeking above the rim. George¡¯s nose quivered as he took a few experimental sniffs, his eyes and ears still hidden behind the folds of the pouch.


    ¡°Hey there little guy,¡± Max said, already turning away from Nina.


    She could take care of herself, and someone had to keep George safe. Hell, until Max had used Re-spec he¡¯d required Nina¡¯s protection to avoid being crushed or impaled. He¡¯d probably only slow her down and get in the way if he tried to help her now.


    Max yelled as something sharp cut into his left hand, interrupting his thoughts. George was pulling away, blood still dripping from his needle-thin teeth.


    ¡°Look you ¡­ You little. Dammit.¡±


    Max brought the hand to his mouth, sucking at the wound as he dove under a jagged chunk of crystal that was as large as a dinner table. He tucked the bag against his chest with his unwounded hand while his other fell down to guide his slide across the smooth floor. He ended in a dead sprint, barely losing momentum.


    George was still looking up at him, his teeth bared. Smoke was pouring from the tiny lizard¡¯s nostrils and faint sparks were beginning to appear around his mouth. His ears were flat against his skull and his eyes screamed anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidnapping you, okay? I¡¯m just babysitting for a bit until Nina gets back.¡±


    Max saw a pickup sized chunk of crystal descending towards him at breakneck speeds. He smiled as he sped up. Small splinters of crystal were flung outwards as the crystal smashed into the floor like a glass meteor.


    Max was already in the air, placing a single hand on the top of the crystal as he flipped over it. He came down hard and felt a twinge of pain from his left knee, a numbing shock running up his back. Max slowed slightly, swaying as he lost his balance.


    His fall turned into a momentum-saving roll, and Max was on his feet again with George still safely cradled against his chest. More of the dragonling¡¯s body had emerged, a long, snaking head and a single wing appearing from a bag that was many sizes too small to contain them.


    ¡°Just trust me a bit longer, George. Nina will be back soon, I promise.¡±


    George¡¯s expression never softened but he was no longer spewing smoke or trying to bite Max¡¯s hand, so he called it a win. Hopefully, Nina would join them quickly. He had no idea how to calm the child on his own.


    A donut, maybe? Yeah, kids love sweets.


    The rumbling was growing worse and Max could feel powerful vibrations reaching up through his legs as the door finally came into sight. It was three stories tall and perfectly round, with a colorful mural depicted on its stone surface.


    A rune that slightly resembled a lopsided house with a circle drawn around it was depicted in the center of the door. The symbol had been carved into the stone in thick grooves as deep and wide as Max¡¯s arm. At the base of the rune was another groove that ran straight to the bottom of the door, where a small pillar was located.


    ¡°This is it, George,¡± Max met the dragon¡¯s black eyes. ¡°Nina is supposed to meet us in less than five minutes.¡±


    Max reached into his back pocket, yelling when he found it empty. He¡¯d forgotten about Nina destroying his phone. He understood the reasoning, but it had seemed a moot point when the entire military and a goddamn Quad had descended on his grandfather¡¯s home within an hour of arriving.


    He found no sympathy from George, who watched Max¡¯s reaction with unblinking eyes. The dragon had almost entirely retreated into the bag, his eyes and snout still peaking up like those of an alligator floating just below the surface.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Max said. ¡°Eve, set a timer for four minutes, fifty-nine seconds.¡±


    ¡°Command confirmed. The user will be alerted in 4:57 ¡­ 4:56,¡± Eve answered with a transparent display.


    Max conjured the command orb from the safety of his inventory and began walking towards the door. The pillar at its base was made of the same green stone as the door itself, and a series of wavelike grooves had been carved into the horizontal surface at the column¡¯s top. In the center of this surface was a circular indent just large enough to hold the command orb.


    ¡°This is it, George. I¡¯ve been trying to get past what is beyond this door for weeks now. My grandfather wanted me to do this. Charles, I mean, he never liked to be called anything else. I¡¯m not sure why he trusted me, or why he took me in after my ¡­ after. I do know that I want to see him again. Need to.¡±


    The dragon was still staring up at Max, and even though its expression was the same as it had been before, Max imagined that the tiny creature had begun to relax. Once Nina showed up, maybe he would even start trusting Max.


    Yeah, right, he thought, and pigs will fly ¡­ or beautiful women and dragons will fall from the sky.


    Max looked back towards Nina, willing her to appear. He knew he shouldn¡¯t worry for her, but he also knew her arrogance wasn¡¯t entirely justified. No matter how high level, any classer was vulnerable without their Quad.


    ¡°You have someone you want to see again too, don¡¯t you buddy?¡±


    George answered with a fiery chirp, his head rising from the bag slightly. His ears had straightened, and a tiny pink tongue hung from his mouth.


    ¡°Me too. If we can get through this, the three of us, I believe I¡¯ll be able to see someone close to me again. Maybe get some answers. He might be able to help you too.¡±


    The seconds slowly ticked down as Max and George waited in silence. The deep rumbling continued, but the vibrations seemed to have grown softer and the raining shards of crystal had slowed.


    As Eve¡¯s timer fell below one minute, Max raised his head to look into the empty cavern.


    The low rumble of the crumbling dungeon was met by the sound of pebbles striking the hard crystal floor. Faint rays of blue light cut through the cloud of dust that hung over the crystal debris bathing everything in a swirling radiance.


    Max shared a look with the tiny dragon before glancing again at the timer. Less than thirty seconds remained when Max reached into his pocket and withdrew a white orb, fitting it into the depression in the center of the stone pillar.


    ¡°Hurry up, Nina.¡±

 Chapter 13: Crystal Monitor

    0:06 ¡­ 0:05


    ¡°This is it, little buddy,¡± Max said, closing the display with a sigh. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just you and me.¡±


    The tiny dragon¡¯s head peaked through the lid of the pouch and looked at Max with black eyes that were half-lidded and downcast. Nina¡¯s absence must really be upsetting him, Max thought. The dragon lacked any of its usual rebellion or fiery animation.


    Max slammed the orb down into the indent at the top of the stone pillar. The massive door slowly began to part with the sound of rock scraping against gravel. Max had watched in awe the first time the door had opened, impressed by its engineering and the sheer scale of its construction. He had been full of wonder as he imagined what might lay beyond.


    Now, Max ignored it. Instead, he turned his back on the spectacle as he observed the crystal cave behind him.


    Come on, Nina.


    The obscuring cloud of dust had settled, but the glow of the crystal walls was quickly fading. The cave had slipped from a pleasant azure twilight into a quickly fading dusk. Thin streams of light filtered through from cracks in the ceiling, illuminating shimmering specks of dust in the air but doing little to lift the gloom.


    Nothing moved.


    Just a few more min¡ª the thought was interrupted as the doors ground to a halt. The silence resounded as clearly as a gong, announcing that time was up.


    ¡°Alright, George. I guess we¡¯ll just have to trust her.¡±


    The dragon whimpered slightly, climbing out of the pouch to wrap around Max¡¯s shoulders. The tail that clung loosely around his throat was surprisingly warm and smooth. Max sighed, as he looked down into the pleading eyes of the child.


    ¡°Alright, you win,¡± Max was surprised at how much just saying the words improved his own mood. ¡°We¡¯ll give her another minute, but then we really do need to go. Neither one of us wants to see what happens if this tree comes down.¡±


    ***


    Nina¡¯s saber cut through a dozen spindly legs as her boot crushed the giant arachnid¡¯s abdomen. She spun through the stampede, easily slaying the monsters as if she were cutting diamond encrusted grass.


    Nina jumped, avoiding a particularly large spider. As she landed, she speared the creature with her saber. Dozens of arachnids split around her like a river parting around a stone. The dying creature under her sword continued to pull away with its legs, completely ignoring Nina as she twisted the blade in its back.


    What has got them spooked?


    None of the creatures had tried to engage her directly, instead trying to go around her whenever possible and only attacking when she directly impeded them. She¡¯d slain dozens in only a few seconds, and yet nearly as many had gotten past her.


    She feared for George, but as the creatures reached the top of the slope they continued upwards using the crystal walls, rather than going further into the cavern. It didn¡¯t mean the child was safe, but at least that was one less thing she needed to worry about.


    If Max didn¡¯t ¡­ she sighed as her saber cleaved another abdomen, shattered limbs clinking against the wall. She¡¯d already decided to trust the man, too late to back out now.


    She considered turning and leaving the spiders to their own devices when something large slammed into the wall right where the spiraling path began to turn upwards. A long, muscled tail extended up the slope, slamming against the walls. It was powerful enough to turn the crystal spiders into dust.


    Nina jumped back as two claws gripped the walls, the tail snaked backward, disappearing behind the curved slope as a head the size of a horse appeared. Long fangs dripping with venom gnashed and snapped in random directions as four powerful legs propelled the creature upwards.


    It was built like an oversized Komodo dragon, but its scales were a brilliant, sapphire-blue. The coat of powdered crystal that lined its body made the smoother skin around its eyes and belly glitter in the failing light.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Nina yelled.


    Two shurikens appeared in her hand, and she immediately launched them towards the crystal-armored lizard. As they struck the creature the projectiles exploded, rocking the crystal walls and filling the corridor with blinding light and a thick wall of grey smoke.


    The lizard pulled its head back, roaring and snapping blindly around it. Nina charged in low, keeping her saber parallel with the ground. She stopped, pirouetting as thick jaws brushed past her. As her spin ended, she stomped her raised foot into the ground, using the leverage to thrust her blade upward.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    A line of blue blood appeared under the creature¡¯s chin, and the top of its head collided with the crystal wall creating a long fissure and the sound of shattered glass. Again, and again Nina rained her blade down onto the creature¡¯s head, but it had recovered quickly and gave her no more opportunities to strike at the softer skin of its throat and belly.


    ¡°Just. Fucking. Die!¡± Nina yelled, ending her flurry of blows with a kick, using the momentum to carry herself into a high, arching backflip.


    This thing was a tank, and Nina was best suited for tying down large groups of softer enemies. For larger creatures, like this one, she was trained to be annoyance meant to draw attention as others took it down. It was the role she had filled in her Quad. If only their mage, Mal, were here ¡­ or if any of them were still alive for that matter.


    No, Nina thought. I paid too high a price to not put everything on the line.


    Nina held back, waiting for the creature to advance. It was acting cautiously now, having tasted her blade. Predators like this would usually flee when injured, seeking easier prey and yet the overgrown lizard persisted even as Nina continuously pushed it back.


    She lifted her left hand from the hilt of her blade, letting its massive weight rest on her shoulder. Seemingly sensing that her guard was lowered, the lizard charged upwards towards Nina.


    She grimaced. Even a beast should be more cautious against a superior opponent on higher ground. She couldn¡¯t waste any more time on this fight. She had to get back to Max and through that door before something worse showed up.


    Hot wind and the smell of rancid meat flooded Nina¡¯s face just as her saber came down on the charging reptile¡¯s head with a single-handed hammer blow. Nina dropped the hilt, letting the blade fade into nothingness, as she rolled around a striking claw.


    Her left hand flung forward and everything went silent. At first, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Nina looked straight ahead at the unmoving creature, her outstretched hand still resting against its cold, blue scales.


    Directly in front Nina¡¯s hand, a quarter-sized hole had appeared in the lizard¡¯s scales. The sides of the wounds were completely cauterized, smelling of ozone and burnt meat. Nina¡¯s face twisted into a smile as she twisted her head to look away ¡­ and then everything began to move.


    Lighting appeared in front of Nina¡¯s hand, arching between the howling lizard and a glowing javelin that was buried in the wall directly across from Nina. Blue and white sparks filled the wound that had been drilled completely through the creature. It fell to the ground as its eyes boiled and its scales darkened into a dull grey.


    Nina shielded her face from the heat and light until everything faded into darkness. Her vision was still filled with spots and swimming lines when she felt something wet run down her arm. Dammit, she thought, as her fingers ran through the gaps in her armor.


    She tore aside a bit of red-stained silk on the underside of her arm and discovered a branching web of black veins surrounding a gash no longer than a fingernail. It had just barely got her, and yet a glancing blow was all it took for the creature¡¯s venom to take effect.


    Nina began sprinting up the incline towards the cavern; if she was quick, she could catch Max before the five minutes were up. She decided to deal with her wounds then, but the burning grew with each step and Nina discovered with horror that the web of black lines had grown to cover the entire underside of her arm.


    ¡°You¡¯d better fucking wait, Max,¡± she yelled.


    She came to a complete stop at the top of the incline, slashing at a few straggling spiders that had decided to test their luck by charging up the ramp and over the still warm body of the crystal lizard. She dismissed her armor, immediately tearing the sleeve from the dress that she wore underneath.


    She pressed her back against the smooth, crystal wall and slid down until she was crossed legged on the floor. Nina downed the contents of a red vial that appeared in her hand, tossing the empty vessel to clatter down into the darkness.


    In her other hand, a roll of gauze appeared that she immediately wrapped around her wound. Already the black lines were beginning to retreat, and the small gash had faded into a faint, pink scar. Thank the gods for healing potions, she thought, but her mood quickly soured as she remembered why she had an entire Quad¡¯s worth of gear.


    ¡°You know,¡± said a high-pitched male voice, ¡°you really should be more careful. A nice girl like you alone in a place like this? Who knows what kind of trouble you could run into?¡±


    Nina rolled to the side, just as a dagger pierced the forearm of her injured arm. As her roll ended, a metal-tipped boot collided with her ribs and sent her flying to land beside the body of the crystal lizard.


    ¡°Fuck you, Gen!¡± Nina howled, rolling in pain as she tried to force herself to her legs.


    Every breath brought with it a sharp, stabbing pain in her side. Her left ankle was probably sprained, and her injured arm was completely useless. It had to be Gen, of all people. She knew she could take him on even ground. Give him the element of surprise, though, and the psycho was a match for nearly anyone.


    Nina had seen reports on the man that detailed his ¡­ exploits and his constant reassignments. The company would have washed their hands of him years ago if he wasn¡¯t such a maestro with his blades. He was ranked far above his level and had gained attention at an early age. His penchant for doing jobs others balked at probably played a role as well, Nina realized.


    She¡¯d always known her family had no concept of ¡®ethical business,¡¯ even Nina had considered the two to be contradictions for much of her life. It was only recently, however, that she had realized just how cruel her brother had become, and the depths of depravity he sought out in those he employed.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so sweet!¡± Gen called out as he ran his tongue down the side of one of his blades, still slick with Nina¡¯s blood. ¡°You should feel lucky, that blade won¡¯t kill you outright ¡ª just drain your stamina until you¡¯re nothing but a kitten to be toyed with. What kind of fun might we have then?¡±


    ¡°If you wanted me dead you should have finished the job! I won¡¯t be so easy now.¡±


    Nina steadied herself, as strength slowly returned to her legs. She could feel her stamina slowly draining, but it would be minutes before it was low enough to truly hamper her. Win or lose, she couldn¡¯t let things drag out that long.


    ¡°And what fun would that be?¡± Gen laughed, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not you I want to play with. Give me the boy, and I¡¯ll leave you to die slowly on your own. You won¡¯t survive when this place comes down, and we control the exits.¡±


    ¡°As long as I take you down first,¡± Nina said, launching a half-dozen knives at the assassin.

 Chapter 14: Trickery and Stealth

    Nina watched as the thrown blades clattered against the crystal wall. Two of the knives fell harmlessly to the ground, but the rest found purchase in the diamond-hard surface, kicking up a cloud of faintly glowing dust.


    Gen laughed, spreading his arms wide to show he was unharmed. His ¡®wounds¡¯ from where the knives had passed through him were nothing more than swirling lines of shadow that were slowly beginning to close.


    ¡°Tssk, Tssk,¡± he said. ¡°I thought a Reech would have been better trained. Here I went through all this trouble and you fall for parlor tricks ¡­ so disappointing.¡±


    Nina used both hands to swing her massive saber defensively, some instinct warning her that she was being distracted. Reflexes honed by years of training saved her. The clink of metal echoed through the chamber as several long, black needles were deflected and left embedded in the wall to Nina¡¯s right.


    ¡°Give me the boy,¡± Gen said, ¡°and this all ends. I¡¯d love to play some more ¡­ but we really don¡¯t have the time.¡±


    Nina looked down at the shaking floor. The vibrations had grown strong enough that her toes were becoming numb and the rumbling had was beginning to drown out all other noise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never ¡ª¡± Nina shouted, her words brought short by a stabbing pain in her leg.


    She cast her eyes down at the unarmored limb and found a small black needle peeking through her clothes and the skintight jumpsuit she generally wore under her armor. It was much smaller than the others she had deflected and nearly invisible in the fading light. She could feel pain radiating from the puncture, as her entire leg began to throb with nearly unbearable levels of pain.


    ¡°An old trick,¡± the assassin smiles. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d reveal myself if I wasn¡¯t prepared, did you?¡±


    Nina merely grunted, a sheen of glowing white forming around her. The light slowly solidified into brightly polished armor as she spun her blade around her like a propeller, blindly slashing at the shadows. She¡¯d been caught off guard once, no reason to prolong the mistake.


    ¡°Those won¡¯t help you,¡± Gen said, as Nina began to down another red vial. ¡°Even if you had a real healer, that leg will be useless for hours. Basilisk venom is a hell of a poison.¡±


    Nina balanced on a single leg as she lifted and extended the other. Her face paled as she realized she was slowly losing all feeling in the punctured leg. Even the pain had retreated into a dull ache. The limb was growing stiff and heavy, soon it would be nothing but a stone anchor tethering her to the ground.


    She flexed it experimentally and it still responded. She wasn¡¯t sure how much time she had left, but even with the potion and her stats it wouldn¡¯t be more than a few minutes until the effects were complete.


    ¡°Neat trick,¡± she said. ¡°but you¡¯re forgetting one thing ¡­¡±


    Gen laughed as his illusion slowly disappeared, leaving behind the faint smell of sulfur. His voice seemed to come from everywhere at the same time as if the assassin was whispering with a hundred voices.


    ¡°Oh, and what might that be?¡±


    A blade appeared at Nina¡¯s back, but she was already spinning and managed to turn it away with the gauntlet on her left hand. A black line marred the surface of her armor, green fumes rising as the metal bubbled and distorted. She ignored the acid, even as it began to eat through the metal and drip onto her skin.


    Instead, she stabbed behind her and spun her blade in a wide arc. She found no resistance, but she heard the faint sounds of boots landing on the hard, crystal surface. The assassin had dodged but hadn¡¯t been able to completely hide his landing. When Lina attacked the area, however, she was met with nothing but she found only empty space.


    I can¡¯t see him, Nina thought, but he¡¯s there. Toying with me.


    ¡°Still think I¡¯m forgetting something? Just tell me where the boy is.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°You forgot,¡± Nina yelled, raising her blade above her head, ¡°that light will always drive out the shadows.¡±


    Nina¡¯s blade exploded into a wave of light that refracted across the crystal surface of the narrow passage. The blinding light was reflected a thousand times until even through her closed eyelids Nina could see nothing but white.


    As her eyes blinked open, a faceted gem in the pommel of her saber crumbled into dust. She was burning through wealth faster than even she could afford. It was worth it, Nina thought, as she caught sight of the assassin. He was hiding in the shadows of the far corner, his fingers still rubbing at his eyes.


    Anger roared up in Nina, followed by an incredible urge to make the assassin suffer, but she had trained for this situation and knew what to do. She ran. She ran upwards and ignored everything behind her. To fight is to live, she remembered, not to kill.


    She repeated those words as a child. The lessons of a man long gone, if only her uncle were still here ¡­


    Nina focused on putting one foot in front of the other, even as her injured leg grew heavier and stiffer. Just a little more. The assassin was fast, but no amount of speed could make up the disparity in strength. Nina could cover a dozen yards in a single step. Hopefully, it would be enough.


    Please ¡­ please be waiting for me.


    She was conflicted, however. She didn¡¯t want things to end this way but if she kept running she would lead Gen straight towards George. Would Max wait?she thought. He seemed the type to wait till the last second, Nina had already written him off as the hero type ¡­ but she had insisted he protect the child first.


    Either way, she couldn¡¯t let the assassin know there was a way out. Nina still had one option, however. She could use the one thing that had kept her alive this long. The thing that made her special. The one part of her family she had yet to cast aside. Wealth.


    Nina sighed, dismissing her saber as another javelin appeared in her left hand. It was identical to the one she had used on the crystal lizard, and it was the last she had. In her other hand, she held a golden statue of an Eagle.


    She threw the Eagle upwards where it began to shimmer and grow larger. With her newly freed hand, she grasped the other end of the javelin and split it in two. Rather than cutting a straight line through everything, as it had with the lizard, the javelin exploded into thousands of arcs that leaped and twisted from each end of the broken weapon.


    The white-hot bolts cut through the pale gloom like a thousand flashing daggers. They branched and forked until nearly everything within a hundred-foot cone was consumed. The crystal floor glowed and crackled where the lighting had polished it.


    Had it been enough?


    Nina¡¯s smile dropped fell as she heard the familiar laugh. It seemed less confident, however. Forced and hiding a wheeze. She¡¯d injured the man, or he was a better actor than Nina gave him credit for.


    She didn¡¯t wait to find out, though, instead she ripped her belt, and its many pouches, from her waist and threw it into the air where it was snatched by a giant, golden eagle. Another heirloom lost, she thought with a sigh.


    ¡°Run George,¡± she yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t look back!¡±


    The Eagle immediately flew upwards, seeking the sky through one of the cracks that were beginning to appear in the roof. Nina could see none large enough for it to fly through, but she suspected that there must be a way out or else the spiders would have fled elsewhere.


    Hopefully, the assassin would make the same connection.


    As the bird disappeared from her vision, the vibrations increased, and large, geode-like blocks began to fall, smashing around Nina in a rain of bone-crushing projectiles. The cavern immediately brightened as large gaps appeared in the ceiling to reveal the sky. For a moment, she could see a golden speck against an overcast sky.


    Good. Let them chase it.


    Nina dodged a falling block, ending with her on one knee after sliding across the smooth surface. As more of the roof fell, the debris began to fracture the floor creating long chains of branching cracks. A barrage of crystals fell into the floor in front of Nina, causing a long fissure that had appeared to widen and fall open.


    The crack continued to grow as the vibrations and falling debris split it open further. Nina could barely stand up due to the shaking, and she noticed a growing downward slant as if the entire tree were beginning to tilt. There was no time left.


    Her only choice was to move forward and hope Max had waited. She wasn¡¯t used to hoping her orders had been ignored.


    The assassin appeared on the other side of the growing chasm, finally dropping his illusions and stealth. He was still grinning, his mouth twisted into an unnaturally thin line drawn from ear to ear.


    ¡°Ah, I regret we must end things here,¡± Gen yelled. ¡°I may not have had all my fun, but I¡¯ll have to content myself with having stained my knives with Reech blood.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t get him,¡± Nina said calmly. Her voice was low, but she knew the assassin could hear her even over the roar of the collapsing dungeon.


    ¡°Oh, my dear, dear girl ¡­ we already do. My entire quad and a full detachment of soldiers are outside this crumbling tree. They¡¯ll have your bird, and the boy, in a matter of minutes ¡­ but you? You die here. It seems a tomb fitting of your stature, no?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t won yet,¡± Nina roared.


    She ignored the assassin as she turned and ran towards Max and George. Ancestors, please let them be there. The quiet cackling of the assassin faded as she heard his footsteps echo through the cavern. At last, he had given up on stealth as he fled the crumbling tree.